Patent US 4,015,239

Character recognition apparatus which converts two dimensional feature information derived from an unknown character into one dimensional feature information, such as a code train, and recognizes the unknown character by comparing the converted one dimensional feature information with corresponding information relating to selected reference characters. The starting point of the one dimensional feature information representing the unknown character is selected by scanning the terminal points of the unknown character in a direction predetermined for each particular reference character as indicated by a scan parameter stored with the one dimensional feature information of the reference character. The starting point is then selected on the basis of a relationship including the scan parameter of the reference character and the feature points of the unknown character.