JPH04192090A - Optical character reader - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To continuously read forms different in read area by providing a character image segmenting part which segments character image information in the read area from image information in a page image memory. CONSTITUTION:The optical signal from a form is read by an image input part 1 and is converted to image information of an electric signal and is stored in a page image memory 2. The recording position of each mark which is entered on the form and indicates the read area on the form is detected by a mark detecting part 3, and recording position information is stored in a record ing position memory 4. A character image segmenting part 5 segments character image information in the read area, which is indicated by recording position information in the recording position memory 4, from image information in the page image memory 2, and a character recognizing part 7 recognizes characters expressed by character image information as character codes. Thus, forms different in read area are continuously read in.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Industrial application field] The present invention relates to an optical character reading device.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In conventional optical character reading devices, a format parameter indicating a reading area is input in advance to designate the position of the reading area, and then forms having the reading area are read all at once.

Therefore, when reading forms with different reading areas, enter the format parameters for each type, and then
It needs to be loaded.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

In the conventional optical character reading device described above, format parameters must be input for each type of form with a different reading area. There are problems in that the work becomes complicated and the processing speed decreases significantly.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an optical character reading device that can specify a reading area on a document and can read documents with different reading areas together and in succession.

[Means for solving problems]

The optical character reading device of the present invention includes: (A) an image input unit that reads an optical signal from a form and converts it into image information of an electrical signal; (B) stores page image information of the form read by the image input unit. page image memory; (C) a mark detection unit that detects the recording position of each mark written on a form and indicating a reading area on the form; (D> recording position information of each mark detected by the mark detection unit); (E) From the image information of the page image memory,
a character image cutting section that cuts out each piece of character image information in the reading area indicated by the recording position information of the recording position memory; (F'> a character image memory that stores each piece of character image information cut out by the character image cutting section; G) a character recognition unit that recognizes characters represented by each piece of character image information in the character image memory as a character code; (H) a recognition result memory that stores each piece of character information recognized by the character recognition unit. It is composed of

〔Example〕

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the optical character reading device of the present invention.

The image input unit 1 reads the optical signal from the form, converts it into electrical signal page image information of the form, and sends it to the signal bus S1, so the page image memory 2 stores the page image information of the form. The electrical signal is received from the signal bus S1 and stored.

The mark detection unit 3 also reads the recording position of each mark written on the form and indicating the reading area on the form from the page image information stored in the page image memory 2 through the signal bus S1. Since the recording position information of these marks is detected and sent to the signal bus S2, the recording position memory 4 receives and stores the recording position information from the signal bus S2.

FIG. 2 is a form explanatory diagram showing the relationship between marks written on a form and reading areas used in this embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 2, marks A and B are written on the right edge of form F, and marks C and D are written on the lower edge of form F, indicating the reading area E on form F. There is. Marks A, B, and C like this.

D can be written on the form F either by printing or handwriting.

The mark detection unit 3 detects the marks A, B, C, and D, and sends the distances a, b, c, and d from the top or right end of the form F regarding these marks, respectively, as recording position information. The recording position memory 4 stores this recording position information.

Further, the character image cutting unit 5 receives page image information of the page image memory 2 from the signal bus S1,
The character image information in the reading area indicated by the recording position information of the recording position memory 4 obtained through the signal bus s2 is sequentially cut out one character at a time from the upper right to the lower left and sent to the signal bus S3. memory 6
receives and stores these character image information from the signal bus S3.

Further, the character recognition unit 7 recognizes the characters represented by each piece of character image information stored in the character image memory 6 obtained through the signal bus S3 as a character code, and sends it to the signal bus S4. receives these character codes from the signal bus S4 and stores them.

3 and 4 are form explanatory diagrams showing the positions of reading areas in the form example of this embodiment.

In the case of FIG. 3, the position of the reading area is at the top, and in the case of FIG. 4, the position of the reading area is shown at the bottom.

Even when the forms shown in Figures 3 and 4 are mixed, the optical character reading device of this embodiment recognizes the characters after determining the reading area depending on the position of the mark, so that these forms can be read continuously. It can be read as follows.

As described above, in the optical character reading device of this embodiment, a mark is written on the form to define the reading area on the form.
Since the reading area can be determined by detecting these marks, documents with different reading areas can be read together and consecutively.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, the optical character reading device of the present invention can detect marks written on a form and define the reading area on the form, so it is possible to specify the reading area on the form and This has the effect that different forms can be read together and consecutively.

In addition, the user can
Since there is no need to input format parameters, the user's workload is significantly reduced when reading a large number of mixed forms with different reading areas, and the processing speed does not slow down due to the user's work. effective.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the optical character reading device of the present invention, FIG. 3 and 4 are form explanatory diagrams showing the positions of reading areas in the form example of this embodiment. 1... Image input section, 2... Page image memory, 3... Mark detection section, 4...
...Recording position memory, 5...Character image cutting section, 6...Character image memory, 7...
...Character recognition unit, 8...Recognition result memory,
A, B, C, D...Mark, E...Reading area, F...Form, Sl, S2. S3゜S
4...Signal bus.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] (A) An image input unit that reads optical signals from a form and converts them into electrical signal image information; (B) A page image memory that stores page image information of the form read by the image input unit. , (C) a mark detection unit that detects the recording position of each mark written on a form and indicating a reading area on the form; (D) storage of recording position information of each mark detected by the mark detection unit. (E) From the image information of the page image memory,
(F) a character image memory that stores each of the character image information cut out by the character image cutting section; (G) ) a character recognition unit that recognizes characters represented by each of the character image information in the character image memory as a character code; (H) a recognition result memory that stores each character information recognized by the character recognition unit. An optical character reading device featuring: