JPH0592864U - Portable character information collation device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Structure] An image pickup unit (image pickup window 4) for picking up an object to which characters are attached is provided, and a character string is recognized from image data obtained by the image pickup. Automatic matching is performed by matching the recognition result with the matching data registered in advance in the main body. [Effect] For example, by taking an image of a license plate, it is possible to automatically check a stolen vehicle or the like.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 The present invention relates to a portable character information collating device for reading and collating character information such as numbers and symbols attached to an object such as a vehicle license plate.

[0002]

[Prior Art]

 For example, when conducting a crackdown on illegally parked vehicles or searching for stolen vehicles, the conventional method is to first check the display of the license plate (license plate) attached to the vehicle, and then check the habitually violated vehicle listed on the ledger. The number is checked and the stolen vehicle number is checked. Further, in general, the work of checking whether or not an object to which a character such as some number or symbol is attached is performed by the operator reading the character displayed on the object.

[0003]

[Problems to be solved by the device]

 However, the collation work of the character display attached to the object as described above requires the operator to pay attention for a long time when there are many objects. Therefore, the accuracy is a problem when performing a large amount of collation work.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problem, and to carry out a collation work by automatically reading a character portion attached to an object and automatically performing collation work. To provide a device.

[0005]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 The portable character information collating device of the present invention is an image pickup means for picking up an image of an external subject including characters and generating an image signal, and an image data generating means for quantizing the image signal and temporarily storing it as two-dimensional image data. Means, character recognition means for extracting character image information contained in the image data and character recognition, character data storage means for storing character data of a plurality of subjects, and character recognition means Character search means for searching the character data from the character data storage means, and a portable casing.

[0006]

[Action]

 In the portable character information collating device of the present invention, first, the image pickup means picks up an image of an external object including characters to generate a video signal. The image data generating means quantizes the video signal and temporarily stores it as two-dimensional image data. The character recognition means extracts the image information of the character contained in the image data and recognizes the character. The character data storage means stores character data for a plurality of subjects. Then, the character retrieval means retrieves the character data obtained by the character recognition means from the character data storage means.

By the above operation, by capturing an image of a subject with a character to be collated, the character information is automatically recognized, and the search is performed automatically from the character data stored in advance. Therefore, it is possible to automate all the operations from the reading of characters to the collation, which makes it possible to perform a large amount of collation work accurately and at high speed. Moreover, since each of the above-mentioned means is provided in the portable housing, it can be carried and used outdoors, and can be used in various fields.

[0008]

【Example】

 FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a portable character information collating device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Here, (A) is an overall perspective view, and (B) is a partial perspective view seen from the front of the apparatus. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 is a main body of a portable character information collating device, and a key input portion 2 and a display portion 3 are provided on the upper surface thereof. As shown in FIG. 1B, an image pickup window 4 for picking up an image of a subject and a light receiving window 5 for receiving registration data by an optical signal are provided in front of the main body 1.

Next, FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the portable character information collating device. In FIG. 2, the CPU 10 executes a program previously written in the ROM 11 to perform various controls described later. The RAM 12 is used as various working areas such as registration of collation data, temporary storage of captured image data, character recognition and collation work. The RAM 12 is backed up by a battery. The LCD controller 13 has a display memory, and outputs a display signal to the LCD panel 14 according to the contents of the display memory. The LCD panel 14 constitutes the display unit 3 shown in FIG. The CPU 10 displays a predetermined content by writing the display data in the display memory in the LCD controller 13. The image pickup unit 16 includes a CCD area sensor, an imaging optical system, and a controller of a CCD area sensor, and generates a video signal. The sample hold circuit 17 samples and holds the video signal, and the AD converter 18 converts this into digital data having a predetermined number of bits. The CPU 10 gives timing signals to the image pickup section 16, the sample and hold circuit 17, and the AD converter 18 via the I / O port 15, reads the output data of the AD converter 18, and finally converts this into binary data. It is converted and temporarily stored in a predetermined area in the RAM 12. The light receiving section 19 includes a phototransistor and its input circuit, receives a data signal input from the outside by infrared light, and generates an electric signal thereof. The demodulation circuit 20 detects the signal from the light receiving unit 19, and the waveform shaping circuit 21 converts it into a binary logic level signal. The CPU 10 reads the signal via the I / O port 22, analyzes it, and stores it as data in a predetermined area in the RAM 12. A device for giving infrared light data to the light receiving unit 19 is, for example, a terminal device connected to a host computer, and, for example, data regarding a stolen vehicle is registered in the portable character information collating device. The key input unit 23 comprises a key matrix circuit, and the CPU 10 reads the operated key via the I / O port 24. The sounding body 26 is composed of a piezoelectric buzzer or the like, and the CPU 10 emits a BEEP sound via the I / O port 25 at a required time.

Next, the processing procedure of the CPU shown in FIG. 2 is shown as a flowchart in FIGS. 3 and 4. First, when the power is turned on, the key is read as shown in FIG. 3 (n 1). When the image capture key is operated, a display indicating that the image has been captured is displayed, the image capturing unit 16, the sample hold circuit 17 and the AD converter 18 shown in FIG. Store in the area (n2 → n3 → n4). Then, the character area is extracted from the once stored image data (n5). This is done, for example, by extracting the rectangular area of the license plate. Next, the deformation caused by the size of the character area (rectangular area) and its angle (rotation angle with respect to the optical axis of the image pickup unit and the angle between the normal line of the license plate and the optical axis), that is, the character area, The image data is normalized by correcting the deformation of the character that occurs when the image is not captured right in front (n 6). Then, character recognition is performed on the image data of the normalized character area (n7). After that, the character string recognized this time is retrieved from the character data that is the collation source data that has already been stored (n8). As a result, if there is no corresponding data, it is displayed that there is no corresponding data, and a series of processing corresponding to the image reading key is finished (n9 → n10 → n1). If there is the corresponding data, a BEEP sound is emitted, all the data of the corresponding data are read and displayed (n11 → n12).

As shown in FIG. 4, when a character key is operated, the input character is temporarily stored (n20 → n21 → n22). This corresponds to, for example, an operation of key-inputting a character string as additional data when registering the character string recognized this time. When the memory key is operated, the character string recognized this time is stored (n23 → n24).

Subsequently, it is determined whether or not the additional data shown in step n21 is input, and if there is, the additional data is stored in association with the previously recognized recognition character string (n25 → n26). After that, the fact that the storage is completed is displayed (n27). The data thus newly stored is added to the collation source data. When the data registration key is operated, first, the data received by the light receiving section 19 shown in FIG. 2 is read from the I / O port 22, and the serial data is analyzed and converted into a character code string. Memorize (n28 → n29 → n30). When the input of a series of infrared light signals is completed, a message to that effect is displayed (n31 → n32).

In the embodiment, the character data, which is the collation source data, is registered from the outside by the infrared light signal, but the data to be collated can be registered by the key input, and the imaging and the character recognition are performed. It is also possible to handle only the character string obtained by using the data as the matching source data.

[0015]

[Effect of the device]

 According to this invention, the collation can be automatically performed only by performing an operation of capturing an image of a subject including a character to be collated, and a large amount of collation work can be performed accurately and at high speed. Therefore, for example, the search for a stolen vehicle or the matching of a list of addicts (vehicles) such as parking violation can be performed very efficiently.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the structure of a portable character information collating device according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG.
FIG. 7B is a partial perspective view seen from the front.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a portable character information collating device according to an embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of a CPU.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of a CPU.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1-Portable character information collating device main body 2-Key input section 3-Display section 4-Imaging window 5-Light receiving window

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. An image pickup means for picking up an image of an external subject including characters to generate a video signal, an image data generation means for quantizing the video signal and temporarily storing it as two-dimensional image data, and the image data. A character recognition unit that extracts the image information of the included characters and that recognizes the character, a character data storage unit that stores the character data of a plurality of subjects, and the character data stored by the character recognition unit that stores the character data obtained by the character recognition unit. A portable character information collating device comprising: a character search means for searching by means;