A trainable, single-pass algorithm for column segmentation

Column segmentation logically precedes OCR in the document analysis process. The trainable algorithm XYCUT relies on horizontal and vertical binary profiles to produce an XY-tree representing the column structure of a page of a technical document in a single pass through the bit image. Training against ground truth adjusts a single, resolution independent, parameter using only local information and guided by an edit distance function. The algorithm correctly segments the page image for a (fairly) wide range of parameter values, although small, local and repairable errors may be made, an effect measured by a repair cost function