JPH0991371A - Character display device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide the character display device which can display characters together with images of illustrations, etc., without correcting characters which where not recognized or erroneously recognized by a character recognizing means. SOLUTION: The character display device is equipped with an element image deciding and storing means 8 which discriminates between a non-character image that does not consist of characters at all and a character element image that consists of characters entirely according to the recognition result of a recognizing means 5 and stores image data of the element image as a non- character image part when the image is the non-character element image, an unrecognized character extracting and storing means 9 which extracts image data of a character that the character recognizing means can not recognize and the position of the data in the image and stores them as an unrecognized character file, and a display data composing means 11 which puts bit map data for display generated by a bit map data generating means 12 and the image data stored in the non-character image part file together to generate data for display.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a character display device, and more particularly to a technique for displaying a recognition result including a character that cannot be recognized.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional character display device, first, a paragraph of a character portion and an image portion such as a plate are drawn from image image data of an original read by an image scanner or image image data previously stored in an external storage device. The layout structure of is analyzed, and the positions of image data (element image) for each paragraph (character string) and each plate are extracted.

Next, each element image is divided into 1
Image data for each character (character image) is cut out, and by comparing this character image with the image information of the character data prepared in advance, the character data (character code) corresponding to the character image and the character font used, etc. That is, the so-called character recognition is performed, and the recognized character code and used character font data are stored.

At this time, with respect to the element images in which all the character images obtained by decomposing the element images cannot be recognized as characters, the element images are recognized as non-character element images such as illustrations.

On the other hand, the position of the unrecognizable character image (unrecognizable character) is stored for a part of the element image where the character image cannot be recognized, and the recognized character is prepared in Japanese. The words and grammar were inspected using a dictionary etc. to identify misrecognized characters.

Further, the unrecognizable character and the erroneously recognized character are displayed by displaying the unrecognizable character and the erroneously recognized character, and the operator inputs the unrecognizable character and the erroneously recognized character based on the image image data or the manuscript. The correction result is stored in an external storage device or the like, read out from the external storage device and displayed as needed.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION As a result of studying the above prior art, the present inventor has found the following problems.

In the conventional character display device, one character is cut out from the image image data for each element image, and the cut out character image is converted into character data (character code).
Only the character data is stored in the external storage device, and the character data stored in the external storage device is read by the operator's display instruction and displayed on the display device. There has been a problem that after the operator corrects it, it must be saved (stored) as the character recognition result.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a character display device capable of displaying a character which cannot be recognized by the character recognition means and a character which is erroneously recognized together with a non-character image such as a picture plate without the operator correcting the character. is there.

The above and other objects and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the description of the present specification and the accompanying drawings.

[0011]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Among the inventions disclosed in the present application, the outline of a representative one will be briefly described.
It is as follows.

(1) An image in which image image data read by an image scanner or image image data stored in an external storage device is divided into element images, and the position of each divided element image in the entire image is extracted. Data division extraction means, character cutout means for cutting out image image data for each character from the element image, recognition means for recognizing the cutout image data of the character and converting it into a character code, and the conversion result are prepared in advance. An erroneous conversion extraction means for extracting an erroneous conversion point by comparing with a dictionary, a character recognition storage means for storing the character code and information of the erroneous conversion point as a character recognition result, and the character recognition result by an operator's display instruction And a bitmap character data creating means for reading out and creating bitmap data of characters for display,
A character display device comprising an image display means for converting the bitmap data into a signal for display and displaying the signal on a display means, wherein each element image is image data other than a character from the recognition result of the recognition means. Is determined to be a non-character element image or a character element image composed of all character image image data. An element image determination / storing means for storing as a character image part file, an image image data of a character that cannot be recognized by the character recognizing means in the character element image, and a position on the image of the image image data are extracted, and an unrecognized character file Unrecognized character extraction storage means for storing as, and bitmap data for display and unrecognized characters created by the bitmap data creation means Synthesizing the picture image data stored in Airu and non-text image unit files, and a display data combining means for creating a bit map data for display.

According to the above-mentioned means, first, the image data division extraction means divides the image image data into element images to extract the positions of the respective element images in the whole image, and then the character cut-out means makes the elements. Cut out character images in the image one by one.

Next, the recognition means performs character recognition in which the characters cut out one by one correspond to the corresponding character codes,
As a post-processing of character recognition, the erroneous conversion extraction means verifies the recognition result based on a dictionary such as a knowledge dictionary in which the sentence obtained by the character recognition is prepared in advance. To identify.

When the identification of the erroneously recognized portion is completed, the character recognition storage means stores only the normally recognized character as the character recognition result.

The element image judgment storage means is composed of non-character element images in which each element image is composed of image image data other than characters, or image data of all characters, based on the recognition result of the recognition means. If it is a non-character element image, the image image data of the corresponding element image is stored as a non-character image part file.

When there is an unrecognizable character in the element image subjected to character recognition, the unrecognized character extracting / storing means extracts the position of the unrecognizable character in the element image and the image image data, The extracted position and the image image data are stored in the unrecognized character file, and the character recognition and the storage of the recognition result are completed.

At this time, when there is a display instruction from the operator, first, the bit map character data creating means reads the character recognition result and creates bit map data for display.

Next, the display data synthesizing means synthesizes the display bitmap data with the image image data stored in the non-recognized character file and the non-character image part file to create the synthesized bitmap data for display. And send it to the image display means.

The image display means converts the composite bitmap data into a signal for display and causes the display means to display the signal.

In this way, the character code is stored for the character that the recognition means has correctly recognized as a character, while
For characters that cannot be recognized as characters or that have been erroneously recognized, the image data of the character is stored as an unrecognized character file, and when the operator instructs to display it, it is generated from the stored character code. By combining the bitmap data and the image image data read from the unrecognized character file based on the position information, the characters that cannot be recognized as characters and the characters that are erroneously recognized can be stored without being corrected by the operator. Every time, it can be displayed by a display instruction.

[0022]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings together with embodiments (examples) of the invention.

In all the drawings for explaining the embodiments of the invention, components having the same function are designated by the same reference numerals,
The description of the repetition is omitted.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a character display device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is an image image data input terminal, 2 is image data storage means, 3 is image data division extraction means, 4 Is character cutting means, 5 is recognition means, 6 is erroneous conversion extraction means, 7 is character recognition storage means, 8 is element image determination storage means, 9 is unrecognized character extraction storage means,
Reference numeral 10 is a detailed layout structure description means, 11 is a display data synthesizing means, 12 is a bitmap character data creating means, 1
Reference numeral 3 is a character display buffer memory, 14 is an image composition memory, 15 is an image display memory, and 16 is an image display means.

In FIG. 1, an image image data input terminal 1 is a reading terminal for reading the image image data into the character display device of this embodiment, and an image scanner (not shown) or an external storage (not shown) in which the image image data is stored. The device is connected.

The image data storage means 2 is a memory for storing the image image data read from the image image data input terminal 1, and in the present embodiment, it is secured on the main memory.

The image data division extraction means 3 extracts the positions of a plurality of element images, which are unit blocks constituting an image, from the image image data stored in the image data storage means 2 in the entire image to be read. An identifier indicating whether each element image indicates a background and the position of the element image are stored in one file.

The character cut-out means 4 cuts out the element images extracted (divided) for each column by the image data division extraction means 3 as an image image (character image) of each character using a known technique. .

The recognizing means 5 reads the character images cut out by the character cutting means 4 in order one by one and, for example, a character image divided into each character by a pattern matching method and a predetermined template. Characters corresponding to a character image are specified by comparing and collating with each other and converted into a character code, so-called character recognition is performed.

The erroneous conversion extraction means 6 uses a known technique, and verifies the recognition result based on a dictionary such as a knowledge dictionary in which the sentence obtained by the recognition means 5 is prepared in advance. Identify the recognition point.

The character recognition storage means 7 stores the character code of the character recognized by the recognition means 5 in a memory (not shown).

The element image determination / storage means 8 uses a known technique, and checks whether or not there is a portion recognized as a character in each element image, and, for example, a portion recognized as a character in the element image. If the element image is not included, it is determined that the element image is a non-character element image that does not include characters, that is, a figure, the position of this element image is extracted, and the position and the image image data are extracted as an image file (non-recognition). Character file).

The unrecognized character extraction / storing means 9 selects the character recognized by the recognizing means 5 among the element images of the characters determined to be the element image including the character by the element image determining / storing means 8.
Describe the character image of the unrecognized character and the position information on each layout in the file, for example,
It is stored and saved in an external storage device (not shown).

The detailed layout structure description means 10 determines from the position of the element image extracted by the image data division extraction means 3 on the input image and the output of the unrecognized character extraction storage means 9
The detailed layout structure of the entire image data is stored in a text file called the detailed layout structure file.
It is saved in an external storage device (not shown).

The display data synthesizing means 11 is the position of the element image described in the detailed layout structure file according to the instruction of the operator, and each element image is a graphic (non-character element image) or a character (character element image). Type, and
From the character code of the recognized character and the position of the unrecognized character in the character element image, the data of the file in which the respective data is stored is read out, and the character code is stored in the bitmap character data creating means 12 as an image. The image data is transferred to the image compositing memory 14, respectively.

The bit map character data creating means 12 is
Based on the character code transferred from the display data synthesizing means 11, the display data of the character corresponding to the character code is created.

The character display buffer memory 13 is a memory for storing the display bit map data created by the bit map character data creating means 12.

The image synthesizing memory 14 is a memory for synthesizing the image image data read by the display data synthesizing unit 11 and the bit map data of the character stored in the character display buffer memory 13, and temporarily storing the synthesized image data. Is.

The image display memory 15 is a memory for storing bitmap data to be displayed on a display device (not shown).

The image display means 16 comprises the image display memory 1
The bitmap data stored in 5 is sequentially read and converted into an analog signal for displaying an image on a display device (not shown).

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an input image for explaining the operation of the character display device of the present embodiment, which includes characters and illustrations.

FIG. 3 shows the result of dividing the input image shown in FIG. 2 into element images consisting of character strings and illustrations by the character display device of the present embodiment. Numerals 301 to 308 indicate element images 1 to 8 in order. Indicates.

In FIG. 3, for example, the element image 8 (3
Reference numeral 08) indicates a background image, and the image data division and extraction unit 3 stores the image divided as shown in FIG. 3 as a background image file having the background image as a file name in an external storage device (not shown) and saves it. .

FIG. 4 is a description example of a file for storing the result of division as shown in FIG. 3, in which information for each element image is stored in order from the top. For example, the row of element image 1 indicated by 401. In the case of the example, the description contents will be described. From the left side in order, “element image 1” which is the name of the target element image, and the next target element image indicates the background, or , Is an identifier that describes whether it indicates something other than the background. In the present embodiment, “0” indicates the background image and “1” indicates other than the background image.

Next, x1 and y1 are target element images 30.
1 is a coordinate value indicating which position on the image is located. As shown in FIG. 5, the distance from the upper side of the image is x1,
The distance from the left side is described as y1.

"\ N" indicates a line feed, "\ e" on the line of the element image 8 indicated by 402 indicates the end of the file, and each information is separated by ": (colon)".

FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the character cut-out means 4, and 601 shows cut-out character images 1 and 60.
Reference numeral 2 indicates a cutout character image 2, 603 indicates a cutout character image 3, and 604 indicates a cutout character image 4.

In FIG. 6, cut character images 1 to 4
(601 to 604) are character images obtained by dividing the element image 301, which is the title, into character images for each character by the character cutting means 4, and the element images 301 are “table”, “show”,
This indicates that the character image for 4 characters of "apparatus" and "position" could be divided.

FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the operation when the cut-out means 4 divides the drawing, and reference numerals 701 and 702 denote the cut-out character image 5 and the cut-out character image 6, respectively.

In FIG. 7, cut-out character images 5, 6
(701, 702) is a diagram obtained by dividing the diagram in which the image scanner and the information processing device, which are illustrated, are connected by a cable by the cutting means 4 as a character.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a result of the recognition result of the character image judged by the element image judgment storing means 8, and a hatched portion in black indicates a character which cannot be recognized as a character.

FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the unrecognized character extraction / storing means 9, and 901 to 903 are element images 3.
The part which cannot be recognized as a character in (303) is shown.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a case where the recognition result shown in FIG. 9 is saved in a file. The size of the character used in the first line, the type of character font used in the second line, In the third line, the line spacing is described, and in the fourth and subsequent lines, the text that is the recognition result is described.

FIG. 11 shows the detailed layout structure description means 10.
Is a description example of the file that stores the recognition result of the image,
Reference numeral 1101 shows a description example of the element image 1 (301), and 1102 shows a description example of the element image 8 (308) showing the background.

Next, the operation of the image recognition system of this embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 1. First, from the image scanner (not shown) connected to the image image input terminal 1, the text containing the illustration shown in FIG. When the image image data of is input, this image image data is stored in the image data storage means 2.

Next, the image data division extraction unit 3 extracts the image image data stored in the image data storage unit 2 from the element images 1 to 8 (301 to 3) as shown by the dotted lines in FIG.
08), and as a result of this division, as shown in FIG. 4, the identifiers and image positions corresponding to the corresponding element images 1 to 8 (301 to 308) are written in a file and saved as a text file.

Next, as shown in FIG. 5, the character slicing means 4 sets the element images 1 to 8 (301 to 308) to 1 respectively.
Divide into characters.

For example, "table", "show", "apparatus",
When the element image 1 (301) consisting of four characters of "position" is divided, as shown in FIG.
4 (601 to 604).

On the other hand, the element image 5 which is a non-character element image
In (305), as shown in FIG. 7, the picture part showing the scanner is divided into the cut-out character image 5 (701) and the picture part showing the personal computer is divided into the cut-out character image 6 (702).

The recognition means 5 recognizes the element images 1 to 8 (301 to
In step 308), the divided cut-out character images are sequentially recognized, and the element image judgment storage means 8 judges whether or not there is a cut-out character image recognized as a character for each element image.

In the case of the sample image shown in FIG. 2, since the cut-out character images 5 and 6 (701 and 702), which are the constituent elements of the element image 5 (305), cannot be recognized as characters, it is determined to be a non-character image portion. , Other element images 1-4
6, 7 (301 to 304, 306, 307) are determined as the character image portion and are as shown in FIG.

The element image judgment storage means 8 saves the element image judged as a non-character image as an image file, for example, the file name as the non-character image part file 1.

On the other hand, the element images determined to be the character image part include the recognized characters of the cut-out character image that the unrecognized character extraction / storing means 9 can recognize, and the cut-out character image that cannot be recognized or is erroneously recognized. Save the layout position information of those characters in a file.

For example, the element image 3 (30
In the case of 3), as shown in FIG. 10, the character size, the type of the character font, the line spacing, and the body are stored as, for example, a “character image section layout structure file 3” in an external storage device (not shown).

At this time, when a part of the cut-out character image in the element image 3 (303) cannot be recognized or is erroneously recognized, the character image of the part is saved instead of the character code, As shown in 1001, the character image files 1 to
When 3 is entered and the recognition result is displayed, the character image of the described character image file is displayed as it is.

Similarly, for the other element images, each element image is stored in the "character image section layout structure file n" (where n is a natural number of 1 or more).

Next, the detailed layout structure description means 10 describes the detailed layout structure of the entire image image data from the overall layout structure and the layout structure in the character image portion as shown in FIG. 11, and the description content is not shown. Save as a text file whose file name is the detailed layout structure file in the external storage device.

After that, when the operator gives an instruction to display the character recognition result, the display data synthesizing means 11 first reads the detailed layout structure file, then checks the element image identifier of the detailed layout structure file, Element image 8 as a background image whose image identifier is "0"
The file indicated by the “background image file” in (308) is read from an external storage device (not shown) and written in the image compositing memory 2.

Next, the display data synthesizing means 11 reads the layout structure file 1 in the character image part of the element image 1 described in the detailed layout structure file, and transfers the contents to the bitmap character data creating means 12.

The bit map character data creating means 12 is
Based on the layout structure file 1 in the character image portion transferred from the display data synthesizing means 11, the element image 1 (30
1) Bitmap data (display bitmap data) is created, then display start positions x1 and y1 are obtained, and background image data is acquired from the position corresponding to x1 and y1 on the image compositing memory 14. Overwriting the element image 1
Write the bitmap data of (301).

Thereafter, the element images 2 to 4, 6 and 7 (302 to)
304, 306, 307), the element image 1 (3
The same process as in 01)

On the other hand, since the element image 5 (305) is a non-character image, the display data synthesizing means 11 causes the element image 5 (3)
05), the file in which the image image data (bitmap data) of the element image 5 (305) portion indicated by the "non-character image part file 1" is stored is read,
The display start position x5, y5 is obtained, and the image data of the element image 5 (305) is written by overwriting the background image data from the position corresponding to x5, y5 on the image compositing memory 14.

Here, the method of creating the bitmap data of the character image part will be described in detail for the case of processing the element image 3 (303). First, the bitmap character data creating means 12 starts from the display data synthesizing means 11. From the description of the transferred element image 3 (303), the layout structure file 3 in the character image part having the description content shown in FIG. 10 is read.

Next, the character size and character font of the layout structure file 3 in the character image part (character font used)
And the character size, character font, and line spacing of the display bitmap data are set based on the line spacing.

At this time, the character display buffer memory 13
In advance, the transparent color bitmap data is written and initialized.

Then, the data described in the body of the layout structure file 3 in the character image part is read character by character. When the read data is a character, the bitmap data of the set character font and character size is displayed for character display. Write to the buffer memory 13.

On the other hand, in the portion where the character image files 1 to 3 (901 to 903) surrounded by the quotation marks "" are described, the corresponding character image is read, and the read character image is displayed as bitmap data. As the data, the character display buffer memory 13 is written following the character display bitmap data or the character image bitmap data displayed immediately before.

When there is a line feed mark \ n, the position to start writing the next character or data of the character image file is moved to the left end of the character display buffer memory 13 by the amount of data corresponding to the line feed. From the department.

Then, the above-described processing is repeated until \ e indicating the end of the text appears, and the element image 3 (3
Creation of the bitmap data of 03) is completed.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the character code is stored for the character image that the recognition means 5 has correctly recognized as a character, and on the other hand, the character image cannot be recognized or is erroneously recognized. As for the stored character image, the character image is stored in the same way as the illustration part is stored, and at the time of display, the character font generated from the stored character code and the image image data (character image ) And are combined on the basis of the position information, it is possible to store and display the character that cannot be recognized as a character and the character that is erroneously recognized as a character without correction.

As described above, the invention made by the present inventor is:
Although specifically described based on the embodiment of the invention, the present invention is not limited to the embodiment of the invention,
Of course, various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0082]

The effects obtained by the typical ones of the inventions disclosed in the present application will be briefly described as follows.

Characters that cannot be recognized by the character recognition means and characters that are erroneously recognized can be displayed together with an image such as a picture plate without the operator correcting the characters.

[Brief description of drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an input image for explaining the operation of the character display device of the present embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a result of dividing the input image shown in FIG. 2 into element images by the character display device of the present embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a description example of a file that stores a result of division as shown in FIG.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing how to determine the coordinate position of the display position of the element image 1.

FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the character cutting means.

FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining an operation when the character segmenting unit divides a plate.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a result of determination of a recognition result by an element image determination storage means.

FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the character recognition storage means.

10 is a diagram showing a description example when the recognition result shown in FIG. 9 is saved in a file.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a description example when a detailed layout structure description means stores a recognition result of an image.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Image image data input terminal, 2 ... Image data storage means, 3 ... Image data division extraction means, 4 ... Character cut-out means, 5 ... Recognition means, 6 ... Misconversion extraction means, 7 ... Character recognition storage means, 8 ... Element image determination storage means, 9 ... Unrecognized character extraction storage means, 10 ... Detailed layout structure description means,
11 ... Display data synthesizing means, 12 ... Bitmap character data creating means, 13 ... Character display buffer memory, 14
... image composition memory, 15 ... image display memory, 16 ...
Image display means, 301 to 308 ... Element images 1 to 8 and 60
1-604 ... Cut-out character image 1-4, 701 ... Cut-out character image 5, 702 ... Cut-out character image 6.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. Image data in which image image data read by an image scanner or image image data stored in an external storage device is divided into element images, and the positions of the divided element images in the entire image are extracted. Split extraction means, character cutout means for cutting out image image data of each character from the element image, recognition means for recognizing the cutout image image data of the character and converting it into a character code, and a dictionary prepared in advance for the conversion result. And a character recognition storing means for storing the character code and the information of the wrong conversion point as a character recognition result, and a character recognition result by an operator's display instruction. Bit map character data creating means for creating bit map data of characters for reading and displaying, and the bit map data A character display device including an image display unit for converting a data into a signal for display and displaying it on a display unit, wherein each element image is composed of image image data other than characters based on the recognition result of the recognition unit. A non-character element image or a character element image consisting of image data of all characters, and if it is a non-character element image, the image image data of the corresponding element image Element image determination storage means to be stored as a file, image image data of characters that cannot be recognized by the character recognition means in the character element image, and the position on the image of the image image data are extracted and stored as an unrecognized character file. Unrecognized character extraction storage means, display bitmap data created by the bitmap data creation means, unrecognized character file, and non-character A character display device comprising: display data synthesizing means for synthesizing image image data stored in an image part file to create bitmap data for display.