Natural language recognition using distributed processing

• US 7,660,466 B2
• Filed: 08/16/2004
• Issued: 02/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia, Napper, Jonathon Leigh, Lapstun, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): CHANG, JON CARLTON
• Application Number:
  US10/510,392
• Publication Number:
  US 20060149549A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,003 Days
• Field of Search: 382/186, 382/187, 382/188
• US Class Current: 382/186
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/171 by use of digital ink
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/279 Recognition of textual entities
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/289 Phrasal analysis, e.g. finite state techniques or chunking
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/226 of cursive writing
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/242 Division of the character sequences into groups prior to recognition; Selection of dictionaries
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/30 Distributed recognition, e.g. in client-server systems, for mobile phones or network applications

Abstract

A method and system for computer-based recognition of natural language data. The method is implemented on a distributed computer network and includes obtaining natural language data, such as digital ink handwriting, using an input device (415), receiving the natural language data on a server via a network, processing the natural language data using a recognizer (440) residing on the server (430) to produce intermediate format data (445), transmitting the intermediate format data (445) to an application (450), and decoding the intermediate format data 445 into computer-readable format data using the application (450) and context information associated with the application (450).

Claims

1. A method of recognising digital ink input by a user into a computer-based digital ink recognition system, the user interacting with a paper-based document, the paper-based document having disposed therein or thereon coded data indicative of a particular field of the paper-based document and of at least one reference point of the paper-based document, the method including the steps of:

receiving in a server, indicating data from a sensing device, operated by the user, regarding the identity of the paper-based document and at least one of a position and a movement of the sensing device relative to the paper-based document;

processing the indicating data using a recognizer residing on the server to produce intermediate format data; and

,

transmitting the intermediate format data to an application;

wherein, the application decodes the intermediate format data into computer-readable format data using context information associated with the paper-based document;

further wherein, the sensing device comprises;

(a) an image sensor adapted to capture images of at least some of the coded data when the sensing device is placed in an operative position relative to the paper-based document; and

(b) a processor adapted to;

(i) identify at least some of the coded data from one or more of the captured images;

(ii) decode at least some of the coded data; and

(iii) generate the indicating data using at least some of the decoded coded data.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the particular field of the paper-based document is associated with at least one zone of the paper-based document, and the method includes identifying the context information from the at least one zone.

2. A method of recognising digital ink input by a user into a computer-based digital ink recognition system, the method including the steps of:

providing a user with a paper-based document, the paper-based document having disposed therein or thereon coded data indicative of a particular field of the paper-based document and of at least one reference point of the paper-based document;

receiving in a server, indicating data from a sensing device, operated by the user, regarding the identity of the paper-based document and at least one of a position and a movement of the sensing device relative to the paper-based document;

processing the indicating data using a recognizer residing on the server to produce intermediate format data;

transmitting the intermediate format data to an application;

decoding the intermediate format data into computer-readable format data using context information associated with the paper-based document;

wherein the sensing device comprises;

(a) an image sensor adapted to capture images of at least some of the coded data when the sensing device is placed in an operative position relative to the paper-based document; and

(b) a processor adapted to;

(i) identify at least some of the coded data from one or more of the captured images;

(ii) decode at least some of the coded data; and

(iii) generate the indicating data using at least some of the decoded coded data.