1. UN Workshop on Data Capture, Dar es Salaam Session 7 Data Capture
Richard Lang International Manager

2. OCR Optical Character Recognition
Agenda
OCR Optical Character Recognition
ICR Intelligent Character Recognition
DFR Dynamic Form Recognition
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3. OCR = optical character recognition
Technology was first invented in 1929
Gustav Tauschek obtained a patent on OCR in Germany
Mechanical device that used templates
First commercial system was installed at Readers Digest in 1955
Years later donated to the Smithsonian Institution
Today
Recognition of machine written text is now considered largely a solved problem
Accuracy rates exceed 99%
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4. OCR
Beta Systems well experienced with this recognition engines in Banks
in Germany OCR A ⑁ Chair ⑀ Hook ⑂ Fork
Austria OCR B Plus
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5. ICR Intelligent Character Recognition
The technique is far ahead of OCR because of ongoing development of ICR
Handwriting recognition system
Allows different styles of handwriting to be learned by a computer during / before processing to improve accuracy and recognition rates
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6. ICR Process: Capturing the image with Scanners
Processing by (ICR) and/or (OCR)
Segmentation is a very important step
Decision if the homogenous criteria belong to the foreground or to the background
Human editors can do that depending on the context
Compare also computer tomography: according to different results from radio waves reflected from different angels the computer can reconstruct the picture
With the first step only a suitable starting point (sets of pixels) is possible
The increasing process links all closer pixels (computation of valleys and peaks with high degree of confidence)
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7. ICR Process:
Pre-processing
Deskew
Shift, rotate
Stretch
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8. ICR Process: Less / More Contrast
Enhance
Less / More Contrast
Clean up (de-noise, halftone removal)
to enable the recognition engine to give best results
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9. ICR Process:
Feature extraction
Data reduction
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10. Classification A one was written 90 % = 1 8 % = 7 2 % = 4 ICR Process:
90 % = 1
8 % = 7
2 % = 4
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11. ICR Algorithm:
Neural Network
Using kNN k-Nearest Neighbour
SVM Support Vector Machine Minimize simultaneously the empirical classification error and maximize the geometric margin; hence they are also known as maximum margin classifiers
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12. ICR Process:
After different classification alternatives the appropriate confidence will be provided
Recognition Limitation only for most probable characters e.g. if only characters 3,6,0 are possible the engine can also be limited to this set and the results are much better
Voting Machine
Usability:
security,
efficiency and
Accuracy
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13. Dynamic Field Recognition
No fixed position is required
If form is only ½ available still ½ readable
No special Forms are required
No timing tracks are necessary on the forms for OMR but results are also available the same time no cleaning of LEDs in the scanner necessary
Robust against vertical / horizontal stretching or shrinking (e.g. different printers)
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14. Dynamic Field Recognition
Recognizes:
features (word as pixel cloud)
boxes,
lines and
symbols
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15. Hardware- / Software - Requirement
Scanner PC
Network
Disc Storage only necessary if images are needed for audit purposes
Software
Scan Software
One Recognition and Voting Software for OMR, OCR, ICR, Barcode
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16. Cost Comparatives in general
OMR
Cost Comparatives in general
OMR from image
Dedicated OMR Scanner
Forms Design
Same
Forms Production -
Up to 50% More
Enumerator Training
Up to double the cost
Scanners PC
Low cost PC
PC Operators
Servers
Cost of more/new flexibility
low
high
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17. ICR Advantages Better than: Manual keying
90 % (plus) correct keys Manual = higher substitution rate than automated recognition
Time consuming
Deliberate manipulation possible
OMR, because OMR is space consuming
OCR, because OCR is machine written and therefore of limited use
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18. ICR Advantages
Clear accuracy for OMR because of dirt removal by software depending on the mark size and figure
Can detect line and can ignore dirt
Clear result
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19. ICR Advantages Barcode, OCR, OMR,
and ICR Recognition with one Software
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20. ICR Advantages
Pro:
Only rejected characters/fields need correction Rest of the form untouched
With new technologies open for future faster, better quality
With standardized correction mode
Handwriting of the corresponding country will be recognized
The previously mentioned advantages do not have to be repeated here again
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21. Thank you for your attention
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