Character segmentation device and character segmentation method

1. A character segmentation section, for segmenting characters of a character line, for use in a character segmentation device which processes multi-level image data acquired by imaging said character line, in which a linear drawing is present, on an information recording medium said character segmentation section comprising:

a minimum pixel-value curve creating section configured to extract a smallest pixel value in pixels composing a pixel line arranged in a direction orthogonal to a character line direction in said multi-level image data and create a minimum pixel-value curve,

a character partitioning position determining section configured to determine partitioning positions of said characters, based on said minimum pixel value curve,

a binarization processing section configured to detect a minimum pixel value indicating said linear drawing from said minimum pixel-value curve, acquires a binarization threshold based on said minimum pixel value, and binarizes said multi-level image data using said binarization threshold, and

a character segmentation implementing section configured to extract the image data of each character.

2. The character segmentation device as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said binarization processing section detects a minimum pixel value in said minimum pixel-value curve for a blank space provided between characters and binarizes said multi-level image data using said minimum pixel value as a binarization threshold.

3. The character segmentation device as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said character partitioning position determining section calculates a temporary binarization threshold, binarizes said multi-level image data, and determines the boundary between a character space in which a character is printed and an adjacent blank space provided between characters, based on said binary image data.

4. A character segmentation method for processing multi-level image data acquired by imaging a character line, in which a linear drawing is present, on an information recording medium to segment characters composing said character line, the character segmentation method comprising:

extracting the smallest pixel value in pixels composing a pixel line arranged in the direction orthogonal to the character line direction in said multi-level image data and creating a minimum pixel-value curve;

determining partitioning positions of said characters based on said minimum pixel value curve;

detecting a minimum pixel value indicating said linear drawing from said minimum pixel curve, acquiring a binarization threshold based on said minimum pixel value and binarizing said multi-level image data using said binarization threshold; and

extracting the image data of each character.

5. The character segmentation method as set forth in claim 4 , wherein in said detecting a minimum pixel value, a minimum pixel value in said minimum pixel-value curve for a blank space provided between characters is detected, and said multi-level image data is binarized by using said minimum pixel value as binarization threshold.

6. The character segmentation method as set forth in claim 4 , wherein in said determining partitioning positions of said characters, a temporary binarization threshold is calculated and said multi-level image data is binarized using said temporary binarization threshold, and a boundary between a character space in which a character is printed and an adjacent blank space provided between characters is determined, based on said binary image data.