Method and system for ink data generation, ink data rendering, ink data manipulation and ink data communication

• US 10,191,653 B2
• Filed: 01/12/2018
• Issued: 01/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wacom Co Limited (Wacom)
• Original Assignee: Wacom Co Limited (Wacom)
• Inventors: Angelov, Branimir, Petkov, Plamen
• Primary Examiner(s): McDowell, Jr., Maurice L.
• Application Number:
  US15/870,157
• Publication Number:
  US 20180203599A1
• Time in Patent Office: 382 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0383 Remote input, i.e. interface arrangements in which the signals generated by a pointing device are transmitted to a PC at a remote location, e.g. to a PC in a LAN
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04105 Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04106 Multi-sensing digitiser, i.e. digitiser using at least two different sensing technologies simultaneously or alternatively, e.g. for detecting pen and finger, for saving power or for improving position detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0354 with detection of 2D relative movements between the device, or an operating part thereof, and a plane or surface, e.g. 2D mice, trackballs, pens or pucks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0414 using force sensing means to determine a position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0447 Position sensing using the local deformation of sensor cells
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/101 Collaborative creation, e.g. joint development of products or services
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/203 Drawing of straight lines or curves
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/1423 the instrument generating sequences of position coordinates corresponding to handwriting preprocessing or recognising digital ink G06V30/32
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/347 Sampling; Contour coding; Stroke extraction

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for generating, rendering, manipulating (e.g., slicing), and communicating stroke objects that form ink data. In a method of generating a stroke object, pen event data indicative of pen down, pen movement, and pen up events are sequentially received to generate point objects that collectively form a stroke object. The point objects serve as control points for interpolating curve segments. Further, a start parameter indicative of a start point within a starting curve segment of the curve segments at which display of the stroke object starts, and an end parameter indicative of an end point within an ending curve segment of at which display of the stroke object ends, are generated for the stroke object. When rendering the stroke object, a system limits display of the stroke object to a range bound by the start and end parameters, as opposed to displaying the entire stroke object.

Claims

1. A method of outputting digital ink, the method comprising:

inputting event data including stylus coordinate positions;

generating a set of control points according to a defined curve interpolation algorithm based on the stylus coordinate positions included in the event data; and

outputting the set of control points, a start parameter indicative of a start point of rendering within a starting segment in which the rendering starts, and an end parameter indicative of an end point of rendering within an ending segment in which the rendering ends, wherein the starting segment and the ending segment are part of a plurality of segments formed by the set of control points.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the start parameter indicates an internal division point between two end points of the starting segment and the end parameter indicates an internal division point between two end points of the ending segment.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the outputting includes:

setting an initial value of the start parameter as a value indicative of a start point of the starting segment, and setting an initial value of the end parameter as a value indicative of an end point of the ending segment.

4. The method of claim 3, comprising setting the initial value of the start parameter as 0, and setting the initial value of the end parameter as 1.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the defined curve interpolation algorithm is a local-control algorithm in which a value of i-th control point impacts only a limited number of segments.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the defined curve interpolation algorithm is a Catmull-Rom Curve algorithm or a Bezier Curve algorithm.

7. A method of rendering digital ink including stroke data for reproducing traces of a stylus, the method comprising:

extracting a set of control points that form a plurality of segments according to a defined curve interpolation algorithm;

extracting a start parameter indicative of a start point of rendering within a starting segment in which the rendering starts, and an end parameter indicative of an end point of rendering within an ending segment in which the rendering ends, wherein the starting segment and the ending segment are part of the plurality of segments; and

rendering the set of control points according to the defined curve interpolation algorithm, by limiting the rendering of the starting segment and the ending segment to a range indicated by the start parameter and the end parameter respectively.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the defined curve interpolation algorithm is a Catmull-Rom Curve algorithm or a Bezier Curve algorithm.

9. A digital ink output apparatus comprising:

an input node which, in operation, inputs event data including stylus coordinate positions; and

circuitry which is coupled to the input node and which, in operation;

generates a set of control points according to a defined curve interpolation algorithm based on the stylus coordinate positions included in the event data; and

outputs the set of control points, a start parameter indicative of a start point of rendering within a starting segment in which the rendering starts, and an end parameter indicative of an end point of rendering within an ending segment in which the rendering ends, wherein the starting segment and the ending segment are part of a plurality of segments formed by the set of control points.