JPS5856079A - Character segmenting device of optical character reader - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To segment a character accurately through a small-sized device by providing a register control part which corrects the difference between a counter value, obtained every time the numbers of scanning lines are changed, and the address value of a projection register, and then deciding on character segmenting lines on the basis of projection data values corrected by the control part. CONSTITUTION:Character data Pd from a reading scanner are stored successively in a pattern memory 1, and then read out by command signals lc and dc for scanning the scanning point of a memory control point laterally and longitudinally. The storage data md read out of the memory 1 are supplied to an arithmetic part 5, and the signals lc and dc are applied to the address correction part 8 and addition part 9 of a register control part 7. The difference between the counted value of the control part 2 and the address value of a projection register 6 is corrected through the control part 7 to apply an address correction signal ra to the register 6, storage data rd from which are applied to a character segmenting decision part 10 to decide on character segmenting lines there, thus outputting a cutting position signal cp between characters.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a character reading device for cutting out read character images character by character in an optical character reading device (hereinafter referred to as OOR).

In 00R, in the process of recognizing a read character image, a process of projecting the pattern of the character image and cutting out the characters into seven characters is performed.

Conventionally, a method of projecting character patterns in a direction perpendicular to one character pattern string has been a common method. However, even if the W character image is handwritten or printed horizontally, it may not be able to be read accurately. In the case of handwritten characters with one tsumashi, there is a case where one character extends beyond the adjacent character frame by I/ct within the frame of the second character.

This is because if this is projected in the vertical direction, the character pattern will be recognized as if it were four consecutive characters. On the other hand, a similar problem occurs in the case of printed characters, especially when the fonts are arranged at a certain angle of inclination, such as in italized or cursive English characters.

For example, if you set the cutting line by vertically projecting the italic character (@/ as shown in the figure), % z
The top of I and the bottom of %H# are heavy, so in the end.

There is a risk that it will be recognized as a continuous character pattern.

As a means to solve this problem, there is a character cutting method in which the cutting line is tilted by K when projected in an oblique direction to prevent the erroneous 5iIi identification. However, in the case of the conventional cutting method, there are 7 registers due to its structure. Due to the large amount of hair required, the device had to be made larger.

<Objective of the Invention> Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a character cutting device that can accurately cut out characters even when the device configuration is increased in size.

<Structure of the invention> In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a character cutting device.

In an optical character reading device, a character image pattern memory that stores read characters 1III and a memory control unit that accesses this character image pattern memory are provided.
fIj! A projection register that stores data obtained when a pattern is projected diagonally with respect to the pattern sequence, and a projection register that stores data count values every time the number of scanning lines changes when accessing the character/art pattern. The present invention is characterized by comprising a projection register control unit that outputs a signal for correcting a difference with an address value to the projection register, and a character cutting determination unit that determines a character cutting line based on projection data from the projection register. It is something to do.

<Embodiments of the Invention> The present invention will be described in detail below based on an illustrative embodiment. FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of the character cutting device according to the present invention.
This is shown in the diagram.

In FIG. 2, the symbol l indicates a character image pattern memory (hereinafter abbreviated as pattern memory). This pattern memory 1 stores character data read by scanning with a reading scanner (not shown). are stored sequentially.

Figure 3 shows character data 1H in this character pattern memory.
It shows the correspondence relationship between the character data position and the projection register 1, which will be described later, when # is stored, and the scanning pointer P used for read scanning. This pattern memory l is accessed by the memory control unit.

Output sequentially stored data (character data %H') m, 1.

The memory control unit includes a data counter 3 which outputs an instruction signal d0 to horizontally scan the position of a scanning pointer PC (FIG. 3) set in the pattern memo IJ, and a data counter 3 which outputs an instruction signal d0 to horizontally scan the position of the scanning pointer The line counter outputs a 1° scanning signal. The memory control unit 2 causes the scanning pointer P to sequentially scan the character pattern memory 1 from left to right in FIG. 3/scanning line by scanning line from top to bottom. By this access operation, the stored data m4 is sequentially read out from the pattern memory.

The data is sent to the arithmetic unit 1Icfk. On the other hand, the horizontal direction scanning command signal d0 and the vertical direction command signal 1° are also sent to the register control section 7, which will be described later.

The register control section 7 controls the address of the projection data in the projection register tK, which will be described later, and uses an address correction section 1, a correction signal C from the correction section t, and a vertical scanning command signal d0 from the data counter. It is composed of an adding section that adds up. The address control unit signal ra output from the adder has different contents depending on whether a projected value in the &orthogonal direction is determined or when a projected value in an oblique direction is determined. Namely.

When calculating the vertical projection value, the count value of the data counter, that is, the vertical scanning command signal d0, is directly used as an address control signal by the projection register control section.

■ When calculating the projection value in the diagonal direction, as shown in Figure 1, as the number of scanning lines increases, the address value of the data count value (field) shifts according to the diagonal angle. , arithmetic section! It is necessary to correct the difference between the address value of the data count value (do) and the address value of the projection register base to be stored as the number of scan lines increases, that is, the line count value (1o) increases. There is. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, if the character pattern string is oriented horizontally, then
To obtain the projection data of '.

Approximately, the line count value (1
As ゜) increases by a line, the address value A of the data count value (do) can be shifted by l. Yes, and L to L+y are examples of line count values. According to this @.

When the line number "-"+/'"+J" is incremented as Next, lie:/number”+1. When incrementing is performed in the order of L+, L+B, and L+7, the contents of the calculation take Pa in the data count value P&C will be stored at the address P + of the projection register 1. Such correction is performed by the correction section fK of the register control section 7. Correction section fv
Constructed by ROM.

Correction value C according to the input line count value (1°) K
You can store 0 in advance and multiply it by storing a value as shown in the diagram @j as a -positive value when performing -l correction for the number of scanning lines mentioned above.However, This is the case in the case of diagonal projection, and in the case of direct projection, the correction value is zero and the data count value d is added in the addition section, and the address system II signal r, and is given to the projection register 6.

In this table, the cutout 11a is explained as a straight line, but since the correction value 0° can be set to any value for each line, it is possible to set the correction value 0° to any value for each line, so it is possible to It is also possible to follow the curve. The fourth example is
As shown in the figure.

Arithmetic section! input stored data m4 to obtain projection data using stored data 1- from the pattern memory as input.
It is determined whether each pixel is a white pixel or a black pixel, and when obtaining a projection histogram, the output data r4 of the projection register and the stored data no are summed, and the calculated data P6 is re-inputted into the projection register 4. . Furthermore, when determining whether there is a black pixel in the projection direction, the logical sum of the two is calculated. Here, the calculation part! An example of the operation will be explained. As shown in FIG. 7, the memory is sequentially scanned and the t! - Suppose we want to collect direct data.

The memory address is expressed as (column number 1 row number),
Assuming that the position of the scanning pointer P is at the address (J, /) indicated by *, scanning of the first line (C line number) has been completed, so the contents of the projection register are expressed as 00/10/. There is Since the content of address (J, /) is l (black), the content of projection register 6 is incremented by +7. Therefore, the contents of the projection register to3 are set as the input r1 of the calculation section, and the contents of the (J, /)11 location of the memory M are set as the co-input 1114, and the sum Pa of both hands is output. The sum - is stored at address 3 of the projection register base, and the content becomes ko. after that.

The scanning pointer P moves to the (da, /) address and the same thing is input. When all the scans in the memory I are completed in this manner, a projection value of 0024110 is recorded in the projection register JK.

After the projection data is stored in the projection register t in this way, the stored data r4 is transferred to the character segmentation determination unit 10.
K is sent to the 6-character cutout determining unit IO, which determines the cutout position from the contents of the stored data r6.

A cutting position signal Op between adjacent characters is output.

<Effects of the Invention> According to the present invention, there is no need to provide shift registers corresponding to the number of projection data, and the system can be constructed using a relatively simple digital electronic circuit. WAf for connecting characters, etc. By projecting the easy-to-recognize original character stroke in an oblique direction, it is possible to construct a small-sized character cutting device for recognizing normal 111KN.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 91 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the aspect of italicized English letters and character cutting lines, and FIG. 2 is a professional drawing showing one embodiment of the character cutting and folding arrangement according to the present invention. Fig. 3 is a visual diagram showing the relationship between the pattern memory and the projection register, Fig. μ is an explanatory diagram showing the correction state of storage addresses when projecting in an oblique direction, and Fig. An explanatory diagram showing an example of values. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing another cutting line, and FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the operation of the calculation section. l...Character image pattern memory, -...Memory control unit, 6...Projection register, 7...Register control unit. 10...Character extraction determination section. Applicant's agent Kiyoma Inomata (Figure 2, Figure 3, Figure 4, Figure 5, $5) ::: L+4- Figure 7, Figure 6

Claims (1)

[Claims] In an optical character cutting device, there is a character image pattern memory that stores read character images, a memory control unit that accesses this character image pattern memory, and a character image pattern when a single character image pattern is projected diagonally with respect to the pattern row. A projection register that stores data, and a signal that corrects a difference between a data counter value and a buttress value of the projection register to be stored each time the number of scanning lines changes when accessing the character image pattern is output to the projection register. A character cutting device comprising: a projection register control section; and a character cutting determination section that determines a character cutting line based on projection data from the projection register.