JP2003331218A - Scanner device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To scan a character string without changing a character recognition rate by the character size when characters having various sizes in a manuscript to be actually read, or without interfering another line when the character string is written on a plurality of lines. <P>SOLUTION: This scanner device having a scanner mounted on the pen-shaped tip, capable of recognizing the character string 14 from data read by the scanner is constituted so that a user can freely adjust a range to be scanned by the scanner body 8 according to the size of the character string written in the manuscript 4, and that recognition of the character string can be always performed in a fixed condition relative to the resolution or the size by moving a zoom lens 6. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a pen type scanner having a character recognition function.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a conventional pen-type hand-scanning scanner device, a data input system is proposed in JP-A-11-328310 and a hand-scanning scanner is proposed in JP-A-2000-099709. There is.

[0003]

Characters of various sizes are present in a document to be actually read, and the character recognition rate changes depending on the size of the characters, or character strings are written in a plurality of lines. In this case, there arises a problem that it is difficult to scan the character string without interfering with other lines or to scan the character string straight. In addition, it is difficult for the user to visually check the erroneous recognition of the character string while scanning. The present invention aims to provide a device that solves these problems.

Specifically, the invention of claim 1 is disclosed in
A scanner that scans a character string with a sensor that can obtain movement data such as a movement distance and a movement direction as in JP-A-328310, and each image from continuous two-dimensional images as in JP-A-2000-099709. It is an object to provide a scanner device that combines and scans a character string. Even when characters of various sizes are present in the manuscript, the recognition rate of the characters can be improved by adjusting the size of the characters to be almost the same and reading the characters.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, when a user scans a character string on an original document by freehand scanning, the character string cannot be directly scanned and the character string cannot be erroneously recognized or recognized. In order to solve these, it interferes with the rows and misrecognizes them, but in order to solve these, something like a ruler peculiar to this scanner, that is, using the guide means, always keep the scanning line horizontal, An object of the present invention is to provide a scanner device that can scan a scanner so that it is always vertical.

According to the third aspect of the invention, in order to reliably know the moving distance of the scanner, a ruler of the second aspect and a scanner are provided with sensors for knowing the respective positional relationships, and these positional relationships are constantly monitored. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a scanner device that can obtain an accurate read image.

The invention of claim 4 proposes a method of writing a correction character in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-328310 as a correction means for a character string that is erroneously recognized. It is an object of the present invention to provide a scanner device capable of not only correction but also insertion of character strings and line feed.

JP-A-11-328310 and JP-A-2
In 000-099709, it is possible to check the recognized character strings by incorporating the respective display devices, but in reality, it is difficult to check the erroneously recognized image by viewing the display while scanning the document. There is a problem. Therefore, an object of the invention of claim 5 is to provide a scanner capable of displaying a character string and confirming with a voice every time it is recognized.

A sixth object of the present invention is to provide a scanner in which the respective combinations of the first to fifth embodiments and all of them are combined.

[0010]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, according to the invention of claim 1, a scanner is attached to the tip of a pen type, and a character string can be recognized from the data read by the scanner. In the scanner device that can be used, the user can freely adjust the range to be scanned by the scanner according to the size of the character string written on the original, and the resolution and size can be kept constant by moving the zoom lens. The most important feature is a scanner device configured to recognize a character string by.

According to the second aspect of the invention, in the scanner device in which the scanner is attached to the tip of the pen type and the character string can be recognized from the data read there, when the user scans the character string on the document, The most important feature is a scanner device in which a guide means is set so that the reading line is always horizontal and the scanner is always vertical to the reading direction.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a scanner device in which a scanner is mounted on a tip of a pen type and a character string can be recognized from data read by the scanner. The main feature of the scanner device is that each of the scanner devices is equipped with a sensor that can know the current position of the scanner device, and that the moving distance of the scanner device can be accurately known.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in a scanner device in which a scanner is attached to the tip of a pen type and a character string can be recognized from the data read by the scanner, correction of a character string that has been erroneously recognized or a character Insertion and deletion of columns can be freely switched with the button etc. during scanning.
At that time, the most important feature of the scanner device is that the pen-type scanner device is capable of inputting characters only by writing the desired characters.

In a fifth aspect of the present invention, in a scanner device in which a scanner is attached to the tip of a pen type and a character string can be recognized from the data read by the scanner, an image input from the pen type scanner device is used. After recognizing the character string from the, the scanner device is configured so that it can be displayed on the display device so that the user can confirm the false detection, and the character recognized by voice can be output. Characterize.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a scanner device in which a scanner is attached to a tip of a pen type and a character string can be recognized from data read by the scanner. The main feature is a scanner device that combines all of them.

[0016]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. 1 shows a schematic view of the present invention of a scanner device, and FIG. 2 shows the tip of the scanner device of FIG. The pen-type scanner device shown in FIG. 1 includes a housing 1, and in the housing 1, a light source 2, a light amount adjusting device 3 capable of controlling the amount of light emitted from the light source 2, and an original 4 are provided. A scanner device main body 5 for receiving the reflected light of and reading an image is stored. The scanner device body 5 includes a light receiving sensor 7 having a zoom lens 6 for changing the reflected light to an appropriate size, and a scanner body 8 for scanning an image received by the light receiving sensor 7.

Further, in the housing 1 of the scanner device, a character recognition device 9 for recognizing characters from an image read by the scanner body 8 of the scanner device body 5 and data recognized by the character recognition device 9 are displayed. The display device 10 and data transmitted via the display device 10 are wirelessly transmitted, infrared rays, or US data.
An external output terminal 11 for outputting to an external interface by B or the like is stored.

In the figure, 11 is a read button provided on the outside of the housing 1, 13 is a read size change button, A is a zoom-in position of the read size change button 13, and B is a zoom-out position of the read size change button 13. Is.

The tip or the whole of the housing 1 of the pen-type scanner device is made of a transparent material so that the user can know the range of the light emitted from the light source 2. The user aligns the tip of this pen-type scanner device with the character string to be read on the document 4 and presses the read button 11.
Move the scanner according to the character string. It is possible to recognize a character string from the character string read by such an operation and output it from the external output terminal 11 in the form of character data or a text file.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, when the manuscript has characters of various sizes, the zoom lens 6 is optically provided so that any character string can be read with substantially the same size and the same resolution. It is possible to change the size of the character that the user wants to read by using this. At this time, the range of the amount of light emitted in synchronization with the zoom lens 6 can be narrowed by the light amount adjusting device 3 so that the user can easily know the reading range. In other words, the zoom lens 6 and the light quantity adjusting device 3 are operated in conjunction with each other so that the light can be emitted only in the reading range. As a specific example, when the user wants to read the line “Aiueo” of the character string 14 of “Aiueo Kaki Kukeko” in FIG. 4, the read size change button 13 in FIG. The reading size is increased as shown, and reading is started so that the entire character is within the reading range as shown in FIG.

Next, when reading the line "Kakikukeko", the read size change button 13 is used again as shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 4, the reading range is reduced, and the reading is started when the entire character is within the reading range. By doing so, the read character string can always be read in the same size, so that the recognition ability of the character string 14 is enhanced. To set the reading range, the reading size changing button 13 shown in FIG. 1 is used, and the reading range can be freely changed as if zooming in or out. When actually reading the original, the read button 12 in FIG. 1 is pressed. When the reading button 12 is pressed while the scanner device is being applied to the original document 4, light is emitted from the light source 2, and the original document 4 is read by moving the pen type scanner device. Light is emitted from the light source 2 only while the reading button 12 is being pressed, and when the finger is released from the reading button 12, the light disappears and reading is interrupted.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the scanner of the first aspect, in the case of a sentence extending over a plurality of lines as shown in FIG. When reading, it is difficult to read without interfering with other lines. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6, guide means 17 such as a dedicated ruler for moving the pen type scanner device 16 in parallel to the desired reading direction is used. Hereinafter, this guiding means will be referred to as "scanner guide 17". Further, not only the scanner device 16 can be operated in parallel to the reading direction, but also the scanner device 16 itself is not slanted, and the groove 18 is formed as shown in FIG. It is possible to

In the third aspect, it is difficult to accurately measure the moving distance of the scanner device by the roller type which is the conventional technique of the second aspect, so that the read image may be longer than the actual image. It has slipped off.
However, as shown in FIG. 7, distance sensors 18 and 19 for detecting the positional relationship between the scanner guide 17 and the pen-type scanner device 16 are attached, and when the image is read, the distance traveled by the scanner device 16 is accurately measured. You can know
You can read accurate images.

[0024] In claim 4, JP-A-11-328310.
Not only can the correction of a character string that is erroneously recognized as described in Japanese Patent Publication be corrected by writing with a pen-type scanner device, but various buttons and switches on the scanner device can also be used to correct the character correction mode, character string insertion mode, and reading mode. Switching to each mode, a character string can be read from the original 4 in the reading mode, a character string that is erroneously recognized from the read character string can be corrected in the correction mode, and a insertion mode can be used. A character string that is not in the original can be freely inserted into the read character string. At that time, for example, with a pen-type scanner device, it is possible to input characters other than double-clicking at the same place or writing a new line to insert a line feed. If the output is a text file or the like, inserting a line break seems to improve usability.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, when a user reads a character string by using a scanner device, the read character string is displayed by the display device 10 (see FIG. 11-328310 and 2000-099709). Check if it is recognized correctly using (1). However, in reality, the user is reading the character string with the scanner device and the display device 1
It is difficult to identify the character of 0. Therefore, in addition to displaying the recognized character string on the display device 10, a voice output device is provided so that the character string is read aloud each time the character is recognized, so that the user can see only the document to be read. You can work while

Claim 6 is a combination of claims 1 to 5 and all combinations.

[0027]

As described above, according to the first aspect, when characters of various sizes are present in a document, any character string can be read with substantially the same size and the same resolution. Therefore, it is possible to read under the optimal conditions for character recognition. Therefore, the possibility of erroneous recognition is greatly reduced.

According to the second aspect, in the case of a sentence extending over a plurality of lines, there is no influence of the upper and lower lines, so that the recognition rate of the character string becomes high. Further, since the scanner device can be moved in parallel to the line, it is possible to accurately read a portion having a character string on the document.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, since the position from the reading start position of the scanner device to the current movement position of the scanner device can be accurately known, the read image is less likely to be misaligned or interrupted, and has a shape close to that of the original document. It can be read with. Therefore, the recognition rate of the character string is also high.

According to the fourth aspect, not only the correction of the erroneously recognized character string can be corrected by writing on the scanner device, but also the character string can be inserted and the line feed can be performed at the same time as the reading. If you want to read it faintly, you can add a character string instead of modifying it and work efficiency will be improved.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, it is very difficult for the user to visually confirm the character string recognized while scanning the original document, and it is difficult to find an erroneous recognition, but the character string recognized by voice is recognized. Since the confirmation is performed, it is easy to confirm the erroneously recognized character string.

According to the sixth aspect, it is possible to improve the character string recognition efficiency and the work efficiency of the scanner with the combination of each of the first to fifth aspects and all the combinations.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of an embodiment of a scanner device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a detailed view of a tip portion of the scanner device shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a detailed view of the tip of the scanner device when changing the reading size.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram for changing a character size to be read by the scanner device of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram when a character to be read by the scanner device of the present invention has a plurality of lines.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a scanner device and a scanner guide that can guide the scanner device in the scanner device of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a scanner device and a scanner guide that can detect the position of the scanner device in the scanner device of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

4 manuscripts 6 zoom lens 8 Scanner body (scanner) 9 character recognition device 10 Display 14 character string 17 Scanner guide (guide means) 19 Distance sensor 20 distance sensor

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification code FI theme code (reference) H04N 1/00 H04N 1/00 D 1/04 106 1/04 106Z 1/107 AF term (reference) 5B029 BB09 BB15 BB16 CC13 5B047 AA01 BA03 BB01 BC05 BC11 BC21 CA17 CB10 DC09 5B064 AB04 BA02 BA05 EA07 EA10 FA02 FA16 5C062 AA05 AA17 AB27 AD06 BA04 5C072 AA01 BA04 CA02 DA02 DA23 EA04 PA05 PA10 TA04 X

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A scanner device in which a scanner is attached to the tip of a pen type and a character string can be recognized from the data read by the scanner, and the scanner scans according to the size of the character string written on the document. A scanner device characterized in that a user can freely adjust a range to be operated, and by moving a zoom lens, a character string can be always recognized under a fixed condition regarding resolution and size. 2. A scanner device in which a scanner is attached to a tip of a pen type and a character string can be recognized from data read by the scanner, and when a user scans a character string on a document, a line to be read is always displayed. The scanner device is characterized in that the guide means is set so that it is horizontal and the scanner is always vertical to the reading direction. 3. A scanner device in which a scanner is attached to the tip of a pen type and a character string can be recognized from the data read by the scanner, wherein the guide means and the pen type scanner device are each provided with a scanner. A scanner device characterized by being equipped with a sensor capable of knowing the current position of the device and being configured so as to accurately know the moving distance of the scanner device. 4. A scanner device in which a scanner is attached to the tip of a pen type and a character string can be recognized from the data read by the scanner, correction of a erroneously recognized character string and insertion / deletion of a character string can be performed. A scanner device characterized in that it can be freely switched by a button or the like during scanning, and at that time, characters can be input by simply writing the desired character with the pen-type scanner. 5. A scanner device in which a scanner is attached to the tip of a pen type and a character string can be recognized from the data read by the scanner, after the character string is recognized from an image input from the pen type scanner. A scanner device characterized by being configured so that it can be displayed on a display device so that a user can confirm erroneous detection and at the same time being capable of outputting a character recognized by voice. 6. A scanner device in which a scanner is attached to the tip of a pen type and a character string can be recognized from the data read by the scanner, wherein each combination of claim 1 to 5 and all of them are combined. Scanner device characterized by.