JP2586314B2 - Optical character reader for simultaneous reading on both sides - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an optical character reader and, more particularly, to simultaneous double-sided reading of a form having a cutting error.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventional optical character reading devices often read characters on only one side of a form. The reading reference side should be cut as little as possible. However, if cutting is to be performed, a line mark is added to the form instead of the read reference side, and the apparatus reads characters on the form based on the line mark and corrects a cutting error.

However, in an optical character reading apparatus for simultaneous reading on both sides, for example, a sheet conveyance path is sandwiched, and both sides are read by a reading unit for reading the front and back sides, or after reading one side, the form is reversed. A method of reading the remaining one side is adopted, and the correction of the cutting error is performed by adding a line mark to each of the front and back sides of the form and reading the characters on the form.

[0004]

As shown in FIG. 2, it is impossible to set the same reference left side as the reading reference side on the front side and the back side of the form at the time of cutting, for example, the right side of the form for simultaneous double-sided reading. In a form that requires cutting, a character on the form is read by adding a line mark as described above. However, adding a line mark to a form requires a margin for cutting, which has the disadvantage of increasing restrictions on form design.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to identify a front side and a back side of a form and select a reading reference side without adding a line mark to the correction of a cutting error of the form, and to determine a distance from the reading reference side to a reading area. An object of the present invention is to provide a double-sided simultaneous reading optical character reader having means for determining.

[0006]

According to the optical character reading apparatus of the present invention, the cut side information of whether the cut side of the form to be read is the left side or the right side and the format information indicating the read area of the form are stored in advance. Memory means to be stored, front / back identification means for identifying whether the current reading surface of the form to be read is the front side or back side of the form, information on the identified front side or back side, and the preset form Means for determining reading reference side information for determining whether a reference side serving as a reference for character reading of the form is a left side or a right side based on a combination with the cut side information of the form, and a format of the reading reference side information and a reading area of the form Means are provided for comparing the initial reading reference side information of the information, and when different, convert the distance to the reading area from the form width to determine the distance from the reading reference side.

The front and back identification means has means for identifying different colors which are respectively colored on the front and back of the form.

Further, the front and back identification means has means for counting symbols written on each of the front and back sides of the form and determining the front and back sides.

[0009]

When reading a form written on both sides, the optical character reader of the present invention for double-sided reading first identifies either the front side or the back side by scanning one side, and stores the information on the front side or the back side in the memory. The read reference side information is selected from the cut side information of the form set in advance, and the distance information to the reading area is converted from the read reference side information and the initial read reference side information, and the distance to the read area of the form is converted. Determine the distance. Therefore, it is possible to read the characters of the form without adding a line mark on the form.

[0010]

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an embodiment of an optical character reading apparatus for simultaneous double-sided reading according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a relationship between a reading surface and a reading reference side when a cut side of a form surface is a right side. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the relationship between the reading reference side and the reading area position when converting the distance to the character reading area.

This double-sided simultaneous reading optical character reading apparatus comprises a scanning unit 1, a front / back identification unit 2, a reading reference side selection unit 3, a format conversion unit 4, a character recognition unit 5, and a memory 6. Become.

The scanning unit 1 scans a form image.

The front / back discrimination section 2 receives a signal 10 from the scanning section 1.
When activated by 1, the reading side, that is, the front side or the back side of the form is identified, and the data 201 is output to the reference side selection unit 3 as information of the front side or the back side.

The memory 6 stores cut side information 601 corresponding to the front and back surfaces and position information 602 of a reading area.

The read reference side selection unit 3 selects the opposite side of the cut side information 601 in the memory 6 corresponding to the information on the identified front side or back side as the read reference side based on the data 201 from the front / back side identification unit 2. Then, the data is output to the format conversion unit 4 as data 301.

The format conversion section 4 compares the data 301 of the read reference side from the read reference side selection section 3 with the initial read reference side information (generally the left side) when the position information 602 of the read area of the memory 6 is set. If they are different, the position information 602 of the reading area, that is, the distance from the initial reading reference side is converted into a form width and output as data 401 together with the data 301. Conversely, when the data 301 is equal to the information of the initial reading reference side, the format conversion unit 4 outputs the data 301 and the position information 602 of the reading area as the data 401 as it is.

The character recognizing unit 5 determines the position of the reading area in accordance with the data 401 from the format converting unit 4, that is, the information 301 of the reading reference side and the position information 602 of the reading area. Perform character recognition for.

[0018]

As described above, according to the present invention, the reading reference side is selected corresponding to the front and back surfaces of the form, and the position information of the reading area is converted. This has the effect that double-sided simultaneous reading can be performed without adding a mark.

Further, according to the present invention, the form can be read even when the front and the back are mixed by distinguishing the front and the back of the form.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an embodiment of an optical character reading apparatus for simultaneous double-sided reading according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a relationship between a reading surface and a reading reference side when a cut side of a form surface is a right end;

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a relationship between a reading reference side and a reading area position when the reading area position is converted.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Scanning part 2 Front / back identification part 3 Reading reference side selection part 4 Format conversion part 5 Character recognition part 6 Memory 101 Signal from scanning part 201 Front side or back side information data 301 Selected reading reference side information data 401 Format conversion Data 601 Cut side information 602 Read area position information

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. An optical character reading apparatus for simultaneous double-sided reading, wherein memory means preliminarily storing cut side information indicating whether a cut side of a form to be read is a left side or a right side and format information indicating a form reading area. Front and back identification means for identifying whether the current reading side of the form to be read is the front side or back side of the form, information on the identified front side or back side, and preset cut side information of the form. Means for determining read reference side information for determining whether a reference side serving as a reference for character reading of the form is a left side or a right side, based on a combination of the above, and an initial read basis of the read reference side information and format information of the form read area. The side information is compared, and when different, the distance to the reading area is converted from the form width to determine the distance from the reading reference side. Ri apparatus. 2. An optical character reading apparatus for simultaneous double-sided reading according to claim 1, wherein said front / back identifying means is means for identifying different colors which are respectively colored on the front and back of the form. 3. An optical character reading apparatus for simultaneous double-sided reading according to claim 1, wherein said front / back identifying means is means for counting symbols written on the front and back of the form and determining the front / back.