Character reading system and method

• US 5,153,927 A
• Filed: 01/30/1990
• Issued: 10/06/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamanari, Masaya
• Primary Examiner(s): Boudreau, Leo H.
• Application Number:
  US07/472,227
• Time in Patent Office: 980 Days
• Field of Search: 382/61, 382/48, 382/56, 382/57, 382/61, 364/728.01, 364/200, 358/403, 358/453, 358/468
• US Class Current: 382/311
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/412 Layout analysis of documents structured with printed lines or input boxes, e.g. business forms or tables

Abstract

In a character reading system, a user-specific read processing is prepared by a user as separate from a standard read processing program (OCR handler) prepared by a maker, and it is stored in advance as an object program (executable load module) in a user execution file. An FC sheet on which format control information used in executing read processing is written, is fetched through an OCR and is registered in a user FC source file. Further, an interface file is prepared to provide an interface between the standard read processing program and the user processing program. A standard processing section fetches a slip and checks individual fields in the slip one by one, and writes in the interface file which file it is presently checking and the result of the checking. When there comes a field having user processing designated, the standard processing section starts a user processing section. The user processing section executes an executable load module and performs specific user processing based on the information written in the interface file. After completion of the user processing, the processing result is written in the interface file and the standard processing is started again.

Claims

1. A characters reading system for executing a process of reading characters written in a form based on preset read control information, said system comprising:

standard-process designating means for designating a standard process of a predetermined process for the character reading;

first file means for storing a program for performing the standard process;

user-process designating means for designating a user process of an optional process different from the standard process;

second file means for storing a program for performing the user process; and

control means for executing the standard-process program in accordance with the standard process designated by said standard-process designating means and for executing the user-process program in accordance with the user process designated by said user-process designating means if the user process is designated.

2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

interface file means for interfacing the first file means and the second file means to mutually provide the results of the standard process and the user process.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the control means includes a central processing unit and a main memory, and the standard-process program includes means for writing the standard-process results into the main memory and means for informing the user-process program of an address of the location in the main memory of the process results.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the control means includes a central processing unit and a main memory, and the user-process program includes means for writing the user-process results into the main memory and means for informing the standard-process program of an address of the location in the main memory of the user-process results.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the control means includes means for arbitrarily setting a stage at which the standard process is changed to a user process.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the optional process includes a check process and an edit process.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the check process and the edit process are performed for each field or each form.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the control means includes a central processing unit and a main memory and the user-process program stored in the second file means is loaded in an arbitrary address space of the main memory.

9. A method for executing a process of reading characters written in a form based on preset read control information, said method comprising the steps of:

a) designating a standard process of a predetermined process for the character reading;

b) designating a user process of an optional process different from the standard process; and

c) executing a standard-process program stored in a first file and for performing the standard process in accordance with the standard process designated by the designating step and for executing the user process program in accordance with the user process designated by the user process designating step if the user process is designated.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising a step of interfacing the first file and the second file to mutually provide the results of the standard process and the user process.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein the step c) includes a step of writing the standard-process results into a main memory and for informing the user-process program of an address of the location in the main memory of the process results.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein the step c) includes a step of writing the user process results into a main memory and informing the standard-process program of an address of the location in the main memory of the user-process results.

13. The method according to claim 9, wherein the step c) includes a step of arbitrarily setting a stage at which the standard process is changed to a user process.

14. The method according to claim 9, wherein the optional process includes a check process and an edit process.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the check process and the edit process are performed for each field or each form.

16. The method according to claim 9, wherein the user process program is loaded in an arbitrary address space of a main memory.