Character and pattern recognition machine and method

In a hand print character recognition system comprising, means for transporting media bearing hand print characters, a photosensitive device, an optical system for focusing images of said hand print characters upon said photosensitive device, scanning means for converting the optical signals focused on said device to electrical signals, analog-to-digital converters for changing electrical grey scale levels associated with each individual small picture elements (pixels) in said image to digital values, and decision means for quantizing said pixels to be either black or white and creating a binary black/white "image" of a character or group of characters, the improvement comprising

• (a) means for selecting a plurality of centers of recognition (CORs) within said binary black/white image as reference points for measurement of the characteristic enclave of the black/white image immediately surrounding the CORs,
• (b) means for storing a library of templates of said measurements around the CORs for a plurality of known exemplary character images,
• (c) means for comparing said library of templates to corresponding measurements made around the CORs of images whose class is unknown for producing "template scores" proportional to the similarity of the enclaves of the unknown image to the enclaves measured by the templates,
• (d) means for expressing the generic shape of a character as being a "character equation" involving template scores developed on an unknown image, and
• (e) means for evaluating each character equation, including comparing the values of such equations and selecting the character equation which matches the shape of the unknown image to determine the generic name of the unknown character.

In a hand print character recognition method wherein an image of a character is converted to an electrical binary black/white "image" of a character or group of characters is the improvement comprising,

• (a) selecting a plurality of centers of recognition (CORs) within said binary black/white image as reference points and measuring the characteristic enclave of the black/white image immediately surrounding the CORs,
• (b) storing a library of templates of said measurements around the CORs for a plurality of known exemplary character images,
• (c) comparing said library of templates to corresponding measurements made around the CORs of images whose class is unknown to produce "template scores" proportional to the similarity of the enclaves of the known image to the enclaves measured by templates,
• (d) expressing the generic shape of a character as being a "character equation" involving template scores developed on an unknown image, and
• (e) evaluating each character equation, including comparing the values of such equations, and selecting the best value to determine the generic name of the unknown character.

In a hand print character recognition method in which a document bearing handprinted characters to be recognized, said documents are transported through a reading station having a photosensitive device, an system for impressing images of said hand print characters upon said photosensitive device, scanning means for converting the optical signals impressed on said device to electrical signals, analog-to-digital converters for changing electrical grey scale levels associated with each individual small picture elements (pixels) in said image to digital values, and decision means for quantizing said pixels to be either black or white and creating a binary black/white "image" of a character or group of characters, the improvement comprising the steps of:

• (a) selecting a plurality of centers of recognition (CORs) within said binary black/white image as reference points for measurement of the characteristic enclave of the black/white image immediately surrounding the CORs,
• (b) storing a library of templates of said measurements around the CORs for a plurality of known exemplary character images,
• (c) comparing said library of templates to corresponding measurements made around the CORs of images whose class is unknown to producing "template scores" proportional to the similarity of the enclaves of the unknown image to the enclaves measured by the templates,
• (d) expressing the generic shape of a character as being a "character equation" involving template scores developed on an unknown image, and
• (e) evaluating each character equation, including comparing the values of such equations and selecting the character equation which matches the shape of the unknown image to determine the generic name of the unknown character.

An artificial fovea comprising,

• an array of storage cells,
• loading means for loading an image information which has one or more enclaves, in black/white pixel format, into said storage cells, one pixel per storage cell,
• means for selecting one of said white pixels as a center of recognition (COR) to constitute a test COR location and initiate propagation of enclave membership measurement,
• logic means for determining whether each white pixel in said image is bounded in predetermined directions by a black pixel in said array of storage cells,
• summing means for summing the number of pixels which are bounded in each said predetermined direction, respectively, and producing enclave measurements proportional to each respective percentage of the total number of white cells in said array, and
• means for transmitting said enclave measurement to a utilization device.

A pattern recognition system comprising,

• an array of storage cells,
• loading means for loading image information containing a pattern to be recognized which has one or more enclaves, in black/white pixel format, into said storage cells, one pixel per storage cell,
• means for selecting one of said white pixels as a center of recognition (COR) to constitute a test COR location, logic means for determining whether each white pixel in said image is bounded in predetermined directions by a black pixel in said array of storage cells,
• summing means for summing the number of white pixels which are bounded in each said predetermined direction, respectively, and producing enclave measurements proportional to each respective percentage of the total number of white cells in said array,
• means for receiving said enclave measurements and reconizing said patterns therefor, and
• means for transmitting said enclave measurement to a utilization device.