JPH0512960U - Image information input device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [Purpose] To provide an image information input device capable of always inputting an image in a correct orientation without being aware of the orientation of the original when performing image scanner input. [Structure] From the image information input by the input circuit 2 and stored in the image memory 8, a character cutting circuit 9 cuts out a character, and a character recognition circuit 11 detects the direction of the character in the cut out area, and the character is erected. The image processing circuit 10 rotates the image information stored in the image memory 8 so that the characters have the correct orientation except when it is detected that the characters are in the correct orientation.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 The present invention relates to an image information input device provided in a device for inputting and processing image information such as a copying machine, a facsimile device, and an electronic filing device.

[0002]

[Prior Art]

 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in an electronic filing apparatus that captures and processes a document including image information such as a drawing or a handwritten document, the document is input by a monochrome or color document input device, converted into binary or multivalued digital image information, and a CRT is used. Is displayed and stored on an optical disk.

An example of a document input device connected to such an electronic filing device is a stationary image scanner. In such a stationary image scanner, the scanning / sub-scanning direction at the time of reading the original is fixed on the original placing table, and the original input to the electronic filing device according to the direction of placing the original on the original placing table. The direction of is determined.

[0004]

[Problems to be solved by the device]

 For this reason, if the original placement direction is wrongly input when inputting the original, input the image with the image scanner again in the correct direction and try again, or use the image editing function to edit the input image. You have to rotate it in the right direction.

When inputting an original using an image scanner equipped with an automatic original conveying device capable of conveying and placing a continuous original for the purpose of speeding up the input work, all originals are aligned in advance in advance. At the same time, input work must be performed after confirming the correct placement direction of the document on the document mounting table of the scanner.

Therefore, in the electronic filing device in which the reading direction of the original at the time of input is fixed on the original placing table, the input work is always made in consideration of the original placing direction, and if an incorrect input is made, Has a problem in that it requires troublesome correction work.

The present invention has been made in view of such a point, and when inputting a document in an image scanner, the operability is such that the document can be always input in the correct direction without being aware of the direction of the document to be input. The present invention provides an excellent image information input device.

[0008]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 The present invention provides an input means for inputting image information, an image storage means for storing and holding the image information input by the input means, and a character cutout means for cutting out a character area from the image information stored in the image storage means. A character direction detecting means for detecting the direction of a character in the character area cut out by the character cutting means, and the image storing means except when the character direction detecting means detects that the character is upright. And image processing means for rotating the image information stored in the above so that the characters are upright.

[0009]

[Action]

 From the image information input by the input means and stored in the image storage means, the character cutout means cuts out a character, and the character direction detection means detects the direction of the character in the cutout area, and detects that the character is upright. The image processing means rotates the image information stored in the image storage means so that the characters are in the correct orientation at times other than the time when the characters are displayed.

[0010]

【Example】

 An embodiment of the image information input device of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3.

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an embodiment of the image information input device of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, 2 is an input circuit as an input means such as an image scanner for inputting a document as digital image information, and 3 is an operation switch for image input and image editing. An operation circuit 4 is an output circuit of a laser printer or the like for outputting the image information stored in the image memory 8 or the optical disk 7 to a recording sheet, and a display 5 is a display for reading the image information from the image memory 8 and displaying it on the CRT monitor 6. A control circuit, 7 is an optical disk for storing and holding the image information input from the input circuit 2 and image information created by the operator using the image editing function, and 8 is the image information on a bit map corresponding to the CRT monitor 6. An image memory as an image storage means such as a page memory that is expanded and stored in screen units, and 9 is a character that cuts out character information from the image information input by the input circuit 2. A character slicing circuit as a slicing means, 11 is a character recognizing circuit as a character direction detecting means for detecting the direction of the character from the character information sliced by the character slicing circuit 10, and 10 is an enlargement / reduction or rotation of the image information. An image processing means for performing various image editing such as inversion, an image size detecting means, and an image processing circuit as an image reducing means. Reference numeral 1 is a main control circuit which is connected to various components and controls the entire operation. The input circuit 2 is provided with an automatic document feeder for continuously feeding and placing a document on a reading section of the input circuit 2 (for example, a document mounting table of a stationary image scanner) so that the document can be continuously input. When inputting a document, insert the document to be input into the document insertion slot of the automatic document feeder.

A case of inputting and storing a document in such a device will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart for explaining the operation of one embodiment of the image input device of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram when an image is input according to an embodiment of the present invention. (A) is an operation example of correcting image information input 180 degrees by mistake, and (b) is 90 degrees. This is an operation example in which image information input by mistake is reduced and corrected in the correct direction.

When inputting image information with the image information input device, the operator first inserts the input document into the document insertion port of the automatic document feeder (step 201), and reads the document placed in the operation circuit 3. The start switch is pressed (step 202).

When the main control circuit 1 detects the insertion of a document into the document insertion port of the automatic document feeder and the pressing of the document reading start switch in the operation circuit 3, the automatic document feeder inputs one document into the input circuit 2 Then, the document is conveyed to the original placing table (step 203) and the reading by the input circuit 2 is started (step 204).

The image information input by the input circuit 2 is stored in the image memory 8 as binary or multivalued digital image information (step 205).

When the main control circuit 1 confirms that the reading of the original document by the input circuit 2 and the end of the storage in the image memory 8 are completed, the character cutting circuit 9 cuts out the character information from the image information stored in the image memory 8 ( Step 206) is instructed. In the character slicing circuit 9, for example, from the image information composed of binary or multi-valued digital signal values stored in the image memory 8, it is considered as a character in consideration of the continuity of the brightness level of the digital signal. Cut out the area.

The character information (region considered to be a character) cut out by the character cutout circuit 9 is output to the character recognition circuit 11 and the identification of the direction of the character (step 207) is started. In the character recognition circuit 11, for example, character information features such as strokes, intersections, and end points of characters are extracted from the area cut out by the character cutout circuit 9, and strokes, intersections, and end points of various characters registered in advance are standardized. It is pattern matched with the characteristic pattern. In this pattern matching, it is judged as a standard character to be compared when the characteristic of the cut out character matches the standard characteristic pattern registered in advance. Specific means for extracting and recognizing these characters is described in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 60-147893, so a detailed description is omitted here.

The character recognition circuit 9 determines that the document input from the input circuit 2 is input in the correct direction when the pattern matching matches an arbitrary standard feature pattern, and the determination result (normal input) Is output to the main control circuit 1. When the pattern matching does not match any of the standard feature patterns, the standard feature pattern is rotated clockwise in steps of 90 degrees (step 208), and the same pattern matching is performed at each angle (step 207). ), If they match at a specific angle, it is determined that the document input from the input circuit 2 has not been correctly input, and the determination result (erroneous direction input, for example, 180 degrees) is output to the main control circuit 1.

Here, although not shown, if it does not match any standard feature pattern even after one rotation, the process returns to step 206, and the character area is cut out at a different position.

When the character recognition circuit 9 detects that the characters are upright and the input direction of the document is correct (step 209), the main control circuit 1 retains the image information stored in the image memory 8 as it is. Transfer to the optical disk 7 (step 211).

Here, when the character is identified at a specific angle (for example, 180 degrees) and it is detected that the input direction of the document is wrong (step 209, for example, refer to FIG. 3A 301). Changes the reading order of the image information of the image memory 8 in the image processing circuit 10 so that the identified character is upright (0 degree) (step 210), and the upright image information is read according to the changed reading order (for example, 3 (a) 302 in FIG. 3) is transferred to the optical disc 7 (step 211).

The image information reading order in the image processing circuit 10 can be changed, for example, in the image information expanded and stored on the bitmap in the image memory 8 by reading in the row direction (from upper left to upper right) at the time of normal input. The address is generated so that it is read repeatedly in the column direction (from top to bottom), but when it is detected that the input is incorrect 90 degrees clockwise, for example, the read in the column direction is performed. Addresses are generated so that they are read repeatedly in the row direction (from right to left) in the row direction (from right to left).

When the image processing circuit 10 erects the image information (step 210), the vertical / horizontal length of the image information is switched by the rotation for erecting, and the preset maximum size of the image information is changed. It may exceed (for example, refer to FIG. 3B 303). Therefore, in this embodiment, when the image reduction permission is set in advance by the operator (step 213), the image information is reduced and rotated. The procedure is to detect the image size when the image information is uprighted in the image processing circuit 10 (step 214) and specify the image information if the size exceeds a specific size (step 215). It is reduced to fit the size (step 216) and rotated (step 217). The image information is reduced in the image processing circuit 10 by, for example, the image information stored in the image memory 8 in accordance with the ratio of the image size when the image information is erected and the preset specific size. Is thinned out and read out (for example, refer to 304 in FIG. 3B).

When confirming that the image information is stored in the optical disk 7, the main control circuit 1 detects whether or not the remaining originals are inserted in the automatic document feeder provided in the input circuit 2 (step 211). If it is detected that the original remains, the process returns to step 203 to repeat the above operation, and if it is detected that the original does not remain, the input operation of the original ends.

In the above embodiment, the standard pattern is rotated to identify the direction of the character, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the standard pattern is fixed and the extraction pattern from the character cutout area is rotated. The direction of the character may be identified by the above.

Further, in detecting the orientation of the character, the orientation of the character is detected by recognizing the character, but a part of the character (for example, radical) is recognized without recognizing the character. The direction of the character may be detected by detecting it.

[0030]

[Effect of the device]

 As is apparent from the above description, the present invention cuts out character information from the image information input by the input circuit and detects the direction of the character when the image information is input and stored by the input circuit. If it is detected in a different orientation than the correct orientation, the image data is stored so that the text is corrected so that it is in the correct orientation. You can enter.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an image information input device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart for explaining an operation according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram when an image is input according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 main control circuit 2 input circuit 3 operation circuit 4 output circuit 5 display control circuit 6 CRT monitor 7 optical disk 8 image memory 9 character cutout circuit 10 image processing circuit 11 character recognition circuit

Claims (2)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. An input means for inputting image information, an image storage means for storing and holding the image information input by the input means, and a character cutting means for cutting out a character area from the image information stored in the image storage means. A character direction detecting means for detecting the direction of the character in the character area cut out by the character cutting means; and the image storing means except when the character direction detecting means detects that the character is upright. 2. An image information input device, comprising: an image processing unit that rotates the image information stored in FIG. 2. The image processing means, when the image information is rotated so that the characters stand upright, image size detecting means for detecting whether or not the vertical or horizontal length of the image information exceeds a specific image size. When the image size detection means detects that the image size after rotation exceeds a specific image size, the image information of the image information stored in the image storage means is controlled so as not to exceed the specific image size. The image information input device according to claim 1, further comprising image reducing means for reducing the image information, wherein the image information is rotated so that the characters are upright in a state where the image size does not exceed a specific image size.