US 4,365,234 AGranted

Segmentation system and method for optical character scanning

AssigneeHendrix Electronics, Inc.

InventorErnest G. Henrichon, Jr.

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Abstract

A segmentation method and system for detecting intercharacter boundaries for a digital representation of a string of two or more characters extending in a first (X) direction. The digital representation has the form of an m x n array of bits, each being representative of a characteristic (such as optical reflectivity) of a correspondingly positioned picture element (pixel) in an image of the string of characters. A serpentine processor determines a succession of values of interest per swath in the array. A decision network processes the succession of values determined by the serpentine processor to identify a nominal boundary where segmentation is to occur. A separation processor performs the segmentation by associating the various bits representative of black pixels near the nominal intercharacter boundary with either the character to the left or the character to the right of that nominal boundary .

Claims18

Dependent claims

System for detecting an intercharacter boundary for a digital representation of a string of two or more characters extending in a first (X) direction against a background, said characters having a first (B) characteristic and said background having a second (W) characteristic, said digital representation including a bit for each pixel of an m row by n column array of pixels, each row of said array having m pixels in said X direction, and each column of said array having n pixels in a second (Y) direction, where said bits have a first binary value for pixels representative of said first (B) characteristic and have a second binary value for pixels representative of said second (W) characteristic, comprising:

A. means for generating a serpentine value (SV) signal for each of said n columns of pixels in said array, wherein the SV signal for the i.sup.th column, SV(i) is representative of the number of adjacent i.sup.th and i+1.sup.th column pixel pairs having one or more predetermined patterns in composite regions which include said i.sup.th and i+1.sup.th columns and which are contiguous to simple regions in the i-d.sup.th and i+e+1.sup.th columns, where d and e are integers greater than or equal to 1,
wherein each composite region is a contiguous group of pixels in two or more adjacent columns bounded above and below by pixels having said W characteristic and wherein at least one pixel having said B characteristic in each row of said composite region has a boundary point in common with a pixel having said B characteristic in each adjacent row of said composite region, and
wherein each simple region is a contiguous group of pixels in a column having said B characteristic and bounded above and below by pixels having said W characteristic,
B. means for processing the succession of said SV signals to generate a boundary signal representative of a boundary column, column N, where N is an index representative of the position of said boundary column in said array, said column N being on a predetermined side of the nominal boundary between two of said characters.

1 more element

Method of detecting an intercharacter boundary for a digital representation of a string of two or more characters extending in a first (X) direction against a background, said characters having a first (B) characteristic and said background having a second (W) characteristic, said digital representation including a bit for each pixel of an m row by n column array of pixels, each row of said array having m pixels in said X direction, and each column of said array having n pixels in a second (Y) direction, where said bits have a first binary value for pixels representative of said first (B) characteristic and have a second binary value for pixels representative of said second (W) characteristic, comprising the steps of:

A. generating a serpentine value (SV) signal for each of said n columns of pixels in said array, wherein the SV signal for the i.sup.th column, SV(i) is representative of the number of adjacent i.sup.th and i+1.sup.th column pixel pairs having one or more predetermined patterns in composite regions which include said i.sup.th and i1.sup.th columns and which are contiguous to simple regions in the i-d.sup.th and i+e+1.sup.th columns, where d and e are integers greater than or equal to 1,
wherein each composite region is a contiguous group of pixels in two or more adjacent columns bounded above and below by pixels having said W characteristic and wherein at least one pixel having said B characteristic in each row of said composite region has a boundary point in common with a pixel having said B characteristic in each adjacent row of said composite region, and
wherein each simple region is a contiguous group of pixels in a column having said B characteristic and bounded above and below by pixels having said W characteristic,
B. processing the succession of said SV signals to generate a boundary signal representative of a boundary column, column N, where N is an index representative of the position of said boundary column in said array, said column N being on a predetermined side of the nominal boundary between two of said characters.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.