JPH02166581A - Optical character reader - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To shorten the time required for outputting a result of read by executing a change of information for designating a read area contained in format control (FC) information by keeping pace with a read processing of a character recorded in a business form. CONSTITUTION:By designating an area position on a business form image displayed on an output part 17, information for showing a changed read area is inputted from an input part 16. When the information for showing the changed read area position is inputted from the input part 16, a control part 11 changes read area information, based on the information for showing the position of the read area, and reregisters it in an FC information store part 15. In such a way, by designating a read area on the business form image displayed in the output part 17 in the course of executing a read processing, the read area information stored as FC information is changed. Accordingly, a result of read of only a designated read area part can be outputted immediately. A character read work can be executed simply and quickly.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Object of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) The present invention is an optical character reading process that performs character reading processing according to format control information on a form image obtained by optical scanning. Regarding a reading device.

(Prior Art) In general, an optical character reading device uses a form image obtained by optically scanning a form to be read, and uses preset format control information specific to the form format ( Character recognition processing is performed according to the FC information (hereinafter abbreviated as FC information). The FC information includes information indicating the size of the document to be read, the line position where characters are recorded, the type of characters, the pitch of characters, and the like. This FC information is generally registered using a control sheet for FC definition. In other words, the information that defines the format of the reading form is recorded by the operator.
FC information is registered by having an optical character reader read the C definition sheet. The reading process by the optical character reading device is performed using the FC definition sheet.
Executed after information is registered.

Here, it is assumed that there is a change in the format of the form (reading line position, reading area, etc.). In this case, after the job for the form whose form format has not changed is completed, the FC information is registered again. That is, FC information corresponding to the changed form format is registered by the operator using the FC definition sheet in which information defining the changed format is recorded. In this way, after the FC information that defines the format of the changed form is registered, the form reading process is executed again.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) As described above, the conventional optical character reading device is configured to perform character reading processing after setting FC information in advance using an FC definition sheet.

Therefore, when changing the area targeted for reading processing, it was necessary to set FC information each time and then execute reading processing. For this reason, there is a problem in that it takes the operator time to read the characters recorded on the form, and the work becomes complicated.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide an optical character reading device that can efficiently and easily perform character reading operations when changing the reading area of a form. purpose.

[Structure of the Invention] (Means for Solving the Problems) The present invention provides a display means for displaying a form image obtained by optically scanning a form, and a form image being displayed by the display means. A reading area specifying means for specifying an arbitrary reading area on a display screen in parallel with character reading processing, and changing reading area information included in format control information in accordance with area specification from the reading area specifying means. The reading area information changing means is configured to output only the reading results of a portion specified by the reading area information changed by the reading area information changing means among the reading results obtained by the character reading process. It consists of

(Function) In the optical character reading device configured in this way, it is possible to change the information specifying the reading area included in the FC information in parallel with the reading process of characters recorded on the form. , the time required to output the reading results can be shortened.

(Example) Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an optical character reading device according to the same embodiment. In the figure, a control section 11 controls each section constituting the optical character reading device. The reading mechanism section 12 optically scans the read form while transporting it to detect a form image. The page buffer 13 is connected to the reading mechanism section 12 and stores a form image for one form detected by the reading mechanism section 12. The recognition unit 14 performs character recognition processing on the character pattern of the form image stored in the page buffer 13. The FC information storage unit 15 stores FC information registered for the read form. The FC information stored in the FC information storage unit 15 includes information such as reading area information specifying the position of the reading area of the form, character type, and character pitch. The input unit 16 is configured with a keyboard or the like, and is used to manually input instructions to the control unit 11 to change the reading area, information specifying the changed reading area, and the like. The output unit 17 is connected to the control unit 11 and is configured with a display device such as a CRT, and outputs the form image stored in the page buffer 13 or the character recognition results obtained as a result of recognition processing in the recognition unit 14. It is to be displayed.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be explained with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

First, it is assumed that FC information corresponding to the format of a form to be subjected to character reading processing is registered in advance in the FC information storage section 15.

First, a document is optically scanned by the reading mechanism 12, and a document image is detected. The form image detected by the reading mechanism section 12 is stored in the page buffer 13. The recognition unit 14 cuts out a character pattern for each character from the form image stored in the page buffer 13 according to the FC information stored in the FC information storage unit 15 in advance, and compares it with a reference character pattern. This is how characters are read. (Step Sl).

On the other hand, the form image stored in the page buffer 13 is read by the control unit II during the execution of the reading process in the recognition unit 14, and is displayed on the output unit 17 (here, a display device such as a display device). Step S2). When performing normal reading processing (when there is no change in the reading area for the form), the reading area is not specified to change (steer knob S3) and the reading process for the form ends (
After step S5), the reading result of the reading area specified by the FC information registered in advance in the FC information storage unit 15 is output (step S6).

Here, a case where there is a change in the reading area of a form will be described. First, information instructing to change the reading area is transmitted from the input unit 16 to the control unit 1 through an operator's operation.
1 (step S3). By specifying this reading area change, it becomes possible to change the reading area information in the FC information. Next, information indicating the reading area is manually entered from the human power section 1B.

That is, by specifying the region position on the form image displayed on the output section 17, information indicating the changed reading region is input from the human power section IB. for example,
With reference to the form image on the display screen, the coordinates of the starting point and end point position (both ends of the diagonal line) indicating a rectangular area containing characters to be output as a reading result are specified. When the information indicating the changed reading area position is inputted from the input unit 16 in this way, the control unit 11 changes the reading area information based on the information indicating the reading area position and re-registers it in the FC information storage unit 15. do. A series of processes for changing this reading area information are performed in parallel with execution of the reading process in the recognition unit 14 (step Sl).

When the character reading process is completed (step S5), the recognition unit 14 outputs the reading result (character information) to the control unit 11.

The control unit 11 determines F from the character reading result by the recognition unit 11.
Step S6) of extracting the reading result of the portion specified by the reading area information stored in the C information storage section 15, and outputting only the extracted reading result to the output section 17. The output unit I7 displays the character reading result based on the character information from the control unit 11.

In this way, by specifying the reading area on the form image displayed on the output unit 17 during the reading process, the reading area information stored as FC information is changed. Only partial reading results can be output immediately.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, the reading area information in the FC information is changed in parallel with the document reading process, and the changed reading area information is changed from among the reading results obtained by the reading process. By outputting only the reading results of the area specified in , there is no need to reset the FC information using the FC definition sheet each time even if the reading area of the form changes. This makes it possible to easily and quickly read characters on forms.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an optical character reading device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure when changing reading area information in the same embodiment. 11... Control section, 12... Reading mechanism section, 13...
Page buffer, 14... Recognition unit, 15... FC information storage unit, 1G... Input unit, 17... Output unit. Applicant's agent Patent attorney Takehiko Suzue

Claims (1)

[Claims] A detection means for detecting a form image by optically scanning a form to be subjected to character reading processing, and a reading area of the form specified for the form image detected by the detection means. In an optical character reading device, the optical character reading device includes a character reading processing means for performing character reading processing according to format control information including reading area information,
a display means for displaying a form image obtained by optically scanning the form; and a display means for displaying a form image obtained by optically scanning the form; reading area specifying means for specifying a reading area in parallel with reading processing; reading area information changing means for changing reading area information included in the format control information in accordance with the area specification from the reading area specifying means; Outputting means for outputting only the reading results of a portion designated by the reading area information changed by the reading area information changing means, out of the reading results obtained by the reading processing means, an optical system characterized by comprising: character reading device.