JPH05314314A - Optical character recognizing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To recognize even a slip image which is rotated at 90 deg. counterclockwise and is sent without requiring an exclusive firmware and to enable a normal optical character recognition processing. CONSTITUTION:A route passing through respective contacts C and F of switching means SW1 and SW3 to a series-parallel conversion part 26 and a route passing respective contacts A or B and E or F of switching means SW1 and SW3 and an A1 line buffer 22 or a B1 line buffer 23 for rotating the image at 90 deg. clockwise are provided as a route through which an image signal 100 outputted from an image sensor 11 provided on a slip scanning part 1 is fatched. Similar routes are provided as the route through which an image signal 101 outputted from the image sensor 11 is fetched.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an optical character recognition device using a plurality of image sensors in the field of view of a form scanning unit, and more particularly to a form input by rotating 90 degrees counterclockwise. The present invention relates to an optical character recognition device that can be recognized without requiring dedicated firmware.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art The technique of using a plurality of image sensors in the visual field of a document scanning unit is used for capturing a document image at high speed even when the visual field for scanning is wide.

However, in the conventional optical character recognition device of this type, a dedicated firmware is required when a form image is rotated 90 degrees counterclockwise with respect to the carrying direction and input to perform recognition processing. There is no known example in which the method of importing the form image into the form image storage unit is carried out.

[0004]

In the above-described conventional optical character recognition device, the form image is rotated 90 degrees clockwise.
Since it cannot be rotated into a form image and captured in the form image, it is read by firmware when the recognition target range is sent to the recognition processing unit after being captured in the form image storage unit in a state rotated 90 degrees counterclockwise. A method of rotating the image 90 degrees clockwise to form a stereoscopic image by controlling the address is conceivable. However, there is a problem that a dedicated firmware is required and the processing speed becomes slow because of the control by the firmware.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, an optical character recognizing device according to the present invention is an optical character including a document scanning unit using a plurality of image sensors in a document scanning visual field. In the recognition device, a route for fetching the form image input from the form scanning unit into the form image storage unit as it is, and the form image in the clockwise direction 90
It is configured to include a form image storage control unit that also has a path that is rotated once to be taken into the form image storage unit.

[0006]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The embodiments described below assume that two image sensors are used on the form scan field of view.

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

Referring to FIG. 1, one embodiment of the present invention is
It is composed of a form scanning unit 1, a form image storage control unit 2, and a character recognition unit 3.

The form scanning unit 1 is an image. It is equipped with a sensor 11 and an image sensor 12, and divides a form image into two parts, a form image signal 100 and a form image signal 101.
Is sent to the form image storage control unit 2.

In the form image storage control unit 2, when the form image is not rotated counterclockwise, the form image 100 is connected to the contact C by the switching means SW1.
It is connected to the contact F by the switching means SW3 and directly sent to the serial / parallel converter 26. Similarly, the form image 101 is connected to the contact I by the switching means SW2, connected to the contact L by the switching means SW4, and directly sent to the serial / parallel converter 27. In order to improve the processing speed, the serial / parallel conversion units 26 and 27 store the image signals 110 and 111 for 8 meshes and send them as signals 112 and 113 to the form image storage unit 29, respectively. In the form image storage unit 29, signals 112 and 113 from the start address of the form image storage unit 29 are controlled by the optical character recognition device storage address control unit 28.
Is divided and stored sequentially.

Thereafter, the character image 114 is read from the form image storage unit 29 and sent to the character recognition unit 3 for recognition processing.

Next, when the form image from the form scanning unit 1 is rotated 90 degrees counterclockwise and output, the output of the image sensor 11 is switched in the form image storage control unit 2. The means SW1 is first connected to the contact A, and the image signal 100 is sent to the A1 line buffer 22 and stored for eight lines. If 8 lines are stored in the A1 line buffer 22, the switching means SW1 is set to the contact B.
The switching means SW3 is connected to the contact D. After that, the image signal 102 is read from the A1 line buffer 22 by the address signal 106 controlled by the line buffer address control unit 21. The signal 112 stored for 8 meshes by the serial / parallel converter 26
Are sequentially stored in the form image storage unit 29 according to the address signal 115 controlled by the form image storage address control unit 28.

During the above processing, the image signal 100 is B
It is sent to the 1-line buffer 23 and 8 lines are stored. Reading of A1 line buffer 22 and B1
When the writing in the line buffer 23 is completed, the switching means SW1 is again connected to the contact A, the switching means SW3 is connected to the contact E, and the A1 line buffer 22 stores the image signal 100 of 8 mesh sentences. Meanwhile, B1
The line buffer 23 is the line buffer address control unit 2
The image signal 103 is read by the address signal 107 controlled by 1, and the serial / parallel converter 2
Sent to 6. Signal 11 stored here for 8 meshes
2 is a form image storage unit 29 by the address signal 115 controlled by the form image storage address control unit 28.
Are sequentially stored in.

A combination in which the switching means SW1 and SW3 are respectively connected to the contacts A and E, and the switching means SW1 and S
The combination in which W3 is respectively connected to the contacts B and D continues while alternately switching all the divided division parts of the form image in the form image storage part 29.

Regarding the output of the image sensor 12,
Just like the system of the image sensor 11 described above, the switching means SW2 in the form image storage control unit 2 is first connected to the contact G, and the image signal 101 is sent to the A2 line buffer 24 to store 8 lines. Be done. If 8 lines are stored in the A2 line buffer 24, the switching means S
W2 is connected to the contact H, and the switching means SW4 is connected to the contact J. After that, the image signal 104 is read from the A2 line buffer 24 by the address signal 108 controlled by the line buffer address control unit 21. The signal 113 stored for 8 meshes by the serial / parallel conversion unit 27 is sequentially stored in the form image storage unit 29 according to the address signal 115 controlled by the form image storage address control unit 28.

During the above processing, the image signal 101 is B
It is sent to the 2-line buffer 25 and stored for 8 lines. Reading of A2 line buffer 24 and B2
When the writing in the line buffer 25 is completed, the switching means SW2 is connected to the contact G again, the switching means SW4 is connected to the contact K, and the image signal 101 for 8 meshes is stored in the A2 line buffer 24. Meanwhile, B2
The image signal 105 is read from the line buffer 25 by the address signal 109 controlled by the line buffer address control unit 21 and sent to the serial / parallel conversion unit 27. The signal 113 stored for 8 meshes is sequentially stored in the form image storage unit 29 by the address signal 115 controlled by the form image storage address control unit 28.

A combination in which the switching means SW2 and SW4 described above are respectively connected to the contacts G and K, and the switching means SW2 and S4.
The combination in which W4 is respectively connected to the contact points H and J continues while alternately switching until all the divided division parts of the form image are stored in the form image storage part 29.

Next, FIGS. 2A and 2B and FIG.
1A and 1B, the specific operation of the form image storage control unit 2 in FIG. 1 is 1 line = 2048 mesh, and the visual field range of the image sensor 12 is 102.
It is assumed that 4 meshes are allocated, and as described above, the case where 1 address = 8 meshes is stored in the form image storage unit and 8 lines are stored in the line buffer will be described.

Regarding the image sensor 11 of the form scanning unit 1, when the output image signal 100 is at the contact A of the switching means SW1, as shown by reference numeral 30 in FIG.
In the line buffer 22, the mesh signal (0, 0) at the upper left is used as the origin for the address signal 106 specified by the line buffer address control unit 21 from left to right (0000-03F).
If you come to the rightmost (03FF) to F), go down one line and use the mesh at the left end as the origin to move from left to right (04
00 to 07FF) and the mesh (1FFF) at the lower right is controlled to store 8 lines.
The mesh numbers in parentheses are displayed in hexadecimal notation.

Next, when the switching means SW3 is switched to the contact E, the address signal 108 of the line buffer address control section 21 as indicated by reference numeral 32 in FIG. 2 (a).
In accordance with the above, the upper left (0, 0) of the A1 line buffer 22 is set as the origin and the lower side (0000 to 0007, ...
~ 1 FFF), go from left to right (0000-00)
08 to ... 1FF8) to control the image signal 10
2 is read. At the same time as the above reading,
The image signal 100 is read into the B1 line buffer 23 through the contact B of the switching means SW1 according to the mesh indicated by reference numeral 30 in (a).

The above-mentioned read-out image signal 102
For 8 meshes (0000-0007, 0008-000F, ..., 1F) in the serial / parallel conversion unit 26.
F8 to 1FFF) is stored. Next, as indicated by reference numeral 34 in FIG. 2B, the top-bottom (0
000-03FF, 0400-07FF, ..., mn00
~ MxFF, ...), from right to left (0000-00)
.. to mn00 to ...), the image signals 112 for 8 meshes are sequentially stored in the form image storage unit 29.

Regarding the image sensor 12 of the document scanning unit 1, the output image signal 101 is the contact point G of the switching means SW2, just as in the case of the image sensor 11 described above.
2A, as shown by reference numeral 31 in FIG.
With the address signal 108 designated by 1 as the origin, the mesh (0, 0) at the upper left is used as the origin from the left (0000 to 03F).
If you come to the rightmost (03FF) to F), go down one line and use the mesh at the left end as the origin to move from left to right (04
00 to 07FF) and the mesh (1FFF) at the lower right is controlled to store 8 lines.

Next, when the switching means SW4 is switched to the contact K, the address signal 108 of the line buffer address control unit 21 as indicated by reference numeral 33 in FIG. 2 (a).
In accordance with the above, the upper left (0, 0) of the A2 line buffer 24 is set as the origin and the lower side (0000 to 0007, ..., 1FF8).
~ 1 FFF), go from left to right (0000-00)
08 to ... 1FF8) to control the image signal 10
4 is read. At the same time as the above reading,
The image signal 101 is read into the B2 line buffer 25 through the contact H of the switching means SW2 according to the mesh indicated by reference numeral 31 in (a).

The above-mentioned read-out image signal 104
For 8 meshes (0000-0007, 0008-000F, ..., 1F) in the serial / parallel converter 27.
F8 to 1FFF) is stored. Next, as indicated by reference numeral 34 in FIG. 2B, the right center (0,
400) as the origin, the form image storage address control unit 28 responds to the address signal 115 from the top to the bottom (00
00-03FF, 0400-07FF, ..., mn00
Right to left (0000-0) while going to mxFF, ...)
400 -...- mn00 -...), the image signals 113 for 8 meshes are sequentially transferred to the form image storage unit 2.
Stored in 9.

If the above-mentioned operation is shown more concretely,
Reference numeral 40 in FIG. 3A shows a form image taken by the image sensor 11 and the image sensor 12 of the form scanning unit 1 and rotated counterclockwise by 90 degrees. Also,
Reference numeral 50 in FIG. 3B is assigned to reference numeral 4 in FIG.
The form image on the form image storage unit 29 obtained by rotating the form image of 0 by 90 degrees clockwise is shown.
.. corresponding to the image sensor 11 having the reference numeral 40 in FIG. 3A, and 8 lines corresponding to the image sensor 12 have the reference numeral 50 in FIG. 3B. ..., and ..., respectively.

As described above, the form image input by being rotated 90 degrees counterclockwise is rotated clockwise by 90 degrees without impairing the processing speed, and the form image of a normal looking form is formed. It becomes possible to take it in the storage unit.

[0028]

As described above, according to the present invention,
By placing a line buffer that stores image signals for n meshes and m lines between the form image and the form image storage unit, the form image sent by rotating 90 degrees counterclockwise is processed. It can be rotated 90 degrees clockwise and stored in the form image storage unit without impairing the speed. Even if there are multiple image sensors in the form scanning unit, normal character recognition is possible without developing special firmware. The effect that processing is possible is obtained.

[Brief description of drawings]

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

2A and 2B are explanatory diagrams showing operations of a line buffer address control unit and a form image storage address control unit of FIG.

3A and 3B are explanatory diagrams showing a form image sent from a form scanning unit and a storage result of the form image storage unit.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Form scanning unit 2 ... Form image storage control unit 3 ... Character recognition unit 11, 12 ... Image sensor 21 ... Address control unit 22-25 ... Line buffer 26, 27 ... Serial / parallel conversion unit 28 ... Address control unit 29 … Form image storage

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[Procedure amendment]

[Submission date] April 26, 1993

[Procedure Amendment 1]

[Document name to be corrected] Drawing

[Correction target item name] All drawings

[Correction method] Change

[Correction content]

[Figure 1]

[Fig. 2]

[Figure 3]

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A form scanning unit that uses a plurality of image sensors in a visual field range when optically scanning a form, and a form image input from the form scanning unit is directly stored in a form image storage unit. Optical character recognition, characterized in that: a form image storage control unit having both a first path and a second path for rotating the form image 90 degrees clockwise into the form image storage unit; apparatus. 2. The form image storage control unit includes first and second line buffers for accumulating the form image in a predetermined line in the second path, inputs the form image, and outputs the first path. A first switching means for switching and outputting the first line buffer or the second line buffer of the second path, and the first path, the first line buffer or the second line buffer. The optical character recognition device according to claim 1, further comprising: a second switching unit that switches input image data and outputs the switched image data to a serial / parallel conversion unit. 3. The writing or reading of the first line buffer and the reading or writing of the second line buffer are alternately and simultaneously executed by a switching operation of the first and second switching means. The optical character recognition device according to claim 2.