Abstract: The figure reducers of a figure pre-processing device are connected in series. A plurality of previously determined deletion judging patterns are classified into a plurality of groups and the picture signal pattern is compared with the previously determined judging patterns wherein the point focused on is excluded from a group in accordance with patterns rotated a predetermined angle around a point on a figure to be scanned. The classified groups are supplied to the series-connected figure reducers as a deletion judging pattern for deleting a point in each of the figure reducers.

Abstract: Herein disclosed is a character recognition system which comprises a video input device which obtains character video signals by raster scanning characters which exist on a medium; a quantization unit which converts said character video signals into binary code video signals; and a character centerline shaping device which transforms said binary code video signals into character centerline figures which are formed by the character centerlines of said binary code video signals.