US3883848A — Method of and circuit arrangement for centering a…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 166 words

In a method of centering a character, in a character recognition apparatus containing means providing electrical signals constituting a matrix representation of components and background of such character, the centering being in a selected centering direction and relative to a selected ppoint corresponding to a given matrix element, the improvement comprising: evaluating the electrical signals corresponding to at least a portion of such matrix to provide output signals identifying the location in such matrix portion of points substantially on the center line of a character component which extends transversely to such centering direction; and processing such output signals for forming centering criteria indicative of the location of such center line relative to such selected point along such selected centering direction for proper centering of the character, wherein said step of processing comprises developing signals representing centering criteria of different priorities from such output ssignals, and using the signal representing the centering criterion of highest priority during scanning of a character to effect centering of the character.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 166 words

In a method of centering a character, in a character recognition apparatus containing means providing electrical signals constituting a matrix representation of components and background of such character, the centering being in a selected centering direction and relative to a selected ppoint corresponding to a given matrix element, the improvement comprising: evaluating the electrical signals corresponding to at least a portion of such matrix to provide output signals identifying the location in such matrix portion of points substantially on the center line of a character component which extends transversely to such centering direction; and processing such output signals for forming centering criteria indicative of the location of such center line relative to such selected point along such selected centering direction for proper centering of the character, wherein said step of processing comprises developing signals representing centering criteria of different priorities from such output ssignals, and using the signal representing the centering criterion of highest priority during scanning of a character to effect centering of the character.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 159 words

In apparatus in which a character to be recognized, as wEll as its background, is resolved into raster points and passed through a matrix which is formed by at least one shift register, the improvement comprising a centering system for centering the character in a given centering direction and including: evaluation circuit means coupled to the matrix for recognizing, and producing signals identifying, raster points substantially on the center lines of character components which extend perpendicular to such given centering direction; and register means including a plurality of stages (memory cells) for circulating a marking bit in step with the character shifting in the centering direction, and means coupled from and responsive to signals from said evaluation circuit means for entering such a marking bit into said register means when a minimum number of component center points, particularly two adjacent component center points, have been recognized as lying on a straight line which is perpendicular to the centering direction.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 159 words

In apparatus in which a character to be recognized, as wEll as its background, is resolved into raster points and passed through a matrix which is formed by at least one shift register, the improvement comprising a centering system for centering the character in a given centering direction and including: evaluation circuit means coupled to the matrix for recognizing, and producing signals identifying, raster points substantially on the center lines of character components which extend perpendicular to such given centering direction; and register means including a plurality of stages (memory cells) for circulating a marking bit in step with the character shifting in the centering direction, and means coupled from and responsive to signals from said evaluation circuit means for entering such a marking bit into said register means when a minimum number of component center points, particularly two adjacent component center points, have been recognized as lying on a straight line which is perpendicular to the centering direction.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 182 words

A circuit arrangement as defined in claim 2 wherein said register means includes a first register having an output and an input, and in which a ONE bit is entered from said evaluation circuit means every time a component center point has been recognized, the ONE bit being shifted in said first register in synchronism with the matrix shifting; and wherein said register means further includes a second register having an input and an output and the same number of stages (storage cells) as said first register, said input and said output of said second register being coupled together, this input also being coupled to said output of said first register, and in which a bit after being written in is shifted in synchronsim with the matrix shifting, a ONE bit being written into said second register from said evaluation circuit means when a component center point has been determined which is associated with the position of a ONE bit in said first register; and wherein said input and said output of said first register are coupled via a controllable AND gate.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 57 words

A circuit as defined in claim 2 further comprising linkage circuit means coupled to said matrix for determining the height of the character and a supplemental register in which the height (expanse) of the character in the centering direction is reproduced, said supplemental register being coupled to said linkage circuit means and being responsive to signals therefrom.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 61 words

A circuit arrangement as defined in claim 4 wherein said linkage circuit means is a disjunctive linkage circuit for forming a sequence of black-indicating bits from raster points of a row (column) of said matrix, which sequence of bits is coupled to said supplemental register and circulates in said supplemental register in synchronism with the position of the character said matrix.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 63 words

A circuit arrangement as defined in claim 4 further comprising second evaluation circuit means including logic linkage circuits connected to said register means and to said supplemental register and responsive to signals therefrom indicating component center points and/or character height stored respectively in said register means and said supplemental register for disjunctively combining them into groups to form ''''centered signals'''' of different priorities.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 56 words

A circuit arrangement as defined in claim 6 including switching circuit means coupled to said second evaluation circuit means and responsive to the ''''centered signals'''' therefrom for indicating the highest priority of at least one of the ''''centered signals'''' in response to the receipt of a plurality of such signals from said second evaluation circuit means.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 60 words

A circuit as defined in claim 7 further comprising a memory circuit coupled to said switching circuit means and responsive to ''''centered signals'''' therefrom for storing a succession of ''''centered signals,'''' said memory circuit including means for erasing a stored ''''centered signal'''' and for storing instead a ''''centered signal'''' haviNg a higher priority as soon as such a signal appears.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 84 words

A circuit arrangement as defined in claim 8 further comprising a centering counter coupled to said memory circuit and responsive to the ''''centered signals'''' therefrom as well as to shift timing pulses for bringing it into a counting position by a ''''centered signal'''' or by a subsequent ''''centered signal'''' of a higher priority, from which counting position it continues counting whenever no ''''centered signals'''' having higher priorities appear until it reaches a maximum whereupon it produces a ''''centered''''indication and resets to its rest position.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1978-05-12	1978-11-11	1979-05-13	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1982-05-12	1982-11-11	1983-05-13	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1986-05-12	1986-11-11	1987-05-13	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Method of and circuit arrangement for centering a character

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