Data processing apparatus and method

• US 20040223647A1
• Filed: 05/07/2004
• Published: 11/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Orange S.A.
• Original Assignee: Orange S.A.
• Inventors: Pinkerton, Todd, Blount, Alan
• Granted Patent: US 7,562,314 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/189
• 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

Abstract

A data processing apparatus for inputting data by writing characters on a touch sensitive display screen. The data processing apparatus comprises a character recognition processor operable to generate an estimate of a character hand written by a user on the touch sensitive screen. The data processing apparatus includes a processing unit operable to receive the estimated character, and a graphics display device operable to receive the estimated character from the processing unit. The graphics display device is operable to display the estimated characters within a text input window of the display screen. The processing unit is operable in combination with the graphics display driver to display the estimated character on the display screen, substantially at a position proximate to a location to where the user has written the character. As a result, text data can be input more efficiently because a user is provided with feedback of the recognise character in a position which corresponds to where the character has just been written. The efficiency results at least in part because a user is not required to change his or her focus of attention between the position where the text is written and the position where the estimated character is displayed.

Claims

1. A data processing apparatus for inputting data by hand writing characters on a touch sensitive display screen, the data processing apparatus comprising

a character recognition processor operable to generate an estimate of a character hand written by a user on a handwriting area of the touch sensitive screen,

a processing unit operable to receive the estimated character generated by the character recognition processor, and

a graphics display driver operable to receive the estimated character from the processing unit and to display the estimated character within a text input window, of the display screen, the text input window being displaced from the handwriting area of the display screen, wherein

the processing unit is operable in combination with the graphics display driver to display the estimated character on the display screen, substantially at a position where the character was written in the handwriting area for a predetermined persistence time, the predetermined persistence time being limited.

2. A data processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the predetermined persistence time for which the estimated character is displayed, has an effect that the appearance of the character does not interfere with a rate of writing characters on the touch sensitive screen, but remains for long enough for a human user to detect the displayed character.

3. A data processing apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the predetermined persistence time is substantially in a range of between 0.05 to 0.2 seconds.

4. A data processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the estimated character displayed for the predetermined persistence time in the proximate position to the location where the character has been written by hand, has a size which substantially corresponds with the size of the character as written.

5. A data processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein a plurality of estimated characters are displayed in the position proximate to where the characters have been written, previously written and estimated characters being scrolled with respect to a current character.

6. A personal digital assistant including a data processing apparatus for inputting data by hand writing characters on a touch sensitive display screen, the data processing apparatus comprising

a character recognition processor operable to generate an estimate of a character hand written by a user on a handwriting area of the touch sensitive screen,

a processing unit operable to receive the estimated character generated by the character recognition processor, and

a graphics display driver operable to receive the estimated character from the processing unit and to display the estimated character within a text input window of the display screen, the text input window being displaced from the handwriting area of the display screen, wherein

the processing unit is operable in combination with the graphics display driver to display the estimated character on the display screen, substantially at a position where the character was written in the handwriting area for a predetermined persistence time, the predetermined persistence time being limited.

7. A mobile communications device, including a data processing apparatus for inputting data by hand writing characters on a touch sensitive display screen, the data processing apparatus comprising

a character recognition processor operable to generate an estimate of a character hand written by a user on a handwriting area of the touch sensitive screen,

a processing unit operable to receive the estimated character generated by the character recognition processor, and

a graphics display driver operable to receive the estimated character from the processing unit and to display the estimated character within a text input window of the display screen, the text input window being displaced from the handwriting area of the display screen, wherein

the processing unit is operable in combination with the graphics display driver to display the estimated character on the display screen, substantially at a position where the character was written in the handwriting area for a predetermined persistence time, the predetermined persistence time being limited.

8. A mobile communications device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the device is a mobile radio telephone.

9. A method for inputting data by hand writing characters on a touch sensitive display screen, the method comprising

generating an estimate of a character written by a user on a handwriting area of the touch sensitive screen, and

displaying the estimated character within a text input window of the display screen, the text input window being displaced from the handwriting area of the display screen, wherein the displaying comprises

displaying the estimated character on the display screen substantially where the character was written in the handwriting area for a predetermined persistence time, the predetermined persistence time being limited.

10. A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the predetermined persistence time for which the estimated character is displayed to a user has an effect that the appearance of the character does not interfere with a rate of writing characters on the touch sensitive screen, but remains for long enough for a human user to detect the displayed character.

11. A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the predetermined persistence time is substantially in the range between 0.05 to 0.2 seconds.

12. A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the displaying comprises displaying the estimated character for the predetermined persistence time in the proximate position to where the character has been written with the effect that a size of the estimated character substantially corresponds with the size of the character as written.

13. A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the displaying comprises displaying a plurality of estimated characters in the position proximate to where previous characters have been written, the previously written and estimated characters being scrolled with respect to a current character.

14. A computer program providing computer executable instructions, which when loaded on to a data processor causes the data processor to perform a method for inputting data by hand writing characters on a touch sensitive display screen, the method comprising

generating an estimate of a character written by a user on a handwriting area of the touch sensitive screen, and

displaying the estimated character within a text input window of the display screen, the text input window being displaced from the handwriting area of the display screen, wherein the displaying comprises

displaying the estimated character on the display screen substantially where the character was written in the handwriting area for a predetermined persistence time, the predetermined persistence time being limited.

15. A medium bearing information representing the computer program claimed in claim 14.

16. An apparatus for inputting data by hand writing characters on a touch sensitive display screen, the apparatus comprising

means for generating an estimate of a character written by a user on a handwriting area of the touch sensitive screen, and

means for displaying the estimated character within a text input window of the display screen, the text input window being displaced from the handwriting area of the display screen, wherein the means for displaying comprises

means for displaying the estimated character on the display screen substantially where the character was written in the handwriting area for a predetermined persistence time, the predetermined persistence time being limited.