JPH10254995A - System and method for processing character recognition of slip - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To speedily perform processing concerning a slip having no time by previously recognizing the indication of priority described on the slip and performing recognition processing while selecting the slip to be preferentially processed from the contents. SOLUTION: A reference setting register 35 of the character recognition device 30 holds date data, for example, to become the reference of priority judgement. As the indication of priority, the date data are written on the slip for judging the priority as well. A character recognition unit 33 first recognizes the indication of priority on the slip, compares it with contents in the reference setting register 35 and judges whether or not the slip is to be preferentially processed. Only the high-priority slip advances recognition processing before the other following slips. Thus, when a lot of slips are received, the character recognition processing is started successively from the high-priority slip so that the number of articles after deadline is decreased.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to transmitting a form image via a communication line using a facsimile machine or the like,
The present invention relates to a form character recognition processing system and method for extracting and recognizing characters described in a form from an image of the form and using the recognized characters as character data.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A FAX-OCR system transmits a form in a predetermined form using a facsimile, and a receiving side cuts out characters described in the form from the image and performs a character recognition process. Is used for various tasks. Such a system is widely used, for example, in a remittance operation of a financial institution or a product ordering operation of a store or the like. In this system, data corresponding to a basic form of a form is stored in the receiving side in advance, and characters are sequentially cut out from corresponding portions of the received form, and the character recognition processing is performed. For example, in a district center that receives form images from a large number of sales offices, the received form images are sequentially stored in a memory, and the images are successively read from the memory and converted into character data. After verification, the result is stored in the database as sales management data.

[0003]

The above-described conventional form character recognition processing system and processing method have the following problems to be solved. Data indicating the contents described in the form sent from each branch to the district center is not specially added. Therefore, the district center side extracts the image of the form in the order in which it was received, and executes the character recognition processing. However,
For example, each sales office also transmits a form that must be processed on the day at the reception on the day. If, at the district center, the image of the form is sent at once from each business office in the time zone immediately before the end of the work received on the day, if the character recognition processing of the form is executed in the order received, Some properties may not meet the deadline on the day.

[0004]

The present invention employs the following structure to solve the above problems. <Configuration 1> A character recognition unit that receives images of a plurality of forms via a communication line, cuts out and recognizes characters described in the forms from the images of the forms, and converts the recognized characters into character data. A reference setting register that holds a preset priority judgment reference, and when starting character recognition of each form, firstly cut out and recognize the priority display of the form, refer to the reference setting register, A character recognition process for a form, comprising a priority determination processing unit for causing the character recognition unit to cut out and recognize another character described in the form for only the form with a high priority. system.

<Structure 2> A character recognition processing system for a form according to the structure 1, wherein a priority indication is entered in the vicinity of the start of character extraction from the form.

<Structure 3> Images of a plurality of forms are received via a communication line, and a criterion for judging the priority of the form processing is received, and characters described in the form are converted from the images of the forms. Before performing character recognition that cuts out and recognizes and converts the recognized characters into character data, cuts out the priority display of the form in advance and recognizes it, compares it with the above-mentioned priority determination criteria, and only A character recognition processing method for a form, wherein the character recognition processing of the form is performed by cutting out and recognizing another character described in the form.

[0007]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention will be described below using specific examples. <Specific Example> FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a specific configuration of the district center according to the present invention. Before explaining the main parts of the present invention, a general block diagram of a FAX-OCR system is first shown with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 shows the FAX-OC
It is a block diagram of an R system. This system uses a facsimile to transmit a form image from a business office to a district center, and the district center recognizes characters written on the form and converts it into code data. Each of the offices A to N is provided with a facsimile machine 3 for transmitting a form image to the district center. The facsimile machines 3 are connected to the district center 4 via the communication lines 2 respectively. The district center 4 is provided with a district center terminal 20 and a character recognition device 30. The district center terminal 20 is for performing, for example, order management of commodities as shown in FIG. 1, and is controlled by the host device 7, which is a host computer. The district center terminal 20 has a display (CRT) 21 and a keyboard (K
B) 22 are connected. Thus, the operator controls the operation of the character recognition device 30 and the like. The recognition result is displayed on the display 21. Character recognition device 3
The character code data recognized by 0 is stored in the district center terminal 20.
Is transmitted to the upper-level device 7 via the i / f section of the processing and processed.

Returning to FIG. 1, a more specific configuration of the district center will be described. FIG. 1 shows a specific block diagram of the district center. Top i of district center terminal 20
The / f section 23 is for controlling the transmission and reception of signals with the host device 7. The main controller 26 is connected to the display 21 and the keyboard 22, and controls the entire apparatus. The FAX receiving unit 24 is connected to the communication line 2 and receives an image of a form via the communication line 2. The file device 27 is a portion that temporarily stores the received image of the form and provides the character recognition device 30 with a target of the character recognition processing. O
The CRi / f unit 25 is connected to the character recognition device 30 and is used for transmitting and receiving images of forms and recognized code data.

Further, the district center terminal 20 of this apparatus is provided with a clock section 28 for displaying the current date and time of the processing day in order to determine the priority later. In addition,
When the recognition result is displayed on the CRT 21, the operator confirms the content, and corrects the content using the keyboard 22 if there is an error. The recognition result thus obtained is transmitted to the host device 7.

The character recognition device 30 includes a terminal i / f unit 31
OCR main control unit 32, character recognition unit 33,
A priority determination processing unit 34 and a reference setting register 35 are provided. The terminal i / f unit 31 is a district center terminal 2
0 is connected to the OCRi / f unit 25 and has a role of transmitting and receiving image data of a form and character code data of a recognition result. The OCR main controller 32 is a part that controls the operation of the entire character recognition device. The character recognition unit 33
This is a portion for taking out a form image by a predetermined amount in accordance with a preset procedure, cutting out the entered characters, and performing character recognition.

The reference setting register 35 stores data such as a reference date for determining whether the priority of processing is high for each form. The character recognition unit 33
The image of the form stored in the receiving order in the file device 27 is read out in order and character recognition is performed. Priority judgment processing unit 3
4 compares the contents of the priority display described after the character recognition unit 33 recognizes the data with the data stored in the reference setting register 35. As a result, control is performed so that the recognition processing is continued for the one with the higher priority and the recognition processing for the other characters is interrupted for the one with the lower priority.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a form. The form 1 shown in the figure is a slip issued when a store orders a product, for example. Here, as shown in the figure, a reference mark 11 serving as a reference for character recognition and a sheet ID 1 indicating a form format are used.
In addition to 5, the order source store code 12, date 13, product code 16, total price 17, subtotal 18, order quantity 19, and the like are entered. The date 13 is a priority display indicating the processing priority of this form. That is, this form
For example, the recognition process must be completed so that delivery can be arranged on the desired delivery date “960415” shown in the figure. Therefore, the priority is displayed so that this can be performed.
Note that this priority display is arranged at a position as close as possible to a cutout start portion where cutout is first started at the time of character recognition. As a result, the priority of each form can be promptly recognized and the form can be selected.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of another form. The form of this form is the same as that shown in FIG. 3, and the portion of the desired delivery date, that is, the date 13, is different from that shown in FIG. The date 13 is “960418”. Therefore, comparing the form shown in FIG. 3 with the form shown in FIG. 4, the priority of the processing is higher in FIG.

<Operation> The operation of the apparatus of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. This figure is an operation flowchart of the device of the present invention. First, in step S1, the district center terminal 20 shown in FIG. That is, as compared with the reference value data, processing is performed assuming that a form that is the same as or past the reference value data and has a desired delivery date has a higher priority. The reference value data is generated in the clock unit 28 of the district center terminal 20. For example, the content may be a date of the day or the like. Alternatively, the date may be input by the operator from the keyboard 22. Next, in step S2, the character recognition device 30 stores the reference value data in the reference setting register 35. Further, in step S3, it is determined whether or not the character recognition device 30 is performing a character recognition operation. That is, the character recognition device 30 is
Then, the image of the form sequentially sent is automatically read out from the file device 27 and the character recognition process is executed. Therefore, if the character recognition operation is being performed, the district center terminal 20 waits for a next form recognition processing instruction. When the character recognition process immediately before is completed, the process proceeds to step S4, and the district center terminal 20 transmits the image of the next form to the character recognition device. Then, in step S5, a priority determination process is executed. This process is shown in detail in FIG.

FIG. 6 is an operation flowchart of the priority determination processing. First, in step S11, the character recognition device 30 first executes the character recognition of the priority display portion shown in FIG. Next, in step S12, the recognized date is compared with the date stored in the reference setting register 35. The recognized date is, for example, a desired delivery date. The date of the setting register is, for example, the date of the day. In step S13, it is determined whether or not there is enough time as a result of comparing the two. If there is enough time, step S
Proceed to 14 to suspend the processing. Then, the process is postponed in step S15. If there is not enough time, emergency treatment must be performed. Therefore, the process proceeds to step S16. In step S16, a character recognition process is performed on the part of the form other than the priority display. And
In step S17, the recognition result is sent to the district center terminal 2.
Return to 0. This result is transmitted from the higher-level interface unit 23 of the district center terminal 20 to the higher-level device. It is displayed on the CRT 21 or the like.

In this way, the process proceeds to step S6 in FIG. 5 to request the image of the next form from the district center terminal. In step S7, it is determined whether there is a property to be processed next. If so, the process returns from step S7 to step S3, and repeats the processes from step S4 to step S7. In this way, the character recognition processing proceeds in the order of priority.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of the result of the priority processing. For example, (a), (b), (c), (d)
It is assumed that the image of the form is transmitted from the business office as shown in FIG. From branch A, a-1, a-
The images of the five forms 2,... A-5 were transmitted. .., B-3 are transmitted from the business office B. From branch C, c-1 to c
Images of 10 forms up to -10 have been transmitted. The image of n sheets of n-1, n-2,... Was transmitted from the branch N. These are stored in the file device 27 of the district center terminal 20 shown in FIG. 1 in the order shown in FIG. That is, as shown in FIG. 7 (e), the files are those received from the branch C, those received from A, B
Are stored in random order according to communication conditions, such as those received from N and those received from N. Since the district center terminal 20 cannot recognize the order of priority only by the image of the form stored in the file device 27 in such an order, it sends the order to the character recognition device 30 in the order of storage. Here, the character recognition device 30 distinguishes between the form to be processed preferentially and the form not to be processed in the manner described above,
Only the form to be processed with priority is recognized first.

7 (a) to 7 (e), forms to be processed preferentially are hatched. Therefore, the hatched form is preferentially subjected to character recognition processing and converted to character code data. The remaining forms are then read again from the beginning and subjected to character recognition processing. Specifically, assuming that the date on which the processing is to be performed is "960415", the form in which "960415" is described in the priority display of the form is preferentially processed. Therefore, the form in which the priority display indicating the desired delivery date is described as “960418” is interrupted in the recognition process and processed later.

[0019]

According to the character recognition processing system and processing method of the present invention described above, the priority display entered in the form is recognized in advance, and the form to be processed with priority is selected from the contents. Since the recognition processing is performed, the processing can be performed promptly for a form having no time margin.
Therefore, it is possible to efficiently and reliably execute the recognition process on the form immediately before the deadline, thereby improving the reliability of the process. In addition, since the processing with lower priority is performed later, the operating rate of the character recognition device itself can be averaged, and efficient operation of the system can be achieved. Although the FAX-OCR system has been described as an example of the system of the present invention, a system that receives and processes an image of a form and obtains character data can be widely used.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a specific block diagram of a district center according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a FAX-OCR system.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram (part 1) of an example of a form.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram (2) of an example of a form.

FIG. 5 is an operation flowchart of the apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an operation flowchart of a priority determination process.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of a result of a priority determination process.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 Communication line 7 Host device 20 District center terminal 27 File device 28 Clock unit 30 Character recognition device 33 Character recognition unit 34 Priority judgment processing unit 35 Reference setting register

Claims (3)

[Claims] A character recognition unit for receiving images of a plurality of forms via a communication line, cutting out and recognizing characters described in the forms from the images of the forms, and converting the recognized characters into character data; A reference setting register for holding a preset priority judgment reference, and when starting character recognition of each form, firstly cut out and recognize the priority display of the form, refer to the reference setting register. A character recognition unit configured to execute a cut-out and a recognition process of another character described in the form with respect to only the form having a high priority by the character recognition unit. Processing system. 2. The form character recognition processing system according to claim 1, wherein a priority indication is entered in the vicinity of the start of character extraction from the form. 3. Receiving an image of a plurality of forms via a communication line, receiving a criterion for determining the priority of the form processing, and extracting a character described in the form from the image of each form. Recognize, before performing character recognition to convert the recognized characters into character data, cut out the priority display of the form in advance and recognize it, compare it with the priority determination criteria, and only for forms with high priority, A character recognition processing method for a form, which performs cutout and recognition processing of another character described in the form.