Patent ID: 6567545
Filing Date: 2003-05-20
Classification: G06K

Abstract:
A format recognition method for recognizing the structure of a chart on a form comprising the steps of:extracting vertical ruled lines and horizontal ruled lines on said form, and the smallest rectangles formed by said ruled lines from an image of said form; analyzing said chart structure of said form employing the physical arrangement of said smallest rectangles; and determining attributes for said smallest rectangles employing the resultant chart structure wherein said step of analyzing said chart structure includes the steps of: extracting a relationship existing among said smallest rectangles in a row employing the positional relationship of said smallest rectangles; and extracting a relationship existing among said smallest rectangles in a column employing the positional relationship of said smallest rectangles, wherein said step of extracting said relationships existing among said smallest rectangles in a row includes the steps of: employing connection relationships to sort said smallest rectangles into individual rows, each of which is constituted by said smallest rectangles which share a connection relationship; and collecting into blocks sequential rows having the same row structure, wherein said step of extracting said relationship in a row includes a step of extracting a relationship existing among vertically connected blocks having the same row structure, wherein said step of determining said attribute includes a step of determining, as a data portion, a block having the maximum number of rows, and of determining, as a headline portion, blocks positioned above and under said block, and wherein said step of determining said attributes includes the steps of: a determining the attributes of said headline portion by recognizing characters in said headline portions; and determining said attributes for said data portion by using said attributes for said headline portion.