Character recognition apparatus for recognizing character string over multiple lines not having known format

A character recognition method for processing an input image to recognize characters included in the input image, the character recognition method including:

• detecting a plurality of character regions in the input image, each of the plurality of character regions including a character or a character string made of a plurality of characters;
• determining a direction of the character or the character string in each of the character regions;
• recognizing the character or the character string in each of the character regions;
• generating a connected region by connecting at least two character regions including the character(s) or the character string(s) having a same direction, the at least two character regions being close to each other at a distance less than a threshold;
• and
• connecting the character(s) or the character string(s) included in the connected region to each other, and
• wherein the character recognition method includes:
• detecting a first object region and a second object region in the input image, the first object region including a first object, and the second object region including a second object;
• detecting a first character region or a first connected region included in the first object region;
• detecting a second character region or a second connected region included in the second object region;
• recognizing a first character or character string included in the first character region or the first connected region;
• recognizing a second character or character string included in the second character region or the second connected region;
• comparing the first character or character string with a third character or character string stored in advance in association with the first object;
• and
• comparing the second character or character string with a fourth character or character string stored in advance in association with the second object.

A program including instructions executed by a computing circuit implemented in a character recognition apparatus for processing an input image to recognize characters included in the input image, the instructions causing the computing circuit to execute:

• detecting a plurality of character regions in the input image, each of the plurality of character regions including a character or a character string made of a plurality of characters;
• determining a direction of the character or the character string in each of the character regions;
• recognizing the character or the character string in each of the character regions;
• generating a connected region by connecting at least two character regions including the character(s) or the character string(s) having a same direction, the at least two character regions being close to each other at a distance less than a threshold;
• and
• connecting the character(s) or the character string(s) included in the connected region to each other, and
• wherein the instructions cause the computing circuit to execute:
• detecting a first object region and a second object region in the input image, the first object region including a first object, and the second object region including a second object;
• detecting a first character region or a first connected region included in the first object region;
• detecting a second character region or a second connected region included in the second object region;
• recognizing a first character or character string included in the first character region or the first connected region;
• recognizing a second character or character string included in the second character region or the second connected region;
• comparing the first character or character string with a third character or character string stored in advance in association with the first object;
• and
• comparing the second character or character string with a fourth character or character string stored in advance in association with the second object.