Patent ID: 6885477

Claim:
A method for smoothing a jagged outline of a text image, the method comprising: locating a horizontal edge of the text image examining a first group of neighboring pixels around the text outline, identifying a first row of pixels in the first group that comprises a first predetermined number of ink pixels, identifying a second row in the first group that comprises a second predetermined number of background pixels, and identifying a third row of pixels between the first and second rows, wherein the third row comprises the horizontal edge; locating a vertical edge of the text image by examining a second group of neighboring pixels around the text outline, identifying first column of pixels in the second group that comprises a third predetermined number of ink pixels, identifying a second column in the second group that comprises a fourth predetermined number of background pixels, and identifying a third column of pixels between the first and second columns, wherein the third column comprises the vertical edge; smoothing the horizontal and vertical edges; locating slanted edges of the text image; and smoothing the slanted edges.