Hitachi, Ltd.

Sachiko Kawachiya

Haruo Takeda

Toshihiro Hananoi

A document processor for processing a document image which includes both a table formed by a plurality of ruled lines, and characters to generate vector data defining the ruled lines comprises an image input device for reading an image of the document, a display for displaying the document image and a processor for processing the document image. The processor corrects a skew of the input document image, detects a successive black pixel area included in the skew-corrected image, detects a character area based on a size of a rectangle which circumscribes the successive black pixel area, and converts the image to a second document image having characters deleted and including only the ruled lines. Those line segments detected by horizontally scanning the second document image which are longer than a predetermined threshold are determined as horizontal temporary lines, and those segments detected by vertically scanning the second document image which are longer than a predetermined threshold are determined as vertical temporary lines, and data defining positons and sizes of those lines are stored. A plurality of horizontal temporary lines which are adjacent to each other are consolidated into one solid line and defining data for the horizontal ruled lines are determined. Similarly, a plurality of vertical temporary lines are consolidated and defining data for the vertical ruled lines are determined.

Method and apparatus for processing a document by utilizing an image

A document image to be corrected is read out from an image file which stores document images, converted into dots, and printed on a correction paper. An operator writes correction information on the correction paper which is in turn inputted to the image file system with an image reader. The image file system erases the dot image information of the image inputted with the image reader. The obtained correction information is synthesized with the original image read out from the image file. The synthesized corrected image is stored in the image file.

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Tokyo, Japan

Sachiko Kawachiya