Patent ID: 6360011
Filing Date: 2002-03-19
Classification: G06K

Abstract:
An apparatus for recognizing at least one group of object particulars recorded on a given data medium in an arbitrary layout, each particular consisting of letters and/or numbers and/or other symbols, based on an image of the given data medium, said apparatus comprising:(a) an analysis dictionary containing features of distinctive object particulars for comparison with features of the individual object particulars of the given data medium; (b) a layout database containing features of distinctive layouts for comparison with features of the layout of the object particular group of the given data medium; the features of each of said distinctive layouts including data about logical relationships among the contents of the object particular group of each said distinctive layout; (c) a layout analysis section for analyzing the layout of the object particular group in the image of the given data medium by consulting said analysis dictionary (a) and for logically representing relationships among the contents of the object particular group of the analyzed layout; (d) a layout retrieval section for retrieving a possible candidate layout, whose features at least generally coincide with the features of the layout of the object particular group of the given data medium, by consulting said layout database (b) and using the result of the analysis by said layout analysis section (c); (e) a layout recognition section for recognizing the object particular group in the image by using data about the logical relationships among the contents of the object particular group represented by said layout analysis section Â© and, if any candidate layout is retrieved by said layout retrieval section (d), by using the features of the retrieved candidate layout including data about the logical relationships among the contents of the object particular group of the retrieved candidate layout; and (f) a layout update section for updating said analysis dictionary (a) based on the result of the recognition by said layout recognition section (e) and for also updating, if no candidate layout is retrieved by said layout retrieval section (d), said layout database (b) by additionally storing in said layout database (b) the features of the analyzed layout including the data about the logical relationships among the contents of the object particular group of the analyzed layout based on the results of both the analysis by said layout analyzing section Â© and the recognition by said layout recognition section (e) so that said updated analysis dictionary and layout database are used by said layout analysis section, said layout retrieval section and said layout recognition section in handling a subsequently given data medium; wherein when the object particular group of the given data medium is classified under a plurality of items, said layout analysis section (c) is operable to determine a object particular corresponding to a caption of each of the plural item and logically representing relationships among the content of the object particular group, recognize the object particular of the caption of each item and determine object particulars corresponding to each item based on the caption of each line and using data about the logical relationships among the contents of the object particular group represented in said layout analysis section (c).