JPH04168585A - Optical character recognizing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To read an image rotated by 90 deg. at high speed without using specific firmware by providing first and second delivery means which deliver a document image by an image sensor to a document image storage means and deliver it by rotating. CONSTITUTION:The document images 100 bi-sected by the image sensor 11 of a document scan part 1 are sent to a document image storage control part 2, and when the document image is not rotated by 90 deg., it is directly sent to a document image storage part 29 via the contacts A, F of change-over switches SW1, SW3 and a serial-parallel conversion part 26. Meanwhile, the image 100 with prescribed lines rotated by 90 deg. via a line buffer by which read and write controlled by an address control part 21 are performed alternately is supplied to the storage part 29 via the contacts A and D or B and E. Another bi-sected images 101 by the image sensor are sent similarly, and the image rotated by 90 deg. can be read at high speed with simple constitution without necessitating the specific firmware.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an optical character recognition device, and more particularly to an optical character recognition device that optically reads character images on a form.

BACKGROUND ART When it is necessary to read a form image at high speed even when the field of view of optical scanning is wide, a configuration is adopted in which a plurality of image sensors are provided in the field of view of a form scanning section.

In this type of optical character recognition device, when performing recognition processing by inputting a form image rotated 90 degrees clockwise with respect to its conveying direction, it is necessary to separately prepare dedicated firmware.

That is, in the conventional device, it is not possible to rotate a form image by 90 degrees counterclockwise in the N1 direction and import it into the form image storage section. Therefore, when the form image is loaded into the form image storage section with the form rotated 90 degrees in one direction, and the recognition target range is then sent to the recognition processing section, the firmware controls the address for reading. A method is used in which the image is rotated 90 degrees clockwise to obtain a normal image.

As described above, the conventional optical character recognition device requires dedicated firmware and control by the firmware, which has the disadvantage that the processing speed decreases accordingly.

Purpose of the Invention Therefore, the present invention has been made to solve the drawbacks of the prior art.The purpose of the present invention is to make it possible to read images rotated by 90 degrees at high speed without the need for special firmware. The object of the present invention is to provide an optical character recognition device capable of

Structure of the Invention The optical character recognition device according to the present invention includes a plurality of image sensors provided in the field of view of a form scanning unit that optically scans a form, a form image storage means for storing form images, and the image sensor. a first sending path that sends the form image that is each output of the image sensor as it is to the form image storage means, and a second sending path that rotates the form image that is each output of the image sensor by 90 degrees and sends it to the form image storage means. It is characterized in that it includes a sending route.

Example Next, the present invention will be explained with reference to the drawings.

The embodiment described below shows an example in which two image sensors are used in the document scanning field of view.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 1, the embodiment of the present invention is comprised of a form scanning section 1, a form image storage control section 2, and a character recognition section 3.

The form scanning unit 1 includes image sensors 11 and 12, and divides the form image into two parts and sends the divided form image signals 100 and 101 to the form image storage control unit 2.

In the form image storage control unit 2, when the form image is not rotating clockwise, the form image 100 is connected to the contact C by the switching means Svl, and connected to the contact F by the switching means SII+3, and is directly connected to the serial/parallel converter. Sent to 26. Similarly, the form image 101 is connected to the contact I by the switching means SV2, connected to the contact by the switching means SV4, and sent directly to the serial/parallel converter 27.

In the serial/parallel converters 26 and 27, the image signals 10 and i+t are converted into 8
The mesh data are stored and sent to the form image storage section 29 as signals 112 and 113, respectively.

In the form image storage section 29, the form image storage address control section 28 divides the signals 112 and 113 from the start address of the form image storage section 29 and sequentially stores them.

After that, the character image 11 is stored in the form image storage section 29.
4 is read out and sent to the character recognition section 3 for recognition processing.

Next, when the form image from the form scanning section 1 is rotated 90 degrees in the direction 1 and output, the switching means SVI in the form image storage control section 2 is first connected to the contact point for the output of the image sensor 11. A and the image signal 10
0 is sent to the line buffer 22 and stored for 8 lines. If 8 lines are stored in the line buffer 22,
The switching means Sw1 is connected to the contact B, and the switching means 3111
g is connected to the contact point. Thereafter, the image signal 102 is read out from the line buffer 22 by the address signal 10B controlled by the line buffer address control section 21.

The serial/parallel conversion unit 26 sequentially stores the signals +12 stored for 8 meshes in the form image storage unit 29 in accordance with the address signal 115 controlled by the form image storage address control unit 28.

During the above processing, the image signal +00 is sent to the line buffer 23 and stored for eight lines. When the reading of the line buffer 22 and the writing of the line buffer 23 are completed, the switching means Swl is connected to the contact A again, the switching means SV3 is connected to the contact E, and the image signal +00 is sent to the line buffer 22 in 8 meshes. While the line buffer 23 is being stored, the image signal +03 is read out by the address signal 107 controlled by the line buffer address control section 21 and sent to the serial/parallel conversion section 26.

The signals 112 stored for eight meshes are sequentially stored in the form image storage section 29 by the address signal 115 controlled by the form image storage address control section 28.

The aforementioned switching means SVI and SV3 are each contact A.

E and the switching means SW1. , SW
3 is connected to contacts B and D, respectively, and continues while being alternately switched until all the divided portions of the document image are stored in the document image storage section 29.

The output of the image sensor 12 is performed in exactly the same manner as the system of the image sensor 11 described above.

That is, the switching means S in the form image storage control section 2
First, W2 is connected to contact G, and the image signal 101 is sent to the Hall line buffer 24, where eight lines are stored. When 8 lines have been stored in the line buffer 24, the switching means SW2 is connected to the contact H, and the switching means SV4 is connected to the contact J.
Connected with. After that, the line buffer address control section 21
Image signal 104 is read out from line buffer 24 by address signal 108 controlled by .

The serial/parallel converter 27 sequentially stores the signals 113 for eight meshes in the form image storage section 29 in accordance with the address signal 115 controlled by the form image storage address control section 28 .

During the above processing, the image signal 101 is sent to the line buffer 25 and stored for eight lines. When the reading of the line buffer 24 and the writing of the line buffer 25 are completed, the switching means SV2 is connected to the contact G again, the switching means SV4 is connected to the contact, and the image signal 101 is transferred to the line buffer 24 from 8 to 8. While the mesh is stored, the line buffer 25 receives an address signal 109 controlled by the line buffer address control section 21.
The image signal 105 is read out and sent to the serial/parallel converter 27.

The signals 113 stored for eight meshes are sequentially stored in the form image storage section 29 in accordance with the address signal 115 controlled by the form image storage address control section 28.

The aforementioned switching means SW2 and SV4 are contacts G, respectively.

The combination connected to K and the switching means SV2, SV
4 are connected to the contacts H and J, respectively, and the combination is continued while being alternately switched until all the divided portions of the document image are stored in the document image storage section 29.

Next, referring to FIGS. 2 and 3(a) and (b), the specific operation of the form image storage control unit 2 shown in FIG.
Assume that the field of view ranges are each responsible for 1024 meshes, and as described above, the form image storage section stores 1 address minus 8 meshes, and the line buffer stores 8 lines.

Regarding the image sensor 11 of the form scanning section 1, when the output image signal 100 is at the contact point A of the switching means SvI, the address specified by the line buffer address control section 21 is sent to the line buffer 22, as shown on the upper left side of FIG. The signal lO6 moves from left to right (0000 to 03Fl) with the upper left mesh (0,0) as the origin, to the far right (03FF)
When it reaches this point, it moves down one line, and with the leftmost mesh as the origin, it goes down sequentially from left to right (0400 to 07FF) until it reaches the lower right mesh (IPFF), and eight lines are stored.

Note that the mesh numbers in parentheses above are expressed in hexadecimal notation, and will be expressed in hexadecimal notation hereinafter unless otherwise specified.

Next, when the switching means SW3 switches to contact E, the address signal 106 of the line buffer address control section 21
Accordingly, from top to bottom (0000-0007,..., 1Fr8
~IPFF) while going from right to left (0000~0
008--IFFIt), and the image signal +02 is read out.

Simultaneously with the above reading, the image signal 100 is read into the line buffer 23 through the contact B of the switching means SWl, similarly to the case of the line buffer 22 shown on the left side of the upper row of FIG.

The above-mentioned read image signal +02 is converted into 8 meshes (0000 to 000) by the serial/parallel converter 26.
7.0008~0OOP,...,lFF8~IF
F F ) Save.

Next, as shown in the lower part of FIG. 2, using the address signal 115 from the form image storage address control unit 28 with the upper left (0, 0) of the form image storage unit 29 as the origin, from top to bottom < oooo~03FF, 0400 ~07FF
,..., SannoO~SannoXFF,...,) while going from right to left' (oooo~0400~...~mn0
0 to...), and eight meshes worth of image signals 112 are sequentially stored in two form image storage sections.

Regarding the image sensor 12 of the form scanning section 1, just as in the case of the image sensor 11 described above, when the output image signal 101 is at the contact G of the switching means SW2, as shown on the upper right side of FIG. 24, the address signal 10 specified by the line buffer address control unit 21
8, move from left to right (oooo~03PF) using the upper left mesh (0,0) as the origin, and when you reach the rightmost (03r'F), go down one line and move to the left using the leftmost mesh as the origin. The line sequentially descends from 0400 to 07FF to the right, and is controlled until the mesh (, IPPP) on the lower right is stored for 8 lines.

Next, when the switching means SV4 switches to the contact K, the upper right corner of the line buffer 24 (0,
From top to bottom (0000-0007,...) with O) as the origin
・, while going from right to left (0
000 to 0008, . . . , 1FP8)), and the image signal +04 is read out.

Simultaneously with the above reading, the image signal 101 is read into the line buffer 25 through the contact H of the switching means SV2, as in the case of the line buffer 24.

The above-mentioned read image signal 104 is converted into 8 meshes (0000 to 000) by the serial/parallel converter 27.
7.0008~0OOF,..., lFF8~IPPP
)store.

Next, as shown in the lower part of FIG.
The address signal 115 from the form image storage address control unit 28 sets the origin at 9 (0,400).
From top to bottom (oooo~03FF, 0400~07FF
, -..., mn0O-nxFP, -...,) from right to left <oooo~0400~...~*nO
), and the image signals 113 for eight meshes are sequentially stored in the form image storage section 29.

To show the above operation more specifically, Fig. 3(a)
2 shows a form image rotated 90 degrees clockwise, which is captured by the image sensors 11 and 12 of the form scanning unit 1.

Further, FIG. 3(b) shows a form image two places above the form image storage section, which is obtained by rotating the form image of FIG. 3(a) by 90 degrees counterclockwise.

The 8 lines ■, ■, ■, ... corresponding to the image sensor 11 in FIG. 3(a) and the 8 lines ■, ■, ■, ... corresponding to the image sensor 12 are shown in FIG. ), reference numeral 50 ■, ■, ■, ..., and ■, ■, ■1
...corresponds to each.

In the above manner, the inputted form image rotated 90 degrees clockwise is rotated 90 degrees counterclockwise without impairing the processing speed, and the normal front view form image is transferred to the form image storage section. It becomes possible to import.

As described in detail, according to the present invention, a line buffer for storing n meshes of image signals and storing m942 times is placed between the form image and the form image storage section, so that the image signal can be stored for 90 minutes in the clockwise direction. Rotate the form image sent by 90 degrees counterclockwise without reducing processing speed.
It is possible to rotate the image by a certain degree and store it in the form image storage section, and even if the form scanning section has a plurality of image sensors, there is an effect that normal character recognition processing can be performed without developing dedicated firmware.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the line buffer address control section and form image storage address control section in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3(a) and (b) is an explanatory diagram showing the form image sent from the form scanning unit and the result stored in the form image storage unit. Explanation of symbols of main parts 1... Form scanning section 11.12... Image sensor 21... Address control section 22 to 25... Line buffer 29...
・Form image storage section

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) A plurality of image sensors provided in the field of view of a form scanning unit that optically scans a form, a form image storage means that stores form images, and a form image that is the output of each of the image sensors is directly transmitted to the form image sensor. The device is characterized by comprising a first sending path for sending the form image to the form image storage means, and a second sending path for rotating the form image, which is each output of the image sensor, by 90 degrees and sending it to the form image storage means. optical character recognition device.