Patent GB-1028139-A (GB)
Title: Character reader
IPC: G06V10/40
Filed: 1964-05-05
Abstract: 1,028,139. Automatic character reading. RADIO CORPORATION OF AMERICA. May 5, 1964 [May 13, 1963], No. 18680/64. Heading G4R. In a character reader of the kind in which the characters are scanned in a plurality of scans to derive representative signals, feature signals are extracted from the character signals indicating width, stroke and cavity features which are then compared with stored signals to identify the character. The character is scanned by a vertical raster, there being about 16 scans over each character and the signals after quantization are applied to terminal 50. Character control circuit 52 detects the beginning and end of each character and counter 54 counts the number of scans made on a character. This count is used in width detector 56 to indicate the width of the character. The character signals (a) are applied directly and through onescan delay 60 to pulse analyser 58 which compares corresponding signals in two adjacent scans and determines whether the beginning of a stroke is a new stroke or a fork and also whether the termination of a stroke is a join or an end. These signals are applied to a stroke tracker control circuit 52 providing operating signals for stroke tracker and counter circuit 64. Strokes across the character are " tagged " in circuit 64 by being given labels A-D and each stroke is associated with the appropriate label as it is detected in succeeding scans. In stroke decoders 66-72 the information is extracted that the stroke for example began as a fork and ended as a join. This is stored. The decoders also generate an " extend " signal which is applied to the delay circuit to provide a video signal if an end appears before the sixteenth scan. This compensates for defects of printing by allowing short gaps in a line to be ignored. Stroke direction analysers detect and record the direction of each of the strokes. The circuit 58 also provides a signal indicating the detection of a long vertical stroke. This is applied to circuit 82 which detects the position of the stroke from the value of the counter at the time of arrival of the long vertical stroke signal. The video signals are also applied to top and bottom cavity detectors 84, 86 which measure the size of the cavities in the top and bottom of the character. For this purpose an extremity of the character is located, e.g. the left upper corner and in subsequent scans the time spent in scanning between this extremity position and the character is measured. These are compared in comparator 88. The various types of stroke are detected by gating present and previous scan signals. As each stroke is detected an " S " signal is generated which is applied to a 4-stage ring counter 220 (Fig. 9, not shown). A "1" initially in the fourth stage passes to the first on receipt of the first stroke signal and thereafter steps through the other stages. The outputs control the stroke tracker 230 which comprises a fourstage three-level ring register, the stages T1- T4 each having levels 2, 2<1>, 2<2>. Corresponding levels are interconnected between adjacent stages, the connections not being shown in detail. The register serves to code each stroke as it is detected during scanning of a character, the contents of the register being recirculated between scans so that the same stroke can be identified in subsequent scans. The tags A-D for the four possible strokes are stored in the 2 and 2<1> levels of each of the four stages T1-T4. "A" is represented by 1, " B " by 10, " C " by 11 and " D " by 00. The other level 2<2> indicates whether or not the stroke has been retired (by a join or an end). As join or end signals occur a "1" is entered in the 2<2> level corresponding to that stroke. The circuit 320 indicates when all strokes have been retired. For example, if only one stroke has been counted, and stage T12<2> is set gate 322 passes a signal to the " all strokes retired " output via an Or gate. Signals relating to the four possible strokes are gated in the stroke decoders 66, 68, 70, 72 with fork, end and join signals so that the strokes are correctly associated with the fork, end and join features to provide inputs for circuits 74, 76, 78 and 80 which determine the directions of slope of the strokes. These and the other circuits are described in detail. At the end of a character scan the features detected are transferred to an output buffer register 90. For this purpose it is determined which of the strokes A-D is actually the top stroke of the character since the first stroke encountered is not necessarily the top stroke. The register consists of a number of columns of three or four triggers. The first column is for horizontal strokes. If there are four horizontal strokes all triggers in the column will be set. There are similar columns for strokes with upward slope or with downward slope and strokes with join or fork features. The latter two have only three columns of triggers. Triggers are also provided for all the other extracted features. The detected features stored in register 90 are compared with features stored in core stores one for each character. In the store each character is defined by a word made up of all the feature signals which must be present or absent or which may or may not be present. The words are divided into separate groups having common features and for each group a " jump " word is stored defining the common features. The features detected in the scanned character are compared with the jump words in succession and when a match signal is obtained with the character words contained in the corresponding group.