Pen scanner - reader (OCR)

Optical character recognition with download and speech

Utilizing a small pen form factor, this design operates as a hand-held scanner with optical character recognition (OCR). The pen not only captures and stores the characters available for download, but it can also read the words to you via a small built-in speaker. The heart of this design is the RL78/G14, an industry-leading lowest power MCU. The MCU interfaces to the image sensor and a micro-SD card as well as controls the volume of the speaker via a digitally controlled potentiometer. Additionally, the pen is powered off a rechargeable battery, which is charged via the ISL9205 battery charger.

Key features:

• Scans with OCR and captures data on micro SD card
• Reads captured sentences back via a built-in speaker
• Operates on very low current and enables long battery life
• Small form factor with rechargeable battery via the USB interface