Abstract: The invention relates to a process for obtaining by electronic means the automatic recognition of characters, even if printed in a variable position on a highly contrasted structured background drawing. The process consists in firstly producing a model of the background, obtained by capturing with an electronic camera the images of several samples, on which images there is only the background. Thereafter, the models of the symbols (for example alphanumeric characters) to be recognized are produced, either capturing the images of a set of characters printed on white background, or using the commercially available computer files of the characters of the chosen fonts. At the time of recognition, the position of each of the characters to be recognized is firstly measured with respect to the position of the printing of the drawing of the background.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for producing by electronic means a model for automatically inspecting the print quality on deformable objects. The model is firstly produced by capturing with an electronic camera (CCD for example) the images of a set of sheets whose print quality is regarded as acceptable; the images are stored so as to produce a first reference image, together with the relevant densitometric tolerance limits. This reference image is thereafter divided into a multitude of sub-images by superimposing a grid with very small mesh cells. During inspection, the distances between the nodes of the grid are measured on the image to be inspected: this therefore produces an elastic modification of the model, which is such as to make the distances between the nodes the same as in the image to be inspected. The image to be inspected is thus verified with respect to the modified reference (model) by using any of the standard inspection techniques.

Abstract: A sheet of paper (1) with the image to be checked passes in front of a camera (3) designed to capture three chromatic images and to emit three signals (S1, S2, S3). These signals are introduced into a device (4) applying a function F which comprises coefficients (K1, K2, K3, K10, K20, K30) previously recorded in a suitable device (2). The single signal (5) resulting from the function F is delivered to a device (6) for checking the printing quality.

Abstract: A procedure for producing a reference model for checking the printing quality of an image composed of at least two drawings starts with printed test sheets. The sheets are aligned so that drawings printed in a first printing are in register. The images are recorded, storing the densitometric pixel values which constitute the images in memory. The minimum value obtained is associated with each pixel and a model for the first drawing is obtained. The same procedure is followed for producing a second drawing and another model. The models thus obtained are recombined in order to form the reference model of the image to be checked.

Abstract: The installation for quality control of printed sheets (1) comprises means (8-13) for transferring said sheets, and cameras (2, 4, 6) for checking the print quality. The transfer means (8-13) are designed to transport the sheets in a plane and to allow the print quality of each of the faces of the sheet to be checked as well as a quality check using transparency to be carried out in succession and in a single pass. The means for checking each face are two cameras (2, 3) located on either side of said plane at two offset locations, the transfer means being designed to leave an open window at the side of each camera. A third camera (6) carries out the check using transparency.

Abstract: An integrated, multisensory recognition (identification and verification) system is described. Acoustic features and visual features are integrated in order to identify people or to verify their identities. The integration of the speaker-identification and visual-features-identification functions improves both performance and reliability in the applications envisaged. Various architectures are described for the implementation both of the integration function and of the speaker-recognition and visual-features-recognition functions.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method and apparatus for rotating a binary-data matrix, more particularly to a storage unit for computers which allows the matrix to be rotated to obtain row-wise and column-wise access. According to the invention the bits of the binary-data strings which form the rows of the matrix to be rotated are cyclically rotated with a unitary increase of rotation steps between one string and the next one. The rotated strings are parallely written in respective cell rows of a digital memory having individually addressable cells and then parallely read out therefrom by addressing a cell for each column of the memory. There are obtained modified bit strings, which correspond to respective rows of the desired rotated matrix and are subjected to bit rotation to establish the correct bit order in each string.

Abstract: A multiplicity of independently operating miniprocessors of an electronic data-processing system are grouped in a number of subsystems each including an individual control unit for carrying out an exchange miniprogram, upon request by an originating miniprocessor of its own subsystem, involving a series of data transfers between a transmitting and a receiving miniprocessor of the same or of a different subsystem. The control unit assigns to each exchange request a certain priority level, determined by the time of arrival of the request and by the location of the originating miniprocessor, and establishes an order of precedence in which data blocks are transferred between different pairs of miniprocessors in a time-division mode.

Abstract: A set of photoelectric transducers, optically scanning a line transverse to the direction of movement of a character-bearing document to be electronically read, is periodically actuated to pick up light from a multiplicity of elemental areas of that document and to generate electrical analog voltages commensurate with the brightness of these areas. The analog voltages are serially read out from one or more shift registers as a pulse train or several parallel pulse trains each undergoing digitization and subsequent storage in respective cells of an associated memory. A group of these cells contain, at a given instant, digital codes representative of the relative brightness of respective elemental areas othogonally arrayed in a square surface portion of the document divided into a middle zone and four diagonally adjoining peripheral zones, the middle zone being centered on the point currently scanned.