Abstract: Information indicating whether or not the current sorting operation is the final one is preset in a control section. Then, a bar code reader recognizes sorting information of paper objects by reading respective bar codes printed on the paper objects that are supplied one by one from a paper object supply section. A bar code erasing section erases the bar codes after the bar codes have been read, if the information indicating the current sorting operation is the final one is preset in the control section. If the current sorting operation is not the final one, the bar codes are not erased. The paper objects are sorted based on the sorting information recognized by the bar code reader, and stacked in stores. Being capable of erasing the bar codes printed on the paper objects before they are distributed to users, a paper object sorting apparatus of the present invention has an advantage that it is free from a possibility of giving the users uncomfortable feeling.

Abstract: A mail sorting apparatus includes a video signal conversion section for photoelectrically converting and quantizing characters, codes, and the like on a mail item into a video signal, a blank area detection section for detecting a blank area where characters, codes, and the like are not described on the basis of the video signal output from the video signal conversion section, a printing area designation section for designating a bar code printing area in the blank area detected by the blank area detection section, and a bar code printing section for printing a bar code corresponding to an address of the mail item on the printing area designated by the printing area designation section. Further, the printing area designation section designates the bar code printing area from a blank area obtained by excluding a window area detected by a window position detection section from the blank area detected by the blank area detection section.

Abstract: In an optical character reading apparatus for optically reading a character image to produce a character signal representative of the character image, a collation and judgement circuit (22) compares a modified image with each of predetermined reference images memorized in a dictionary (21). A character detecting arrangement (11, 12) detects the character image to produce a detected image. A deleting arrangement (15, 16) partially deletes the detected image to produce a partially deleted image. A modifying arrangement (17, 18) modifies the partially deleted image into the modified image by the use of a reference signal produced in a reference signal producing arrangement (13, 14). It is preferable that the reference signal producing arrangement produces the reference signal in accordance with the detected image.

Abstract: For use together with a device for detecting a plurality of information positions where postal information pieces are described, an arrangement is for detecting one of the information positions that is described on an opaque label attached to a transparent envelope. Responsive to a regularly reflected beam from the opaque label, a label positon detector detects a label position where the opaque label is attached to the transparent envelope to produce a label position signal representative of the label position. Responsive to the label position signal, a selector selects the above-mentioned one of the information position.

Abstract: A character recognition apparatus, for use with an input character pattern and a dictionary of stored character patterns that are blocked into categories, all the patterns having a quantifiable format, in which a judging circuit performs a comparison of the patterns based on the quantifiable format and determines whether the quantified difference exceeds a threshold value in order to determine whether the input and stored character patterns match. The threshold is reduced, as lower mismatch quantities are found for a given character, and when a comparison exceeds the threshold, thereby indicating a mismatch, a new stored character is examined. As among all stored characters that have passed the threshold test, the one with the lowest mismatch quantity is selected as the recognized character.

Abstract: A word recognization system compares an input word with words stored in a dictionary memory. The comparison is made on a basis of the number of letters in the input word in combination with the first few letters in the word. The first level of selection is made on a basis of the number of letters in the input word. The memory locations of words are chain linked on a basis of the letters at the head of the word so that a reading of one memory location automatically leads to the reading of another memory location responsive to a comparison of the first few letters.

Abstract: An apparatus for recognizing characters with high recognition accuracy. The width of a character is measured, and the character is normalized in the direction of height only when the measured width is smaller than a predetermined value and in the direction of both height and width irrespective of the measured width. The normalized characters are compared and collated with a reference, and a category of the reference having the higher degree of coincidence is provided as a recognition result.

Abstract: A character recognition circuit slices the character signal received from an optical scanner and counts a number of black bits at multiple levels. The number of black bits are normalized in accordance with the character row length. A pair of level judging circuits responds to the normalized black bits at the respective multiple levels to derive slicing levels for both the character and the background. Responsive thereto a binary signal is produced in accordance with the slice level. Thus, the differences in the background signals do not have an effect upon the recognization of the character signals.

Abstract: A character segmenting apparatus has an optical scanner for scanning the surface of an article of mail. The scan is in a direction which is substantially perpendicular to the direction of the relative movement between the optical scanner and the mail article. The scan generates a pattern signal which is then recurrsively compressed and updated in the width of a black picture element contained in the pattern signal. A character segmenting signal is produced when no black picture element exists in a portion of the pattern signal, delivered from the optical scanner, which corresponds to the black picture element contained in the compressed pattern signal. Size and position information of a whole segmented character is developed in response to the character segmenting signal.

Abstract: A postal code distinguishing apparatus extracts characters from an address code appearing on a mail article, forms words from the extracted characters, stores in a memory a set of key words (i.e., "ATTN", "TEL", "P.O. BOS", etc.) which indicate that a numeric code on the same line is not a postal code, compares the key words with the extracted words, and sorts the mail articles accordingly. In this manner, the various lines of the address code are "eliminated" such that the numeric code on the remaining line is automatically read out as the postal code.

Abstract: A binary pattern signal producing apparatus for optical character recognition comprises a pre-scanning section for determining an area containing the information to be scanned, a scanning apparatus for producing a signal in accordance with the luminance of the scanning area, an automatic gain control circuit for controlling the level of the information signal in accordance with the level of a portion of the same information signal representing less than the entire scanned area, and a comparison circuit responsive to the output of the automatic gain control circuit for generating the binary pattern signal. In addition to or in place of a gate circuit which is used to provide only a portion of the information signal to the gain control terminal of the automatic gain control device, the apparatus may include noise eliminating circuitry for removing pulsive noise from the gain control signal.

Abstract: An arrangement for detecting a window area of a window-having mail item is for use in combination with a device of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,034,341 for detecting addressee's addresses described on the mail items successively fed thereto by determining information positions of the respective postal information pieces including the addressee's names and addresses, senders' names and addresses, and so forth. Responsive to a point signal produced by the device to determine a point on each mail item and to the light incident on the window area from the device and approximately regularly reflected therefrom to be sensed by an optical sensor of the arrangement, a window position detector of the arrangement produces a window position signal representative of the window position relative to the window-having mail item.