Method and system for data entry of handwritten symbols

• US 5,946,406 A
• Filed: 12/27/1993
• Issued: 08/31/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Bishop, Bryon Dean, Frink, Lloyd
• Primary Examiner(s): Couso, Jose L.
• Application Number:
  US08/173,244
• Time in Patent Office: 2,073 Days
• Field of Search: 382/1, 382/13, 382/57, 178/18-20, 345/179-183
• US Class Current: 382/119
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• 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 30/32 Digital ink

Abstract

A method and system for data entry of handwritten text into a computer program that is not designed to accept handwritten text is provided. In preferred embodiments, the computer program is designed to operate in a windowing environment. A data entry program receives handwritten data, recognizes the data, and sends the recognized data to the computer program. The computer program processes the recognized data as if it had been entered from the keyboard. According to the present invention, the data entry program overlaps the window of the computer program with an invisible window. To the user, it looks as if the computer program is accepting handwritten data directly.

Claims

1. A method in a computer system of detecting by a pen computer program that data entry of handwritten data is directed to a non-pen computer program, the computer system having an electronic tablet and a pen, the method comprising the steps of:

setting a data entry indicator using the non-pen computer program when the non-pen computer program is in a state to receive data;

under control of the pen computer program,

detecting when the pen contacts the electronic tablet;

retrieving the data entry indicator; and

determining the state of the retrieved data entry indicator, whereby when the data entry indicator indicates that the non-pen computer program is in a state to receive data and when the pen contacts the electronic tablet, then the start of data entry directed to the non-pen computer program is detected by the pen computer program.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the non-pen computer program has a window, the window being displayed on the electronic tablet, and the step of detecting detects when the pen contacts the electronic tablet within an area corresponding to the display of the window.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the data entry indicator is a characteristic of a cursor.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the data entry indicator indicates that the non-pen computer program is in a state to receive data when a cursor is set to an I-beam cursor.

5. The method of claim 1, including the steps of:

under control of the pen computer program, determining the position of pen contact with the electronic tablet; and

under control of the non-pen computer program, setting the data entry indicator based on the determined position.

6. A method of detecting by a monitor computer program when a user of a non-pen computer program starts to enter data directed to the non-pen computer program, the non-pen computer program designed to accept input from a primary data entry device and not designed to accept data through a pen device, wherein the non-pen computer program displays a data entry cursor when the non-pen computer program is ready to receive data through the primary data entry device, the method comprising the steps of:

during execution of the monitor computer programs,

detecting the start of data entry through the pen device;

retrieving an indicator of a cursor currently displayed by the non-pen computer program; and

determining whether the retrieved indicator indicates that the non-pen computer program is displaying the data entry cursor whereby the monitor computer program detects that data entry through the pen device is directed to the non-pen computer program.

7. A method in a computer system of detecting by a pen computer program the start of data entry of data directed to a non-pen computer program, wherein the non-pen computer program sets a data entry indicator to indicate that the non-pen computer program is ready to receive data, wherein the non-pen computer program is designed to receive data through a certain data entry device and not through an alternate data entry device, the method comprising the steps of:

under control of the pen computer program,

detecting the start of the data entry through the alternate data entry device;

retrieving the data entry indicator, and

determining whether the non-pen computer program is ready to receive data by checking the retrieved data entry indicator whereby when the start of data entry through the alternate data entry device is detected while the non-pen computer program is ready to receive data then the start of data entry of data directed to the non-pen computer program is detected by the pen computer program.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the data entry indicator is a characteristic of a cursor.

9. A method in a computer system of detecting the start of data entry directed to a non-pen computer program by a pen computer program, the computer system having an electronic tablet and a pen for receiving handwritten data, the non-pen computer program being not adapted for receiving handwritten data, the pen computer program being adapted for receiving handwritten data, for recognizing the handwritten data as symbol codes, and for sending the recognized symbol codes to the non-pen computer program, the method comprising the steps of:

during the execution of the non-pen computer program, displaying a data entry indicator when the non-pen computer program is in a state to receive data entry;

during the execution of the pen computer program,

detecting when the pen contacts the electronic tablet;

retrieving a status of an indicator currently displayed by the non-pen computer program; and

determining whether the retrieved status indicates that the non-pen computer program is displaying the data entry indicator whereby the pen computer program determines that handwritten data is directed to the non-pen computer program.

10. A computer system for detecting the start of handwritten data entry directed to a non-pen computer program, the system comprising:

an electronic pen;

an electronic tablet operatively connected to the electronic pen for receiving handwritten data and for detecting when the electronic pen contacts the electronic tablet; and

a computer comprising a pen computer program, the computer operatively connected to the electronic tablet, the pen computer program adapted for receiving handwritten data from the electronic tablet, for receiving a pen contact indication that the electronic pen contacts the electronic tablet, and for retrieving a data entry indication that the non-pen computer program is in a state to receive data entry, the pen computer program for, in response to receiving the pen contact indication, retrieving the data entry indication and determining whether the retrieved data entry indication indicates that the non-pen computer program is in a state to receive data entry whereby the start of handwritten data directed to the non-pen computer program is detected.

11. A method of detecting when a user of a non-pen computer program starts to enter handwritten data directed to the non-pen computer program, the non-pen computer program designed to accept input from a keyboard and not designed to accept handwritten data, wherein the non-pen computer program displays a data entry cursor when the non-pen computer program is in a data entry mode, the non-pen computer program operating on a computer with an electronic tablet input device, the method comprising the steps of:

under the control of a pen computer program, the pen computer program designed to accept handwritten data,

detecting when a pen down occurs; and

determining if the cursor for the non-pen computer program is the data entry cursor whereby the pen computer program detects that handwritten data following the pen down is directed to the non-pen computer program.

12. The method of claim 11, including the additional step of sending a message from the pen computer program to the non-pen computer program indicating the position of the pen down wherein whereby the non-pen computer program changes the cursor to displays the data entry cursor.

13. A method of inputting handwritten data into a non-pen computer program using a pen computer program, the computer programs executing on a computer system with an electronic tablet and pen, wherein the non-pen computer program sets a data entry indicator when the non-pen computer program is in a state to receive data, the handwritten data comprising symbols, each symbol having a corresponding symbol code of a coding scheme, the method comprising the steps of:

under control of the pen computer program,

detecting when the pen contacts the electronic tablet;

retrieving the data entry indicator;

determining the state of the data entry indicator;

inputting the handwritten data through the electronic tablet if the data entry indicator indicates that the non-pen computer program is in a state to receive data;

identifying symbol codes corresponding to the symbols of the handwritten data; and

sending the identified symbol codes to the non-pen computer program.

14. The method according to claim 13 wherein the non-pen computer program displays a data entry cursor when the non-pen computer program is in the state to receive data and the data entry indicator indicates that the data entry cursor is being displayed.

15. A data processing method for inputting data into a non-pen computer program using a pen computer program, the non-pen computer program designed to process data input as events, the method comprising the steps of:

setting a data entry indicator using the non-pen computer program when the non-pen computer program is in a state to receive data;

under control of the pen computer program,

detecting when the pen contacts the electronic tablet;

retrieving the data entry indicator;

determining the state of the data entry indicator;

inputting a handwritten gesture from a user of the non-pen computer program, the gesture having a function;

recognizing the gesture as a gesture symbol;

converting the gesture symbol to an equivalent event, the equivalent event representing the function of the gesture symbol; and

sending the equivalent event to the non-pen computer program to allow the non-pen computer program to effect the function of the handwritten gesture.

16. The method according to claim 15 wherein the data entry indicator is a characteristic of a data entry cursor displayed by the non-pen computer program.

17. A computer system for inputting handwritten data into a non-pen computer program, the handwritten data comprising symbols, each symbol having a corresponding symbol code of a coding scheme, comprising:

an electronic pen;

an electronic tablet operatively connected to the electronic pen for receiving the handwritten data and for detecting when the electronic pen contacts the electronic tablet; and

a computer with a computer memory that stores the non-pen computer program and a pen computer program, the computer being operatively connected to the electronic tablet, the pen computer program for receiving a pen contact indicator indicating that the electronic pen contacts the electronic tablet, for retrieving a data entry indication that the non-pen computer program is in a state to receive data entry, for receiving the handwritten data from the electronic tablet, for identifying the symbol codes corresponding to the symbols of the handwritten data, and for sending the identified symbol codes to the non-pen computer program as non-handwritten data, whereby the non-pen computer program processes the identified symbol codes as if the identified symbol codes were received by the computer system as non-handwritten data.