Handwritten data input device having coordinate detection tablet

• US 6,525,716 B1
• Filed: 03/27/1998
• Issued: 02/25/2003
• 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: Makino, Ieharu
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KIMNHUNG T
• Application Number:
  US09/049,231
• Time in Patent Office: 1,796 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/179, 178/18.01, 178/18.03, 178/18.05, 178/18.06, 178/18.09, 178/19.03, 382/119, 382/181-182, 382/187-188, 359/113, 434/349, 434/327, 434/359, 434/353
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

A handwritten data input device comprises a coordinate detection tablet for detecting handwritten data input by handwriting with an input pen, and a program recording medium therefore, and is characterized in that, merely as a particular symbol such as a check mark is input by handwriting to an input region of the tablet, the handwritten data can be converted into a category code corresponding to the particular symbol, for each and every input region on the tablet. The category codes which indicates the meanings of the respective marks are stored in the RAM while the particular marks are associated with the respective handwriting marking boxes on a marking sheet. When a mark is handwritten in a marking sheet on the tablet, the CPU searches the contents of the RAM on the basis of the written mark, and converts it into a corresponding category code.

Claims

1. A data input apparatus comprising:

a tablet which holds an input sheet having input areas printed thereon, detects positional coordinates of a handwritten item that is handwritten in one of the input areas, and outputs a detection signal in correspondence with detected coordinates;

a format memory which stores format information of the input sheet including positions of the input areas, for each type of input sheet;

a code memory which stores handwritten items to be handwritten in each of the input areas and a category code that corresponds to each of the handwritten items, for each of the input areas of the input sheet;

a recognition unit which recognizes, when the input sheet is placed on the tablet, a handwritten item input in one of the input areas on the basis of the detection signal output from the tablet; and

a converter which identifies an input area in which the handwritten item is input, on the basis of the detection signal output from the tablet and the format information stored in the format memory, reads a category code that corresponds to the identified input area and the handwritten item recognized by the recognition unit, from the code memory, and converts the handwritten item to a corresponding category code.

2. The data input apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the code memory stores different category codes assigned to the same handwritten item for different input areas of the input sheet.

3. The data input apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the code memory stores marks to be handwritten in the input areas and the category code that corresponds to each of the marks for each of the input areas of the input sheet.

4. The data input apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the code memory stores sentences to be handwritten in the input areas and the category code that corresponds to each of the sentences, for each of the input areas of the input sheet.

5. The data input apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the code memory stores words to be used into the input areas and the category code that corresponds to each of the words, for each of the input areas of the input sheet.

6. The data input apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a category code memory which stores the category code converted from the handwritten item by the converter, in correspondence with the input area in which the handwritten item is input.

7. The data input apparatus according to claim 6, which is connected to a host computer via a communication line and thereby transmits the category code converted and stored in the category code memory in correspondence with the input area.

8. An article of manufacture comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein, the computer readable program code means comprising:

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to store, in a format memory, format information of an input sheet including positions of an input area, for each type of input sheet, the input sheet to be held on a tablet which detects positional coordinates of a handwritten item that is handwritten in one of the input areas, and outputs a detection signal in correspondence with detected coordinates;

computer readable program, code means for causing a computer to store, in a code memory, handwritten items to be handwritten in each of the input areas and a category code that corresponds to each of the handwritten items, for each of the input areas of the input sheet;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to recognize, when the input sheet is placed on the tablet, a handwritten item input in one of the input areas on the basis of the detection signal output from the tablet; and

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to identify an input area in which the handwritten item is input, on the basis of the detection signal output from the tablet and the format information stored in the format memory, read a category code that corresponds to the identified input area and the handwritten item recognized by the recognition unit, from the code memory, and convert the handwritten item to a corresponding category code.

9. A data input apparatus comprising:

a tablet which holds an input sheet having input areas printed thereon, detects positional coordinates of a handwritten item that is handwritten in one of the input areas and outputs a detection signal in correspondence with detected coordinates, the input areas including a grading area;

a format memory which stores format information including positions of the input areas, for each type of input sheet;

a recognition unit which recognizes, when the input sheet is placed on the tablet, a handwritten item input in one of the input areas on the basis of the detection signal output from the tablet; and

a totaling unit which carries out a totaling process on the recognized handwritten item when the recognition unit recognizes the handwritten item input in the grading area.

10. The data input apparatus according to claim 9, wherein, when the recognition unit recognizes the handwritten item input in the grading area as a specific mark, the totaling unit carries out the totaling process and obtains an accumulation score on the basis of score data that is predetermined in correspondence with the specific mark.

11. The data input apparatus according to claim 9, wherein:

the input area includes a total area;

the format memory stores format information including a position of the total area, wherein the data input apparatus further comprises;

a warning unit which compares a total score obtained by the totaling unit and the recognition result of the total area and issues a warning when the total score obtained by the totaling unit and the recognition result of the total area do not coincide.

12. The data input apparatus according to claim 9, wherein:

the input area includes grading areas, a total score area, and subtotal areas, the subtotal area being an area for inputting a total score of the grading areas, the total area being an area for inputting a total score of the subtotal areas;

the format memory stores format information including positions of the grading areas, total score area, and subtotal areas;

the totaling unit carries out the totaling process to obtain a total score from recognition results of the subtotal areas, and

wherein the data input apparatus further comprises a warning unit which compares the total score obtained by the totaling unit and a recognition result of the total area and issues a warning when the total score obtained by the totaling unit and the recognition result of the total area do not coincide.