Identification method and apparatus of confusable character

• US 9,008,430 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2010
• Issued: 04/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hisense TransTech Co., Ltd. (Qingdao Huatong State-Owned Capital Operation (Group) Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hisense TransTech Co., Ltd. (Qingdao Huatong State-Owned Capital Operation (Group) Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Wei, Nannan, Chen, Weiqiang, Liu, Xin, Liu, Wei, Pei, Lei, Wang, Xiaoman
• Primary Examiner(s): Carter, Aaron W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Harandi, Siamak
• Application Number:
  US13/810,947
• Publication Number:
  US 20130121581A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,569 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 382/182
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/10 Character recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/224 of printed characters having additional code marks or containing code marks
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/2504 Coarse or fine approaches, e.g. resolution of ambiguities or multiscale approaches

Abstract

An identification method and apparatus of confusable character are provided. The method involves: the detected character image is identified to gain the initial character information which is corresponding to the character image; the step change times of the corresponding external outline of the character image are counted if the initial character information is the confusable character; the final character information corresponding to the character image is confirmed according to the step change times; The final character information of the character image can be known conveniently according to the step change times, therefore the corresponding correct character information of the character image can be identified more precisely. The possibility of wrong identification of the character image because of the appearing confusable character can be reduced, and the identification precision rate of the confusable character can be improved.

Claims

1. A method of recognizing a confusable character, comprising:

recognizing, by a processor, a detected character image to obtain initial character information corresponding to the character image;

setting, by the processor, a feature area corresponding to the character image according to a character shape in the initial character information if the initial character information is a confusable character, and

calculating, by the processor, the number of changes in gradient corresponding to the feature area; and

determining, by the processor, final character information corresponding to the character image according to the number of changes in gradient;

wherein calculating the number of changes in gradient corresponding to the feature area comprises;

calculating the number of times that adjacent white pixel regions or adjacent black pixel regions among regions into which the feature area is divided are of different lengths as the number of changes in gradient corresponding to the feature area;

or

scanning the feature area per row, recording the locations of white-and-black transitions, and counting the number of times that the locations of white-and-black transitions are not in the same column across two adjacent rows as the number of changes in gradient corresponding to the feature area;

or

scanning the feature area per column, recording the locations of white-and-black transitions, and counting the number of times that the locations of white-and-black transitions are not in the same row across two adjacent columns as the number of changes in gradient corresponding to the feature area.

2. The method for recognizing a confusable character according to claim 1, wherein the feature area comprises an upper part and/or a lower part of the character image.

3. The method for recognizing a confusable character according to claim 2, wherein the feature area further comprises a central part of the character image.

4. The method for recognizing a confusable character according to claim 1, wherein the determining final character information corresponding to the character image according to the number of changes in gradient further comprises:

comparing the number of changes in gradient with a preset threshold to determine the final character information corresponding to the character image.

5. An apparatus that recognizing recognizes a confusable character, comprising a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores program code, and the program code is executable by the processor to implement:

a recognizing module configured to recognize a detected character image to obtain initial character information corresponding to the character image;

a setting module configured to set a feature area corresponding to the character image according to a character shape in the initial character information if the initial character information is a confusable character;

a calculating module configured to calculate the number of changes in gradient corresponding to the feature area; and

a determining module configured to determine final character information corresponding to the character image according to the number of changes in gradient, wherein the calculating module comprises;

a determining sub-module configured determine whether adjacent white pixel regions or adjacent black pixel regions in the feature area are of the same length; and

a calculating sub-module configured to increment the number of changes in gradient by one if the determining sub-module determines that adjacent white pixel regions or adjacent black pixel regions are of different lengths until the determination is made for all the pixel regions in the feature area.

6. The apparatus for recognizing a confusable character according to claim 5, wherein the determining module is further configured to compare the number of changes in gradient with a preset threshold to determine the final character information corresponding to the character image.