Information processing apparatus and control method thereof having user character recognition

• US 5,644,653 A
• Filed: 04/26/1994
• Issued: 07/01/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Tatsumi, Eisaku, Suzuki, Noriyuki, Nagasaki, Katsuhiko, Sunakawa, Shinichi, Shimada, Kazutoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Couso, Jose L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bella, Matthew C.
• Application Number:
  US08/233,888
• Time in Patent Office: 1,162 Days
• Field of Search: 382/13, 382/3, 382/59, 382/119, 382/120, 382/121, 382/186, 382/187, 382/188, 382/312, 364/709.11
• US Class Current: 382/187
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/28 Determining representative reference patterns, e.g. by averaging or distorting; Generating dictionaries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1614 Image rotation following screen orientation, e.g. switching from landscape to portrait mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1632 Pen holder integrated in the computer
• 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 30/1914 Determining representative reference patterns, e.g. averaging or distorting patterns; Generating dictionaries, e.g. user dictionaries
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/373 using a special pattern or subpattern alphabet

Abstract

A hand-held computer with an input pen capable of handwriting recognition. Characters are inputted by a user'"'"'s manual operation with the input pen on a transparent coordinate input plate in front of a display screen. The computer discriminates pen-input characteristic of the user, and selects a character-recognition dictionary based on the discrimination result.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus which performs handwriting recognition comprising:

detection means for detecting a position at which a palm of a user is rested;

discrimination means for discriminating whether a user who performs handwriting input is right-handed or left-handed on the basis of the position of the palm detected by said detection means;

selection means for selecting one of a plurality of dictionaries for character recognition, based on a discrimination result from said discrimination means; and

character recognition control means for controlling predetermined character recognition which refers to the dictionary selected by said selection means.

2. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a hand-held computer with an input pen.

3. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein if said discrimination means detects that the user is right-handed, said selection means selects a character recognition dictionary for right-handed input, while if said discrimination means detects that the user if left-handed, said selection means selects a character recognition dictionary for left-handed input.

4. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said discrimination means discriminates a user based on writing pressure.

5. The electronic apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising memory means for storing a relation between the writing pressure and a character recognition dictionary for the user, wherein said selection means refers to a dictionary corresponding to the writing pressure discriminated by said discrimination means.

6. A control method for an electronic apparatus which performs handwriting recognition, comprising the steps of:

detecting a position at which a palm of a user is rested;

discriminating whether a user who performs handwriting input is right-handed or left-handed on the basis of the detected position of the palm;

selecting one of a plurality of dictionaries for character recognition, based on the discrimination result; and

controlling predetermined character recognition which refers to the dictionary selected.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the electronic apparatus is a hand-held computer with an input pen.

8. The method according to claim 6, further comprising the steps of selecting a character recognition dictionary for right-handed input if it is detected that the user is right-handed, and selecting a character recognition dictionary for left-handed input if it is detected that the user is left-handed.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein in the discrimination step, a writing pressure is detected.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the electronic apparatus further comprises a memory for storing a relation between the writing pressure and the character recognition dictionary for the user, and wherein in the selection step, a dictionary corresponding to the detected writing pressure is referred to.