JPH05120487A - Optical character reader - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To correctly recognize similar specified characters. CONSTITUTION:An image inputting mechanizm 1 reads type-characters printed on a slip to input a character image data. A type-character segmenting mechanizm 2 segments a character from the inputted character image data. A character recognizing mechanizm 3 recognizes the character of the segmented character data. In the character recognizing mechanizm, a matching mechanizm 6 performs matching between a recognition object type-character pattern 5 and a type-character dictionary pattern 4 and a deciding mechanizm 7 decides characters based upon the result. After decision, a re-matching mechanizm 9 performs re-matching against a type-character dictionary pattern for re- decision 8 in which character features are enhanced for similar characters to be disable for identification among them. Then, a re-decision mechanizm 10 re-decides based upon the result.

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 an optical character reader for reading characters.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional character recognition mechanism for an optical character reader has a matching mechanism for matching character data with a type dictionary and a character judging mechanism for judging a character based on the matching result.

[0003]

The character recognition mechanism of this conventional optical character reader performs matching between the type dictionary and the character pattern in the matching mechanism, but in some cases it is impossible to distinguish between similar specific characters. There was a problem that it occurred.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an optical character reader capable of correctly recognizing a similar specific type character printed on a form.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An optical character reading device of the present invention is an image input mechanism for reading a printed character printed on a form and outputting character image data, and cutting out a printed character from the character image data. A typed character cutting mechanism,
In an optical character reading device having a character recognition mechanism for recognizing the character of the cut out character data, a matching mechanism for collating the character data with a print dictionary provided in advance, and a character is determined based on the result of the collation to determine the determination result. A determination mechanism that outputs character identification information about characters that cannot be identified between similar specific characters, and a collation with a re-evaluation type dictionary that emphasizes the characteristics of the characters that are provided beforehand in response to this identification information. And a re-determination mechanism for performing re-determination based on the result of the re-matching mechanism and outputting the re-determination result.

[0006]

The present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.
In the present embodiment shown in FIG. 1, an image input mechanism 1 for reading the printed characters printed on a form and outputting character image data,
A character printout mechanism 2 for inputting this character image data and cutting out characters from the input character image data;
A character recognition mechanism 3 for recognizing the cut-out character data is provided. The character recognition mechanism 3 is a matching mechanism 6 for matching the character data with a type dictionary 4 provided in advance, and a determination mechanism for determining a character based on the matching result. 7
And a re-matching mechanism 9 that performs re-matching with the re-determination type dictionary 8 that emphasizes the characteristics of the characters that cannot be distinguished between similar specific characters after the determination, and a re-determination that re-determines from the result. The mechanism 10 is provided.

Next, the character recognition method will be described. The character recognition mechanism 3 performs matching between the type dictionary pattern 4 and the recognition target type pattern 5 by the matching mechanism 6,
Outputs the degree of disagreement. The determination mechanism 7 determines a character based on the disagreement information. Here, as a similar character pattern, for example, the number 0 with a slanted line shown in FIG.
2) and the recognition target pattern 12 of the numeral 8 shown in FIG. 2B are similar to each other, the recognizable degree of inconsistency is not output. Therefore, the determination mechanism 7 cannot correctly identify the character.

Therefore, the re-matching mechanism 9 performs matching with the re-determination type dictionary patterns 17 and 18 shown in FIGS. There are black partial dictionary patterns 13 and 15 and white partial dictionary patterns 14 and 16 in the re-determination type dictionary patterns 17 and 18, respectively. If the black partial dictionary has a white pattern, a degree of disagreement occurs, and the white partial dictionary becomes If there is a black pattern, a degree of mismatch will occur.

The recognition target pattern 11 of the numeral 0 (see FIG.
The matching between the redetermination dictionary pattern 17 of the numeral 0 (see FIG. 3B) (see FIG. 3B) is as shown in FIG. 4A, and no mismatch occurs. Further, the recognition target pattern 11 of the numeral 0 and the re-determination dictionary pattern 1 of the numeral 8 in FIG.
8 (see FIG. 3 (b)) is as shown in FIG. 4 (b), and a mismatch occurs at the shaded area. Therefore, the recognition target pattern 11 of the numeral 0 is the re-determination mechanism 10 Can be identified as the number 0 in.

The recognition target pattern 12 of the numeral 8 (see FIG.
(B)) and the redetermination dictionary pattern 17 of the number 0 (see FIG. 2 (b)) are matched as shown in FIG. 4 (c), and the number of mismatches occurs at the shaded area. There is. The recognition target pattern 12 of the numeral 8 (see FIG. 2B) and the numeral 8
In the re-determination dictionary pattern 18 of FIG. 3 (see FIG. 3B), no mismatch occurs (see FIG. 4D), so that the recognition target pattern 12 of the numeral 8 corresponds to the number 8 in the re-determination mechanism 10. Can be recognized.

[0011]

As described above, according to the present invention, the matching mechanism performs matching between character data and a type dictionary,
Based on the result, the judgment mechanism judges the character, and for the characters that cannot be distinguished between similar specific characters after the judgment, the re-matching mechanism performs re-matching with the re-judgment dictionary that emphasizes the characteristics of the character, and re-judges. The mechanism re-determines from the result, which has an effect that the recognition of similar characters is correctly performed.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a recognition target pattern of the present embodiment, where (a) shows a numeral 0 and (b) shows a numeral 8.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a re-determination type dictionary pattern of the present embodiment, in which (a) shows a numeral 0 and (b) shows a numeral 8.

4A and 4B are diagrams showing matching of a re-determination pattern with a recognition pattern of the present embodiment, FIG. 4A shows a collation of a recognition pattern of numeral 0 and a re-determination pattern of 0, and FIG. (C) shows the matching of the re-determination pattern of 0 and 0.
FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a collation of a recognition pattern of number 0 and a re-determination pattern of 8 and FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 image input mechanism 2 type character cut-out mechanism 3 character recognition mechanism 4 type dictionary pattern 5 recognition target type pattern 6 matching mechanism 7 determination mechanism 8 re-determination type dictionary pattern 9 re-matching mechanism 10 re-determination mechanism 11 0 recognition target pattern 12 8 recognition target pattern 13 0 black partial dictionary pattern 14 0 white partial dictionary pattern 15 8 black partial dictionary pattern 16 8 white partial dictionary pattern 17 0 re-determination type dictionary pattern 18 8 re-determination type dictionary pattern

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An image input mechanism for reading printed character characters printed on a form and outputting character image data, a printed character cutting mechanism for cutting out printed character characters from the character image data, and a character for the cut out character data. In an optical character reading device equipped with a character recognition mechanism for recognition, a matching mechanism for matching the character data with a print dictionary provided in advance, a character determination based on the result of the matching, a determination result is output, and a similar specific A determination mechanism that outputs character unidentifiable information for characters that cannot be identified between characters, a re-matching mechanism that receives this unidentifiable information, and re-matches with a re-determined type dictionary for emphasizing the characteristics of the characters that are provided in advance. An optical character reading device, comprising: a re-determination mechanism that performs re-determination based on the result of the matching mechanism and outputs the re-determination result.