System, Method, and Apparatus for Continuous Character Recognition

• US 20080260252A1
• Filed: 09/01/2004
• Published: 10/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: MADHVANATH, Sriganesh, BORGAONKAR, Shekhar Ramachandra, PANDIT, Prashanth
• Granted Patent: US 7,764,837 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/189
• 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 30/36 Matching; Classification

Abstract

A technique for continuously recognizing a character entry into a computer. In one example embodiment, this is achieved by drawing a character in a continuous stroke order using a stylus [210] on touch screen [220]. As associated data of the drawn continuous stroke order is then inputted into a continuous character recognizer [930] via the touch screen [220]. One or more hypothesis candidate characters including the continuous stroke order are then produced by the continuous character recognizer [930] upon a partial recognition. The produced one or more hypothesis candidate characters are then displayed substantially over the drawn continuous stroke order on a display device [230].

Claims

1. A method for continuous recognition of a character entry into a computer comprising:

drawing a desired character in a continuous stroke order using a stylus on a touch screen;

inputting an associated data of the continuous stroke order, as the continuous stroke order continues, into a continuous character recognizer via the touch screen;

producing one or more hypothesis candidate characters including the associated data of the continuous stroke order by the continuous character recognizer upon a partial recognition of the associated data; and

displaying the produced one or more hypothesis candidate characters substantially over the drawn continuous stroke order on a display device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

dynamically reducing the produced one or more hypothesis candidate characters as the continuous stroke order further continues over one of the displayed one or more hypothesis candidate characters; and

dynamically updating the displayed one or more hypothesis candidate characters substantially over the drawn continuous stroke order as a function of the reduced one or more hypothesis candidate characters.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

selecting the desired character upon updating the displayed one or more hypothesis candidate characters to substantially one hypothesis candidate character and performing a stopping gesture using the stylus.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

selecting the desired character upon completing the drawing of the continuous stroke order over one of the displayed one or more hypothesis candidate characters using the stylus;

removing any unselected displayed reduced one or more hypothesis candidate characters from the display; and

displaying the selected desired character on the display device.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

repeating the drawing, inputting, producing, displaying, dynamically reducing, dynamically updating, and selecting steps to select a next desired character.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the one or more hypothesis candidate characters comprises:

displaying the drawn continuous stroke order in a first contrasting color along with the one or more hypothesis candidate characters in a second contrasting color substantially over and around the drawn continuous stroke order.

7. An article comprising:

a storage medium having instructions that, when executed by a computing platform, result in execution of a method comprising;

drawing a desired character in a continuous stroke order using a stylus on a touch screen;

inputting an associated data of the continuous stroke order, as the continuous stroke order continues, into a continuous character recognizer via the touch screen;

producing one or more hypothesis candidate characters including the associated data of the continuous stroke order by the continuous character recognizer upon a partial recognition of the associated data; and

displaying the produced one or more hypothesis candidate characters substantially over the drawn continuous stroke order on a display device.

8. The article of claim 7, further comprising:

selecting the desired character upon updating the displayed one or more hypothesis candidate characters to substantially one hypothesis candidate character and performing a stopping gesture using the stylus.

9. The article of claim 7, further comprising:

dynamically reducing the produced one or more hypothesis candidate characters as the continuous stroke order further continues over one of the displayed one or more hypothesis candidate characters; and

dynamically updating the displayed one or more hypothesis candidate characters substantially over the drawn continuous stroke order as a function of the reduced one or more hypothesis candidate characters.

10. The article of claim 9, further comprising:

selecting the desired character upon completing the drawing of the continuous stroke order of the desired character over the reduced one or more of the produced hypothesis candidate characters and performing a stopping gesture;

removing any unselected displayed reduced one or more hypothesis candidate characters from the display; and

displaying the selected desired character on the display device.

11. The article of claim 10, further comprising:

repeating the drawing, inputting, producing, displaying, dynamically reducing, dynamically updating, and selecting steps to select a next desired character.

12. The article of claim 10, wherein displaying the one or more hypothesis candidate characters comprises:

displaying the drawn continuous stroke order in a first contrasting color along with the one or more hypothesis candidate characters in a second contrasting color substantially over and around the drawn continuous stroke order.

13. An apparatus for continuous character entry recognition comprising:

a touch screen [220] and a pen [210] for drawing a desired character in a continuous stroke order;

a continuous character recognizer [930] coupled to the touch screen [220] that is responsive to the drawn continuous stroke order of the desired character, wherein the continuous character recognizer [930] generates one or more potential list of characters including the continuous stroke order of the desired character upon a substantially partial recognition of the continuous stroke order; and

a display device [230] coupled to the continuous character recognizer [930] to display the generated one or more potential list of characters in a light contrasting color, wherein the continuous character recognizer [930] to continuously reduce the generated one or more potential list of characters as the drawing of the desired character continuous over the one of the generated one or more potential list of characters, and wherein the display device [230] to continuously update the displayed generated one or more potential list of characters as a function of the reduced potential list of candidate characters by the continuous character recognizer [930] until the drawing of the desired character is completed.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the continuous character recognizer [930] to remove the reduced one or more generated potential list of candidate characters from the display upon completion of the drawing of the desired character in the continuous stroke order and entering a selection gesture using the touch screen [220] the pen [210] to select the desired character, and wherein the display device [230] to display the selected desired character.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the display device [230] displays the generated one or more potential list of characters in the light contrasting color substantially over the entered continuous stroke order of the desired character, and wherein the entered continuous stroke order is displayed in a dark contrasting color.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the display device [230] is a device selected from the group comprising computer monitor, TV screen, plasma display, LCD, display on an electronic tablet.

17. A computer system [900] for continuous recognition of a character entry into a computer comprising:

a network interface [912];

an input module coupled to the network interface [912] that receives the input data stream via the network interface [912];

a processing unit [902];

a memory [904] coupled to the processing unit [902];

a user input device [916] for drawing a desired character in a continuous stroke order;

a continuous character recognizer [930] coupled to the touch screen [220] that is responsive to the drawn continuous stroke order of the desired character, wherein the continuous character recognizer [930] generates one or more potential list of characters including the continuous stroke order of the desired character upon a substantially partial recognition; and

an output device [918] coupled to the continuous character recognizer [930] to display the generated one or more hypothesis candidate characters in a light contrasting color, wherein the continuous character recognizer [930] to continuously reduce the generated one or more hypothesis candidate characters as the drawing of the desired character continuous over the one of the generated one or more hypothesis candidate characters, and wherein the output device [918] to continuously update the displayed generated one or more hypothesis candidate characters as a function of the reduced hypothesis candidate characters by the continuous character recognizer [930] until the drawing of desired character is completed.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the continuous character recognizer [930] to remove the reduced one or more generated potential list of candidate characters from the display upon completion of the drawing of the desired character in the continuous stroke order and entering a selection gesture by the pen [210] to select the desired character, and wherein the display device [230] to display the selected desired character.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the output device [918] displays the generated one or more potential list of characters in the light contrasting color substantially overlapping the entered continuous stroke order of the character, and wherein the entered continuous stroke order is displayed in a dark contrasting color.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the output device [918] is a device selected from the group comprising computer monitor, TV screen, plasma display, LCD, display on an electronic tablet.