JPH03189781A - Optical character reader - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To decrease the number of groups registered in a character kind table by taking OR of character kind designation of plural groups designated by read character kind designation of every field of a format table, and determining the prescribed character kind. CONSTITUTION:Read character kind designation 12 of an entry character 17 of a field A is 'group 1', therefore, '1' to '0' of numerals being the character kinds designated by 'group 1' of a character kind table 21a become the read character kind 23 determined by a read character kind determining device 21. Also, read character kind designation 13 of an entry character 18 of a field B is 'group 2', therefore, 'A' to 'H' of alphabetical characters being the character kinds designated by 'group 2' of the character kind table 21a become the read character kind 23 determined by the read character kind determining device 22. In such a way, a character code is determined by the read character kind 23 determined by the read character kind determining device 22. In such a way, the number of groups can be decreased.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] This invention reads characters written in predetermined positions on a form, obtains the character code representing the characters, and converts them into predetermined optical characters. It concerns the group's devices.

[Prior Art] Normally, in a data processing device, all characters are processed in the form of character codes. However, humans recognize characters from images of the characters, and therefore,
The data processing device is equipped with a character generator, and when the character code of a character is manually entered into the character generator, it outputs the image of the character represented by the character code, that is, the image pattern of the character,
Display an image pattern of this character on the display device,
Or it is configured so that it can be printed by a printer.

On the contrary, a character image pattern is generated by photoelectric conversion from characters printed or handwritten on a form, the character code of the character is extracted from this character image pattern, and a predetermined device is used. It is called an optical character group device. This optical character group device is
It is used for the purpose of reading characters expressed in a form that humans can recognize, converting them into a character code form, and inputting the converted character code into a data processing device.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a conventional optical character group device. In the figure, 2 is an optical character group device, l is a host device that controls the optical character group device 2 and displays the group results in this optical character group device 2, 3 is a light source, and 4 is a light sensor. and light source 3
The optical sensor 4 and the optical sensor 4 constitute a scanner 5 as optical/electrical signal conversion means. 6 is a scanner control device that controls the scanning of the scanner 5; 7 is an image memory l that stores the image pattern from the scanner 5; 8 is an image memory;
A recognition device 9 takes a character code from an image pattern in a memory 7 and serves as a predetermined recognition means. A recognition device 9 sends and receives information to and from a host device 1, and a scanner control device 6.
．． A control device controls the image memory 7 and the recognition device 8, respectively, and 10 is a form.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a comparison between the format table stored in advance in the recognition device of the optical character group device in FIG. 4 and the characters written on the form. ) shows a format table, and FIG. 5(b) shows a form. In the figure, 11
is the format table, 12 is the character type specification for the group of field A (group l), and 13 is the field B
14 is the character type designation for the group in field C (group 3), 15 is the character type designation for the group in field D (group 3),
16 is a form, 17 is a character entered in a field, 18 is a character entered in field B, 19 is a character entered in field C, and 20 is a character entered in field D.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the contents of a character type table stored in the recognition device of the optical character group device of FIG. 4. In the figure, 21 is a character type table, and this character type table 21 includes character type designation 12 for each group for each field A to D of the format table 11,
Character types belonging to each group 1 to 3 designated by 13, 14, and 15 are shown.

Next, the operation of the conventional optical character group device described above will be explained. The optical sensor 4 has a large number of photoelectric conversion elements (not shown) arranged in the horizontal direction (X-axis direction), and converts the intensity of reflected light from the form 10 irradiated by the light source 3 into an electrical signal.

That is, optical information corresponding to one raster in the X-axis direction of the form 10 is converted into an electrical signal and input to the scanner control device 6. The strength of the reflected light from the white area on the form 10 is strong, and the strength of the reflected light from each point on the character line is weak, and the strength of the electrical signal to be output is determined depending on the strength of this reflected light. . The electrical signal from the scanner 5 is converted into two short signals and stored in the image memory 7 via the scanner control device 6.

Furthermore, when the scanner control device 6 finishes inputting information for l rusks in the X-axis direction from the scanner 5, it moves the scanner 5 in the Y-axis direction perpendicular to the X-axis direction and inputs the next rask. In this way, the entire surface of the form 10 is scanned, and the output electrical signals are sequentially written into the image memory 7.

The address position of each bit in the image memory 7 corresponds to the coordinate position on the form 10 of the pixel corresponding to the bit.

The recognition device 8 reads out a specified range of image patterns from the image memory 7 for each field A to D, and cuts out characters from the image pattern using a conventionally well-known method for character cutting. Based on the results, the characteristics of the black dot portion of the image pattern are analyzed for each character, and a character code corresponding to the image pattern is obtained by a method well known in the art as pattern recognition, and a predetermined code is obtained.

When determining the above character code, select and take character types from all groups of the device 2 of the optical character group,
Rather than using a predetermined number, it is possible to improve the recognition rate and shorten the processing time by limiting the target character types. Therefore, in practice, character types to be recognized for each group 1 to 3 are determined in advance as a character type table 21 in the recognition device 8, and the form 1 to be actually read is determined in advance.
The character type designation corresponding to the characters to be entered as characters 17 to 20 in each field A to D of 6 is formatted and
The target character types are limited by specifying character types 12, 13, 14, and 15 for each group 1 to 3 in the table 11.

In this example, the target character type for entry character 17 in field A is the number [l] to rOJ, and field B
The target character types for entry character 18 are alphabetic characters “A” to r.
HJ, and the target character type for character 19 in field C and character 2o in field D is the number "1".
``o'' and the alphabet rAJ becomes rHJ.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] Since the above-described conventional optical character group device is configured as described above, the characters 17, 17, and 17 of the fields A to D, in which the types of characters to be entered in the form 16 are different, are 18,
19, 20 number 9 Character type specification for each field A-D group of each group 11-3 12, 13, 14,
15 needs to be set in the character type table 21, which causes the problem that the number of groups set in the character type table 21 increases.

The present invention was made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide an optical character grouping device that can reduce the number of groups set in a character type table.

[Means for Solving the Problems] The optical character grouping device according to the present invention calculates the logical sum of the character type designations of a plurality of groups specified by the character type designations of the groups for each field of the format table. The configuration is such that a predetermined character type is selected and a character type determining device for a predetermined group is provided.

[Operation] The optical character group device according to the present invention is provided with a group character type determination device, so that the optical character group device of the present invention calculates the logical sum of a plurality of group character type designations specified by the group character type designations for each field of the format table. , This takes the character types of a predetermined group and makes them as predetermined.

[Example] Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 1st
The figure is a block diagram showing the configuration of an optical character group device according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, 2 is an optical character group device, l is a host device that controls the optical character group device 2 and displays the group results in this optical character group device 2, 3 is a light source, and 4 is a light sensor. The light source 3 and the optical sensor 4 constitute a scanner 5 as optical/electrical signal conversion means. 6 is a scanner control device that controls the scanning of the scanner 5; 7 is an image memory that stores the image pattern from the scanner 5; 8 is a predetermined recognition means that takes a character code from the image pattern in the image memory 7; 9 is a control device that sends and receives information to and from the host device 1 and controls the scanner control device 6; IO is a form; 22 is a group character type determination device.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a comparison between the format table stored in advance in the recognition device of the device of the optical character group in FIG. 1 and the characters written on the form. ) shows a format table, and FIG. 2(b) shows a form. In the figure, ll
a is the format table, 12 is the character type specification for the group of field A (group 1), 13 is field B
14a is the character type designation for the group in field C (group 1 and group 2), 15a is the character type designation for the group in field D (
Group 1 and Group 2), 16 is a form, 17 is a character entered in field A, 18 is a character entered in field B,
19 is a character entered in field C, and 20 is a character entered in field D. Here, input character 19 of field C
In the character type designations 14a and 15a of the group of characters 20 entered in field D, both group 1 and group 20 are designated.

Figure 3 shows the contents of the character type table stored in the recognition device of the optical character group device in Figure 1, and the contents of the group character type determined by the group character type designation device based on the contents. 3(a) shows a character type table, and FIG. 3(b) shows character types of groups. In the figure, 21a is a character type table, and 23 is a group character type.

Next, the operation of the optical character group apparatus which is an embodiment of the invention described above will be explained. The general operation of the optical character group device 2 is the same as that of the conventional device described above, so a detailed explanation thereof will be omitted.

Now, the character type to be subjected to character recognition in each field A to D on the book 216 is determined by the group character type determination device 22 provided according to the present invention.

Since the character type designation 12 of the group of input characters 17 in field F'A is "group l", character type table 2
The numbers "1" to "0", which are the character types designated as "group l" in 1a, become the group character type 23 determined by the group character type determination device 22. In addition, the character type specification 13 of the group of input characters 18 in field B
is "Group 2", so the alphabetic character rAJ is the character type specified in "Group 2" in the character type table 21a.
rHJ becomes the group character type 23 determined by the group character type determination device 22.

On the other hand, the character type designations 14a and 15a of the group of characters 19 in field C and characters 20 in field D are "
Group 1+Group 2", the group character type determination device 22 determines "Group 1 + Group 2" in the character type table 21a.
"Group 1" and "Group 2"
Let "H" be the character type 23 of the group.

In this way, the character code is determined by the group character type 23 determined by the group character type determination device 22.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the optical character grouping device of the present invention, it is possible to logically OR the character type designations of a plurality of groups specified by the character type designation of the group for each field of the format table. As a result, a predetermined character type is selected and a character type determination device for a predetermined group is provided, so the number of groups to be registered in the character type table is small, and a correspondingly larger number of groups can be registered in the character type table. It has the excellent effect of being able to

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an optical character group device which is an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 shows a format table pre-stored in the recognition device of the optical character group device shown in FIG. An explanatory diagram showing the characters entered in the form in comparison, Figure 3 is based on the contents of the character type table stored in the recognition device of the device of the optical character group in Figure 1 and the contents. An explanatory diagram showing the contents of the group character type determined by the group character type determination device, FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the conventional optical character group device, and FIG. 5 is the optical character group device of FIG. 4. Fig. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a comparison between the format table stored in advance in the recognition device of the device and the characters written on the form. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the contents of a character type table. In the figure, 1... host device, 2... optical character group device, 3... light source, 4... light sensor, 5...
- Scanner, 6... Scanner control device, 7... Image memory, 8... Recognition device, 9... Control device,
10.16... Form, 11, lla... Format ◆ Table, 12... Specify character type for group in field, 13... Specify character type for group in field B, 14.14a... Field C 15. 15a... Character type specification for group in field D, 17... Entry characters in field A, 1
8... Characters entered in field B, 19... Characters entered in field C, 20... Characters entered in field D,
21, 21a...Character type table, 22...Group character type determination device, 23...Group character type
It is. In addition, the same symbols in the figures indicate the same or equivalent parts.

Claims (1)

[Claims] Information converted into electrical signals by a scanner that scans a form with characters written in predetermined positions and converts the reflected light from the form into an electrical signal,
A control device that converts each character image pattern on the form and stores it in an image memory, and a recognition device that reads the image pattern of characters stored in the image memory and determines a character code representing the character. In the optical character reading device having the device, the logical OR of character type designations of a plurality of groups specified in the reading character type designation for each field of the format designation/table stored in advance in the recognition device is taken;
An optical character reading device comprising a readable character type determination device that determines a predetermined readable character type.