Method and apparatus for processing a document by utilizing an image
First Claim
1. A method for processing a document in a document processor having image input means and display means, comprising:
- a first step of converting a document including a plurality of characters and a table having a plurality of vertical and horizontal ruled lines into a document image by said image input means;
a second step of converting the document image into a second document image including only the ruled lines;
a third step of scanning said second document image to detect and store vector data of a plurality of line segments each comprising said ruled lines and including one or more of successive black pixels arranged on a scan line in a direction;
a fourth step of determining a threshold value of successive black pixels for distinguishing horizontal ruled lines form vertical ruled lines in said second document image, based on frequencies of line segment length in the second document image calculated from said stored vector data of the line segments;
a fifth step of extracting horizontal ruled lines and vertical ruled lines from said second document image on the basis of said threshold value of successive black pixels and said stored vector data of the line segments to obtain vector data defining respective ruled lines; and
,a sixth step of drawing on a screen of said display means a table form comprising a plurality of ruled lines drawn on the basis of said vector data of the ruled lines.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A document processor for processing a document image which includes both a table formed by a plurality of ruled lines, and characters to generate vector data defining the ruled lines comprises an image input device for reading an image of the document, a display for displaying the document image and a processor for processing the document image. The processor corrects a skew of the input document image, detects a successive black pixel area included in the skew-corrected image, detects a character area based on a size of a rectangle which circumscribes the successive black pixel area, and converts the image to a second document image having characters deleted and including only the ruled lines. Those line segments detected by horizontally scanning the second document image which are longer than a predetermined threshold are determined as horizontal temporary lines, and those segments detected by vertically scanning the second document image which are longer than a predetermined threshold are determined as vertical temporary lines, and data defining positons and sizes of those lines are stored. A plurality of horizontal temporary lines which are adjacent to each other are consolidated into one solid line and defining data for the horizontal ruled lines are determined. Similarly, a plurality of vertical temporary lines are consolidated and defining data for the vertical ruled lines are determined.
95 Citations
8 Claims
-
1. A method for processing a document in a document processor having image input means and display means, comprising:
-
a first step of converting a document including a plurality of characters and a table having a plurality of vertical and horizontal ruled lines into a document image by said image input means; a second step of converting the document image into a second document image including only the ruled lines; a third step of scanning said second document image to detect and store vector data of a plurality of line segments each comprising said ruled lines and including one or more of successive black pixels arranged on a scan line in a direction; a fourth step of determining a threshold value of successive black pixels for distinguishing horizontal ruled lines form vertical ruled lines in said second document image, based on frequencies of line segment length in the second document image calculated from said stored vector data of the line segments; a fifth step of extracting horizontal ruled lines and vertical ruled lines from said second document image on the basis of said threshold value of successive black pixels and said stored vector data of the line segments to obtain vector data defining respective ruled lines; and
,a sixth step of drawing on a screen of said display means a table form comprising a plurality of ruled lines drawn on the basis of said vector data of the ruled lines. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
-
Specification