JPH06131111A - Device and method for character recognition - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a specifying means for a recognition object area and an editing means for a recognition result for the character recognition device. CONSTITUTION:The character recognition device is equipped with the pen 12 used for coordinate position input and the tablet 13 with a display and further equipped with an image display means 14 which displays an inputted image on the display of the tablet and a recognition object image data extracting means 15 which extracts recognition object image data by encircling a recognition object image area, including a recognition object character in an image displayed by the image display means 14, with an unspecific-shape closed curve by using the pen 12. Further, the device is equipped with an extracted character string recognizing means 16 which recognizes the characters in the extracted recognition object image data, an extracted character string display means 17 which displays the extracted character string on the display, a gesture recognizing means 18 which recognizes the gesture input of the pen 12 as an editing command, and an extracted character string editing means 19 which performs an editing process for the extracted character string.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a character recognition device and a character recognition method using an input pen and a tablet as command input means.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, correction / editing of documents including characters and figures has been generally performed by using a character recognition device. A conventional character recognition device uses a mouse as a coordinate position input means for designating a character area and a command. For example, when extracting a specific character area from the input image displayed on the display screen, the user moves the mouse to move the cursor mark on the screen to the start and end points of the rectangular area. By specifying a rectangular area,
The operation was performed so as to extract the character area within the range surrounded by this rectangular area.

When instructing execution of a recognition operation or editing of recognition data, an operation of clicking a menu button displayed in advance or a menu button displayed in response to some instruction from the user with a mouse Was going on.

[0004]

However, recent character recognition devices are required to have improved operability such as instruction input operation and edit command input operation. The mouse used in the conventional character recognition device is easier to operate than the keyboard, but when the area designation in the input image is limited to the rectangular area, and the shape of the mouse seems to be difficult to handle. However, the device was not always easy for the user to handle.

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a character recognizing device and a character recognizing method which are excellent in operability of instructing an operation of recognizing a specific image area or an editing operation. To do.

[0006]

A character recognition apparatus according to the invention of claim 1 has a pen for inputting a coordinate position and a coordinate reading area, and a locus of the pen moved on the coordinate reading area. A tablet that reads the coordinate values of
Input means for inputting image data of a document including a character area, display means having a display area associated with a coordinate reading area of a tablet, image display means for displaying image data in the display area, and input image When the data is displayed in the display area, it is in the area extraction mode. In this area extraction mode, when the user traces the coordinate reading area of the tablet with the pen, the image of the character area corresponding to the range specified by the pen is displayed. Control means for controlling to extract and display the data, data converting means for converting the image data of the character area extracted by the control means into a character code, and displaying the extracted character area in the display area of the display means. And an extracted character string display means.

In the character recognition device according to the invention of claim 2,
In addition to the character recognition device of claim 1, the display area of the display means is further provided on the tablet so as to overlap the coordinate reading area of the tablet. In the character recognition device according to the invention of claim 3, in contrast to the character recognition device of claim 2, when the control means is in the area extraction mode, the user does not use the pen to display on the coordinate reading area of the tablet. By tracing the regular closed curve, the control operation is performed so as to extract all the character strings included in the irregular closed curve.

In the character recognition device according to the invention of claim 4,
With respect to the character recognition device according to claim 2, when the control means is in the area extraction mode, the user traces an irregular closed curve on the coordinate reading area of the tablet with a pen so that at least a part of it is obtained. The control operation is performed so that the character string included in the irregular closed curve is extracted line by line.

In the character recognition device according to the invention of claim 5,
In the character recognition device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, the control means can further switch between a region extraction mode and a character editing mode, and the region extraction processing is performed by a pen operation in the region extraction mode, and in the character editing mode. Performs a control operation so that the user recognizes a drawing operation performed on the tablet by using the pen as a command input.

A character recognition apparatus according to a sixth aspect of the present invention is the same as the character recognition apparatus according to the fifth aspect, and further edits the extracted character data of the character area based on the identified command. Equipped with editing means. A seventh aspect of the present invention is a character recognition method for extracting a desired character area from an image displayed on a display device by using an input pen and a tablet, and enclosing the desired character area in the displayed image. As described above, by extracting an irregular closed curve on the coordinate reading area of the tablet using the input pen, the area surrounded by the irregular closed curve becomes black pixels, and the area outside the irregular closed curve becomes white pixels. A step of creating area selection image data, and a step of creating image data displaying only a desired character area by taking a logical product of each pixel of the image data of the displayed image and the extraction area selection image data. I have it.

According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a character recognition method for extracting a desired character area from an image displayed on a display device by using an input pen and a tablet, wherein a desired character in the displayed image is displayed. To draw at least a part of the area, draw an irregular closed curve on the coordinate reading area of the tablet using the input pen, and scan the image data vertically and horizontally from the area surrounded by the irregular closed curve, and Detecting the positions where the pixel regions are continuous over a predetermined range as the upper limit, the lower limit, the left limit, and the right limit, respectively, and extracting image data within this range as image data for displaying only a desired character region. I have it.

[0012]

The character recognition device according to claim 1 is provided with a tablet and a pen as the coordinate recognition means, and draws a figure in an arbitrary shape as if drawing a pencil on paper by tracing the coordinate reading area of the tablet with the pen. It is possible. Then, in the area extraction mode, the control unit recognizes the drawing area input by the pen and extracts the image data corresponding to this area.

In the character recognition device of the second aspect, since the coordinate reading area of the tablet and the display screen overlap, it is possible to easily specify the image extraction area using the pen. Claim 3
According to the invention of claim 7, it is possible to extract all the image data in the area surrounded by the irregular closed curve with the pen. In the inventions of claim 4 and claim 8, the rough area is specified by using the pen, and the line breaks or paragraphs in the sentence are detected and extracted. Therefore, the area to be extracted is accurately specified. It is possible to extract a desired area without doing so.

The character recognition device of claim 5 and claim 6,
When the control means switches to the character edit mode, the drawing figure input using the pen is received as a command input signal, the figure pattern is identified, the command is judged, and the character data extracted in the area extraction mode is detected. Edit processing corresponding to the input command is performed.

[0015]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A character recognition device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a character recognition device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 1, the character recognition device according to the present invention is roughly classified into an image input unit 10 for inputting image data and an image data storage unit 1 for storing input image data.
1, a pen 12 for inputting coordinates, a tablet 13 with a display, and a control unit for controlling the image data extraction / editing operation.

The image input section 10 performs an operation of reading image data from an external file, a scanner or the like. The image data storage unit 11 stores the input image data in a binary dot pattern in which a black pixel to be displayed such as a character is 1 and a white pixel in the background is 0. The tablet 13 with a display has a screen for displaying an image, and the locus coordinate value of the pen 12 is read by pointing or tracing on the screen with the pen 12. This tablet 13 with a display directly draws the pen 1 on the displayed image.
Since it can be specified by 2, it can be operated like a pencil writing on paper and has excellent operability.

The control unit mainly operates the recognition target image data extracting unit 15, the extracted character string recognizing unit 16, the extracted character string displaying unit 17, and the gesture recognizing unit 18 mainly operating in the character edit mode. , Extraction character string editing means 19. In addition, as will be described in detail later,
The area extraction mode is an operation mode in which image data of a desired character string is extracted from the input image data and displayed, and the character edit mode is to input a command with an input pen,
This is an operation mode in which various editing operations are performed on the extracted character string.

The recognition target image data extracting means 15 receives the area coordinates on the display of the tablet 13 designated by the user with the pen 12, and extracts the image data of the character area corresponding to this area from the input image data. And outputs it to the extracted character string recognition means 16. Extracted character string recognition means 1
6 recognizes the image data of the extracted character area in character units, converts it into a character code, outputs it to the extracted character string display means 17, and holds it.

The extracted character string display means 17 displays the extracted character string on the display of the tablet 13 in a display area different from the input image, such as a different window.
The gesture recognition means 18 is
When the drawing input operation by the input pen 12 is performed on the display area of the extracted character string, the corresponding command is interpreted from the drawing figure.

The extracted character string editing means 19 performs various editing operations on the extracted character string according to the content of the command recognized by the gesture recognition means 18. The edited result is displayed on the display by the extracted character string display means 17. Next, the operation of this character recognition device will be described. 2 to 4 are operation flows showing the operation procedure of the character recognition device. As shown in FIG. 2, the operation of the character recognition device is mainly divided into a character area extracting operation and a character editing operation,
FIG. 3 shows a flow of the character area extracting operation, and FIG. 4 shows a flow of the character editing operation.

First, the character area recognition operation (area extraction mode) will be described. The image input means 10 reads an image containing a character string from a scanner or a file (image input step). The image storage means 11 stores the image read by the image input means 10 as binary data in which black pixels such as characters are 1 and white pixels in the background are 0.

The image display means 14 displays the image data stored in the image storage means 11 on the tablet 1 with a display.
3 is displayed on the display (image display step).
In the image displayed on the tablet 13 with a display, the user selects an image area including a character to be recognized by the pen 1
Extract with 2. Here, there are two methods for extracting the character image area.

First, the first method will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 5A, the user uses the input pen 12 to draw an irregular closed curve 20 surrounding the character region to be extracted on the screen. The recognition target image data extraction means 15 obtains the coordinate value of the locus of the irregular closed curve 20 and the like.
Then, as shown in FIG. 5B, the pixel size is the same as that of the input image area and is "1" indicating that all the pixels inside the irregular closed curve are black pixels. Selected area image data composed of "0" indicating that all the external pixels are white pixels is created. After that, the logical product of the input image data and the selected area image data is taken for each pixel to convert the pixels other than the area surrounded by the irregular closed curve 20 into white pixels, as shown in FIG. ,
Only the image data inside the irregular closed curve 20 is extracted.

Further, the second method will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 6A, the user uses the pen 12 to mark the irregular closed curve 21 on a part of the character region to be extracted in the image displayed on the tablet 13 with a display. Recognition target image data extraction means 15
Receives the coordinate information of the irregular closed curve 21 and performs the following processing. With reference to FIG. 6B, the recognition target image data extraction unit 15 firstly, the minimum value xmin, the maximum value xmax, and the minimum value y of the y coordinate of the irregular closed curve 21.
min and maximum value ymax are obtained. Next, starting from the minimum value ymin of the y coordinate, the range from the minimum value xmin to the maximum value xmax of the x coordinate of the irregular closed curve is scanned upward, and all the pixels in the range from xmin to xmax are white pixels. The y-coordinate in which the row of pixels that become “0” continues for Ny rows or more for the first time is set as the upper-limit y-coordinate ys of the recognition target area. Similarly, starting from the maximum value ymax of the y coordinate, the range from the minimum value xmin to the maximum value xmax of the x coordinate of the irregular closed curve is scanned downward, and all the pixels in the range from xmin to xmax are white pixels. For the first time, a row of pixels which becomes “0” has a continuous y coordinate of Ny rows or more.
The coordinate is ye.

This time, starting from the minimum value xmin of the x coordinate, the range from the minimum value ymin of the y coordinate of the irregular closed curve to the maximum value ymax is scanned to the left, and from ymin to y.
A row of pixels in which all the pixels in the range up to max are white pixels “0” has the consecutive x coordinates for Nx rows or more as the upper limit x coordinate xs of the recognition target area. Similarly, starting from the maximum value xmax of the x coordinate, the range from the minimum value ymin to the maximum value ymax of the y coordinate of the indeterminate closed curve is scanned to the right, and all the pixels in the range from ymin to ymax are white pixels. The x-coordinate in which the row of pixels which becomes “0” is consecutive for Nx rows or more for the first time is set as the lower limit x-coordinate xe of the recognition target area. Then, the image block surrounded by the upper and lower y coordinates and the left and right x coordinates is extracted as image data of the extracted character area.

As another example of the second method, the scanning of the upper and lower limits and the left and right limits is performed by using the position of the center of gravity (G
x, Gy). Alternatively, the starting points of the left and right scanning starts may be xmin and xmax, and the starting points of the upper and lower scanning limits may be the barycentric position Gy. Further, the width of the scanning area and the order of scanning may be set arbitrarily. The image data of the character area extracted in this way is converted from the image data in pixel units into a character code and held by the extracted character string recognition means 16.

The extracted character string display means 17 displays the character string extracted by the extracted character string recognition means 16 on the screen of the display of the tablet 13 (extracted character area display step). The above is the operation in the region extraction mode. Next, the character editing operation will be described. In this operation mode, the user recognizes a command from an operation of drawing with the pen 12 on the tablet (this operation is called a gesture), and various editing operations are performed on the extracted character string.

First, the operation of tracing the extracted character string display area on the display screen of the tablet 13 with the pen 12 is set so as to be accepted as a gesture. Then, when the user traces a predetermined figure with the pen 12, locus data such as coordinate values of the figure is given to the gesture recognition means 18. The gesture recognition means 18 interprets the meaning of the gesture, identifies a predetermined processing command, and gives a processing command to the extracted character string editing means 19. Here, FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a gesture shape. In the figure, the arrow indicates the direction of the handwriting of the gesture.

Gesture A as illustrated in FIG.
When is drawn, the gesture recognition unit 18 notifies the extracted character string editing unit 19 that the gesture A is drawn and the start coordinate and the end coordinate of the gesture A. The extracted character string editing means 19 calculates which character or character string in the extracted character string is the target from the start coordinates and the end coordinates of the gesture, and selects the character by highlighting the corresponding character, for example. Display that.

When a gesture B as illustrated in FIG. 7B is drawn after the gesture A, the gesture recognition means 18 recognizes that the conversion command is input to the next candidate of the character string. Then, the extracted character string editing means 19 corrects the character selected by the gesture A to the next candidate. The next candidate is the most likely candidate character next to the currently displayed candidate character.

Further, in the case of the gesture C as illustrated in FIG. 7C, all selection candidates of the selected character or character string are displayed on the screen. Furthermore, FIG.
In the case of the gesture D as illustrated in (d), the selected character or character string is deleted. After such editing processing is performed, the extracted character string after editing is displayed on the display of the tablet 13 by the extracted character string display means 17.

Further, the following processing is performed according to the user's instruction. The gestures described in the above embodiment are merely examples, and various figures can be used in association with commands. In addition, although the tablet with the display is used in the above embodiment, a display device separate from the tablet may be used.

[0033]

As described above, the character recognition device of the present invention is
A pen and a tablet are provided as coordinate input means, and in the area extraction mode, by tracing the tablet with the pen, it is controlled so as to extract image data of a desired area on the image displayed on the image display means. The area extraction instruction using an irregular closed curve can be performed as if writing with a pencil, and the operability of the character recognition operation is improved.

Further, in the character edit mode, the drawing operation using the pen is received as a command input on the display screen of the extracted character area, so that the character string editing operation can be performed by a simple drawing operation. Instructions can be easily given. Furthermore, in the inventions according to claims 7 and 8, a desired character region can be recognized by drawing an irregular closed curve on the tablet with a pen, so that complicated region designation or rough region designation is possible. ,
Operability is improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a character recognition device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a main flowchart showing an operation procedure of the character recognition device shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a sub-flow diagram showing an operation procedure of the character recognition device shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a sub-flow diagram showing an operation procedure of the character recognition device shown in FIG.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram for explaining an example of a character area extracting operation of the character recognition device of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram for explaining another example of the character region extracting operation of the character recognition device of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the shape of a gesture.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Image Input Means 11 Image Storage Means 12 Pen 13 Tablet with Display 14 Image Display Means 15 Recognition Target Image Data Extraction Means 16 Extracted Character String Recognition Means 17 Extracted Character String Display Means 18 Gesture Recognition Means 19 Extracted Character String Editing Means

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Ichiro Nakao 1006 Kadoma, Kadoma City, Osaka Prefecture Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A pen for inputting coordinate positions, a tablet having a coordinate reading area, reading a coordinate value of a locus of the pen moved on the coordinate reading area, and image data of a document including a character area. Input means for inputting, a display means having a display area associated with the coordinate reading area of the tablet, image display means for displaying the image data in the display area, and input image data in the display area. In the area extraction mode while displaying, when the user traces the coordinate reading area of the tablet with the pen in this area extraction mode, the image data of the character area corresponding to the range specified by the pen is extracted. And a control means for controlling so that the image data of the character area extracted by the control means is converted into a character code. A character recognition device comprising: a data conversion means; and an extracted character string display means for displaying the extracted character area in the display area of the display means. 2. The character recognition device according to claim 1, wherein the display area of the display means is provided on the tablet so as to overlap the coordinate reading area of the tablet. 3. The control means is included in an irregular closed curve when the user traces the irregular closed curve on the coordinate reading area of the tablet with the pen when in the area extraction mode. The character recognition device according to claim 2, wherein all the character strings to be extracted are extracted. 4. The control means, when in the area extraction mode, the user traces an irregular closed curve on the coordinate reading area of the tablet with the pen, so that at least a part of the irregular curve is the irregular shape. The character recognition device according to claim 2, wherein the character string included in the closed curve is extracted in units of lines. 5. The control means is switchable between a region extraction mode and a character editing mode, and a region extraction process is performed by a pen operation in the region extraction mode. In the character editing mode, the user operates the pen. The character recognition device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a drawing operation performed on the tablet is recognized as a command input using. 6. The character recognition device according to claim 5, further comprising editing means for editing the extracted character data of the character area based on the identified command. Character recognizer. 7. A character recognition method for extracting a desired character region from an image displayed on a display device by using an input pen and a tablet, the method comprising enclosing a desired character region in the displayed image. ,
An extraction area selection image in which the area surrounded by the irregular closed curve is made black pixels and the area outside the irregular closed curve is made white pixels by drawing an irregular closed curve on the coordinate reading area of the tablet using the input pen. A step of creating data, and a step of creating image data for displaying only a desired character area by taking a logical product of each pixel of the image data of the displayed image and the extraction area selection image data Character recognition method. 8. A character recognition method for extracting a desired character region from an image displayed on a display device using an input pen and a tablet, wherein at least a part of the desired character region in the displayed image is displayed. In order to include, the step of drawing an irregular closed curve on the coordinate reading area of the tablet using the input pen, and scanning the image data vertically and horizontally from the area surrounded by the irregular closed curve, the white pixel area is a predetermined range Detects consecutive positions over the upper limit, lower limit, left limit, right limit,
A step of extracting the image data within this range as image data for displaying only a desired character area,
Character recognition method.