Patent Document ID: 4811412
Application ID: 07142867
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. In a system for analyzing characters by extracting line image data from character image data in an image memory, storing said extracted line image data in a line image buffer memory, extracting individual characters in a line from said line image data, and identifying characters by matching characteristics from one of said extracted individual characters with preliminarily stored characteristics data, the improvement wherein said system further comprises: candidate position detection means for analyzing said line image data stored in said line image buffer memory to determine whether character data are present or absent in a direction perpendicular to said line, thereby identifying starting and end positions of character data separated by vacant regions in said perpendicular direction and storing data indicative for said starting and end positions, first character position judging means for specifying a starting position from the beginning of a line, identifying the farthest end position in said line from said specified starting position within a specified range, identifying the area between said specified starting position and said identified farthest end position as a candidate character position, and repeating this process to the end of said line, second character position judging means for specifying an end position from the end of a line, identifying the farthest starting position in said line from said specified end position within a specified range, identifying the area between said identified farthest starting position and said specified end position as candidate character position, and repeating this process to the beginning of said line, and character position determining means for identifying, if said candidate positions identified by said first and second character position judging means match, said candidate character positions identified by said first and second character position judging means as an individual character position and extracting characteristics at each of said candidate positions; and identifying an individual character position by comparing said extracted characteristics with stored patterns in a dictionary memory if said candidate positions identified by said first and second character position judging means do not match.