Handwritten keyboardless entry computer system

• US 6,002,799 A
• Filed: 01/23/1995
• Issued: 12/14/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: AST Research, Inc. (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Sklarew, Ralph
• Primary Examiner(s): Kelley, Christopher S.
• Application Number:
  US08/377,298
• Time in Patent Office: 1,786 Days
• Field of Search: 382/187, 382/188, 382/189, 382/309, 382/311
• US Class Current: 382/189
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 2075/025 two
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/033 Pointing devices displaced or positioned by the user , e.g. mice, trackballs, pens or joysticks; Accessories therefor digitisers characterised by the transducing means G06F3/041
• 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 30/333 Preprocessing; Feature extraction
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/373 using a special pattern or subpattern alphabet
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/065 Combinations of audio and video presentations, e.g. videotapes, videodiscs, television systems

Abstract

A keyboardless entry computer system includes a transparent input screen that generates positional information when contacted by a stylus, and a display screen mounted physically below the input screen such that a character that is displayed can be seen below the input screen. The system includes a computer that has been programmed to compile the positional information into Strokes, to calculate Stroke characteristics, and then compare the Stroke characteristics with those stored in a database in order to recognize the symbol drawn by the stylus. Key features of the system are: (1) transparent position sensing subsystem; (2) underlying display on which to mimic drawing of sensed positions and to show characters or symbols; (3) means to convert sensed positions first into plotted Points and then into recognized characters or symbols; and (4) means to "learn" to associate sensed input positions with a character or symbol.

Claims

1. In a device for recognizing and displaying handwritten symbols, an apparatus, comprising:

a display for electronically displaying predetermined text;

a processor coupled to said display, which causes the display of a window on said display for entering at least two handwritten symbols at arbitrary locations within said window; and

a digitizer, coupled to said display, for digitizing said handwritten symbols, said processor, coupled to said digitizer, for correlating at least one of said digitized handwritten symbols with at least one of a plurality of predetermined font symbols to provide one of said plurality of predetermined font symbols as a designated font symbol correlated with one of said handwritten symbols so that said processor causes said designated font symbol to be displayed near said window in response to receiving said at least one digitized symbol.

2. In a device for processing information which includes a display device, a digitizer, and a device for recognizing digitized symbols, for displaying recognized characters on said display device and for executing commands corresponding to recognized command symbols, a method for inputting symbols to said device comprising:

digitizing a handwritten symbol using said digitizer and providing a digitized symbol to the device for recognizing, said digitizer and said display device positioned one over the other to permit viewing of said display while looking at said digitizer;

displaying, in response to entry of a handwritten command symbol, a window on said display device, said window for entering at least two handwritten symbols at arbitrary locations within said window;

converting at least one of said two handwritten symbols entered in said window to a predetermined font symbol; and

displaying said predetermined font near said window.

3. In a device for processing information which includes a display device, a digitizer, and a device for recognizing digitized symbols, for displaying recognized characters on said display device and for executing commands corresponding to recognized command symbols, a method for permitting a user to input symbols to said device without a keyboard comprising:

digitizing a handwritten symbol using said digitizer and providing a digitized symbol to the device for recognizing, said digitizer and said display device positioned one over the other to permit viewing of said display while looking at said digitizer;

displaying predetermined text in at least a first region of said display device, said first region having a first area and a second area;

receiving a first command symbol drawn in said first area to indicate a first portion of text to be edited;

causing a window to appear on said second area of said display device, upon execution of a predetermined command, for entering at least one handwritten symbol at an arbitrary location within said window, said second area being spaced from said first area so that said window does not obscure said first portion of text, said second area being sufficiently close to said first area to permit simultaneous viewing of both said first portion of text and said window; and

displaying near said window a predetermined font symbol corresponding to said at least one handwritten symbol entered in said window after receiving said at least one handwritten symbol.