Apparatus for converting handwritten characters onto finely shaped characters of common size and pitch, aligned in an inferred direction
First Claim
1. A digital image forming apparatus, comprising:
- a) image reading means for optically scanning an original including character information and graphic information thereon to generate an input image signal, and photoelectrically converting the input image signal into two-level image information including character images and graphic images;
b) first storage means for storing the two-level image formation from the image reading means;
c) second storage means for storing output image information;
d) character extraction means for individually extracting the character images from said two-level image information to define character line information within the output image information, the character line information including a size of each of the character images, an array of black pixels within the character images, a set of lines of characters and a primary alignment direction;
e) character alignment means for correcting the character images to have the same size and the same distance therebetween, and aligning the set of lines of characters in the primary alignment direction in accordance with the character line information to define output character image information stored in the second storage means; and
f) output means for outputting a copy in which the output image information stored in the second storage means is reproduced;
wherein said character alignment means calculates information with respect to enlargement, reduction and movement of the character information within the original, so that the output character image information has the calculated information with respect to the enlargement, the reduction and the movement and said output character image information is defined in the output image information; and
wherein said information calculated by said character alignment means includes the average height of the character images, the average width thereof and the average distance therebetween, said digital image forming apparatus performing the enlargement, the reduction and the movement of the two-level image information based on said calculated information, so that the extracted character information in the output image information includes character images with the same size and the same distance therebetween and the set of lines of characters each aligned in the primary alignment direction.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A digital image forming apparatus which includes an image reading part for optically reading an original and photoelectrically converting an input image signal into a two-level image data carrying character images and graphic images, a first storage part for storing the two-level image data, a second storage part for storing an output image data to be outputted, a character cutting part for taking out individually the character images from the two-level image data to define a size of each of the character images and an array of black pixels within the character images, a character line extraction part for extracting a character line data from the second data based on the size of each of the character images and the array of black pixels within the character images, a character alignment part for correcting the character images to have the same size and the same distance therebetween and aligning the set of lines of characters along the character alignment direction so that the corrected character images and the aligned lines are defined in the output image data, and an output part for outputting a copy in which the output image data is reproduced.
59 Citations
10 Claims
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1. A digital image forming apparatus, comprising:
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a) image reading means for optically scanning an original including character information and graphic information thereon to generate an input image signal, and photoelectrically converting the input image signal into two-level image information including character images and graphic images; b) first storage means for storing the two-level image formation from the image reading means; c) second storage means for storing output image information; d) character extraction means for individually extracting the character images from said two-level image information to define character line information within the output image information, the character line information including a size of each of the character images, an array of black pixels within the character images, a set of lines of characters and a primary alignment direction; e) character alignment means for correcting the character images to have the same size and the same distance therebetween, and aligning the set of lines of characters in the primary alignment direction in accordance with the character line information to define output character image information stored in the second storage means; and f) output means for outputting a copy in which the output image information stored in the second storage means is reproduced; wherein said character alignment means calculates information with respect to enlargement, reduction and movement of the character information within the original, so that the output character image information has the calculated information with respect to the enlargement, the reduction and the movement and said output character image information is defined in the output image information; and wherein said information calculated by said character alignment means includes the average height of the character images, the average width thereof and the average distance therebetween, said digital image forming apparatus performing the enlargement, the reduction and the movement of the two-level image information based on said calculated information, so that the extracted character information in the output image information includes character images with the same size and the same distance therebetween and the set of lines of characters each aligned in the primary alignment direction. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 6, 7)
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4. A digital image forming apparatus, comprising:
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a) image reading means for optically reading an original carrying character information and graphic information to generate an input image signal, and photoelectrically converting the input image signal into two-level image information carrying character images and graphic images; b) first storage means for storing the two-level image information from the image reading means; c) second storage means for storing output image information; d) character extraction means for individually extracting the character images from said two-level image information to define character line information within the output image information, the character line information including a size of each of the character images, an array of black pixels within the character images, a set of lines of characters and a primary alignment direction; e) character alignment means for correcting the character images to have the same size and the same distance therebetween, and aligning the set of lines of characters along the primary alignment direction in accordance with the character line information to define output character image information stored in the second storage means; and f) output means for outputting a copy in which the output image information stored in the second storage means is reproduced; g) discrimination means for discriminating between the character images and the graphic images from the two-level image information from the image reading means; h) image composition means for supplying a composite image information by image composition of the character images and the graphic images, the graphic images discriminated by the discrimination means being overlapped over the character images by the output character image information in a composite image region f to form a composite image on the output copy in the composite image region, the composite image information being defined within the output image information; i) vectorization means for linear approximation of the graphic images to define vectors with approximated linear graphic information; and j) vector correction means for correcting the vectors to supply corrected graphic information to the image composition means; wherein said character alignment means calculates information with respect to enlargement, reduction and movement of the character information within the original, so that the output character image information has the calculated information with respect to the enlargement, the reduction and the movement and said output character image information is defined in the output image information; and wherein the character extraction means defines the primary alignment direction from the two-level image information, said primary alignment direction being parallel to either a main scanning direction along which the original is optically scanned by the image reading means, or a subscanning direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction.
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5. A digital image forming apparatus, comprising:
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a) image reading means for optically reading an original carrying character information and graphic information to generate an input image signal, and photoelectrically converting the input image signal into two-level image information carrying character images and graphic images; b) first storage means for storing the two-level image information from the image reading means; c) second storage means for storing output image information; d) character extraction means for individually extracting the character images from said two-level image information to define character line information within the output image information, the character line information including a size of each of the character images, an array of black pixels within the character images, a set of lines of characters and a primary alignment direction; e) character alignment means for correcting the character images to have the same size and the same distance therebetween, and aligning the set of lines of characters along the primary alignment direction in accordance with the character line information to define output character image information stored in the second storage means; and f) output means for outputting a copy in which the output image information stored in the second storage means is reproduced; g) character direction conversion means for converting a first character direction of each of the character images to which a top of each of the character images faces, into a second character direction, 1) said character images aligned in the first character direction being rotated by ninety degrees counterclockwise by the character direction conversion means when the first character direction is substantially parallel to the subscanning direction, and 2) said character images being rotated by ninety degrees clockwise by the character direction conversion means when the first character direction is substantially parallel to the main scanning direction; wherein said character alignment means calculates information with respect to enlargement, reduction and movement of the character information within the original, so that the output character image information has the calculated information with respect to the enlargement, the reduction and the movement and said output character image information is defined in the output image information; and wherein the character extraction means defines the primary alignment direction from the two-level image information, said primary alignment direction being parallel to either a main scanning direction along which the original is optically scanned by the image reading means, or a subscanning direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction.
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8. A digital image forming apparatus, comprising:
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a) image reading means for optically scanning a first original carrying character information and a second original carrying graphic information, and for photoelectrically converting an input image signal into two-level image information carrying character images from the first original and graphic images from the second original; b) first storage means for storing the two-level image information from the image reading means; c) second storage means for storing output image information; d) character cutting means for individually extracting the character images from the two-level image information to define extracted character information within the output image information, the extracted character information including a size of each of the character images and an array of black pixels within the character images; e) character line extraction means for extracting character line information from said two-level image information based on the size of each of said character images and the array of black pixels within said character images, said character line information defining a set of lines of characters and a primary alignment direction within the output image information; f) character layout means for re-arranging the character images so that a part of the character images overlapping a composite image region of the first original is placed in a remaining region of the first original outside the composite image region, the composite image region corresponding to a region of the second original in which the graphic information is located, said character layout means defining composite image information including the re-arranged character images from the first original and the graphic images from the second original within the output image information stored in the second storage means; g) output means for outputting a copy in which the output image information stored in the second storage means is reproduced; and h) region extraction means for extracting the graphic images within the composite image region from the two-level image information, and writing said graphic images on the second storage means, the region extraction means defining region information within the output image information, the region information including said graphic images within said composite region of the second original; wherein said character layout means modifies the character line information to re-arrange the character images when the quantity of the character images overflow outside a range of a single page, so that said character images are arranged starting from a top of a page following the single page.
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9. A digital image forming apparatus comprising:
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a) image reading means for optically scanning a first original including character information and a second original including graphic information, and for photoelectrically converting an input image signal into two-level image information including character images from the first original and graphic images from the second original; b) first storage means for storing the two-level image information from the image reading means; c) second storage means for storing output image information; d) character cutting means for individually extracting the character images from the two-level image information to define extracted character information within the output image information, the extracted character information including a size of each of the character images and an array of black pixels within the character images; e) character line extraction means for extracting character line information from said two-level image information based on the size of each of said character images and the array of black pixels within said character images, said character line information defining a set of lines of characters and a primary alignment direction within the output image information; f) character layout means for re-arranging the character images so that a part of the character images overlapping a composite image region of the first original is placed in a remaining region of the first original outside the composite image region, the composite image region corresponding to a region of the second original in which the graphic information is located, said character layout means defining composite image information including the re-arranged character images from the first original and the graphic images from the second original within the output image information stored in the second storage means; g) output means for outputting a copy in which the output image information stored in the second storage means is reproduced; and h) region extraction means for extracting the graphic images within the composite image region of the second original from the two-level image information, and recording said graphic images on the second storage means, the region extraction means defining region information within the output image information, the region information including said graphic images within said composite region; wherein said character layout means calculates information with respect to movement of the character information within the first original so that the output character image information has the calculated information with respect to the movement and said output character image information is defined in the output image information; and wherein said information calculated by said character layout means includes the average height of the character images, the average width thereof and the average distance therebetween, said digital image forming apparatus performing the movement of the two-level image information based on said calculated information, so that the extracted character information in the output image information includes character images with the same size and the same distance therebetween and the set of lines of characters each aligned in the primary alignment direction.
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10. A digital image forming apparatus comprising:
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a) image reading means for optically scanning a first original including character information and a second original including graphic information, and for photoelectrically converting an input image signal into two-level image information including character images from the first original and graphic images from the second original; b) first storage means for storing the two-level image information from the image reading means; c) second storage means for storing output image information; d) character cutting means for individually extracting the character images from the two-level image information to define extracted character information within the output image information, the extracted character information including a size of each of the character images and an array of black pixels within the character images; e) character line extraction means for extracting character line information from said two-level image information based on the size of each of said character images and the array of black pixels within said character images, said character line information defining a set of lines of characters and a primary alignment direction within the output image information; f) character layout means for re-arranging the character images so that a part of the character images overlapping a composite image region of the first original is placed in a remaining region of the first original outside the composite image region, the composite image region corresponding to a region of the second original in which the graphic information is located, said character layout means defining composite image information including the re-arranged character images from the first original and the graphic images from the second original within the output image information stored in the second storage means; g) output means for outputting a copy in which the output image information is stored in the second storage means is reproduced; and h) region extraction means for extracting the graphic images within the composite image region of the second original from the two-level image information, and recording said graphic images on the second storage means, the region extraction means defining region information within the output image information, the region information including said graphic images within said composite image region; wherein said character layout means modifies the character line information to re-arrange the character images when the quantity of the character information exceeds the quantity of information contained in a single page, so that the rest of the character information overflowing from a range of the single page is arranged starting from a top of a next page following the single page; wherein said character layout means calculates information with respect to movement of the character information within the first original so that the output character image information has the calculated information with respect to the movement and said output character image information is defined in the output image information; and wherein said information calculated by said character layout means includes the average height of the character images, the average width thereof and the average distance therebetween, said digital image forming apparatus performing the movement of the two-level image information based on said calculated information, so that the extracted character information in the output image information includes character images with the same size and the same distance therebetween and the set of lines of characters each aligned in the primary alignment direction.
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Specification