Abstract: A computer-based electronic document and/or paper-based document management application program. The program provides an efficient way to automatically import, index, categorize, store, search, retrieve, manipulate and archive electronic documents. The program is also capable of managing documents regardless of document type or document format.

Abstract: The disclosed invention utilizes a dictionary-based approach to identify languages within different zones in a multi-lingual document. As a first step, a document image is segmented into various zones, regions and word tokens, using suitable geometric properties. Within each zone, the word tokens are compared to dictionaries associated with various candidate languages, and the language that exhibits the highest confidence factor is initially identified as the language of the zone. Subsequently, each zone is further split into regions. The language for each region is then identified, using the confidence factors for the words of that region. For any language determination having a low confidence value, the previously determined language of the zone is employed to assist the identification process.

Abstract: A system for recognition of characters on a medium. The system includes a scanner for scanning a medium such as a page of printed text and graphics and producing a bit-mapped representation of the page. The bit-mapped representation of the page is then stored in a memory means such as the memory of a computer system. A processor processes the bit-mapped image to produce an output comprising coded character representations of the text on the page. The present invention discloses parsing a page to allow for production of the output characters in a logical sequence, a combination of feature detection methods and template matching methods for recognition of characters and a number of methods for feature detection such as use of statistical data and polygon fitting.

Abstract: A computer-based electronic document and/or paper-based document management application program. The program provides an efficient way to automatically import, index, categorize, store, search, retrieve, manipulate and archive electronic documents. The program is also capable of managing documents regardless of document type or document format.

Abstract: A pattern recognition system classifies images of patterns in which the definition of individual features of the pattern may have become blurred. The image is segmented into pieces of arbitrary size and shape, and various combinations are examined to determine those which represent the most likely segmentation of the pattern into its individual features. These individual features are then classified, according to known techniques. Through the use of a second order Markov model, not all possible combinations of pieces need to be examined, to determine the best ones. Rather, the examination of various combinations is limited in accordance with previously determined information, to thereby render the process more efficient. By combining multiple, independently determined probabilities, the accuracy of the overall operation is enhanced.

Abstract: An apparatus for searching and retrieving files in a database without a user being required to provide keywords or query terms. A user first selects and opens a reference file. A natural language recognition algorithm is used to determine the subject words of the selected file. Next, a statistical comparison between the subject words and the contents of files in a database is performed. Based on the statistical comparison, files are assigned weighted relevancies. Relevant files are prioritized and displayed to the user in groups. The groups are formed based on the retrieved files relevance to specific subject works of the selected file. The groups of retrieved files are displayed in associating with the subject word they are relevant to.

Abstract: A system for recognition of characters on a medium. The system includes a scanner for scanning a medium such as a page of printed text and graphics and producing a bit-mapped representation of the page. The bit-mapped representation of the page is then stored in a memory means such as the memory of a computer system. A processor processes the bit-mapped image to produce an output comprising coded character representations of the text on the page. The present invention discloses parsing a page to allow for production of the output characters in a logical sequence, a combination of feature detection methods and template matching methods for recognition of characters and a number of methods for feature detection such as use of statistical data and polygon fitting.

Abstract: A system for recognition of characters on a medium. The system includes a scanner for scanning a medium such as a page of printed text and graphics and producing a bit-mapped representation of the page. The bit-mapped representation of the page is then stored in a memory means such as the memory of a computer system. A processor processes the bit-mapped image to produce an output comprising coded character representations of the text on the page. The present invention discloses parsing a page to allow for production of the output characters in a logical sequence, a combination of feature detection methods and template matching methods for recognition of characters and a number of methods for feature detection such as use of statistical data and polygon fitting.

Abstract: A system for recognition of characters on a medium. The system includes a scanner for scanning a medium such as a page of printed text and graphics and producing a bit-mapped representation of the page. The bit-mapped representation of the page is then stored in a memory means such as the memory of a computer system. A processor processes the bit-mapped image to produce an output comprising coded character representations of the text on the page. The present invention discloses parsing a page to allow for production of the output characters in a logical sequence, a combination of feature detection methods and template matching methods for recognition of characters and a number of methods for feature detection such as use of statistical data and polygon fitting.

Abstract: A system for recognition of characters on a medium. The system includes a scanner for scanning a medium such as a page of printed text and graphics and producing a bit-mapped representation of the page. The bit-mapped representation of the page is then stored in a memory means such as the memory of a computer system. A processor processes the bit-mapped image to produce an output comprising coded character representations of the text on the page. The present invention discloses parsing a page to allow for production of the output characters in a logical sequence, a combination of feature detection methods and template matching methods for recognition of characters and a number of methods for feature detection such as use of statistical data and polygon fitting.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for properly orienting an text in order to perform optical character recognition (OCR). The text is digitized and placed into an image. The image is subsampled to determine an initial "guess" about the orientation of the image. If there are are specified number of sets of lines between lines having no black-to-white or white-to-black transitions, then the image is assumed to be oriented correctly. Otherwise, the image is assumed to be perpendicular to the line-of-sight of the OCR engine and the image is rotated 90 degrees counterclockwise in a preferred embodiment. A combination of rotations and trial OCR scans for the image is performed until the best results for the trial OCR is obtained or the maximum number of iterations is exceeded. Then, the remainder of OCR is performed on the image.

Abstract: A system for recognition of characters on a medium. The system includes a scanner for scanning a medium such as a page of printed text and graphics and producing a bit-mapped representation of the page. The bit-mapped representation of the page is then stored in a memory means such as the memory of a computer system. A processor processes the bit-mapped image to produce an output comprising coded character representation of the text on the page. The present invention discloses parsing a page to allow for production of the output characters in a logical sequence, a combination of feature detection methods and template matching methods for recognition of characters and a number of methods for feature detection such as use of statistical data and polygon fitting.

Abstract: A matrix extractor is described which is particularly useful for extracting data from a memory which contains representations of optically scanned characters. The method and apparatus of the present invention permits the isolation of packets of data in the memory and the determination of the location of these packets. Data representing the packets is then extracted from the memory for character recognition. The isolation of packets in memory greatly reduces the amount of data which must be processed by the recognition processor and provides much more reliable recognition.

Abstract: An apparatus for processing video signals received from an optical scanner is described. A comparator means is used for comparing the video signals with a dynamic threshold voltage. This threshold voltage is generated by a peak detector circuit which also receives the video signals. The peak detector circuit includes decay means for decaying signals representative of the detected peaks at a predetermined rate. This thresholding technique provides compensation for a wide dynamic range of video signals received from a photodiode array.

Abstract: A hand-held optical reading device, commonly called a wand, for reading a field of printed characters. The wand includes a light source for illuminating the printed characters, a photodiode array and a lens for collecting reflected light and forming an image on the diode array corresponding to the printed characters. Apertures are formed in the lower portion of the wand housing for projecting light from the light source onto the surface upon which the characters are printed. The projected light forms a pattern on the surface which is used for visually aligning the wand with respect to character field.

Abstract: An optical reader for recognizing printed characters, such as alpha-numeric characters, is disclosed. The characters are scanned in parallel, vertical slices by a photodiode array contained in a hand-held wand which is manually moved over the printed characters. The resultant video signals are examined for predetermined features, such as gaps, bars, strokes, etc. These features are encoded into a digital word for each slice. A logic tree analysis is used in which each new digital word is compared to words along the tree to direct the analysis to branches or substances. The continued comparison leads to a positive recognition of a single character. The raw video is not stored as in prior art systems, but rather the video signals are processed in a serial manner with feature identification occurring without storage. The processing circuitry thus is efficiently used since the video signals are processed as they occur.