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How Google's High Speed Book Scanner De-Warps Pages
Hugh Pickens writes "Patent 7,508,978, awarded to Google, shows how the company has already managed to scan more than 7 million books. Google's system uses two cameras and infrared light to automatically correct for the curvature of pages in a book. By constructing a 3D model of each page and then 'de-warping' it afterward, Google can present flat-looking pages online without having to slice books up or mash them onto a flatbed scanner. Stephen Shankland writes that the 'sophistication of the technology illustrates that would-be competitors who want to feature their own digitized libraries won't have a trivial time catching up to Google.' First, a book is placed on a flat surface, while above it, an infrared projector displays a special mazelike pattern onto the pages. Next, two infrared cameras photograph the infrared pattern from different perspectives. 'The images can be stereoscopically combined, using known stereoscopic techniques, to obtain a three-dimensional mapping of the pattern,' according to the patent. 'The pattern falls on the surface of (the) book, causing the three-dimensional mapping of the pattern to correspond to the three-dimensional surface of the page of the book.'"
Does it run on Linux? Does it work for scanning porn?
I wonder how ass curvature comes out with that scanner.
do NOT sit on the copier machine with pants down at google hq
intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
When is the patent office going to quit giving patents for obvious techniques? :)
That's cool and all that, but who (or what) flips the pages?
Interns.
Demanding constant attention will only lead to attention.
Imagine what this technology could do for coworkers who like to photocopy their butts!
I heard from some guy, somewhere, that on weekends the Oompa Loompas do it.
To read the tattoos.
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Now THAT'S a page turner.
Ba dum dum. Thanks, I'll be here all week! Try the veal, and don't forget to tip your waitress!
https://www.eff.org/https-everywhere
This is actually what I envisioned for a book scanner, years ago.
But unlike Google, I...
1) Never built it.
2) Am not facing lawsuits from overzealous sue-happy publishers.
Seems like a good defensive patent to have.
This is way better than my idea, which was to throw the book into a wood chipper, scan the results, and then algorithmically reassemble them...
"Not an actor, but he plays one on TV."
If you were a rare book expert during the turn of the century, why isn't your slashdot ID smaller?
;
I think OP meant the book was 200 years old.
Of course if OP is over 200 years old, we'd have to ask: What the heck is he doing fishing all the time??