Apparatus and method for hand motion tracking and handwriting recognition

• US 7,394,460 B2
• Filed: 10/14/2004
• Issued: 07/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: I.C. + Technologies Ltd.
• Original Assignee: I.C. + Technologies Ltd.
• Inventors: Vardi, Micha
• Primary Examiner(s): Liang; Regina
• Application Number:
  US10/964,998
• Publication Number:
  US 20050083317A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,356 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-179, 345/156, 345/158, 345/169, 382/181, 382/312, 382/313, 382183-189, 178/18.01, 178/18.1, 178/19.01
• US Class Current: 345/179
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0383 Signal control means within the pointing device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/046 by electromagnetic means
• 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 30/228 of three-dimensional handwriting, e.g. writing in the air

Abstract

Apparatus and method for handwriting recognition including a hand-held device including at least one accelerometer providing an acceleration indicating output, computation circuitry receiving the acceleration indicating output and providing a velocity indicating output and a handwritten multiple character recognizer receiving the velocity indicating output and providing a multiple character recognition output indication.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing an acceleration indicating output from a hand-held device;

receiving said acceleration indicating output and providing a proportionally normalized velocity indicating output; and

receiving said velocity indicating output and providing a character recognition output indication.

2. A method according to claim 1 and also comprising at least one of a computation related to the character recognition output indication, a database operation related to the character recognition output indication, communication of character recognition output indication and a control operation based on the character recognition output indication.

3. Apparatus comprising:

a hand-held device comprising at least one accelerometer providing an acceleration indicating output;

computation circuitry receiving said acceleration indicating output and providing a proportionally normalized velocity indicating output; and

a character recognizer receiving said velocity indicating output and providing a character recognition output indication.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3 and wherein said at least one accelerometer comprises a plurality of accelerometers providing outputs to acceleration processing circuitry, which provides said acceleration indicating output.

5. Apparatus according to claim 3 and also comprising at least one of:

a computer, located within said hand-held device, receiving said character recognition output indication and performing computer operations in response thereto;

a communication device, located within said hand-held device, receiving said character recognition output indication and performing communication operations in response thereto;

a controller, located within said hand-held device, receiving said character recognition output indication and performing control operations in response to said character recognition output indication; and

a memory located within said hand-held device, receiving said character recognition output indication and performing data base operations in response to said character recognition output indication.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5 and also comprising at least one of the following elements cooperating with at least one of said computer, said communication device, said controller and said memory:

a microphone;

a speaker;

an earphone;

a digital signal processor (DSP);

a display;

a control circuitry;

a CPU;

a memory;

communications circuitry;

a transceiver;

an antenna;

a baseband controller;

a baseband interface;

an Input/Output port;

a wireless port;

a Bluetooth port;

wireless communications circuitry;

an infra-red port;

a serial port;

a USB port;

a smart-card;

an analog to digital converter and data acquisition circuitry.

7. Apparatus comprising:

a hand-held device comprising at least one accelerometer providing an acceleration indicating output;

computation circuitry receiving said acceleration indicating output and providing a proportionally normalized velocity indicating output;

a character recognizer receiving said velocity indicating output and providing a character recognition output indication; and

a hand motion tracker receiving said velocity indicating output and providing a tracking output indication.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7 and wherein said at least one accelerometer comprises a plurality of accelerometers providing outputs to acceleration processing circuitry, which provides said acceleration indicating output.

9. Apparatus according to claim 7 and also comprising at least one of:

a computer, located within said hand-held device, receiving at least one of said recognition output indication and said tracking output indication and performing computer operations in response thereto;

a communication device, located within said hand-held device, receiving at least one of said recognition output indication and said tracking output indication and performing communication operations in response thereto;

a controller, located within said hand-held device, receiving said character recognition output indication and performing control operations in response to said character recognition output indication; and

a memory located within said hand-held device, receiving at least one of said recognition output indication and said tracking output indication and performing data base operations in response to said character recognition output indication.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9 and also comprising at least one of the following elements cooperating with at least one of said computer, said communication device, said controller and said memory:

a microphone;

a speaker;

an earphone;

a digital signal processor (DSP);

a display;

a control circuitry;

a CPU;

a memory;

communications circuitry;

a transceiver;

an antenna;

a baseband controller;

a baseband interface;

an Input/Output port;

a wireless port;

a Bluetooth port;

wireless communications circuitry;

an infra-red port;

a serial port;

a USB port;

a smart-card;

an analog to digital converter and data acquisition circuitry.