Method and device for reading characters, preferably digits

Claim 1

A method for reading hand written characters in predetermined squares marked on a document comprising electronically scanning said characters, said system comprising: A. scanning predetermined marginal strips on each side of the border lines of said squares, B. recording the character parts scanned in said strips in an auxiliary memory for processing before transfer to a character processor, C. erasing for a given character those recorded parts which are not connected to said given character in said square inside strip, D. adding those recorded parts of said given character in said strip to said given character which cross the border lines of said square, and E. indicating the presence of more than three separate recorded parts in each said marginal side strip.

Claim 2

A method for reading hand written characters in predetermined squares marked on a document comprising electronically scanning said characters, said system comprising: A. scanning predetermined marginal strips on each side of the border lines of said squares, B. recording the character parts scanned in said strips in an auxiliary memory for processing before transfer to a character processor, C. erasing for a given character those recorded parts which are not connected to said given character in said square inside strip, D. adding those recorded parts of said given character in said strip to said given character which cross the border lines of said square, and E. indicating the presence of more than three separate recorded parts in each said marginal side strip.

Claim 5

A method for reading hand written characters in predetermined squares marked on a document comprising electronically scanning said characters, said system comprising: A. scanning predetermined marginal strips on each side of the border lines of said squares, B. recording the character parts scanned in said strips in an auxiliary memory for processing before transfer to a character processor, C. erasing for a given character those recorded parts which are not connected to said given character in said square inside said strip, D. adding those recorded parts of said given character in said strip to said given character which cross the border lines of said square, and E. indicating joined recorded parts which completely cross said strips.

Claim 6

A method for reading hand written characters in predetermined squares marked on a document comprising electronically scanning said characters, said system comprising: A. scanning predetermined marginal strips on each side of the border lines of said squares, B. recording the character parts scanned in said strips in an auxiliary memory for processing before transfer to a character processor, C. erasing for a given character those recorded parts which are not connected to said given character in said square inside said strip, D. adding those recorded parts of said given character in said strip to said given character which cross the border lines of said square, and E. indicating joined recorded parts which completely cross said strips.

Claim 9

A method for reading characters in squares on a document comprising: A. electronically scanning predetermined border areas on each side of the border lines of said squares to determine the marks occurring in said areas, B. recording the scanning results from said marks in said areas in an auxiliary memory, C. processing said recorded results from said auxiliary memory to determine:

Claim 10

A method for reading characters in squares on a document comprising: A. electronically scanning predetermined border areas on each side of the border lines of said squares to determine the marks occurring in said areas, B. recording the scanning results from said marks in said areas in an auxiliary memory, C. processing said recorded results from said auxiliary memory to determine:

Claim 14

A system for reading characters written in predetermined squares on a document by electronically scanning said document, said system comprising: A. an auxiliary memory means for recording the parts of characters scanned in predetermined strips on each side of the border lines of said squares, B. shift register meaNs connected to said auxiliary memory means for determining the number of joined parts of said characters recorded in each side strips, C. first logic circuit means connected to said register means for determining the joined parts that cross the border lines of said strips and the border lines of said squares, D. second logic circuit means for erasing the joined character parts that only cross the outside border lines of said strips, E. third logic circuit means for erasing (1) only the joined character parts that cross the border lines of said squares, (2) the parts that cross both the border lines of said square and the outside border lines of said strips, and (3) the joined character parts which cross none of the border lines of said strips and squares in said strips, and F. fourth logic circuit means for adding to the characters the joined character parts in said strips that only cross the inside border lines of said strips and the border lines of said squares in said strips.

Claim 15

A system for reading characters written in predetermined squares on a document by electronically scanning said document, said system comprising: A. an auxiliary memory means for recording the parts of characters scanned in predetermined strips on each side of the border lines of said squares, B. shift register meaNs connected to said auxiliary memory means for determining the number of joined parts of said characters recorded in each side strips, C. first logic circuit means connected to said register means for determining the joined parts that cross the border lines of said strips and the border lines of said squares, D. second logic circuit means for erasing the joined character parts that only cross the outside border lines of said strips, E. third logic circuit means for erasing (1) only the joined character parts that cross the border lines of said squares, (2) the parts that cross both the border lines of said square and the outside border lines of said strips, and (3) the joined character parts which cross none of the border lines of said strips and squares in said strips, and F. fourth logic circuit means for adding to the characters the joined character parts in said strips that only cross the inside border lines of said strips and the border lines of said squares in said strips.

Claim 20

A system for reading characters written in predetermined squares on a document by electronically scanning said document, said system comprising: A. an auxiliary memory for temporarily storing the information of predetermined marginal strips m-steps long vertically and n-steps wide horizontally, which strips extend on each side of each border line of said squares, B. two cascaded circuits connected to said auxiliary memory for m-steps along the vertical and n-steps along the horizontal lines of each of said marginal strips, C. a cycle counter connected to said n-step cascaded circuit for counting five cycles during the first of which cycles said m and n-steps are read into said auxiliary memory, D. an m-bit shift register connected to said auxiliary memory for detecting character parts in said marginal strips during the second cycle of said cycle counter, E. a counter connected to said m-bit shift register for indicating the number of character parts detected in said marginal strips during the scanning of the border line of said strips inside said squares, operated during said third cycle of said cycle counter, which cycle counter is restored to normal after each n-steps by connection to said cycle counter, F. first logic circuit means connected to said auxiliary memory, said cycle counter, and said n-step cascaded circuits for erasing certain of said character parts from said auxiliary memory during the fourth cycle of said cycle counter, and G. second logic circuit means connected to said auxiliary memory and said first logic circuit means for adding certain of said character marks to marks already in said auxiliary memory during the fourth cycle of said cycle counter, and H. means connected to said cycle counter for transferring the resulting processed information from said auxiliary memory to the memory of a character processing circuit.

Claim 21

A system for reading characters written in predetermined squares on a document by electronically scanning said document, said system comprising: A. an auxiliary memory for temporarily storing the information of predetermined marginal strips m-steps long vertically and n-steps wide horizontally, which strips extend on each side of each border line of said squares, B. two cascaded circuits connected to said auxiliary memory for m-steps along the vertical and n-steps along the horizontal lines of each of said marginal strips, C. a cycle counter connected to said n-step cascaded circuit for counting five cycles during the first of which cycles said m and n-steps are read into said auxiliary memory, D. an m-bit shift register connected to said auxiliary memory for detecting character parts in said marginal strips during the second cycle of said cycle counter, E. a counter connected to said m-bit shift register for indicating the number of character parts detected in said marginal strips during the scanning of the border line of said strips inside said squares, operated during said third cycle of said cycle counter, which cycle counter is restored to normal after each n-steps by connection to said cycle counter, F. first logic circuit means connected to said auxiliary memory, said cycle counter, and said n-step cascaded circuits for erasing certain of said character parts from said auxiliary memory during the fourth cycle of said cycle counter, and G. second logic circuit means connected to said auxiliary memory and said first logic circuit means for adding certain of said character marks to marks already in said auxiliary memory during the fourth cycle of said cycle counter, and H. means connected to said cycle counter for transferring the resulting processed information from said auxiliary memory to the memory of a character processing circuit.