Orthogonal technology for character recognition
First Claim
1. An iterative character recognition method employing a database of predetermined character strings, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) receiving a digital representation of a character string;
(b) generating a proposed result string by applying a predetermined recognition routine to the received digital representation, the predetermined recognition routine including a recognition subroutine employing an initial parameter setting;
(c) determining whether the proposed result string matches any of the predetermined character strings;
(d) if the proposed result string does not match any of the predetermined character strings, adjusting the initial parameter setting of the recognition subroutine; and
then(e) repeating steps (b) and (c) to generate a next proposed result string and to determine whether the next proposed result string matches any of the predetermined character strings.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention encompasses a self-orthogonal character recognition engine for executing an iterative method employing a database of predetermined character strings. The method receives a digital representation of a character string. It then generates a proposed result string by applying to the captured digital image a predetermined recognition routine including one or more recognition subroutines. Each recognition subroutine employs an initial parameter setting. Next, if the proposed result string does not match any of the predetermined character strings in the database, the initial parameter setting of a recognition subroutine is changed to a next setting. The recognition process is then repeated using the next parameter setting to generate and test a next result string. The process can be repeated iteratively until a result string is verified or the process times out.
80 Citations
26 Claims
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1. An iterative character recognition method employing a database of predetermined character strings, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) receiving a digital representation of a character string; (b) generating a proposed result string by applying a predetermined recognition routine to the received digital representation, the predetermined recognition routine including a recognition subroutine employing an initial parameter setting; (c) determining whether the proposed result string matches any of the predetermined character strings; (d) if the proposed result string does not match any of the predetermined character strings, adjusting the initial parameter setting of the recognition subroutine; and
then(e) repeating steps (b) and (c) to generate a next proposed result string and to determine whether the next proposed result string matches any of the predetermined character strings. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method for defining an iterative character recognition routine for use in a self-orthogonal character recognition engine, the method comprising the steps of:
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designating a recognition subroutine for inclusion in the recognition routine; selecting a first parameter setting and a second parameter setting for the recognition subroutine; securing access to a database of acceptable result strings; and implementing control logic whereby the first parameter setting is used to generate a first proposed result string, the first proposed result string is matched against the acceptable result strings in the database, and, if the first proposed result string does not match the acceptable result strings in the database, the second parameter setting is used to generate a second proposed result string. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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18. A self-orthogonal character recognition engine embodied in a computer-readable medium, comprising:
a character recognition routine for selecting a result string, the character recognition routine being operable to invoke; a recognition subroutine having a plurality of parameter settings for processing an input string, the recognition subroutine being operable to employ the plurality of parameter settings, one at a time according to a designated order of use, to generate a corresponding plurality of proposed result strings; a configuration file designating the order of use for the plurality of parameter settings; and an interface for validating each of the corresponding plurality of proposed result strings against a database of acceptable result strings to thereby generate a validated proposed result string. the character recognition routine being operable to select as the result string the validated proposed result string. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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26. An iterative mail piece address string recognition method employing a database of predetermined valid address strings, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) scanning a mail piece to form an image of the mail piece; (b) locating an address block portion of the image; (c) generating a proposed address string based on the located address block, by applying a predetermined recognition routine including a recognition subroutine having an initial parameter setting; (d) determining whether the proposed address string matches any of the predetermined valid address strings in the database; (e) if the proposed address string does not match any of the predetermined valid address strings, adjusting the initial parameter setting of the recognition subroutine; and
then(f) repeating steps (c) and (d) to generate a next proposed address string and to determine whether the next proposed address string matches any of the predetermined valid address strings in the database.
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Specification