Method and device for parsing tables in PDF document

An electronic device for parsing tables in a PDF document, comprising:

• one or more processors;
• memory coupled to the one or more processors;
• and
• a plurality of computer instructions stored in the memory, wherein the computer instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the electronic device to perform operations including:
• receiving, by the electronic device, the PDF document containing one or more table areas;
• extracting, by the electronic device, horizontal lines, vertical lines and text blocks in the table areas;
• determining, by the electronic device, the types of tables in the table areas according to the extracted horizontal lines and vertical lines, wherein the type of the table comprises a quasi full-line table and a quasi non-line table;
• in accordance with a determination that a table is the quasi full-line table, determining, by the electronic device, the structure of the quasi full-line table in the table area according to the horizontal lines and the vertical lines in the table area with assistance of the text blocks in the table area;
• and
• in accordance with a determination that a table is the quasi non-line table, determining, by the electronic device, the structure of the quasi non-line table in the table area according to the text blocks in the table area with assistance of the horizontal lines and/or the vertical lines in the table area,
• wherein the step of extracting the horizontal lines and the vertical lines in the table area comprises:
• extracting all path drawing information in a PDF page and merging the same into lines;
• if the coordinate of a line on the y direction is greater than or equal to the y coordinate of the upper frame of the table area and is less than or equal to the y coordinate of the lower frame of the table area, and the coordinate of a left endpoint on the x direction is greater than or equal to the x coordinate of the left frame of the table area and is less than the x coordinate of the right frame of the table area, and the coordinate of a right endpoint on the x direction is greater than the x coordinate of the left frame of the table area and is less than or equal to the x coordinate of the right frame of the table area, collecting the line as a horizontal line;
• and
• if the coordinate of a line on the x direction is greater than or equal to the x coordinate of the left frame of the table area and is less than or equal to the x coordinate of the right frame of the table area, the coordinate of an upper endpoint on the y direction is greater than or equal to the y coordinate of the upper frame of the table area, and the coordinate of a lower endpoint on the y direction is less than or equal to the y coordinate of the lower frame of the table area, collecting the line as a vertical line.

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising computer readable instructions that, when executed by a processor of an electronic device, cause the electronic device to perform operations including:

• receiving, by the electronic device, the PDF document containing one or more table areas;
• extracting, by the electronic device, horizontal lines, vertical lines and text blocks in the table areas;
• determining, by the electronic device, the types of tables in the table areas according to the extracted horizontal lines and vertical lines, wherein the type of the table comprises a quasi full-line table and a quasi non-line table;
• in accordance with a determination that a table is the quasi full-line table, determining, by the electronic device, the structure of the quasi full-line table in the table area according to the horizontal lines and the vertical lines in the table area with assistance of the text blocks in the table area;
• and
• in accordance with a determination that a table is the quasi non-line table, determining, by the electronic device, the structure of the quasi non-line table in the table area according to the text blocks in the table area with assistance of the horizontal lines and/or the vertical lines in the table area,
• wherein the step of extracting the horizontal lines and the vertical lines in the table area comprises:
• extracting all path drawing information in a PDF page and merging the same into lines;
• if the coordinate of a line on the y direction is greater than or equal to the y coordinate of the upper frame of the table area and is less than or equal to the y coordinate of the lower frame of the table area, and the coordinate of a left endpoint on the x direction is greater than or equal to the x coordinate of the left frame of the table area and is less than the x coordinate of the right frame of the table area, and the coordinate of a right endpoint on the x direction is greater than the x coordinate of the left frame of the table area and is less than or equal to the x coordinate of the right frame of the table area, collecting the line as a horizontal line;
• and
• if the coordinate of a line on the x direction is greater than or equal to the x coordinate of the left frame of the table area and is less than or equal to the x coordinate of the right frame of the table area, the coordinate of an upper endpoint on the y direction is greater than or equal to the y coordinate of the upper frame of the table area, and the coordinate of a lower endpoint on the y direction is less than or equal to the y coordinate of the lower frame of the table area, collecting the line as a vertical line.