FIELD OF INVENTION
The invention generally relates to system and methods for reading data from digital displays and more particularly to reading data from segmented digital displays.
BACKGROUND
In present trend of loT, all the embedded devices in industry which includes industrial meters, sensors, actuators and display panels are connected to internet. Once the devices are connected over internet, data is available real-time from any point across the world. Most of the present day devices are powered with wireless technologies to interface and enable the loTification. However, few of the legacy devices may be present without any possibility of wireless connectivity and may have digital displays for human interaction.
The legacy devices may have a segmented digital display for reading out the value. There remains a need for a reliable system and method for reading the character displayed in a non-intrusive way as an easily detachable retrofit, thereby ensuring non violation of safety, certification and compliance of the device.
Optical Character Recognition (OCR) has been used for reading out the value in digital displays of devices. OCR refers to the process of recognizing the text present in an image, i.e. converting the pixels of the image into the actual string of text appearing in the image. There has been considerable work done in OCR for text recognition in various applications. However, OCR involves use of camera and intensive image processing algorithms.

Hence, there is a need for a method of reading out the value in segmented digital displays that is cost effective and doesn't involve camera and complex image processing algorithms.
The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems as set forth above.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Exemplary embodiments of the invention disclose a method and system for identifying one or more characters displayed on a segmented digital display. According to an embodiment of the invention, a system and method for identifying one or more characters displayed on a digital display, such that each character has at least one segment is disclosed. According to an exemplary embodiment, the disclosed system and method aligns an infrared transmitter and receiver corresponding to each segment of one or more characters of the digital display. Segments of a displayed character are determined based on an interruption in a flow of incident infrared rays received by an infrared receiver aligned to each of the segments wherein the incident infrared rays are being emitted by corresponding infrared transmitters. The one or more characters are identified after determining the segments of each character.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
Other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description when read with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote corresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 illustrates a block diagram of a process for identifying one or more characters displayed on a segmented digital display, according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention; and
Figure 2 illustrates an exemplary system for identifying one or more characters displayed on a segmented digital display, according to one embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
The following description with reference to the accompanying drawings is provided to assist in a comprehensive understanding of exemplary embodiments of the invention as defined by the claims and their equivalents. It includes various specific details to assist in that understanding but these are to be regarded as merely exemplary. Accordingly, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that various changes and modifications of the embodiments described herein can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. In addition, descriptions of well-known functions and constructions are omitted for clarity and conciseness.
According to embodiments of the invention, a system and method for identifying one or more characters displayed on a segmented digital display is disclosed. The segmented digital display may comprise at least one display unit comprising segments that are arranged in such a way that segment, when selectively turned ON or turned OFF, displays characters. According to an embodiment, the character may be such as, but not limited to, numerical, digit, alphabet and symbol. According to another embodiment, a shape of the segment may be be dot, circle, square, rectangle, oblong, any polygon, funnel or custom shape. According to yet another

embodiment, the alignment of the segments in the display may be regular, irregular, patterned, straight (parallel to edge of display) and tilted (angle made with the edge of display).
FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of the process 100 for identifying one or more characters displayed on a segmented digital display according to an embodiment of the invention. The segmented display may be such as, but not limited to, 7 segment, 8 segment, 13 segmentand 14 segment LCD displays.
At step 102, an infrared transmitter and receiver is aligned corresponding to each segment of one or more characters of the digital display. The terms 'infrared transmitter and receiver' and 'infrared transceiver' may be used interchangeably. The term 'infrared transmitter and receiver' may be referred to as as 'infrared sensors' in some embodiments of the invention. According to an embodiment, an infrared transmitter and receiver may be mounted on a printed circuit board (PCB) in proper alignment with segments on the digital display. According to an embodiment, IR transmitters continuously emit IR rays onto digital display. According to another embodiment, each IR receiver may be configured to receive incident IR rays from corresponding transmitter.
At step 104, segments of a displayed character is determined based on an interruption in a flow of incident infrared rays received by an infrared receiver aligned to each of the segments. The incident infrared rays are emitted by corresponding infrared transmitters. According to an embodiment, the interruption in a flow of incident infrared rays may depend on a state of the segment to which the infrared transmitter and receiver are attached. According to another embodiment, the state of the segment may depend on whether the segment is turned ON or an electric field is applied to the segment. According to yet another embodiment, the interruption

in a flow of incident infrared rays may indicate either absorption, obstruction, deflection or no change in the flow of incident infrared rays.
According to an embodiment, when a segment on a digital display is turned off or no electric field is applied to the segment, segment may not have any impact on the optical characteristics of the display as the molecules in the segment are disoriented, thereby allowing the incident rays to pass through and reflect back without any change in the optical characteristics of the display. According to another embodiment, if a segment is turned on or electric field is applied to the segment, the molecules in the segment get oriented to form a structure thereby absorbing or obstructing or deflecting the flow of incident rays. Therefore, a clear indication may be that, ' when incident rays are received by the infrared receiver of a particular segment, there is no electric field applied on the particular segment and vice versa. The character recognition may . be achieved after determining all the segments of the character.
At step?-106, one or more characters are identified after determining the segments of each character. According to an embodiment, the identified characters are processed through a processor or microcontroller.
FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary system 200 for identifying one or more characters displayed on a segmented digital display, according to one embodiment of the present invention.
The disclosed system 200 may include a communication module 202, a processor 204, a display device 206 and a network module 208.

The communication module 202 may include an infrared transmitter and an infrared receiver attached to each segment of the segmented digital display. According to an embodiment, an infrared transmitter and receiver may be mounted on a printed circuit board (PCB) in proper alignment with segments on the segmented digital display. According to another embodiment, the infrared transmitter and receiver may be mounted on a ceramic substrate or metallic lead frame or a transparent material. According to yet another embodiment, the infrared transmitter and receiver placed on the substrate may comprise a plurality of through holes configured to receive a plurality of electrically conductive pins. According to yet another embodiment, the electrically conductive pins from the substrate may be spherical, needle shape or electrode shape. According to yet another embodiment, the infrared transmitter may be configured to transmit infrared rays onto the segmented digital display and the infrared receiver may be configured to receive the incident infrared rays from corresponding infrared transmitter. According to yet another embodiment, the infrared transmitter and receiver may be enclosed in a reflective chamber filled with epoxy or silicon to direct incident rays. According to an embodiment, the reflective chamber may create a contour that matches shape of segments in the display. According to embodiments of the invention, the infrared sensors could be any component* which may generate electrical signal for applied infrared stimuli. According to an embodiment of the invention, a shape of the infrared sensors may be such as, but not limited to, a circle, square, rectangle or any polygon. According to another embodiment, a location of the infrared sensors on a segment may be anywhere in the segment. According to yet another embodiment of the invention, there may be a single or multiple infrared sensors for each segment.
The processor 204 may determine segments of each displayed character based on an interruption in a flow of incident infrared rays received by infrared receivers from the

corresponding infrared transmitters attached to .he segments of a displayed character. According to an embodiment the interruption in a flow of incident infrared rays may depend on a state of the segment to which the infrared transmitter and receiver are attached. According ,o another embodiment the state of the segment may depend on whether the segment is turned ON or an electric field is applied to the segment: According to ye, another embodiment, the interruption in a flow of incident tnfrared rays may indicate either absorption, obstruction, deflecon or no change in the flow of incident infrared rays. The processor 204 may identify ,he one or more displayed characters after determining segments of displayed one or more
characters.
According to an embodiment, the identified one or more characters may be displayed on a
display device 206. According to an embodiment, the processor 204 may display the one or
more characters on a display device 206 such as bu, not limited to Cathode ray tube display
(CRT), Light-emittingdiode display (LED,, Blectroluminescentdisplay (ELD), Plasma display
panel (PDP) etc. According to another embodiment, the d.splay may include a graphical user
interface (GUI).
According to an embodiment, the processor 204 may be in communication with a network module 208. The network module may include a communication network. According to another embodiment the read ou, data from the processor consisting of one or more characters may be transmitted through the communication network. According to an embodiment the communication network may be a wired or wireless communication network. The wireless commumcation network may be such as, but no. limited to, Zigbee, LoRa, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. According to another embodiment the read out data may be sen, to cloud through the communication network for further processing. According to an exemplary embodiment
8

no.ifica.ions re!a.ed .o read ou. data may be sen, ,o users. According to ye. ano.her embodiment, (he read ou. da.a may be sen. .hrough .he communicadon ncwork .0 a database or repository.
In the draw.ngs and specification there has been set forth preferred .embodiments of the invention, and although specific terms are employed, these are used in a generic and descriptive sense on.y and not for purposes of limitation. Changes in the form and the proportion of parts, as well as in the substitution of equiva.ents, are contemplated as circumstances may suggest or render expedient without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.
Throughout the various contexts described in this disclosure, the embodiments of the invention further encompass computer apparatus, computing systems and machine-readab.e media configured to carry out the foregoing systems and methods. In addition to an embodiment consisting of specificaUy designed integrated circuits or other e.ectronics, the present invention may be conveniently implemented using a conventional genera, purpose or a specia.ized digital computer or microprocessor programmed according to the teachings of the present disclosure, as will be apparent to those skilled in the computer art.
Appropriate software coding can readi.y be prepared by skilled programmers based on the teachings of the present disc.osure, as will be apparent to those ski.led in the software art. The invention may also be implemented by the preparation of application specific integrated circuits or by interconnecting an appropriate network of convention^ component circuits, as will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art.

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We Claim:
1. A method for identifying one or more characters displayed on a digital display, such
that each character has at least one segment, the method comprising:
aligning an infrared transmitter and receiver corresponding to each segment of one or more characters of the digital display; determining segments of a displayed character based on an interruption in a flow of incident infrared rays received by an infrared receiver aligned to each of the segments wherein the incident infrared rays are being emitted by corresponding infrared transmitters; and identifying the one or more characters after determining the segments of each character.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the interruption in a flow of incident infrared
rays depends on a state of the segment.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the interruption in a flow of incident infrared rays indicates either absorption, obstruction, deflection or no change in the flow of incident infrared rays.

4. The method-as claimed in claim 1, wherein the infrared transmitter and receiver corresponding to each segment of the digital display are mounted on a printed circuit board (PCB).

5. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the state of the segment depends on whether the segment is turned ON or an electric field is applied to the segment.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising processing the identified one or more characters through a microcontroller.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the segmented display is a 7 segment LCD.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the infrared transmitter and receiver
corresponding to each segment of the digital display are mounted on a substrate or metallic lead frame.
9. A system for identifying one or more characters displayed on a segmented digital
display, the system comprising:
an infrared transmitter configured to transmit infrared rays onto the segmented digital display;
an infrared receiver configured to receive the incident infrared rays from corresponding infrared transmitter; and
a processor to identify one or more characters after determining segments of displayed
one. or. more characters wherein determining segments of each displayed character being . .
based on an interruption in a flow of incident infrared rays received by an infrared receiver from the corresponding infrared transmitter.

10. i The system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the interruption in a flow of incident infrared
rays indicates either absorption, obstruction, deflection or no change in the flow of incident infrared rays.