Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media are provided for establishing a search radius based on token frequency. A search query having a geographic indication is received and it is determined whether or not the received query contains one or more non-frequent tokens. Non-frequent tokens have a respective frequency that occurs in the entities included in a data store of entities below a threshold number of times. If it is determined that the received query does not contain one or more non-frequent tokens, the search radius established for the search query, and thus applied to the search, is restricted to a radius established based upon the geographic indication of the query. If it is determined that the received query does contain one or more non-frequent tokens, the search radius is established such that it is larger than if it was established based upon the geographic indication of the query.

Abstract: This document relates to compression of information into a human-readable format, such as a sentence or phrase. Generally, the disclosed techniques can extract values, such as purposes and topics, from information items and generate compressed representations of the information items that include the extracted values. In some cases, machine learning models can be employed to extract the values, and also to rank the values for inclusion in the compressed representations.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media are provided for establishing a search radius based on token frequency. A search query having a geographic indication is received and it is determined whether or not the received query contains one or more non-frequent tokens. Non-frequent tokens have a respective frequency that occurs in the entities included in a data store of entities below a threshold number of times. If it is determined that the received query does not contain one or more non-frequent tokens, the search radius established for the search query, and thus applied to the search, is restricted to a radius established based upon the geographic indication of the query. If it is determined that the received query does contain one or more non-frequent tokens, the search radius is established such that it is larger than if it was established based upon the geographic indication of the query.

Abstract: Embodiments of camera-based scanning are described. In various embodiments, one or more quadrangular objects are automatically selected from a captured image for scanning. The automatic selection is determined to be successful based on the selected quadrangular objects having an associated score that exceeds a predefined threshold. One or more scanned documents are created from portions of the captured image corresponding to the selected quadrangular objects, and the created scanned documents include corrections for perspective distortions of the selected quadrangular objects in the captured image.

Abstract: A method for enhancing a textual image for undergoing optical character recognition begins by receiving an image that includes native lines of text. A background line profile is determined which represents an average background intensity along the native lines in the image. Likewise, a foreground line profile is determined which represents an average foreground background intensity along the native lines in the image. The pixels in the image are assigned to either a background or foreground portion of the image based at least in part on the background line profile and the foreground line profile. The intensity of the pixels designated to the background portion of the image is adjusted to a maximum brightness so as to represent a portion of the image that does not include text.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate to classifying pages of an electronic document, such as a scanned book page. OCR software is applied to the contents of the electronic document, revealing semantic information about the content of the electronic document. Software-based features are applied to the semantic information to determine the type of page the electronic document is. Page types may include table of contents (TOC), table of figures (TOF), bibliography, index, or other types of pages commonly found in a book, magazine, or other publication. Once determined, the determined page type is stored and used by other software engines.

Abstract: Embodiments of camera-based scanning are described. In various embodiments, scanned documents can be created using images captured by a camera associated with a device. An image captured by the camera is processed to identify portions within the image that correspond to rectangular objects such as paper, business cards, whiteboards, screens, and so forth. One or more of these portions can be selected for scanning automatically based on a scoring scheme and/or semi-automatically with the aid of input from a user. One or more scanned documents are created from the selected portions by un-warping the selected portions to remove effects of perspective (e.g., rectify the portions to rectangles) and applying various image enhancements to improve appearance.

Abstract: Line segmentation in an OCR process is performed to detect the positions of words within an input textual line image by extracting features from the input to locate breaks and then classifying the breaks into one of two break classes which include inter-word breaks and inter-character breaks. An output including the bounding boxes of the detected words and a probability that a given break belongs to the identified class can then be provided to downstream OCR or other components for post-processing. Advantageously, by reducing line segmentation to the extraction of features, including the position of each break and the number of break features, and break classification, the task of line segmentation is made less complex but with no loss of generality.

Abstract: An optical character recognition process characterizes text lines in a textual image by their base-line, mean-line and x-height. The base-line for at least one text line in the image is determined by finding a parametric curve that maximizes a first fitness function that depends on the values of pixels through which the parametric curve passes and pixels below the parametric curve. The base-line corresponds to the parametric curve for which the first fitness function is maximized. The first fitness function is designed so that it increases with increasing lightless or brightness of pixels immediately below the parametric curve while also increasing with decreasing lightness of pixels through which the parametric curve passes. The mean-line is determined by incrementally shifting the base-line upward by predetermined amounts (e.g., a single pixel) until a second fitness function for the shifted base-line is maximized. The second fitness function is essentially the inverse of the first fitness function.

Abstract: A processing device may recognize a number of input handwritten strokes, which may represent a mathematical expression, a chemical formula, or other two-dimensional structure. Rewriting rules of a grammar may be applied to the strokes to produce a number of possible recognition results. Each of the possible recognition results has a respective score based on a sum of rewriting rules applied to the strokes to produce respective ones of the possible recognition results. Input may be provided to identify misrecognized strokes and a correct terminal production, or symbol corresponding to the misrecognized strokes. Strokes may be misrecognized for many reasons, including parsing errors, over-grouping or under-grouping of matrices, and improper placement of a recognized terminal production, or symbol, with respect to a root structure. Correction hints may be leveraged for correcting types of errors mentioned above.

Abstract: Computer-readable media, systems, and methods for document layout extraction are described. In embodiments, textual data in an electronic format is received and the textual data is converted from the electronic format to an independent interface format, the independent interface format including coordinates to one or more structural elements of the textual data. Further, in embodiments, a structure and layout analysis of the textual data is performed to generate a set of structure and layout information. Still further, in embodiments, the textual data and the set of structure and layout information is stored in an enriched interface format, the enriched interface format providing for search and navigation of the textual data.

Abstract: A natural input system is described for creating and editing complex structures in a typeset application. The natural input system receives a typeset representation of an object and converts the typeset format to generate a standard digital ink representation. The natural input system provides the generated ink representation to a natural input application where can be manipulated by the user with a rich set of correction and editing features provided by the natural input application. Once the end user is satisfied with the recognition result in the natural input application, the natural input system receives the recognition result based on the modified digital ink representation. The natural input system may convert the received recognition result to the typeset application format and provides the modified typeset representation to the typeset application for merging into the document the user is editing.

Abstract: A number of regions and partitions may be created based on input handwritten atoms and a grammar parsing framework. Productions for tabular structures may be added to the grammar parsing framework to produce an extended grammar parsing framework. Each of the regions may be searched for a tabular structure. Upon finding a tabular structure, a type of tabular structure may be determined. Configuration partitions may be created, based on the added productions, and added to the created partitions. A set of configuration regions may be created based on the configuration partitions and added to the created regions. The productions for tabular structures and productions of the grammar parsing framework may be applied, as rewriting rules, to the atoms to produce possible recognition results. A best recognition result may be determined and displayed. A mechanism for correcting misrecognition errors, which may occur while recognizing tabular structures, may be provided.

Abstract: Overlaying electronic ink over a document. A typical scenario may be where one it would be useful to mark up a document with electronic ink, such as by making handwritten comments, drawings, and the like over the underlying document. In some embodiments, a developer may easily define an inking surface, such as a transparent or opaque window, over a document. The inking surface may act as an input interface such that a user may write onto the inking surface such that is appears that the document itself is being marked up.

Abstract: A number of regions and partitions may be created based on input handwritten atoms and a grammar parsing framework. Productions for tabular structures may be added to the grammar parsing framework to produce an extended grammar parsing framework. Each of the regions may be searched for a tabular structure. Upon finding a tabular structure, a type of tabular structure may be determined. Configuration partitions may be created, based on the added productions, and added to the created partitions. A set of configuration regions may be created based on the configuration partitions and added to the created regions. The productions for tabular structures and productions of the grammar parsing framework may be applied, as rewriting rules, to the atoms to produce possible recognition results. A best recognition result may be determined and displayed. A mechanism for correcting misrecognition errors, which may occur while recognizing tabular structures, may be provided.

Abstract: In embodiments consistent with the subject matter of this disclosure, a user may input one or more strokes as digital ink to a processing device. The processing device may produce and present a recognition result, which may include a misrecognized portion. A user may indicate a desire to correct the misrecognized portion and may further select one or more strokes of the misrecognized portion. The processing device may then present the one or more recognition alternates corresponding to the selected one or more strokes of the misrecognized portion. In some embodiments, the processing device may permit a user to rewrite the selected one or more strokes of the misrecognized portion with newly entered digital ink. Features, such as, rewriting and correction of the input digital ink may be discoverable in some embodiments.

Abstract: A processing device may parse a group of strokes representing a mathematical expression. The group of strokes may be examined to determine whether the group of strokes satisfies any of a finite set of rules. When the group of strokes, included in a region, satisfies any of the finite set of rules, the region may be partitioned according to a satisfied one of the finite set of rules. The group of strokes included in the region may be further examined to determine whether the group of strokes may be further partitioned according to any of the finite set of rules. After all regions have been examined and no further partitioning of regions may be performed, all mathematical symbols of the mathematical expression may be isolated in at least some of the regions and may be recognized.

Abstract: An electronic model of the image document is created by undergoing an OCR process. The electronic model includes elements (e.g., words, text lines, paragraphs, images) of the image document that have been determined by each of a plurality of sequentially executed stages in the OCR process. The electronic model serves as input information which is supplied to each of the stages by a previous stage that processed the image document. A graphical user interface is presented to the user so that the user can provide user input data correcting a mischaracterized item appearing in the document. Based on the user input data, the processing stage which produced the initial error that gave rise to the mischaracterized item corrects the initial error. Stages of the OCR process subsequent to this stage then correct any consequential errors arising in their respective stages as a result of the initial error.

Abstract: A lasso select tool that allows a user to draw a flexible line of selection ink in order to select one or more graphical objects for manipulation. As the user draws this selection line, the lasso select tool continuously redraws and displays a connection line connecting one end of the selection line with the opposite end of the selection line. This connection line thus graphically demonstrates to the user the area that is presently encompassed by the resulting lasso enclosure. Further, the lasso select tool will change the appearance of any object selected with the lasso enclosure. The lasso select tool also selects objects that are only substantially encompassed by the lasso enclosure. For example, the lasso select tool may select ink objects that are only 60% or more encompassed by the lasso enclosure.

Abstract: Line segmentation in an OCR process is performed to detect the positions of words within an input textual line image by extracting features from the input to locate breaks and then classifying the breaks into one of two break classes which include inter-word breaks and inter-character breaks. An output including the bounding boxes of the detected words and a probability that a given break belongs to the identified class can then be provided to downstream OCR or other components for post-processing. Advantageously, by reducing line segmentation to the extraction of features, including the position of each break and the number of break features, and break classification, the task of line segmentation is made less complex but with no loss of generality.