US3652991A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Arrangement for character recognition of characters which are broken up into characteristic shape elements
Assignee: International Standard Electric Corp
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Filing: 1970-08-17
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Granted: 1972-03-28
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Expires: 1990-08-17
Abstract
Abstract The present invention relates to automatic character recognition, in which the characters are broken up into their characteristic shape elements, and in which the scanned and electrically stored shape elements are detected by probes corresponding to the shape elements. The shape elements are successively fed to the probes, and the probe most similar to the particular shape element, is detected by a first extreme value detecting circuit. The detected probe is assigned to the relevant character on the basis of its location in the character area, and the number of probes for each character is stored, so that the character with the largest number of assigned shape elements is determined and recognized by a second extreme value detecting circuit.
Inventors
- 👤 Walter Dietrich
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 21:24
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06V; G06V30/00; G06V30/10; G06V30/19; G06V30/192; G06V30/195
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
192 words
An arrangement for automatic character recognition in which the characters are broken up into their characteristic shape elements, comprising: means for scanning and electrically storing the shape elements; a probe network coupled to receive the shape elements; means for detecting a probe most similar to a particular shape element, including a first extreme value detecting circuit; means for assigning the probe thus detected to the relevant character on the basis of its location in the character area, so that for each character the number of probes assigned thereto is stored; means for determining the character with the largest number of assigned shape elements including a second extreme Value detecting circuit; an intermediate storage coupled to receive the scanned and electrically stored shape elements so that several recognition processes are carried out successively; means for restoring the shape elements, simultaneously with the recognition process, in an unchanged fashion in the intermediate store, so that during each recognition process different shape elements are offered to the probe network; and means depending on the number of occurrences one shape element is stored to effect a change of contrast of the subsequently following identical shape elements.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
192 words
An arrangement for automatic character recognition in which the characters are broken up into their characteristic shape elements, comprising: means for scanning and electrically storing the shape elements; a probe network coupled to receive the shape elements; means for detecting a probe most similar to a particular shape element, including a first extreme value detecting circuit; means for assigning the probe thus detected to the relevant character on the basis of its location in the character area, so that for each character the number of probes assigned thereto is stored; means for determining the character with the largest number of assigned shape elements including a second extreme Value detecting circuit; an intermediate storage coupled to receive the scanned and electrically stored shape elements so that several recognition processes are carried out successively; means for restoring the shape elements, simultaneously with the recognition process, in an unchanged fashion in the intermediate store, so that during each recognition process different shape elements are offered to the probe network; and means depending on the number of occurrences one shape element is stored to effect a change of contrast of the subsequently following identical shape elements.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
41 words
An arrangement according to claim 1 including means for staggering the shape elements coupled to said probe from said intermediate storage during two recognition processes, such that the first recognition process is interrupted when this first process provides an unambiguous result.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
17 words
The arrangement of claim 1 including means for electrically changing said shape elements during further recognition processes.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
71 words
The arrangement according to claim 3 including means for multi-stage digital coding of the density or blackness, and means for brightening one shape element when the major portion of several adjoining shape elements have a higher degree of blackness than the next lower degree of blackness, said brightening means being effected so that the existing degree of blackness is adjusted in a spot-wise manner to the next lower degree of blackness.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
53 words
The arrangement according to claim 3 including means for darkening a shape element whenever, in the major portion of several adjoining shape elements, the major blackness per shape element does not appear, the darkening being effected so that points with the second highest blackness degree are adjusted to the highest degree of blackness.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
29 words
The arrangement according to claim 5 wherein the character field is subdivided in the vertical direction, and the darkening is carried out separately in each part of the character.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
29 words
A process according to claim 3 including means for changing into white several non-white spots which are linked together and lying within one column whenever the surroundings are white.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
61 words
The arrangement according to claim 3 including means for storing and comparing the results of the recognition processes with one another, and means for indicating one character as having been recognized when the major portions of several recognition processes are in agreement, and means for interrupting said process as soon as an unambiguous result is obtained by the first recognition process.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
29 words
The arrangement according to claim 8 including means for summing the results of several of said recognition processes in counters arranged to precede said second extreme value detecting circuit.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
26 words
The arrangement according to claim 8 including means for storing the results of several recognition processes in counters coupled to said second extreme value detecting circuit.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
184 words
An arrangement of automatic character recognition in which the characters are broken up into their characteristic shape elements, comprising: means for scanning and electrically storing the shape elements; a probe network coupled to receive the shape elements; means for detecting a probe most similar to a particular shape element, including a first extreme value detecting circuit; means for assigning the probe thus detected to the relevant character on the basis of its location in the character area, so that for each character the number of probes assigned thereto is stored; means for determining the character with the largest number of assigned shape elements including a second extreme value detecting circuit; an intermediate storage coupled to receive the scanned and electrically stored shape elements, the store areas for the shape elements and the probe area are greater than the character area, so that simultaneous evaluation is carried out in two overlapping probe areas which are the same size as the character arEa; and means depending on the number of occurrences a shape element is stored to change the contrast of the subsequent identical shape elements.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
184 words
An arrangement of automatic character recognition in which the characters are broken up into their characteristic shape elements, comprising: means for scanning and electrically storing the shape elements; a probe network coupled to receive the shape elements; means for detecting a probe most similar to a particular shape element, including a first extreme value detecting circuit; means for assigning the probe thus detected to the relevant character on the basis of its location in the character area, so that for each character the number of probes assigned thereto is stored; means for determining the character with the largest number of assigned shape elements including a second extreme value detecting circuit; an intermediate storage coupled to receive the scanned and electrically stored shape elements, the store areas for the shape elements and the probe area are greater than the character area, so that simultaneous evaluation is carried out in two overlapping probe areas which are the same size as the character arEa; and means depending on the number of occurrences a shape element is stored to change the contrast of the subsequent identical shape elements.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
25 words
An arrangement according to claim 11 including means for evaluating output signals relating to said two probe areas in common in a zone-wise manner (zone-by-zone).
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
39 words
An arrangement according to claim 11 including means for evaluating output signals of said two probe areas separately, and means for separately feeding said signals to said second extreme value detecting circuit and for combining at the output thereof.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
40 words
The arrangement according to claim 13 wherein said means to change the contrast becomes effective when the particular electrical information of the character is apart from the measured black distribution at least by one width of a striae or dash.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
48 words
The arrangement according to claim 14 wherein the means to change the contrast emphasizes the vertical elements of the striae or dashes when a voltage value corresponding to the stored value is increased, and the horizontal elements of striae or dashes are emphasized when the voltage is reduced.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-03-28 | 1975-09-27 | 1976-03-28 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-03-28 | 1979-09-27 | 1980-03-28 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-03-28 | 1983-09-27 | 1984-03-28 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |