Destination address area detection apparatus

• US 6,574,351 B1
• Filed: 01/07/2000
• Issued: 06/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Miyano, Hiroyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Boudreau, Leo
• Assistant Examiner(s): Akhavannik, Hussein
• Application Number:
  US09/479,337
• Time in Patent Office: 1,243 Days
• Field of Search: 382/102, 382/101
• US Class Current: 382/101
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/10 Character recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/147 Determination of region of interest
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/424 Postal images, e.g. labels or addresses on parcels or postal envelopes

Abstract

The present invention provides a destination area detection apparatus comprising: destination area candidates generator 21; feature amount extractor 22 for calculating a feature amount of each of the destination area candidates; storage unit 3 for storing a feature amount and a destination probability of the destination area candidate for the feature amount in correlation with an addresser probability which is a probability of an area other than the destination but has an identical configuration as the destination; destination-addresser probability calculator 23 for conversion into a destination probability and addresser probability of each of the destination area candidate by referencing the feature amount in the storage unit 3; sorting unit 24 for deciding the order of the destination area candidates according to the obtained destination probability and the addresser probability; and output candidate decision unit 25 for selecting a predetermined number of destination area candidates having higher destination probabilities.

Claims

1. A destination area detection apparatus comprising:

destination area candidate generator for generating a plurality of destination area candidates including a destination area according to partial images of a mail piece image;

feature amount extractor for calculating a feature amount of each of the destination area candidates;

storage unit for storing in advance a feature amount and a destination probability representing probability that a destination area candidate is a destination area according to the feature amount, in correlation with an addresser probability which is a probability of an area having an address configuration other than the destination;

feature amount converter for converting the feature amount of each of the destination area candidates into a destination probability and an addresser probability while referencing the storage device;

sorting unit for deciding the order of the destination area candidates in a descending order of the destination probability according to the destination probability and the addresser probability; and

destination area selector for selecting a predetermined number of destination area candidates having higher destination probabilities.

2. A destination area detection apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sorting unit calculates a score of each of the destination area candidates according to the destination probability and the addresser probability and decides the order of the destination area candidates in a descending order of the scores.

3. A destination area detection apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sorting unit, according to the destination probability and the addresser probability, calculates a probability that a destination probability precedes the addresser probability, and selects an order to make this probability maximum, thus deciding the order of the destination area candidates.

4. A destination area detection apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the feature amount extractor extracts an absolute position of a center point of each destination area candidate as a feature amount.

5. A destination area detection apparatus as claimed in claim 1, the apparatus further comprising probability corrector for correcting the destination probability and the addresser probability, reflecting the fact that only one destination area is present.