Abstract: A nested closed shapes detection method includes detecting contours of an object in an image and obtaining pixel coordinates and hierarchy information of the contours; grouping, based on the hierarchy information, the contours into groups of sibling contours; for each of the groups, mending adjacent ones of the sibling contours separated by a gap equal to or less than a predetermined number of pixels; fitting a closed shape to each of the mended sibling contours and extending each of the mended sibling contours to mirror the closed shape; and building a hierarchy of nested closed shapes.

Abstract: A method to extract static user content on a marker board is disclosed. The method includes generating a sequence of samples from a video stream comprising a series of images of the marker board, generating at least one center of mass (COM) of estimated foreground content of each sample in the sequence of samples, detecting, based on a predetermined criterion, a stabilized change of the at least one COM in the sequence of samples, wherein the stabilized change of the at least one COM identifies, in the sequence of samples, a stable sample with new content, generating, in response to the stabilized change of the at least one COM and from the stable sample with new content, a mask of full foreground content, and extracting, based at least on the mask of full foreground content, a portion of the static user content from the video stream.

Abstract: An image processing method to generate a layout of searchable content from a physical document. The method includes generating extracted content blocks in the physical document, generating, based on a bounding box of a text block, a layout rectangle that identifies where machine-encoded text is placed in the layout of the searchable content, generating, based on a bounding box of a non-text block, an avoidance region that identifies where the machine-encoded text is prohibited in the layout of the searchable content, generating, based on the layout rectangle and the avoidance region, a draft layout of the searchable content, and iteratively adjusting a point size of the machine-encoded text in the draft layout to generate the layout of the searchable content.

Abstract: A method to extract content written on a marker board is disclosed. The method includes generating, by a computer processor, a sequence of samples from a video stream, wherein the video stream comprises a series of images of the marker board, generating, by the computer processor, a center of mass (COM) of foreground content of each sample in the sequence of samples, detecting, by the computer processor and based on a predetermined criterion, a stabilized change of the COM in the sequence of samples, and extracting, based at least on detecting the stabilized change, a portion of static written content from the video stream.

Abstract: An image processing method to generate a layout of searchable content from a physical document. The method includes generating extracted content blocks in the physical document, generating, based on a bounding box of a text block, a layout rectangle that identifies where machine-encoded text is placed in the layout of the searchable content, generating, based on a bounding box of a non-text block, an avoidance region that identifies where the machine-encoded text is prohibited in the layout of the searchable content, generating, based on the layout rectangle and the avoidance region, a draft layout of the searchable content, and iteratively adjusting a point size of the machine-encoded text in the draft layout to generate the layout of the searchable content.

Abstract: A method to select a content block from a physical document. The method includes generating, by a computer processor and based on an image of the physical document, extracted content blocks in the physical document, detecting, using a camera disposed toward a workspace surface, a finger gesture of a user that identifies a finger tap position on the workspace surface, selecting, by the computer processor, an extracted content block based on an intersection between the finger tap position and a region on the workspace surface associated with the extracted content block, and generating, based at least on the extracted content block, a final content block selection of the physical document for performing a document processing task of the physical document.

Abstract: A method for processing an electronic document (ED) to infer columns in the ED, where the ED comprises a plurality of characters. The method includes generating a mark-up version of the ED having text-layout attributes of the characters in the ED, where the characters are grouped into paragraphs based on the text-layout attributes, and each paragraph corresponds to a paragraph bounding box surrounding a corresponding paragraph, generating border pieces by initiating a pair of left scan and right scan from each paragraph bounding box to identify any adjacent paragraph bounding box, and generating, based at least on the border pieces, column borders for use in inferring the columns in the ED, where at least one column has a vertically aligned portion of the paragraphs.

Abstract: A method for processing an image including a table is provided. The method includes: identifying a plurality of connected components that form the table; generating a skeleton graph comprising a plurality of edges based on the plurality of connected components; calculating a typesetness score that compares the table to a template table based on the plurality of edges; determining a rotation angle for the table and generating a custom coordinate system for the table based on the rotation angle; identifying a plurality of cells in the table based on the skeleton graph, the typesetness score, and the custom coordinate system; linking each of the plurality of cells based on the plurality of edges and validating a link between the plurality of cells; generating a grid of cells based on the link and comprising the plurality of cells; and exporting the grid as a high-level representation of the table.

Abstract: A method for processing an electronic document (ED) to infer titles in the ED is provided. The method includes: generating a mark-up version of the ED comprising text-styling attributes, text-layout attributes, and text content information of characters included in the ED; generating statistical information of the text-styling and text-layout attributes; calculating, for each text-styling and text-layout attribute, a relative weight score; calculating, for each paragraph in the ED: a styling criteria score and a layout criteria score based on the statistical information and the relative weight scores; a text content score based on the text content information; and a title confidence score based on the styling criteria score, the layout criteria score, and the text content score; and generating a metadata for the ED that includes the title confidence score for each paragraph for use in inferring the titles in the ED.

Abstract: A method for processing an electronic document (ED) to infer columns in the ED, where the ED comprises a plurality of characters. The method includes generating a mark-up version of the ED having text-layout attributes of the characters in the ED, where the characters are grouped into paragraphs based on the text-layout attributes, and each paragraph corresponds to a paragraph bounding box surrounding a corresponding paragraph, generating border pieces by initiating a pair of left scan and right scan from each paragraph bounding box to identify any adjacent paragraph bounding box, and generating, based at least on the border pieces, column borders for use in inferring the columns in the ED, where at least one column has a vertically aligned portion of the paragraphs.

Abstract: A method for image processing is provided. The method includes: obtaining an image including a table; generating, for the table, a skeleton graph including a plurality of edges; identifying a plurality of angles and a plurality of lengths for the plurality of edges; and calculating a typesetness score that compares the table to a template table based on the plurality of angles and the plurality of lengths.

Abstract: A method for processing an image that includes a table is provided. The method includes: obtaining a set of edges associated with a cell candidate of the table; determining a longest edge in the set of edges and a first orientation of the longest edge; determining, in the set of edges, an initial edge for a first cell border comprising the first orientation and the longest edge; building the first cell border based on the initial edge, the first orientation, and the set of edges; calculating a second orientation for a second cell border by rotating the first orientation; building the second cell border based on an initial edge for the second cell border and the second orientation; and validating the cell candidate as a cell of the table in response to building the first cell border and building the second cell border.

Abstract: A method for processing an electronic document (ED) to infer titles in the ED is provided. The method includes: generating a mark-up version of the ED comprising text-styling attributes, text-layout attributes, and text content information of characters included in the ED; generating statistical information of the text-styling and text-layout attributes; calculating, for each text-styling and text-layout attribute, a relative weight score; calculating, for each paragraph in the ED: a styling criteria score and a layout criteria score based on the statistical information and the relative weight scores; a text content score based on the text content information; and a title confidence score based on the styling criteria score, the layout criteria score, and the text content score; and generating a metadata for the ED that includes the title confidence score for each paragraph for use in inferring the titles in the ED.

Abstract: A method for image processing is provided. The method includes: obtaining an image including a table that includes a plurality of cells that each includes a first border, a second border opposite the first border, a third border, and a fourth border opposite the third border; identifying, on a skeleton graph generated for the table, a first non-corner vertex on the first border of a first cell of the plurality of cells; determining a first plurality of splitlines extending from the first non-corner vertex and intersecting with the second border of the first cell without intersecting with the third or fourth border of the first cell; calculating a first plurality of confidence values for the first plurality of splitlines; and splitting the first cell by generating a first artificial edge, based on the first plurality of confidence values and a splitline of the first plurality of splitlines.

Abstract: A method for image processing is provided. The method includes: generating a skeleton graph associated with the table and comprising a plurality of edges; identifying, in the skeleton graph, a corner vertex, a starting vertex adjacent to the corner vertex, and an ending vertex adjacent to the corner vertex; determining a set of route options for the starting vertex that includes a first set of vertices adjacent to the starting vertex; selecting a candidate vertex from the first set of vertices as a first vertex; determining a set of route options for a second vertex comprising a second set of vertices adjacent to the second vertex; determining the second set of vertices comprises the ending vertex; and generating a route for a cell in the table and comprising the corner vertex, the starting vertex, the first vertex, the second vertex, and the ending vertex.

Abstract: A method for processing an image including a table is provided. The method includes: identifying a plurality of connected components that form the table; generating a skeleton graph comprising a plurality of edges based on the plurality of connected components; calculating a typesetness score that compares the table to a template table based on the plurality of edges; determining a rotation angle for the table and generating a custom coordinate system for the table based on the rotation angle; identifying a plurality of cells in the table based on the skeleton graph, the typesetness score, and the custom coordinate system; linking each of the plurality of cells based on the plurality of edges and validating a link between the plurality of cells; generating a grid of cells based on the link and comprising the plurality of cells; and exporting the grid as a high-level representation of the table.

Abstract: A method for processing an image that includes a table is provided. The method includes: obtaining a set of edges associated with a cell candidate of the table; determining a longest edge in the set of edges and a first orientation of the longest edge; determining, in the set of edges, an initial edge for a first cell border comprising the first orientation and the longest edge; building the first cell border based on the initial edge, the first orientation, and the set of edges; calculating a second orientation for a second cell border by rotating the first orientation; building the second cell border based on an initial edge for the second cell border and the second orientation; and validating the cell candidate as a cell of the table in response to building the first cell border and building the second cell border.

Abstract: A method for image processing is provided. The method includes: generating a skeleton graph associated with the table and comprising a plurality of edges; identifying, in the skeleton graph, a corner vertex, a starting vertex adjacent to the corner vertex, and an ending vertex adjacent to the corner vertex; determining a set of route options for the starting vertex that includes a first set of vertices adjacent to the starting vertex; selecting a candidate vertex from the first set of vertices as a first vertex; determining a set of route options for a second vertex comprising a second set of vertices adjacent to the second vertex; determining the second set of vertices comprises the ending vertex; and generating a route for a cell in the table and comprising the corner vertex, the starting vertex, the first vertex, the second vertex, and the ending vertex.

Abstract: A method for image processing is provided. The method includes: obtaining an image including a table that includes a plurality of cells that each includes a first border, a second border opposite the first border, a third border, and a fourth border opposite the third border; identifying, on a skeleton graph generated for the table, a first non-corner vertex on the first border of a first cell of the plurality of cells; determining a first plurality of splitlines extending from the first non-corner vertex and intersecting with the second border of the first cell without intersecting with the third or fourth border of the first cell; calculating a first plurality of confidence values for the first plurality of splitlines; and splitting the first cell by generating a first artificial edge, based on the first plurality of confidence values and a splitline of the first plurality of splitlines.

Abstract: A method for image processing is provided. The method includes: obtaining an image including a table; generating, for the table, a skeleton graph including a plurality of edges; identifying a plurality of angles and a plurality of lengths for the plurality of edges; and calculating a typesetness score that compares the table to a template table based on the plurality of angles and the plurality of lengths.