Abstract: The image data (BDAT) associated with a respective document are transmitted to one of a plurality of recognition units for processing in a recognition process comprising a plurality of partial processes. The allocation of the processing jobs and the monitoring of the time cycles of the recognition processes is performed by a control unit (AU), by mean of which a timer is triggered to set the processing time of the recognition process in a recognition unit (e.g. RUn), the value of which is compared with an expected value for the processing time of the currently running partial process. The partial process results from the processing status of the recognition unit which is determined by status information and can be called at any time.

Abstract: In a method for automatic character recognition, character strings marked by word start and word end are formed from the discrete characters calculated with the assistance of a character classifier. These character strings are checked with stored comparison strings of a context lexicon with respect to identity or similarity. The context lexicon is continuously updated by continuous read-in of strings containing no rejection characters, whereby the repeated read-in of identical strings is counted. Current strings are compared to the strings of the context lexicon and that string which is optimum with respect to similarity and frequency is selected for further evaluation. A correction provided with reference to the context comparison is only executed when the substitution transposition is probable based on the classifier characteristic for the characters under consideration.

Abstract: An arrangement for fitting valve sacks on a filling pipe of a packaging machine comprises a unit for spreading a valve of valve sacks, the spreading unit being turnable about a horizontal axis so as to bring the valve of sacks in alignment with a filling pipe of a packaging machine, a unit forming a horizontal guide path for the spreading unit, and a unit for moving the spreading means along the horizontal guide path.