{
  "patent_number": "US 11715014",
  "country": "US",
  "title": "How Computers Use Neural Networks to Read Messy Handwriting",
  "original_title": "System and method of character recognition using fully convolutional neural networks with attention",
  "summary": "A system that uses artificial intelligence to identify text in images by combining dictionary lookups with neural networks that analyze visual traits like handwriting style or blur.",
  "what_it_does": "This system improves Optical Character Recognition (OCR) by breaking down images of text into individual words. It first checks if a word matches a known dictionary entry to provide a quick, high-confidence prediction. If the word is not in the dictionary, the system assigns 'qualitative descriptors'—like the slant of the letters, the amount of blur, or the type of paper—to help a second neural network better understand the messy or unusual text. By using these descriptors as a guide, the system can perform a more accurate probabilistic correction to guess what the word actually says.",
  "what_it_does_not_cover": [
    "Does not cover basic OCR that relies solely on template matching without neural network descriptors.",
    "Does not cover systems that process text without first segmenting the image into word blocks based on whitespace.",
    "Does not cover audio-to-text transcription systems.",
    "Does not cover methods that do not use a dictionary-based verification step."
  ],
  "filed": "2020-10-20",
  "granted": "2023-08-01",
  "expires": null,
  "status": "active",
  "holder": "Kodak Alaris Inc",
  "holder_url": "https://patentbrief.org/company/kodak-alaris-inc",
  "inventors": [
    {
      "name": "Felipe Petroski SUCH",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/felipe-petroski-such"
    },
    {
      "name": "Frank BROCKLER",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/frank-brockler"
    },
    {
      "name": "Raymond Ptucha",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/raymond-ptucha"
    },
    {
      "name": "Paul HUTKOWSKI",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/paul-hutkowski"
    }
  ],
  "times_cited": 0,
  "tags": [
    "ai_ml",
    "software",
    "consumer_electronics"
  ],
  "abstract": "Embodiments of the present disclosure include a method that obtains a digital image. The method includes extracting a word block from the digital image. The method includes processing the word block by evaluating a value of the word block against a dictionary. The method includes outputting a prediction equal to a common word in the dictionary when a confidence factor is greater than a predetermined threshold. The method includes processing the word block and assigning a descriptor to the word block corresponding to a property of the word block. The method includes processing the word block using the descriptor to prioritize evaluation of the word block. The method includes concatenating a first output and a second output. The method includes predicting a value of the word block.",
  "url": "https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/11715014/gemini-multimodal-model",
  "markdown_url": "https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/11715014/gemini-multimodal-model/md",
  "google_patents_url": "https://patents.google.com/patent/US11715014",
  "relatedPatents": []
}