Pen tip language and language palette

• US 20040131252A1
• Filed: 01/03/2003
• Published: 07/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Seto, Tetsuo
• Granted Patent: US 7,206,737 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/179
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• 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 30/246 using linguistic properties, e.g. specific for English or German language

Abstract

A method and apparatus for receiving strokes of electronic ink in more than one language is provided. An input device is used to enter at least one stroke of electronic ink into a processing device. The processing device stores a language indication associated with the electronic ink, such that the language indication provides a way to associate a handwriting recognizer with the ink. The user may change the language or recognizer associated with the ink by flipping over a pen and using another tip of the pen or may use another pen or other input device. Aspects of the described system and method accommodate various optional interfaces to associate a pen tip or click of a button to one or more languages. Other aspects of the system and method include language switching of a displayed software keyboard when a pen input device is within a predetermined distance from a display.

Claims

1. A method of associating a language with a pen tip ID, the method comprising:

moving a pen having a pen tip ID to at least near a display; and

when the pen is less than a predetermined distance from the display, ensuring that a current language setting is set according to a language associated with the pen tip ID.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising configuring a recognizer associated with the current language setting for recognizing input from the pen.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying an object on the display, wherein an aspect of the displayed object is displayed in accordance with the language associated with the pen tip ID.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the displayed object is a software keyboard and the aspect of the displayed object is a language of a plurality of characters, each of the characters being associated with one of a plurality of keys of the software keyboard.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the aspect of the displayed object is further in accordance with a software context in which the object was input by the input device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising ensuring that the current language setting continues to be set according to the pen tip ID when the pen is less than the predetermined distance from the display.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the ensuring is performed in an event-driven manner.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the ensuring is performed in a polling manner.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising changing the current language setting when the pen is less than the predetermined distance from the display and the pen tip ID is associated with a language that is different from that of the current language setting.

10. A method of using an input device to enter electronic ink into a processing device, such that the ink may be associated with more than one language, the method comprising:

using the input device to enter the ink into the processing device; and

storing, in the processing device, a language indication associated with the ink.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

providing an indication to the processing device;

using the input device to enter additional ink into the processing device; and

storing, in the processing device, a second language indication associated with the additional ink, the second language indication corresponding to the indication provided in the providing step.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising using a recognizer associated with the language to recognize the ink.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

using a recognizer associated with the language to recognize the ink; and

using a recognizer associated with the second language to recognize the additional ink.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising providing assistance to a user, a type of the assistance being based on a current language for which the processing device is configured.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising providing an indication to a user indicating which one of the languages is set as a current language.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the indication is a visual indication.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the visual indication is indicated by a color of the electronic ink.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the visual indication is indicated by a background color.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the visual indication is indicated by a displayed thickness of entered strokes of the electronic ink.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the indication is an audio indication.

21. The method of claim 11, further comprising selecting the indication to be sent by the input device by using a switch associated with the input device.

22. The method of claim 10, further comprising changing a language associated with the input device by making a gesture with the input device.

23. The method of claim 10, wherein the user input device is an electronic pen and the indication is an electronic ID transmitted from the electronic pen to the processing device.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the electronic pen has a plurality of tips and each of the tips has a corresponding electronic ID associated with a respective language.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the electronic pen transmits the electronic ID to the processing device when the pen is within a predetermined distance of the processing device.

26. The method of claim 10, wherein the input device is a pointing device for inputting the electronic ink, wherein the pointing device includes a switch, such that operation of the switch causes an indication to be sent to the processor to cause future strokes of electronic ink input from the pointing device to be associated with another language.

27. The method of claim 10, further comprising using a user interface to change a mapping of the input device to another language.

28. A machine-readable medium having recorded thereon information for a processor, such that when the information is loaded into the processor, the processor is configured to perform:

moving a pen having a pen tip ID to at least near a display; and

when the pen is less than a predetermined distance from the display, ensuring that a current language setting is set according to a language associated with the pen tip ID.

29. The machine-readable medium of claim 28, wherein the processor is further configured to perform configuring a recognizer associated with the current language setting for recognizing input from the pen.

30. The machine-readable medium of claim 28, wherein the processor is further configured to perform displaying an object on the display, wherein an aspect of the displayed object is displayed in accordance with the language associated with the pen tip ID.

31. The machine-readable medium of claim 30, wherein the displayed object is a software keyboard and the aspect of the displayed object is a language of a plurality of characters, each of the characters being associated with one of a plurality of keys of the software keyboard.

32. The machine-readable medium of claim 30, wherein the aspect of the displayed object is further in accordance with a software context in which the object was input by the input device.

33. The machine-readable medium of claim 28, wherein the processor is further configured to perform ensuring that the current language setting continues to be set according to the pen tip ID when the pen is less than the predetermined distance from the display.

34. The machine-readable medium of claim 33, wherein the ensuring is performed in an event-driven manner.

35. The machine-readable medium of claim 33, wherein the ensuring is performed in a polling manner.

36. The machine-readable medium of claim 28, wherein the processor is further configured to perform changing the current language setting when the pen is less than the predetermined distance from the display and the pen tip ID is associated with a language that is different from that of the current language setting.

37. A machine-readable medium having recorded thereon information for a processor, such that when the information is loaded into the processor, the processor is configured to permit:

using an input device to enter ink into a processing device; and

storing, in the processing device, a language indication associated with the ink.

38. The machine-readable medium of claim 37, wherein the processor is further configured to permit:

providing an indication to the processing device;

using the input device to enter additional ink into the processing device; and

storing, in the processing device, a second language indication associated with the additional ink, the second language indication corresponding to the indication provided in the providing step.

39. The machine-readable medium of claim 37, wherein the processor is further configured to permit using a recognizer associated with the language to recognize the ink.

40. The machine-readable medium of claim 38, wherein the processor is further configured to permit:

using a recognizer associated with the language to recognize the ink; and

using a recognizer associated with the second language to recognize the additional ink.

41. The machine-readable medium of claim 39, wherein the processor is further configured to provide assistance to a user, a type of the assistance being based on a current language for which the processing device is configured.

42. The machine-readable medium of claim 37, wherein the processor is further configured to provide an indication to a user indicating which one of the languages is set as a current language.

43. The machine-readable medium of claim 42, wherein the indication is a visual indication.

44. The machine-readable medium of claim 43, wherein the visual indication is indicated by a color of the electronic ink.

45. The machine-readable medium of claim 43, wherein the visual indication is indicated by a background color.

46. The machine-readable medium of claim 43, wherein the visual indication is indicated by a displayed thickness of entered strokes of the electronic ink.

47. The machine-readable medium of claim 42, wherein the indication is an audio indication.

48. The machine-readable medium of claim 38, wherein the processor is further configured to receive a selected indication from the input device by using a switch associated with the input device, the selected indication being associated with a given language.

49. The machine-readable medium of claim 37, wherein the processor is further configured to change a language associated with the input device when a gesture is made with the input device.

50. The machine-readable medium of claim 38, wherein the user input device is an electronic pen and the indication is an electronic ID transmitted from the electronic pen to the processing device.

51. The machine-readable medium of claim 50, wherein the electronic pen has a plurality of tips and each of the tips has a corresponding electronic ID associated with a respective language.

52. The machine-readable medium of claim 50, wherein the electronic pen transmits the electronic ID to the processing device when the pen is within a predetermined distance of the processing device.

53. The machine-readable medium of claim 37, wherein the input device is a pointing device for inputting the electronic ink, wherein the pointing device includes a switch, such that operation of the switch causes an indication to be sent to the processor, which is further configured to recognize the indication and cause future electronic ink input from the pointing device to be associated with another language.

54. The machine-readable medium of claim 37, wherein the processor is further configured to provide a user interface to change a mapping of an indication from the input device to another language, such that when the indication is next received by the processing device, the indication is associated with a different language.

55. An apparatus for receiving electronic ink, the apparatus comprising:

a display; and

a processing device associated with the display, wherein when a pen having a pen tip ID is moved to less than a predetermined distance from the display, the processing device is configured to ensure that a current language setting is set according to a language associated with the pen tip ID.

56. The apparatus of claim 55, further comprising a recognizer, wherein the recognizer is associated with the current language setting for recognizing input from the pen.

57. The apparatus of claim 55, wherein the processing device is configured such that when an object is displayed on the display, an aspect of the displayed object is displayed in accordance with a language associated with the pen tip ID.

58. The apparatus of claim 57, wherein the displayed object is a software keyboard and the aspect of the displayed object is a language of a plurality of characters, each of the characters being associated with one of a plurality of keys of the software keyboard.

59. The apparatus of claim 57, wherein the aspect of the displayed object is further in accordance with a software context in which the object is input by the pen.

60. The apparatus of claim 55, wherein the processing device is configured to ensure that the current language setting continues to be set according to the pen tip ID when the pen is less than the predetermined distance from the display.

61. The apparatus of claim 60, wherein the apparatus is configured to ensure that the current language setting continues to be set according to the pen tipID in an event-driven manner.

62. The apparatus of claim 60, wherein the apparatus is configured to ensure that the current language setting continues to be set according to the pen tip ID in a polling manner.

63. The apparatus of claim 55, wherein the processing device is configured to change the current language setting when the pen is less than the predetermined distance from the display and the pen tip ID is associated with a language that is different from that of the current language setting.

64. An apparatus for receiving electronic ink, the apparatus comprising:

an input receiver for receiving input into a processing device, the input including the electronic ink; and

a storage device for storing a language indication associated with the ink.

65. The apparatus of claim 64, wherein the processing device is further configured to receive an indication, and the storage device is further for storing a second language indication associated with additional ink, the second language indication corresponding to the received indication.

66. The apparatus of claim 64, further comprising a recognizer associated with a language to recognize the ink, the language corresponding to the language indication.

67. The apparatus of claim 65, further comprising:

a first recognizer for recognizing the stored ink; and

a second recognizer for recognizing the stored additional ink.

68. The apparatus of claim 67, further comprising an assister for providing assistance to a user, wherein a type of assistance provided is based on a current language setting for receiving electronic ink.

69. The apparatus of claim 66, further comprising an assister for providing a user an indication of a current language setting for newly input strokes of electronic ink.

70. The apparatus of claim 69, further comprising a display, wherein the assister provides the indication visually via the display.

71. The apparatus of claim 70, wherein the indication is provided by means of a color of the electronic ink displayed on the display.

72. The apparatus of claim 70, wherein the indication is provided by means of a background color displayed on the display.

73. The apparatus of claim 70, wherein the indication is provided by means of a displayed thickness of entered strokes of the electronic ink.

74. The apparatus of claim 69, wherein the indication is an audio indication.

75. The apparatus of claim 64, further comprising an input device having a switch, wherein operation of the switch causes a change of a configured input language.

76. The apparatus of claim 64, further comprising:

a language palette; and

an electronic pen as an input device, wherein the electronic pen has a tip and the tip has a corresponding electronic ID associated with a respective language, wherein the electronic pen is configured to send the corresponding electronic ID to the input receiver when the tip of the electronic pen is within a predetermined distance of the input receiver, and

the input receiver is configured to pass the electronic ID to the language palette, which is configured to change the configured input language to a language corresponding to the electronic ID as indicated by the language palette.

77. The apparatus of claim 76, wherein the electronic pen has a plurality of tips, each of the respective tips having a corresponding electronic ID associated with a respective language.

78. The apparatus of claim 64, further comprising a pointing device for inputting the electronic ink, wherein the pointing device includes a switch, such that operation of the switch causes an indication to be sent to the input receiver to cause future strokes of electronic ink input from the pointing device to be associated with another language.

79. The apparatus of claim 64, further comprising a configurable language palette for mapping a language indication of a plurality of language indications to a language, the language palette being configurable to map the language indication to one of a plurality of languages via a user interface.