Printing control interface system and method with handwriting discrimination capability
First Claim
1. A system for printing documents, comprising:
- means for generating digital documents having handwritten text and machine printed text and for generating a request to print at least one of said digital documents;
an intelligent printing control interface connected to said means for generating which receives said request and selectively processes said request to remove said handwritten text; and
means connected to said intelligent printing control interface for printing said selectively processed request.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for identifying and separating handwritten text from machine printed text in a document having a combination of handwritten text and machine printed text. In one embodiment, the present invention is installed as an intelligent printing control interface in a conventional computer and allows any document generated by any application to be selectively processed to remove any handwritten text prior to printing of the document, under the control of the user. In an alternative embodiment, the present invention is installed as an intelligent printing control interface in a conventional digital copy machine, which allows any document being copied to be selectively processed to remove any handwritten text prior to printing of the document, under the control of the user. The present invention employs a handwriting separation method which uses Hidden Markov Models to identify regions as either handwritten text or machine printed text.
15 Citations
15 Claims
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1. A system for printing documents, comprising:
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means for generating digital documents having handwritten text and machine printed text and for generating a request to print at least one of said digital documents;
an intelligent printing control interface connected to said means for generating which receives said request and selectively processes said request to remove said handwritten text; and
means connected to said intelligent printing control interface for printing said selectively processed request. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A system for copying documents, comprising:
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a scanner for generating a digital document having handwritten text and machine printed text and for generating a request to print said digital document;
an intelligent printing control interface connected to said scanner which receives said request and selectively processes said request to remove said handwritten text; and
a printer connected to said intelligent printing control interface for printing said selectively processed request. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6)
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7. A method of separating handwritten text from machine printed text in a digital image containing a mixture of handwritten text and machine printed text, comprising the steps of:
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A. segmenting the digital image into a plurality of text blocks;
B. computing an observation sequence for each of said text blocks;
C. computing a first probability for each of said text blocks that said observation sequence would appear in a predetermined Hidden Markov Model for machine printed text;
D. computing a second probability for each of said text blocks that said observation sequence would appear in a predetermined Hidden Markov Model for handwritten text;
E. comparing said first probability and said second probability for each of said text blocks;
F. marking said text block as machine printed text if said first probability is greater than said second probability; and
G. marking said text block as handwritten text if said second probability is greater than said first probability. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15)
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14. A method for copying and printing documents, comprising the steps of:
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generating a digital image of a document having both handwritten text and machine printed text;
generating a request to print said digital image;
processing said request to selectively remove said handwritten text; and
transmitting said selectively processed request to a printer for printing thereof.
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Specification