JPS6077278A - Discriminating circuit of character entry area - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To omit the storage and discrimination of character entry information every business form by scanning binary picture data by a window having double frames, discriminating and storing the number of black picture elements in an area separated by the frames and controlling the segmentation of a character pattern by the output of the stored contents. CONSTITUTION:An observation part 1 has plural CCD conversion elements arrayed straight and the business form is read out by regarding the arrayed direction as the main scanning direction to observe the density of each unit area. The output of the observation part 1 is binary-coded by white and black elements in a binary coding circuit 2 and the picture is scanned 3 by the double-frame window constituted by the inner and outer frames having prescribed size and the number of black elements in each area separated by frames is detected 4. The character entry area on the business form is discriminated 5 by the number of detected black picture elements and the contents are stored in a memory 6. A segmenting circuit 8 segments and outputs a character pattern stored in a memory 7 as one character under control by the output of the memory 6.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION - (a) Technical Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a character recognition device, and particularly to a character recognition device used for reading characters written on free format forms.

(1)) Background of the technology A missing character recognition device is a device that reads a character pattern written by hand or print on a form and recognizes it using pattern recognition techniques. After reading the pattern, character patterns for each character are sequentially extracted from the pattern (referred to as character extraction), and recognition is performed for each character.

In order to accurately cut out the characters, many conventional character recognition devices use, for example, a form in which a character entry frame is specified for each character using ink of a color that cannot be detected by the character recognition device, or a character entry line is The specified form is being used.

(C) Prior Art and Problems As mentioned above, conventional missing character recognition devices use forms in which character entry frames and the like are specified.

The position of the text entry frame etc. differs depending on the type of form, so 1.
It is necessary to inform the character recognition device of the type of form.

On the other hand, the two-character recognition device needs to store in advance character entry information such as the position of the character entry frame for each type of form.

The type of the form is indicated by printing an identification symbol on the upper right corner of each form, and the two-character recognition device identifies the type of form by recognizing this, and inputs the pre-stored character entry information for each form. Based on this, character patterns were extracted.

However, as the number of businesses that use single-character recognition devices increases, the number of types of forms increases, and as a result, a problem arises in that processing such as storing character entry information for each type of form becomes cumbersome. was.

(d) Object of the Invention An object of the present invention is to provide a character recognition device that does not require storing character entry information for each form and identifying the type of form.

(e) Structure of the Invention The character writing area discriminating circuit according to the present invention is capable of dividing an image expressed as 241if data of either a black pixel or a white pixel for each pixel arranged in a grid shape into a double frame of a predetermined size. and a scanning circuit for scanning by a window.

a detection circuit for detecting the number of black pixels in each area divided by the inner frame and the outer frame of the window 1-;

and an identification circuit that identifies the character entry area of the form-1- based on the number of black pixels in each area obtained by the detection circuit.

(f) Examples of the Invention The gist of the present invention will be specifically explained by examples.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram, not showing the configuration, of an embodiment of the present invention, in which 1 has 2048 CCD conversion elements arranged in a straight line, and a form is scanned by rask scanning with the arrangement direction being the main scanning direction. Read and 0 arranged in a grid on the form
, 1 ■ Observation section that observes the density of each pixel of square, 2 binarizes the density of each pixel obtained by the observation section 1 and divides it into black pixel and white ii! A binarization circuit represented by either I element,
: 3 is a scanning circuit that scans the image obtained as binary data by the binarization circuit 2 using a double frame window l''- having an inner frame and an outer frame of predetermined dimensions; 4 is a scanning circuit that scans the image obtained as binary data by the binarization circuit 2; a detection circuit that detects the number of black pixels in each area delimited by the outer frame; 5 an identification circuit that identifies a character entry area on the form based on the number of black pixels in each area obtained by the detection circuit 4; 6(c:'1(memory for storing the identification obtained by another circuit 5, 7 is 2(11"
Binary F obtained by I north circuit 2! 111g + memory for storing data, 8 is memory 7 as binary image data
This is a cutting circuit that extracts and outputs the character pattern stored in the memory one character at a time.

, [Mori circuit: 3 is the shift register 9 of the X pino 1- of the Y1 fixed and the Y (<2 of the fixed
048-X) Bit shift memory IJIO and 1. Q part, and shift register 9 of 7 X pins [・
As shown in Figure 3, the outer frame is (xxy
) Bi-nod and the inner frame is C (X-2d) X (Y-2d)
) bit double frame paste-in 1-”- is configured by q (,,l,:northern (Raku 2 output is input to the shift register 10 of 1 bit, 21, 1 by No. 1 as shown by the arrow) Ru.

Note that the values of ×Y and d are determined in advance based on the size and spacing of characters to be written on the form.

Detection circuit 14 consists of a first detection circuit 4-1 and a second detection circuit 4-2, and the first detection circuit 4-1 has a double frame-win 1-1 hatched area ( The black pixel (“1”) on the shift register 9 corresponding to
The second detection rIjl path 4-2 detects the number of black pixels (binary data "1") on the shift register 9 corresponding to the inner frame area M of the double frame window.

If no 5-focus 1iJi element is detected on the shift register 9 corresponding to the identification circuit 5b1, area 1, and area M.

It is determined that no characters are written in the area on the form.

11. If a black pixel is detected in any of the shift 1 registers 91 corresponding to the area M and the number of black pixels on the shift 1 registers 91 corresponding to the area M is less than the predetermined number α, , this is judged to be ゛gome°゛ (noise)11
Play J1.

iii, 'jQ'j 15 A black pixel is detected on any of the shift registers 9 corresponding to L and area M,
In addition, if the number of black pixels of the shift register 9'2 corresponding to the area M is equal to or greater than the predetermined number α, the area on the form is identified as a character entry area.

iv, no black pixels are detected on the shift registers 9 to 9 corresponding to the area M, and no black pixels are detected on the shift registers 9 to 9 corresponding to the area M.
If less than a predetermined number α of black i+qi elements are detected, the dirt is determined to be "dust."

V area 1. If no black pixel is detected on the shift register 9 corresponding to the area M, and a predetermined number of black p111 pixels are detected on the shift register 9 corresponding to the area M, The corresponding area on the form is identified as a character entry area for one character.

The identification of 111 and y by the identification circuit 5 is performed by the memory 6.
1a, and the extraction circuit 8 records the character pattern recorded in the memory 7 as binary image data in the memory 6. If you want to make an identification, one character at a time is output (J2') and outputted to the recognition section (1).

(g) Detailed Description of the Invention According to the present invention, by using free-form mano 1 to forms, it is not necessary to memorize character witness information for each form and to identify the type of form. effective.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 2 and 3 are explanatory diagrams of a scanning circuit. In the figure, 2 is a binarization circuit, 3 is a scanning circuit, 4 is a detection circuit,
5 is an identification circuit.

Claims (1)

[Claims] A scanning circuit that scans an image expressed as binary data of either a black pixel or a white pixel for each pixel arranged in a grid pattern using a double frame window of a predetermined size, and an inner frame and an outer frame of the window. a detection circuit that detects the number of black pixels in each area separated by a frame; and an identification circuit that identifies a character entry area on the form based on the number of black pixels in each area obtained by the detection circuit. A character entry area discriminating circuit characterized by the following.