Table of Contents
Copyrights.....................................................................................................................1
Chapter 1 Introducing the IRISPen........................................................................ 3
What is the IRISPen?............................................................................................. 3
How does it work?................................................................................................. 6
The steps to follow................................................................................................. 9
Chapter 2 Installation........................................................................................... 11
System requirements............................................................................................ 11
Installing the IRISPen software........................................................................... 11
Installing the pen scanner .................................................................................... 14
Uninstalling the IRISPen software....................................................................... 16
How to get product support?................................................................................ 17
How to register?................................................................................................... 17
Chapter 3 Starting up ...........................................................................................19
Running the IRISPen........................................................................................... 19
User interface....................................................................................................... 21
Calibrating the pen scanner.................................................................................. 23
Changing the user interface language.................................................................. 25
The Scan Test window......................................................................................... 25
The IRISPen Wizard............................................................................................ 28
Chapter 3 Basic settings......................................................................................... 31
Reading options................................................................................................... 31
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IRISPen Translator 6 - User's guide
Scan type.....................................................................................................................31
Language.....................................................................................................................32
Other............................................................................................................................34
Target................................................................................................................... 34
Scanning mode .................................................................................................... 36
Chapter 4 Frequent commands............................................................................. 37
Pen Buttons.......................................................................................................... 37
Delimiters ............................................................................................................ 39
Speech synthesis.................................................................................................. 42
Beep Sound.......................................................................................................... 43
Chapter 5 Learn how to........................................................................................ 45
Customize/save/reopen settings........................................................................... 45
Read numeric data ............................................................................................... 47
Read small print................................................................................................... 48
Scan multiple lines............................................................................................... 49
Scan from right to left.......................................................................................... 50
Define the symbol for unknown characters.......................................................... 51
Replace vertical lines........................................................................................... 52
Program hotkeys.................................................................................................. 54
Translate text ....................................................................................................... 55
Index........................................................................................................................ 59
iv
Copyrights
Copyrights ©1993-2007 I.R.I.S. All Rights Reserved.
The IRISPen Mini, the IRISPen Express, the IRISPen Executive, the IRISPen
Translator software were designed and developed by I.R.I.S. OCR ("Optical
Character Recognition") and Linguistic technology by I.R.I.S.
I.R.I.S. detains the copyrights of the IRISPen Mini software, the IRISPen
Express software, the IRISPen Executive software, the IRISPen Translator
software, Read & Speak, the PBR ("Pen Bar Code Reading") technology, the
PCR ("Pen Character Recognition") technology, the PHR ("Pen Handprinting
Recognition") technology, the linguistic technology, the on-line help system
and this manual.
The I.R.I.S. logo, IRISPen, PBR, PCR, I.R.I.S. Linguistic Technology and
Read & Speak are trademarks of I.R.I.S.
All other products mentioned in this user's guide are trademarks or registered
trademarks of their respective owners.
CE and FCC conformity
The IRISPen was tested to comply with the EEC standards (EMC Directive
89/336/EEC amended by 92/31/EEC & 93/68/EC) as well as the FCC
Standards for Home or Office Use (47 CFR Part 15 regulation & ANSI
C63.4).
1
CHAPTER 1
NTRODUCING THE IRISPEN
I
WHAT IS THE IRISPEN?
The IRISPen is a hand-held pen scanner and software that allows
you to scan data and instantly convert it into real editable text
with the OCR (Optical Character Recognition) technology of
I.R.I.S. The result is directly available in any Windows or Mac
application.
Major applications
You will use the IRISPen to scan and enter into your active
application any of the following:
- notes and short entries like addresses, phone numbers, etc.,
- figures and tables from checks, invoices, bank statements, etc.,
- excerpts of texts from books, magazines, newspapers, etc.,
- small graphics like signatures, logos, handwritten notes, etc.
Depending on the IRISPen version used, you will also able to read
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IRISPen Translator 6 - User's guide
barcodes, handprinting, dot matrix text, scan multiple lines at a
time, or even read out or translate the scanned lines.
The IRISPen series
Here is the IRISPen series. Each version offers a different range of
functionalities.
- IRISPen Mini (+ Asian version)
- IRISPen Express (+ Asian version)*
- IRISPen Executive (+ Asian version)*
- IRISPen Translator
(*) Available for Windows and for Mac OS X.
IRISPen Mini IRISPen Express IRISPen
Basic features Basic features Basic features Basic features
User interface in
15 languages
47 recognition
languages
+ 4 languages in
Asian version
(*)
Programmable
pen buttons: 4
possible
operations
(simple click
only)
Customizable
Save default
IRISPen Wizard IRISPen Wizard IRISPen Wizard
Replace vertical
Delimiters Delimiters
User interface in
15 languages
121 recognition
languages
+ 4 languages in
Asian version (*)
Programmable pen
buttons: 5 possible
operations (simple
click only)
hotkeys
settings
lines
Translator
User interface in
15 languages
121 recognition
languages
(**)
Programmable
pen buttons: 12
possible
operations
(simple and
double click)
Customizable
hotkeys
Save default
settings
Replace vertical
lines
IRISPen
Executive
User interface in
15 languages
121 recognition
languages
+ 4 languages in
Asian version
(*)
Programmable
pen buttons: 13
possible
operations
(simple and
double click)
Customizable
hotkeys
Save default
settings
Replace vertical
lines
4
CHAPTER 1- INTRODUCING THE IRISPEN
Multiline
scanning
Speech synthesis Speech synthesis
Image
Replace
Customizable
Reading of
Reading of
Reading of
Reading of
Translation of
recognized data
Multiline
scanning
adjustment
character string
character subset
handprinting
dotmatrix
barcodes
CMC7
(*) The Asian version of the IRISPen allows you to recognize 4 additional
languages: Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Japanese, Korean.
(**) No Asian version available.
The pen scanner
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IRISPen Translator 6 - User's guide
The IRISPen is a pen scanner that has the size and shape of a
highlighter. It connects to your computer's USB port and does not
require any external power supply. The IRISPen is equipped with a
scanning head and a line guide, a roller, and two programmable
buttons.
The line guide is used to properly position the pen on the line to be
captured.
The roller enables to easily roll the pen onto the paper and acts as a
start switch.
The two pen buttons are programmable.
When you press the IRISPen onto a piece of paper, you turn it on,
and when you lift the IRISPen away, the scanning ends. A green
beam lights up the text area as you scan it.
The OCR technology
The IRISPen integrates the latest OCR (Optical Character
Recognition) engine developed by I.R.I.S. It is able to recognize
lines of text with top accuracy in up to 125 languages . All
American and European languages are supported, including
Central-European languages. Greek, Turkish, the Cyrillic
("Russian") and the Baltic languages and Hebrew are also
supported. Optionally, the IRISPen reads Asian documents in
Japanese, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese and Korean.
The IRISPen reads virtually any font, in a wide variety of styles
and point sizes (from 8 to 20 points), as well as special characters,
reading marks, special symbols, and formatting elements such as
vertical lines separating table cells.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
The IRISPen functions as a camera that sends an image to the
computer. The image is recognized by the recognition routines. The
"read" data is inserted in the target application.
6
CHAPTER 1- INTRODUCING THE IRISPEN
To scan the data with the IRISPen, you must simply slide the pen
scanner over the line of text or area.
Operate as follows:
• Hold the IRISPen like a pencil and place it a few millimeters
before the first characters or data to be recognized. The pen
scanner must be positioned so that the text line to be read is right
in the center of the scanning head, directly under the guide
line.
! Yellow is the IRISPen's invisible color. It cannot be picked up
by the scanner. Do not scan any data printed in yellow.
Also see: Learn how to... Scan from right to left,
Warning:
The pen scanning band is 0.41" (10.5mm.) high and covers in
many cases several lines of text. As the pen only picks the
"central" line within the scanning band, position the line to be
scanned properly.
• Press the pen onto the paper and roll it over the text line at a
steady rate. Once pressed, the start switch is activated and the
data is illuminated by a green light.
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IRISPen Translator 6 - User's guide
Warning:
Make sure you hold the pen at the correct angle, otherwise the
data may not be scanned properly.
Correct position
Incorrect positions
• Once you have reached the end of the line, lift the IRISPen.
Make sure you lift it after the last character of the line.
! Do not scan a line longer than 12" (30.5 cm). The scanning
stops as soon as this line length is exceeded.
• Operate exactly the same way for the next line.
Also see: Learn how to... Scan multiple lines.
Tip:
Check the image you generate
Use the Image Quality Check and the Scan Test windows (see: Starting
up, User interface) to check the quality of the images you produce and
improve your scanning skills.
Tip:
Train yourself with the testsheets
We recommend you use the testsheets provided with your IRISPen to
experiment and get acquainted with the pen scanner. The testsheets are
available as printed matter as well as in PDF format for possible reprint (the
testsheet.pdf file is automatically installed in the installation folder).
8
CHAPTER 1- INTRODUCING THE IRISPEN
THE STEPS TO FOLLOW...
Here are the main guidelines to follow for using your IRISPen.
Detailed instructions are provided later in this manual . Use the
Table of Contents and the Index at the end of the manual to find the
needed information.
1. Define your settings in the IRISPen application
Before you start using the IRISPen, you must tune the software.
Depending on the type of data you intend to read - text, barcodes,
dot matrix text, etc. - and in which language, you must select the
appropriate basic settings and if necessary, fine-tune these settings
via the frequent commands.
See: Basic settings and Frequent commands. Also refer to the
section Learn how to... for more details.
2. Open the target application and position your cursor
Choose the application in which you want to insert the read data:
open your target document, spreadsheet, database, etc. Place your
cursor at the position where you want to insert the data.
You can choose the way the data must be transferred in the active
application: either direct transfer or via the clipboard. See: Basic
settings, Target.
3. Take the original document and scan the data to be picked up
Get back to the document, magazine, etc. containing the data to be
transferred and scan the data with the pen scanner: simply slide
your pen over the text lines, images, etc. Scrupulously follow the
instructions given under: Introducing the IRISPen, How does it
work?. After each scan, the data instantly appears in the target
application.
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IRISPen Translator 6 - User's guide
Important tip:
Check the scanning quality
Check the quality of your first scans before you actually start with definitive
scanning. Use the Image Quality Check and the Scan Test windows (see:
Starting up, User interface) to judge the image quality and the recognition
results.
10
CHAPTER 2
NSTALLATION
I
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
Here is the minimal system configuration required to use the
IRISPen:
• A Pentium-based Intel PC or compatible. A Pentium III-based
PC is recommended.
• 64 MB RAM.
• 100 MB of free hard disk space, 150 MB for the IRISPen
Translator software.
• The Windows Vista, XP or 2000 operating system.
• A free USB port to connect the IRISPen scanner.
INSTALLING THE IRISPEN SOFTWARE
The IRISPen package contains the pen scanner itself and a selfrunning CD-ROM containing the IRISPen software. You must
install the IRISPen software before you install or connect the pen
scanner.
Caution:
Please install the IRISPen software before connecting the pen scanner!
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IRISPen Translator 6 - User's guide
To install the software:
• First start your computer and log onto Windows.
Caution: You must log on as administrator or make sure you
have the necessary administration rights to install the software.
• Insert the CD-ROM in your CD-ROM drive.
Users of Windows Vista:
Click on Run setup.exe to install the program, then follow the
on-screen instructions.
Users of Windows XP and Windows 2000:
Simply wait for the installation program to start running. Should
the installation not begin to run automatically, run the setup.exe
file located on the CD-ROM.
• Choose the installation language and click OK.
• Accept the terms of the license agreement.
• Installation options are offered. Select the required options and
click on Next each time you are ready to get to the next screen.
Dictionaries
: do install the dictionaries as this improves OCR
and translation accuracy.
Caution:
Users of Windows XP must ignore the following message and
click on Continue Anyway to continue the installation
procedure:
12
CHAPTER 2 - INSTALLATION
• Users of Windows Vista must confirm the installation of the
device software by clicking on Install.
• When the installation of the IRISPen is complete, click on Next
to initiate the installation of the translation software package
@promt Express 7 Giant.
• Minimize or close the @promt Express 7 Readme file.
• Accept the terms of the license agreement.
• Follow the on-screen instructions:
- Enter your user name and organization.
- Enter your license number (you will find it at the back of the
DVD box containing the installation CD-ROM).
- Select the type of installation (we recommend to set the
Complete setup type).
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IRISPen Translator 6 - User's guide
• Click on Install to begin the installation.
• When the installation of the translation software package is
complete, click on Finish, then remove the CD-ROM from the
CD-ROM drive.
The submenu I.R.I.S. Applications - IRISPen under the
Windows Programs menu is created automatically by the
installation program.
The installation program also creates a shortcut for the IRISPen
application on the Windows desktop.
INSTALLING THE PEN SCANNER
Once the IRISPen software installation is complete, you can install
the pen scanner.
To install the pen scanner:
• Plug the pen scanner USB cable into a free USB port of your
computer. A message confirms that the device has been installed.
14
CHAPTER 2 - INSTALLATION
Caution:
Users of Windows XP, Service Pack 2: the wizard offers to
search for more recent drivers on the Internet. Select "No, not
this time".
• Simply follow the on-screen instructions to install the IRISPen
driver. Click on Next each time you are ready to get to the next
screen.
• Select Install the software automatically (recommended).
Caution:
Users of Windows XP must ignore the following message and
click on Continue Anyway to continue the installation
procedure:
• When the installation is complete, click on Finish.
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IRISPen Translator 6 - User's guide
Tip:
Once the pen scanner has been installed (see above), it can be disconnected
then reconnected without having to reconfigure or reboot the PC. Users of
Windows XP should always reconnect the IRISPen on the same USB port,
otherwise the device driver must be reinstalled.
UNINSTALLING THE IRISPEN SOFTWARE
There is only one correct way of uninstalling the IRISPen: by using
the Windows (un)install wizard. You are strongly recommended not
to uninstall the IRISPen or any of its software modules by manually
erasing the program files.
To uninstall the IRISPen:
• Exit the application and disconnect the USB connector of the pen
scanner.
• From the Windows Start menu, select Control Panel and click
Add/Remove/Uninstall programs.
• Select the IRISPen from the list and click the
Uninstall/Change/Remove button to remove the software.
• Follow the on-screen instructions.
16
CHAPTER 2 - INSTALLATION
HOW TO GET PRODUCT SUPPORT?
If you have registered your product, you are entitled to free product
support. Contact I.R.I.S.:
Europe
- Hotline: 32-10-45 13 64 (working hours)
- Fax: 32-10-45 34 43
- support@irislink.com
USA
- Hotline 1-561-921-0847 / 800-447-4744 (working hours)
- Fax: 1-561-921-0854
- support@irisusa.com
HOW TO REGISTER?
Don't forget to register your IRISPen! By doing so, you will:
- be kept informed of future product developments and related
I.R.I.S. products,
- be entitled to free product support
- be entitled to special offers on I.R.I.S. products
How to register?
Registration wizard
You can use the
menu (main toolbar). Simply follow the on-screen instructions.
Registration Wizard available from the Register
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IRISPen Translator 6 - User's guide
Registration form
You may also directly access the registration form on the I.R.I.S.
Web site: http://www.irislink.com/register.
Telephone
Or register by phone:
- Europe: 32-10-45 13 64
- USA: 1-561-921-0847 / 800-447-4744
18
CHAPTER 3
TARTING UP
S
RUNNING THE IRISPEN
To start the IRISPen:
• From the Windows Start menu, select All Programs, I.R.I.S.
Applications, then IRISPen, or click the application shortcut on
your desktop.
The IRISPen startup screen appears for a few seconds. It
displays the version and copyrights of the IR ISP e n so ftware.
Next, the IRISPen Application window and two additional
windows are displayed: the Image Quality Check window and
the Status window. The IRISPen icon appears in the
notification area of the Windows task bar.
When running the software for the first time, one more window
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IRISPen Translator 6 - User's guide
automatically appears on top of the others, prompting the user to
calibrate the pen scanner.
• If you are running the software for the first time, calibrate the
pen scanner. See: Starting up, Calibrating the pen scanner.
20
CHAPTER 3 - STARTING UP
USER INTERFACE
The user interface is composed of 3 windows: the Application
window, the Image Quality Check window, and the Status
window. The IRISPen icon appears in the Windows task bar and
confirms that the application is running.
The Application window
The Application window is the IRISPen's main window. It contains
a menu bar that gives access to all software commands, a toolbar
for quick access to all frequent commands, and the a window pane
containing the basic settings.
The window can be minimized with a click on the Minimize button
or on the OK button. To reopen it, simply double-click or rightclick on the Status window, or use the IRISPen icon on the
Windows task bar (see below).
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IRISPen Translator 6 - User's guide
The Image Quality Check window
The Image Quality Check window appears by default as a semitransparent window, below the Application window. When
scanning, it displays the "raw" grayscale image of the scanned area.
Its purpose is to enable the user to view and check the quality of his
scans.
You can easily drag the window to another position on your screen.
The chosen position will be maintained if you save your settings.
You can remove the transparency of the window with a right-click
of the mouse.
You can close the window. To reopen it, select Image Quality
Check from the Application window's Options menu or use the
IRISPen icon on the Windows task bar (see below).
The Status window
The Status window appears by default below the Application
window. It displays the OCR options that have been chosen in the
Application window.
You can drag the window to another position on your screen. The
chosen position will be maintained if you save your settings.
You can close the window. To reopen it, you will simply select the
option Status Window from the Application window's Options
menu or use the IRISPen icon on the Windows task bar (see below).
22
CHAPTER 3 - STARTING UP
The IRISPen icon
The IRISPen icon appears by default in the notification area of the
Windows task bar. It confirms that the application is running and
that the pen scanner is connected. If the pen is detached from the
USB port, the notification area will indicate it.
You can restore the application with a simple click on the icon. A
right-click on the icon also allows you to enable the Image Quality
Check window, the Status window, and the Scan Test window.
CALIBRATING THE PEN SCANNER
Before you start using the IRISPen, you must calibrate the pen
scanner. If you don't calibrate the scanner, the image quality will be
low and the recognition results may be mediocre.
You are automatically prompted to calibrate the pen scanner when
running the software for the first time. All you need to do is push
your pen on a white piece of paper for a few seconds. The
software indicates when the calibration is complete.
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IRISPen Translator 6 - User's guide
Caution:
If the ambient light changes - imagine you get from natural to
artificial lighting or conversely, imagine you move to a much
lighter or darker place, or even move to a completely different
environment, etc., you may need to re-execute the calibration of
your pen scanner.
Tip:
Check the scanning quality
You can always check the scanning quality in the Image Quality Check and
the Scan Test windows (see: Starting up, User interface). If the image
quality appears degraded, please re-execute the calibration of your pen
scanner.
To re-execute the calibration:
• Select Calibrate from the Options menu in the Application
window or, from the Scan Test window, press the Calibrate
button, then push again your pen on a white piece of paper for a
few seconds. The software indicates when the calibration is
complete.
24
CHAPTER 3 - STARTING UP
CHANGING THE USER INTERFACE LANGUAGE
The user interface of the IRISPen is available in a wide range of
languages. The language can be easily changed according to your
needs.
To change the user interface language:
• Select User Interface Language from the Settings menu in the
Application window.
• Select the needed language from the drop-down list, then click
OK to confirm.
The user interface automatically appears in the newly chosen
language.
THE SCAN TEST WINDOW
The Scan Test window displays the black-and-white version of the
image you generate with the pen scanner. The recognized data
appears just below the scanned image.
Thanks to the Scan Test window, you can test your first scans and
check the results before you start with definitive scanning. You can
25
IRISPen Translator 6 - User's guide
save your images, load and recognize previously scanned images,
access the calibration dialog box, etc.
Bad quality images
As you will notice, the IRISPen is able to recognize data on bad quality
images, e.g. on low-contrast documents where the background nearly has the
same color as the text, on highly distorted images with wavy, skewed or even
contracted lines (see above figure). However, if the recognition result is not
satisfactory, you should use the Scan Test window to make a few more tests.
To access the Scan Test window:
• In the Application window, click the Scan Test button
the toolbar or select Scan Test from the Options menu.
As soon as you scan some data, the image produced appears in
the upper part of the window. The recognized text is displayed
just below the image. Any unrecognized character is marked
with the rejection symbol "~" (the rejection symbol can be
modified - see: Learn how to... Define the symbol for unknown
characters).
Load image: this option allows you to load prescanned images and
perform character recognition on them; the supported file format is the
Windows bitmap (*.bmp) format.
26
on
CHAPTER 3 - STARTING UP
Save image: this option allows you to save the images you generate;
the available file formats are: black-and-white and grayscale Windows
bitmaps (*.bmp).
Calibrate: allows the user to re-execute the pen's calibration.
Fit to window
The option Fit to Window ensures that the entire image is
displayed in the window, whatever the length of the scanned line
may be. It is activated by default.
When a long line of text is being scanned, you can deactivate the
option. If you do so, the scanned line will no more be compressed
horizontally and only a portion of the line will be displayed. You
can use the image scroll bar to view the scanned data entirely.
Recognize
The Recognize option is activated by default. All images you scan
or open are thus automatically recognized.
Note that in the text zone, you can get directly to the end or the
beginning of the recognized text: place your cursor in the text zone,
then press the End or Home key from your keyboard.
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IRISPen Translator 6 - User's guide
The Recognize option is not useful when scanning graphics. If you
have selected Grayscale image to clipboard or Black&White
image to clipboard in the Application window, the Recognize
option will be replaced by Image to clipboard.
THE IRISPEN WIZARD
The IRISPen Wizard offers the quickest and easiest way of defining
your settings. It proposes a series of templates with pre-defined
settings meant for the reading of certain types of data: text, text
from columns, numeric tables, etc. These templates can be either
used as such, or modified to fit more particular needs. Up to three
(modified) templates can be further assigned to a preset button
directly accessible from the Application window (or, alternatively,
set to function as current settings). When it comes to actually
capture a certain type of data, all you need to do is press the right
preset button, then start the scanning!
By default, the preset buttons are already assigned to the reading of
English Text, Text from columns, Text tables.
The Wizard as well as the three presets can be accessed and
activated directly from the toolbar. Once a preset button has been
enabled, the corresponding settings become the current settings.
Tip:
To save time, do not hesitate to use the wizard extensively. First make up
your mind about the types of data to be read. Second, "prepare" the software
for the reading by defining the corresponding presets. Whenever needed, just
select the right preset and start the scanning!
28
CHAPTER 3 - STARTING UP
You can save as many sets of settings as you wish. With the Save
Settings and Open Settings options from the File menu, you will
be able to save and reopen your custom presets and current settings.
See: Learn how to... Customize/save/reopen settings.
How to define presets with the Wizard?
• Click the Wizard button
on the toolbar. The Wizard
workflow is divided up into different steps. You will get from
one step to the other by simply clicking on Next.
• Step 1
In the list of proposed templates, choose the template that
corresponds to the type of data to be read, e.g.: text, numeric
table, etc. Remember that a set of options is already pre-selected
in the Wizard.
Alternatively, select an already existing preset from the Presets
tab. It will serve as basis for your custom preset. Select either the
current settings or one of the existing presets.
Click Next to get to the next step.
• Step 2
If needed, change any of the basic settings: Reading options,
Target.
Click Next to get to the next step.
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IRISPen Translator 6 - User's guide
• Step 3
If needed, change any of the settings related to the recognition
process in the various tabs proposed.
Click Next to get to the next step.
• Step 4
Assign your settings to a preset button and give it a name, and/or
apply your settings as current settings.
30
CHAPTER 3
ASIC SETTINGS
B
READING OPTIONS
Scan type
The Scan type determines the nature of the data to be scanned and
read with your pen. Select the appropriate Scan type in the dropdown list.
Text (default value):
To read machine-printed text in a certain language. This includes
alphanumeric characters, punctuation marks, numeric data, etc.
The set of characters used by the software to read such data directly
depends on the language chosen for the reading.
Numeric:
To read machine-printed figures, numeric tables, etc. This includes
special characters, mathematical symbols, punctuation marks,
currencies, etc.
The set of characters used by the software to read such data is the
same for all languages. You can freely customize this character set
(see: Frequent command: Character Subset).
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IRISPen Translator 6 - User's guide
Also refer to: Learn how to... Read numeric data.
Black-and-white image to clipboard:
To scan small black-and-white graphics such as signatures,
mathematical formulae, etc. The image will be sent to the clipboard
before it can be pasted into the active application.
Grayscale image to clipboard:
To scan grayscale or color graphics and send them to your clipboard
before they can be pasted in a chosen application.
Language
The option Language is used to indicate the language in which the
data is to be read.
Select the required language in the drop-down list. Either browse
through the list or simply press the first letter of the needed
language. ).
Mixed alphabets
You can activate a mixed alphabet of Greek or Cyrillic and Western
characters. This is useful if Western words pop up in Greek of
Cyrillic texts (this is often the case with proper names, brand
names, etc.). The IRISPen will automatically switch languages
whenever needed. In the Language drop-down list, select the
required language pair, e.g.: Greek-English, Byelorussian-English,
etc.
32
CHAPTER 3 - BASIC SETTINGS
Asian languages (optional)
When choosing an Asian language, also indicate the text flow
which is vertical rather than horizontal. See: Learn how to... Scan
vertical text.
! Warning:
If you use the XP operating system, check that the appropriate
Regional and Language Options have been set to read Asian
languages. From the Windows Start menu, select Control Panel,
then Date, Time, Language, and Regional Options, then
Regional and Language Options, Languages tab).
If you use Windows 2000, check that it has been configured to be
able to type the Asian language(s) required.
Translation language
If you intend to translate text, you must select the source language
for the translation, i.e. the language of the text to be scanned and
translated. The languages that are available for translation are
marked with an asterisk (a "*" symbol) in the Language field. The
target language must be further confirmed in the translation window
that pops up when the option Translator PromtX is enabled. Also
refer to: Learn how to... Translate text.
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IRISPen Translator 6 - User's guide
Other
Small print
The option Small print is used to get optimized results when
reading small printed text. Select this option if you want to read text
with a font size smaller than 10 points.
Also refer to: Learn how to... Read small print.
TARGET
You may choose the way the read data is being inserted in the target
application: either via the clipboard, or directly in the application,
without having to operate manually (see below). If you wish to use
the translation feature, you must also tell the software to send the
read data to the translation software.
Tip:
The formatting that is active in the target application will apply to the data
which is being inserted in the application: if you have selected, say, Palatino
12 point bold in the application, the text will be inserted in Palatino 12 point
bold, whatever the original font or size may have been.
Clipboard
If the option Clipboard is selected, the software will send the read
data to the clipboard before you can paste it into the target
application. You will then use the Paste or CTRL+V command to
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CHAPTER 3 - BASIC SETTINGS
actually paste the data.
Select this option if you want to manually paste the read data into
your target application.
! Remember that the clipboard can only contain the data of the last
scan.
Active application
This option is selected by default. The recognized data will be
directly inserted at the cursor position in the target application.
Paste mode
If you select Paste mode, the recognized data is first sent to the
clipboard, then automatically inserted at the cursor position in the
target application. This operation is totally transparent for the user.
You should not normally use this option. However, if you notice that
the characters inserted in the target application do not correspond to
the ones actually recognized by the software (see: Starting up, The
Scan Test window), enable it.
Translator PromtX
The option Translator PromtX is used to make the application
send the recognized data to the translation software, Translator
PromtX, and have it translated for you. The translation is carried
out according to the language chosen in the IRISPen Application
window. The translated text will be directly displayed in the
PromtX translation window.
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IRISPen Translator 6 - User's guide
SCANNING MODE
Single line
The option Single line is selected by default. It is used to indicate
that a single line is being read per scan.
Multiple lines
The option Multiple lines is used to scan multiple lines at a time. It
is particularly useful to scan full excerpts from books, magazines,
etc. The various lines of text are first kept in the IRISPen, then
released with the click on a pen button.
Select this option to indicate that several lines of text must be read
within the same scan.
Also refer to: Learn how to... Scan multiple lines.
36
CHAPTER 4
REQUENT COMMANDS
F
PEN BUTTONS
Your pen scanner is equipped with two buttons. The simple and
double click of each pen button can be programmed so as to
execute an operation in the target application. By simpl y
pressing the pen buttons, you will thus be able to execute keyboard
commands, add characters, switch from a scan type to another, etc.
without having to touch your keyboard.
Tip:
The buttons' programming is particularly useful, for example, when entering
data into a database: you can program the <Tab> command to get to the next
field and program the <Home><Cursor Down> to move the cursor to the
next row. When entering amounts in a spreadsheet, you can program the
keying of the currency ("$", etc.). In your word processor, you will program
the <Enter> key to make a carriage return and start a new paragraph, etc.
These are only a few examples...
To program the pen buttons:
• In the Application window, click Pen Buttons
or select the command Pen Buttons from the Settings menu.
The Pen Buttons window opens with a default programming.
on the toolbar
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IRISPen Translator 6 - User's guide
• Modify the default programming by selecting the required radio
buttons on the left- and on the right-hand side. The left radio
buttons refer to the left button, the right radio buttons refer to the
right button.
Possible operations
Null: This corresponds to a "null" operation. In other words, a
single click will not trigger off any action.
This option is usually used to deactivate a programmed
operation.
Custom...: This allows you to program your own custom
operations, i.e.: any other keyboard command - including a
combination of commands -, or the addition of characters,
character strings, or even the combination of several operations.
To enter the custom operation, select the required radio button,
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CHAPTER 4 - FREQUENT COMMANDS
then enter your keyboard commands or characters in the
proposed field and click OK to confirm.
Switch scan type: This allows you to program the switch to the
next scan type in the list of scan types available (see: Basic
settings, Reading options, Scan type).
If the current scan type is Text, this will make you switch to
Numeric. If the current scan type is Numeric, this will make
you switch to the Black-and-White image. (Remember that the
reading mode is always specified in the Status window).
Undo last scan: This is used to remove the last scan that was
inserted in the target application.
• Click OK to confirm and close the window.
DELIMITERS
With the delimiters, you can indicate how the scanned lines must be
delimited for the reading. Where should the reading actually start if
a word has been cropped during scanning? How should hyphens be
interpreted when occurring at the end of a line? Should keyboard
commands or characters be added before and/or after the read line?
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IRISPen Translator 6 - User's guide
To set the reading delimiters:
• In the Application window, click Delimiters
on the toolbar
or select Delimiters from the Settings menu. The window opens
with an Input and an Output tab.
• In the Input tab, indicate how the scanned area must be isolated
and what the recognized text (output) should be. Delimit the text
line according to the given example: "The quick brown fox
jumps over the lazy dog".
- keep all scanned characters
- keep all characters before the last space
- keep all characters after the first space
- keep all characters between the first and the last space
Ignore rejected characters in first and last position:
It may be that characters positioned at the beginning or at the end
of a line are not properly scanned/read. This may happen if the
wordspacing is too small or if you scan text from columns, like
in magazines, for example, and that you start scanning slightly
on the previous word/column and end scanning on the next one.
Those "bad" characters will automatically be rejected by the
40
CHAPTER 4 - FREQUENT COMMANDS
software and represented by the "~" symbol in the Scan Test
window.
The best to do if you encounter such a situation is to make the
software ignore the first and last position characters for the
output, otherwise you will have to delete them manually once
inserted in the active application.
• In the Output tab, select the options according to your needs:
Restore paragraph:
You must indicate how to interpret hyphens occurring at the end
of a line. If you scan the lines "The new presi-" and "dent waved
from the balcony", the hyphen must obviously be dropped so as
to recompose the word "president" in the output: "The new
president waved from the balcony".
Select this option in order to delete all the end hyphens occurring
in your text.
Note: If hyphens are deleted, the ending codes (see below) will
automatically be deleted so that the words can be properly
recomposed.
Add starting code:
You can have the IRISPen execute operations automatically in
the target application before the output result is being inserted.
You can for example have the software operate a carriage return
before it inserts any read line. A series of possible codes are
proposed by default, but you can also introduce your own
starting code.
To insert a starting code, select a code from the drop-down list or
select Custom to introduce our own code, then click OK to
confirm. With the Custom code, you can add any combination
of keyboard commands and/or characters.
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IRISPen Translator 6 - User's guide
The default starting code is: <None>.
Add ending code:
You can have the IRISPen execute operations automatically in
the target application after the output result is being inserted. If
you insert data into a database, you can for example define a
tabulation as ending code to automatically position your cursor
in the next field. A series of possible codes are proposed by
default, but you can also introduce your own ending code.
To insert an ending code, select a code from the drop-down list
or select Custom to introduce your own code, then click OK to
confirm. You can add any combination of keyboard commands
and/or characters.
The default ending code is: <Space>.
• Click OK to confirm and close the window.
SPEECH SYNTHESIS
Thanks to the speech synthesis, you can make the IRISPen speak
out the recognized data or its translation for you. Just scan some
data and the computer reads it out for you!
The speech synthesis feature is available in the supported
translation languages*.
(*) The list of supported languages directly depends on the
language chosen for the installation of the IRISPen Translator. The
supported languages are marked with an asterisk (a "*" symbol) in
the Language field of the Application window.
To activate the speech synthesis:
• In the Translation PromtX window, position your cursor on the
data to be spoken out: either the recognized or the translated part.
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CHAPTER 4 - FREQUENT COMMANDS
• Press the Speak button
on the toolbar, or select Speech, then
Speak from the Tools menu, or press F5. The data is directly
spoken out by your computer.
BEEP SOUND
The Sound option enables to activate a beep sound during the
scanning: if you activate the beep, you will hear a beep sound when
the pen scanner stops scanning and when the recognized data is
being sent to the target application or clipboard.
If the Sound option is enabled, you will also hear a beep sound
whenever an error occurs or if you try to operate wrongly with the
IRISPen.
Caution:
If the Speech option is activated, you cannot produce the system beeps as
these two options are not compatible. You can either hear the beep, or the
pronounced text.
To activate the beep sound:
• Click the Sound button
on the toolbar or select Sound from
the Options menu. The beep is activated. You can hear it during
scanning.
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CHAPTER 5
EARN HOW TO...
L
CUSTOMIZE/SAVE/REOPEN SETTINGS
Customize the default settings
When you launch the IRISPen, options are selected by default.
Some default presets are also available from the IRISPen Wizard
(see: Starting up, The IRISPen Wizard). These selected options
form the "default settings", also referred to as the "factory settings".
You will of course change these default settings to make the
IRISPen perfectly fit your particular needs. The changed settings
become your own settings. They will normally be kept until you
next modify them (see below).
Save Settings on Exit
The option Save Settings on Exit from the Options menu (toolbar)
is enabled by default. This means that the settings that are active
when closing the application will be active again when you next
open the application. If you have modified the IRISPen Wizard
presets, these will also be saved.
If you do not want to save your settings on exit, either disable the
option Save Settings on Exit from the Options menu (toolbar), or
select the option Reset to Factory Settings from the File menu
before you exit.
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IRISPen Translator 6 - User's guide
Save Settings
You can save your settings in a file with the Save Settings option
from the File menu. You will be able to reopen those settings
whenever needed.
With the Save Settings option, you can save as many sets of
settings as you wish. All you need to do is give them a name and
save them with the *.IPC extension.
Open Settings
At any moment in time, you can reopen any saved settings. To open
your saved settings, select Open Settings from the File menu and
open the corresponding file with the *.IPC extension, or directly
select the required file from the File menu (the last four saved files
are listed).
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CHAPTER 5 - LEARN HOW TO...
READ NUMERIC DATA
The IRISPen is able to read all machine-printed figures. The
recognition includes special characters, mathematical symbols,
punctuation marks, currencies, etc. You can thus read all types of
data such as: digits, codes, amounts, dates, account numbers,
numeric tables, etc.
The set of characters used by the software to read such data is the
same for all languages.
Default character subset used:
To read numeric data:
• In the Application window, select the Numeric scan type. See:
Basic settings, Reading options, Scan type.
• Slide your pen over the numeric data. Operate as for any other
type of printed data. See: Introducing the IRISPen, How does
it work?
How to get auditive feedback?
You can activate the speech feature to get an auditive feedback of
the scanned data. The speech feature incorporates intelligent
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IRISPen Translator 6 - User's guide
routines that allow it to read out numbers, telephone numbers, dates,
etc. Also see: Frequent commands, Speech Synthesis.
READ SMALL PRINT
The IRISPen scanning band is 0.41" (10.5mm.) high. It can thus
read characters having point sizes of 8 to 20.
If you have to read data printed in a font size smaller than 10 point,
you must activate the Small print option. This will help you get
optimized results with the IRISPen.
To read small text:
• Select the option Small print in the Application window. See:
Basic settings, Reading options, Other.
• Operate as for any other type of printed data: just slide the pen
scanner over the text line. See: Introducing the IRISPen, How
does it work?
Warning:
Do not use the Small print option to read text above 10 points. This would
decrease the recognition accuracy and would slow down the operation
substantially.
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CHAPTER 5 - LEARN HOW TO...
SCAN MULTIPLE LINES
You can scan multiple lines at the same time, i.e. within the same
scan. This is particularly useful if you want to capture whole
excerpts of text from books, magazines, etc.
The various lines of text will be buffered, then released with the
click on a pen button.
To read multiple lines:
• In the Application window, select the option Multilines. See:
Basic settings, Scanning mode.
• Scan the various lines one by one. Make sure that each line is
positioned directly in front of the pen's guide line.
After each scanned line, the Status window displays the message
"Press pen button to flush". Go on scanning the next line
immediately.
Important:
The pen scanning band is 0.41" (10.5mm.) high and covers in
many cases several lines of text. This does not mean that all
these lines are being read. Only one line, the central one, is
picked and recognized by the pen. You must thus scan each line
separately and make sure it is positioned right in the center of the
scanning head.
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IRISPen Translator 6 - User's guide
• At the end of your scan, click any pen button to insert the data
into the active application.
SCAN FROM RIGHT TO LEFT
By default, the pen scanner is set to operate from left to right, but
you can adapt the scanning direction and scan from right to left.
You will follow this scanning direction if you are left-handed. You
will also operate this way if you intend to read right-to-left text like
e.g. in Hebrew.
To operate with the pen if you are left-handed:
• In the Application window, select the option Left-handed
Scanning under the Options menu.
• Take the pen scanner in your left hand and turn it the other way
around so as to lean it to the left. Position it at the right end of
the text line and slide it over the line from right to left. Make
sure you hold the pen with the right angle. See: Introducing the
IRISPen, How does it work?
To scan right-to-left text (right-handed users):
• Simply take the pen scanner in your left hand and turn it the
other way around so as to lean it to the left. Position it at the
right end of the text line and slide it over the line from right to
left. Make sure you hold the pen with the right angle. See:
Introducing the IRISPen, How does it work?
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CHAPTER 5 - LEARN HOW TO...
To scan right-to-left text if you are left-handed:
• Operate exactly the same way as if you were right-handed (see
above).
Note: If you select Hebrew as recognition language in the
Application window, the option Left-handed Scanning will be
grayed out as right- and left-handed users operate the same way.
DEFINE THE SYMBOL FOR UNKNOWN
CHARACTERS
If characters are not properly recognized by the IRISPen, they are
by default represented by a tilde, i.e. a "~" symbol, in the
recognition result. If you wish to, you can choose another symbol.
To define a custom symbol for unknown characters:
• In the Application window, select the option Unknown Symbol
from the Settings menu.
• Replace the symbol in the required field, then click OK to
confirm.
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IRISPen Translator 6 - User's guide
REPLACE VERTICAL LINES
The IRISPen is able to detect and replace vertical lines separating
data as e.g. table columns. By default, the software replaces vertical
lines by the <Tab> command. This means that each time it
encounters a vertical line during scanning, it executes a tabulation
in your target application. If your target application is a spreadsheet,
the <Tab> moves your cursor to the next cell and the various bits of
data are inserted in separate cells.
Various keyboard commands are proposed for the conversion, but
you will also be able to replace vertical lines by characters or any
combination of characters and commands.
Tip:
How to recompose a whole table?
If on top of the default <Tab> command, you add the line ending code
<Home> <Cursor Down> (see: Frequent commands, Delimiters), you
cursor will be relocated on the next row after each scanned line. By doing so,
you will be able to recompose a whole table.
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CHAPTER 5 - LEARN HOW TO...
To replace vertical lines in the target application:
• In the Application window, select Replace Vertical Lines from
the Settings menu, then select one of the proposed keyboard
commands (by default, the command <Tab> is selected).
Select Custom to introduce your own set of conversion, then
click OK to confirm. You can execute any keyboard command,
add characters, or execute any combination of all.
Tip:
If your table does not contain vertical bars, the easiest procedure is to quickly
add them on the original document with a pen and a ruler.
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IRISPen Translator 6 - User's guide
PROGRAM HOTKEYS
The IRISPen allows you to program hotkeys for the execution of
the following commands:
- Restore the application (reopen the Application window)
- Switch scan type (switch from one scan type to the next one - see:
Basic settings, Reading options, Scan type)
This will make your work quicker and easier.
To program hotkeys for the proposed commands:
• In the Application window, select Hotkeys from the Settings
menu on the toolbar.
• Define a hotkey for one or several available commands. Operate
as follows:
- tick either the ALT or CTRL key
- introduce the clipboard key to be used in the key box
E.g.: ALT+X to restore the application.
Do not use key combinations that are used by your target
application, such as: Ctrl+V in Microsoft Word.
• Click OK to confirm.
54
CHAPTER 5 - LEARN HOW TO...
TRANSLATE TEXT
Thanks to the PromtX translation software integrated in the
IRISPen Translator, you can translate your scanned text lines into
any of the languages supported* by the application. You scan the
text and the translation directly pops up in a separate translation
window.
(*) The list of supported languages directly depends on the language chosen for the
installation of the IRISPen Translator. The supported languages are marked with an
asterisk (a "*" symbol) in the Language field of the Application window.
Translation window:
Warning:
Machine translation
The result you get from the IRISPen is machine translation. As you may
know, this kind of translation is more an "information-only" translation that
gives you the general meaning of a text. The IRISPen will thus work best in
business-like, non-emotive contexts. Do not use it to translate literature,
poetry, or any text containing metaphors, particular connotations or irony.
55
IRISPen Translator 6 - User's guide
To translate text:
• In the Language field of the Application window, select the
source language for the translation, i.e. the language of the text
to be scanned and translated. The languages available for
translation are marked with an asterisk (a "*" symbol).
• Select Translator PromtX in the Target section. See: Basic
settings, Target. The translation window pops up on your screen.
• In the translation window, check if the target language is the one
you need: the active language pair is displayed in the bottomright part of the window.
• If the target language is not the one you need, select another
language pair in the translation window, then click on Translate
in the translation window toolbar (or select Translate from
the Translation drop-down menu, or press F9).
56
CHAPTER 5 - LEARN HOW TO...
To select another language pair:
- Position your cursor in the translation window (PromtX).
- From the Translation drop-down menu, select Change
Direction of Translation and Topic Template, or press
from the toolbar, or press F10.
- Select the required translation pair and direction from the list of
supported language pairs.
• Scan the text to be translated. The translation directly appears in
the translation window.
Tip:
Cut & Paste the translation into another application
You cannot only view the translation result in the Translation window, you
can also Cut & Paste it into any application.
57
INDEX
A
active application........................35
application window.....................21
B
beep sound..................................43
black-and-white image................25
C
calibration...................................23
check the scanning........................8
clipboard.....................................34
columns ......................................52
correct position of the pen ............8
customize settings.......................45
D
F
factory settings ...........................45
G
grayscale image..........................22
H
holding the pen.............................8
hotkeys .......................................54
I
image..........................................32
Image Quality Check window....22
installation (hardware)................ 14
installation (software).................11
invisible color...............................6
IRISPen ........................................3
data type......................................31
deinstallation...............................16
delimiters....................................39
IRISPen Wizard..........................28
L
left-handed users.........................50
59
IRISPen Translator 6 - User's guide
M
multiline................................36, 49
N
numeric.................................31, 47
P
pen buttons..................................37
pen scanner...................................3
pen scanner calibration...............23
presets.........................................28
product registration.....................17
product support...........................17
programming hotkeys.................54
programming pen buttons...........37
R
right-to-left text ..........................50
S
save settings................................45
scan...............................................6
scan from right to left................. 50
Scan Test window ......................25
scan type.....................................31
scanning........................................6
scanning band...............................6
scanning mode............................ 36
settings (customize)....................45
settings (restore).........................45
settings (save).............................45
single line ...................................36
reading options ...............31, 34, 36
recognition results.......................25
registration..................................17
rejected characters ......................51
replacing vertical lines................52
restore settings............................45
restore to factory settings............45
60
sliding the pen ..............................6
small print...................................48
Status window............................22
support........................................17
system requirements...................11
T
tables ..........................................52
Index
target...........................................34
target application ..........................9
technical support.........................17
templates.....................................28
text..............................................31
train to scan...................................6
U
unknown characters....................51
unknown symbol.........................51
use the IRISPen........................ 6, 9
user interface..............................21
user interface language...............25
V
vertical lines ...............................52
W
Wizard........................................28
Y
yellow...........................................6
61
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