Globally Optimal Text Line Extraction Based on K-Shortest Paths Algorithm

The task of text line extraction in images is a crucial prerequisite for content-based image understanding applications. In this paper, we propose a novel text line extraction method based on k-shortest paths global optimization in images. Firstly, the candidate connected components are extracted by reformulating it as Maximal Stable Extremal Region (MSER) results in images. Then, the directed graph is built upon the connected component nodes with edges comprising of unary and pairwise cost function. Finally, the text line extraction problem is solved using the k-shortest paths optimization algorithm by taking advantage of the particular structure of the directed graph. Experimental results on public dataset demonstrate the effectiveness of proposed method in comparison with state-of-the-art methods.