Patent ID: 6941030
Filing Date: 2005-09-06
Classification: G06K

Abstract:
1. A character-recognition pre-processing apparatus to detect whether a character string to be subjected to character recognition is in an upright state or in an inverted state, the apparatus comprising: extraction means for extracting an image of a character string to be subjected to character recognition; setting means for setting the smallest rectangle that surrounds the character string image extracted by the extraction means; specifying means for specifying the position of each character within the smallest rectangle set by the setting means; detection means for detecting, at each character position specified by the specifying means, the shortest distance between a character region and the lower edge of the smallest rectangle, and the shortest distance between the character region and the upper edge of the smallest rectangle; and judgment means for judging whether the character string extracted by the extraction means is in an upright state or an inverted state, on the basis of variations in the two shortest distances detected by the detection means.