Abstract: Disclosed are embodiments of systems and methods for eliminating or reducing the distortion in a scanned image. Embodiments of the present invention allow for the automatic pruning, de-skewing, and unwarping of an image using document layout information. In embodiments, dominant baselines may be selected by examining the letter regions on boundary baselines rather than examining the entire document layout. The dominant baselines may then be used to reduce distortion in the image. It shall be noted that present invention is robust enough to handle many types of content, including different languages, as well as documents with different layouts. The present invention may also be applied to images obtained from bound documents and flat documents.

Abstract: The present invention describes a process for enhancing optical recognition of text in scanned documents. Prior to performing optical recognition for identification of text in scanned documents, a preprocessing algorithm identifies locations of noncontiguity in character strokes. The gaps created by noncontiguous character strokes are selectively filled with non-white or black pixels for enhanced character recognition. The process may assess noncontiguity on a bit-by-bit basis or, to reduce the number of operations, on a byte-by-byte basis.

Abstract: A method for correcting for edge defects caused by print characteristics of a print engine includes printing a set of actual color patches corresponding to a desired set of colors; defining an edge region and a uniform area region in each of the patches; for each color patch in the set of actual color patches: determining a difference between color in the edge region of the patch and color in the uniform area region of the patch; and generating an edge response to adjust color output of the print engine in the edge region to substantially match color output in the uniform area region. The method can perform edge correction for any edge region of an image. In one embodiment of the invention, the edge region may be determined by a trap engine associated with the print engine and the method can provide correction for trap pixels.

Abstract: A labeling process unit groups a continuous black pixel area as one group in the binary image data read by an image input device, and extracts the group bounding rectangle information about the group. A row extracting process unit extracts row rectangle information from the position information about the extracted group bounding rectangle. An overlap integrating process unit determines the overlap between the group bounding rectangles contained in the extracted row rectangle, and performs an overlap integrating process of integrating overlapping groups into one group. The ratio of the number of group bounding rectangles contained in the row rectangle before performing the overlap integrating process to the number of the group bounding rectangles contained in the row rectangle after performing the overlap integrating process is obtained, and the language of the characters written in the original is determined based on the difference in ratio.

Abstract: A raster image path architecture having the capacity for supporting the rendering and output of a device-independent grayscale raster image, while also offering the capacity for supporting the rendering and output of a device-dependent binary raster image, thus offering the advantages of outputting a device-independent grayscale raster image while preserving the performance and image quality advantages of a conventional binary raster image path architecture.

Abstract: A method and computer program product are disclosed for refining character segmentation in an optical character recognition system receiving as input a plurality of candidate objects. Each candidate object below a threshold character width is merged with another candidate object at one or more merge lines to form a composite object. The plurality of candidate objects are preclassified to identify a plurality of composite objects and a plurality of character portions. Proposed split lines are determined for each of the composite objects. Regions are defined within each of the composite objects from the position of the merge and split lines. The defined regions are classified to obtain an associated score for each region. Complete region sets are defined for each composite object, each with an associated set ranking determined from the associated score of the regions comprising the set. The set having the highest ranking is selected.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an optical character recognition device (OCR) for reading a form provided with character frames in reading fields, into which a user fills each character. Characteristic vectors are extracted from the character images of each frame. A number of characters decision unit 16, into which the characteristic vectors are input, decides the number of characters filled in one of the character frames. A character separation unit 18 separates each of characters from the character image based on the number of characters decided by the decision unit 16. The character recognition unit 20 then recognizes each of the character. The OCR according o the present invention is able to read the form correctly, in which a plurality of characters are filled in one of the frames.

Abstract: Methods for communicating between an application and an ink divider object (which stores ink strokes to be divided into groups) may include: (a) issuing a divide request to the ink divider object, optionally by the application; (b) in response to the divide request, calling a divide method, which groups the stored ink strokes into one or more groupings of strokes having a first predetermined granularity (e.g., words, lines, paragraphs, sentences, drawings, etc.); and (c) making information regarding the one or more groupings of strokes available to the application. This “information” made available to the application may include, for example, the actual groupings of the strokes, the number of stroke groupings having the first predetermined granularity, machine generated text corresponding to the stroke groupings, or the like. The results of the divide method may be stored in an ink division result object.

Abstract: The present invention is directed a method of color trapping. In one embodiment, the color trapping is performed during the rasterization process. The color trapping comprises identifying page objects into a variety of different categories. Color trapping for each of the page objects is then performed based on specific procedures for the category. In one embodiment, the categories include identifying the page objects as rectangles, characters, and non-rectangular shapes. In one embodiment, specific page objects may be identified as being of a type that color trapping is not to be performed.

Abstract: For encoding of mixed-mode images containing text and continuous-tone content, the pixels in the image that form the text content are detected and separated. Text detection classifies pixels as text or continuous tone content by accumulating pixel counts for groups of contiguous, non-smooth pixels with the same color. Groups whose pixel count exceeds a threshold are classified as text. The text detection technique further reduces classification errors by testing for boundary dimensions and pixel density of the group characteristic of long straight lines or large borders. The text detection technique further searches the neighborhood of groups qualifying as text for pixels of the same color, so as to also detect pixels for isolated text marks like dots, accents or punctuation. The separated text and continuous-tone content can be encoded separately for efficient compression while preserving text quality, and the text again superimposed on the continuous tone content at decompression.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of segmenting handwritten touching numeral strings having a non-vertical segmentation line.

Abstract: Upon synthesizing objects, information bits indicating the types of objects are lost. To solve this problem, this invention provides an image processing apparatus having discrimination means for discriminating a type of object to be rendered, determination means for determining the presence/absence of synthesis of the discriminated object, synthesis means for synthesizing an object and information of the type of object in accordance with the determination result, and processing means for appending information indicating the type of synthesized object to a rendering result obtained by rendering the object to be rendered in units of pixels.

Abstract: Frames such as boxes or rectangles are recognized in image document data. A first determination process initially screens frames by applying a first set of criteria to select frame candidates. The first set of criteria includes a comparison of a dimension to a predetermined threshold value. A second determination process then further determines whether or not the selected frame candidates are true frames based upon a second set of criteria. For each frame candidate, a pair of a black pixel rectangle and a white pixel rectangle is determined. The second set of criteria includes at least some information on the black pixel rectangle and the white pixel rectangle.

Abstract: This invention provides an object extraction method for performing processing for extracting and cutting out a specific object from a sensed image at high speed, and an image sensing apparatus using the method. In this invention, in a method of extracting an object by comparing a sensed image and a standard image, a focusing signal, focal length data, visual axis direction data, and illumination conditions are detected, and the initial size, initial position, or initial color of the standard image is changed on the basis of the detection results, and extraction is started under optimal conditions. In a method of extracting a specific object from the background image, the background image is converted into an image having the same conditions as those of the object image. From a plurality of images obtained under different image sensing conditions, the contour of the object is accurately obtained at high speed.

Abstract: A method for integration of a source object into a base image. The method comprises the steps of identifying similar border pixels, calculating characteristic values of the similar border pixels in the source object and the base image, creating a tonal map using the characteristic values, segmentation filtering the source object and the overlapped area into regions, identifying similar regions in the source object, each of which, in the characteristic values, has a difference smaller than a second threshold from the similar border pixels in the source object and smaller than a third threshold from one region in the overlapped area having an average difference smaller than a fourth threshold from the similar border pixels in the overlapped area, and applying the tonal map to the similar regions.

Abstract: A method of determining trapping, i.e., spreading or choking, in color boundary areas in a printed image, includes characterizing with respect to register behavior one of a printing machine and a printing machine type, respectively, performing a printing; determining the printing-machine specific register behavior with knowledge of influencing factors relating to the color to be printed and the printing material to be printed on for the job being printed; calculating minimum required spreadings and chokings, respectively, while taking a safety margin into account; and taking into account minimum geometric overlaps in producing an original.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of segmenting touching numeral strings contained in handwritten touching numeral strings, and recognizing the numeral strings by use of feature information and recognized results provided by inherent structure of digits.

Abstract: A character recognition method carries out a character recognition using a cross section sequence graph which describes features of a character image. The character recognition method includes the steps of (a) extracting the cross section sequence graph from a character string image, (b) analyzing a singular region of the cross section sequence graph and generating a virtual boundary point sequence in the singular region based on an analyzed result, (c) generating character candidates by combining structural elements of the cross section sequence graph and recognizing one character by supplying the virtual boundary point sequence with respect to the generated character candidates if necessary, and (d) recognizing a character string based on an adjacency relationship of the character candidates which are recognized as one character in the step (c).

Abstract: The subject matter of the invention is to add information to image data of multicolor image and monochromatic image. An image processing apparatus capable of adding information on raw data performs a dispersion conversion on the spectrum of the additional information by multiplying a code sequence of the PN sequence generator 114 by the additional data which is inputted from the input terminal 111 and converted into serial data in P/S converter 112. At this time, the data sequence transmitted from the image signal processor 102 to the printer engine 107 is converted by the scan converter 109 to correspond to the spatial axis for desperation. The converted data sequence is added to the output from the adder 113 by the adder 110, and reconverted to the original scan by the scan inverter 115.

Abstract: A graphic contour extracting method includes: acquiring an image of a graphic form to be inspected; defining an inspection region for the image of the graphic form to be inspected by an inspection graphic form including at least one of a circle, an ellipse, a rectangle, a first rectangular graphic form, a second rectangular graphic form and a closed curved graphic form, at least one end of the first rectangular graphic form being replaced with any one of a semi-circle, a semi-ellipse and a parabola, at least one of four corners of the second rectangular graphic form being replaced with a ¼ circle or a ¼ ellipse, the closed curved graphic form being expressed by the following expression: ( x - x 0 ) 4 a 4 +

Abstract: There are provided: an n-fold-character recognizing part for collectively recognizing an unmatched portion without segmenting character candidate patterns character by character for an image of a read-wise skipped portion, i.e., the unmatched portion upon word verification; and an n-fold-character recognizing dictionary referred to by the n-fold-character recognizing part upon recognition; to thereby conduct re-recognition independent of instability of character segmentation even when the portion read-wise skipped by the word verification includes two or more characters.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for removing ruled lines from a binary image containing character portions and ruled line portions, comprising the following steps. First, horizontal black runs in the bit-map image are detected and the detected black runs portions are stored as a run-length table comprising values of the horizontal start point and the length from the starting point of each black run for each vertical position. Then, based on the run-length table, black runs exceeding a predetermined threshold value are removed from the image to remove the ruled line comprising those black runs. Then, residual noise is eliminated from the image after the removal of the ruled lines. Then, in the image after the elimination of the residual noise, vertically disconnected components of a character are connected. Then, a portion of the character which is deleted by ruled line removal process is extracted from the image after the connection of vertically disconnected components of the character.

Abstract: Computer-aided techniques for analyzing biological sequences like nucleic acids are provided. The computer system may analyze hybridization intensities indicating hybridization affinity between nucleic acid probes and a sample nucleic acid sequence in order to call bases in the sample sequence. Multiple base calls may be combined to form a single base call. Additionally, the computer system may analyze hybridization intensities in order to monitor gene expression or the change in gene expression as compared to a baseline.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of segmenting touching numeral strings contained in handwritten touching numeral strings, and recognizing the numeral strings by use of feature information and recognized results provided by inherent structure of digits.

Abstract: The connected elements of an input image are obtained and grouped based on the relative positions of the connected elements and the similarity in thickness. Then, the character recognition level of a group is obtained by performing a character recognizing process. The obtained character recognition level is weighted by the area of a rectangular area. Using a total of the weighted values as an evaluation value of the group, the evaluation value is obtained for all combinations in all groups. The combination of the groups having the highest evaluation value is extracted as a character string.

Abstract: An embodiment of the invention is directed to a method of building an electronic file, using an electronic camera such as a digital camera, that captures 3-dimensional objects. A number of image data tiles that represent the images are generated by the camera. A number of text data tiles each containing text recognized in a corresponding one of the image data tiles is generated. The method includes searching for overlapping text in the text tiles, and pasting the text tiles in proper alignment into an electronic file.

Abstract: It is an object to print an image as it is inherently formed. Objects constructing the image are separated to character train objects in which there is no need to consider an overlap and the other objects by a character train separator. A character train converter converts the separated character train objects in which there is no need to consider the overlap into character code information and transmits to a printer. The other objects are converted into image information by a drawer and transmitted to the printer. The printer synthesizes a glyph formed by a glyph generator from the character code information onto the received image information and outputs.

Abstract: An iterative application of an optical object recognition method, such as an OCR method, with enhancements and modifications yields improved speed and accuracy. In the exemplary embodiment, after an initial pass of the OCR method on a document image, unrecognized blobs are grouped into unknown regions to which the OCR method is applied via an analysis window. If the contents of the analysis window remain unrecognized at a starting position in a given unknown region, the window can be moved within the unknown region to provide more opportunities to recognize the unknown region's contents. Recognized characters are recorded, and the portions of the unknown regions in which they appeared are removed. This pass of the OCR method recognizes characters in blobs containing multiple characters.

Abstract: A processing device performs region identification of an input image, and then performs an intra-region recognition process. The type code of each region and the individual code of a recognition result are then displayed, so that a user can modify both of the results of the region identification and the recognition process at one time. Furthermore, the processing device displays an original image close to the recognition result. If no correct answer exists among recognition candidates, code is added to the original image, and the original image with the code added is handled as a recognition result.

Abstract: A pattern extraction apparatus computes the convexity/concavity of an input pattern, regards a pattern having large convexity/concavity as a character, and regards a pattern having small convexity/concavity as a ruled line.

Abstract: Hand-written characters which have been turned to electronic data are input by input means, and fields of induction on the retina of the character image are calculated by field of induction estimating means. By using the fields of induction on the retina generated by the plurality of characters thus calculated, character region of each character is determined by character segmentation means, and individual characters are segmented from an array of characters. The field of induction on the retina of the segmented character is deformed to be matched with a field of induction on the retina of a character prepared in advance as a dictionary, and based on the magnitude of strain generated at the time of this deformation, difference between the fields of induction on the retina of different characters is evaluated quantitatively, and character recognition is carried out based on this estimation.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and article of manufacturing employing lexicon reduction using key characters and a neural network, for recognizing a line of cursive text. Unambiguous parts of a cursive image, referred to as “key characters,” are identified. If the level of confidence that a segment of a line of cursive text is a particular character is higher than a threshold, and is also sufficiently higher than the level of confidence of neighboring segments, then the character is designated as a key character candidate. Key character candidates are then screened using geometric information. The key character candidates that pass the screening are designated key characters. Two-stages of lexicon reduction are employed. The first stage of lexicon reduction uses a neural network to estimate a lower bound and an upper bound of the number of characters in a line of cursive text. Lexicon entries having a total number of characters outside of the bounds are eliminated.

Abstract: A storage medium (72) having stored thereon a set of instructions, which when loaded into a microprocessor (74), causes the microprocessor (74) to extract strokes from a plurality of characters (76), derive a pre-defined number of stroke models based on the strokes extracted from the plurality of character (78) and represent the plurality of characters as sequences of stroke models (80).

Abstract: A separating position candidate detecting unit 21 detects separating position candidates in a character row derived by a character row deriving unit 11. A character candidate separating unit 31 separates character candidates by using the separating position candidates obtained by the separating position candidate detecting unit 21. A newly provided separation shape determining unit 32 determines separation shapes at the same time. A character recognition unit 41 provides a character kind and separation shape of a reference pattern most resembling each separation shape by using a character recognition dictionary 42, in which reference patterns are stored each for each separation shape.

Abstract: Systems and method for organizing information relating to the design of polymer probe array chips including oligonucleotide array chips. A database model is provided which organizes information interrelating probes on a chip, genomic items investigated by the chip, and sequence information relating to the design of the chip. The model is readily translatable into database languages such as SQL. The database model scales to permit storage of information about large numbers of chips having complex designs.

Abstract: A method for cutting character images from a line segment of pixel image data includes a first cutting layer step in which nontouching and nonoverlapping characters are cut from a line segment, and a second cutting layer step in which touching characters are cut from the line segment.

Abstract: A character box extracting unit extracts a line forming a character box. Then, the character box intersection calculating unit calculates the intersection of the character box with a character pattern. An intersection corresponding unit associates intersections with each other based on the directional property of character lines, distance between the character lines, etc. An in-box character extracting unit extracts a virtual image according to the association information between the intersections. A character size evaluating unit obtains from an optional character string an average character size of a character including the virtual image, and extracts a true character pattern by removing a redundant virtual image based on the average character size.

Abstract: In an image extraction system, an extracting part for extracting wide lines, an extracting part for extracting narrow lines and a frame detector detect a frame from a pattern which is extracted by a connected pattern extracting part. An attribute adder adds attributes of a character (graphic and symbol inclusive), frame, and a contact pattern of the character and frame to a partial pattern, and a separating part separates the frame from the contact pattern. An intersection calculator calculates intersections of the character and frame, and the calculated intersections are associated by an intersection associating part. An interpolator obtains a character region within the frame and interpolates this region based on the associated intersections. A connection confirming part confirms a connection of the pattern with respect to the extracted character pattern, and patterns confirmed of their connection are integrated in a connected pattern integrating part to thereby extract the character.

Abstract: The present invention is a method of identifying the script and orientation of a document image by identifying each set of connected pixels in the document image; computing the number of pixels in each set of connected pixels; computing the horizontal mean position of the pixels; computing the vertical mean position of the pixels; computing the horizontal extent of the pixels; computing the vertical extent of the pixels; computing a plurality of moment values for each set of connected pixels in the document image using a unique normalized centered moment calculation; grouping the moment values according to moment type; sorting the moment values within each moment group according to moment value; selecting moment values from each rank ordered moment group in order to characterize the document image; comparing the selected moment values to moment values for representative document images in a number of scripts and orientations; defining the script and orientation of the document image as being the same as the r

Abstract: A hand-written character recognition apparatus includes a CIS, and image data of each character of addressing information hand-written on a transmission original, which is read by the CIS, is stored in a bit-mapped line buffer. A histogram of one direction, e.g. an X direction (main scanning direction) is produced on the basis of the image data, and the histogram is stored in the histogram buffer. A rough position of each of the characters is evaluated on the basis of the histogram, and a character width of each of the characters, preferably an average character width is evaluated with referring to the line buffer. Then, a blank portion having a size of 1.5 times or less the average character width is detected as a space between characters.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for removing spots from character images of a multi-character image read by an image scanner. A character image is cut out from the multi-character image. Separated segments in the cut-out character image are then detected. A respective segment of the detected, separated segments is deleted as a free spot if the number of detected segments exceeds a maximum segment number. After deleting a free spot, an attempt is then made to recognize a character in the character image. When a character cannot be recognized, a black pixel width is identified by analyzing the distribution of black pixel widths in the character image. Then, a circumscribed rectangle is defined in accordance with the identified black pixel width. Pixels of images lying outside the circumscribed rectangle are deleted from the character image as an externally contacted spot.

Abstract: In order to divide a dot pattern of touching characters having a thickness into patterns of each character without deformation, it is analyzed in the invention, as an ensemble of run continuations non-branched, continuations of neighboring `run`s, a succession of black dots ranged in a column being defined as a run. Some peculiar `run`s are nominated as segmentation candidates for dividing the dot pattern thereby, and the dot pattern of touching characters is divided by most appropriate one of the segmentation candidates.

Abstract: An optical character recognition method and system are provided, employing context analysis and operator input, alternatively and in combination, on the same batch of documents. After automatic character recognition, the context analyzer processes the fields that are good enough to expect resolution. This will accept as many fields as possible without any operator intervention. For some other fields, the process uses operator input to certify the character-level OCR result of, or to enter, a certain percentage of the characters, so that context analysis may accept some of the remaining fields. If the context analyzer successfully identifies a small set of very close hypotheses, the process asks the operator to certify one or two characters to resolve the ambiguity between the hypotheses. For the fields that are still not resolved, the fields and the hypotheses are shown to the operator for acceptance, correction, or entry.

Abstract: A system and method of producing a bold character from a base character which has been transformed in orientation, size, or both, the method comprising overstriking the transformed character non-orthogonally, asymmetrically, or both, to produce the bold character. A preferred embodiment for overstriking the transformed character non-orthogonally, asymmetrically, or both, includes overstriking the transformed character relative to the CTM.

Abstract: An image extraction system includes a connected pattern extracting part for extracting partial patterns respectively having connected pixels from an image which is formed by a block frame having a table format and including one-character frames or a free format frame, characters, graphics or symbols, a one-character frame extracting part for extracting one-character frames from the image based on the partial patterns extracted by the connected pattern extracting part, a straight line extracting part for extracting straight lines from the partial patterns which are extracted by the connected pattern extracting part and is eliminated of the one-character frames by the one-character frame extracting part, a frame detecting part for detecting straight lines forming the frame from the straight lines extracted by the straight line extracting part, and a frame separating part for separating the straight lines detected by the frame detecting part from the partial patterns so as to extract the characters, graphics or

Abstract: In the ruled line elimination apparatus of the present invention, the ruled line contacting a character or overlapping to the character is completely eliminated. First, a ruled line determination section determines existence area of the ruled line in the input image. Second, a ruled line elimination section determines continuous pixels consisting of the ruled line in the existence area, and eliminates the continuous pixels by unit of predetermined width, in which a direction of the predetermined width is perpendiculer to a directed of the ruled line.

Abstract: A method and system for simultaneously recognizing contextually related images is disclosed. The image of two separate fields is captured to form two captured data images such as a word and numerical amount. Each captured image is cut to form a segmentation graph based on the cuts. The shortest path in each segmentation graph is found wherein the additive length corresponds to a score and is associated with each directed arc of the segmentation graph. The segmentation graphs are combined into a joint segmentation graph and the highest scoring mutually consistent interpretations are found.

Abstract: A character box extracting unit extracts a line forming a character box. Then, the character box intersection calculating unit calculates the intersection of the character box with a character pattern. An intersection corresponding unit associates intersections with each other based on the directional property of character lines, distance between the character lines, etc. An in-box character extracting unit extracts a virtual image according to the association information between the intersections. A character size evaluating unit obtains from an optional character string an average character size of a character including the virtual image, and extracts a true character pattern by removing a redundant virtual image based on the average character size.

Abstract: A recognizing apparatus for estimating an environment description parameter, and substantially reducing a memory capacity required to represent a parameter space. The recognizing apparatus stores a restricted parameter space as a parameter space restricted by predetermined observation point information and based on an object model as shape information. The apparatus votes for a parameter subset consistent with the object model for each characteristic point obtained through environment observation in a restricted parameter space. The apparatus then outputs an estimated value for a environment description parameter according to the result of the voting for the restricted parameter space.

Abstract: A binary processing method for a variable density image the method includes the steps of binary processing an image having variable density, according to which brightness of an image having variable density to be binary processed is given as 1/n (where n is an integer of 2 or above), and expansion processing and smoothening processing the image having the brightness of 1/n so that a threshold value image for binary processing is generated. A difference is obtained between the threshold value image and the variable density image to be binary processed, such that it is possible to carry out binary processing even for an image having a complex background or variance in brightness.