Patent Document ID: 4791679
Application ID: 07136065
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. A process performed by image processing means for strengthening weak or broken characters in an image represented by binary pixels of video data, said process comprising: locating a kernal of N rows and M columns of pixels in a particular position in said image; counting the number of black pixels in each section of n columns by m rows of pixels in said kernal; comparing the number of black pixels in each of said sections with a threshold, said threshold being around one-half the maximum possible number of black pixels in said section; selecting certain ones of said sections for transformation to a high percentage of black pixels so that those white pixels within one of or near to neighboring sections whose black pixel counts are sufficiently large are transformed to black pixels; and moving said kernal to the next adjacent pixel position, and repeating the foregoing process, wherein said selecting step selects said certain sections in accordance with the following set of rules: (a) if the number of black pixels in two end sections is greater than said threshold and the number of black pixels in the middle section is greater than half the threshold, fill the three sections with black pixels; (b) if the number of black pixels in each of two neighboring sections is greater than said threshold, fill said neighboring sections with black pixels; (c) if the number of black pixels in each of the three diagonally disposed sections is greater than said threshold, fill diagonal regions adjacent the three diagonally disposed sections, as well as the three diagonally disposed sections themselves, with black pixels; (d) if the number of black pixels in each of the two diagonally disposed sections is greater than said threshold, fill diagonal regions adjacent the two diagonally disposed sections, as well as the two diagonally disposed sections themselves, with black pixels; and (e) if the number of black pixels in a first section is greater than said threshold and the number of black pixels in a second section disposed with respect to said first section by an "L" displacement is greater than said threshold and the number of black pixels in a connecting section between said first and second sections is greater than half said threshold, treat said connecting section as in (a) above and treat the diagonal regions adjacent said connecting section as in (d) above.