JPH05174150A - Circular graph recognition device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [Purpose] To provide an image input device that recognizes a pie chart as data that can be easily reproduced and processed and has a high image compression effect. In the pie chart recognition device, the character recognition section 4 and the figure recognition section 5 recognize the outline of the graph circle from the figure, the dividing line that separates each item, each item name, and the leader line, and The graph recognition unit 6 calculates the ratio of each item to the entire graph circle from the opening angle of the dividing line, converts the information in the pie graph into character or numerical data, and stores it in the graph format storage unit 7.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a pie chart recognition device and is used as a device for inputting a pie graph by image compression in a spreadsheet application in DTP (desktop publishing), an electronic filing system and the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Due to recent advances in information technology, DT
The importance of image information such as P, facsimile, and electronic filing system has been recognized more and more.

Generally, image data includes photographs, illustrations,
Although there are many types such as drawings and graphs, in order to input such image data to the apparatus, image information is often compressed and input.

The compression method of image information has been conventionally (1)
Pixel data is MH (Modified Huffman), MR (Modifie
d Red) or MMR (Modified Moded Red)
There is a coding method performed by converting into a code such as, or (2) a method of expressing an image as a basic image such as a straight line or an arc, and in particular, compression of graph graphic information is performed in the dot data of (1) above. It was generally done by the method of conversion.

[0005]

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention]
Since the conventional method of (1) simply compresses the graph graphic as different image data, a high compression effect cannot be obtained, and the graphic content of the graph is not recognized at all Was unable to be reprocessed as straight line, spreadsheet software, or graph data output to WP (word processor).

An object of the present invention is to eliminate the above-mentioned conventional problems and provide a graph recognition apparatus having an image compression effect.

[0007]

The present invention has the above-mentioned objects.
Recognize the outline of the graph circle from the figure, the dividing line that separates each item, each item name, and the leader line, and calculate the ratio of each item to the entire graph circle from the opening angle of the dividing line. , A pie chart recognition device having means for outputting character or numerical data necessary for reproducing a pie chart.

[0008]

According to the above construction, since the graphic meaning of the graph is recognized, a pie chart with a high compression rate can be obtained by simply storing the items and the numerical values corresponding to the items as pie chart information. In addition, the recognized pie chart is extremely easy to reprocess and convert into a numerical value display, so that it exhibits a highly efficient utility value as an input device for information equipment such as the DTP.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an embodiment of the present invention, in which 1 is an image input unit for photoelectrically converting a graphic graphic and inputs it as image data, and 2 is an image for storing the input image data. A storage unit 3, a character / graphics separation unit that separates a character unit and a graphic unit from the image data, and 4 and 5 are a character recognition unit that recognizes the separated character unit and a graphic recognition unit that recognizes the graphic unit. is there. Further, 6 is a graph recognition unit for extracting graph items necessary for forming a pie chart from the recognized character portion and graphic portion, and 7 is a graph format storage unit for storing the result of the recognition.

The present invention has the above configuration and operates as follows.

In FIG. 1, first, in the image input section 1, the graph figure data obtained by scanning the graph figure with a photoelectric conversion device such as a scanner is stored in the image storage section 2. The stored graphic data is divided by the character / graphic separation unit 3 into division items represented by fan-shaped portions of a pie chart,
It is divided into a character portion that is a numerical value display indicating the division ratio that it occupies and a graphic portion that indicates the outer shape of the graph. This character part and figure part are separated from each other by a circumscribed rectangle S that surrounds the character candidate W or the figure candidate C, as shown in FIGS. Figure 2 than the value
If it is large as shown in (a), it is determined as the graphic portion C, and if it is small as shown in FIG. 2 (b), it is determined as the character portion W.

The character portion W separated as described above is converted into a character by the character recognition unit 4, and the graphic portion C is converted into a circle, a straight line, a rectangle or the like forming a graph by the graphic recognition unit 5. A generally known recognition method can be applied to the character recognition or the graphic recognition.

After recognizing the characters and figures as described above, the graph recognition unit 6 uses the characteristics of the graph to extract the division item name and the numerical value indicating the proportion of the division item name as a pie chart.

FIG. 3 is a pie chart showing an example of the above extraction. 8 is a numerical part, 9 is an item part, 10 is a graph circle, and 11 is a graph circle.
Is the dividing line of the split item, and 12 is the numerical part of the split item 8
And a lead line showing the item part 9. In the pie chart, the item part 9 is entered inside the graph circle 10 or near the circumference, and the numerical part 8 is entered below the item part 9
When the leader line 12 is drawn, it has a feature to be written on the tip thereof.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart relating to the operation of this embodiment.
(Abbreviated as S) will be described later.

First, a target figure is scanned by a photoelectric conversion device such as a scanner (S1), and if a circle is not recognized, the process ends. If a circle is recognized, a circle graph is obtained.
10 (FIG. 3) is extracted (S2), and then, in S3, a dividing line 11 that separates each item is extracted as a fan-shaped portion. FIG. 5 exemplifies the dividing line 11, and the dividing line 11 extends radially in the radius r direction from the center coordinates of the graph circle 10 extracted in S2.

In S4, it is checked whether or not there is a leader line 12 in a fan-shaped area surrounded by the dividing line 11 and the graph circle 10. If there is no leader line, the process proceeds to S5, and if there is, the process proceeds to S6. In S5, the characters of the item portion 9 drawn in the fan-shaped portion between the dividing lines 11 are extracted.

FIG. 6 shows the case of the company A as an example, and the above-mentioned examination also examines the area around the graph circle 10 such as the diagonal line. In S6, as shown in FIG. 7, the character string in the range of the radius r around the end of the leader line 12 is checked, and S7
Check whether or not there is a numerical part 8 below the item part 9. If not, the process proceeds to S8, and if there is, the process proceeds to S9. In this S9, as shown in FIG. 8, when there is no numerical part 8, the opening angle of the dividing line 11 that divides the items of the pie chart is calculated, and the angle is the whole 36.
Calculate the ratio to 0 degree. Note that the actual quantity will be entered after converting the pie chart data. For example, in the case shown in FIG.
If is input, in the case of Company A, 340 × 138 ÷ 360 = 130
Is the actual quantity.

Finally, the items obtained by recognizing the graph as described above and various values corresponding to the items are saved in the graph format storage unit 7, and the process ends.

FIG. 10 shows an example of the storage in the case of FIG. 3, 13 is a pie chart, 14 is its radius, 15 is the number of items, and 16 is each item and a value for each item. Is.

In the present embodiment, the pie chart can be reproduced with such data which is extremely smaller than the image data.
Moreover, data that can be easily processed is stored in the graph format storage unit 7.

[0023]

As described above, the present invention does not store the image of the graph, but stores the item name forming the graph, the numerical value corresponding to the item, and the like. Since it is used for exchanging character or numerical data, it results in a great deal of information compression, and the data can be changed to data such as spreadsheet.
It is possible to provide a pie chart recognition device that exhibits a remarkable effect as a high-speed and easy-to-use input device.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a character portion and a figure.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of each element that forms a graph.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart related to the operation of this embodiment.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of extraction of graph dividing lines.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of an investigation range of item character strings.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of investigation of a character string around a leader line.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of a pie chart in which no numerical value is entered.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram in which an opening angle of a dividing line is obtained.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of graph data.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Image input part, 2 ... Image storage part, 3 ... Character figure separation part, 4 ... Character recognition part, 5 ... Graphic recognition part, 6 ... Graph recognition part, 7 ... Graph format storage part.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An outline part of a graph circle from a figure, a dividing line separating each item, each item name, and a leader line are recognized,
A pie chart recognition device further comprising means for calculating the ratio of each item to the entire graph circle from the opening angle of the dividing line and converting the information in the pie graph into character or numerical data.