Electric Power Research Institute Incorporated

Robert Flandrena

Parvathy Bhaskaran

Alan J Filipski

Robert W Colley

Tad Krolik

Steven Ruggiero

Mark Janney

An apparatus and method for recognizing written items including characters and symbols is disclosed. A scanner is utilized for scanning the characters and symbols. A recognition module is used to confidently identify the scanned characters and symbols. The recognition module includes a mechanism for recognizing characters. This mechanism includes a character recognition rule base which yields identified characters and unidentified characters. The unidentified characters are conveyed to neural networks for recognition. The recognition module also includes a mechanism for recognizing symbols. This mechanism includes a symbol recognition rule base which yields identified symbols and unidentified symbols. The unidentified symbols are conveyed to neural networks for recognition. The recognition module also includes a mechanism for context processing of the characters and symbols. The context processor utilizes a multilevel blackboard with a number of ascending levels. The blackboard combines characters and symbols into logical units. The blackboard also serves to verify the identity of the characters and symbols. The resultant data from the recognition module is placed in a metafile which is conveyed to a modification module. The modification module includes graphics editing software to edit the scanned characters and symbols. After editing, a translator is used to convert the scanned characters and symbols to a format suitable for a CAD system or data base.

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Tempe, AZ, United States of America

Robert Flandrena