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Optical character recognition system and method
| Details |
Inventors: Higgins, Raymond L.; Golem, Dennis W.;
Assignee: NCR Corporation (Dayton, OH)
Primary Examiner: Razavi; Michael
Assistant Examiner:
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Hulse; Robert S.
A system and method are disclosed for optical scanning and recognition of alphanumeric characters of different sizes and fonts such as E13B, OCRA, OCRB, and Farington 7B type fonts recorded on documents such as bank drafts and checks. The system comprises an optical scanner, a microprocessor, a read-only-memory (ROM), a random-access-memory (RAM, with a stored program) for storing data and a plurality of predetermined character-identification patterns (templates). Each template includes three configurations: an actual pixel patterns (bit configuration) or a character, a configuration representing significant portions of the character which remain the same and do not change despite changes in size of the character, and a configuration representing portions of the character which are given added weight in distinguishing between similar characters. The scanner optically scans each document and produces a plurality of gray-scale pixel values which are stored in the RAM under control of the microprocessor. The microprocessor processes the stored pixel values, and effectively locates and segments each character on the document. The microprocessor then converts the segmented-character pixel value to binary data, and selects, from the plurality of templates, the template that matches the binary data, the matching template serving to identify (recognize) the segmented character. |
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION Accordingly, a system and method for optical character recognition are provided which obviate the need for separate magnetic scanner systems and the performance of separate magnetic scanning operations, and reduces noise and image-processing time without causing loss of image data.
In a first aspect of the invention, a system (apparatus) is provided comprising: (a) a CCD scanner for optically scanning an alphanumeric character on a document, the character and document having different opacities, and producing a plurality of gray-scale pixel values corresponding to said opacities, (b) a memory disposed for storing the gray-scale pixel values, a program, and a plurality of predetermined binary patterns, one of said patterns representing the character, and (c) a processor coupled to the scanner and to the memory, and operating under control of the program, for locating the character on the document by selecting from said gray-scale pixel values a matrix of values representative of the character, for converting the matrix values to binary data, and for selecting from the plurality of predetermined binary patterns a pattern that matches the converted binary data, said matching pattern serving to identify the character.
The CCD scanner includes a control logic, the processor includes a microprocessor, and the memory includes a ROM (read only memory) with a boot routine and a RAM (random access memory) with the program, the pixel values, and the binary patterns.
In a second aspect of the invention, a method is provided for optically identifying an alphanumeric character on a document, the character and document having different opacities, the character being represented by one of a plurality of predetermined binary patterns, the method comprising the steps of: (a) optically scanning the character on the document and producing a plurality of gray-scale pixel values corresponding to said opacities, (b) locating the character by selecting, from said gray-scale pixel values, a matrix of values representative of the character, (c) converting the matrix values to binary data, and (d) selecting from the plurality of predetermined binary patterns a pattern that matches the converted binary data, said matching pattern identifying the character
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Image Analysis 
