Matrix character reading system
First Claim
1. A method for establishing the location of an unknown character in a character recognition system comprising the steps:
- (1) generating a plurality of substantially parallel analog waveforms having varying peak voltage amplitudes and times of occurrence of same representing the configuration of the unknown character;
(2) generating a plurality of first digital values representing the voltage amplitudes in each of the analog waveforms;
(3) applying a first threshold value to said first digital values for generating a plurality of second digital values representing the unknown character and the background of the character;
(4) detecting the start of the unknown character from the second digital values;
(5) generating a second threshold value from said first digital values;
(6) applying said second threshold value to said first digital values for generating third digital values representing the unknown character and fourth digital values representing the background area of the unknown character;
(7) detecting the start of the unknown character from the third and fourth digital values;
(8) and detecting the end of the unknown character from the third and fourth digital values.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for selecting the start of an unknown character sensed by a character recognition system. A multi-channel read head develops a plurality of analog waveforms which form the image of an unknown character sensed by the read head. After the analog waveforms have been digitized and rectified, static and dynamic threshold values are applied producing a multi-column binary bit map of the unknown character. The start of the character is detected when two adjacent rows of the bit map are found to have five consecutive binary bits representing a character. The end of the character is detected when the rows of the binary bits representing background data have a width which is inversely proportional to the width of the character detected. This information is used by a character recognition apparatus in locating the start of the character and the data generated during a character recognition operation.
13 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A method for establishing the location of an unknown character in a character recognition system comprising the steps:
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(1) generating a plurality of substantially parallel analog waveforms having varying peak voltage amplitudes and times of occurrence of same representing the configuration of the unknown character; (2) generating a plurality of first digital values representing the voltage amplitudes in each of the analog waveforms; (3) applying a first threshold value to said first digital values for generating a plurality of second digital values representing the unknown character and the background of the character; (4) detecting the start of the unknown character from the second digital values; (5) generating a second threshold value from said first digital values; (6) applying said second threshold value to said first digital values for generating third digital values representing the unknown character and fourth digital values representing the background area of the unknown character; (7) detecting the start of the unknown character from the third and fourth digital values; (8) and detecting the end of the unknown character from the third and fourth digital values. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A method for establishing the start of a symbol represented by a plurality of analog waveforms having peak voltage amplitudes and times of occurrence of same comprising the steps of:
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sampling portions of each analog waveform to generate first binary values representing the voltage amplitude of each portion; comparing each of the first binary values with a first threshold value to provide second binary values representing the voltage amplitude of each portion which exceeds the threshold value; examining the second binary values for the start of the symbol; examining the first binary values to find the maximum binary value upon finding the start of a symbol; dividing the maximum binary value by a constant to produce a second threshold value; comparing the first binary values with the second threshold value to produce third binary values representing the symbol and fourth binary values representing the background of the symbol; and examining the third and fourth binary values for the location of the start of the symbol. - View Dependent Claims (5)
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6. A method for processing data derived from a plurality of analog waveforms having a sequence of varying peak voltage amplitudes and time of occurrence of same corresponding to the configuration of a character being recognized comprising the steps of:
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sampling portions of each analog waveform to generate a plurality of rows of first binary data bits whose value represents the voltage amplitude of each portion; comparing the value represented by said first binary bits with a first threshold value to produce second binary data bits representing the voltage amplitude of each portion compared which exceeds the first threshold value and third binary data bits which do not exceed the first threshold value; examining the number and location of each of said second and third binary data bits in each row; outputting a first signal indicating the start of the character upon finding that there are five consecutive second binary data bits out of the first seven data bits in any row or that the first or seventh binary data bit of the row is a second binary data bit; examining the values of the second and third binary data bits in each row to find the maximum value in response to the outputting of said first signal; dividing the maximum value by a constant to output a second threshold value; comparing the value represented by the second and third binary data bits with said second threshold value to produce fourth binary data bits representing a character and fifth binary data bits representing the background of the character; examining the number and location of each of said fourth binary data bits; and outputting a second signal representing the finding of the start of the character upon sensing that five of the first seven binary data bits examined are said fourth binary data bits. - View Dependent Claims (7)
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8. A system for processing signals representing feature characteristics of an unknown character comprising:
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first means for generating a plurality of adjacent parallel rows of first and second feature characteristic signals in which the first feature characteristic signals represents a feature characteristic of an unknown character and said second feature characteristic signals represents the background of the unknown character; first means for detecting a first predetermined number of consecutive first feature characteristic signals in two adjacent rows representing the start of the unknown character, said detecting means outputting a first control signal in response to detecting said first predetermined number of first feature characteristic signals; means for counting the number of first feature characteristic signals representing the width of the unknown character; and second means for detecting a second predetermined number of said second feature characteristic signals located adjacent the end of said first feature characteristic signals, said second predetermined number being inversely proportional to the number of first feature characteristic signals in the width of the unknown character, said second detecting means outputting a second control signal in response to detecting said second predetermined number whereby a utilization device receives said first and second control signals enabling said utilization device to process said first and second feature characteristic signals. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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Specification