JPH07160802A - Ocr slip form preparation processor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To simplify a slip form preparation work and to make a system easy to be used when the slip form to be used for entering character information for OCR reading is prepared. CONSTITUTION:Data showing the constraint condition of a slip form is provided according to the types of an OCR and a printer to be objects. The input of information defining the slip detail form desired by a user is accepted and whether the accepted detail form definition information satisfies this constraint condition or not is decided. When the information does not satisfy the condition, an error display is performed. A guidance mesh is generated on a display and a user will be able to input the detail form definition information by defining this guidance mesh as a reference. A mode printing/displaying only the slip component informations on line segment and character, etc., and a mode printing/displaying the information with the kind of attribute information which does not appear on the slip, can be selected.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to the technical field of information processing systems that use optical character recognition technology (OCR), and in particular, forms consisting of forms created by end users themselves in the system. (Paper)
Use to enter the required character information, etc.
The present invention relates to an information processing system in which the character information etc. entered in this form is read and processed by the system. More specifically, it relates to an OCR in such a system.
The present invention relates to a form forming processing device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a form for OCR input, it is necessary to prepare a dedicated form in which information not to be read such as ruled lines is printed in a predetermined dropout color.
In order to create the R input form, it was necessary to request printing from a specialized printer. Further, in order to perform recognition processing by OCR, the dimensions and the like of the completed form are measured, and various format parameters based on this are measured (for example, the frame structure of the form and its coordinates and dimensions, character types (alphanumeric characters, katakana, etc.). ),word count,
It was necessary to create and enter the name of the frame item, the type of entry data (place name, person name, etc.).

By the way, in recent years, in order to remove restrictions on the use of OCR, an OCR capable of reading a frame-type form printed in black has been developed. Since it is not necessary to print a form, it is becoming possible for an end user to use a form that is individually created and printed using a personal computer as an OCR input form. However, as for the format parameters, it is necessary to manually measure the dimensions and the like of the completed form and create and input the format parameters, which is troublesome.

The inventors of the present application have once proposed a new information processing system for an OCR system in order to save the above-mentioned trouble, and the contents thereof are disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 62-14278.
Published as an issue. The technology disclosed therein not only enables an end user to use a form created and printed using a personal computer or the like as an OCR input form, but at the same time,
It is characterized in that the form parameters of the created form are stored and various OCR format parameters are automatically converted / created based on the form parameter.

[0005]

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, OCR
Although it is not necessary for the user to create any form as he or she desires, even if the input form is created, various OC
There are various different restrictions for each model of R, and also for printers used for printout, there are various restrictions for each model. It is quite difficult for the end user to create a form using a terminal of a personal computer in consideration of such restrictions and various other conditions. However, the above-mentioned patent publication does not provide a solution from the viewpoint of how to simplify the work of creating the OCR input form and make the system easy to use. The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and it is an object of the present invention to provide an OCR form form creation processing apparatus that simplifies the work of creating an OCR input form and makes the system easy to use.

[0006]

According to one aspect, an OCR form form creation processing apparatus according to the present invention provides data indicating a constraint condition of a form form according to a target OCR device. 1 means, 2nd means for accepting the input of information defining a desired form detail form, and 3rd for performing an error check for determining whether or not the accepted detail form definition information satisfies the constraint condition.
It is characterized by including the means of.

According to another aspect, the OCR form form creation processing apparatus according to the present invention provides data indicating a constraint condition of the form form according to the target OCR device and print output device. Means, second means for accepting input of information defining a desired form detail form, and third means for performing an error check to determine whether the accepted detail form definition information satisfies the constraint condition.
And a fourth means for printing out the form for which the detailed form definition has been made.

In the first means, it is preferable that the data indicating the constraint condition is automatically provided according to the designation input of the model name of at least one of the target OCR device and the print output device. The second means may include a process of generating a guidance mesh on the display, and the user may input information defining a detailed form of a desired form on the basis of the guidance mesh. In the detailed form definition information, a line segment and characters that are actually represented on the form are defined.
And a second information class that is not actually displayed on the form such as information that defines the attributes of a specific area on the form. For the form for which a detailed form definition has been made, It is possible to select a first mode in which display display output or print output is performed only for information, and a second mode in which display output or print output for the second information is also performed in addition to the first information. It should be set to.

According to still another aspect, the OCR form form creation processing apparatus according to the present invention has a first means for generating a guidance mesh on a display and a matrix interval of the guidance mesh according to an input operation by a user. It is provided with a second means for variably setting and a third means for accepting an input of information defining a desired form detail form, and in the third means, a line segment, a character, etc. actually displayed on the form. The detailed form of the desired form is obtained by the combination of the first information class that defines the above and the second information class that does not actually appear on the form such as information that defines the attribute of a specific area on the form. For inputting information for defining the desired first information class and second desired information by designating a desired region by the user based on the guidance mesh. It is characterized in that to carry out the input of the broadcast class.

[0010]

According to the present invention, data indicating a constraint condition of a form form is provided according to a target OCR device and / or a print output device, and information for defining a desired form detail form input by a user is provided. Error check is automatically performed to determine whether or not the above-mentioned constraint condition is satisfied, the end user does not need to know the constraint condition of the form form corresponding to the target OCR device and / or print output device. Also, it is possible to easily prepare a form that satisfies the constraint conditions. Therefore, the work of creating the OCR input form is simplified, and a very easy-to-use system can be provided.

Further, since the guidance mesh is generated on the display and the user inputs the information defining the detailed form of the desired form on the basis of the guidance mesh, the detailed form definition information can be input very easily. It will be easier. In addition, the first information class that defines the line segments and characters that are actually displayed on the form and the second information that does not actually appear on the form, such as information that defines the attributes of a specific area on the form. Since information and the like can be input by the user by designating a desired area on the basis of the guidance mesh, this makes it very easy to input the detailed form definition information.

In addition, for a form for which a detailed form definition has been made, a first mode in which display display output or print output is performed only for the first information class, and the second information class in addition to the first information class Also, since the second mode for display output or print output can be selected,
This makes it very easy to check the contents of defined information and make corrections.

[0013]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. [System Configuration Example] FIG. 1 shows an example of the overall hardware configuration of an information processing system that implements the method according to the present invention. This system mainly includes a processing device 10 including a personal computer, A display 11, a keyboard 12, a magnetic disk (storage device) 13, a printer 14, an OCR module 15 and the like are connected to this. The keyboard 12 may be provided with a pointing device such as a mouse. Further, the processing device 10 may be connected to a communication line so that information can be exchanged with an external device.

The processing executed by this system is roughly divided into a function of creating a form of a form 20 to be used as an input sheet for OCR and printing it out by the printer 14 (form creating function), and a printout according to the created form. The OCR module 15 has a function of reading character information written by handwriting or the like on the completed form 20 (OCR reading function). The present invention particularly relates to the former form creating function, and hereinafter, the form creating function will be described. In addition, in this system,
The optical copying machine 16 is provided off-line so that the form 20 printed by the printer 14 can be used by enlarging or reducing it at a desired copy magnification as needed. In this case, the form parameters or format parameters can be corrected accurately.

[Example of Form] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the OCR input form 20 for explaining various parameters for defining the form. The “form outline” defines the outline of the form. "Edge mark"
Are marks which are respectively written on the four corners of the form to define the four corners of the outline of the form, and are used by the OCR to recognize the four corners of the form. The "edge mark enclosure" is a frame line segment element for defining the area in which the "edge mark" is described. “Comment character” is a character that constitutes a comment written in advance for the user, and is OCR.
This element is excluded from reading. "Comment ruled line"
Is a frame line segment element used when the above “comment character” is surrounded by a frame line, and the inside surrounded by this “comment ruled line” is excluded from OCR reading.

The "outline of input character field area" is a frame segment element that defines an outer frame for one group of an area in which a user writes characters (this is called "input character field"). The inside surrounded by the “input character field area outline” is the target of OCR reading. This "input character field area outline" is represented by, for example, a line segment thicker than the "comment ruled line" so that the OCR can distinguish between them. The “input character frame” is a frame line segment element that defines an entry frame for one character inside the “input character field area outline”. This "input character frame"
The smallest unit surrounded by is called a "cell". That is, one "cell" defines an area (character frame) in which one character is written.

[Description of Form Creation Process] The form creation process is
It is executed by a software program installed in the processing device 10 for form creation processing. FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing the flow of the main procedure as an example of the form creation process. Based on this, description will be made below. (1) Input of Basic Information First, the user designates and inputs basic information regarding an individual form to be created. The basic information includes, for example, the target OCR model name, the target printer model name, and the form size (A
4, B4, special, etc.), the size of the input character frame (cell) read by the OCR, and the like. As a method of designating the size of the input character frame, there are a method of directly designating a desired size and a method of indirectly designating by specifying the number of lines and the number of character frames in one line. The input information of the target OCR model name is advantageously used to automatically proceed with the form creation work by automatically considering the constraint conditions unique to the target OCR. That is, the user does not need to know the detailed constraint conditions specific to the target OCR, but only by inputting the target OCR model name, the appropriate control is automatically performed so that a form satisfying the constraint conditions can be automatically created. Is done.

The OCR constraint condition items include, for example, the presence / absence of edge marks, the presence / absence of specific marks, the limit of the size of the form that can be input, the limit of the size of the character frame, the limit of the character entry area (input area), and various clears. Area (white area; that is, area that is required to remain white) restrictions,
There are restrictions on field attributes (character type and number of digits). Of course, the constraint condition parameters for each OCR model are stored, the constraint condition parameters are referred to according to the designated OCR model, and an error check is automatically performed to determine whether or not the conditions are satisfied. It should be used so that the work of creating forms can be performed smoothly and easily. In addition, since printers also have constraints such as printable paper size and printable range, the required constraint parameters are stored for each printer model, and these printers are specified based on the specified input of the target printer model name. By referring to the constraint condition parameter, an error check such as whether or not the condition is satisfied is automatically performed, so that the form creation work can be performed smoothly and easily.

(2) Generation of guidance mesh Based on the input basic information, calculation for determining the matrix arrangement (size) of the input character frame is performed, and this matrix line is generated and displayed on the display 11 as the guidance mesh. One cell of the guidance mesh is one cell. Figure 4
Shows a display example of the guidance mesh, and the matrix line represented by the dotted line is the guidance mesh. In addition,
In FIG. 4, a form example similar to that of FIG. 2 is illustrated as being displayed in duplicate, but when the form is not created, only the guidance mesh is displayed on the display 11, and the display of the form does not appear yet. Of course. The display of the form gradually appears in response to the user's input operation of detailed definition information of the form, which will be described below, and the form of a desired form is created. Further, in the example of FIG. 4, the guidance meshes are arranged at equal intervals for each row and column, but a specification in which the intervals can be changed is also possible, as will be described later.

(3) Input of information for detailed definition of the form The user refers to the guidance mesh displayed on the display 11 to input various information for defining the desired form in detail by the keyboard. 12 etc. As the detailed definition information, information on line segment elements such as “form outline”, “edge mark enclosure”, “comment ruled line”, “input character field area outline”, and “input character frame” described with reference to FIG. , Which are arranged in a desired arrangement along the guidance mesh. The "edge mark" is arranged in the area surrounded by the "edge mark enclosure". Further, the detailed definition information includes descriptive information such as "comment character" and "input character field attribute information", and the characters corresponding to these are placed in the corresponding mesh (cell) or field.

Since the guidance mesh is displayed on the display 11, the user's input operation for creating / defining a desired form can be performed easily. The form information (that is, form form information based on the basic information and the detailed definition information) created based on the input in (1) and (3) above is stored in an appropriate memory by giving an appropriate form file name. Of course, it is remembered. Here, new technical items that can be implemented in the input processing stages (1) and (3) will be listed and described in the following (a) to (g).

(A) Method of determining input character size In the processing step of (1) above, the reading determined by the input character frame size directly or indirectly specified, the specified form size, and the specified target OCR model. The combination of the available area restrictions and the allowable input character size and the output coordinate control characteristic parameter (for example, the print enlargement or reduction ratio parameter in the row and / or column direction) that is determined by the specified target printer model are combined with a personal computer (processing device). The input character size handled in 10), the display input character size, and the print input character size are determined. In other words, depending on the printer model, the print input coordinate data size and print output coordinate data size are 1
Since there is a one-to-one correspondence that does not correspond, it is possible to create a form in which the error characteristics at the time of printing out the completed form are automatically corrected.

(B) Automatic correction of input values of form outline, edge mark enclosure, and edge mark Arrangement of any one of the form outline, edge mark enclosure, and edge mark input by the user in the processing step (3) above. However, the layout of the guidance mesh may not exactly match and / or may not fit. In order to deal with such a case, a correction value is calculated based on the specified form size, form type, input character box size, parameters of the target OCR model, etc., and the placement of the guidance mesh is properly matched. It is preferable to have a function of correcting so as to do / or fit.

(C) Input Character Field Designation Method In the method of designating the desired input character field layout in the processing step (3) above, basically, a desired cell group is designated in accordance with the provisions of the guidance mesh. It is performed by a combination of an operation and an operation of designating the designated cell group as an input character field. In accordance with this designation, the display of the "input character field area contour line" that defines the contour of the designated input character field and the frame line display of each input character frame therein are automatically performed. Further, it is preferable to have an error check function for automatically determining whether the designated input character field is within the reading area of the target OCR and notifying the user.

As an example of a method of designating a desired cell group, an input character field for one line consisting of the desired number m of cells is designated as a "row direction input character field" with a cursor and the "row direction" is designated. By inputting "input character field" for the desired number n of lines with a cursor or the like,
There is a method of designating a cell group consisting of n × m cells. An example of the instruction in this case is shown in FIG. As another example of the method of designating a desired cell group, contrary to the above,
An input character field for one column consisting of the desired number n of cells is designated as a "column direction input character field" with a cursor or the like, and this "column direction input character field" is designated with a cursor or the like for the desired number m of columns. By n
There is a method of designating a cell group consisting of × m cells.

As another example of the method of designating a desired cell group, one cell at the beginning of the desired cell group is designated by a cursor or the like, and the desired number of cells m of the input character field for one line is set. There is a method of designating a cell group consisting of n × m cells by designating the number of rows n and a numerical value. An example of the instruction in this case is shown in FIG. As another example of the method of designating a desired cell group, contrary to the above, one cell at the beginning of the desired cell group is designated by a cursor or the like, and the desired character field for one column is selected. There is a method of designating a cell group consisting of n × m cells by numerically inputting the number of cells n and the number of columns m thereof. As still another example of the method of designating a desired cell group, there is a method of designating a desired input character field by enclosing the outer shape of a desired input character field with a ruled line using a ruled line input mode. An example of the instruction in this case is shown in FIG.

(D) Line type designating method of input character field area outline line A special line type (for example, thick line) is specified and defined as the outline line defining the area of the input character field specified above. You can The line type of this “input character field area outline” may be selectable by the user from a plurality of types, or may be determined according to the target OCR model. . In this regard, if you use a block or an error check to prevent the line type for the "input character field area outline" from being used for "comment ruled lines" or character frame ruled lines that are not on the field boundaries, Good. In addition, the rule is that only the outermost boundary of the input character field group to be connected is set to the special line type, or the outermost boundary and the column direction field boundary of the input character field group to be connected are set to the special line type. May be registered, and the special line type may be automatically used according to the selected rule. Further, when the target printer is a color printer, the special line type may be displayed in color.

(E) Method for specifying or modifying input character field attribute information For each input character field whose arrangement is defined as described above, the character type (alphanumeric characters, katakana, etc.) of the character to be written in the field is set. Attributes) and their data types (place name, person name, etc.). Such input character field attribute allocation is necessary in order to narrow down the recognition target characters of OCR and improve the recognition accuracy. As a method of specifying the input character field attribute information for that purpose, there is a method of specifying the attribute at the same time when the individual input character fields are specified / created as described above. As another example, once specifying / creating the input character field,
There is a method of selecting a desired input character field and designating or modifying the attribute of the field.

(F) Method of inputting comment character and comment ruled line When inputting a comment character, the first cell of the desired comment character input position is selected and designated by a cursor or the like, and the desired comment character string is keyed in from there. . The comment ruled line can be designated and input by designating a desired cell group by a method similar to the designation of the input character field described above and designating that it is surrounded by the comment ruled line. However, the line type of the comment ruled line is different from the line type of the input character field boundary line. In the part where the comment ruled line and the input character field boundary line overlap,
Give priority to the line type of the input character field boundary line. In addition, the error check function that automatically determines whether or not the specified input area of the comment character or comment ruled line is within the printable area of the target printer and the specified input area of the comment character or comment ruled line is displayed. It is possible to provide an error check function or the like for automatically determining whether the clear area of the target OCR is not reached and notifying the user.

(G) Method of Generating Separated Character Frame The separated character frame is a character frame provided corresponding to one cell and in which only one character is entered. One separation character frame is set and written inside the cell boundary so that the separation character frames of adjacent cells do not overlap each other. Therefore, in the case of the guidance mesh having the equidistant matrix as shown in FIG. 4, the separated character frame cannot be drawn along the mesh line. So, as a solution,
One separated character frame is prepared as a font for one character, and the separated character frame font is generated and expressed at a desired cell position designated by a cursor or the like.
It is good practice to create a separate character box. It is advisable to prepare a plurality of separate character frame fonts in accordance with a plurality of guidance mesh sizes.

Now, returning to FIG. 3, a further procedure of the form creation process will be described. (4) Creation of OCR Format Information The form information created by the processes of (1) to (3) is stored in the memory with an appropriate file name for identifying the form, as described above. The form information thus created is read from the memory and automatically converted into OCR format information, and an OCR format information file relating to the particular form is automatically created and stored in the memory (for example, the magnetic disk 13). Remember. OC
In the R module 15, when reading and recognizing the character information described in the input form 20, the form 2
The OCR format information file corresponding to 0 is extracted from the memory, and the recognition process is performed with reference to this.

(5) Printing of Form (Form Original Plate) A form of a specific form that has been created by the processes of (1) to (3) and given a proper file name and stored in the memory. The information is read from the memory and printed out by the printer 14. As a result, the original version of the created form is obtained. Of course, when printing, information that does not need to be printed on the actual form sheet, such as attribute information, is excluded and printed.

(6) Processing related to additional functions such as creation assistance, checking, correction, etc. During the processing of (3) above, as an aid for defining the details of various form information or for checking,
Alternatively, in order to correct or check the created form information, it is proposed to perform processing regarding some additional functions as described below.

(6-) Print notation method of field attributes Assigned to each input character field as an aid when performing work for defining details of various form information, for checking, or for correction work. / It is necessary to be able to print out a form that also includes information indicating the set attributes. By the way, since the size of one field may be one character at the minimum, it is difficult to describe the attribute information as it is in the space for one character. Therefore, here, a method is proposed in which attribute information is abbreviated in a space for one character and printed. One is a method of displaying the description of the attribute information in a shortened form, an example of which is shown in FIG. For example, “K1” indicates one character of katakana (the head K is its abbreviation) (the last 1 is its abbreviation). Further, "E1" indicates one letter (the leading E is its abbreviation) of the alphabetic characters (the leading E is its abbreviation). Further, "G1" indicates one character of katakana or an alphabetic character (the leading G is its abbreviation) (the last 1 is its abbreviation). Since alphanumeric characters can be printed in half-width, a two-character abbreviation can be printed in the space for one character.
Alternatively, such a shortened form may be prepared as a dedicated font.

FIG. 6B shows another example, in which the attribute is abbreviated and displayed by a predetermined shortened pattern display. The table on the right is a correspondence table of the abbreviated pattern display and attributes, and it is convenient to print such a correspondence table in an appropriate space so that the meaning can be immediately understood. The short pattern display may be prepared as a dedicated font. It is needless to say that not all attribute displays are printed with abbreviations, and fields having a large number of characters may be printed with more readable description.

(6-) Guide of inputtable area based on basic information and error check As described above, the inputtable area of the input character frame and the comment can be changed depending on the target OCR model name, the target printer model name, the form size, etc. Since the area where characters can be placed is limited,
The input character frame arrangeable area and the comment character arrangeable area are calculated based on the input basic information, and various guides and error check functions as shown in the following (a) to (d) are executed based on the calculated . (A) In order to assist the work of designating and inputting detailed definition information of the form, it is advisable to provide an operation mode in which the input character frame arrangeable region and the comment character arrangeable region are displayed as guides on the form. This guide display may be displayed on a display monitor, or may be printed out on paper together with a guide mesh, a form outline, and the like. (B) As described above, while performing the work of designating and inputting the detailed definition information of the form, it is automatically checked whether the designated input character field area is the input character frame arrangeable area, If it does not correspond, a predetermined error is notified. Similarly, it is automatically checked whether the area of the comment character designated and input is the comment character arrangeable area, and if not, a predetermined error is notified. (C) The same error check as in (b) above is performed when an error check command is given by the user. (D) The same error check as in (b) above is automatically performed when the form creation is completed, the OCR format information file is created, or the completed form is printed.

(6-) Monitor display print function of input character field In order to assist the work of creating a form, the input character field is clearly indicated on the monitor, or the concatenated area of fields having the same attribute is clearly indicated on the monitor. Therefore, the following (a) ~
It provides a function like (e). (A) In order to distinguish the outline of the input character field or the concatenated area (multiple fields) of fields with the same attribute from others, a predetermined line type (line type or color not used in the input character field area outline or comment ruled line) ) To display on the monitor. This monitor display may be displayed on a display monitor, or may be printed out on a sheet together with the form display which is being created or has been created. (B) In order to distinguish the external shape of the input character field or the concatenated area (a plurality of fields) of fields having the same attribute from others, a predetermined shaded display or color is displayed on the monitor. This monitor display may be displayed on a display monitor, or may be printed out on a sheet together with the form display which is being created or has been created. (C) The above (a) and (b) may be used in combination.

(D) In order to clearly indicate the input character frame, a portion which is the frame line of each input character frame and is not the outer shape of the input character field outer shape or the connected area of the input character field is distinguished from others. The display type or color may be set so that it can be displayed on the display monitor or can be printed out. (E) The outline of the input character field may not be necessary in the finished product form (for example, in the case of using it in such a manner that characters are written in print characters). In such a case, the outline of the input character field is not printed when printing out the finished product form, but the outline of the input character field can be selectively displayed when it is displayed on the monitor. Alternatively, it may be configured for convenience such as making it possible to select the monitor print output of the form in which the outline of the input character field is printed.

(6-) Dimension or coordinate correction method Depending on the nature of the printer drive circuit or the nature of the printer, the dimensions or coordinates of the form assumed by the personal computer (processing device 10) and the dimensions of the form actually printed or The coordinates may be different. In addition, the OCR is a copy of the printed form with the optical copier 16.
When used as a form, the size or coordinates of the form subjected to OCR reading may differ from the assumption on the personal computer (processing device 10) side. If such a difference is left unattended, the character recognition process may be erroneously recognized due to the difference between the OCR format information stored in the personal computer (processing device 10) and the form actually subjected to the OCR reading, which is not preferable. Therefore, the following solutions are proposed.

(A) Solution Measure the dimension between specific parts of the test-printed form or the copy of the test-printed form and input the measurement result into the system, and the personal computer (processing device 10) side Then, the correction calculation is performed, and the coordinate data of the form information input to the printer 14 is corrected according to the correction calculation result. Then, the form is printed again based on the coordinate data of the corrected print input form information. Then, the form with the corrected error is printed. Therefore, if the error-corrected form is used (or a copy is used) for OCR, the above-mentioned erroneous recognition can be solved.

(B) Dimension Measurement Technique In implementing the above solution, a technique for measuring the dimension between specific parts of the form is proposed below. In this case, it is necessary for the personal computer (processing device 10) to completely recognize which part is actually measured.
Therefore, a personal computer (processing device 10)
From the side through the display 11 or the printer 14
By printing out a completed form or a semi-finished form sample by, the user is instructed on the site to be measured. FIG. 7 shows an example of the actual measurement site designation.

FIG. 7A shows an example in which a completed form or a semi-finished form sample is printed out by the printer 14. Predetermined marks (+ marks in the figure) are printed at predetermined positions in the four corners. The user actually measures the vertical and horizontal dimensions (dimensions in the x and y coordinate directions) between the + marks of this printed and printed form sample (or a copy thereof), and the measured data is measured by a personal computer (processing device 1).
Enter in 0). FIG. 7B shows an example of instructing the actual measurement part in the completed form or the semi-completed form by the display 11. As a guidance display for instructing the actual measurement site, the arrow display as shown is vertical and horizontal (x, y coordinate direction).
To be displayed respectively. The user actually measures the dimension between designated parts (in the example of the drawing, the outermost space between the left, right, upper, and lower edge marks) in the test printed form (or a copy thereof), and the measured data is measured by a personal computer ( Input to the processing device 10). As in the above example, it is preferable to perform the actual measurement on both the x and y coordinate axes. Further, it is preferable to actually measure between the parts that are as close to the outer shape of the form as possible in order to reduce the measurement correction error. Of course, the above dimension measurement technique is useful in implementing the above solution, but it is not essential and other methods may be used.

(C) Print coordinate control method In implementing the above solution, a method for performing print coordinate control for dimension correction as accurately as possible is proposed below. In other words, depending on the contents of the form creation software on the personal computer (processing device 10) side, the control resolution of the print coordinates is limited, so some measures must be taken. In particular, general-purpose form creation software (for example, MS-DOS version or Win
Dows version or Mac version of the spreadsheet; all of these are trademarks or product names) and are used in this form creation processing program.
The limitation of the control resolution of such print coordinates becomes a problem.

For example, in the case of the MS-DOS version spreadsheet, print coordinates can be controlled only by a multiple of a certain quantization unit such as 24 dots. Therefore, in order to realize the coordinate control below the quantization unit, a plurality of printing fonts or patterns are prepared, and the fonts or patterns are selected for printing at the correct position. FIG. 8 shows some examples of such special fonts or patterns. The outer frame of the square indicates the boundary of one font, and the horizontal line in it is the font or pattern. Of course, similar vertical line fonts are also prepared. By using these special fonts or patterns and using the double-width mode or quadruple-size mode as appropriate, it is possible to print out contour lines, frame lines, ruled lines, etc. that have boundaries in the middle of the guidance mesh, and print coordinate control These line segment elements can be printed with finer resolution than is possible. In the case of the Windows version or the Mac version spreadsheet, the matrix arrangement of the guidance mesh can be controlled at unequal intervals, and therefore the print coordinate control for dimension correction may be performed by using that function. Of course, the above print coordinate control method is useful for implementing the above solution, but it is not essential, and other methods may or may not be adopted.

(6) Function of creating large size form by enlarged copy Depending on the model of the printer 14 used, the printable size is restricted. Therefore, when a desired large size form cannot be printed out. There is. In such a case, a form of a desired size is created using the enlargement copy function of the optical copy machine 16. As an example of the procedure, first, the definition of various information in the form creation process is specified in accordance with a desired large size to create an OCR format information file. Next, before the printed output of the completed form based on the created form information, the print coordinates are reduced using the reciprocal of the enlargement ratio as the reduction ratio, and the form is printed out according to the reduced print coordinates. In this way, the form printed in the reduced size is enlarged and copied by the optical copying machine 16 to obtain a form of a desired large size. In this case, when the above-described size or coordinate correction method is carried out, the above-mentioned enlargement ratio or reduction ratio is taken into consideration in the error correction calculation.

[Specific Example of Form Creation Process] Next, a specific program example of the form creation process will be described. FIG. 9 shows FIG.
2 shows a schematic structure of an example of a “form creation processing program” executed by the processing device 10 in the system of FIG.
The “form creation processing program” shown in this embodiment is
It is roughly divided into a reference sheet definition processing program 31, a form creation processing program 32, and a dimension correction program 33, and is characterized in that the form creation processing is performed using the "reference sheet" function. For functions other than the reference sheet function, the same processing as that already described in the above-mentioned "Description of form creation processing" is performed. Therefore, the function of the reference sheet will be described below in particular.

The "reference sheet" is a concept devised by the present inventors in order to facilitate the process of creating a form, and is a basic fixed form on which the form is based. The reference sheet is composed of a combination of the above-mentioned basic information such as the size of the form (A4, B4, special size, etc.), the direction of the form (vertical, horizontal), the target OCR model, the printer model used, etc. It consists of information that can be used as a common format for forms.

The form creation process using the "reference sheet" function generally includes the following steps. The first is a step of performing a process of previously defining (creating) and registering one or a plurality of types of reference sheets, and the reference sheet definition processing program 3
By 1, the processing of this step is executed. Second
This is a step of selecting a reference sheet to be used for the definition (creation) of an individual form, and the process of this step is executed by a part of the form preparation processing program 32. Third, based on the selected standard sheet, the step of completing the individual form consisting of the desired form by designating and inputting the information for defining the individual form in detail on the standard sheet. The processing of this step is executed by 32. The processing such as the dimension correction of the form once created is performed by the dimension correction processing program 3
It is executed by 3.

A specific example of the flow of processing in the reference sheet definition processing program 31 is shown in FIG. A specific example of the processing flow in the form creation processing program 32 is shown in FIG. FIG. 12 shows a specific example of the flow of the “other operation processing” performed in the flow of FIG. 11. A specific example of the flow of processing in the dimension correction processing program 33 is shown in FIG.

First, the reference sheet definition processing will be described with reference to FIG. In step ST1, a process of displaying the reference sheet definition screen on the display 11 is performed. FIG. 14 shows a display example of the reference sheet definition screen. The components of the reference sheet are, as shown in the figure, (1) reference sheet name, (2) target OCR device model name, (3) target printer model name, (4) form size, ( 5) Input character frame arrangement, (6) Edge mark,
It consists of information such as.

In the next step ST2, a desired reference sheet is defined by the user appropriately designating and inputting the information of the respective reference sheet constituent elements using the keyboard 12 or the like while looking at the reference sheet definition screen. Perform input operation. In FIG. 14, an underline indicates a cursor, and by locating the cursor at a desired position, it is possible to select / designate the information of the contents described therein. In FIG. 14, “... name 1” or “name 1” is a convenient notation,
In fact, it is preferable that the actual name is displayed. Also,
In FIG. 14, a region surrounded by [] indicates a region to be selected / designated by a user operation. Not only may the information prepared in advance be selected / designated by the cursor, but also desired character information and numerical values may be key-inputted.

In step ST3, it is determined whether or not the necessary calculation processing is performed according to the definition input operation. If it should be calculated, the process goes to step ST4 to calculate / recalculate the input range, the print range, the input character box size, and the like. In this calculation process, predetermined constraint condition data corresponding to the designated target OCR model name and target printer model name are automatically referred to. After step ST4, the process returns to step ST1 and the screen display is rewritten according to the calculation result. In FIG. 14, the portion surrounded by a rectangular frame is the above-mentioned step ST in response to the user's selection / designation operation.
This is an area in which the result calculated in 4 is automatically displayed.
For example, the input range and print range are automatically determined according to the designated OCR model, printer model, and form size. The input range is a range in which the input character frame can be arranged, and the print range is a range in which the comment character can be printed and arranged. Also, in the example of FIG.
By specifying the total number of rows and columns in the input character frame, the vertical and horizontal sizes of one input character frame are automatically calculated in step ST4, and the result is displayed.

When it is not necessary to perform the calculation process, the process goes to step ST5 to check whether the key input for instructing the end of the definition has been made. If NO, the process returns to step ST1, but if YES, the process goes to step ST6. In step ST6, various necessary data such as the size and coordinates of the guidance mesh, the coordinates of the edge mark, the coordinates of the edge mark enclosure, and the parameters for clear area check are calculated based on the reference sheet information defined as described above. Perform the process. Also in this calculation process, predetermined constraint condition data corresponding to the specified target OCR model name and target printer model name are automatically referred to.

In step ST7, a set of reference sheet information files for which the automatic generation of the definition and necessary data has been completed as described above is output and stored in the storage device such as the magnetic disk 13. In the reference sheet definition processing, the target OCR, the target printer, the input character frame size, etc. can be treated as default values. In that case, the default value may be manually modified.

Next, the form creating process will be described with reference to FIG. In step ST10, a process of displaying the reference sheet / form selection screen on display 11 is performed. A display example of the reference sheet / form selection screen is shown in FIG. In the next step ST11, while looking at the reference sheet / form selection screen, the user uses the keyboard 12 or the like to form a reference sheet or a completed reference sheet, which is the basis of the form creation processing to be performed (or in the middle of creation; in short, file created). The desired form is selected from among the above forms and the form name to be created is input. Either a reference sheet or a file-completed form can be selected, and in either case, a desired one can be selected from a plurality of reference sheets or a plurality of filed forms. When creating a new form file, select the reference sheet. Also, a new form file can be created by appropriately changing the parameter data of the existing completed form. When creating a new form file, enter a new form name. Further, the parameter data can be appropriately added / changed without changing the file name of the file created form.

At the next step ST12, it is checked whether a key input for instructing the end of selection has been made. If NO, the process returns to step ST10, but if YES, the process goes to step ST13. In step ST13, it is confirmed whether or not the reference sheet is selected. If YES, the process proceeds to step ST14 to calculate the guidance mesh display parameter, the input range and the print range display parameter based on the information of the selected reference sheet. To do. As a result, the guidance mesh and the input range or print range of the selected reference sheet can be displayed on the display 11. Then, it goes to step ST15. In the case of a file-created form, these display parameter calculations have already been completed, so step ST15 is skipped and step ST15 is performed.

In step ST15, a process for displaying the form creation screen on the display 11 is performed. FIG. 16 shows a display example of the form creation screen. In the example of FIG. 16, the area other than the input range is shaded to clearly indicate the input range. Not limited to this, it is also possible to change the display mode so that the print range is specified. In the next step ST16, the user inputs various parameter information for defining the form in detail by using the keyboard 12 or the like while looking at the form creation screen. The type of the detailed form definition information is as described above in connection with the above-mentioned embodiment. Subsequent steps ST17, S
At T18 and ST19, the contents input by the user are determined, and the corresponding processing is performed at steps ST20, ST21 and ST.
22.

In step ST17, it is determined whether or not an input operation for selecting an arbitrary cell or cell group in the guidance mesh has been performed. If YES, the display parameter of the selected cell or cell group is created in step ST20, and the process returns to the form creation screen display process of step ST15. As a result, a predetermined display for clearly indicating the selected cell or cells is displayed.

In step ST18, it is determined whether or not an input field specifying operation (an operation of specifying an input character field, an operation of specifying an attribute of the field, or the like) has been performed. If YES, the process proceeds to step ST21, and the process according to the content of the input field designating operation is performed. For example, when the operation of designating as the input character field is performed, the cell or cell group selected in the previous step is registered as the input character field. When the operation of designating the attribute of the input character field is performed, the attribute information designated corresponding to the input character field is registered. At the same time, an error check is performed to see if the cell or group of cells designated as the input character field satisfies the clear area condition and the input range condition. Further, display parameters such as the input character field outline, field attribute display data, and error display data are created according to the above-mentioned specified contents and error check result, and then the process returns to the form creation screen display process of step ST15. As a result, the input character field outline, the field attribute display, the error display, and the like are displayed according to the specified contents and the error check result.

In step ST19, it is determined whether or not a comment input operation (comment character input, comment ruled line input, etc.) has been performed. If YES, step S
Going to T22, the processing according to the input contents is performed. For example, the input comment character or comment ruled line is registered in correspondence with the cell or cell group selected in the previous step. At the same time, an error check is performed to see if the cell or group of cells designated for comment input satisfies the clear area condition and the print range condition. Further, display parameters such as comment character display data, comment ruled line display data, and error display data are created in accordance with the input designation contents and error check result, and thereafter, the process returns to the form creation screen display process of step ST15. As a result, comment characters, comment ruled lines, error display, and the like are displayed according to the input specification contents and the error check result.

At step ST23, it is checked whether or not a key input for instructing the end of form preparation has been made. If YES, the process ends, but if NO, step ST2.
Go to step 4 to see if any other input operation was done. When another input operation is performed, the process goes to step ST25 and the process corresponding to the input operation is performed. Then, the process returns to the form creation screen display process of step ST15.

FIG. 12 shows a specific example of the "other operation" process executed in step ST25 of FIG. In step ST26, it is determined whether a display mode selection operation has been performed. If YES, the process proceeds to step ST27, and the display mode selection screen as shown in FIG. 17 is displayed on the display 11. Step ST2
In 8, the user can select a desired display mode from the monitor display, the form display, and the dimension correction display while looking at the display mode selection screen. Step ST
At 29, it is checked whether the end key is input.
If YES, the process proceeds to step ST30, the display on the display 11 is changed to display the mode selected by the user, and the process returns. If NO, the process returns to step ST27 and the display mode selection is continued.

The monitor display is a display mode in which not only the display of a form but also the description of the attributes of each field is performed. The form display is a display mode in which only the created form is displayed. The dimension correction display is a mode in which the display 11 displays a screen for performing processing (this is referred to as dimension correction processing) corresponding to the above-described dimension or coordinate correction method. An example thereof is as shown in FIG. 7B or FIG. 19, and a display for designating a portion whose dimensions should be measured is displayed.

Returning to FIG. 12, in step ST31, it is determined whether or not a print screen selection operation has been performed.
In the case of YES, the process proceeds to step ST32 and the print screen as shown in FIG. 18 is displayed on the display 11. In step ST33, the user can select a desired print mode from form printing, monitor printing, and dimension correction printing while viewing this print screen. Step S
At T34, it is checked whether the end key has been input. If YES, the process proceeds to step ST35, print processing is performed in the designated print mode, and then the process returns. If NO, the process returns to step ST32 to continue selecting the print screen.

The form printing is a mode in which only the created form is printed. The monitor printing is a mode in which not only the printing of the form but also the notation describing the attributes of each field is printed. Dimension correction printing is a mode for printing a form (for example, a form as shown in (a) of FIG. 7 or a direct print of a screen as shown in FIG. 19) in which a notation designating a portion whose dimensions are to be actually measured is specified. is there.

In step ST36, it is determined whether or not an operation instructing to create an OCR format file has been performed. If YES, step ST
In step 37, a parameter conversion process for converting various parameters of the created form into OCR format information is performed, and an OCR format file including the converted OCR format information and the form name is created and output.
The output OCR format file is stored in a storage device such as the magnetic disk 13. When the dimension correction is performed, the format parameter considering the correction value is stored. In step ST38, it is determined whether or not an operation instructing to output the form file has been performed. If YES, the process goes to step ST39 to create and output a form file including various parameters of the created form and the form name. The output form file is stored in a storage device such as the magnetic disk 13.

Next, the dimension correction processing program will be described with reference to FIG. This dimension correction processing program corresponds to the processing according to the dimension or coordinate correction method described above. First, in step ST40, processing for displaying the form selection screen on the display 11 is performed. In the form selection screen, all the form names registered in the storage device such as the magnetic disk 13 are displayed on the display 1.
Displayed as 1. In the next step ST41, the user operates the keyboard 12 or the like to select a form to be dimension-corrected while looking at the form selection screen. In the next step ST42, it is checked whether a key input for instructing the end of selection has been made. If NO, the process returns to step ST40, but if YES, step S40.
Go to T43.

In step ST43, the form to be dimensionally corrected selected in the previous step is displayed and the region to be measured is shown to the user. At this time, the display mode of the display 11 is switched to the dimension correction display mode, and the dimension correction screen as shown in FIG. 19 is displayed. In the next step ST44, the input of vertical and horizontal dimension data of the form measured by the user is accepted. The user actually measures the dimension between designated parts in the form printed out in advance by the process of step ST35 in FIG. 12, and inputs this measured data according to the display of the dimension correction screen.

At step ST45, it is checked whether the input of the actual measurement data is completed. If YES, the process proceeds to step ST46 to perform the above-described dimensional correction calculation and change calculation of form data and the like. In this embodiment, the data that has been error-corrected by the dimension correction calculation (or the data that has been reduced and corrected in the case of the enlarged copy function described above)
The coordinate data of the form file is changed so that is registered as the form data. Therefore, after this dimension correction process, when the form is printed through step ST35 of FIG. 12, the form coordinate data in which the print error (or the enlargement ratio) is compensated is read from the form file, and the print error is compensated. The completed (or compensated to reduce by the planned enlargement ratio) form is printed.
However, since the OCR format parameter used as the recognition standard of the OCR read data needs to be the same as the actual size of the form, step S in FIG.
In the format parameter conversion calculation at T37, the form coordinate data of the form file is directly OCR.
Instead of converting into format parameters, the values corrected by the dimension correction processing are back-calculated and added to obtain OCR format parameters according to the actual dimensions of the form, which are registered in the OCR format file.

[Other Embodiments] In the above embodiment, the guidance meshes are arranged at equal intervals, but the processing program may be configured so that the matrix arrangement of the guidance meshes can be controlled at unequal intervals. For example, as described above, Wind
For ows or Mac spreadsheets,
Since the matrix arrangement of the guidance mesh can be controlled at unequal intervals, such general-purpose software can be incorporated and used in the system of the present invention. In that case, the following functions can be additionally realized.

(A) Peripheral coordinate control mesh function In order to improve the accuracy of the printing position coordinates such as the outline of the form and the edge mark, the interval of the guidance mesh near the outer periphery of the form is automatically or manually variably controlled. .
Alternatively, additional mesh lines (matrix lines) may be inserted for this purpose. That is, it is desirable that the guidance meshes are evenly spaced in the area where the input character frame is set, but since the input character frames are not normally set near the outer periphery of the form, the mesh intervals can be controlled to be unequal.

(B) Separate input character frame mesh function While setting the guidance mesh for defining the arrangement of the input character frame at equal intervals, a mesh line for defining the arrangement of the separated input character frame is added. To do. By doing so, it is not necessary to prepare a dedicated font for the separated input character frame as in the above example. Also, such an additional mesh line is not only for the definition of the separated input text box,
For example, it can be used for the purpose of setting some space at the boundary of the input character field.

(C) Function of using a plurality of input character frame sizes By setting the guidance meshes at unequal intervals in the area for setting the input character frame, an input character frame that does not share the row direction or the column direction is The sizes can be different from each other. By utilizing this property, it is possible to use a plurality of input character box sizes on one form.

[Other Embodiments] The entire form may be covered with a guidance mesh and the form creation process may be performed without arranging characters or line segments at arbitrary coordinates. For example, by incorporating general-purpose form generator software into the system, such an application can be achieved. For example, in general-purpose form generator software, a rectangular frame can be created by specifying the starting point coordinates and ending point coordinates on the diagonal line, or if the mesh size is specified, the guidance mesh starting from the specified starting point coordinates can be used. Is generated partially, and even if the designation of the end point coordinates at that time does not exactly match the guidance mesh intersection point, a neighboring mesh intersection point is automatically selected as the end point coordinate and a partial guidance mesh is generated. , Etc. can be advantageously used to perform the form creation process according to the present invention.

[Embodiment of Dimension / Coordinate Correction System] Dimension / coordinate correction system in consideration of input / output error of printer,
Alternatively, in the error correction method for creating a form of an enlarged (or reduced) size using the enlargement (or reduction) copy function, the OCR format parameter information calculated on the computer side is a compensation calculation method in the above-described embodiment. Not applicable (that is, the size and actual OC based on the created OCR format parameter information)
However, on the contrary, the OCR format parameter information may be modified or bypassed so as to be the target of the compensation calculation. In that case, the procedure of the process shown in the above embodiment may be appropriately changed / replaced.

For example, the first form in which the form is actually printed out based on the form form definition information created by the user
And the second step of providing a form for OCR consisting of a size that is enlarged or reduced vertically or horizontally with a size proportional to the form printed out (here, the form printed out is directly used for OCR). In this case, the input / output error of the printer is to be corrected, and the printed and output form is enlarged or reduced, or by copying the ratio with an appropriate error, as a form for OCR. (In that case, the copy magnification or the error is to be corrected), a third step of converting the form form definition information into OCR format parameter information, and the converted OCR format parameter information into the first step. And a fourth step of performing a correction calculation using the enlargement or reduction ratio of the step 2 as a calculation coefficient. Parameter information in which may be used in the OCR reading process.

That is, at the stage of creating the form form definition information, the size and input are made different from the actual OCR form size, and the input control value of the printer is not corrected.
Corrected OCR by correcting the data obtained by converting the form form definition information into OCR format parameter information according to the printer output error or the copy magnification.
Get format parameter information for this (this modified O
The size based on the CR format parameter information matches the size of the form actually subjected to OCR).
It may be used in the R reading process. However, such a modification requires that the size and the size of the actual OCR form be different from the actual size when the form form definition information is created.
Since it is expected that the usability will be somewhat worse, it can be said that this is merely a bypass technique of the dimension / coordinate correction method described at the beginning. However, it should be noted here that such a bypass technique is also included in the scope of the practice of the present invention.

[0078]

As described above, according to the present invention, data indicating the constraint condition of the form form is provided according to the target OCR device and / or the print output device, and the desired form input by the user is provided. It is determined whether or not the information defining the detailed form satisfies the constraint conditions. If the information does not satisfy the constraint conditions, an error message is displayed. Therefore, the form corresponding to the OCR device and / or the print output device targeted by the end user is displayed. Even if you do not know the constraint conditions of the form, it is possible to prepare a form form that satisfies the constraint conditions. Therefore, the work of creating the OCR input form is simplified, and a very easy-to-use system can be provided.

Further, since the guidance mesh is generated on the display and the user inputs the information defining the detailed form of the desired form on the basis of the guidance mesh, the detailed form definition information can be input very easily. It will be easier. In addition, the first information class that defines the line segments and characters that are actually displayed on the form and the second information that does not actually appear on the form, such as information that defines the attributes of a specific area on the form. Since information and the like can be input by the user by designating a desired area on the basis of the guidance mesh, this makes it very easy to input the detailed form definition information.

In addition, for a form for which a detailed form definition has been made, a first mode for displaying or printing out only the first information and the second information together with the first information. Also, since the second mode for display output or print output can be selected,
This makes it very easy to check the contents of defined information and make corrections.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the overall hardware configuration of an information processing system that implements the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of an input form for OCR.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart schematically showing an example of a form creating process according to the present invention with respect to its main procedure.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a display example of a guidance mesh displayed on a display.

FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining some examples of input character field designation methods.

6A and 6B are diagrams showing some examples of a method of describing attributes assigned to input character fields in a short form.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a method of designating a portion of a form to be actually measured for dimension correction, in which (a) is an example of printing a form sample by a printer and designating a measured portion; ) Is an example in which the actual measurement part of the form is indicated on the display.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing some examples of special fonts or patterns prepared to realize coordinate control below a quantization unit.

9 is a flowchart showing a schematic structure of a form creation processing program executed in the system of FIG.

10 is a flowchart showing a specific example of a reference sheet definition processing program in FIG.

11 is a flowchart showing a specific example of the form creation processing program in FIG.

12 is a flowchart showing a specific example of other operation processing executed in the form creation processing program shown in FIG.

13 is a flowchart showing a specific example of a dimension correction processing program in FIG.

14 is a diagram showing a display example of a reference sheet definition screen displayed on the display in the process of FIG.

15 is a diagram showing a display example of a reference sheet / form selection screen displayed on the display in the process of FIG.

16 is a diagram showing a display example of a form creation screen displayed on the display in the process of FIG.

FIG. 17 is a diagram showing a display example of a display mode selection screen displayed on the display during the process of FIG.

FIG. 18 is a diagram showing a display example of a print screen displayed on the display during the process of FIG. 12;

FIG. 19 is a diagram showing a display example of a dimension correction screen displayed on the display during the process of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Processor (Personal Computer) 11 Display 12 Keyboard 13 Magnetic Disk (Storage) 14 Printer 15 OCR Module 16 Optical Copier 20 Form

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A form form creation processing device used for entering character information for OCR reading, which provides data indicating constraint conditions of a form form according to a target OCR device. A first means, a second means for receiving an input of information defining a desired form detail form, and an error check for determining whether or not the received detailed form definition information satisfies the constraint condition. And a means for creating a form form for OCR. 2. A form form creation processing device used for entering character information and the like for OCR reading, wherein constraint conditions of the form form are indicated according to the target OCR device and print output device. A first means for providing data, a second means for receiving input of information defining a desired form detail form, and an error check for determining whether or not the received detail form definition information satisfies the constraint condition An OCR form form creation processing device comprising: a third means for performing the above; and a fourth means for printing out a form for which a detailed form definition has been made. 3. The first means automatically provides data indicating the constraint condition in response to a designation input of a model name of at least one of an OCR device and a print output device as a target. The OCR form form creation processing apparatus according to Item 1 or 2. 4. The second means includes a process of generating a guidance mesh on a display, and a user inputs information defining a detailed form of a desired form on the basis of the guidance mesh. The OCR form form creation processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2. 5. The detailed form definition information includes a first information class that defines line segments and characters that are actually displayed on a form and information that defines attributes of a specific area on the form. There is a second information class that is not actually displayed on the form, and for a form for which a detailed form definition has been made, a first mode in which display display output or print output is performed only for the first information class, and the first mode 2. A second mode in which the second information is also displayed and printed on the second information together with the second information can be selected.
Alternatively, the OCR form form creation processing device according to item 2. 6. A form processing device for forming a form used for entering character information for OCR reading, comprising: a first means for generating a guidance mesh on a display; It comprises a second means for variably setting the matrix interval of the guidance mesh and a third means for accepting the input of information defining a desired form detail form, and the third means actually displays the form on the form. The combination of the first information class that defines the line segment and characters to be displayed and the second information class that is not actually displayed on the form, such as the information that defines the attribute of the specific area on the form, This is for inputting information to define the detailed form of the desired form, and the user can specify the desired area based on the guidance mesh and specify the desired area. OCR for continuous form creation processing apparatus being characterized in that to perform the input of one information class and the second information such.