Character recognition on a computing device

• US 10,241,672 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2018
• Issued: 03/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Howard, Joe, Dixon, Ryan S., Mc Glinn, Joshua, Lochhead, Jonathan, Keighran, Benjamin W., Bachman, William M., Chen, Elbert D., Robbin, Jeffrey L., Folse, Jennifer L. C., Kress, Lynne
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Jr., Kenneth B
• Application Number:
  US16/036,810
• Publication Number:
  US 20190012072A1
• Time in Patent Office: 253 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04101 2.5D-digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface and also measures the distance of the input means within a short range in the Z direction, possibly with a separate measurement setup
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04104 Multi-touch detection in digitiser, i.e. details about the simultaneous detection of a plurality of touching locations, e.g. multiple fingers or pen and finger
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0236 using selection techniques to select from displayed items
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/274 Converting codes to words; Guess-ahead of partial word inputs
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/10 Character recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/32 Digital ink

Abstract

In some embodiments, a device performs character recognition based on spatial and temporal components of touch input detected on a touch-sensitive surface. In some embodiments, a device provides feedback about handwritten input and its recognition by the device. In some embodiments, a device presents a user interface for changing previously-inputted characters.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

one or more processors;

memory; and

one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs are stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for;

generating a user interface for display on a display, wherein the user interface includes a gesture display region and a text entry region;

while the user interface is displayed on the display, receiving an indication of a first input that includes movement of a first contact detected on a touch-sensitive surface;

in response to receiving the indication of the first input;

displaying a representation of the movement of the first contact in the gesture display region; and

determining a first character that corresponds to the movement of the first contact;

while displaying the representation of the movement of the first contact in the gesture display region, detecting an end of the first input; and

in response to detecting the end of the first input;

displaying the first character in the text entry region; and

shifting the gesture display region with respect to the text entry region.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the one or more programs further include instructions for:

after displaying the first character in the text entry region and after shifting the gesture display region with respect to the text entry region;

receiving an indication of a second input that includes movement of a second contact detected on the touch-sensitive surface;

in response to receiving the indication of the second input;

displaying a representation of the movement of the second contact in the gesture display region, wherein the gesture display region is shifted to a location different than a location of the gesture display region of the display of the representation of movement of the first contact.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein detecting the end of the first input comprises detecting liftoff of the first contact.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the gesture display region is visually distinguished from the text entry region.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the one or more programs further include instructions for:

detecting liftoff of the first contact, and

after detecting liftoff of the first contact;

receiving an indication of a second input that includes movement of a second contact detected on the touch-sensitive surface; and

in response to detecting the indication of the second input, determining whether the first input and the second input correspond to a single character based on temporal information about the first stroke and the second stroke.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the one or more programs further include instructions for:

while displaying the character in the text entry region, receiving an indication of a second input that includes movement of a second contact detected on the touch-sensitive surface;

in response to receiving the indication of the second input;

determining a second character that corresponds to the movement of the second contact based on a language model indication a likelihood that the first character will be followed by the second character in a particular language.

7. A method comprising:

at an electronic device with one or more processors and memory, the electronic device in communication with a display and a touch-sensitive surface;

generating a user interface for display on the display, wherein the user interface includes a gesture display region and a text entry region;

while the user interface is displayed on the display, receiving an indication of a first input that includes movement of a first contact detected on the touch-sensitive surface;

in response to receiving the indication of the first input;

displaying a representation of the movement of the first contact in the gesture display region; and

determining a first character that corresponds to the movement of the first contact;

while displaying the representation of the movement of the first contact in the gesture display region, detecting an end of the first input; and

in response to detecting the end of the first input;

displaying the first character in the text entry region; and

shifting the gesture display region with respect to the text entry region.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

after displaying the first character in the text entry region and after shifting the gesture display region with respect to the text entry region;

receiving an indication of a second input that includes movement of a second contact detected on the touch-sensitive surface;

in response to receiving the indication of the second input;

displaying a representation of the movement of the second contact in the gesture display region, wherein the gesture display region is shifted to a location different than a location of the gesture display region of the display of the representation of movement of the first contact.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein detecting the end of the first input comprises detecting liftoff of the first contact.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the gesture display region is visually distinguished from the text entry region.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

detecting liftoff of the first contact, and

after detecting liftoff of the first contact;

receiving an indication of a second input that includes movement of a second contact detected on the touch-sensitive surface; and

in response to detecting the indication of the second input, determining whether the first input and the second input correspond to a single character based on temporal information about the first stroke and the second stroke.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

while displaying the character in the text entry region, receiving an indication of a second input that includes movement of a second contact detected on the touch-sensitive surface;

in response to receiving the indication of the second input;

determining a second character that corresponds to the movement of the second contact based on a language model indication a likelihood that the first character will be followed by the second character in a particular language.

13. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which when executed by an electronic device with one or more processors and memory, the electronic device in communication with a display and a touch-sensitive surface, cause the electronic device to perform a method comprising:

generating a user interface for display on the display, wherein the user interface includes a gesture display region and a text entry region;

while the user interface is displayed on the display, receiving an indication of a first input that includes movement of a first contact detected on the touch-sensitive surface;

in response to receiving the indication of the first input;

displaying a representation of the movement of the first contact in the gesture display region; and

determining a first character that corresponds to the movement of the first contact;

while displaying the representation of the movement of the first contact in the gesture display region, detecting an end of the first input; and

in response to detecting the end of the first input;

displaying the first character in the text entry region; and

shifting the gesture display region with respect to the text entry region.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the method further comprises:

after displaying the first character in the text entry region and after shifting the gesture display region with respect to the text entry region;

receiving an indication of a second input that includes movement of a second contact detected on the touch-sensitive surface;

in response to receiving the indication of the second input;

displaying a representation of the movement of the second contact in the gesture display region, wherein the gesture display region is shifted to a location different than a location of the gesture display region of the display of the representation of movement of the first contact.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein detecting the end of the first input comprises detecting liftoff of the first contact.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the gesture display region is visually distinguished from the text entry region.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the one or more programs further include instructions for:

detecting liftoff of the first contact, and

after detecting liftoff of the first contact;

receiving an indication of a second input that includes movement of a second contact detected on the touch-sensitive surface; and

in response to detecting the indication of the second input, determining whether the first input and the second input correspond to a single character based on temporal information about the first stroke and the second stroke.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the one or more programs further include instructions for:

while displaying the character in the text entry region, receiving an indication of a second input that includes movement of a second contact detected on the touch-sensitive surface;

in response to receiving the indication of the second input;

determining a second character that corresponds to the movement of the second contact based on a language model indication a likelihood that the first character will be followed by the second character in a particular language.