Character recognition method and system

A character recognition method in which a typical character indicated is recognized by an image processing after two-dimensional imaging of the character and the storage thereof as image data, comprising the steps of:

• comparing one of plural kinds of feature vectors extracted from the character to be recognized and a dictionary vector of each candidate character in a group of candidate characters preliminarily prepared to determine a distance between the one kind of feature vector and the dictionary vector;
• estimating said distance to exclude from the candidate character group a candidate character having its dictionary vector spaced from the one feature vector by a distance not smaller than a predetermined value;
• repeating said comparing and estimating steps for each of the remaining kinds of feature vectors until the number of candidate characters in said candidate character groups becomes equal to or smaller than a predetermined value;
• and
• recognizing the character to be recognized on the basis of restricted candidate characters obtained as a result of said repeating step.

A character recognition system for recognizing a typical character including an alphanumeric character or a symbol by two-dimensionally imaging the character, storing the two-dimensional image as image data and subjecting the stored image data to an image processing, comprising:

• extracting means for extracting a plurality of kinds of feature vectors from a two-dimensional image of the character to be recognized;
• comparing means coupled with said extracting means for comparing one of the extracted plural kinds of feature vectors with a dictionary vector for each candidate character in a group of candidate characters preliminarily prepared to determine a distance between the dictionary vector and said one kind of feature vector;
• estimating means responsive to said comparing means for estimating said distance to exclude from the candidate character group a candidate character having its dictionary vector spaced from the one feature vector by a distance not smaller than a predetermined value;
• controlling means for repeating the operations of said comparing means and said estimating means for each of the remaining kinds of feature vectors until the number of candidate characters n said candidate character group becomes equal to or smaller than a predetermined value;
• and
• identifying means coupled with said controlling means and said estimating means for identifying the character to be recognized on the basis of restricted candidate characters obtained by the operation of said controlling means.