Patent Document ID: 8077973
Application ID: 11344505

Base Claim:
1. A method for classifying an image representation of a handwritten word of cursive script, said method comprising: optically reading a handwritten word so as to form an image representation thereof comprising a bit map of pixels; extracting a pixel contour of said bit map; detecting vertical peak and minima pixel extrema on upper and lower zones of said contour respectively; detecting local vertical peak pixel extrema on an upper zone of said external contour by determining if a given local pixel is a vertical peak relative to neighbouring pixels; detecting local vertical minima pixel extrema on a lower zone of said external contour by determining if a given local pixel is a vertical minimum relative to neighbouring pixels; organizing said peak and minima pixel extrema into respective independent peak and minima sequences comprising extracting features at each said extrema and further classifying extrema into two sequences of extrema on respective said upper and lower zones of said word image pixel contour; determining the respective feature vectors of said peak and minima sequences; and classifying said word image according to said peak and minima feature vectors, wherein at least one or more of said features extracted at each said extrema is selected from the group consisting of: the number of local extrema neighboring a given said extrema on a same closed curve of said word image contour, said local extrema having a convex attribute corresponding to that of said given extrema; the number of local extrema neighboring a given said extrema on a same closed curve of said word image contour, said local extrema having a different convex attribute from said given extrema; the lesser of the height difference between a given said extrema and a left neighbouring extrema and of the height difference between said given extrema and a right neighbouring extrema, wherein said left and right neighbouring extrema have convex attribute corresponding to that of said given extrema; the lesser of the height difference between a given said extrema and a left neighbouring extrema and of the height difference between said given extrema and a right neighbouring extrema, wherein said left and right neighbouring extrema have a different convex attribute than that of said given extrema; the number of peaks above a said given extrema divided by the total number of peaks on said pixel contour; the number of peaks below a said given extrema divided by the total number of peaks on said pixel contour; the y/h position of said given extrema, wherein y represents the y-axis coordinate of said given extrema and h represents the height of said word image; the lesser of a contour portion length between a given said extrema and a left neighbouring peak and of a contour portion length between a given said extrema and a right neighbouring peak, wherein said neighbouring peaks and said given extrema are on a same closed curve; the lesser of a contour portion length between a given said extrema and a left neighbouring minima and of a contour portion length between a given said extrema and a right neighbouring minima, wherein said neighbouring minima and said given extrema are on a same closed curve; the lesser of a height difference between a given said extrema and a left neighbouring peak and of a given said extrema and a and right neighbouring peak, wherein said neighbouring peaks and said given extrema are on a same closed curve; the lesser of a height difference between a given said extrema and a left neighbouring minima and of a given said extrema and a and right neighbouring minima, wherein said neighbouring minima and said given extrema are on a same closed curve; the height ratio of a given said extrema and neighboring left and right extrema as defined by 
 (y A −y tl )/(y n −y tln ) wherein a given said extrema is represented by A, a lowest extrema of said left or right neighbouring extrema is represented by n, y tl represents the y-coordinate of the top-left corner of a said contour or a said closed curve, y tln represents the top-left corner of a said contour or a said closed curve where point n is located y A and y n represent the y-coordinate of A and n respectfully; the distance between a given said extrema and a vertical intersection point; and any combination thereof.

---

Claim 11:
11. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said determining said respective feature vectors comprises extracting features at each said extrema selected from the group consisting of: height difference between a given said extrema and a left neighbouring extrema having a convex attribute corresponding to the that of said given extrema; height difference between a given said extrema and a right neighbouring extrema having a convex attribute corresponding to the that of said given extrema; relative horizontal position of given said extrema defined by: f 3 c = x - x lt w wherein said word image pixel contour is enclosed in a rectangle, the width and height of said rectangle being w and h the coordinates of a given said extrema being (x, y) and the coordinate of the top-left corner of said rectangle being (x lt , y lt ) relative vertical position of a given said extrema defined by: ( f 4 c = y - y lt h ) wherein said word image pixel contour is enclosed in a rectangle, the width and height of said rectangle being w and h the coordinates of a given said extrema being (x, y) and the coordinate of the top-left corner of said rectangle being (x lt y lt ) projection ratio in the horizontal direction of a given said extrema defined by: f 5 c = ∫ a c ⁢ p ⁡ ( x ) ⁢ ⁢ ⅆ x ∫ a b ⁢ p ⁡ ( x ) ⁢ ⁢ ⅆ x wherein said given extrema is represented by c and having the coordinates (x, y), and p(x) represents the projection function bounded by the x-axis interval [a, b], projection ratio in the vertical direction (f 6 c ) of a given said extrema defined by f 6 c = ∫ a c ⁢ p ⁡ ( y ) ⁢ ⅆ y ∫ a b ⁢ p ⁡ ( y ) ⁢ ⅆ y wherein said given extrema is represented by c and having the coordinates (x, y), and p(y) represents the projection function bounded by the y-axis interval [a, b]; the greater of a height difference between a given said extrema and a left neighbouring extrema and of a given said extrema and a right neighbouring extrema, wherein said left and right neighbouring extrema comprise convex attributes corresponding to that of said given extrema; if there is an inner loop below a said given extrema this feature is set to 1, if there is no inner loop below a said given extrema this feature is set to 0; total number of said peaks of said pixel contour on which said given extrema is located; total number of said minima of said pixel contour on which said given extrema is located; a height ratio of a given said extrema and neighbouring left and right extrema as defined by 
 (y A −y tl )/(y n −y tln ) wherein a given said extrema is represented by A, a lowest extrema of said left or right neighbouring extrema is represented by n, y tl represents the y-coordinate of the top-left corner of a said contour or a said closed curve, y tln represents the top-left corner of a said contour or a said closed curve where point n is located y A and y n represent the y-coordinate of A and n respectfully; contour portion length between a given said extrema and a left neighbouring extrema comprising a convex attribute that is different than that of said given extrema; contour portion length a given said extrema and a right neighbouring extrema comprising a convex attribute that is different than that of said given extrema; height difference between a given said extrema and a left neighbouring extrema comprising a convex attribute that is different than that of said given extrema; height difference between a given said extrema and a right neighbouring extrema comprising a convex attribute that is different than that of said given extrema; number of pixels with a horizontal orientation on a contour portion between the a given said pixel and left neighbouring extrema comprising a convex attribute that is different than that of said given extrema; number of pixels with a vertical orientation on a contour portion between the a given said pixel and left neighbouring extrema comprising a convex attribute that is different than that of said given extrema; number of pixels with a horizontal orientation on a contour portion between the a given said pixel and right neighbouring extrema comprising a convex attribute that is different than that of said given extrema; number of pixels with a vertical orientation on a contour portion between the a given said pixel and right neighbouring extrema comprising a convex attribute that is different than that of said given extrema; projection ratio of local extrema neighbouring a given said extrema, said local extrema being on the left of said given extrema given in a horizontal direction, said projection ration being defined by: f 20 c - ∫ a c ⁢ p ⁡ ( x ) ⁢ ⅆ x ∫ a b ⁢ p ⁡ ( x ) ⁢ ⅆ x wherein said given extrema is represented by c and having the coordinates (x, y), and p(x) represents the projection function bounded by the x-axis interval [a, b]; projection ratio of local extrema neighbouring a given said extrema, said local extrema being on the right of said given extrema given in a horizontal direction, said projection ration being defined by f 21 c = ∫ a c ⁢ p ⁡ ( x ) ⁢ ⅆ x ∫ a b ⁢ p ⁡ ( x ) ⁢ ⅆ x wherein said given extrema is represented by c and having the coordinates (x, y), and p(x) represents the projection function bounded by the x-axis interval [a, b]; projection of vertical crossing number of a given said extrema on the x-axis of said word image and quantification of said projection function to vertical crossing number intervals [0,3], [3,5], and [5,+8]; crossing ratio in the horizontal direction defined by: f 25 c = ∫ a c ⁢ p ⁡ ( x ) ⁢ ⅆ x ∫ a b ⁢ p ⁡ ( x ) ⁢ ⅆ x wherein said given extrema is represented by c and having the coordinates (x, y), and p(x) represents the projection function bounded by the x-axis interval [a, b]; projection ratio of local extrema neighbouring a said given extreme on the left thereof in a horizontal and having a convex attribute that is different than said given extrema, said projection ration defined by f 25 c = ∫ a c ⁢ p ⁡ ( x ) ⁢ ⅆ x ∫ a b ⁢ p ⁡ ( x ) ⁢ ⅆ x wherein said given extrema is represented by c and having the coordinates (x, y), and p(x) represents the projection function bounded by the x-axis interval [a, b]; projection ratio of local extrema neighbouring a said given extreme on the left thereof in a horizontal and having a convex attribute that is different than said given extrema, said projection ration defined by f 25 c = ∫ a c ⁢ p ⁡ ( x ) ⁢ ⅆ x ∫ a b ⁢ p ⁡ ( x ) ⁢ ⅆ x wherein said given extrema is represented by c and having the coordinates (x, y), and p(x) represents the projection function bounded by the x-axis interval [a, b]; and any combination thereof.