System and method for identifying and extracting character strings from captured image data

摘要

A system and method of detecting and extracting a character string within captured image data of a natural image is described. An edge representation of the image data is obtained including a plurality of single width edge pixels each having an associated magnitude and direction. Edge pixels are labeled dependent pixel connectedness. End point edge pixels are identified and their labels are merged at high character curvature areas. Character bounding area definitions are created using the edge pixel direction information and labels. The character boundary definitions are filtered using direction information to identify character foreground and background information. Filtered definitions are merged with adjacent boundary definitions to form a character line definition dependent on the adjacent bounding area definitions relative location to each other.