Abstract: Pattern segmentation and recognition in which hand-written characters are transformed electrically into 2-dimensional image patterns, wherein if ambiguity exists in segmenting a unit pattern including a character from the image patterns, character recognition is not made compulsively, but a plurality of possible unit patterns are first established. Then, the various unit patterns are segmented, and each unit pattern is identified to be a partial pattern, linked patterns, etc., so that each character is recognized on a basis of total judgement, whereby ambiguity of segmentation is resolved.

Abstract: A digitized multilevel signal is encoded on the basis of unit combinations each including a run-length bit field indicative of run-length at each of the signal levels and a single continuation bit indicative of transition of the signal levels. The encoding is so modified that a virtual run of zero length is inserted when the transition of the signal levels at adjacent sampling points departs from a predetermined order. Polarity of the continuation bit is inverted upon every transition of the signal level.

Abstract: In a pattern recognition device for recognizing an unknown pattern in accordance with the magnitude of the similarities between the unknown pattern and a plurality of standard patterns, the similarity between the unknown pattern and one of the standard patterns is detected as follows.Similarities are detected at first in respective shifting conditions where the unknown and standard patterns are relatively shifted from each other over the first limited extent, including the condition without the shift. The maximum value of these similarities is then detected. The similarities are further detected in respective shifting conditions where the unknown and standard patterns are relatively shifted from each other over the second extend larger than the first limited extent, when the shifting condition which gave the maximum value is that without relative shift.