Method and apparatus for inputting and recognizing characters in a PDA and transferring the recognized characters in parallel to a keyboard buffer of a PC

• US 6,101,562 A
• Filed: 12/11/1997
• Issued: 08/08/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Inventec Corporation
• Original Assignee: Inventec Corporation
• Inventors: Chang, Jackson, Ho, Dai-Shui, Tsai, Shih-Kuang, Peng, Yi-Zhong
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TANH Q
• Application Number:
  US08/988,982
• Time in Patent Office: 971 Days
• Field of Search: 710/72, 710/73, 710/52, 710/62, 709/200, 709/231, 709/227, 709/237, 395/892, 395/893, 395/200.01, 395/200.61, 395/872, 395/882, 395/200.57, 395/200.67
• US Class Current: 710/73
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/023 Arrangements for converting discrete items of information into a coded form, e.g. arrangements for interpreting keyboard generated codes as alphanumeric codes, operand codes or instruction codes

Abstract

The present invention discloses an apparatus and a related method for achieving the purpose of improving the computer performance while inputting characters by using personal digital assistant (PDA) devices. The parallel port of the computer is connected with the PCMCIA (Personal Computer Memory Card International Association) card of the PDA device, and then a handshaking scheme is applied to establish a connection between the PC and the PDA device. After the connection has been successfully established, the input characters are transferred from the PDA device by parallel transformation without increasing the loading of the computer.

Claims

1. An apparatus for inputting characters without degrading computer performance, wherein said apparatus comprises:

input aided means for inputting characters, wherein said characters are recognized before outputting; and

processing means for receiving said recognized characters by transfer of data in parallel from said input aided means and displaying said recognized characters, said processing means generating control signals to control said transfer of data in parallel, said processing means comprising inputting and outputting parallel means for parallel receiving said recognized characters converting means for converting a style of said recognized characters and storing said converted characters into a keyboard buffer, and displaying means for displaying said converted characters stored in said keyboard buffer.

2. The apparatus according to the claim 1, wherein said input aided means comprises:

input means for inputting said characters;

character recognition means for recognizing said characters; and

parallel transformation means for parallel transferring said recognized characters to said processing means.

3. The apparatus according to the claim 2, wherein said parallel transformation means comprises:

control signal latching means for receiving said control signals from said processing means;

state signal buffering means for inputting state signals from said input aided means, wherein said state signals indicate a current state of said input aided means; and

inputting and outputting means for receiving said state signals from said state signal buffering means, and then outputting said state signals to said processing means, and for receiving said control signals from said processing means, and then outputting said control signals to said control signal latching means.

4. The apparatus according to the claim 1, wherein said inputting and outputting parallel means comprises:

control signal latching means for receiving control signals from said processing means;

state signal buffering means for receiving state signals from said input aided means, and then outputting said state signals to said processing means; and

buffering aided means for receiving said state signals from said input aided means, and then outputting said state signals to said state signals buffering means, and for receiving said control signals from said control signal latching means, and then outputting said control signals to said input aided means.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said input aided means comprises a personal digital assistant device.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a connection between said input aided means and said processing means is established by following a hand-shaking scheme.

7. An apparatus for inputting characters without degrading computer performance, wherein said apparatus comprises:

input aided means for inputting characters, wherein said characters are recognized before outputting; and

processing means for receiving said recognized characters by transfer of data in parallel from said input aided means, said processing means displays said recognized characters after converting a style of said recognized characters, said processing means generating control signals to control said transfer of data in parallel, said processing means comprising inputting and outputting parallel means for parallel receiving said recognized characters, converting means for converting a style of said recognized characters and storing said converted characters into a keyboard buffer, and displaying means for displaying said converted characters stored in said keyboard buffer;

a connection between said input aided means and said processing means is established by following a hand-shaking scheme.

8. The apparatus according to the claim 7, wherein said input aided means comprises:

input means for inputting said characters;

character recognition means for recognizing said characters; and

parallel transformation means for parallel transferring said recognized characters to said processing means.

9. The apparatus according to the claim 8, wherein said parallel transformation means comprises:

control signal latching means for receiving said control signals from said processing means;

state signal buffering means for inputting state signals from said input aided means, wherein said state signals indicates a current state of said input aided means; and

inputting and outputting means for receiving said state signals from said state signal buffering means, and then outputting said state signals to said processing means, and for receiving said control signals from said processing means, and then outputting said control signals to said control signal latching means.

10. The apparatus according to the claim 7, wherein said inputting and outputting parallel means comprises:

control signal latching means for receiving control signals from said processing means;

state signal buffering means for receiving state signals from said input aided means, and then outputting said state signals to said processing means; and

buffering aided means for receiving said state signals from said input aided means, and then outputting said state signals to said state signals buffering means, and for receiving said control signals from said control signal latching means, and then outputting said control signals to said input aided means.

11. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said input aided means comprises a personal digital assistant device.

12. A method for inputting characters without degrading computer performance, said method comprising the steps of:

applying a hand-shaking scheme to establish a connection between a computer and a personal digital assistant device;

inputting characters into said personal digital assistant device;

recognizing said characters by said personal digital assistant device;

outputting said recognized characters to said computer through said connection;

storing said recognized characters in a keyboard buffer; and

displaying said recognized characters stored in said keyboard buffer.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein said step of outputting said recognized characters through said connection follows a transfer of data in parallel scheme.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein said step of storing said recognized characters in said keyboard buffer comprises a step of converting a style of said recognized characters to be a keyboard readable style.