PORTABLE TERMINAL USING TOUCH PEN AND HANDWRITING INPUT METHOD USING THE SAME

• US 20140019855A1
• Filed: 07/12/2013
• Published: 01/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Inventors: KIM, Hwa-Kyung, BAE, Joo-Yoon, LEE, Ju-Youn, KIM, Sung-Soo, JUN, Jin-Ha, CHA, Sang-Ok
• Granted Patent: US 9,898,186 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/268
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

An apparatus and method for a portable terminal using a touch pen and a handwriting input method using the same are provided. In the apparatus, upon receipt of a handwriting image in an input field provided by an executed application through the touch pen, the received handwriting image is converted to text, the text is inserted in the input field, and the input field with the text is displayed.

Claims

1. A handwriting input method using a touch pen in a portable terminal, the method comprising:

displaying at least one input field provided by an application by executing the application;

receiving a handwriting image in the at least one input field using the touch pen;

converting the received handwriting image to text; and

inserting the text in the at least one input field and displaying the at least one input field with the text.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving of the handwriting image comprises:

providing a handwriting input layer overlapping the input field; and

receiving the handwriting image in the handwriting input layer.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein, if the application includes a plurality of the input fields, the providing of the handwriting input layer comprises providing a plurality of handwriting input layers corresponding to the plurality of input fields, and

wherein the conversion of the received handwriting image comprises converting a handwriting image received in each of the plurality of handwriting input layers to text.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein, if at least one populated input field of the plurality of input fields includes text, the providing of a plurality of handwriting input layers comprises providing handwriting input layers corresponding to input fields except for the populated input field.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the conversion of the received handwriting image comprises, if a conversion button is selected, converting all of the handwriting images received in the plurality of handwriting input layers to text.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the providing of the handwriting input layer comprises providing an erase button for erasing the handwriting image received in the handwriting input layer, and

erasing at least a part of the received handwriting image, upon selection of the erase button.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying of the input field comprises:

displaying a plurality of time units provided by the application; and

displaying, upon selection of one of the plurality of time units, an input field for inputting contents related to the selected time unit.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein the conversion of the received handwriting image comprises:

converting a handwriting image received in a first handwriting input layer of the plurality of handwriting input layers to a first type with priority, the first type being preset to one of a first language, a second language, numerals, and special symbols; and

converting a handwriting image received in a second handwriting input layer of handwriting input layers to a second type with priority, the second type being preset as one of the first language, the second language, the numerals, and the special symbols, different from the first type.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the conversion of the received handwriting image comprises:

receiving coordinates of points touched in the at least one input field;

storing the coordinates of the points as strokes;

generating a stroke array list using the strokes; and

converting the handwriting image to the text using a pre-stored handwriting library and the stroke array list.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a finger touch on the input field from a user;

providing a keypad for receiving a finger input;

receiving selected text through the keypad; and

inserting the selected text in the input field and displaying the input field with the inserted text.

23. At least one non-transitory processor readable medium for storing a computer program of instructions configured to be readable by at least one processor for instructing the at least one processor to execute a computer process for performing the method as recited in claim 1.

11. A handwriting input method in a portable terminal, the handwriting input method comprising:

displaying at least one input field provided by an application by executing the application;

receiving an input of a user touch on the at least one input field;

determining whether the user touch is a finger touch or a pen touch of a touch pen; and

providing a keypad for receiving a finger input, inserting text received through the keypad in the at least one input field, and displaying the at least one input field with the inserted text, if the user touch is a finger touch, and providing a handwriting input layer overlapping the at least one input field, converting a handwriting image received in the handwriting input layer to text, inserting the text in the at least one input field, and displaying the at least one input field with the text, if the user touch is a pen touch of the touch pen.

12. A portable terminal using a touch pen, the portable terminal comprising:

a touch screen configured to display at least one input field provided by an application by executing the application and to receive a handwriting image in the at least one input field using the touch pen; and

a controller configured to convert the handwriting image received from the touch screen to text, to insert the text in the at least one input field, and to display the at least one input field with the text.

13. The portable terminal of claim 12, wherein the controller provides a handwriting input layer overlapping the at least one input field, for receiving the handwriting image, and converts the handwriting image received in the handwriting input layer to text.

14. The portable terminal of claim 13, wherein, if there are a plurality of the input fields, the controller provides a plurality of handwriting input layers corresponding to the plurality of the input fields, and converts a handwriting image received in each of the plurality of handwriting input layers to text.

15. The portable terminal of claim 14, wherein, if at least one populated input field of the plurality of the input fields includes text, the controller provides handwriting input layers corresponding to the plurality of input fields except for populated input field.

16. The portable terminal of claim 14, wherein, if a conversion button is selected, the controller converts all of the handwriting images received in the plurality of handwriting input layers to text.

17. The portable terminal of claim 13, wherein the controller provides an erase button for erasing the handwriting image received in the handwriting input layer, and upon selection of the erase button, the controller erases at least a part of the received handwriting image.

18. The portable terminal of claim 12, wherein the touch screen displays a plurality of time units provided by the application, and upon selection of one of the plurality of time units, the touch screen displays an input field for inputting contents related to the selected time unit.

19. The portable terminal of claim 14, wherein the controller converts a handwriting image received in a first handwriting input layer among the plurality of handwriting input layers to a first type with priority, the first type being set to one of a first language, a second language, numerals, and special symbols, and converts a handwriting image received in a second handwriting input layer among the plurality of handwriting input layers to a second type with priority, the second type being set to one of the first language, the second language, the numerals, and the special symbols, different from the first type.

20. The portable terminal of claim 12, wherein the controller receives coordinates of points touched in the at least one input field, stores the coordinates of the points as strokes, generates a stroke array list using the strokes, and converts the handwriting image to the text using a handwriting library and the stroke array list.

21. The portable terminal of claim 12, wherein the touch screen receives a finger touch on the input field from a user, and the controller provides a keypad for receiving a finger input, inserts text selected through the keypad in the input field, and displays the input field with the inserted text.

22. A portable terminal using a touch pen, comprising:

a touch screen configured to display at least one input field provided by an application by executing the application and to receive an input of a user touch on the at least one input field; and

a controller configured to determine whether the user touch is a finger touch or a pen touch of the touch pen, if the user touch is a finger touch, to provide a keypad for receiving a finger input, to insert text received through the keypad in the at least one input field, and to display the at least one input field with the inserted text, and if the user touch is a pen touch of the touch pen, to provide a handwriting input layer overlapping the at least one input field, to convert a handwriting image received in the handwriting input layer to text, to insert the text in the at least one input field, and to display the at least one input field with the text.