Apparatus and method for input-processing hand-written data

• US 5,828,783 A
• Filed: 10/21/1997
• Issued: 10/27/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Ishigaki, Kazushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Bourdreau, Leo H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tadayon, Bijan
• Application Number:
  US08/955,374
• Time in Patent Office: 371 Days
• Field of Search: 382/168, 382/161, 382/171, 382/173, 382/176, 382/180, 382/181, 382/182, 382/183, 382/184, 382/185, 382/186, 382/187, 382/188, 382/189, 382/190, 382/191, 382/192, 382/193, 382/194, 382/195, 382/201, 382/203, 382/209, 382/217, 382/224, 382/225, 382/226, 382/229, 382/230, 382/231, 382/232, 382/305, 382/317, 382/321, 382/197, 382/202, 283/902, 340/825.34, 345/145, 364/920.7
• US Class Current: 382/186
• 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 30/387 using human interaction, e.g. selection of the best displayed recognition candidate

Abstract

In a system for input-processing hand-written data, the pattern of a hand-written character is not entirely registered during the registration of a symbol input but, instead, a combination of a recognizable character and an input element is registered. During hand-written input, a particular identification stroke that can be easily identified is added to the recognizable character. The particular identification stroke is picked up by a stroke detection unit from the pattern of the input hand-written character, this stroke is deleted by a stroke deletion unit, and the resulting pattern of the character is subjected to the confirmation processing by a hand-written character confirmation unit, and an input element that has been registered in relation to the confirmed character code is output.

Claims

1. An apparatus for input-processing hand-written data in a computer system, said apparatus comprising:

hand-written character input means for inputting the hand-written data, said hand-written data comprising a hand-written character and a stroke pattern;

stroke detection means for detecting a predetermined particular stroke pattern indicating that a handwritten character combined therewith is a character for conversion, the combination thereof being provided by said hand-written character input means;

stroke deletion means for separating and deleting said predetermined particular stroke pattern from said hand-written character when notified by said stroke detection means that said predetermined particular stroke pattern is detected;

hand-written character recognition means for recognizing as a character code said hand-written character provided by said hand-written character input means when said predetermined particular stroke pattern is not detected and provided by said stroke deletion means when said predetermined particular stroke pattern is detected;

character designation means for designating a character recognizable by said hand-written character recognition means;

input element designation means for designating an input element comprising at least one of a plurality of characters words and figures to be converted from said character code designated by said character designation means;

registration means for registering a pair of said character code designated by said character designation means and the corresponding input element designated by said input element designation means;

storage means for storing said pair of a character code and an input element registered by said registration means; and

retrieval means, if the detection of said predetermined particular stroke pattern is notified by said stroke detection means, for retrieving said character code recognized by said hand-written character recognition means and stored by said storage means, and outputting said corresponding input element instead of said recognized character code, and if not notified, for outputting the recognized character code.

2. An apparatus for input-processing hand-written data according to claim 1, wherein

when the pattern of the input hand-written character comprises at least two strokes and further one of a first stroke and a last stroke of the at least two strokes of the pattern comprises a predetermined particular shape, said stroke detection means detects said one of the first stroke and the last stroke as the predetermined particular stroke pattern.

3. An apparatus for input-processing hand-written data according to claim 1, wherein if said hand-written character recognition means does not recognize the hand-written character from the pattern of the hand-written character from which the particular stroke is detected by said stroke detection means and from which the predetermined particular stroke is deleted by said stroke deletion means, recognition processing is repeated for the hand-written character from which the particular stroke is not deleted.

4. An apparatus for input-processing data according to claim 1, wherein:

said stroke detection means detects a plurality of kinds of strokes;

said registration means registers a different input element for every kind of stroke detected for a recognizable character; and

said retrieval means retrieves and outputs an input element that is registered depending upon a recognized character code and upon the kind of the detected stroke.

5. An apparatus for input-processing hand-written data according to claim 1,

wherein said hand-written character recognition means nominates a plurality of character codes corresponding to input elements as candidates as a result of recognizing the pattern of the hand-written character from which the predetermined particular stroke is detected by said stroke detection means and from which said predetermined particular stroke is deleted by said stroke deletion means, and

said retrieval means for detecting a presence of input elements registered in relation to the plurality of character codes in an order of decreasing probability starting from a character code most probable among the plurality of character codes based on a group of candidate characters, and outputs the input element and a corresponding character code when the input element has been registered.

6. An apparatus for input-processing hand-written data according to claim 1, wherein said hand-written character recognition means comprises a recognition dictionary recognizing the hand-written character.

7. An apparatus for input-processing hand-written data according to claim 1, wherein said registration means comprises character designation means for designating a character to be registered, and

storage means for storing a combination of the designated character and the input element, wherein said input element designation means designates the input element to be registered in relation to a designated character.

8. A method for input-processing hand-written data in a computer system, comprising the steps of:

a hand-written character input step for inputting the hand-written data, said hand-written data comprising a hand-written character and a stroke;

a stroke detection step for detecting a predetermined particular stroke pattern indicating that a hand-written character combined therewith is a character for conversion;

a stroke deletion step for separating and deleting said predetermined particular stroke pattern from said hand-written character when said predetermined particular stroke pattern is detected;

a hand-written character recognition step for recognizing as a character code the hand-written character from said hand-written character input step when said predetermined particular stroke pattern is not detected, and from said stroke deletion step when said predetermined particular stroke pattern is detected;

a character designation step for designating a character code recognizable in said hand-written character recognition step;

an input element designation step for designating an input element comprising at least one of a plurality of characters, words, and figures to be converted from said character code designated in said character designation step;

a registration step for registering a pair of a character code designated in said character designation step and the corresponding input element designated in said input element designation step;

a storage step for storing said pair of a character code and an input element; and

a retrieval step, if said predetermined particular stroke pattern is detected, for retrieving said character code recognized in said hand-written character recognition step and stored in said storage step, and outputting said corresponding input element instead of said recognized character code, and if not detected, for outputting said recognized character code.

9. A method for input-processing hand-written data according to claim 8, wherein said stroke detection step comprises the steps of:

storing the pattern of the hand-written character in a buffer memory;

initializing a status flag into a state of "no retrieval";

checking a number of strokes of the pattern of the hand-written character; and

checking shapes of a first stroke and a last stroke of the hand-written character.

10. A method for input-processing hand-written data according to claim 9, wherein said stroke deletion step comprises the steps of:

deleting the first stroke from the pattern of the hand-written character if the first stroke is recognized as the predetermined particular stroke;

deleting the last stroke from the pattern of the hand-written character if the last stroke is recognized as the predetermined particular stroke; and

setting the status flag into a state of "there is a retrieval".

11. A method for input-processing hand-written data according to claim 10, wherein said retrieval step comprises the steps of:

storing a recognized character code in a buffer memory;

checking whether the status flag is set to "there is a retrieval";

retrieving from storage means with said character code and checking a character code to determine whether the input element corresponding to the character code is registered, if the status flag is set to "there is a retrieval";

, outputting the input element that has been registered together with said character code as a result of recognition, if the input element is registered; and

outputting said character code in the buffer memory as a result of recognition, if one of the input element is not registered and the status flag is set to "no retrieval".