JPH08101894A - Character recognizing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide the character recognizing device with which the performance of recognition due to the additional registration of dictionary elements can be more improved. CONSTITUTION: A character recognizing device 10 is provided with a slip input part 101 for reading characters on a slip 100 as quantized data, feature extracting part 102 for extracting the features of character patterns, identifying part 103 for identifying the character patterns, image memory 104 for storing the quantized data, control part 1-5, dictionary part 106 equipped with the dictionary elements registered in advance, additional registration deciding part 107 for deciding whether it is possible to add the dictionary element to the dictionary part 106, dictionary addition processing part 108 and display part 109. The additional registration deciding part 107 decides whether the additional registration candidate character can be registered or not by using the feature data of the additional registration candidate character outputted from the feature extracting part 102 and the feature data stored in the dictionary 106 and when the additional registration deciding part 107 decides the registration is enabled, the dictionary addition processing part 108 additionaly registers the additional registration candidate character onto the dictionary 106 with its feature code and character code as the dictionary elements.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a character recognition device, and more particularly to a character recognition device having a dictionary element additional registration function for a dictionary.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Characters obtained by reading a printed or handwritten character and recognizing the character from the characteristic data and character pattern extracted based on the image data (quantized data) of the read character to obtain a corresponding category (character code). Recognizers have been developed and are used in many fields such as accounting processors equipped with handwritten slip readers and character processing using character readers. It has a dictionary for associating.

Conventionally, as the dictionary unit, a standard dictionary has been used, which is a dictionary element in which a feature series is extracted from the features obtained from many learning characters and is associated with the category of each character. If the read characters include cursive characters and similar characters, there is a problem in that there is no difference in the feature values and erroneous recognition or unrecognizable characters occur. Therefore, for the purpose of eliminating such inconvenience, it has been considered to use a personal dictionary in which the characters of the person who wrote the handwritten character are registered in advance. As a method of using a personal dictionary, there is a technology disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 56-088674. In addition to this, for example, the following techniques are disclosed. Japanese Patent Application No. 60-220481 ("Character Recognition Device") Japanese Patent Application No. 60-238989 ("Character Recognition Method") Japanese Patent Application No. 62-027874 ("Character Recognition Device") Japanese Patent Application No. 64-44586 ( "Handwritten character recognition device with personal dictionary creation function")

The above-mentioned character recognition device has a function of additionally registering characters in the dictionary, which enables continuous input of category names from the input device at the time of additional registration of characters, and at the same time, reads the sample form on the display unit. The purpose is to display the character pattern and the input category name and facilitate the operator's work of associating the character pattern with the category name.

Next, although the above-mentioned character recognition device has a function of additionally registering characters in the dictionary, a plurality of plural characters displayed on the display unit can be displayed by switching to the additional registration mode at the time of reading the form regardless of the additional registration by the sample form. By designating a desired character pattern from the character patterns, inputting its category name, extracting features, and registering them in the personal dictionary, it is not necessary to fill in the sample form and input the sample form. The above character recognition device has a standard dictionary and a sub dictionary that stores patterns of characters that cannot be recognized by the standard dictionary. The character recognition rate is improved by recognizing the characters.
Further, in the above character recognition device, when a personal character pattern is created and registered in a personal dictionary, the similarity between the registered dictionary pattern and the input character pattern is compared, and the personal pattern is stabilized based on this similarity. By calculating and displaying the degree, the user is allowed to select whether or not to register the character pattern in the personal dictionary.

[0006]

However, in the character recognition device according to the prior art as described above, when the character is additionally registered in the dictionary, the character written outside the character frame in the form in which the character is described cannot be registered. There was a problem. Further, when a character recognition device such as the above-mentioned is misread, or when an unrecognizable glyph is simply added to the dictionary as belonging to a category A, the glyph is different from the category but the similarity of the feature data is different. The similarity with category B, which is larger than the category of, is less likely to deteriorate the recognition performance because the feature difference from category B is reduced due to the addition of unrecognizable glyphs to category A. In particular, it is added as a personal dictionary. When using a dictionary, there was a problem that the recognition performance deteriorated significantly. Further, in a character recognition device of a system in which recognition of a standard dictionary and an additional dictionary is performed in two steps (for example, the character recognition device disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 62-027874 mentioned above), the number of processing steps is large and the recognition speed is slow. There was a point.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems in the character recognition device based on the prior art. In a character recognition device having a dictionary element additional registration function, the dictionary element An object of the present invention is to provide a character recognition device capable of further improving recognition performance by additional registration. It should be noted that here, in the case of recognizing handwritten characters, the personal dictionary is used for each writer in order to prevent the recognition rate from decreasing due to the habit of individual characters and improve the recognition rate when using only the standard dictionary. A dictionary configured to register the characters written by the individual and use it for character recognition by the writer.
The additional dictionary covers unrecognizable parts of the standard dictionary as a whole by recognizing characters that cannot be recognized by the standard dictionary by additionally registering the characteristic data of the unrecognizable characters and dictionary elements such as categories in the standard dictionary. A dictionary constructed for the purpose of improving the recognition efficiency of the dictionary.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, the character recognition device of the first invention stores a dictionary element containing character pattern feature data and a category name corresponding to the character pattern. A character recognizing device including a dictionary, the identifying means for identifying an input character based on the first dictionary, and the unidentifying character information is output when there is an unidentifying character as a result of identification by the identifying means. Among the character patterns displayed by the unidentifiable character existence information output means, the display means for detecting at least the unidentifiable character information by detecting the unidentifiable character information from the unidentifiable character existence information output means, and the character pattern displayed by the display means. A selection means for selecting an arbitrary character pattern and the size and / or position of the selected character pattern are adjusted to display the adjusted character pattern. The adjusting means, the characteristic data extracting means for extracting the characteristic data from the character pattern by using the adjusted character pattern as the additional registration candidate character, the characteristic data extracted from the character pattern of the additional registration candidate character, and the registration in the first dictionary. The additional registration candidate character that determines whether or not the additional registration candidate character can be additionally registered in the first dictionary based on the registered feature data, and the additional registration candidate character is registered when the determination result by the additional registration determination means is registerable. Dictionary addition processing means for additionally registering a dictionary element including the characteristic data and the category name in the first dictionary.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the character recognition device according to the first aspect, when a character frame is displayed by the display means together with a character pattern of unidentifiable characters, the adjusting means further comprises:
It is characterized in that it has means for adjusting the size of the character frame and for storing the adjusted character pattern in the adjusted character frame.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the character recognition device of the first aspect, when the result of determination by the additional registration determining means is that registration is not possible, the additional registration candidate character determined to be unregisterable is further added to the additional registration candidate character. It is characterized by having a forced additional registration means capable of registering a dictionary element including the characteristic data of 1. and the category name in the first dictionary.

A fourth invention is the character recognition apparatus of the first invention, further comprising a standard dictionary storing standard dictionary elements and an additional dictionary storing additionally registered dictionary elements. The means is means for determining whether or not additional registration of the additional registration candidate character in the additional dictionary is possible based on the characteristic data extracted from the character pattern of the additional registration candidate character and the characteristic data registered in the standard dictionary. The additional processing means is means for additionally registering a dictionary element including the characteristic data of the additional registration candidate character and the category name in the additional dictionary when the determination result by the additional registration determination means is registerable,
Further, it is characterized by further comprising dictionary editing means for selectively extracting a dictionary element from the additional dictionary for each individual and storing it in the first dictionary together with the dictionary element of the standard dictionary.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the character recognition device according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, when the result of determination by the additional registration determination means is unregisterable, the additional registration candidate character determined to be unregisterable is further the additional registration candidate character. It is characterized by having a forced additional registration means capable of registering a dictionary element including the feature data and the category name in the additional dictionary.

A sixth invention is characterized in that, in the character recognition device according to any one of the first to third inventions, the additional registration judging means comprises the following steps. (1) The distances between the feature data of the additionally registered character candidates and the feature data of each dictionary element of the first dictionary are obtained. (2) Of the distances of the respective elements obtained in the above step (1), the closest distance in the same category as the additionally registered character is first.
Select as the distance. (3) From the distances of the respective elements obtained in step (1) above, the average of the distances excluding the first distance selected in step (2) is obtained as the second distance. (4) The threshold of the first distance is the first threshold, and the second
When the second distance threshold is set as the second threshold, the feature data of the additional registration candidate character and the category name are set only when the first distance is closer than the first threshold and the second distance is farther than the second threshold. It is determined that the dictionary element including the dictionary element can be additionally registered in the first dictionary.

A seventh invention is characterized in that, in the character recognition device of any one of the first to third inventions, the additional registration judging means comprises the following steps. (1) The distances between the feature data of the additionally registered character candidates and the feature data of each dictionary element of the standard dictionary and the additional dictionary are respectively obtained. (2) Of the distances of the respective elements obtained in the above step (1), the closest distance in the same category as the additionally registered character is first.
Select as the distance. (3) From the distances of the respective elements obtained in step (1) above, the average of the distances excluding the first distance selected in step (2) is obtained as the second distance. (4) The threshold of the first distance is the first threshold, and the second
When the second distance threshold is set as the second threshold, the feature data of the additional registration candidate character and the category name are set only when the first distance is closer than the first threshold and the second distance is farther than the second threshold. It is determined that the dictionary element including the dictionary element can be additionally registered in the additional dictionary.

[0015]

According to the above construction, the character recognition device of the present invention adjusts the position and shape of the misaligned characters by the adjusting means even if there are unrecognizable characters due to misalignment.
The additional registration determination means identifies for registration determination, and the characters that can be registered are automatically additionally registered in the dictionary. Further, regarding the unrecognizable characters other than the positional deviation, the additional registration determining means performs the identification for the registration possibility determination, and the registerable characters are automatically additionally registered in the dictionary. That is, the character recognizing device functions as the additional registration function together with the recognition function (without switching to the additional registration function), and recognizes unrecognizable characters in the dictionary (including the standard dictionary and the additional dictionary existing when the additional registration function operates). Whether to register in the additional dictionary is automatically determined.

Further, according to the character recognition devices of the third and fifth inventions, the registration of unrecognizable characters in the additional dictionary is not rejected uniformly, but means for forced registration is provided. With this, individual files can be created for each individual.

Further, according to the character recognition device of the fourth and fifth inventions, the additional dictionary is used for the additional registration to register the dictionary elements, and after the additional registration is completed, the dictionary editing means is used to personalize the additional dictionary. Another dictionary element is extracted and stored in the first dictionary together with the dictionary element of the standard dictionary.
Identification is performed using the dictionary.

[0018]

【Example】

<Embodiment 1> FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of a character recognition device according to the present invention.
Is written (or printed) on the form 100
A form input unit 101 that reads a character into quantized data (image data), a feature extraction unit 102 that extracts a feature of a quantized character pattern, an identification unit 103 that identifies a character pattern, and a quantized data An image memory 104 to be stored, a control unit 105, a dictionary unit 106 having a character feature and a character code registered in advance as dictionary elements,
An additional registration determination unit 107 that determines whether or not a dictionary element can be added to the dictionary unit 106, a dictionary addition processing unit 108, and a display unit 1
09 and a key input unit 110.

The constituent elements of the character recognizing section and the operations between the constituent elements are, in the embodiment, characteristic data extracting means in the characteristic extracting section 102, identifying means in the identifying section 103, and unidentifiable. Character presence information output means, additional registration determination means in the additional registration determination section 107, dictionary addition processing means in the dictionary addition processing section 108, display section 109
In this case, the program is executed by the display means and the forced additional registration means, and in the key input section, the selection means, the adjusting means, and the forced additional registration means. Further, these programs are started up when the character recognition device 10 is activated and their execution is controlled by the control unit 105. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Can also be configured as.

The operation of the character recognition device 10 will be described below in the order of (1) recognition processing, (2) adjustment processing, and (3) additional registration determination processing. (1) Recognition processing The form 100 is read by the input processing unit 101, and characters written (or printed) one by one in a predetermined position range (for example, in a character frame) partitioned on the form are quantized and quantized. The input character pattern is output to the feature extraction unit 102 and the image memory 104. The feature extraction unit 102 extracts the feature data of characters from the character pattern for each character output from the form input unit 101. Also, the image memory 1
In 04, the quantized character pattern from the form input unit 101 is stored. The identification unit 103 calculates the distance between the feature data output from the feature extraction unit 102 and the feature data stored in the dictionary 106, and outputs the category with the shortest distance to the control unit 105 as a character candidate. Here, when the identification unit 103 performs the rejection determination, the distance D of the candidate character is compared with the rejection threshold R of the candidate character stored in the dictionary 106. For example, when D ≦ R, no rejection, D If> R, it is determined that there is a reject. If there is no reject, the candidate character is output to the control unit 105, and if there is a reject, it is determined that there is an unidentifiable character and a reject signal is output to the control unit 105. When the reject signal is received, the control unit 105 displays the identification result output from the identification unit 103 and the character pattern in the image memory 104 corresponding to the identification result on the display unit 109.

(2) Adjustment process The user looks at the recognition result displayed on the display unit 109 and specifies the character to be additionally registered in the dictionary 106. That is, the user uses the key input unit 110 to specify a character to be additionally registered in the dictionary 106. The control unit 105 uses the key input unit 11
The image of the character designated by 0 is enlarged and displayed on the screen of the display unit 109. Here, FIG. 2A is an example of the enlarged characters, and in this example, the character is shifted out of the character frame 200 due to the shift of the writing position of the character, and a part of it is projected. In such a case, the user may enter the key input unit 110.
The position of the character is moved by using to adjust the character so that the character fits within the frame 200 as shown in FIG. Also, FIG.
When the character is largely out of the frame 202 as shown in (c), the key input unit 110 is used (for example, the cursor movement key is operated to position the cursor near the character, and the frame enlargement key is operated. ) Enlarge the frame and adjust so that the characters fit within the frame as shown in FIG. Although the character position is moved using the key input unit 110 in the embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this, and the character position may be moved using a pointing device such as a mouse. After the adjustment work is completed, the adjusted character pattern is output to the feature extraction unit 102 as an additional registration candidate character and is output to the feature extraction unit 1.
In 02, the feature data of the additional registration candidate character is created and output to the additional registration determination unit 107. The additional registration determination unit 107 determines whether the additional registration candidate character can be registered, using the characteristic data of the additional registration candidate character output from the characteristic extraction unit 102 and the characteristic data stored in the dictionary 106. And
The additional registration determination unit 107 outputs the determination result to the dictionary addition processing unit 10
8 and the control unit 105. When the additional registration determination unit 107 determines that registration is possible, the dictionary addition processing unit 108 additionally registers the feature code and character code of the additional registration candidate character in the dictionary 106 as a dictionary element, and the display unit 109 displays a registration completion message. Is displayed. In addition, the additional registration determination unit 107
When it is determined that the registration is impossible, the control unit 105 displays on the display unit 109 a message (forced additional registration selection message) asking whether the forced additional registration is possible. When the forced additional registration selection message is displayed, the user inputs a code (eg, “Yes”) indicating that forced additional registration is possible or a code indicating that forced additional registration is not possible (for example, “No”) from the key input unit 110. ) Is entered. When the input code from the key input unit 110 is a code indicating that forced additional registration is possible, the control unit 105 outputs an additional registration permission signal to the dictionary addition processing unit 108, and the dictionary addition processing unit 108.
Receives the additional registration permission signal and additionally registers the feature data and character code of the additional registration character candidate as a dictionary element. The identification processing in the identification unit 103 after the additional registration in the dictionary 106 is performed including the additionally registered dictionary element.

(3) Additional Registration Judgment Process FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the additional registration judgment process (that is, the process in the additional registration judgment unit 107) in the character recognition device of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the structure of the dictionary. In this example, categories A (A1 to A
3), B (B1 to B3), and C (C1 to C3) are each composed of three dictionary elements (generally, the dictionary prepares a plurality of character patterns for one category to improve the recognition rate. Feature data is registered as dictionary elements in association with each other.Therefore, the number of dictionary elements in the same category may differ for each category, or there may be one category and one dictionary element). In addition, here, it is assumed that each dictionary element is an average of 10 samples, and the number of features of the character pattern extracted by the feature extraction unit 102 is 20. Now, assume that the category of the additional registration candidate character is A. In step S1 of FIG. 3, the distance between the feature data of the additional registration candidate character and the feature data of each dictionary element is calculated. For example, when the Euclidean distance is used as the distance measure, the distance D [i] between the additional registration candidate character and the dictionary number i in FIG. 4 is expressed by the following mathematical expression (1).

## EQU1 ## D [i] = (Σ (Zj-Xij) ² ) ^1/2 (1) where Zj is the j-th element of the feature data of the additional registration candidate character and Xij is the i-th element of the dictionary. It is the jth element of the feature data of the dictionary element, and Σ is j = 1 to n (number of features)
Is a symbol that means the sum of Therefore,
The distance D [1] between the feature data and the dictionary number 1 (dictionary element A1) in FIG. 4 is D [1] = (Σ (Zj-A1j) ² ) ^1/2
Becomes

FIG. 5 is a calculation result of the distance between the characteristic data of the additional registration candidate character obtained by the above mathematical expression (1) and the characteristic data of the dictionary shown in FIG. In step S2, the distance Dcls that is in the same category as the additional registration candidate character and is closest is selected from the distances calculated in step S1. When the Euclidean distance is used, the smaller the distance is, the closer the distance is defined. Therefore, the minimum distance as shown in the following mathematical expression (2) is obtained.

[Equation 2] Dcls = min (D [1], D [2], ..., D [i], ...) (2) where min (D [1], ..., D [i], ..) represents the minimum value of the elements in parentheses, and in the example of FIG. 5, Dcls =
It is D [3]. In step S3, the average Dave of the distances obtained by removing the distance selected in step S2 from the distances calculated in step S1 is calculated. Dave is the following formula (3)
Indicated by.

Dave = {(ΣD [i]) − Dcls} / (n−1) (3) where Σ is a symbol that means the sum when i = 1 to n (n is the number of features) Is. Therefore, in the above example, the average Dave is Dave = (D [1] + D [2] + D
[4] + D [5] + D [6] + D [7] + D [8] + D
[9]) / 8 = 2690/8 = 336.5. In step S4, whether or not additional registration is possible is determined using Dcls and Dave. Specifically, for example, when the threshold value of Dcls is thcls and the threshold value of Dave is thave,
Dcls is closer than thcls and Dave is
If it is farther, the control unit 105 outputs a signal indicating that registration is possible to the dictionary addition processing unit in step S5. When the Euclidean distance is used, it is expressed by the following conditional expression. Condition 1: Registration is possible Dcls ≦ thcls and Da
ve ≧ thave Condition 2: Unregisterable Case other than Condition 1 In the above example, thcls = 150, then
= 250, Dcls = 100, Dave = 33
Since it is 6.5, Dcls = 100 <150 = thc
Since ls, Dave = 336.5> thave = 250 and the condition 1 is satisfied, the control unit 105 outputs a registerable signal to the dictionary addition processing unit. Although the Euclidean distance is used as the distance in step S2 in the embodiment,
The distance is not limited to this, and the distance normalized by the variance in each dictionary or another distance measure may be used in consideration of the data variation.

<Embodiment 2> FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the construction of another embodiment of the character recognition apparatus according to the present invention. The character recognition apparatus 60 is a dictionary editing apparatus having the same construction as the character recognition apparatus 10 of FIG. It has a configuration in which a section 611, a standard dictionary 611 provided by the manufacturer, and an additional dictionary 613 are added. The constituent elements of the character recognition section and the operations between the constituent elements are, in the embodiment, characteristic data extraction means in the characteristic extraction section 102, identification means in the identification section 103, and unidentifiable character presence information. The output unit, the additional registration determination unit in the additional registration determination unit 107, the dictionary addition processing unit in the dictionary addition processing unit 108, the display unit and the forced additional registration unit in the display unit 109, and the key input unit. If so, selection means, adjustment means, forced additional registration means, dictionary editing unit 6
11 is executed by a program such as dictionary editing means. Further, these programs are started up when the character recognition device 10 is activated and their execution is controlled by the control unit 105. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Can also be configured as.

The recognition processing in this embodiment is the same as the recognition processing in the above-described first embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted (first embodiment).
(1) Recognition process). The additional registration process for the additional dictionary 613 will be described below. The user has the display unit 109.
A character to be additionally registered in the additional dictionary 613 is specified by looking at the recognition result displayed in. That is, the user uses the key input unit 110 to specify the character to be additionally registered in the additional dictionary 613. The control unit 105 enlarges and displays the image of the character designated by the key input unit 110 on the screen of the display unit 109.
Here, FIG. 2A is an example of the enlarged characters.
In the case of this example, the character shifts to the outside of the character frame 200 due to the shift of the writing position of the character, and a part of the character protrudes. In such a case, the user uses the key input unit 110 to move or rotate the position of the character so that the character fits within the frame 200 as shown in FIG. 2B. Also, FIG.
When the character is largely out of the frame 202 as shown in (c), the key input unit 110 is used (for example, the cursor movement key is operated to position the cursor near the character, and the frame enlargement key is operated. ) Enlarge the frame and adjust so that the characters fit within the frame as shown in FIG. Although the character position is moved using the key input unit 110 in the embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this, and the character position may be moved using a pointing device such as a mouse. Further, the adjustment of the character pattern is not limited to the above example, and processing such as thinning and interpolation can be performed. The adjusted character pattern is output to the characteristic extraction unit 102 as an additional registration candidate character, and the characteristic extraction unit 102 creates characteristic data of the additional registration candidate character and outputs it to the additional registration determination unit 107. The additional registration determination unit 107 uses the feature data of the additional registration candidate characters output from the feature extraction unit 102 and the feature data stored in the dictionary 106 to add the additional registration candidate character dictionary 6
It is determined whether registration to 13 is possible. Then, the additional registration determination unit 107 outputs the determination result to the dictionary addition processing unit 108 and the control unit 10.
5 is output. When the additional registration determination unit 107 determines that registration is possible, the dictionary addition processing unit 108 adds the feature code and character code of the additional registration candidate character as a dictionary element to the additional dictionary 6
13 is additionally registered, and the display unit 109 displays a registration completion message. When the additional registration determination unit 107 determines that registration is impossible, the control unit 105 displays a message (forced additional registration selection message) on the display unit 109 asking whether the forced additional registration is possible. When the forced additional registration selection message is displayed, the user uses the key input unit 110 to indicate that the forced additional registration is possible (for example, “Ye”).
s ") or a code indicating that forced additional registration is not possible (for example," No "). When the input code from the key input unit 110 is a code indicating that forced additional registration is possible, the control unit 105 outputs a dictionary. The additional registration permission signal is output to the additional processing unit 108, and the dictionary addition processing unit 108 receives the additional registration permission signal and additionally registers the feature data and the character code of the additional registration candidate character as a dictionary element.

Next, the relationship between the additional dictionary 613 and the dictionary 606 will be described. The additional dictionary 613 can be managed, for example, on a user-by-user basis, and the dictionary editing unit 611 allows the additional dictionary 613 to be managed.
Select the dictionary element for each user from among the standard dictionary 61
It is stored in the dictionary 106 together with 2. In the dictionary editing unit 611, it is possible to individually select the additionally registered dictionary among the additional dictionaries for each user. Therefore, the user may select a character to be recognized from the additionally registered characters.
FIG. 7A is an example of a dictionary selection table for each user, and FIG. 7B is an example of individual dictionary elements in the dictionary selected for each user. The user uses the key input unit 110 or the pointing device to select a desired dictionary name from the selection table displayed on the output unit 109. Next, the user may use the key input unit 110 or the pointing device to select the dictionary element to be used by looking at the attributes 701 to 704 (see FIG. 7B) of the dictionary element displayed on the display unit 109. . Here, the dictionary element attribute is, for example, a character pattern, whether the dictionary element is currently in use (represented by a status flag or the like), or whether the dictionary element is forcibly additionally registered (registration type flag or the like). Representation) etc.

[0027]

As described above, according to the character recognition apparatus of the present invention, when an additional dictionary is created, it is possible to register characters deviated from the predetermined position range on the original such as character frames.
In addition, the character recognition device of the present invention functions as an additional registration function together with the recognition function (without switching to the additional registration function), and recognizes with a dictionary (including a standard dictionary and an additional dictionary that is present when the additional registration function operates). Since it is automatically determined whether or not unrecognizable characters can be registered in the additional dictionary, it is not necessary for the operator to determine whether or not unrecognizable characters can be registered in the additional dictionary, unlike the conventional character recognition device. Efficiency is improved. Further, registration of unrecognizable characters in the additional dictionary is not a uniform reject for characters that are "not", but by providing a means for compulsory registration, for example, it is possible to create individual files for each person who writes characters with strong habits. it can.

[Brief description of drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a display example of additional registration candidate characters before and after position adjustment.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an additional registration determination process in the character recognition device of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a dictionary.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a calculation result of a distance between the feature data of the additional registration candidate character and the feature data of the dictionary for similarity determination in the additional registration determination processing.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the configuration of another embodiment of the character recognition device according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a dictionary selection table for each user and an example of individual dictionary elements in the dictionary selected for each user.

[Explanation of symbols]

10, 60 Character recognition device 100 Form 101 Form input unit 102 Feature extraction unit (feature data extraction unit) 103 Identification unit (identification unit, unidentifiable character presence information output unit) 104 Image memory 105 Control unit 106 First dictionary 107 Addition Registration determination unit (additional registration determination unit) 108 dictionary addition processing unit (dictionary addition processing unit) 109 display unit (image display unit, forced addition registration unit) 110 key input unit (selection unit, image adjustment unit, forced addition registration unit) 611 dictionary editing unit (dictionary editing means) 612 standard dictionary 613 additional dictionary

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page (72) Inventor Takashi Katsushi 120-5 Nishinoboro, Ebetsu-shi, Hokkaido Inside Nihon Digital Research Institute (72) Inventor Kazuo Ozawa 120-5 Nishinoboro, Ebetsu-shi, Hokkaido Nihon Digital Co., Ltd. In the laboratory

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A character recognition device comprising a first dictionary storing dictionary data including character pattern feature data and category names corresponding to the character pattern, wherein input characters are stored in the first dictionary. Based on the identification means, based on the result of the identification by the identification means, if there is an unidentifiable character, the unidentifiable character presence information output means for outputting the unidentifiable character information, and the unidentifiable character presence information output means unidentifiable Display means for detecting at least the unidentifiable character pattern by detecting character information, selecting means for selecting an arbitrary character pattern from the character patterns displayed by the display means, and size of the selected character pattern. And / or adjusting means for adjusting the position of the character pattern to display the adjusted character pattern, and additionally registering the adjusted character pattern. Feature data extracting means for extracting feature data from the character pattern as a candidate character; additional registration based on the feature data extracted from the character pattern of the additional registration candidate character and the feature data registered in the first dictionary. Additional registration determining means for determining whether or not the additional registration of the candidate character in the first dictionary is possible, and when the determination result by the additional registration determining means is registerable, the characteristic data of the additional registration candidate character and the category name are included. A character recognition device, further comprising dictionary addition processing means for additionally registering a dictionary element in the first dictionary. 2. The character recognition device according to claim 1, wherein
When the character box is displayed by the display means together with the character pattern of the unidentifiable character, the adjusting means further has means for adjusting the size of the character box and for storing the adjusted character pattern in the adjusted character frame. A character recognition device characterized by the above. 3. The character recognition device according to claim 1, wherein
When the result of the determination by the additional registration determining means is that registration is not possible, for the additional registration candidate character that is determined to be unregisterable, the dictionary element including the characteristic data of the additional registration candidate character and the category name is further registered in the first dictionary. A character recognition device having a forced additional registration means that enables the character recognition device. 4. The character recognition device according to claim 1,
Further, a standard dictionary that stores standard dictionary elements and an additional dictionary that stores the additionally registered dictionary elements are provided, and the additional registration determination means includes the characteristic data extracted from the character pattern of the additional registration candidate character and the standard. Means for determining whether or not additional registration candidate characters can be additionally registered in the additional dictionary based on the feature data registered in the dictionary, and the dictionary addition processing means can register the determination result by the additional registration determination means. At some time, it is a means for additionally registering a dictionary element including the feature data of the additional registration candidate character and the category name in the additional dictionary, and further selecting and extracting the dictionary element for each individual from the additional dictionary,
A character recognition device having dictionary editing means for storing the dictionary elements of the standard dictionary in a first dictionary. 5. The character recognition device according to claim 4,
When the result of determination by the additional registration determining means is unregisterable, it is possible to further register a dictionary element including the feature data and category name of the additional registration candidate character determined to be unregisterable in the additional dictionary. A character recognition device having a forced additional registration means for performing. 6. The character recognition device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the additional registration determination means comprises the following steps. (1) The distances between the feature data of the additionally registered character candidates and the feature data of each dictionary element of the first dictionary are obtained. (2) Of the distances of the respective elements obtained in the above step (1), the closest distance in the same category as the additionally registered character is first.
Select as the distance. (3) From the distances of the respective elements obtained in step (1) above, the average of the distances excluding the first distance selected in step (2) is obtained as the second distance. (4) The threshold of the first distance is the first threshold, and the second
When the second distance threshold is set as the second threshold, the feature data of the additional registration candidate character and the category name are set only when the first distance is closer than the first threshold and the second distance is farther than the second threshold. It is determined that the dictionary element including the dictionary element can be additionally registered in the first dictionary. 7. The character recognition device according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the additional registration determination means comprises the following steps. (1) The distances between the feature data of the additionally registered character candidates and the feature data of each dictionary element of the standard dictionary and the additional dictionary are respectively obtained. (2) Of the distances of the respective elements obtained in the above step (1), the closest distance in the same category as the additionally registered character is first.
Select as the distance. (3) From the distances of the respective elements obtained in step (1) above, the average of the distances excluding the first distance selected in step (2) is obtained as the second distance. (4) The threshold of the first distance is the first threshold, and the second
When the second distance threshold is set as the second threshold, the feature data of the additional registration candidate character and the category name are set only when the first distance is closer than the first threshold and the second distance is farther than the second threshold. It is determined that the dictionary element including the dictionary element can be additionally registered in the additional dictionary.