Method and apparatus for pre-recognition character processing

A method of extracting characteristics of a character read by a reading unit, the method comprising the steps of:

• segmenting a data area of each character into a plurality of mesh areas;
• calculating via a first algorithm, a calculated value indicative of a ratio of elements of character data occupying each mesh area;
• normalizing, via a second algorithm, a converted value of each mesh area to calculate a mesh density of each mesh area;
• and
• converting, via a mapping, said calculated value indicative of the ratio of elements to produce the converted value of each mesh area such that said conversion biases an average of said ratio of elements being converted towards a single, predetermined average ratio of elements after the calculating step and before the normalizing step, and such that the dynamic range of the calculated values of the mesh areas, defined as encompassing the set of all calculated values that would, via said algorithm result from said plurality of characters, is the same as the dynamic range of the converted values, defined as encompassing the set of all converted values that would, via said mapping, result from said plurality of characters.

A method of recognizing a character read by a reading unit, the method comprising the steps of:

• segmenting a data area of the character into a plurality of mesh areas;
• normalizing a size of the mesh area to calculate a normalized mesh area;
• extracting characteristics of the character from the normalized mesh area by calculating, via an algorithm an uncorrected density of each mesh area in accordance with a ratio of elements occupying each normalized mesh area;
• and
• recognizing the character in accordance with the extracted characteristics, wherein the extracting step includes the step of correcting, via mapping said uncorrected density to produce a corrected density of each normalized mesh area such that an average of said corrected densities of said normalized mesh areas approaches a predetermined average density and such that the dynamic range of the corrected densities of the normalized mesh areas, defined as encompassing the set of all corrected densities that would, via said mapping, result from said plurality of characters, is the same as the dynamic range of the uncorrected densities, defined as encompassing the set of all uncorrected densities that would, via said algorithm, result from said plurality of characters.

An apparatus for recognizing a character, the apparatus comprising:

• normalizing means for segmenting a data area of the character into a plurality of mesh areas and normalizing a size of each mesh area;
• calculating means for calculating via an algorithm an uncorrected density within each mesh area relating to a number of elements that define each character;
• correcting means for correcting, via a mapping, said uncorrected density of each mesh area such that said correcting means biases an average of said densities being corrected towards a single, predetermined average density, and such that the dynamic range of the corrected densities, defined as encompassing the set of all corrected densities that would, via said mapping, result from said plurality of characters, is the same as the dynamic range of the uncorrected densities, defined as encompassing the set of all uncorrected densities that would, via said algorithm, result from said plurality of characters;
• and
• recognizing means for recognizing the character based on the corrected density of each mesh area.