Data input apparatus for picture data base management system

Claim 1

A picture data base input apparatus comprising: (a) image input means for optically reading an original picture image having picture objects drawn by closed loop lines, and producing an electrical image signal representing a corresponding digitized image; (b) vector data generation means, connected to said image input means, for receiving said image signal, for executing a digital image processing to extract said picture objects from said digitized image, for producing vector data constituted by a series of coordinate data streams that define a geometric shape of each extracted object, and for affixing said vector data with an identification label to specify said vector data; (c) image presentation means for outputting a reference image at least partially including said extracted objects affixed with identification labels, based on said vector data affixed with said identification label; (d) attribute data input means for optically reading an attribute data list document prepared by referring to said reference image and for producing an electrical character data signal representing plural sets of attribute data corresponding to said extracted objects, each of said plural sets of attribute data being affixed with said identification label referring to said reference picture image; and (e) automatic data merging means, connected to said vector data generation means and said attribute data input means, for automatically merging said plural sets of vector data of said extracted picture objects with said plural sets of attribute data through said identification labels in such a manner that one set of attribute data is combined with vector data having the same identification label as said one set of attribute data, thereby building a picture data base.