US3587047A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Selective character centering line follow logics
Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
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Filing: 1968-01-03
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Granted: 1971-06-22
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Expires: 1988-01-03
Abstract
Abstract A character recognition scanner is vertically centered on a line of characters by horizontally compressing or consolidating the character parts in the field of view of the scanner and using the horizontally consolidated character parts as a cue to vertically adjust the scanner. The horizontally consolidated character parts are stored in a shift register by a series of bits and the positions of the series of bits in the shift register corresponds to the position of the character parts in the field of view of the scanner. By shifting the data in the shift register in coincidence with the vertical adjustment of the scanner, the data in the shift register serves as a continuous cue of the position of a character within the adjusted field of view. The vertical adjustment of the scanner is then stopped when the series of bits representing a character is at a predetermined position within the shift register.
Inventors
- 👤 Alfred Cutaia
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 20:19
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06V; G06V30/00; G06V30/10; G06V30/14; G06V30/146
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim
406 words
Apparatus responsive to electronic signals representing character bits and background bits resulting from a raster scan of a field in which there may be a character or character parts, for generating a raster centering output having a parameter proportional to the amount said scan is to be adjusted to center a character within a field of said raster scan, said output being in the form of a command signal to raise the raster scan field a given amount or lower the raster scan field a given amount, comprising: a. storage means, receiving said character and background bits (hereinafter referred to as black and white bits respectively) for forming and storing a feature combination pattern which is an electronic replica of horizontally compressed characters, character parts and spaces within said field, wherein a group of sequentially stored black bits (referred to hereafter as a black bar) represents a compressed character or character part, and a group of sequentially stored white bits (referred to hereafter as a white space) represents spaces between characters, b. means responsive to the size and positions of said black bars in said stored feature combination pattern for generating said raster centering output, and c. control means for initiating said means for forming said feature combination pattern following the interception of a character part during said raster scan and for providing a control signal to said generating means for initiating said raster centering output in response to an indication that said raster scan has passed a character, the period during the scan of a character being the consolidation time and the period following the scan of a character being the correction time, wherein said storing means comprises, an up-down shift register having a storage length equal to the character and backgrouNd bits received during a single vertical scan of said raster scan, means for shifting the contents of said shift register in a first direction during said consolidation time in coincidence with each vertical sweep of said raster scan whereby a signal representing a black or white bit is shifted from the input to the output during a single vertical scan, and means for applying all black bits received as a result of each vertical scan and all black bits shifted out of said shift register to the input of said shift register during said raster scan whereby black bits are accumulated forming black bars representing character lengths and positions within said raster field.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
406 words
Apparatus responsive to electronic signals representing character bits and background bits resulting from a raster scan of a field in which there may be a character or character parts, for generating a raster centering output having a parameter proportional to the amount said scan is to be adjusted to center a character within a field of said raster scan, said output being in the form of a command signal to raise the raster scan field a given amount or lower the raster scan field a given amount, comprising: a. storage means, receiving said character and background bits (hereinafter referred to as black and white bits respectively) for forming and storing a feature combination pattern which is an electronic replica of horizontally compressed characters, character parts and spaces within said field, wherein a group of sequentially stored black bits (referred to hereafter as a black bar) represents a compressed character or character part, and a group of sequentially stored white bits (referred to hereafter as a white space) represents spaces between characters, b. means responsive to the size and positions of said black bars in said stored feature combination pattern for generating said raster centering output, and c. control means for initiating said means for forming said feature combination pattern following the interception of a character part during said raster scan and for providing a control signal to said generating means for initiating said raster centering output in response to an indication that said raster scan has passed a character, the period during the scan of a character being the consolidation time and the period following the scan of a character being the correction time, wherein said storing means comprises, an up-down shift register having a storage length equal to the character and backgrouNd bits received during a single vertical scan of said raster scan, means for shifting the contents of said shift register in a first direction during said consolidation time in coincidence with each vertical sweep of said raster scan whereby a signal representing a black or white bit is shifted from the input to the output during a single vertical scan, and means for applying all black bits received as a result of each vertical scan and all black bits shifted out of said shift register to the input of said shift register during said raster scan whereby black bits are accumulated forming black bars representing character lengths and positions within said raster field.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
369 words
Apparatus responsive to electronic signals representing character bits and background bits resulting from a raster scan of field in which there may be a character or character parts, for generating a raster centering output having a parameter proportional to the amount said scan is to be adjusted to center a character within a field of said raster scan, said output being in the form of a command signal to raise the raster scan field a given amount or lower the raster scan field a given amount, comprising: a. storage means, receiving said character and background bits (hereafter referred to as black and white bits respectively) for forming and storing a feature combination pattern which is an electronic replica of horizontally compressed characters, character parts and spaces within said field, wherein a group of sequentially stored black bits (referred to hereafter as a black bar) represents a compressed character or character part, and a group of sequentially stored white bits (referred to hereafter as a white space) represents spaces between characters, b. means responsive to the size and positions of said black bars in said stored feature combination pattern for generating said raster centering output, and c. control means for initiating said means for forming said feature combination pattern following the interception of a character part during said raster scan and for providing a control signal to said generating mans for initiating said raster centering output in response to an indication that said raster scan has passed a character, the period during the scan of a character being the consolidation time and the period following the scan of a character being the correction time, wherein, said means for generating said raster centering output comprises, feedback means, responsive to said raster centering output, for shifting the position of said feature combination pattern in said storing means, means responsive to said feature combination pattern reaching a predetermined reference position is said storing means, representing a centering of said raster field on said character, for terminating said raster centering output, and feature pattern combination logic, responsive to said black and white bits entered into said storage means, for generating a feature combination output signal identifying the particular feature combination in said storing means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
369 words
Apparatus responsive to electronic signals representing character bits and background bits resulting from a raster scan of field in which there may be a character or character parts, for generating a raster centering output having a parameter proportional to the amount said scan is to be adjusted to center a character within a field of said raster scan, said output being in the form of a command signal to raise the raster scan field a given amount or lower the raster scan field a given amount, comprising: a. storage means, receiving said character and background bits (hereafter referred to as black and white bits respectively) for forming and storing a feature combination pattern which is an electronic replica of horizontally compressed characters, character parts and spaces within said field, wherein a group of sequentially stored black bits (referred to hereafter as a black bar) represents a compressed character or character part, and a group of sequentially stored white bits (referred to hereafter as a white space) represents spaces between characters, b. means responsive to the size and positions of said black bars in said stored feature combination pattern for generating said raster centering output, and c. control means for initiating said means for forming said feature combination pattern following the interception of a character part during said raster scan and for providing a control signal to said generating mans for initiating said raster centering output in response to an indication that said raster scan has passed a character, the period during the scan of a character being the consolidation time and the period following the scan of a character being the correction time, wherein, said means for generating said raster centering output comprises, feedback means, responsive to said raster centering output, for shifting the position of said feature combination pattern in said storing means, means responsive to said feature combination pattern reaching a predetermined reference position is said storing means, representing a centering of said raster field on said character, for terminating said raster centering output, and feature pattern combination logic, responsive to said black and white bits entered into said storage means, for generating a feature combination output signal identifying the particular feature combination in said storing means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
139 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein said storing means comprises a. an up-down shift register having a storage length equal to the character and background bits received during a single vertical scan of said raster scan, b. means for shifting the contents of said shift register in a first direction during said consolidation time in coincidence with each vertical sweep of said raster scan whereby a signal representing a black or white bit is shifted from the input to the output during a single vertical scan, c. means for applying all black bits received as a result of each vertical and all black bits shifted out of said shift register to the input of said shift register during said raster scan whereby black bits are accumulated forming black bars representing character lengths and positions within said raster field.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
126 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein said feature combinAtion logic comprises a. feature sign indicating means responsive to the first bit received from said scanner during each vertical scan for indicating whether a character or space is at the bottom of said raster field of view, b. feature counting means responsive to the bits entered into said shift register for counting the number of changes from black to white and white to black during each vertical scan, and c. means for providing a signal indicating which of the black bars in said stored feature combination pattern is the largest, said feature combination output signal being a logic combination of the outputs from said latter means, said feature counting means, and said feature sign indicating means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
78 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein said means for terminating said raster centering output comprises a. plural feature reference logic circuit means for generating plural decision outputs, each being generated in response to said pattern occupying a different reference position in said shift register, and b. means for selecting a decision output to stop said raster said centering output, said selection being dependent upon the particular feature combination stored in said shift register during said raster scan.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-06-21 | 1974-12-21 | 1975-06-22 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-06-21 | 1978-12-21 | 1979-06-22 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-06-21 | 1982-12-21 | 1983-06-22 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |