Computer-based system and method for character recognition

Claim 1

A method for recognizing a graphical symbol such as a character comprising: (a) obtaining a digitized image which includes as a portion thereof said graphical symbol which is a character of an arbitrary height from a predetermined set of characters comprising a predetermined font; (b) sampling at least that portion of the digitized image which contains said graphical symbol thereby creating a plurality of sample points at locations within the digitized image representing said graphical symbol; (c) displaying said plurality of sample points; (d) storing said plurality of sample points and their said locations within said digitized image, whereby said stored points and said locations are used to recognize said graphical symbol; and (e) performing a vector correlation on said stored points and locations which compares said points with a set of known points from a known graphical symbol comprising a known character from said font to determine if said graphical symbol matches said known character; and (f) using said vector correlation to determine a single correlation point for each graphical symbol.

Claim 2

A method for recognizing a graphical symbol such as a character comprising: (a) obtaining a digitized image which includes as a portion thereof said graphical symbol which is a character of an arbitrary height from a predetermined set of characters comprising a predetermined font; (b) sampling at least that portion of the digitized image which contains said graphical symbol thereby creating a plurality of sample points at locations within the digitized image representing said graphical symbol; (c) displaying said plurality of sample points; (d) storing said plurality of sample points and their said locations within said digitized image, whereby said stored points and said locations are used to recognize said graphical symbol; and (e) performing a vector correlation on said stored points and locations which compares said points with a set of known points from a known graphical symbol comprising a known character from said font to determine if said graphical symbol matches said known character; and (f) using said vector correlation to determine a single correlation point for each graphical symbol.

Claim 3

A method for recognizing a character comprising: (a) obtaining a digitized image using a camera which includes as a portion thereof said character; (b) sampling at least that portion of the digitized image which contains said character thereby creating a plurality of sample points at locations within the digitized image representing said character; (c) displaying said plurality of sample points; (d) storing said plurality of sample points and their said locations within said digitized image, whereby said stored points and said locations are used to recognize said character; and (e) performing a vector correlation on said stored points and locations which compares said points with a set of known points from a known character to determine if said character matches said known character by use of only a specified percentage of a total number of said plurality of said stored points.

Claim 4

A method for recognizing a character comprising: (a) obtaining a digitized image using a camera which includes as a portion thereof said character; (b) sampling at least that portion of the digitized image which contains said character thereby creating a plurality of sample points at locations within the digitized image representing said character; (c) displaying said plurality of sample points; (d) storing said plurality of sample points and their said locations within said digitized image, whereby said stored points and said locations are used to recognize said character; and (e) performing a vector correlation on said stored points and locations which compares said points with a set of known points from a known character to determine if said character matches said known character by use of only a specified percentage of a total number of said plurality of said stored points.

Claim 6

A method for recognizing a graphical symbol such as a character containing a plurality of pixels which may be activated and wherein said character is of a width equal to a number of pixels, the method comprising: (a) obtaining an image digitized into a bit plane representation which includes as a portion thereof said graphical symbol; (b) sampling at least that portion of the digitized image which contains said character thereby creating a plurality of sample points at locations within the digitized image representing said graphical symbol; (c) displaying said plurality of sample points; (d) storing said plurality of sample points and their said locations within said digitized image, whereby said stored points and said locations are used to recognize said graphical symbol; and (e) performing a vector correlation on said stored points and locations which compares said points with a set of known points from a known graphical symbol to determine if said graphical symbol matches said known graphical symbol, and wherein said sampling step (b) includes: (1) activating said pixels contained within said character which intersect with the grid; (2) reducing said width of said character to approximately one pixel; and (3) positioning said grid over said reduced character; and (4) defining said sample points to be the intersection of said grid with said reduced character.

Claim 7

A method for recognizing a graphical symbol such as a character containing a plurality of pixels which may be activated and wherein said character is of a width equal to a number of pixels, the method comprising: (a) obtaining an image digitized into a bit plane representation which includes as a portion thereof said graphical symbol; (b) sampling at least that portion of the digitized image which contains said character thereby creating a plurality of sample points at locations within the digitized image representing said graphical symbol; (c) displaying said plurality of sample points; (d) storing said plurality of sample points and their said locations within said digitized image, whereby said stored points and said locations are used to recognize said graphical symbol; and (e) performing a vector correlation on said stored points and locations which compares said points with a set of known points from a known graphical symbol to determine if said graphical symbol matches said known graphical symbol, and wherein said sampling step (b) includes: (1) activating said pixels contained within said character which intersect with the grid; (2) reducing said width of said character to approximately one pixel; and (3) positioning said grid over said reduced character; and (4) defining said sample points to be the intersection of said grid with said reduced character.

Claim 9

A method for recognizing a character wherein said character contains a plurality of pixels which are activated and wherein said character is of a width equal to a number of pixels, said method comprising: (a) obtaining a bit plane image wherein said image includes said character upon a background; (b) creating a field defining an area of said image upon said image wherein said field overlays said character and at least a portion of said background; (c) activating pixels contained within said character to be readily distinguishable from pixels representing said background; (d) reducing said width of said character to approximately one pixel in both horizontal and vertical directions; (e) creating a grid over said reduced character such that said grid intersects said character at a plurality of points wherein said points are at a plurality of locations upon said character; (f) displaying said character and plurality of points; (g) storing said points and their said locations; and (h) recognizing said character by means of said stored points and locations using vector correlation where only a specified percentage of a total number of said stored points need be matched with stored points and locations representing said character in prestored form.

Claim 10

A method for recognizing a character wherein said character contains a plurality of pixels which are activated and wherein said character is of a width equal to a number of pixels, said method comprising: (a) obtaining a bit plane image wherein said image includes said character upon a background; (b) creating a field defining an area of said image upon said image wherein said field overlays said character and at least a portion of said background; (c) activating pixels contained within said character to be readily distinguishable from pixels representing said background; (d) reducing said width of said character to approximately one pixel in both horizontal and vertical directions; (e) creating a grid over said reduced character such that said grid intersects said character at a plurality of points wherein said points are at a plurality of locations upon said character; (f) displaying said character and plurality of points; (g) storing said points and their said locations; and (h) recognizing said character by means of said stored points and locations using vector correlation where only a specified percentage of a total number of said stored points need be matched with stored points and locations representing said character in prestored form.