Method for classifying non-running text in an image

Claim 1

A method comprising the steps of: retrieving an input image, the image comprising an array of image signals and associated data defining a set of boundaries of a plurality of text-blocks represented therein, and storing the array of image signals in a bitmap array and the data defining the set of boundaries in a second array; automatically partitioning the text-blocks defined by the set of boundaries stored in the second array into text groups; automatically classifying the text- groups to determine those text-groups which represent running text regions of the image and those which represent non-running text regions of the image; automatically regrouping at least one non-running text region of the image based upon locations of the text blocks within the non-running text region, said step of regrouping at least one non-running text reunion further comprising the sub-steps of: determining the locations of the text blocks within the non-running text region; grouping the text blocks within the non-running text region into horizontally and vertically aligned groups of text blocks based upon at least one common coordinate; assigning a common identifier to all text blocks in each horizontally and vertically aligned group; counting the number of terms in the horizontally and vertically aligned groups, where an item of a horizontally aligned group is a set of text blocks in the horizontally aligned group belonging to a single vertically aligned group, and an item of a vertically aligned group is a set of text blocks in the vertically aligned group belonging to a single horizontally aligned group; and storing the number of items in each group in memory; further automatically classifying a non-running text region as to the extent to which such a text region is tabularized.

Claim 2

A method comprising the steps of: retrieving an input image, the image comprising an array of image signals and associated data defining a set of boundaries of a plurality of text-blocks represented therein, and storing the array of image signals in a bitmap array and the data defining the set of boundaries in a second array; automatically partitioning the text-blocks defined by the set of boundaries stored in the second array into text groups; automatically classifying the text- groups to determine those text-groups which represent running text regions of the image and those which represent non-running text regions of the image; automatically regrouping at least one non-running text region of the image based upon locations of the text blocks within the non-running text region, said step of regrouping at least one non-running text reunion further comprising the sub-steps of: determining the locations of the text blocks within the non-running text region; grouping the text blocks within the non-running text region into horizontally and vertically aligned groups of text blocks based upon at least one common coordinate; assigning a common identifier to all text blocks in each horizontally and vertically aligned group; counting the number of terms in the horizontally and vertically aligned groups, where an item of a horizontally aligned group is a set of text blocks in the horizontally aligned group belonging to a single vertically aligned group, and an item of a vertically aligned group is a set of text blocks in the vertically aligned group belonging to a single horizontally aligned group; and storing the number of items in each group in memory; further automatically classifying a non-running text region as to the extent to which such a text region is tabularized.

Claim 13

A method comprising the steps of: retrieving an input image, the image comprising an array of image signals and associated data defining a set of boundaries of a plurality of text-blocks represented therein, and storing the array of image signals in a bitmap array and the data defining the set of boundaries in a second array; partitioning the text-blocks defined by the set of boundaries stored in the second array into text groups; classifying the text-groups to determine those text-groups which represent running text regions of the image and those which represent non-running text regions of the image; regrouping at least one non-running text region of the image based upon locations of the text blocks within the non-running text region, where the step of regrouping the non-running text region includes the steps of grouping the text blocks of the non-running text region using independent horizontal and vertical projection operations to produce horizontal and vertical subgroups of text blocks, labeling pixels within the text blocks of the horizontal subgroup to reflect the number of items in the horizontal subgroup, wherein an item is a set of text blocks where each member of the set of text blocks has a common identifier associated therewith , labeling pixels within the text blocks of the vertical subgroup to reflect the number of items in the vertical subgroup, determining the apparent number of rows within the non-running text region as a function of the number of items in the vertical subgroup, determining the apparent number of columns within the non-running text region as a function of the number of items in the horizontal subgroup, and storing the apparent number of rows and the apparent number of columns in memory;and further classifying a non-running text region as to the extent to which such a text region is tabularized.

Claim 14

A method comprising the steps of: retrieving an input image, the image comprising an array of image signals and associated data defining a set of boundaries of a plurality of text-blocks represented therein, and storing the array of image signals in a bitmap array and the data defining the set of boundaries in a second array; partitioning the text-blocks defined by the set of boundaries stored in the second array into text groups; classifying the text-groups to determine those text-groups which represent running text regions of the image and those which represent non-running text regions of the image; regrouping at least one non-running text region of the image based upon locations of the text blocks within the non-running text region, where the step of regrouping the non-running text region includes the steps of grouping the text blocks of the non-running text region using independent horizontal and vertical projection operations to produce horizontal and vertical subgroups of text blocks, labeling pixels within the text blocks of the horizontal subgroup to reflect the number of items in the horizontal subgroup, wherein an item is a set of text blocks where each member of the set of text blocks has a common identifier associated therewith , labeling pixels within the text blocks of the vertical subgroup to reflect the number of items in the vertical subgroup, determining the apparent number of rows within the non-running text region as a function of the number of items in the vertical subgroup, determining the apparent number of columns within the non-running text region as a function of the number of items in the horizontal subgroup, and storing the apparent number of rows and the apparent number of columns in memory;and further classifying a non-running text region as to the extent to which such a text region is tabularized.

Claim 20

A method operating on a programmable computer for partitioning an image containing text into regions of running text and non-running text, the image consisting essentially of an array of image signals and associated data defining a set of boundaries of a plurality of text-blocks represented therein, said method comprising the steps of: retrieving an input image and storing image signals thereof in a first bitmap array memory location and the data defining the set of boundaries in a second memory location; automatically partitioning the text blocks, using data defining the boundaries stored in the second memory location, into text groups; automatically classifying the text groups to determine those text groups which represent running text regions of the image and those which represent non-running text regions of the image: automatically regrouping at least one non-running text region of the image based upon locations of the text blocks within said non-running text region; and automatically classifying at least one text group representing a non-running text region as to the extent to which the text group is tabularized; and wherein an item is a set of text blocks each having a common identifier associated therewith and where the step of automatically regrouping at least one non-running text region of the image based upon locations of the text blocks within said non-running text region further comprises the sub-steps of: determining the number of items in the text region; and classifying the text group as non-tabularized text if the number of items in the text region is equal to one.

Claim 21

A method operating on a programmable computer for partitioning an image containing text into regions of running text and non-running text, the image consisting essentially of an array of image signals and associated data defining a set of boundaries of a plurality of text-blocks represented therein, said method comprising the steps of: retrieving an input image and storing image signals thereof in a first bitmap array memory location and the data defining the set of boundaries in a second memory location; automatically partitioning the text blocks, using data defining the boundaries stored in the second memory location, into text groups; automatically classifying the text groups to determine those text groups which represent running text regions of the image and those which represent non-running text regions of the image: automatically regrouping at least one non-running text region of the image based upon locations of the text blocks within said non-running text region; and automatically classifying at least one text group representing a non-running text region as to the extent to which the text group is tabularized; and wherein an item is a set of text blocks each having a common identifier associated therewith and where the step of automatically regrouping at least one non-running text region of the image based upon locations of the text blocks within said non-running text region further comprises the sub-steps of: determining the number of items in the text region; and classifying the text group as non-tabularized text if the number of items in the text region is equal to one.

Claim 26

An apparatus, comprising: a first memory for storing image data; a second memory for storing data representing characteristics of an image, the bitmap data for said image being stored in said first memory array; instruction memory; a text processor, connected to said first and second memory and said instruction memory for accessing the data stored in the first and second memory in accordance with instructions stored in said instruction memory, the processor executing the instructions of: accessing the image data stored in the first memory location to produce text block boundaries representing text blocks in the image, the data defining the text block boundaries being stored in the second memory as image characteristic data; automatically partitioning the text-blocks defined by the boundaries stored in the second memory location into text groups; and automatically classifying the text groups to determine those text groups which represent running text regions of the image and those which represent non-running text regions of the image; and automatically regrouping at least one non-running text region of the image based upon locations of the text blocks within said non-running text region said step of regrouping at least one non-running text region further comprising the sub-steps of: determining the locations of the text blocks within the non-running text region; grouping the text blocks within the non-running text region into horizontally and vertically aligned groups of text blocks based upon at least one common coordinate; assigning a common identifier to all text blocks in each horizontally and vertically aligned group; counting the number of items in the horizontally and vertically aligned groups, where an item of a horizontally aligned group is a set of text blocks in the horizontally aligned group belonging to a single vertically aligned group, and an item of a vertically aligned group is a set of text blocks in the vertically aligned group belonging to a single horizontally aligned group; and storing the number of items in each group in memory; further classifying, automatically in response to instructions stored in said instruction memory, at least one text group representing a non-running text region as to the extent to which the non-running text group is tabularized.

Claim 27

An apparatus, comprising: a first memory for storing image data; a second memory for storing data representing characteristics of an image, the bitmap data for said image being stored in said first memory array; instruction memory; a text processor, connected to said first and second memory and said instruction memory for accessing the data stored in the first and second memory in accordance with instructions stored in said instruction memory, the processor executing the instructions of: accessing the image data stored in the first memory location to produce text block boundaries representing text blocks in the image, the data defining the text block boundaries being stored in the second memory as image characteristic data; automatically partitioning the text-blocks defined by the boundaries stored in the second memory location into text groups; and automatically classifying the text groups to determine those text groups which represent running text regions of the image and those which represent non-running text regions of the image; and automatically regrouping at least one non-running text region of the image based upon locations of the text blocks within said non-running text region said step of regrouping at least one non-running text region further comprising the sub-steps of: determining the locations of the text blocks within the non-running text region; grouping the text blocks within the non-running text region into horizontally and vertically aligned groups of text blocks based upon at least one common coordinate; assigning a common identifier to all text blocks in each horizontally and vertically aligned group; counting the number of items in the horizontally and vertically aligned groups, where an item of a horizontally aligned group is a set of text blocks in the horizontally aligned group belonging to a single vertically aligned group, and an item of a vertically aligned group is a set of text blocks in the vertically aligned group belonging to a single horizontally aligned group; and storing the number of items in each group in memory; further classifying, automatically in response to instructions stored in said instruction memory, at least one text group representing a non-running text region as to the extent to which the non-running text group is tabularized.