Patent GB-1014511-A (GB)
Title: Character recognition apparatus
IPC: G06V30/10
Filed: 1962-05-21
Abstract: 1,014,511. Automatic character reading. ING. C. OLIVETTI & C. S.p.A. May 21, 1962 [May 19, 1961], No. 19399/62. Heading G4R. In an automatic character reader the character is scanned in a plurality of parallel scans and the circuitry detects character parts (P1, P2, Fig. 3) treating the parts separately as the scanning proceeds to determine whether certain predetermined features are present therein, the occurrence of the features being stored, together with the parts in which they occur to provide signals from which the character is identified. In the form of Fig. 1 the character is scanned in a vertical raster by a flying spot scanner 101 and the reflected light received in a photo-cell 104. The signals are clipped at 105 and applied to a one-scan delay line 106 and to a differentiator circuit 107 which produces a pulse from each intersection of the scan with the character. The intersections are counted at 109 for each scan and a signal provided on a lead L0, L1 &c. representing the number of cuts detected through the character on the present scan. The counter is reset at the end of a scan by the Mo signal from the scan control unit 100. The signals emerging from delay line 106, representing the previous scan, are applied to counter 110 counting the intersections in the previous comparator. The present and previous scan signals and the corresponding counter outputs L0-L4 and L<SP>1</SP>0-L<SP>1</SP>4 are applied to a system of gates 117 which determine the relationship between the intersections made by a scan and the character parts the indications being stored in seven flip flops in unit 115. The scan first cuts the character, Fig. 2, at 1L. This advances the counter 112 to P1 and the circle part of the character 6 is treated as the first part P1 until the next intersection is made at the top of the character. The signals of present and previous scans are compared and a start is indicated when an intersection has no counterpart in the previous scan. When the second start 1L is found in Fig. 2 the intersection L1 is compared with intersections in the previous scan and if no intersection appears in the previous scan within a certain delay period there is a discontinuity BAS in the top profile as well as the start of a new part. Since this part is higher it is to be labelled P1 and the first part becomes P2. The circuit 112 receives signals from the storage flip-flops 115 and from the counter 109 and produces a signal on one of three leads to indicate at each instant which of the character parts is being scanned. The unit 111 compares adjacent scans by gating means and produces line separation signals and line union signals. A line separation is indicated when two intersections on a present scan both belong to a single intersection on the previous scan. The opposite condition gives a line union. The separations, unions, and the discontinuity are entered into the register 113. When a new part is indicated the contents are shifted so that features discovered in part P1 are now indicated, properly, as being in part P2. The output of the register at the end of the scanning operation represents the character and may be used to identify it. Instead of a flying-spot scanner, a multiple head may be used to scan a magnetic character on a series of parallel lines. The discontinuities detected may be in the bottom rather than the top profile.