Iterative recognition-guided thresholding and data extraction

A system, comprising:

• a processor;
• and logic integrated with and/or executable by the processor to cause the processor to:
• identify a region of interest within a digital image, wherein the region of interest comprises a plurality of connected components;
• generate a plurality of binarized images based on the region of interest, wherein some or all of the binarized images are generated using a different one of a plurality of binarization thresholds;
• and
• extract data from some or all of the plurality of binarized images, wherein the data comprise a potential character identity of one or more of the plurality of connected components;
• wherein the region of interest is characterized by a complex background overlapped by the plurality of connected components;
• wherein one or more of the connected components overlap or are obscured by one or more unique background elements such that no single binarization threshold applied to a region encompassing the one or more of the plurality of connected components can identify the one or more of the connected components that overlap or are obscured by the one or more unique background elements.

A computer program product, comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having embodied therewith computer readable program instructions configured to cause a processor, upon execution thereof, to:

• identify, using the processor, a region of interest within a digital image;
• generate, using the processor, a plurality of binarized images based on the region of interest, wherein some or all of the binarized images are generated using a different one of a plurality of binarization thresholds;
• and
• subjecting the region of interest within a digital image to a plurality of thresholding and extraction iterations;
• extract, using the processor, data from some or all of the plurality of binarized images;
• wherein the extracted data comprises one or more connected components represented in the plurality of binarized images;
• and
• wherein one or more of the connected components overlap or are obscured by one or more unique background elements such that no single binarization threshold applied to a region encompassing the one or more connected components can identify the one or more of the connected components that overlap or are obscured by the one or more unique background elements.