Image processor for character recognition

• US 20020015525A1
• Filed: 06/07/2001
• Published: 02/07/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Minolta Corporation Limited (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Minolta Corporation Limited (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Fujiwara, Yoko
• Granted Patent: US 7,321,688 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/182
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/10 Character recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/162 Quantising the image signal

Abstract

In image processing of a document having image data of a document including an image with character images on a background image, the character images and the background image thereof are separated. First, areas in correspondence to the character images from the image data are extracted, and character code data are generated based on the extracted areas in the image data. On the other hand, the character image in the image data is replaced with the background image. The character images are reproduced with reference to the character code data at the positions of the character images. On the other hand, the original character images are deleted from the image data. The character images on the background image is complemented based on the background image data. Then the character images based on the character code data and the background image thereof are synthesized.

Claims

1. A method of image processing comprising the steps of:

receiving image data of an image with character images on a background image;

extracting areas in correspondence to the character images from the image data;

generating character code data based on the extracted areas in the image data;

changing the image data to replace the character image with the background image; and

storing the changed image data and the character code data along with a relationship between them.

2. A method of image processing comprising the steps of:

converting character image data in image data to character code data; and

complementing the character image data based on image data around the character image data.

3. A method of image processing comprising the steps of:

converting character image data in image data to character code data;

complementing the character image data based on image data around the character image data; and

storing the character code data and the image data including the complemented character image data along with a relationship between them.

4. An image processor comprising:

a reader which reads a document to provide image data thereof;

a converter which determines character code data of character image data in correspondence to character image in the image data;

an acquiring device which determines position data on a position in the character image data converted to character code data in the image data;

a corrector which changes the character image data to the same as a color of an image around the character image; and

a storage device which stores the character code data and the image data including the complemented character image data along with a relationship between them.

5. The image processor according to claim 4, wherein said acquiring section further determines font and font size based on the character image data in correspondence to the character image in the image data.

6. The image processor according to claim 4, further comprising a processor which generates print data for printing the document image, based on the character code data, the position data and the image data stored in said storage device.

7. An image processor which converts character image data in image data to character code data comprising:

an extracter which extracts character image data in image data with character images on a background image;

a converter which converts the extracted character image data to character code data;

a deleter which deletes the character images on the background image in the image data; and

a synthesizer which synthesizes the character code data with the image data from which the character image is deleted.

8. The image processor according to claim 7, wherein said deleter complements the image data at an area of the character images on the background image according to image data of an ambient background image of the area.

9. The image processor according to claim 7, wherein said converter does not convert a character image data to a character code data when an area of the character image data has color change.

10. The image processor according to claim 7, wherein said extracter extracts character image data character by character.

11. The image processor according to claim 7, wherein said extracter extracts the character image data in the unit of word.