JPH01277832A - Microfilm - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To easily and effectively read out intended data by recording a form code for identifying a used form on a microfilm. CONSTITUTION:The data is extracted and read out from image information in which the data is recorded with the specific form 10. In such a case, the form code 16 showing the kind of the form 10 is recorded with the image information and the used form 10 can be identified with the form code 16, then the data can be extracted from the read image information. Thus, the necessary data can be effectively, easily and accurately extracted and read out.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to a microfilm used for recording image information in which data is written in a predetermined form (input form). This invention relates to a microfilm that allows necessary data to be extracted from such image information by excluding the form field.

(Technical Background of the Invention) In customer management cards, hospital patient cards, and the like, necessary data is entered in a form (input form) having predetermined data entry fields. It is also widely practiced to save such data-filled cards (forms) on microfilm. However, when extracting the necessary data from this microfilmed card, conventionally the microfilm image was output to a league, etc., which was then read with the human eye and input using a keyboard. Therefore, reading data from a large amount of cards is difficult.

Additionally, if the format of the card is fixed, only a predetermined position on the card can be read using an OCR (optical character reader), but this is not possible when the format of the card changes. .

(Purpose of the Invention) The present invention was made in view of the above circumstances, and is a microfilm on which image information is imprinted, consisting of a form (input form) on which data is written, and is capable of efficiently storing necessary data. It is an object of the present invention to provide a microfilm that can be extracted and read easily and accurately.

(Structure of the Invention) According to the present invention, this object is to provide a microfilm for use in an image information reading device that extracts and reads data from image information in which data is recorded together with a predetermined form. This is achieved by a microfilm characterized in that a form code indicating the type is recorded together with the image information, the form used can be identified by this form code, and data can be extracted from the read image information.

(Example) Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a microfilm image of a customer management card, which is an embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of an image information recording device that records the image of this card on microfilm. Figure 3 is a flowchart of its operation, Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of an image information reading device that reads images on this microfilm, and Figure 5
The figure is a flowchart of the operation.

An image of the card as shown in FIG. 1 is recorded on the microfilm. In this figure, the form (filling form) 10 has a large number of columns separated by vertical and horizontal partition lines, with odd numbered rows (
1, line 3.5.7) is item property 12 in which the item name is written.

The even-numbered rows are entry columns having entry columns in which data corresponding to each item above them is entered. In this embodiment, a symbol indicating the type of the form 10, that is, a form code 16 is written on the upper left outside the margin of the form 10 using a bar code display method. Also, in the margin on the right side of each entry level 14,
A check code 18 for performing a data check for each entry property 14 is written using a bar code display method. In FIG. 1, the data entered is only numbers and katakana, but it is of course possible to include a name, address, etc. in kanji.

The card shown in FIG. 1 is recorded on microfilm by the recording device shown in FIG. In this Figure 2, 20
is a laser light source such as an argon laser, 22 is an optical modulator,
24 is a rotating polygon mirror, 26 is a lens, 28 is a galvanometer mirror, 30 is a lens, and 32 is a microfiche film. The light beam emitted from the light source 20 is subjected to on/off modulation by the optical modulator 22, and then scanned in the main scanning direction (horizontal deflection direction) by the reflective surface of the rotating polygon mirror 24. The light beam reflected by this rotating polygon mirror 24 is transmitted to the lens 2
6 and enters the galvanometer mirror 28. This galvanometer mirror 28 deflects the light beam in the sub-scanning direction (vertical deflection direction) by the -scanning line interval during one scanning by the rotating polygon mirror 24. As a result, the light beam passing through the lens 30 and converging onto the film 32 is two-dimensionally scanned (raster scanned) on the film 32.

The code and data of the form 10 to be recorded on the film 32 are specified using the keyboard 34.

Of course, the data may be read from a memory (not shown) built into the computer (hereinafter referred to as CPU) 36 itself or from another CPU, but it may also be input directly from the keyboard 34.

A code specifying a form 10 is input into a form memory 38 which stores a variety of different form 10 patterns, and the corresponding form 10 is selected. The form video signal of the corresponding form 10 is then outputted by the form generator 40.

On the other hand, data specified on the keyboard 34 is transferred to a buffer memory 42 at a predetermined timing, and is further converted into data or a video signal by a character generator 44. In addition, a form code video signal for displaying the form code 16 (see FIG. 1) of the form 10, and a check code 18 (see FIG. 1) are also included. The check code/video signals are added by the adder circuit 48, and the driver 50 controls the optical modulator 22 on/off based on the added signal. Generator 4
0.44.46 are controlled by the CPU 36, and video signals from each generator 40, 44, 46 are guided to an adder circuit 48 to control the optical modulator 22 in accordance with the scanning position of the light beam on the film 32. . As a result, as shown in FIG. 1, on the film 32, predetermined data is recorded in a predetermined data entry column of the form 10, and a form code 16 and a check code 18 are also recorded at predetermined positions.

The above image recording process is the procedure shown in FIG. That is, when the keyboard 34 specifies the form 1O (step 1oo), the corresponding form 10 is read out from the form memory 38 (step 102). Further, the data specified by the keyboard 34 is input from the keyboard 34 itself or read from the memory of the CPU 36, but the type of data is input from the keyboard 34 (step 104), and the address where the data is recorded is the form 10. Therefore, the address to be recorded is determined depending on the form 10 used (step 106).
, and the corresponding location (address) on film 32
The corresponding data, form, form code, and check code are respectively recorded (step 108).

Next, an image information reading device for extracting and reading necessary data from the image information recorded on the microfiche film 32 in this manner will be described with reference to FIG. 4.5.

In FIG. 4, 52 is a light source, 54 is a condenser lens, and the light from the light source 52 is guided to the microfiche film 32 by the condenser lens 54. film 32
The transmitted light is guided to a screen 60 by a projection lens 56 and an imaging lens 58, where it can be visually observed. Further, a part of the light transmitted through the film 32 is divided by a half mirror 62, and this divided light is passed through an imaging lens 64.
An image is formed on the image sensor 66 by this.

This image sensor 66 is one that moves a one-dimensional line sensor in a direction perpendicular to its length (sub-scanning direction),
A two-dimensional area sensor etc. can be used. Since the output signal of the image sensor 66 includes the entire image of the card shown in FIG. 1, first, only the form code 16 indicating the type of the form 10 is read (step 200 in FIG. 5). The form code F1a is input to the form generator 68. The form generator 68 generates the form 10 from a form memory 70 (which may be shared with the form memory 38 of the recording device) that records various forms.
is read (step 202) to determine where on the card the data is recorded, in other words, the address of the data. The type of data required in the form 10 is input from the keyboard 72 (which may be shared with the keyboard 34 of the recording device) (step 204);
The address signal AD of this data is output to the data cutout circuit 76 (described later) (step 206).
The form code 16 can be identified by reading the output of the image sensor 66 at a predetermined position.

The analog image output of the image sensor 66, that is, the image including the form 10 and data, is input to the signal processing circuit 74 (step 208), where it is subjected to analog processing such as amplification, waveform shaping, and shading correction (step 210). From the image signal processed in this way, only the necessary data portion is cut out at the data cutout path 76, but the address of the necessary data determined by the form generator 68 is input to the image sensor 66. It is assumed that the size of the image is standardized. Therefore, this image signal is normalized to a certain size (step 212). It is possible to do so. Only necessary data portions of the standardized image signal are extracted by the data extraction path 76 (step 214).

When only the data to be read is extracted in this way,
The image signal of this data is image recognized according to a known image recognition process, and the data on the microfilm is converted into characters (
(including numbers) and output it to the memory of the CPU.

For example, the image recognition process is performed as follows. First, the preprocessing circuit 78 cuts out the image signal for each character of the data, moves or rotates the center of the image as necessary, and normalizes it by enlarging or reducing it. The characters are digitized and converted into digital signals (step 216). At this time, defects in the characters are repaired, and if necessary, the lines are made thinner to make them easier to recognize.

After the preprocessing is performed in this way, the feature extraction circuit 8
0, performs image (character) feature extraction (step 218
), character recognition is further performed in the recognition circuit 82 (step 220). Various feature extraction methods are possible, but for example, by focusing on the characteristics around the pattern, it is roughly classified, divided into groups of similar characters, and then A method is used to finely distinguish groups and ultimately identify a single character. As for the characteristics around the pattern, for example, a four-sided code method is possible, in which long windows are provided on each of the four sides surrounding the character, and the amount of character lines that fall into these windows is coded. It is also possible to use a peripheral feature based on the crossing distance from the frame circumscribing the kanji until it collides with the character line.

There are also methods for classifying characters based on their horizontal and vertical complexity (complexity index), classification based on their stroke density, and stroke distribution methods that project the character pattern onto the coordinate axes and use the waveform characteristics of its intensity distribution. Can be used.

After broadly classifying the characters by relatively low-level feature extraction and narrowing down the candidates to numbers lO to several loo, characters are further determined using a higher-order method (step 82). Since it is a combination of ``hen'' and ``kuri'', it is possible to use hierarchical structural analysis or hierarchical matching, which repeats pattern matching at each stage. This method is originally 32x3 in the first stage.
Blur the 2-pixel character pattern to 4x4 pixels and 4x bit gradation, check the matching with the standard character dictionary 84 prepared separately, and narrow down the candidates.Next, as a second step, do the same with 8x8 pixels and 4-bit gradation. Through matching, candidates are narrowed down step by step.

It is also possible to quantify the degree of deviation between the read character pattern and the standard character pattern in the dictionary using evaluation scales such as "distance" and "similarity."

In any case, when features are extracted using various methods and character recognition is completed, post-processing is performed in the post-processing circuit 86 (step 222), which is performed by the image sensor 66.
The check code 18 read by the user is used to determine whether or not one correct character recognition has been performed. For example, one line of the data entry line 14 of the form 10 is checked.

The check code can be assigned using known methods such as providing a check code for each byte of a character, using a check code for each item, or using several check codes in combination. As the check code, for example, a parity check code whose total value is always an odd number can be used. If it is determined that there is an error in character identification as a result of the check by the check code, the image is again processed in the re-identification circuit 88 using a more advanced image recognition method.For example, only the parts that differ from similar characters are emphasized. Possible methods include using differential matching, which can perform matching using the same character, or using the difference in strokes with similar characters (differential stroke discrimination). Furthermore, if it is not possible to determine one character at the character recognition stage, it is possible to select and determine the character that matches the check code from among a plurality of characters that have the highest probability of matching.

When correct character identification is performed as described above, this data is encoded and stored in the CPU memory (
Step 226). This data may be transferred to a CPU connected online or another CPU offline so that they can be used mutually.

Although the recording/reading device is explained separately according to its functions in FIG. 2.4, it goes without saying that the CPU can have some or all of these functions.

Furthermore, in the embodiment described above, only the location (address) where the target data is located is determined using the obtained form code, but the present invention uses the form code to obtain Roman characters,
It may be possible to identify the type of numbers, etc., the size of characters, the type of font, etc. By doing so, the accuracy of image recognition can be further improved.

In the above embodiment, a form code 16 is used as shown in FIG.
Although shown in one-dimensional barcode notation, the present invention is not limited to this, and various methods such as two-dimensional barcode display can be adopted. As this form code, it is desirable to use a notation method that does not require complex pattern recognition such as letters, but a simple display of a predetermined font such as numbers can be used because it is easy to recognize.

(Effects of the Invention) As described above, the present invention records a form code for identifying the used form on microfilm, so when extracting and reading data from this form, The location (address) where the target data is located can be easily identified from the form code. This makes it easy and simple to read the target data.
Moreover, it becomes possible to carry out the process efficiently.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a microfilm image of a customer management card, which is an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of an image information recording device that records the image of this card on microfilm, and Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of the image information recording device. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of an image information reading device for reading images on this microfilm, and FIG. 5 is a flowchart of the operation. lO...Form, 12...Item nature, 14...Fillability, 16...Form code, 18...Check code. Patent Applicant Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd. Agent Patent Attorney Yama 1) Written by Patent Attorney Yama 1) Engraving of the drawings by Hiroshi (
Figure 1, Figure 2, Figure 3, Proceedings (formula), August 2, 1985, Director General of the Patent Office, Kiyoshi 1) Moon Yi, 1, Indication of the case, 1988 Patent Application No. 107935 No. 2, Name of the invention Microfilm 3, Relationship with the amended person case Patent applicant address 210 Nakanuma, Minamiashigara City, Kanagawa Prefecture Name (520
1 Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd. Representative: Minoru Ohnishi 4, Agent address: Yamato Bank Toramon Building, 1-6-21 Nishi-Shinbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo (Telephone: 591-75561 (no change in content)

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] In a microfilm used in an image information reading device that extracts and reads data from image information in which data is recorded together with a predetermined form, a form code indicating the type of the form is attached to the image information. A microfilm characterized in that it is recorded with information, the form used can be identified by the form code, and data can be extracted from the read image information.