Optical character reading apparatus and method

• US 4,926,492 A
• Filed: 07/22/1988
• Issued: 05/15/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Hideaki, Kitamura, Yoshihiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Boudreau, Leo H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US07/222,782
• Time in Patent Office: 662 Days
• Field of Search: 382/21, 382/18, 382/24
• US Class Current: 382/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/10 Character recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/146 Aligning or centring of the image pick-up or image-field

Abstract

An optical character reader is characterized in that the reader determines accurately the range occupied by the major portion of each character in each character line. This is accomplished by dividing an image read from a document into character lines and counting the number of picture elements in series with each picture element forming each character on each character line in each direction of a plurality of predetermined directions. Each picture element is provided with a code data indicating the direction having the largest number of picture elements having a character. If the picture elements between two picture elements allotted with a specific code data for the direction along each character line do not have the specific data code, the original code data is replaced with the specific code data. The number of picture elements allotted with the specific code data for each character line are then counted and the position with the largest number of picture elements having a character is detected.

Claims

1. An optical character reading comprising:

means for dividing an image read from a document into character lines;

means for counting a number of picture elements in series with each picture element forming each character on each character line for each direction of a plurality of predetermined directions;

means for providing each picture element with a code data indicating a direction having a largest number of picture elements forming a character;

means for replacing said code data of a series of picture elements between two picture elements being allotted with a specific code data in the direction along each character line with said specific code data of the two picture elements;

means for counting a number of picture elements allotted with said specific code data for each character line; and

means for detecting a position with a largest number of picture elements forming a character.

2. A method of optionally reading characters, comprising the steps of:

(a) dividing an image read from a document into character lines;

(b) counting a number of picture elements in series with each picture element forming each character on each character line in each direction of a plurality of predetermined directions;

(c) providing each picture element with a code data indicating a direction having a largest number of picture elements forming a character.

(d) replacing the code data of a series of picture elements between two picture elements being allotted with a specific code data from the direction along each character line with the specific code data of the two picture elements;

(e) counting a number of picture elements allotted with the specific code data for each character line; and

(f) detecting a position with a largest number of picture elements forming a character.