A11 100989830 NBS-PUB-C 1 ST5°5l"v'^113;1-3;197 C.1 Standaras national Bureau of Bldg. Ubrary, E-01 Admin. NBS MONOGRAPH 113, VOLUME 1 Standards Nationsi Bureau of JUL 2 8 1972 : /120S OS. I to Research and Development in the Computer and Information Sciences Volume 1. Information Acquisition, Sensing, and Input— U.S. A Selective Literature Review (ITMENT OF l/IMERCE National Bureau of tandards NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS The National Bureau of Standards ' was established by an act of Congress March 3, 1901. Today, in addition to serving as the Nation's central measurement laboratory, the Bureau is a principal focal point in the Federal Government for assuring maximum application of the physical and engineering sciences to the advancement of technology in industry and commerce. To this end the Bureau conducts research and provides central national services in four broad program areas. These are: (1) basic measurements and standards, (2) materials measurements and standards, (3) technological measurements and standards, and (4) transfer of technology. The Bureau comprises the Institute for Basic Standards, the Institute for Materials Research, the Institute for Applied Technology, the Center for Radiation Research, the Center for Computer Sciences and Technology, and the Office for Information Programs. THE INSTITUTE FOR BASIC STANDARDS provides the centra! basis within the United States of a complete and consistent system of physical measurement; coordinates that system with measurement systems of other nations; and furnishes essential services leading to accurate and uniform physical measurements throughout the Nation's scientific community, industry, and com- merce. The Institute consists of an Office of Measurement Services and the following technical divisions: Applied Mathematics—Electricity—Metrology—Mechanics—Heat—Atomic and Molec- ular Physics—Radio Physics -—Radio Engineering -—Time and Frequency -—Astro- physics -—Cryogenics.'- THE INSTITUTE FOR MATERIALS RESEARCH conducts materials research leading to im- proved methods of measurement standards, and data on the properties of well-characterized materials needed by industry, commerce, educational institutions, and Government; develops, produces, and distributes standard reference materials; relates the physical and chemical prop- erties of materials to their behavior and their interaction with their environments; and provides advisory and research services to other Government agencies. The Institute consists of an Office of Standard Reference Materials and the following divisions: Analytical Chemistry—Polymers—Metallurgy—Inorganic Materials—Physical Chemistry. THE INSTITUTE FOR APPLIED TECHNOLOGY provides technical services to promote the use of available technology and to facilitate technological innovation in industry and Gov- ernment; cooperates with public and private organizations in the development of technological standards, and test methodologies; and provides advisory and research services for Federal, state, and local government agencies. The Institute consists of the following technical divisions and offices: Engineering Standards—Weights and Measures — Invention and Innovation — Vehicle Systems Research—Product Evaluation —Building Research—Instrument Shops—Meas- urement Engineering—Electronic Technology—Technical Analysis. THE CENTER FOR RADIATION RESEARCH engages in research, measurement, and ap- plication of radiation to the solution of Bureau mission problems and the problems of other agen- cies and institutions. The Center consists of the following divisions: Reactor Radiation—Linac Radiation—Nuclear Radiation—Applied Radiation. THE CENTER FOR COMPUTER SCIENCES AND TECHNOLOGY conducts research and provides technical services designed to aid Government agencies in the selection, acquisition, and effective use of automatic data processing equipment; and serves as the principal focus for the development of Federal standards for automatic data processing equipment, techniques, and computer languages. The Center consists of the following offices and divisions: Information Processing Standards—Computer Information — Computer Services — Sys- tems Development—Information Processing Technology. THE OFFICE FOR INFORMATION PROGRAMS promotes optimum dissemination and accessibility of scientific information generated within NBS and other agencies of the Federal government; promotes the development of the National Standard Reference Data System and a system of information analysis centers dealing with the broader aspects of the National Measure- ment System, and provides appropriate services to ensure that the NBS staff has optimum ac- cessibility to the scientific information of the world. The Ofl[ice consists of the following organizational units: Office of Standard Reference Data—Clearinghouse for Federal Scientific and Technical Information ' —Office of Technical Information and Publications—Library—Office of Public Information—Office of International Relations. ^ Headquarters and laboratories at Gaithersburg. Maryland, unless otherwise noted; mailing address Washington, D.C. 20234. - Located at Boulder, Colorado 80302. Located at 5286 Port Royal Road, Springfield. Virginia 22151. UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE • Maurice H. Stans, Secretary NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS • Lewis M. Branscomb, Director Research and Development in the Computer and Information Sciences 1. Information Acquisition, Sensing, and Input: A Selective Literature Review Mary Elizabeth Stevens Center for Computer Sciences and Technology National Bureau of Standards Washington, D.C. 20234 ir. 1)'% , National Bureau of Standards. Monograph 113, Vol. 1 » * • Nat. Bur. Stand. (U.S.), Monogr. 113-1, 170 pages (Mar. 1970) CODEN: NBSMA Issued March 1970 For sale by the Syperintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Washington, D.C. 20402 (Order by SD Catalog No. C 13.44:113/Vol. 1), Price $1.50 Library of Congress Catalog Card No. 70-603263 Foreword The Center for Computer Sciences and Technology of the National Bureau of Standards has responsibihty under the authority of Public Law 89—306 (the Brooks Bill) for automatic data processing standards development, for consultation and technical assistance to Federal agencies, and for supporting research in matters relating to the use of computers in the Federal Government. This selective hterature review is one of a series intended to improve interchange of information among those engaged in research and development in the fields of the computer and information sciences. Considered in this volume are the specific areas of information acquisition, sensing, and input, including the problems of character and pattern recognition. Names and descriptions of specific proprietary devices and equipment have been included for the convenience of the reader, but completeness in this respect is recognized to be impossible. Certain important developments have remained proprietary or have not been reported in the open hterature; thus major contributors to key developments in the field may have been omitted. The omission of any method or device does not necessarily imply that it is considered unsuitable or unsatisfactory, nor does inclusion of descriptive material on commercially available instruments, products, programs, or processes constitute endorsement. Lewis M. Branscomb, Director III ! Contents Page Foreword Ill 1. Introduction 1 1.1. General introductory considerations 1 1.2. Basic background considerations 2 1.3. A generalized information processing system 3 1.3.1. Automatic production control 3 1.3.2. Character recognition systems 3 1.3.3. An experimental ISSR system in the U.S.S.R 5 1.3.4. Implications of the generalized scheme 7 ' 1.4. Specific background considerations 8 : 1.4.1. Plan of attack 8 1.4.2. Some general caveats 9 1.5. ] Scope and coverage of this report 10 I 2. Information acquisition, source data automation, and remote data collection 10 2.1. Basic operations and requirements 10 i 2.2. Source data automation 12 I 2.3. Measurements automation and feedback control 13 , ! 2.4. Remote sensing and data collection techniques 14 I t 3. Communication systems and data transmission links 16 3.1. Communication links, services, and systems 16 ! 3.1.1. Voice and digital data transmission 16 3.1.2. Graphic and facsimile transmission 17 J 3.2. Computer systems and communication networks 18 3.3. Store and forward techniques and delayed response 19 3.4. Technical problem areas 19 4. Audio and graphic inputs 21 |j 4.1. signal inputs 21 I Audio ' 4.2. Graphic inputs 22 ' 4.2.1. .\lphanumeric inputs 22 4.2.2. Special symbol and diagramatic inputs 23 j 4.2.3. Graphic inputs and on-Une drafting 24 j 4.2.4. Pictorial and three-dimensional data input 26 i 5. Preprocessing operations and pattern recognition j 27 j 5.1. Preprocessing operations: Image and information enhancement 27 \ 5.2. Property filtering and feature extraction 29 5.3. Optical character recognition 31 5.3.1. Midtifont character reading 31 5.3.2. Performance requirements and quality control 33 5.4. I Recognition of handprinted characters, handwriting, geometric shapes, and line draw- ings 33 j < 5.4.1. Constrained handprinting 34 5.4.2. Handwritten characters and handwriting 35 5.4.3. Shapes and drawings 38 5.5. Speech and speaker recognition 38 5.6. Other pattern identification and recognition areas 42 5.7. Some theoretical approaches to pattern recognition and categorization 43 6. Conclusions 50 ' Appendix A. Background notes on research and development requirements in