Grouping writing regions of digital ink

• US 8,407,589 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2007
• Issued: 03/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Ye, Ming, Sutanto, Herry, Raghupathy, Sashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Hutton, Jr., Doug
• Assistant Examiner(s): DYER, ANDREW R
• Application Number:
  US11/788,437
• Publication Number:
  US 20080260241A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,167 Days
• Field of Search: 715/262, 715/263, 715/268
• US Class Current: 715/268
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/231 Hierarchical techniques, i.e. dividing or merging pattern sets so as to obtain a dendrogram
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/171 by use of digital ink
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/333 Preprocessing; Feature extraction
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/414 Extracting the geometrical structure, e.g. layout tree; Block segmentation, e.g. bounding boxes for graphics or text

Abstract

A method for grouping writing regions of digital ink receives processed digital ink that comprises writing regions. A relationship can be generated between a plurality of the writing regions. A feature set can be determined that is associated with the plurality of the writing regions. The plurality of the writing regions can be grouped based on the feature set.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for grouping two or more writing regions of digital ink comprised in an electronic medium, the method comprising:

receiving a first writing region and a second writing region comprising digital ink;

determining whether there is an intent to group the first writing region and the second writing region, comprising;

determining that there is the intent to group the first writing region and the second writing region when a drawing that is present between the first writing region and the second writing region does not overlap a first straight line segment and a second straight line segment, where the first straight line segment connects a beginning of a last line of the first writing region to a beginning of a first line of the second writing region and the second straight line segment connects an end of the last line of the first writing region to an end of the first line of the second writing region, the first straight line segment and the second straight line segment not overlapping one another; and

determining that there is not the intent to group the first writing region and the second writing region when the drawing overlaps both the first straight line segment and the second straight line segment;

determining a confidence score associated with the determined intent to group the first writing region and the second writing region; and

grouping the first writing region and the second writing region when the confidence score exceeds a specified threshold.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, the determining whether there is an intent performed based upon a line count associated with at least one of the first writing region or the second writing region.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, the determining whether there is an intent performed based upon a distance between the first writing region and the second writing region.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, the determining whether there is an intent performed based upon whether the first writing region at least partially overlaps the second writing region.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, the determining whether there is an intent performed using a decision tree.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, the determining whether there is an intent performed using a neural network.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, the determining whether there is an intent performed using a support vector machine.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, the determining whether there is an intent performed based upon a classification of digital ink comprised within at least one of the first writing region or the second writing region indicative of at least one of a writing stroke or a drawing stroke.

9. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory comprising instructions that when executed by at least some of the one or more processors, perform a method for grouping two or more writing regions of digital ink comprised in an electronic medium, the method comprising;

receiving a first writing region and a second writing region comprising digital ink;

determining whether there is an intent to group the first writing region and the second writing region, comprising;

determining that there is the intent to group the first writing region and the second writing region when a drawing that is present between the first writing region and the second writing region does not overlap a first straight line segment and a second straight line segment, where the first straight line segment connects a beginning of a last line of the first writing region to a beginning of a first line of the second writing region and the second straight line segment connects an end of the last line of the first writing region to an end of the first line of the second writing region, the first straight line segment and the second straight line segment not overlapping one another; and

determining that there is not the intent to group the first writing region and the second writing region when the drawing overlaps both the first straight line segment and the second straight line segment;

determining a confidence score associated with the determined intent to group the first writing region and the second writing region; and

grouping the first writing region and the second writing region when the confidence score exceeds a specified threshold.

10. The system of claim 9, the determining whether there is an intent performed based upon a line count associated with at least one of the first writing region or the second writing region.

11. The system of claim 9, the determining whether there is an intent performed based upon a distance between the first writing region and the second writing region.

12. The system of claim 9, the determining whether there is an intent performed based upon whether the first writing region at least partially overlaps the second writing region.

13. The system of claim 9, the determining whether there is an intent performed using a decision tree.

14. The system of claim 9, the determining whether there is an intent performed using a neural network.

15. The system of claim 9, the determining whether there is an intent performed using a support vector machine.

16. The system of claim 9, the determining whether there is an intent performed based upon a classification of digital ink comprised within at least one of the first writing region or the second writing region indicative of at least one of a writing stroke or a drawing stroke.

17. A computer readable storage device comprising instructions that when executed, perform a method for grouping two or more writing regions of digital ink comprised in an electronic medium, the method comprising:

receiving a first writing region and a second writing region comprising digital ink;

determining whether there is an intent to group the first writing region and the second writing region, comprising;

determining that there is the intent to group the first writing region and the second writing region when a drawing that is present between the first writing region and the second writing region does not overlap a first straight line segment and a second straight line segment, where the first straight line segment connects the first writing region to the second writing region and the second straight line segment connects the first writing region to the second writing region, the first straight line segment and the second straight line segment not overlapping one another;

determining that there is not the intent to group the first writing region and the second writing region when the drawing overlaps both the first straight line segment and the second straight line segment;

determining that there is the intent to group the first writing region and the second writing regions based upon at least one of a line count of the first writing region or a line count of the second writing region;

determining that there is the intent to group the first writing region and the second writing region based upon a distance between the first writing region and the second writing region;

determining that there is the intent to group the first writing region and the second writing region based upon whether a structure lies between the first writing region and the second writing region;

determining that there is the intent to group the first writing region and the second writing region based upon whether the first writing region and the second writing region at least partially overlap;

determining that there is the intent to group the first writing region and the second writing region based upon a classification of digital ink comprised within at least one of the first writing region or the second writing region indicative of a writing stroke; and

determining that there is not the intent to group the first writing region and the second writing region based upon the classification of the digital ink comprised within at least one of the first writing region or the second writing region indicative of a drawing stroke;

determining a confidence score associated with the determined intent to group the first writing region and the second writing region; and

grouping the first writing region and the second writing region when the confidence score exceeds a specified threshold.

18. The computer readable storage device of claim 17, the determining whether there is an intent performed using a decision tree.

19. The computer readable storage device of claim 17, the determining whether there is an intent performed using a neural network.

20. The computer readable storage device of claim 17, the determining whether there is an intent performed using a support vector machine.