Abstract: A three-dimensional curved-surface model can be estimated by using both two-dimensional outlines obtained from a piece of image photographed from the top and a restriction that the paper is rectangular. Then, only the three-dimensional distortion in the image can be corrected based on the obtained three-dimensional curved-surface model.

Abstract: A word recognizing apparatus extracts the feature amount from a given image, and dynamically composes the feature amount of a candidate word to be recognized which is registered in a word list, using feature amounts of characters registered in an individual character dictionary. Then, the apparatus collates the composed feature amount of the word with the feature amount extracted from the image, calculates the degree of similarity between the two feature amounts, and outputs a recognition result.

Abstract: A rather expanded binary image and a rather blurry binary image are generated from a multiple-valued image. A ruled line candidate area is extracted from the rather expanded binary image, and the extracted ruled line candidate area is verified using the rather blurry binary image.

Abstract: A pattern recognizing apparatus having a character extractor that extracts a character from an input image, a non-character extractor that extracts a non-character from an input image, a character recognizer that recognizes a character, a non-character recognizer that recognizes a non-character and an environment recognizer that instructs the character recognizer to perform a recognition process when the character extractor extracts a character, and that instructs the non-character recognizer to perform a recognition process when the non-character recognizer extracts a non-character.

Abstract: A management information extraction apparatus learns the structure of the ruled lines of a document and the position of user-specified management information such as a title, etc. during a form learning process, and stores them in a layout dictionary. During the operation, the structure of the ruled lines extracted from an image of an input document is matched with that of the document in the layout dictionary. Then, position information in the layout dictionary is referred to, and the management information is extracted from the input document.

Abstract: A management information extraction apparatus learns the structure of the ruled lines of a document and the position of user-specified management information such as a title, etc. during a form learning process, and stores them in a layout dictionary. During the operation, the structure of the ruled lines extracted from an image of an input document is matched with that of the document in the layout dictionary. Then, position information in the layout dictionary is referred to, and the management information is extracted from the input document.

Abstract: An image distortion correcting apparatus is provided with an image input section to input an image of a flat rectangular paper surface imaged by an imaging section, as an input image, an imaging position estimating section to estimate a relative imaging position of the imaging section with respect to the paper surface from four vertexes of the rectangular paper surface within the input image, a rectangular paper surface estimating section to estimate four vertexes of the rectangular paper surface within a three-dimensional space based on the imaging position, and an image correcting section to correct a perspective transformation distortion in the paper surface within the input image based on the imaging position and the four vertexes within the three-dimensional space, so as to output an output image.

Abstract: A pattern recognizing apparatus, having an environment recognizer that extracts a predetermined feature from an input image and a pattern recognizer that performs a pattern recognizing process after altering the process based on the feature extracted by the environment recognizer.

Abstract: A document information input apparatus detects a position and an attribute of an area of a real document to be input designated by a user with high accuracy. Based on the detected position and attribute, the document information input apparatus recognizes an image of the area as text information by performing recognition processes suitable for the detected attribute such as character recognition, table recognition and a figure process. Then, the document information input apparatus pastes the resulting information to a pertinent position of an electronic document on a display. As a result, it is possible to input information such as a character sequence, a table and a figure from a real document to an electronic document at high speed and with high accuracy.

Abstract: Herein disclosed is a memo image managing apparatus, system and method which are adapted to manage and retrieve a large amount of memo images. The memo image managing apparatus that is connectable to a portable terminal capable of performing a memo image exchange and a memo image display comprises: a managing server adapted to manage memo images and a character information recognizing server adapted to recognize character information of the memo image. The managing server is comprised of a memo image accumulating section adapted to accumulate memo images and a memo image retrieving section adapted to retrieve a predetermined memo image from the accumulated memo images in response to a request. The character information recognizing server is comprised of a character information recognizing section adapted to recognize character information from the memo image.

Abstract: In an apparatus for analyzing a layout of a document, a character candidate element generator generates character candidate elements from black pixel linkage components of a document image. A horizontally oriented line rectangle generator sets a plurality of character candidate elements as a line candidate rectangle, among character candidate elements aligned in horizontal line orientation, when each amount of displacement of the set character candidate elements in a vertical orientation with respect to the horizontal line orientation, is smaller than or equal to a threshold value. A horizontally oriented paragraph-box generator sets a plurality of line candidate elements having approximately the same length as each other in the vertical orientation, as a paragraph candidate element.

Abstract: A character pattern is extracted from image data read from a document, listing, etc., and discriminated between a hand-written character and a typed character by a hand-written/typed character discrimination unit. The hand-written/typed character discrimination unit obtains, from the character pattern, N feature vectors containing a feature indicating at least the complexity and the linearity of the character pattern; and discriminating the character pattern between a hand-written character and a typed character using the feature vectors. A character recognition unit performs a character recognizing process based on the result of discriminating whether the character data is a hand-written character or a typed character. As a feature of the above described character pattern, the variance of line widths, the variance of character positions, etc. can also be used.

Abstract: The present invention as disclosed hereby is to provide an apparatus and method for allowing images to correspond to each other and a program therefore to automatically perform or make synchronous correspondence of images. According to the apparatus on the condition that there are OHP files and a moving image photographing a lecture or the like using such OHP files, resemblances between the OHP files and OHP image regions of frame images constituting the moving image is calculated such that the correspondence processing between the OHP files and the frame images can be performed based on the calculated resemblances.

Abstract: A pattern recognizing apparatus having a character extractor that extracts a character from an input image, a non-character extractor that extracts a non-character from an input image, a character recognizer that recognizes a character, a non-character recognizer that recognizes a non-character and an environment recognizer that instructs the character recognizer to perform a recognition process when the character extractor extracts a character, and that instructs the non-character recognizer to perform a recognition process when the non-character recognizer extracts a non-character.

Abstract: A data medium handling apparatus and a data medium handling method suitable for use for handling of documents, for example, in a financial organ. The data medium handling apparatus (30) for recognizing, based on an image (19) read from a data medium on which information is described in an arbitrary format, the information, is constructed such that it comprises means (2) for extracting characteristics unique to the data medium including the format from the read image data (19) and specifying, from the characteristics, a position at which information to be recognized is present, and image recognition means (3) for recognizing the image (19) at the position specified by the is preceding means (2) to discriminate the information, so that the data medium handling apparatus (30) can handle documents having various formats such as private slips.

Abstract: When a pattern of an address to be recognized is input, contact characters are separated after determining the contact position of the contact characters. A key character is extracted by recognizing characters for each of the separated characters. After extracting the key character, patterns delimited by the key character are collectively retrieved. A place-name word is recognized by comparing a feature vector of the entire pattern delimited by the key character with a feature vector of the place-name word.

Abstract: After an original image, including half-tone dot meshed characters are inputted and a prescribed process is applied to the original image, black pixel connection patterns are extracted from a target process area. If the density of the extracted pattern exceeds prescribed density, it is judged that the pattern is half-tone dot meshed and both the respective average values and standard deviations of the vertical/horizontal sizes of the connection pattern are calculated. Then, respective threshold values are calculated based on both the respective average values and standard deviations, and half-tone dot patterns are eliminated. Furthermore, a pattern, the outline of which is long compared with an included black pixel, of all the remaining connection patterns is eliminated as an unnecessary pattern. Lastly, projections attached to a character are deleted and character extraction is terminated.

Abstract: A data medium handling apparatus and a data medium handling method suitable for use for handling of documents, for example, in a financial organ. The data medium handling apparatus (30) for recognizing, based on an image (19) read from a data medium on which information is described in an arbitrary format, the information, is constructed such that it comprises means (2) for extracting characteristics unique to the data medium including the format from the read image data (19) and specifying, from the characteristics, a position at which information to be recognized is present, and image recognition means (3) for recognizing the image (19) at the position specified by the preceding means (2) to discriminate the information, so that the data medium handling apparatus (30) can handle documents having various formats such as private slips.

Abstract: A document image search apparatus generates a text by performing the character recognition of a document image and determines a re-process scope. Then, the apparatus generates a candidate character lattice from the re-recognition result of the re-process scope, generates character strings from the candidate character lattice and adds the character strings to the text. Then, the apparatus performs index search using the text with the character strings added.

Abstract: A paper document printed from an electronic document, in which a note is taken, is input as an image from a paper document inputting unit such as a scanner, an electronic camera, etc. A note image is extracted by a note extracting unit. The note image is then recognized by a note recognizing unit. A note recognition result and the note image are correlated to the original electronic document, and stored. Data of the correlation between the note data and the original electronic document is stored in a document information file.