Patent ID: 6134338
Filing Date: 2000-10-17
Classification: G06K

Abstract:
A computer method of converting alphanumeric text relating to a plurality of physical dimensions and to a plurality of edges of a three dimensional object, from a hard copy source document having recorded thereon the alphanumeric text and a plurality of drawing views of the three dimensional object, into mathematically accurate vectors corresponding to the physical dimensions and the edges of the three dimensional object, the method comprising the steps of:(a) acquiring a computer useable raster image of a hard copy source document having(i) a plurality of drawing views thereon of a three dimensional object having a plurality of physical dimensions and a plurality of edges, said drawing views having a plurality of lines corresponding to said edges of said three dimensional object, said lines oriented in a direction relative to each other; and(ii) alphanumeric text relating to said plurality of physical dimensions and to said plurality of edges of said three dimensional object and recorded on said drawing view in association with said lines on said drawing views; andorganizing said raster image according to an orthographic viewpoint raster file for each said drawing view by selecting one said drawing view and said alphanumeric text associated with said lines on said drawing view;(b) setting up a drawing file in a CAD applications program in a computer; said CAD applications program having a plurality of orthographic viewports, a coordinate geometry subroutine for creating three dimensional vectors, and an optical character recognition subroutine; and selecting one of said orthographic viewports to correspond in orthogonality to one of said orthographic viewpoint raster files;(c) importing one said orthographic viewpoint raster file into one said orthographic viewport which corresponds in orthogonality to one said drawing view;(d) repeating step (c) for each drawing view on said document;(e) recognizing said alphanumeric text in said optical character recognition subroutine in each said orthographic viewport separately, and creating a recognized alphanumeric text;(f) converting said recognized alphanumeric text in said coordinate geometry subroutine into said mathematically accurate three dimensional vectors corresponding to said alphanumeric text recorded on said document.