CHARACTER DATA SEARCH SYSTEM

• US 3,818,445 A
• Filed: 12/18/1972
• Issued: 06/18/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Richard G. Neville
• Original Assignee: Richard G. Neville
• Inventors: Neville, Richard G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Henon, Paul J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thesz, Jr., Joseph M.
• Application Number:
  US05/316,315
• Time in Patent Office: 547 Days
• Field of Search: 340/146.3D,146.3H,146.3S,146.3Y,146.3AH
• US Class Current: 382/282
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/24 Aligning, centring, orientation detection or correction of the image

Abstract

A character data search system which utilizes a plurality of small area scans which are located according to the probability that the field containing the desired information to be recognized is in a given location on the documents. Furthermore, the field is recognized by indicating key characteristics contained therein. The scanning of the field is of a multiple scan type and the scans may partially overlap each other depending upon the characteristics being searched for and the probability of finding the desired data in a given location. Also, for documents of varying size, the location of the scans may be made a function of document size.

Claims

1. A character data search system for use with a character recognition system, comprising, in combination, scanning means for scanning documents and generating video data in response to scanning characters on said documents, video data matrix storage means comprising a plurality of rows and columns of storage elements, connected to said scanning means to receive said video data and store it therein in spatial relationship duplicating the actual form of the scanned characters, fixed parameter storage means connected to said scanning means and effective to control said scanning means to execute a plurality of relatively small area scans in those areas of a document where there is a high probability of locating the characters which are to be recognized, a black data accumulator having a plurality of storage locations, means connecting said storage locations to a selected column of elements in said matrix storage means to periodically receive video data therefrom in parallel, data shifting control means connected to said black data accumulator for shifting the data therein serially through said accumulator and returning the data shifted out of one end of said accumulator as inputs to the other end of said accumulator, character width counter means connected to said matrix storage means for counting video dAta relative to the width of the scanned character, height logic and counter means connected to selected end locations of said black data accumulator for determining the height of a scanned character, character location logic and counter means connected to said selected end locations of said black data accumulator for determining the location of a scanned character, and scan control means connected to the outputs of all of said counter means and to said scanning means to alter the scanning pattern in accordance with selected outputs of said counter means.

2. A character data search system as claimed in claim 1, in which said black data accumulator comprises a shift register including a plurality of serially connected elements and having parallel inputs, and having a serial output connected to a serial input to provide circulation of the data in said register, said shift register being constructed and arranged to inhibit the turn off of accumulator positions once they have been turned on as a result of the presence of video data in the corresponding position in the storage matrix.

3. A character data search system as claimed in claim 1, further including document size detection means connected to said fixed parameter storage means for altering the location of said small area scans in accordance with the size of the documents.

4. A character data search system as claimed in claim 1, further including segmentation means connected to said matrix storage means and to said counter means for stopping said counter means when the end of a character is detected.

5. A character data search system for use with a character recognition system comprising, in combination, scanning means for scanning documents and developing video data in response to scanning characters on said documents, video data matrix storage means connected to said scanning means to receive said video data and store it therein in two-dimensional form duplicating the actual form of the scanned characters, fixed parameter storage means connected to said scanning means and effective to control said scanning means to execute a plurality of relatively small area scans in those areas of a document where there is a high probability of locating the characters which are to be recognized, a black data accumulator connected to selected vertical positions in said matrix storage means for periodically receiving black data signals from said selected positions, with respect to vertical positions in said matrix, data shifting means connected to said black data accumulator for shifting said data serially and vertically in said accumulator, and returning the data shifted out of one end of said accumulator as inputs to the other end of said accumulator, counter means connected to selected positions of said accumulator for counting black data as it is shifted out of said accumulator, said counter means including a character width counter which is connected to respond to the loading of said accumulator from said matrix storage means, said width counter also having an output connected to said scanning means for altering the scanning pattern, and scan control means connected to said counter means and said scanning means for altering the scanning pattern in accordance with selected outputs from said counter means.