Patent Document ID: 5402504
Application ID: 07750156

Base Claim:
1. In a digital processing system, a method of processing a binary text image containing at least a first region containing at least a first word having a first type style and a second region containing at least a second word having a second type style to identify locations of said first words having said first type style, comprising the steps of: a) eroding said binary text image with a first structuring element to provide a first destination image having a plurality of remaining pixels, said first structuring element more likely to provide a hit in said first region than in said second region; and b) morphologically processing said remaining pixels of said first destination image to create a mask image substantially masking said locations of said first words.

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Claim 38:
38. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the step of creating said mask image from said plurality of remaining pixels comprises the steps of: a) forming a text seed from said remaining pixels, said text seed having ON pixels only within regions of said first type style; b) forming a word mask from said binary text image, said word mask substantially masking words having said first type style and words having said second type style; and c) using said word mask to grow said text seed and create said mask image substantially masking said locations of said first words.