Among various characters invented by the human being ,Kanji (Chinese character) is outstanding in its diversity and complexity, in contrast to Roman alphanumerics. So machine recognition of handwritten characters requires particular technics. This paper concerns commercially available optical character readers (OCRs) and the recognition techniques using therein. Methods of character recognition is classified the pattern types and the method of extracting features, to discuss the present states of the character recognition. In regard to the structural analysis, the proposed techniques are classified and discussed in accordance with the extraction method of line segment and axial correlation. Finally, various techniques are compared with one another by using a common database, so as to understand the present states of character recognition and to discuss the technical trends.

Handwritten character recognition has been increasing its importance and has been expanding its application areas such as office automation, postal service automation, automatic data entry to computers, etc. It is challenging to develop a handwritten character recognition system with high processing speed, high performance, and high portability, because there is a trade-off among them. In current technology, it is difficult to attain high performance and high processing speed at the same time with single algorithms, and therefore, we need to find an efficient way of combination of multiple algorithms. We present an engineering solution to this problem. The system is based on multi-stage strategy as a whole: The first stage is a simple, fast, and reliable recognition algorithm with low substitution-error rate, and data of high quality are recognized in this stage, whereas sloppily written or degraded data are rejected and sent out to the second stage. The second stage is composed of a sophisticated structural pattern classifier and a pattern matching classifier, and these two complementary algorithms run in parallel (multiple expert approach). We demonstrate the performance of the completed system by experiments using real data.

Most conventional methods used in character recognition extract geometrical features, such as stroke direction and connectivity, and compare them with reference patterns in a stored dictionary. Unfortunately, geometrical features are easily degraded by blurs and stains, and by the graphical designs such as used in Japanese newspaper headlines. This noise must be removed before recognition commences, but no preprocessing method is perfectly accurate. This paper proposes a method for recognizing degraded characters as well as characters printed on graphical designs. This method extracts features from binary images, and a new similarity measure, the complementary similarity measure, is used as a discriminant function; it compares the similarity and dissimilarity of binary patterns with reference dictionary patterns. Experiments are conducted using the standard character database ETL-2, which consists of machine-printed Kanji, Hiragana, Katakana, alphanumeric, and special characters. The results show that our method is much more robust against noise than the conventional geometrical-feature method. It also achieves high recognition rates of over 97% for characters with textured foregrounds, over 99% for characters with textured backgrounds, over 98% for outline fonts and over 99% for reverse contrast characters. The experiments for recognizing both the fontstyles and character category show that it also achieves high recognition rates against noise.

In recognition of handprinted characters, it is important to dissolve distortions of character caused by writer's habits. In order to dissolve distortions and to obtain better features, many image conversion methods have been proposed. But there are distortions that cannot be dissolved by these methods. One example is the case of parallel strokes which are spread out in fan shape. In this paper, in order to dissolve distortions, we propose a new image conversion method, Transformation based on Partial Inclination Detection (TPID)", which is employed just before normalization, and is intended to dissolve several kinds of distortions in images of each character. TPID constructs transformation functions from inclination angles which are detected in some subspaces of the character's image, and converts images using the transformation functions. TPID is especially suitable for correcting the inclinations of horizontal and vertical strokes of a character. This has a powerful impact on the quality of the characteristic features. In recognition experiments using ETL9B, the largest database of handprinted characters in Japan, we have obtained a recognition rate of 99.08%, which is the best to our knowledge.

Devanagari is the most widely used script in India. Here, a method is introduced for recognizing Devanagari characters using Neural network. The proposed method reduces the number of output unit necessary for a conventional neural network where the classification is based on a winner take all basis. An automatic coding procedure for representing the output layer of the network and a different method for the final classification is also proposed. Along with the automatic coding procedure, a heuristic method for representing the output units by exploiting the structural information of Devanagari character is also demonstrated. Besides, it has been shown by random representation of the output layer that the representation effects the generalization/performance of the network. The proposed automatic representation gave the recognition rate of 98.09% for 44 categories.

A new beam tilt dipole array antenna in a simple structuer has been developed for indoor base stations in the 1.9 GHz band. The antenna comprises a radiator and skewed off-center parasitic elements placed around the radiator. With this stucture, the main beam of the array antenna can be tilted for mobile terminals reception by the effect of mutual coupling. Studies on tilt characteristics for antenna dimensions and tilt mechanism by precise current measurements have clarified the operating principle. The antennas with a fan beam and an omnidirectional pattern have been designed. The measured tilt angle was varied in the range of 0 to 26 with little alteration of the horizontal radiation patterns.

We proposed a new thchnique using saw wave modulation light to measure the thermal diffusivity of a transparent adhesive by photoacoustic microscope. In this technique, the time required for the measurement of it can be reduced by one-fifth compared with that of a conventional method.

A uniquely decodable code pair (C, S) is considered for the two-user binary adder channel. When the first code C is linear, a lower bound of |S| is formulated and a uniquely decodable code pair (C, S) is presented. When a rate R1 of C is less than 1/3, a rate R2of S is greater than the best rate known previously.

The E-polarized plane wave diffraction by a perfectly conducting strip located at the plane interface between two different media is analyzed by the Wiener-Hopf technique. Applying the boundary conditions to the integral representations for the unknown scattered field, the problem is formulated in terms of the modified Wiener-Hopf equation(MWHE), which is reduced to a pair of simultaneous integral equations via the factorization and decomposition procedure. The integral equations are solved asymptotically for large strip width via the method of successive approximations leading to the first, second and third order solutions, which are valid at high frequencies. The scattered far field expression is derived by taking the inverse Fourier transform and applying the saddle point method. It is shown that the high-frequency scattered far field comprises the geometrical optics field, the singly, doubly and triply diffracted fields and the lateral waves. Numerical examples of the radar cross section(RCS) and the lateral waves are presented, and the far field scattering characteristics discussed in detail.

A simplified equivalent circuit, which is useful in L-band, of switching MOSFET is presented. The MOSFET model accounts for the relatively low resistivity of Si substrate. By using this circuits, the relationship between the MOSFET equivalent circuit parameters and a series-shunt FET connected SPDT switch characteristics has been revealed. In order to evaluate the relationship mentioned above, enhancement type NMOSFETs and a SPDT switch with the FETs are fabricated. The MOSFET equivalent circuit parameters at L-band were extracted from measured small-signal S-parameters of the FETs. The measured switch characteristics are fairly good agreement with the simulated results which has been accomplished by using the MOSFET model. This good agreements shows the effectiveness of the MOSFET model which is presented here.

A refection type and loaded-line type phase shifter switching multi phase-states has been described. This novel phase shifter circuit is constructed by adding switching FETs to a conventional 2-phase-state phase shifter. A conventional 3 bit phase shifter can be replaced by this type of phase shifter. The total chip size is reduced to 2/3. This paper reports on the design, fabrication, and performance of the novel reflection-type and loaded-line-type phase shifter MMICs.

An extended configuration of a stepped impedance comb-line filter is presented. The parallel stripline sections of stepped impedance resonators are coupled electromagnetically and a coupling capacitor is introduced. The creation of an attenuation pole near the passband was detailed. A design procedure for the two-pole extended filter is derived from an analysis using even-and odd-mode impedances. Experimental filters were constructed by ceramic lamination technique. They exhibited excellent performances suitable for portable telephones.

This paper proposes a new approach for inputting handwritten Distribution Facility Drawings (DFD) and their maps into a computer automatically by using the Facility Management Database (FMD). Our recognition method makes use of external information for drawing/map recognition. It identifies each electric-pole symbol and support cable symbol on drawings simply by consulting the FMD. Other symbols such as transformers and electric wires can be placed on drawings automatically. In this positioning of graphic symbols, we present an automatic adjustment method of a symbol's position on the latest digital maps. When a contradiction is unsolved due to an inconsistency between the content of the DFD and the FMD, the system requests a manual feedback from the operator. Furthermore, it uses the distribution network of the DFD to recognize the street lines on the maps which aren't computerized. This can drastically reduce the cost for computerizing drawings and maps.

An improved gate current model of GaAs FET's is presented. A conventional gate current and the reverse breakdown characteristics. Conseguentli, the model has been determined only by the forward current model fails to fit measured results in the reverse bias range, under which power amplifiers operate. The proposed model improves this problem and shows a great enhancement in accuracy throughout the whole operation range of FET's. The model consists of three diodes and a resistor, which are standerd elements implemented in commercially available circuit simulators, and thus it can easily be used for analyzing performances of various FET circits.

A multi-terminal serial optical link(MSOL) achieves very simple and cost effective radio cell configurations because only one pair of fibers is needed. In addition, low cost Fabry-Perot laser diodes(FP-LDs) can be employed. MSOL has a substantial problem in that the beat noise degrades the C/N in the up-link. To reduce this noise, we propose using an automatic wavelength-offset control(AWOC) circuit. The AWOC circuit offsets the LD wavelength by controlling the laser bias current to minimise the RF band beat noise which is inherent in MSOL systems, and enables high C/N optical-microwave transmission. An experimental MSOL consisting of 5 radio access stations, each equipped with AWOC, is constructed to estimate the noise free dynamic range for 800-MHz 20-carrier signal transmission. The up-link comprises a single mode fiber connecting five 1.3-µm FP-LDs operating at 0.2 mW. The down-link consists of a single mode fiber and one 1.3-µm Distributed Feedback type Laser Diode(DFB-LD) emitting at 4.0 mW. The experimental device achieves over 15 dB noise reduction compared to MSOL without AWOC in the temperature range of 0 to 40. By using the proposed AWOC, MSOL can achive low cost optical fiber RF microcell systems that are easy to install. Additionally, when we install MSOL in the radio base station, the links become more cost effective than coaxial cable links; they offer a wide dynamic range and higher transmission quality.

In ths letter, we suggest a collision resolution algorithm when the packet length is random, and analyze its throughput and delay performance. Here, three different packet length distributions and two feedback schemes (ternary and binary success/failure feedback) are considered.

We reveal fundamental electromagnetic characteristics of a basic proposition of the security tag system, being able to exclude a misjudgment caused by a neighboring reflective object, provided with a correlative detection, and that with a multi-resonant tag.

It is well known that the Hopfield Model (HM) for neural networks to solve the TSP suffers from three major drawbacks: (D1) it can converge to non-optimal local minimum solutions; (D2) it can also converge to non-feasible solutions; (D3) results are very sensitive to the careful tuning of its parameters. A number of methods have been proposed to overcome (D1) well. In contrast, work on (D2) and (D3) has not been sufficient; techniques have not been generalized to larger classes of optimization problems with constraint including the TSP. We first construct Extended HMs (E-HMs) that overcome both (D2) and (D3). The extension of the E-HM lies in the addition of a synapse dynamical system cooperated with the corrent HM unit dynamical system. It is this synapse dynamical system that makes the TSP constraint hold at any final states for whatever choices of the HM parameters and an initial state. We then generalize the E-HM further into a network that can solve a larger class of continuous optimization problems with a constraint equation where both of the objective function and the constraint function are non-negative and continuously differentiable.

In this paper, a new algorithm for selection of candidates for handwritten character recognition is presented. Since we adopt the concept of the marginal radius to examine the confidence of candidates, the evaluation function is required to describe the pattern distribution correctly. For this reason, we propose Simplified Mahalanobis distance and observe its behavior by simulation. In the proposed algorithm, first, for each character, two types of feature regions (multi-dimensional one and one-dimensional one) are estimated from training samples statistically. Then, by referring to the feature regions, candidates are selected and verified. Using two types of feature regions is a principal characteristic of our method. If parameters are estimated accurately, the multi-dimensional feature region is extremely effective for character recognition. But generally, estimation errors in parameters occur, especially with a small number of sample patterns. Although the recognition ability of one-dimensional feature region is not so high, it can express the distribution comparatively precisely in one-dimensional space. By combining these feature regions, they will work concurrently to overcome the defects of each other. The effectiveness of the method is shown with the results of experiments.

This letter studies the Peak Cell Rate (PCR) policing of ATM connections that consist of multiple cell flow components. It is shown that the conventional methods proposed for policing the aggregate flow do not use the network's resources efficiently. This letter proposes a simple and efficient UPC (Usage Parameter Control) mechanism based on a tandem leaky bucket for multi-component ATM connections. The results show that network resource requirements can be minimized, with reasonable hardware complexity.