Abstract: A control device includes a moving portion, a magnetic element coupled to the moving portion, at least one magnetic sensing circuit responsive to magnetic fields, and at least one magnetic flux pipe structure. The magnetic element may comprise alternating positive and negative sections configured to generate a magnetic field. The magnetic element may be any shape, such as circular, linear, etc. The magnetic sensing circuit may be radially offset from the magnetic element, and the magnetic flux pipe structure may be configured to conduct the magnetic field generated by the magnetic element towards the magnetic sensing circuit. The magnetic element may generate the magnetic field in a first plane, and the magnetic sensing may be responsive to magnetic fields in a second direction that is angularly offset from the first plane. The magnetic flux pipe structure may redirect the magnetic field towards the magnetic sensing circuit in the second direction.

Abstract: Various cannulated bone implants and methods of using the cannulated bone implant are disclosed. The cannulated bone implant can include a proximal portion, a proximal end, a distal portion, a distal end, a transition portion, a threaded portion, a finned portion and a central passage. The transition portion can comprise a bend positioned between the proximal portion and the distal portion. The threaded portion can be positioned along the proximal portion between the proximal end and the transition portion. The threaded portion can be configured to secure the implant into a bone of a patient. The finned portion can be positioned along the distal portion between the transition portion and the distal end. The finned portion can be configured to prevent migration and/or rotation of the implant in use. The central passage can extend linearly from the proximal end of the implant to the distal end of the implant.

Abstract: A camera can be used to record multiple low resolution images of an object by shifting a camera lens relative to an image sensor of the camera. Each camera image recorded represents a portion of the object. A composite high resolution image of the object can be obtained by patching together the camera images by using various well known mosaicing, tiling, and/or stitching algorithms.

Abstract: A device and method are described for capturing an image of a document using a digital camera. The invention includes a resolution analyzer for analyzing the resolution of text characters in the image, to assess whether the resolution is suitable for OCR. In one aspect, if the resolution is too small or too large, an indicator is generated to guide the user as to the corrective movement of the camera to improve the resolution for OCR. In a second aspect, an electronic zoom control is controlled to alter the magnification of the captured image, to correct the resolution. In a third aspect, a method is described for analyzing the image to determine the resolution according to the height of text characters in the image. The method includes analyzing the run lengths of pixels in the image to identify a predominant length corresponding to the average character height (in pixels).

Abstract: A user-interface for selecting text from images of documents using auto-completion is described. The auto-completion process may be used to complete words (or text sequences), phrases, sentences, paragraphs, or other groupings of words. In response to user input, the OCR results for one or more images of documents are searched. The user input may include typing in a partial word (or the initial characters in a text sequence) via an input device or alternatively, annotations made by a user on a hardcopy document prior to scanning the document. One or more word matches are presented to the user for acceptance until the user accepts a word match or until all word matches have been presented to the user. Once a user accepts a word match, the word match is copied into an electronic document such as a word processing document, spreadsheet document, or other electronic document created by an application program.

Abstract: An image processing technique for selecting a text region from an image is described. Character and formatting information for each word in the image is used to determine an active region for each word in the image. For a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the character and formatting information is derived during optical character recognition (OCR). A first and last word within a selected text region is identified based on at least one active region associated with at least one word within the selected text region. Using the first and last words within the selected text region, all words within the selected text region are identified. An image of the selected text region may be displayed. Text contained within the selected text region may be copied to an application program.

Abstract: An image processing technique for selecting a text region from an image is described. Character and formatting information for each word in the image is used to determine an active region for each word in the image. For a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the character and formatting information is derived during optical character recognition (OCR). A first and last word within a selected text region is identified based on at least one active region associated with at least one word within the selected text region. Using the first and last words within the selected text region, all words within the selected text region are identified. An image of the selected text region may be displayed. Text contained within the selected text region may be copied to an application program.

Abstract: A device and method are described for capturing an image of a document using a digital camera. The invention includes a resolution analyzer for analyzing the resolution of text characters in the image, to assess whether the resolution is suitable for OCR. In one aspect, if the resolution is too small or too large, an indicator is generated to guide the user as to the corrective movement of the camera to improve the resolution for OCR. In a second aspect, an electronic zoom control is controlled to alter the magnification of the captured image, to correct the resolution. In a third aspect, a method is described for analyzing the image to determine the resolution according to the height of text characters in the image. The method includes analyzing the run lengths of pixels in the image to identify a predominant length corresponding to the average character height (in pixels).

Abstract: A portable imaging device includes a user operable pointing device that operates together with interactive segmentation functions and an OCR application for capturing and converting digitally recorded images to text. The user operable pointing device permits a user of the portable imaging device to identify a region in an image with textual content. The portable imaging device evaluates whether textual and formatting content in the segmented region can be properly analyzed by the OCR application. In addition, the portable imaging device provides a mode for translating text identified in recorded images.

Abstract: A face-up document scanning apparatus stitches views from multiple video cameras together to form a composite image. The document scanning apparatus includes an image acquisition system and a frame merger module. The image acquisition, which is mounted over the surface of a desk on which a hardcopy document is placed, has two video cameras for simultaneously recording two overlapping images of different portions of the hardcopy document. By overlapping a portion of the recorded images, the document scanning apparatus can accommodate hardcopy documents of varying thickness. Once the overlapping images are recorded by the image acquisition system, the frame merger module assembles a composite image by identifying the region of overlap between the overlapping images. The composite image is subsequently transmitted for display on a standalone device or as part of a video conferencing system.

Abstract: A portable imaging device includes a user operable pointing device that operates together with interactive segmentation functions and an OCR application for capturing and converting digitally recorded images to text. The user operable pointing device permits a user of the portable imaging device to identify a region in an image with textual content. The portable imaging device evaluates whether textual and formatting content in the segmented region can be properly analyzed by the OCR application. In addition, the portable imaging device provides a mode for translating text identified in recorded images.

Abstract: An interactive desktop system for automatically adjusting pan and zoom functions to change a field of view in response to user actions relative to a feedback image projected on a source document. The interactive desktop system includes an image capture system, a display system and a processor system. The image capture system grabs an image from the source document in its field of view. The display system indicates to a user the captured image using the feedback image, which is visible to the image capture system. In response to a user adjustment of the feedback image, the processor system adjusts either the pan or zoom function of the image capture system, thus changing the field of view of the image capture system.

Abstract: An interactive desktop system comprising a work surface, a display device such as a projector for displaying images in a first area on the work surface, a camera for capturing images in a second area on the work surface, and an image processor, coupled to the display device and to the camera, said image processor being suitably programmed (a) for causing the display of barcodes on the work surface, (b) for causing the capture of said barcodes and, in dependence on the captured information, (c) for determining the position of said second area relative to said first area. The barcodes are displayed in a horizontal then vertical orientation, with an image capture in each display orientation being performed by the camera. This enables the camera's field of view within the displayed image to be determined. In an alternative embodiment, glyph codes may be used instead of barcodes.

Abstract: A system for transferring digital information to spatially localizable portable electronic devices has a plurality of portable electronic devices, with each portable electronic device supporting wireless communication. A spatial localizing module determines spatial location with submeter precision for each of the plurality of electronic devices, and a communication module is connected to the spatial localizing module for mediating wireless communication between the portable electronic devices. A user can define electronic data transfers between portable electronic devices in user determined spatial locations with submeter precision. Data transfers are possible to adjacent electronic devices, electronic devices within a defined radius, electronic devices along a defined bearing or having specific orientations, or even located within a defined set of regions or rooms.

Abstract: This invention relates to a system for monitoring the movements of people in an office or other environment. Each room to be monitored has within it a sensor responsive to signals transmitted by identifiers worn by the people whose movements are being tracked. The identifier signals give the identity of the person allocated that identifier. The sensors are themselves polled periodically by a computer to generate time-stamped records of who was within range of which sensor. When an event is to be recalled, other time-stamped audio or video records of what was said or done in each monitored room are scanned for that record which was being generated at the time of the event in question.

Abstract: An improved elongated coating rod holder for a coating doctor apparatus wherein the rod holder has formed therein an elongated cavity for receiving the coating rod with the cavity comprising at least two sealing surfaces therein. The coating rod holder also has formed therein a cooling water chamber formed as a plurality of smaller chambers having an interconnecting passageway between adjacent chambers. The cooling water chamber is formed directly below the elongated cavity which is connected to at least one cooling water inlet and at least one cooling water outlet formed in the rod holder.