Optical character reading apparatus and method

摘要

An optical character reader is characterized in that the reader determines accurately the range occupied by the major portion of each character in each character line. This is accomplished by dividing an image read from a document into character lines and counting the number of picture elements in series with each picture element forming each character on each character line in each direction of a plurality of predetermined directions. Each picture element is provided with a code data indicating the direction having the largest number of picture elements having a character. If the picture elements between two picture elements allotted with a specific code data for the direction along each character line do not have the specific data code, the original code data is replaced with the specific code data. The number of picture elements allotted with the specific code data for each character line are then counted and the position with the largest number of picture elements having a character is detected.