Abstract: A method for controlling or protecting the use of a software licensed product is provided. The method comprises, for example, encrypting protected data associated with the software licensed product with a key derived from code of a licensing module, distributing the encrypted protected data associated with the software licensed product to user devices, tracking usage of a software licensed product, and for all but one instance of the usage of the software licensed product terminating the usage of the software license product by allowing execution of the software licensed product upon successful decryption of the encrypted protected data.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method that involves acquiring an image with text, displaying all or a portion of the image on an electronic device. In response to detecting a swiping action or gesture, displaying a result of translation on a screen of the device. A first screen or display becomes a second one. Original text in a first language or source language may be easily and quickly compared to translated text shown on a second screen through a swiping gesture. Electronic dictionaries and machine translation may be used. These services may be independently stored and operated from different locations including on the device performing the translation, on a server or across a network (LAN, WAN, etc.). Optional manual correction of the translated text is also possible.

Abstract: Methods, devices, and systems for capturing documents are provided. A frame in a viewfinder is selected and is converted into a binary version. Segmentation of the binarized version of the frame is performed using computed horizontal and vertical histograms. At least one document is identified in the selected frame. The at least one document is captured upon determining that values of the one or more parameters associated with the document match predetermined values of corresponding one or more parameters.

Abstract: A computer method and an electronic device enable a user to lookup words and insert new words in a text based on the results of the look up. The method executed by the device includes: providing a user with a capability to select at least one word in a text displayed on the screen of the device; performing a dictionary lookup of the identified word so as to determine translation alternatives of the identified word; displaying at least some of the translation alternatives; selecting one of the displayed alternatives; determining its word forms, wherein the word forms consist of gender, number, grammatical tense and grammatical variations of the same word; selecting one of the word forms; and inserting the selected word from in the text.

Abstract: Embodiments disclose a technique to recognize text in a current frame of an image in a view finder of a digital camera. In accordance with the technique, text at a marker (e.g. a cursor or cross hairs) associated with the view finder is recognized and a lookup is performed based on the recognized text. Advantageously, the lookup yields useful information e.g. a translation of a recognized word that is displayed in the viewfinder adjacent to the text. The current frame is not captured by a user. As the user moves the camera to position a new word at the marker, the view finder is updated to provide lookup results associated with the new word. Lookups may be performed of a bilingual dictionary, a monolingual dictionary, a reference book, a travel guide, etc. Embodiments of the invention also cover digital cameras or mobile devices that implement the aforementioned technique.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention disclose a dictionary lookup method and an electronic device that implements the dictionary lookup method. The dictionary lookup method allows a user to quickly obtain meanings and translations of words from electronic dictionaries while reading a text on a display screen of the electronic device, wherein reading text is utilized by performing an optical character recognition comprising of determining a set of base forms of each inflected recognized word. Advantageously, in one embodiment the meanings (e.g., the base forms) and translations may be displayed in a balloon, in a pop-up window, as subscript, as superscript, or in any other suitable manner when the user touches a word on the display screen, in one embodiment.

Abstract: Methods for processing machine-readable forms or documents of non-fixed format are disclosed. The methods make use of, for example, a structural description of characteristics of document elements, a description of a logical structure of the document, and methods of searching for document elements by using the structural description. A structural description of the spatial and parametric characteristics of document elements and the logical connections between elements may include a hierarchical logical structure of the elements, specification of an algorithm of determining the search constraints, specification of characteristics of searched elements, and specification of a set of parameters for a compound element identified on the basis of the aggregate of its components. The method of describing the logical structure of a document and methods of searching for elements of a document may be based on the use of the structural description.

Abstract: The current application is directed to a method and system for automatically determining the sense orientation of regions of scanned-document images that include symbols and characters of languages that are not written as simple sequential strings of alphabetic characters. In one implementation, the sense-orientation method and system to which the current application is directed employs a relatively small set of orientation-marker characters that occur frequently in printed text and that lack rotational symmetry.

Abstract: Systems and method for improving the quality of document images are provided. One method includes identifying a plurality of image fragments within a previously received document image that includes text. The method further includes separating the plurality of image fragments into a plurality of classes. Each class includes a subset of the plurality of image fragments that are substantially similar to one another. The method further includes, for each of the plurality of classes: (1) processing a class of image fragments to generate a combined and substantially enlarged image fragment for the class; and (2) filtering the combined and substantially enlarged image fragment to generate a filtered image fragment for the class. The method further includes generating an improved document image by replacing or modifying the image fragments within the document image based on the filtered image fragments.

Abstract: Systems and method for improving the quality of document images are provided. One method includes identifying a plurality of image fragments within a previously received document image that includes text. The method further includes separating the plurality of image fragments into a plurality of classes. Each class includes a subset of the plurality of image fragments that are substantially similar to one another. The method further includes, for each of the plurality of classes: (1) processing a class of image fragments to generate a combined and substantially enlarged image fragment for the class; and (2) filtering the combined and substantially enlarged image fragment to generate a filtered image fragment for the class. The method further includes generating an improved document image by replacing or modifying the image fragments within the document image based on the filtered image fragments.

Abstract: A method for detecting a junction in a received image of the line of text to update a junction list with descriptive data is provided. The method includes creating a color histogram based on a number of color pixels in the received image of the line of text and detecting, based at least in part on the received image of the line of text, a rung within the received image of the line of text. The method also includes identifying a horizontal position of the detected rung in the received image of the line of text and identifying a gateway on the color histogram, wherein the identified gateway is associated with the detected rung. The junction list is updated with data including a description of the identified gateway.

Abstract: Methods are described for determining an optimal path for creating a scheme for dividing a text line of Chinese, Japanese or Korean (CJK) characters into character cells prior to applying classifiers and recognizing characters. Gaps between characters are found as a window is moved down the text line. Finding gaps may involve finding 4-connected paths. A histogram is built based on distances from start of window to a respective gap. The window is moved to the end of each gap after each gap is found and distances measured. Process is repeated until window reaches the end of the text line and all gaps found. A linear division graph (LDG) is constructed according to detected gaps. Penalties for certain distances are applied. An optimum path is one with a minimal penalty sum and can be used as a scheme for dividing text lines into character cells.

Abstract: A method, device and system for acquiring information related to annotations and the content of a document. Annotations are isolated from document content and are associated with portions of the content of the document. Annotations and content are used as a basis for a semantic search of a corpus of other documents. From the corpus, related information is extracted and presented or made available along side of or with the original content and annotations of the document. Each version of a document is stored and made accessible. Any of the versions of a document, with or without a current set of annotations, may be distributed to others for further review and annotation. Annotations are protected and associated with a level of privilege or rights. Annotations are trackable over time and location and are associated with a particular annotator.

Abstract: Detecting blur and defocusing in images is described. After detection, correction algorithms are applied. Detection provides an image processing system with parameters related to a blur (e.g., direction, strength) and noise levels, or may trigger a message to a user to re-take a photograph. Detection involves finding and analyzing edges of objects instead of an entire image. Disclosed detector may be used for OCR purposes, blur and defocusing detection in photographic and scanning devices, video cameras, print quality control systems, computer vision. Detection of blur and defocusing of an image involve second derivatives of image brightness. Object edges are detected. For points on edges, profiles of second derivative are obtained in the direction of the gradient. Statistics are gathered about parameters of profiles in various directions. By analyzing statistics, image distortions and their type (e.g., blur, defocusing), the strength of distortion, the direction of the blur are detected.

Abstract: Methods, devices, and systems for capturing documents are provided. A frame in a viewfinder is selected and is converted into a binary version. Segmentation of the binarized version of the frame is performed using computed horizontal and vertical histograms. At least one document is identified in the selected frame. The at least one document is captured upon determining that values of the one or more parameters associated with the document match predetermined values of corresponding one or more parameters.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the invention provides a method, comprising detecting data fields on a scanned document image; generating a flexible document description based on the detected data fields, including creating a set of search elements for each data field, each search element having associated search criteria; and training or modifying the flexible document description using, for example, a search algorithm to detect the data fields on additional training images based on the set of search elements.

Abstract: Methods for correcting distortions in an image including text, or an image of a page that includes text, are disclosed. The methods include identifying reliable and substantially straight lines from elements in the image. Vanishing points are determined from the lines. Parameters associated with a rectangle are determined. A coordinate conversion is performed.

Abstract: Methods for correcting distortions in an image including text, or an image of a page that includes text, are disclosed. The methods include identifying reliable and substantially straight lines from elements in the image. Vanishing points are determined from the lines. Parameters associated with a rectangle are determined. A coordinate conversion is performed.

Abstract: Automatic classification of different types of documents is disclosed. An image of a form or document is captured. The document is assigned to one or more type definitions by identifying one or more objects within the image of the document. A matching model is selected via identification of the document image. In the case of multiple identifications, a profound analysis of the document type is performed—either automatically or manually. An automatic classifier may be trained with document samples of each of a plurality of document classes or document types where the types are known in advance or a system of classes may be formed automatically without a priori information about types of samples. An automatic classifier determines possible features and calculates a range of feature values and possible other feature parameters for each type or class of document. A decision tree, based on rules specified by a user, may be used for classifying documents.