Multiple image font processing
First Claim
1. A computer-implemented method of retrievably storing contents of a plurality of documents having images imprinted thereon comprisingoptically scanning the documents to form a digital representation of the images on the documents,storing the image representation of each document,establishing from images of the scanned documents a font table in image of alphanumeric characters in a plurality of different fonts each character in each font correlated with an equivalent character in code,searching for a document by the steps ofinteractively selecting a search word by a user,entering by a user the selected search word in code,machine-constructing an image of the selected search word from the font table in at least one font,comparing the constructed search word with the image representations of scanned documents until a match in a stored document image is found, anddisplaying an image thereof of the matched document.
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Abstract
A sequence of documents is delivered to an optical scanner in which each document is scanned to form a digital image representation of the content of the document. In one embodiment, the image representation is converted into code (ASCII) and is automatically examined by data processing apparatus to select search words which meet predetermined criteria and by which the document can be subsequently located. In another embodiment, the image is not converted. The search words are stored in a non-volatile memory in code form and the entire document content is stored in mass storage, either in code or image form. Techniques for selecting the search words are disclosed, including establishing a font table and constructing images of entered search words from the table.
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Citations
12 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method of retrievably storing contents of a plurality of documents having images imprinted thereon comprising
optically scanning the documents to form a digital representation of the images on the documents, storing the image representation of each document, establishing from images of the scanned documents a font table in image of alphanumeric characters in a plurality of different fonts each character in each font correlated with an equivalent character in code, searching for a document by the steps of interactively selecting a search word by a user, entering by a user the selected search word in code, machine-constructing an image of the selected search word from the font table in at least one font, comparing the constructed search word with the image representations of scanned documents until a match in a stored document image is found, and displaying an image thereof of the matched document.
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5. A computer-implemented method of retrievably storing contents of a plurality of documents having images imprinted thereon comprising
optically scanning the documents to form a digital representation of the images on the documents, machine selecting search words from each document to be used in locating the document from mass storage, converting the selected search words to code, storing the converted search words in a memory, storing the image representation of each document, establishing from images of the scanned documents a font table in image of alphanumeric characters in a plurality of different fonts each character in each font correlated with an equivalent character in code, searching for a document by the steps of manually selecting a search word, manually entering the selected search word in code, constructing by machine an image of the selected search word from the font table in at least one font, comparing the constructed search word with the image representations of scanned documents until a match in a stored document image is found, and displaying an image thereof of the matched document.
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9. A computer-implemented method of retrievably storing contents of a plurality of documents having images imprinted thereon comprising
optically scanning the documents to form a digital representation of the images on the documents, automatically assigning an identification to each image representation of each document, automatically machine-selecting search words from each document to be used in locating the document from mass storage, converting the selected search words to code, correlating the converted search words with the identification of the document in image from which the search words were selected, storing the converted search words and identification in code in a non-volatile memory, storing in mass storage the image representation of each document, establishing from images of the scanned documents a font table of alphanumeric characters in a plurality of different fonts each character in each font correlated with an equivalent character in code, searching for a document by the steps of selecting a search word, entering into volatile memory the selected search word in code, constructing an image of the selected search word from the font table in a plurality of fonts, comparing the constructed search word with the image representations of scanned documents until a match in a stored document image is found, and displaying an image thereofof the matched document.
Specification