Patent Document ID: 4685141
Application ID: 06562785
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. A method of locating intelligence data in the form of characters associated with a document in which the intelligence data is associated with a clue character on the document and in which the intelligence data and clue character are presented in the form of a matrix of binary data corresponding to image data associated with at least a portion of said document on which said intelligence data and clue character are located, comprising the steps: (a) receiving and storing said matrix of binary data in storage; (b) withdrawing from said storage a portion of said binary data of said matrix corresponding to a character which may be a clue character or a character of said intelligence data, said portion of said binary data being hereinafter referred to as character data; said character data having machine readable topographical features which are indicative of the character associated therewith; and (c) evaluating said machine-readable topographical features of said character data to determine whether or not said character data is indicative of a clue character; said evaluating step comprising the steps of: (d) determining the physical size of said character data; (e) comparing the physical size of said character data with predetermined criteria to determine whether said character data has a physical size which is greater than or smaller than said predetermined criteria, said character data whose physical size is smaller than said predetermined criteria being referred to thereinafter as small character data; and (f) evaluating said machine-readable topographical features of said small character data to determine whether or not said small character data is indicative of a said clue character of a first type; said character data whose physical size is greater than said predetermined criteria, as determined by said comparing step, being referred to hereinafter as large character data, and said step c further comprising the steps of; (k) determining the height and width of said large character data; (l) comparing the height and width of said large character data; and (m) evaluating said machine-readable topographical features of said large character data whose associated width-to-height ratio is less than one to determine whether or not said last-named large character data is indicative of a clue character of a second type; said clue character of said second type being a dollar sign and said character data being comprised of a matrix of columns and rows of binary data; and said evaluating step m comprising the steps of: (n) using the number of binary transitions in said columns as being indicative of a dollar sign of a slanted variety; and (o) using the number of closed rows of binary data of a first type which exist in said character data in association with the height of said character data as being indicative of a dollar sign of a straight variety.