Methods and apparatus for evolving a starter set of handwriting prototypes into a user-specific set
First Claim
1. A method of generating a User-specific set of prototype symbols for use in a symbol recognition system, comprising the steps of:
- (a) inputting an instance of a symbol to be recognized, the symbol having an identifying label;
(b) comprising characteristics of the inputted symbol to members of a set comprised of Starter prototype symbols each having an associated identifying label;
if the characteristics of the inputted symbol match characteristics associated with one or more Starter prototype symbols, to within a predetermined threshold,(c) combining the characteristics of the inputted symbol with the characteristics of a best matching one of the Starter prototype symbols that has a same identifying label as the identifying label of the inputted symbol, the step of combining operating to form a User prototype symbol having a same identifying label as the identifying label of the inputted symbol;
(d) storing the User prototype symbol for subsequent use; and
(e) deleting those Starter prototype symbols having the same identifying label as the User prototype symbol;
otherwise, if the characteristics of the inputted symbol do not match characteristics associated with the one or more predetermined Starter prototype symbols, to within the predetermined threshold,(f) storing the inputted symbol as a User prototype symbol for subsequent use, the stored User prototype symbol having the same identifying label as the inputted symbol; and
(g) deleting those Starter prototype symbols having the same identifying label as the User prototype symbol.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method for use in a handwriting recognition system, and apparatus for accomplishing the method, that generates a User set of prototype symbols. The method includes the steps of (a) inputting one or more strokes for representing a predetermined symbol; and (b) comparing characteristics of the inputted strokes to stroke characteristics associated with one or more predetermined Starter prototype symbols. If the stroke characteristics match to within a predetermined threshold, the method further includes a step of (c) averaging the characteristics of the inputted stroke or strokes with the characteristics of a corresponding one or ones of the strokes of the matching one of the Starter prototype symbols to form a User prototype symbol. Further steps include (d) storing the User prototype symbol for subsequent use; and (e) deleting one or more Starter prototype symbols of the same label as the input symbol. If the stroke characteristics do not match, the method further includes the steps of (f) storing the characteristics of the one or more inputted strokes as the User prototype symbol for subsequent use; and (g) deleting the one or more Starter prototype symbols. A counter is maintained and deletes the Starter set only after a predetermined number of instances of the symbol have been entered by the user.
97 Citations
25 Claims
-
1. A method of generating a User-specific set of prototype symbols for use in a symbol recognition system, comprising the steps of:
-
(a) inputting an instance of a symbol to be recognized, the symbol having an identifying label; (b) comprising characteristics of the inputted symbol to members of a set comprised of Starter prototype symbols each having an associated identifying label;
if the characteristics of the inputted symbol match characteristics associated with one or more Starter prototype symbols, to within a predetermined threshold,(c) combining the characteristics of the inputted symbol with the characteristics of a best matching one of the Starter prototype symbols that has a same identifying label as the identifying label of the inputted symbol, the step of combining operating to form a User prototype symbol having a same identifying label as the identifying label of the inputted symbol; (d) storing the User prototype symbol for subsequent use; and (e) deleting those Starter prototype symbols having the same identifying label as the User prototype symbol;
otherwise, if the characteristics of the inputted symbol do not match characteristics associated with the one or more predetermined Starter prototype symbols, to within the predetermined threshold,(f) storing the inputted symbol as a User prototype symbol for subsequent use, the stored User prototype symbol having the same identifying label as the inputted symbol; and (g) deleting those Starter prototype symbols having the same identifying label as the User prototype symbol. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
-
-
7. Apparatus for generating a User-specific set of prototype symbols for use in a symbol recognition system, comprising:
-
means for inputting an instance of a symbol to be recognized, the symbol having an identifying label; means for comparing characteristics of the inputted symbol to a set of prototype symbols comprised of Starter prototype symbols, each of the Starter prototype symbols having an associated identifying label; combining means, responsive to a condition wherein the characteristics of the inputted symbol match characteristics associated with one or more Starter prototype symbols, to within a predetermined threshold, for combining the characteristics of the inputted symbol with the characteristics of a best matching one of the Starter prototype symbols that has a same identifying label as the identifying label of the inputted symbol, said combining means operating to form a User prototype symbol having the same identifying label as the identifying label of the inputted symbol; means, responsive to said combining means forming a User prototype symbol, for storing the formed User prototype symbol within the set of prototype symbols for subsequent use; said storing means being further responsive to a condition wherein said combining means does not form A User prototype symbol because the characteristics of the inputted symbol do not match characteristics associated with the one or more predetermined Starter prototype symbols, to within the predetermined threshold, for instead storing the inputted symbol within the set of prototype symbols as a User prototype symbol for subsequent use, wherein a stored User prototype symbol has a same identifying label as the inputted symbol; and means for deleting from the set of prototype symbols those Starter prototype symbols having the same identifying label as the User prototype symbol. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
-
-
14. A method of generating a User-specific set of handwriting prototype symbols for use in a handwriting recognition system, comprising the steps of:
-
establishing a prototype set S having as elements a plurality of predetermined Starter prototype symbols, each Starter prototype symbol having an associated identifying label; inputting instances of training symbols T, each training symbol T having an associated identifying label; for each instance of T, performing the steps of, matching the instance of T to the elements of S to obtain a Match List comprised of prototype symbols and corresponding scores, each score being indicative of a difference between the instance of T and the corresponding prototype symbol; reducing the Match List to form a Reduced Match List in accordance with one or more criteria, wherein the Reduced Match List is comprised of from zero to a plurality of prototype symbols, each prototype symbol having a corresponding prototype symbol in the prototype set S; processing the Reduced Match List to generate a User prototype symbol for inclusion within the prototype set S, the User prototype symbol having an associated identifying label; and removing from the prototype set S any Starter prototype symbols having a same label as the label of the instance of T. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
-
Specification