Device and method for performing optical character recognition

• US 10,133,948 B2
• Filed: 07/09/2015
• Issued: 11/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GmbH (Sanofi )
• Original Assignee: Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GmbH (Sanofi )
• Inventors: Hammen, Dietmar
• Primary Examiner(s): MOTSINGER, SEAN T
• Application Number:
  US15/324,506
• Publication Number:
  US 20170154232A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,230 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/10 Character recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/1423 the instrument generating sequences of position coordinates corresponding to handwriting preprocessing or recognising digital ink G06V30/32
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/15 Cutting or merging image elements, e.g. region growing, watershed or clustering-based techniques

Abstract

A method of performing character isolation in an optical character recognition process, the method comprising receiving image data representing one or more character columns, determining a number of black pixels in each column of the image data, defining a vertical separation threshold which is a maximum number of black pixels in a column, dividing the columns into different pixel groups and groups of excluded columns by excluding any columns with a number of black pixels below the vertical separation threshold, identifying the pixel group representing the left most character column in the image data, determining whether there are one or two pixel groups representing character columns in the image data and, if it is determined that there are two pixel groups representing character columns, using a predetermined width value for a right most character column in order to identify a right hand boundary of the right most character column.

Claims

1. A method of performing character isolation in an optical character recognition process, the method comprising:

receiving image data representing one or more character columns;

determining a number of black pixels in each of the one or more character columns of the image data;

defining a vertical separation threshold which is a maximum number of black pixels in a column;

dividing the one or more character columns into different pixel groups and groups of excluded columns by excluding any of the one or more character columns with a number of black pixels below the vertical separation threshold;

identifying the pixel group representing the left most character column in the image data;

determining that there are two pixel groups representing the one or more character columns; and

in response to determining that there are two pixel groups representing the one or more character columns, using a predetermined width value for a right most character column in order to identify a right hand boundary of the right most character column.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein identifying the pixel group representing the left most character column in the image data comprises identifying the pixel group immediately to the right of the left most group of excluded columns.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein identifying the pixel group representing the left most character column in the image data comprises excluding the pixel group immediately to the right of the left most group of excluded columns if it is below a minimum digit width threshold such that the second pixel group to the right of the left most group of excluded columns is defined as the left most character column in the image data.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining that there are two pixel groups representing character columns in the image data comprises determining the width of the left most group of excluded columns.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein determining that there are two pixel groups representing character columns in the image data comprises determining that the width of the left most group of excluded columns is below a maximum left margin threshold value.

6. The method according to claim 1, the method further comprising determining the width of the left most character column in the image data.

7. The method according to claim 6, the method further comprising using the determined width of the left most character column in the image data to determine whether the left most character column comprises exclusively narrow numbers or includes wide numbers.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein if it is determined that the left most character column comprises exclusively narrow numbers, setting the maximum valid dose result to 19.

9. The method according to claim 1, the method further comprising excluding any pixel group touching the left hand border of the image.

10. The method according to claim 1, the method further comprising identifying a left hand boundary of the right hand character column by identifying a group of excluded columns located between the left hand and right hand character columns.

11. The method claim 1, the method further comprising determining if the left hand character column is wider than a maximum digit width threshold value and if so, determining that numbers in the image data are in the range from 8 to 10.

12. A processor for performing character isolation in an optical character recognition process, the processor configured to:

receive image data representing one or more character columns;

determine a number of black pixels in each of the one or more character columns of the image data;

define a vertical separation threshold which is a maximum number of black pixels in a column;

divide the one or more character columns into different pixel groups and groups of excluded columns by excluding any columns with a number of black pixels below the vertical separation threshold;

identify the pixel group representing the left most character column in the image data;

determine that there are two pixel groups representing character columns; and

in response to determining that there are two pixel groups representing character columns, use a predetermined width value for a right most character column in order to identify a right hand boundary of the right most character column.

13. The processor according to claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to identify the pixel group representing the left most character column in the image data by identifying the pixel group immediately to the right of the left most group of excluded columns.

14. The processor according to claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to determine whether there are one or two pixel groups representing character columns in the image data by determining the width of the left most group of excluded columns.

15. A supplemental device for attachment to an injection device, the supplemental device comprising:

an imaging arrangement configured to capture an image of one or more numbers present on a moveable component of the injection device; and

a processor configured to;

receive image data representing one or more character columns;

determine a number of black pixels in each of the one or more character columns of the image data;

define a vertical separation threshold which is a maximum number of black pixels in a column;

divide the one or more character columns into different pixel groups and groups of excluded columns by excluding any columns with a number of black pixels below the vertical separation threshold;

identify the pixel group representing the left most character column in the image data;

determine whether there are one or two pixel groups representing character columns in the image data;

determine that there are two pixel groups representing character columns; and

in response to determining that there are two pixel groups representing character columns, use a predetermined width value for a right most character column in order to identify a right hand boundary of the right most character column.

16. The supplemental device of claim 15, wherein the processor is configured to identify the pixel group representing the left most character column in the image data by identifying the pixel group immediately to the right of the left most group of excluded columns.

17. The supplemental device of claim 15, wherein the processor is configured to determine whether there are one or two pixel groups representing character columns in the image data by determining the width of the left most group of excluded columns.