Character recognition

Matrox Imaging Library (MIL) provides two tools for character recognition: OCR and String Reader. These tools read character strings that are engraved, etched, marked, printed, punched or stamped on surfaces.

The MIL OCR tool utilizes a template matching method to very quickly read a string with a known number of evenly spaced characters. Once calibrated, the tool reliably reads strings with consistent character size even if the strings themselves are at an angle. Characters can come from one of the provided MICR E-13B, SEMI M12-92 and SEMI M13-88 fonts or a user-defined font. Character strings can be subject to user-defined grammar rules to further increase recognition rates.

MIL OCR

The MIL String Reader tool is based on a sophisticated technique that uses geometric features to quickly locate and read character strings in images where characters are well separated from the background and from one another. The tool handles strings with a known or unknown number of evenly or proportionally spaced characters. It accommodates changes in character angle with respect to the string, aspect ratio, scale, and skew, as well as contrast reversal. Strings can be located across multiple lines and at a slight angle. The tool reads from multiple pre-defined (TrueType™ and Postscript™) or user-defined Latin-based fonts. Also included is a ready-made unified context for automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) that works with any Latin-based license plate. In addition, character strings can be subject to user-defined grammar rules to further increase recognition rates. The tool is designed for ease-of-use and includes String Expert, a utility to help fine-tune settings and troubleshoot poor results.

MIL String Reader