Handwritten data input device having coordinate detection tablet

• US 6,369,802 B1
• Filed: 03/27/1998
• Issued: 04/09/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hanger Solutions, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Inventors: Ebisawa, Isao
• Primary Examiner(s): Saras, Steven
• Assistant Examiner(s): KUMAR, SRILAKSHMI K
• Application Number:
  US09/049,230
• Time in Patent Office: 1,474 Days
• Field of Search: 395/800, 395/149, 395/326, 345/173, 178/18, 364/708.1, 382/187-189, 361/679-683, 428/209
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/373 using a special pattern or subpattern alphabet

Abstract

A handwritten data input device has a coordinate detection tablet for detecting writing data input by handwriting using an input pen and a program storage medium. When a predetermined preprocess is required for an input process to accept writing data input by handwriting from the tablet, useless handwritten input can be effectively avoided when the preprocess has not been completed. In the handwritten data input device, a CPU determines whether the preprocess has been completed when the input pen approaches the tablet and, if the preprocess has not been completed, drives a buzzer to generate an alarm tone, thereby notifying the operator that the handwritten input is invalid in advance.

Claims

1. A handwritten data input device comprising:

an electromagnetic induction-type tablet on which a form sheet is placed, and which detects coordinates at which data is written into the form sheet;

format defining means for defining in said tablet a data writing area that corresponds to a handwriting data entry box of the form sheet, when the form sheet on which the handwriting data entry box is formed is placed on said tablet;

a detector that detects when a user is about to write data into the form sheet placed on the tablet by sensing that an input pen is approaching said tablet;

determination means for determining whether said format defining means has defined the data writing area when the detector detects that the user is about to write data into the form sheet on the tablet; and

indicating means for indicating that a data write process will be invalid when said determination means determines that said format defining means has not yet defined the data writing area.

2. A recording medium storing a computer program for operating a computer in connection with an electromagnetic induction-type tablet on which a form sheet is placed, wherein said tablet detects coordinates at which data is written into the form sheet and includes a detector that detects when a user is about to write data into the form sheet placed on the tablet by sensing that an input pen is approaching said tablet, and wherein said computer program enables said computer to function as:

format defining means for defining in said tablet a data writing area that corresponds to a handwriting data entry box of the form sheet, when the form sheet on which the handwriting data entry box is formed is placed on said tablet;

determination means for determining whether said format defining means has defined the data writing area when the detector detects that the user is about to write data into the form sheet on the tablet; and

indicating means for indicating that a data write process will be invalid when said determination means determines that said format defining means has not yet defined the data writing area.

3. A handwritten data input device comprising:

a tablet on which a form sheet is placed, and which detects coordinates at which data is written into the form sheet;

first reference frame generating means for generating a reference frame for character recognition within a predetermined area in the tablet corresponding to a data writing frame based on a type of the form sheet placed on the tablet;

second reference frame generating means for shifting the reference frame generated by said first reference frame generating means by a predetermined distance in predetermined directions so as to generate the reference frame at a plurality of different locations;

recognition means for recognizing a character from the data written into the form sheet placed on said tablet each time the reference frame is generated by said first and second reference frame generating means, based on the coordinates of the data detected by the tablet within each of the generated reference frames; and

output means for outputting a plurality of recognition data produced by said recognition means as input candidates to be selected by a user.

4. The handwritten data input device according to claim 3, wherein said second reference frame generating means comprises means for generating a first shifted reference frame by shifting the reference frame leftward by a predetermined amount, a second shifted reference frame by shifting the reference frame rightward by a predetermined amount, a third shifted reference frame by shifting the reference frame upward by a predetermined amount, and a fourth shifted reference frame by shifting the reference frame downward by a predetermined amount.

5. The handwritten data input device according to claim 3, further comprising:

means for detecting a direction of shift and an amount of shift of the reference frame generated by said second reference frame generating means at one of the plurality of different locations in accordance with a selected one of the input candidates selected by the user; and

means for correcting a position of the reference frame based on the detected direction of shift and the detected amount of shift.

6. A handwritten data input device comprising:

a tablet on which a form sheet is placed, and which detects coordinates at which data is written into the form sheet;

first reference frame generating means for generating a reference frame for character recognition within a predetermined area in the tablet corresponding to a data writing frame based on a type of the form sheet placed on the tablet;

second reference frame generating means for gradually enlarging the reference frame generated by said first reference frame generating means by a predetermined amount in a predetermined direction or by a predetermined amount while maintaining directional similarity so as to generate a plurality of enlarged reference frames;

recognition means for recognizing a character from the data written into the form sheet placed on said tablet each time one of the reference frame and the enlarged reference frames are generated by said first and second reference frame generating means, respectively, based on the coordinates of the data detected by the tablet within each of the reference frame and the enlarged reference frames; and

output means for outputting a plurality of recognition data produced by said-recognition means as input candidates to be selected by a user.

7. A recording medium storing a computer program for operating a computer in connection with a tablet on which a form sheet is placed, wherein said tablet detects coordinates at which data is written into the form sheet, and

wherein said computer program enables said computer to function as:

first reference frame generating means for generating a reference frame for character recognition within a predetermined area in the tablet corresponding to a data writing frame based on a type of the form sheet placed on the tablet;

second reference frame generating means for shifting the reference frame generated by said first reference frame generating means by a predetermined distance in predetermined directions so as to generate the reference frame at a plurality of different locations;

recognition means for recognizing a character from the data written into the form sheet placed on said tablet each time the reference frame is generated by said first and second reference frame generating means, based on the coordinates of the data detected by the tablet within each of the generated reference frames; and

output means for outputting a plurality of recognition data produced by said recognition means as in-put candidates to be selected by a user.

8. A recording medium storing a computer program for operating a computer in connection with a tablet on which a form sheet is placed, wherein said tablet detects coordinates at which data is written into the form sheet, and wherein said computer program enables said computer to function as:

first reference frame generating means for generating a reference frame for character recognition within a predetermined area in the tablet corresponding to a data writing frame based on a type of the form sheet placed on the tablet;

second reference frame generating means for gradually enlarging the reference frame generated by said first reference frame generating means by a predetermined amount in a predetermined direction or by a predetermined amount while maintaining directional similarity so as to generate a plurality of enlarged reference frames;

recognition means for recognizing a character from the data written into the form sheet placed on said tablet each time one of the reference frame and the enlarged reference frames are generated by, said first and second reference frame generating means, respectively, based on the coordinates of the data detected by the tablet within each of the reference frame and the enlarged reference frames; and

output means for outputting a plurality of recognition data produced by said recognition means as input candidates to be selected by a user.

9. A handwritten data input device comprising:

a tablet on which a form sheet is placed, and which outputs a coordinate signal in accordance with a location where data is written into the form sheet;

a format memory configured to store format data defining a data writing area in said tablet, which corresponds to a handwriting data entry box of the form sheet, the format data depending on the type of the form sheet;

a type specifying device configured to specify the type of the form sheet placed on the tablet;

format data reader configured to read the format data of the type of the form sheet specified by the input device from said format memory;

a written data input device configured to input written data which is written in the data writing area when data is written into the form sheet placed on the tablet;

a character recognition circuit configured to recognize characters from the written data input by said written data input device;

a detector configured to detect that a user is about to write data into the form sheet placed on said tablet;

a determining circuit configured to determine whether said format reader has completed reading of the format data from said format memory when the detector detects that the user is about to write data into the form sheet placed on the tablet; and

an indicator configured to indicate that a data write process will be invalid when said determining circuit determines that said format defining means has not completed reading of the format data from said format memory.