Coding of Chinese characters for input into computers or teletype machines

摘要

The attempt to produce Chinese characters in the form of a numerical code has already frequently been made. In all such attempts, complicated systems were developed or a thorough knowledge of the written Chinese language proved to be an indispensible prerequisite. According to the invention, the characters are coded in numeric representation in that a different one of a number of digits is allocated to the possible different lines or optional line combinations in characters and the order of the digits corresponds to the relative graphic positions of the lines, the most highly placed being used first, then the next highly placed and so forth, and in the case of lines at the same level, the order first runs from left to right. Optionally, the total number of digit positions in the code is limited for more complicated characters in that the lines not characteristic or not necessary for distinguishing the character from other characters are left out of consideration. Such a method is relatively simple and can also be understood by a person who has only a limited knowledge of the written Chinese language. In addition, the method according to the invention can be used for entering Chinese characters, for example into a computer, a telex or a teletype system and for creating a character dictionary.