Systems and methods for handwriting to a screen

• US 20060071910A1
• Filed: 09/30/2004
• Published: 04/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Kim, Jane T., Smith, J. Brian, Wang, Simin, Cupala, Shiraz J., Sommer, Peter D., Eason, Natalie M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,692,636 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

Systems and methods are described that enable handwriting into a data-entry field on a screen without independently selecting that data-entry field. These systems and methods can also provide a handwriting guide geographically associated with a data-entry field into which a user is intending to write that permits substantially all of a computing device'"'"'s screen to be viewed.

Claims

1. One or more computer-readable media embodying computer-readable instructions which, when executed, perform acts comprising:

receiving handwriting made to a screen; and

selecting, responsive to the handwriting received, a data-entry field that is viewable on the screen.

2. The media of claim 1, wherein the act of selecting comprises selecting the data-entry field responsive to a first stroke of the handwriting received.

3. The media of claim 1, wherein the act of selecting comprises selecting the data-entry field based on a geographic relation between where on the screen the handwriting is made and where on the screen the data-entry field is viewable.

4. The media of claim 1, wherein the act of selecting comprises selecting the data-entry field if the handwriting received intersects an area on the screen occupied by the data-entry field.

5. The media of claim 1, wherein the act of selecting comprises:

determining a bounding rectangle for the handwriting received;

determining intersecting areas of the bounding rectangle and areas occupied by data-entry fields viewable on the screen; and

selecting the data-entry field having a largest intersecting area.

6. The media of claim 1, wherein the screen comprises a tablet screen and the act of receiving comprises receiving handwriting made over the tablet screen.

7. The media of claim 1, wherein the act of receiving comprises receiving handwriting made over a non-screen surface for presentation on the screen.

8. The media of claim 1, further comprising entering text converted from the handwriting received into the data-entry field.

9. The media of claim 1, further comprising indicating that the data-entry field is selected.

10. The media of claim 1, further comprising presenting a handwriting guide in geographical association with the data-entry field.

11. The media of claim 10, wherein the handwriting guide is capable of receiving additional handwriting made to the screen and guiding an angle and size of the additional handwriting while leaving features of the screen generally unobscured.

12. A method comprising:

receiving handwriting made to a screen showing two or more data-entry fields; and

entering text converted from the received handwriting into one of the data-entry fields without independently receiving a non-writing-based selection of that data-entry field.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the act of receiving comprises receiving handwriting made over the screen with a stylus.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising determining the data-entry field into which to enter the converted text using a bounding-type algorithm.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the act of determining comprises determining a geographic relation between a first stroke or character of the received handwriting and the data-entry field.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising presenting a handwriting guide in geographical association with the received handwriting.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the handwriting guide both guides a user'"'"'s handwriting and permits features that lie underneath the guide to be viewed by the user.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the handwriting guide is capable of receiving additional handwriting made to the screen and guiding an angle and size of the additional handwriting while leaving features of the screen generally unobscured, and wherein the act of entering text comprises entering text converted from the additional handwriting into the data-entry field.

19. A system comprising means for performing the method recited in claim 12.

20. One or more computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions for performing the method recited in claim 12.

21. A computing device having a screen, computer-readable media, and a processor capable of executing the computer-readable media, that is capable of:

presenting one or more data-entry fields on the screen;

receiving handwriting made to the screen;

selecting, without user interaction independent of the handwriting received, a data-entry field based on a location on the screen of the handwriting received and the data-entry field; and

entering text converted from the handwriting into the selected data-entry field.

22. The device of claim 21 embodied as a hand-held computer.

23. The device of claim 21, wherein the screen comprises a tablet screen capable of receiving handwriting made over the tablet screen.

24. The device of claim 21, further capable of presenting a handwriting guide on the screen in geographical association with the selected data-entry field.

25. The device of claim 24, wherein the handwriting guide is capable of receiving additional handwriting made to the screen and guiding a size and angle of the additional handwriting while leaving features of the screen substantially unobscured.

26. A computer-readable medium embodying software code that implements a graphical user interface that enables receipt of handwriting to a screen and provides a handwriting guide geographically associated with a data-entry field, wherein the handwriting guide is capable of guiding a user'"'"'s handwriting while permitting features that lie underneath the handwriting guide to be viewed.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 26, wherein the software code implements a handwriting guide that is capable of guiding an angle and size of the user'"'"'s handwriting.

28. A system embodying the computer-readable medium of claim 26.

29. A method comprising:

receiving information indicating a location on a screen; and

presenting, responsive to the information, a handwriting guide in geographic association to the location, wherein the handwriting guide is capable of receiving handwriting made to the screen and guiding the handwriting while leaving features of the screen substantially unobscured.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the act of receiving comprises receiving the location for a data-entry field on the screen and the act of presenting comprises presenting the handwriting guide in geographic association to the data-entry field.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the act of presenting comprises superimposing the handwriting guide over the data-entry field.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein the act of receiving comprises receiving the location for handwriting on the screen and the act of presenting comprises presenting the handwriting guide over at least some of the handwriting.

33. The method of claim 29, wherein the act of presenting comprises presenting a substantially translucent handwriting guide.

34. The method of claim 29, wherein the act of presenting comprises presenting a shaded handwriting guide that permits the features that are under the shaded handwriting guide to be viewed.

35. The method of claim 29, wherein the act of presenting comprises presenting the handwriting guide having a lined border, the handwriting guide permitting the features that are within the lined border to be viewed.

36. The method of claim 29, further comprising entering text converted from received handwriting into a data-entry field.

37. The method of claim 29, further comprising expanding the handwriting guide responsive to received handwriting.

38. The method of claim 29, wherein the information indicating the location on the screen is generated by acts comprising:

receiving handwriting made to the screen; and

determining the location of the handwriting made to the screen.

39. A system comprising means for performing the method recited in claim 29.

40. One or more computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions for performing the method recited in claim 29.

41. A method comprising:

receiving handwriting made over a tablet screen;

selecting, responsive to the handwriting received, a data-entry field that is viewable on the tablet screen;

presenting a handwriting guide in geographical association with the data-entry field, the handwriting guide capable of receiving additional handwriting made over the handwriting guide and guiding the additional handwriting while leaving substantially all features of the tablet screen unobscured;

receiving additional handwriting; and

entering text converted from the received handwriting and the received additional handwriting into the data-entry field.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein the act of presenting comprises presenting a handwriting guide that is capable of guiding an angle and size of the additional handwriting.

43. A system comprising means for performing the method recited in claim 41.

44. One or more computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions for performing the method recited in claim 41.

45. A method comprising:

displaying, on a computing device, data-entry fields into which a user can write;

geometrically bounding at least a portion of the user'"'"'s writing to provide a bounded writing area; and

comparing the bounded writing area with data-entry field geometries and, based upon one or more geometric relationships therebetween, selecting at least one data-entry field as a field intended to be written into by the user.