JPH0264792A - Detecting and segmenting device for character row - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To exactly segment a character row from address information, which are described with various formats, by collating a pattern, which normalizes an address information describing area, and the describing pattern of the address information to be prepared in advance. CONSTITUTION:When a mail 1 is carried in, a photo-electric converting part 11 optically scans the surface of the mail 1 and the digital signal of a multi- value is outputted and sent to an address area detecting part 12. A window, a window frame, a label and the constitution of a row in address information 2, etc., are analyzed by the picture signal of the mail 1 and an area 6, in which the information 2 are described, is detected. Next, a normalizing part 13 compresses and normalizes the area 6 to the binary pattern of a coarse mesh and sends the pattern to a pattern collating part 15. This pattern and the pattern in an address describing pattern dictionary part 14 are collated by the collating part 15 and the pattern of the information 2 is decided. Thus, a real detecting and segmenting position is determined on the basis of the address describing pattern of highest similarity and the exact segmenting can be executed.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Objective of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) The present invention is an address information reading device that reads address information written on a postal item. The present invention relates to a character line detection and cutting device that detects and cuts out constituent character lines line by line.

(Prior Art) In general, this type of address information reading device first detects an area in which address information is written, and then reads one line of characters constituting address information from the detected address information writing area. Detect and cut out each character line, and extract 1 character from this cut out character line.
Characters are recognized by detecting and cutting out each character.

The conventional method for detecting and cutting out character lines in such address information reading devices is to create projection patterns in the X direction (horizontal direction) and Y direction (vertical direction) for the image signal in the detected address information writing area. Each of these projection patterns was created and used to detect and cut out character lines.

However, with such conventional character line detection and extraction methods,
Since character lines are detected and extracted using projection patterns in the X and Y directions, it is possible to accurately detect and cut out character lines that make up address information, for example, when each character line that makes up address information is written in both horizontal and vertical directions. It is impossible to detect and extract character lines. That is, in the case of address information written in various formats, character lines cannot be accurately detected and extracted.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) The present invention has been made to solve the problem that when address information is written in various formats as described above, it is not possible to accurately detect and cut out character lines. An object of the present invention is to provide a character line detection and cutting device that can accurately detect and cut out character lines from address information written in various formats.

[Structure of the Invention] (Means for Solving the Problems) The character line detection and cutting device of the present invention includes a photoelectric conversion means that obtains an image signal by optically scanning an information writing surface on a mail piece; An address area detection means for detecting an address information writing area from the image signal obtained by the photoelectric conversion means, and a normalization pattern for normalizing the address information writing area detected by the address area detection means to a certain size. A normalization method for obtaining address information and a format for writing expected address information in advance.
an address writing pattern dictionary means that stores address writing patterns that have been patterned into patterns; and a pattern that matches the normalized pattern obtained by the normalization means with the address writing pattern in the address writing pattern dictionary means; A verification means;
Line detection and cutting means detects and cuts out character lines constituting address information from the address information writing area detected by the address area detection means in one stroke pattern based on the matching result of the pattern matching means. are doing.

(Operation) By normalizing and patterning the address information writing area, and comparing the expected address information writing format prepared in advance with the patterned address writing pattern, the most similar address is found. Determine the actual detected cutting position based on the g8 planting pattern.

In this way, since the writing format of address information is patterned and captured as a pattern, the writing format can be recognized without being limited to the horizontal and vertical writing directions. Once the writing format is recognized, character lines can be detected and cut out simply by calculating which position in the actual address information writing area each patterned character line corresponds to.

(Example) Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 2 shows an example of a mail piece 1 according to the present invention, and address information 2 is written on the surface thereof.

Further, it is assumed that on the surface of the postal item 1 there is also a postage stamp face 3, a postal code 4 written in a specific frame, an advertisement 5, etc.

FIG. 1 schematically shows the structure of a character line detection and cutting device according to the present invention. That is, the photoelectric conversion unit (photoelectric conversion means) 11 obtains a multivalued digital image signal by optically scanning and photoelectrically converting the surface (information writing surface) of the mail piece 1 being conveyed in the direction of the arrow in the figure. For example, it is composed of a light source that illuminates the surface of the mail piece 1, and a self-scanning CCD image sensor that receives the reflected light and converts it into an electrical signal.

The address area detection unit (address area detection means) 12 determines whether windows, window frames, labels, etc. are present from the image signal of the mail piece 1 obtained by the photoelectric conversion unit 11, and determines whether or not there are any lines as address information. By analyzing the characteristics such as whether the address is present or not, the address information 2 is distinguished from the information other than the address information 2 on the mail item 1 (for example, the postage stamp 3, the postal code 4, the advertising text 5, etc.), and the address information 2 is recorded. This is to detect the area 6 where the image is displayed.

The normalization unit (normalization means) 13, as shown in FIG.
The address information writing area 6 detected by the address area detecting section 12 is compressed and normalized into a coarse mesh binary pattern of, for example, 54 x 54 pixels to obtain a normalized pattern P1.

Address writing pattern dictionary section (address writing pattern dictionary means)
14 is various address writing patterns P2 (fourth
(see figure).

Here, the address writing pattern P2 is the address writing direction (
It is configured to include various variations such as vertical, horizontal, mixed vertical and horizontal, etc.), the number of character lines (number of lines), the position of character lines, and the length of character lines.

In addition, the address writing pattern dictionary section 14 has a parameter table that corresponds one-to-one to each address writing pattern P2, and this parameter table contains characteristic information of the pattern such as the number of lines and writing direction. Stored. This feature information provides important support information for the processing performed by the processing unit after character line detection and extraction, such as dividing a character line into individual characters or recognizing an address.

The pattern matching section (pattern matching means) 15 compares the normalized pattern P1 obtained from the normalizing section 13 with the address description pattern P2 in the address description pattern dictionary section 14, thereby determining the address information of this postal item 1. 2 determines which pattern is written. As a result, as shown in FIG. 5, it is possible to calculate the structure and position of character lines in the address information writing area 6 in the normalized pattern P1.

As shown in FIG. 6, the line detection and cutting unit (line detection and cutting means) 16 performs
The position of each character line in the address information writing area 6 is calculated backwards, and the character line is detected and cut out from the image signal in the address information writing area 6 in the middle of one line.

Next, the operation in such a configuration will be explained.

When the mail piece 1 is conveyed, the photoelectric conversion section 11 optically scans the surface of the mail piece 1 and performs photoelectric conversion to output a multivalued digital image signal, and the address area detection section 12 outputs a multivalued digital image signal.
send to The address area detection unit 12 analyzes the image signal of the postal item 1 supplied from the photoelectric conversion unit 11 for characteristics such as whether windows, window frames, labels, etc. are present, and whether they constitute lines as address information. By doing so, information other than address information 2 on mail 1 (for example, postage stamp 3, postal code 4)
, advertising text 5, etc.) and address information 2, and address information 2.
The area 6 in which is written is detected.

When the address information writing area 6 is detected in this way, the normalization unit 13 compresses and normalizes the detected address information writing area 6 into a coarse mesh binary pattern of, for example, 54×54 pixels, and performs pattern matching on the normalized pattern P1. Send to Department 15.

The pattern matching unit 15 compares the normalized pattern P1 supplied from the normalizing unit 13 with the address description pattern P2 in the address description pattern dictionary unit 14, and determines which pattern is the address information 2 of this postal item 1. Determine whether it is written. Thereby, it is possible to calculate the structure and position of character lines in the address information writing area 6 in the normalized pattern P1.

Now, the line detection and cutting unit 16 calculates backwardly where each character line exists in the address information writing area 6 based on the line configuration obtained by the pattern matching unit 15, and calculates the image signal in the address information writing area 6. A character line is detected in the middle of one line, cut out, and sent to the next processing unit (a character detection and cutting unit that cuts out characters one by one from the cut out character line).

As explained above, by normalizing the address information writing area and creating a pattern, and by comparing the expected address information writing format prepared in advance with the patterned address writing pattern, the most similar The actual detection cutout position is determined based on a high address writing pattern.

In this way, since the writing format of address information is patterned and captured as a pattern, the writing format can be recognized without being limited to the horizontal and vertical writing directions. Once the writing format is recognized, character lines can be detected and cut out simply by calculating which position in the actual address information writing area each patterned character line corresponds to. Therefore, it is possible to accurately detect and cut out character lines from address information written in various formats.

Furthermore, by changing the address writing pattern in the address writing pattern dictionary section, it is possible to easily expand to various writing formats.

[Effects of the Invention] As detailed above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a character line detection and extraction device that can accurately detect and extract character lines from address information written in various formats. .

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawings are for explaining one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1 is a block diagram schematically showing the structure of a character line detection and cutting device according to the present invention, and FIG. Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating the conversion from the address information writing area to a normalized pattern, Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of the address writing pattern, and Figure 5 is a diagram showing an example of the address information entry pattern. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating calculation of the line configuration of a normalized pattern from the answer pattern obtained, and FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating detection and extraction of character lines from the original pattern based on the line configuration of the normalized pattern. 1... Mail, 2... Address information, 6... Address information writing area, 11... Photoelectric conversion unit (photoelectric conversion means), 1
2...Address area detection unit (address area detection means), 13.
. . . Normalization section (normalization means), 14 . . . Address description pattern dictionary section (address description pattern dictionary means), 15 . .
Pattern matching section (pattern matching means), 16... line detection cutting section (line detection cutting out means), Pl... normalization pattern, P2... addressee description pattern. Applicant's agent Patent attorney Takehiko Suzue Figure 3 Figure 1 Figure 4 Figure 2

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] Photoelectric conversion means for obtaining an image signal by optically scanning an information writing surface on a mail item, and an address area for detecting an address information writing area from the image signal obtained by the photoelectric conversion means. A detection means, a normalization means for normalizing the address information writing area detected by the address area detection means to a certain size to obtain a normalized pattern, and a pattern of an expected address information writing format. address writing pattern dictionary means for storing address writing patterns; pattern matching means for comparing the normalized pattern obtained by the normalization means with the address writing patterns in the address writing pattern dictionary means; and this pattern matching. It is characterized by comprising line detection and cutting means for detecting and cutting out character lines constituting address information line by line from the address information writing area detected by the address area detection means based on the collation result of the means. Character line detection and cutting device.