Method of Gray-Level Optical Segmentation and Isolation using Incremental Connected Components

• US 20090316991A1
• Filed: 06/23/2008
• Published: 12/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Tal, Doron, Geva, Amir
• Granted Patent: US 8,331,680 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/176
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/10 Character recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/15 Cutting or merging image elements, e.g. region growing, watershed or clustering-based techniques

Abstract

A novel and useful method of using Incremental Connected Components to segment and isolate individual characters in a gray-scale or color image. For each pixel intensity of pixels in the image, a plurality of pixel groups are created comprising contiguous pixels of intensity equal to or less than the current pixel intensity. The pixel groups are then input to a character classifier which returns an identified character and a confidence value. Non-overlapping pixel groups (i.e. segmentation) of identified characters having the highest confidence values are then selected.

Claims

1. A method of isolating a character from a non binary image comprising a single character, said method comprising the steps of:

identifying the pixel intensity value of each pixel in said non-binary image;

generating a pixel group comprising contiguous pixels of equivalent or lower pixel intensity values for each pixel intensity value found in said non-binary image;

inputting said one or more generated pixel groups to a character classifier, wherein said character classifier returns an identified character and a confidence value; and

selecting said identified character with the highest confidence value.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said non binary image is a gray-scale or color image.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said pixel intensity is a numeric value representing a specific color.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said character classifier scales said generated pixel group to a specific size.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein said pixel group scaled to a specific size enables a matrix comparison against defined characters in said character classifier.

6. A method of segmenting and isolating one or more characters from a non binary image comprising one or more characters, said method comprising the steps of:

identifying the pixel intensity value of each pixel in said non-binary image;

generating one or more pixel groups comprising contiguous pixels of equivalent or lower pixel intensity values for each pixel intensity value found in said non-binary image;

inputting plurality of said generated pixel groups to a character classifier, wherein for each input pixel group, said character classifier returns an identified character and a confidence value;

identifying non overlapping input pixel groups with the highest confidence values; and

selecting one or more identified characters associated with said identified non-overlapping pixel groups.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein said non binary image is a gray-scale or color image.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein said pixel intensity is a numeric value representing a specific color.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein said character classifier scales said generated pixel group to a specific size.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein said pixel group scaled to a specific size enables a matrix comparison against defined characters in said character classifier.

11. The method according to claim 6, wherein said step of identifying non overlapping input images with the highest confidence values segments said non-binary image into separate segments for each character.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein each said segment comprises a bounding rectangle consisting of a two dimensional set of adjacent pixels.

13. A computer program product for isolating a character from a non binary image comprising a single character, the computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer usable code embodied therewith, the computer program product comprising;

computer usable code configured for identifying the pixel intensity value of each pixel in said non-binary image;

computer usable code configured for generating a pixel group comprising contiguous pixels of equivalent or lower pixel intensity values for each pixel intensity value found in said non-binary image;

computer usable code configured for inputting said one or more generated pixel groups to a character classifier, wherein said character classifier returns an identified character and a confidence value; and

computer usable code configured for selecting said identified character with the highest confidence value.

14. The computer program product according to claim 13, wherein said non binary image is a gray-scale or color image.

15. The computer program product according to claim 13, wherein said pixel intensity is a numeric value representing a specific color.

16. The computer program product according to claim 13, wherein said character classifier scales said generated pixel group to a specific size.

17. The computer program product according to claim 16, wherein said pixel group scaled to a specific size enables a matrix comparison against defined characters in said character classifier.

18. The computer program product according to claim 13, wherein each said generated pixel group comprises a bounding rectangle consisting of a two dimensional set of adjacent pixels.

19. A computer program product for segmenting and isolating one or more characters from a non binary image comprising one or more characters, the computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer usable code embodied therewith, the computer program product comprising;

computer usable code configured for identifying the pixel intensity value of each pixel in said non-binary image;

computer usable code configured for generating one or more pixel groups comprising contiguous pixels of equivalent or lower pixel intensity values for each pixel intensity value found in said non-binary image;

computer usable code configured for inputting plurality of said generated pixel groups to a character classifier, wherein for each input pixel group, said character classifier returns an identified character and a confidence value;

computer usable code configured for identifying non overlapping input pixel groups with the highest confidence values; and

computer usable code configured for selecting one or more identified characters associated with said identified non-overlapping pixel groups.

20. The computer program product according to claim 19, wherein said non binary image is a gray-scale or color image.

21. The computer program product according to claim 19, wherein said pixel intensity is a numeric value representing a specific color.

22. The computer program product according to claim 19, wherein said character classifier scales said generated pixel group to a specific size.

23. The computer program product according to claim 19, wherein said pixel group scaled to a specific size enables a matrix comparison against defined characters in said character classifier.

24. The computer program product according to claim 19, wherein said step of identifying non overlapping input pixel groups with the highest confidence values segments said non-binary image into separate segments for each character.

25. The computer program product according to claim 24, wherein each said segment comprises a bounding rectangle consisting of a two dimensional set of adjacent pixels.