Patent FR2372287A1 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3753229A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method of and device for the removal of short projecting stroke elements of characters
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1971-11-09
•
Granted: 1973-08-14
•
Expires: 1991-11-09
Abstract
Abstract A method and system for skeletonizing characters in a character recognition technique. The junctions and the end points of a skeleton character are known. Series of character positions which start too close to a junction are removed. The length can be defined as the number of character positions in a series or as the number of character positions of the shortest possible series which connects the end point of a series to the first junction of that series. The procedure may be started by searching for end points, or by searching for junctions and subsequently for the end points situated nearby.
Inventors
- 👤 M Beun
- 👤 P Reinjnierse
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 03:03
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06V; G06V30/00; G06V30/10; G06V30/16; G06V30/168
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 6
Claim 1
Independent Claim
316 words
A device for removing short projecting stroke elements of characters which are imaged on a two-dimensional regular pattern of positions, a character position being distinguished from a background position by digital information present, additional information being provided for said character positions which indicates whether said character positions are end points, connection points or junctions, said information being stored in a store from which the information can be transferred to a treatment unit, said device comprising a treatment unit having a detector which can be adjusted, by means of an adjusting signal, for detecting end points, connection points and junctions, respectively, means to supply an equality signal upon detection of the nature of the end point, a control unit responsive to said signal for interrogating information of a number of positions, it being possible for said number to be zero, during at least one search series, means for isolating the information of an end point during a first search series by storing the end point information, means for isolating the information of a connection point during a second search series by storing the connection point information, said second search series being started when said control unit receives an equality signal during the first search series, a span length defining unit incorporated in said isolation means, and which has a capacity which is measured in a number of character positions, said defining unit supplying a signal to said control unit when the span length of a series of character positions to be found is reached, in order to prevent the starting of the subsequent second search series, said span length defining unit defining an area comprising a number of positions around a central position, the number of positions in a series which starts in said central position and which terminates near a position giving a limit of said area, always being at least equal to said span length.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
316 words
A device for removing short projecting stroke elements of characters which are imaged on a two-dimensional regular pattern of positions, a character position being distinguished from a background position by digital information present, additional information being provided for said character positions which indicates whether said character positions are end points, connection points or junctions, said information being stored in a store from which the information can be transferred to a treatment unit, said device comprising a treatment unit having a detector which can be adjusted, by means of an adjusting signal, for detecting end points, connection points and junctions, respectively, means to supply an equality signal upon detection of the nature of the end point, a control unit responsive to said signal for interrogating information of a number of positions, it being possible for said number to be zero, during at least one search series, means for isolating the information of an end point during a first search series by storing the end point information, means for isolating the information of a connection point during a second search series by storing the connection point information, said second search series being started when said control unit receives an equality signal during the first search series, a span length defining unit incorporated in said isolation means, and which has a capacity which is measured in a number of character positions, said defining unit supplying a signal to said control unit when the span length of a series of character positions to be found is reached, in order to prevent the starting of the subsequent second search series, said span length defining unit defining an area comprising a number of positions around a central position, the number of positions in a series which starts in said central position and which terminates near a position giving a limit of said area, always being at least equal to said span length.
Claim 3
Independent Claim
318 words
A device for removing short projecting stroke elements of characters which are imaged on a two-dimensional regular pattern of positions, a character position being distinguished from a background position by digital information present, additional information being provided for said character positions which indicates whether said character positions are end points, connection points or junctions, said information being stored in a store from which the information can be transferred to a treatment unit, said device comprising a treatment unit having a detector which can be adjusted, by means of an adjusting signal, for detecting end points, connection points and junctions, respectively, means to supply an equality signal upon detection of the nature of the end point, a control unit responsive to said signal for interrogating information of a number of positions, it being possible for said number to be zero, during at least one search series, means for isolating the information of an end point during a first search series by storing the end point information, means for isolating the information of a connection point during a second search series by storing the connection point information, said second search series being started when said control unit receives an equality signal during the first search series, a span length defining unit incorporated in said isolation means, and which has a capacity which is measured in a number of character positions, said defining unit supplying a signal to said control unit when the span length of a series of character positions to be found is reached, in order to prevent the starting of the subsequent second search series, said span length defining unit comprising a counter which counts the number of character positions from which inforMation has been isolated, said counter applying a signal to said control unit when a given position is reached which corresponds to a span length, in order to prevent the starting of the subsequent second search.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
318 words
A device for removing short projecting stroke elements of characters which are imaged on a two-dimensional regular pattern of positions, a character position being distinguished from a background position by digital information present, additional information being provided for said character positions which indicates whether said character positions are end points, connection points or junctions, said information being stored in a store from which the information can be transferred to a treatment unit, said device comprising a treatment unit having a detector which can be adjusted, by means of an adjusting signal, for detecting end points, connection points and junctions, respectively, means to supply an equality signal upon detection of the nature of the end point, a control unit responsive to said signal for interrogating information of a number of positions, it being possible for said number to be zero, during at least one search series, means for isolating the information of an end point during a first search series by storing the end point information, means for isolating the information of a connection point during a second search series by storing the connection point information, said second search series being started when said control unit receives an equality signal during the first search series, a span length defining unit incorporated in said isolation means, and which has a capacity which is measured in a number of character positions, said defining unit supplying a signal to said control unit when the span length of a series of character positions to be found is reached, in order to prevent the starting of the subsequent second search series, said span length defining unit comprising a counter which counts the number of character positions from which inforMation has been isolated, said counter applying a signal to said control unit when a given position is reached which corresponds to a span length, in order to prevent the starting of the subsequent second search.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
276 words
A machine method for automatically removing short projecting stroke elements of characters which are imaged on a two-dimensional regular pattern of positions, a character position being distinguished from a background position by digital information present, at least that information of said characters which determines which character positions are associated with associated skeleton characters being present, the stroke elements of said skeleton characters consisting of single series of character positions which succeed each other in accordance with an adjacency criterion, additional information being provided for said character positions which indicates whether said character positions are end points, connection points or junctions, said method comprising the steps of: A. measuring a span length of a series of character positions starting from a junction, said span length being defined as a number of positions from an end point to said junction; B. removing at least one series of said digital information which defines character positions depending upon whether the measured span length of that series exceeds a given value; C. changing said additional information regarding said junction in accordance with the removal of said series, dependent upon whether said removal modifies the juncture to that of a connection point; D. successively interrogating the positions of an area on which a skeleton character can occur; E. detecting an end point of the series; F. removing the character positions of the series terminating in that end point until a junction is reached, depending upon whether said span length has not been exceeded upon reaching said junction, said removal being effected in a number of successive rounds; and G. increasing the span length by at least one position in each subsequent round.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
276 words
A machine method for automatically removing short projecting stroke elements of characters which are imaged on a two-dimensional regular pattern of positions, a character position being distinguished from a background position by digital information present, at least that information of said characters which determines which character positions are associated with associated skeleton characters being present, the stroke elements of said skeleton characters consisting of single series of character positions which succeed each other in accordance with an adjacency criterion, additional information being provided for said character positions which indicates whether said character positions are end points, connection points or junctions, said method comprising the steps of: A. measuring a span length of a series of character positions starting from a junction, said span length being defined as a number of positions from an end point to said junction; B. removing at least one series of said digital information which defines character positions depending upon whether the measured span length of that series exceeds a given value; C. changing said additional information regarding said junction in accordance with the removal of said series, dependent upon whether said removal modifies the juncture to that of a connection point; D. successively interrogating the positions of an area on which a skeleton character can occur; E. detecting an end point of the series; F. removing the character positions of the series terminating in that end point until a junction is reached, depending upon whether said span length has not been exceeded upon reaching said junction, said removal being effected in a number of successive rounds; and G. increasing the span length by at least one position in each subsequent round.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
GB1106974A
Cited
US3609685A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-08-13 | 1977-02-12 | 1977-08-14 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-08-13 | 1981-02-12 | 1981-08-14 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-08-13 | 1985-02-12 | 1985-08-14 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |