JPH06203209A - On-line character recognition device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To recognizes the characters of a handwritten character string while reducing the burden on a writer. CONSTITUTION:On the basis of a stroke string inputted from the input part 10a of a display integrated tablet 10, a character segmentation part 12 actuates a character segmentation part 14 unless a stroke is inputted for a certain time to segment the stroke string which is handwritten so far into characters in a 1st system. In a 2nd system, on the other hand, the character segmentation control part 12 actuates the character segmentation part 14 when the longitudinal/lateral ratio of the inputted stroke string exceeds a specific value to segment a stroke string which is handwritten so far and not recognized. Therefore, the need for special operation for indicating the start of the character segmenting process by the writer is eliminated.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an on-line character recognizing device for recognizing a character with respect to a stroke string written and input through a coordinate input device integrated with a display.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, an online character recognizing device for recognizing a character written in a pattern input through a coordinate input device such as a tablet and used for preparing a document has attracted attention.

In the character recognition process, basically, a character string input by handwriting is divided into character patterns in units of one character,
Character recognition is performed by collating the stroke characteristics stored in the dictionary in advance for each character with the information of the combination thereof.

Therefore, in this type of online character recognition device, it is important to divide (cut out) the input character string into character units. In a conventional online character recognition device, a writing area for one line is prepared and a character string is written therein. In order to input a character string by this method, the following procedure is required. (1) Write a character string in the writing area. (2) The start of character cutting and character recognition for the written character string is instructed by pressing a predetermined button (icon) displayed on the screen with a pen. (3) Write the following character string in the writing area. A character string is input by repeating such a procedure.

[0005]

As described above, in the conventional online character recognition device, the operation of (2) is required every time a character string of one line (or an arbitrary character) is written. This operation requires moving the pen in the writing area to a button (icon) provided at a position apart from the writing area, and is frequently performed when inputting a long document, for example. . Therefore, the operation becomes complicated, and the writer's thinking is interrupted, which imposes a burden on the writer other than writing characters. In addition, since an operation other than writing is required, the efficiency of inputting characters has been reduced. The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object thereof is to provide an online character recognition device that can reduce the burden on the writer.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, a stroke sequence input by hand through a display-integrated coordinate input device is subjected to character segmentation processing to segment a pattern for each character to perform character recognition. In the character recognition device, when a stroke has not been input for a certain period of time or more, character cutting control means for activating a character cutting process for a stroke sequence that has been written and input is provided.

Further, the present invention is an online character recognition device for performing character recognition by performing character cutting processing on a stroke sequence handwritten and input via a display-integrated coordinate input device to perform character recognition. When the aspect ratio of the input stroke sequence is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, character cutting control means for activating character cutting processing for a stroke string which has been input by hand and has not been recognized has been provided. It is a thing.

[0008]

With such a configuration, by stopping the input of characters for a certain period of time while the characters are being written and input without instructing the start of the character cutting process from the outside, the characters can be input by that time. The extracted character is cut out and the character is recognized, and the recognition result is displayed. Therefore, the recognition result can be obtained at an arbitrary timing only by the operation of inputting characters by handwriting.

Further, by continuing to input characters by handwriting, the character cutting process is automatically started at the timing when a pattern for a plurality of characters is supposed to be input, and the character cutting and character recognition are performed and recognized. The result is displayed.
Therefore, when a character is written and written, the recognition result can be sequentially obtained without paying attention to the internal processing.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 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 the online character recognition device according to the embodiment. In FIG. 1, a display-integrated tablet (display-integrated coordinate input device) 10 is
The input unit 10a has a function of inputting a character string as a series of coordinate values by handwriting, and the display unit 10b has a function of displaying handwriting, recognition results (characters), and the like.

The character cut-out control section 12 controls the start timing of character cut-out in the character cut-out section 14 based on the first and second methods described later. The character cutout unit 14 cuts out a character from a character string (stroke string) input from the display-integrated tablet and the input unit 10a of the 10 in response to an instruction from the character cutout control unit 12.

The character recognition unit 16 performs character recognition (generates a character code) on the character cut out by the character cutout unit 14 while collating it with the information stored in the dictionary 18.

The display control unit 20 controls the display unit 10b to display the handwriting of the character string written and input from the input unit 10a, the recognition result of the character recognition unit 16, and the like.

The input unit 10a and the character cutting control unit 1
2. The character cutout unit 14, the character recognition unit 16, and the display control unit 20 operate independently, and it is assumed that writing can be input even during the character cutout process and the character recognition process. You can enter. Next, the operation of the embodiment will be described.

First, the display-integrated tablet 10 shown in FIG.
As shown in, the ruled lines are displayed so that the writer can easily write the characters. It is assumed that the input unit 10a and the character cutting control unit 12 are operating in parallel when the apparatus is on standby.

During this standby, the display-integrated tablet 10
When a character is written with a pen on the input surface of, the scroll columns forming the character are sequentially input. A character is cut out from the input stroke sequence by activating a character cutting process at a predetermined timing.

In this embodiment, the character segmentation process is started when the next stroke is not input for a certain period of time after the stroke is input, and when a character string of a certain length is input. The second method, which starts with

First, the first method will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. The character cutting control unit 12 is an input unit 10a of the display-integrated tablet 10.
It is determined whether or not a stroke has been input from (step A1).

When a new stroke is input, the character cutting control unit 12 holds the input time ti at the end point of the stroke i (step A2). Normally, when a character is written and input, the character is continuously written, so that the input time i in step A2 is sequentially updated.

If the next stroke i + 1 is not input after the stroke i is input, step A
It is determined whether or not a predetermined time or more has elapsed from the input time ti of the stroke i (end point) held in 2 (step A3). For example, it is determined whether 1 second or more has elapsed.

If no new stroke is input for 1 second or more after the stroke is input first,
The character cutting control unit 12 activates the character cutting unit 14,
The start of character cutting processing is instructed for the stroke sequence input so far.

Next, the second method will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. The character cutting control unit 12 calculates and obtains the position of the center of gravity from the first stroke S1 first input from the input unit 10a of the display-integrated tablet 10, and holds the x coordinate value as g1 (step B1). . However, as shown in FIG. 4, it is assumed that the x axis is in the horizontal direction and the y axis is in the vertical direction.

Thereafter, when a new stroke is input (step B2), the character segmentation control unit 12 obtains the barycentric position of the input stroke and obtains its x coordinate gi (step B3).

Then, g1 and gi are compared, and it is determined whether or not the difference exceeds a certain amount (step B4). For example, here, it is determined whether or not α times the difference between gi and g1 exceeds the character height h (character size in the y-axis direction). That is, the aspect ratio of the stroke sequence is
It is determined whether or not the value is equal to or more than the predetermined value. If this condition is not satisfied, the process returns to step B2, and a new stroke is repeatedly input.

When it is determined in step B4 that the condition is satisfied, the character cutting control unit 12 activates the character cutting unit 14 and instructs the character cutting process to start the character cutting process for the stroke sequence input so far.

Thereafter, the character cutting control unit 12 sets the newly input stroke as the first stroke S1, and g
Based on 1 (x-coordinate value of the position of the center of gravity), the timing of character extraction is controlled as described above. Note that step B
In 4, the gi that satisfies the condition for starting the character cutout process may be set as g1 for determining the timing for starting the next character cutout process.

The height h of the characters may be a predetermined value which is not related to the characters to be input (for example, it is determined according to the interval between the ruled lines as shown in FIG. 2), and the characters are sequentially input. It may be determined based on the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the y coordinate of the stroke, or may be determined based on the average value of the length of the stroke in the y direction. Letter height h
The setting method of is not particularly limited. Further, the center of gravity of each stroke is obtained and the discrimination is performed based on the coordinates of the position of the center of gravity, but other characteristic points (start point, end point, etc.) of the stroke may be used. Furthermore, although the case where characters are written horizontally is described as an example, it can be applied to the case where characters are written vertically.

In the above-mentioned second method, the character cut-out process is not always started when the stroke to be the character break is input, but for the remaining strokes which are not recognized as characters by the character recognition process, It is the target of the character cutting process that is activated next.

Thus, the character cutting unit 14 is controlled by the control unit 12.
When the character cutting process is started by the input unit 10,
A pattern is cut out for each character from the stroke sequence input from a.

The character recognition unit 16 performs character recognition on the pattern cut out by the character cutout unit 14 with reference to the dictionary data stored in the dictionary 18. The recognition result of the character recognition unit 16 is provided to the display control unit 20. The display control unit 20 includes the display-integrated tablet 10
The characters obtained by the recognition are displayed on the display unit 10b of.

In this way, by controlling the timing of character extraction using the first method, a special operation for instructing the start of character extraction is unnecessary,
The character recognition result can be obtained at any timing simply by stopping the character input for a short time.

By using the second method, when strokes for a plurality of characters are input, the character cutting process and the character recognition process are sequentially executed, and the recognition result can be obtained. That is, the recognition result of the previously written character is displayed while the character is continuously written.

By using such a method, a special operation such as pointing a button provided at a position away from the writing area with a pen to start the character cutting process is unnecessary, and the character is simply written. The character cutting process and the character recognition process for the input stroke string are executed only by the input operation.

[0034]

As described above, according to the present invention, character cutting and character recognition are performed without requiring an operation for instructing the start of character cutting processing, so that the burden on the writer can be greatly reduced. It is possible.

[Brief description of drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of an initial state of a display screen for writing characters.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining a processing procedure of a first method in the character segmentation control unit 12.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining a processing procedure of a second method in the character segmentation control unit 12.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a character string input by handwriting.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 ... Tablet with integrated display, 10a ... Input section, 10b
Display unit, 12 character cutting control unit, 14 character cutting unit, 16 character recognition unit, 18 dictionary, 20 display control unit.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An online character recognition device for character recognition by performing character cut-out processing to cut out a pattern for each character and perform character recognition for a stroke string handwritten through a display-integrated coordinate input device. An online character recognition device, comprising character cutting control means for activating a character cutting process for a stroke sequence which has been written and input so far when no input has been made for a time or longer. 2. An online character recognizing device for recognizing a character by slicing a pattern for each character by performing character slicing processing on a stroke string handwritten and input through a coordinate input device integrated with a display. When the aspect ratio of the stroke sequence is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the character cutting control means for activating the character cutting process for the stroke string which has been written and input and has not been recognized has been provided. Character recognizer.