Method of and device for identifying direction of characters in image block

The invention discloses a method of and a device for identifying direction of characters in image block. The method includes: performing optical character recognition processing on the image block by assuming various directions as assumed character directions to obtain sub image blocks, recognized characters and correctness measures in each assumed direction; in sub image blocks in the assumed directions with a 180° mutual relation, searching for a minimum matching pair; when there is one sub image block in each assumed direction in a minimum matching pair and recognized characters belonging to the minimum matching pair are the same rotation invariant character or belong to the same rotation invariant character pair, adjusting their correctness measures to the same; calculating an accumulative correctness measure in each assumed direction based on the adjusted results; and identifying the direction of the characters in the image block according to the accumulative correctness measures.