Patent ID: 6704449
Filing Date: 2004-03-09
Classification: G06K

Abstract:
A method for extracting text from an image having green, red, and blue color planes at least one of which includes at least one first area having an intensity level that exceeds a predetermined value, comprising the steps of:(a) obtaining an image from an image source; (b) separating said image into its red, green, and blue color components each having a plurality of color levels; (c) determining the image intensity levels contained with the color planes of each of said color components, respectively; (d) scanning on a pixel-by-pixel basis for at least one first color component the color plane having the highest intensity level; (e) comparing the intensities of successive color pixels with said highest intensity level of said first color component, and generating corresponding black pixels for those color pixels having intensities equal to said highest intensity level, and white pixels for those color pixels having intensity levels that are not equal to said highest intensity level; (f) comparing the total number of black pixels with the total number of white pixels; (g) converting in the event that the number of black pixels exceeds the number of white pixels the black pixels to white pixels and the white pixels to black pixels, respectively; and (h) recognizing the text characters of the resultant black pixels.