Apparatus and method for tracking handwriting from visual input
First Claim
1. A system for monitoring movement carried out by a writing implement on a writing surface using a visual input, comprising:
- a camera of a type which monitors said writing implement relative to said writing surface, and produces an image signal indicative thereof;
a tracking element, which receives said image signal, recognizes a portion of the image which represents a portion of the writing implement in said image signal by comparing portions of said image signal to a writing implement image and processes said image signal to convert said image signal to a value indicative of position and/or movement of the writing implement relative to the writing surface; and
an image processor, operating to convert said value indicative of position and/or movement into coordinates indicating a path of movement of said writing implement relative to said writing surface.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system for detecting movement of a writing implement relative to a writing surface to determine the path of the writing implement. The writing implement tip is determined within the image and used to form a kernel. The determination is made either manually, by looking for a predetermined pen tip shape, or by looking for a position of maximum motion in the image. That kernel is tracked from frame to frame to define the path of the writing implement. The tracking is accomplished by correlating the kernel to the image: either to the whole image, to a portion of the image near the last position of the kernel, or to a portion of the image predicted by a prediction filter.
217 Citations
42 Claims
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1. A system for monitoring movement carried out by a writing implement on a writing surface using a visual input, comprising:
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a camera of a type which monitors said writing implement relative to said writing surface, and produces an image signal indicative thereof; a tracking element, which receives said image signal, recognizes a portion of the image which represents a portion of the writing implement in said image signal by comparing portions of said image signal to a writing implement image and processes said image signal to convert said image signal to a value indicative of position and/or movement of the writing implement relative to the writing surface; and an image processor, operating to convert said value indicative of position and/or movement into coordinates indicating a path of movement of said writing implement relative to said writing surface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A writing processing system, comprising:
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a first device which obtains video images of a part of a writing implement relative to a writing surface; a processor, receiving said video images from said first device, and processing said video images to determine a position of the writing implement therein over multiple frames defined by said video images, to produce a tracking signal indicative of position and/or movement of the writing implement over said multiple frames, said processor recognizing different kinds of writing implements by storing a plurality of different template images, said different template images including different shapes of writing implement tips therein, determining a template image indicating a tip of a writing implement within a frame of the video image, and tracking a position of said template image within said frame, and said tracking signal indicating position and/or movement of said any of said different kinds of writing implements including a writing implement which is dark relative to its background; and an output unit, which produces an output signal indicative of said tracking signal. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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42. A method of monitoring the movement of a writing implement on a writing surface, comprising:
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obtaining a video image of a writing implement relative to a writing surface at a first time; determining a portion of said image representing a kernel to be tracked in position; obtaining a position of said kernel in said video image at said first time; obtaining a video image of the writing implement relative to the writing surface at a second time; obtaining a position of said kernel in said video image at said second time; determining a distance between a desired point in said video image to be tracked, and a center point of said kernel; correcting said positions using said distance, and determining a path between said first and second positions; monitoring whether the writing implement is in contact with the writing surface, and wherein said determining comprises determining that said information is undesired when the writing implement is out of contact with the writing surface.
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Specification