Abstract: A character on which character recognition is being performed resides in one or more character strings, at least one of which excludes a subset of characters from a character set. In selecting character assignments for the character, one or more of multiple proposed character assignments for the character are eliminated as being a character in a subset of excluded characters.

Abstract: Character data for a plurality of characters on which character recognition is being performed is received for processing. The character data includes character assignments and character locations. A reference location is defined in relation to a location of one of the characters, and the character assignments are resolved into one or more groupings according to a distance of the characters from the reference location.

Abstract: A system for rapidly conveying images contained on each of a plurality of documents from a first location to a second location distance from the first location at a high transmission rate. The system includes a scanner at the first location for scanning each document to provide digital data representative of the images on each document, and a first data recorder for recording the digital data. The system also includes a first reader also at the first location for reading the digital data from the first storage medium, and transmission means coupled to the first reader for transmitting the serial bit map of the digital data from the first location. Also disclosed is a receiver at the second location for receiving the digital data and a second recorder coupled to the receiver for recording the digital data. There is a second reader at the second location for reading the digital data, and reproduces the images of the documents.