Multi-character continuous handwriting input method

• US 9,323,456 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2011
• Issued: 04/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intsig Information Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Intsig Information Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Zhen, Lixin, Long, Teng
• Primary Examiner(s): Balaoing, Ariel
• Application Number:
  US13/992,372
• Publication Number:
  US 20130314363A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,728 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/018 Input/output arrangements for oriental characters
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/347 Sampling; Contour coding; Stroke extraction

Abstract

A multi-character continuous handwriting input method where a character is written on a touch unit and after an i^th character is written, an (i+1)^th character is written in an overlapping manner on the i^th character. When a user is writing, it is determined whether a current stroke belongs to the i^th character or (i+1)^th character; if it is the (i+1)^th character, the display color of the i^th character is dimmed automatically, so that the user clearly sees the newly written character on a display screen. Multiple characters can be written continuously without pauses and when an (i+2)^th character is written, the i^th character disappears automatically from the screen, and the color of the (i+1)^th character is dimmed automatically. Thus, the ability to continuously write multiple handwritten characters on a screen and the corresponding recognition and display processing significantly improves the input efficiency of handwritten text.

Claims

1. A multi-character continuous handwriting input method, comprising the following steps:

Step 110;

touching a touch screen with a handwriting pen or a finger to start inputting a stroke;

Step 120;

moving the handwriting pen or the finger on the touch screen;

recording a stroke track and displaying the stroke track on a handwriting area on the touch screen;

Step 130;

moving the handwriting pen or the finger away from the touch screen, current stroke input being finished;

Step 140;

determining whether the currently written stroke and a previously input stroke belong to the same character;

if yes, going to Step 150;

otherwise, going to Step 170;

wherein the determining whether the currently written stroke and a previously input stroke belong to the same character is performed according to a relationship between geometric position information of the currently written stroke and geometric position information of a character formed of all the previously input strokes, comprising the following steps;

Step 141;

determining whether the current stroke is the first stroke inputted by the user;

if yes, going to Step 146;

otherwise, going to Step 142;

Step 142;

determining whether the current stroke is a new character stroke on the right side of a previous stroke;

if yes, going to Step 145;

otherwise, going to Step 143;

Step 143;

determining whether the current stroke overlaps another previously written stroke;

if yes, going to Step 144;

otherwise, going to Step 145;

Step 144;

determining whether an overlapping degree between the current stroke and the previously written stroke is greater than a given threshold;

if yes, going to Step 146;

otherwise, going to Step 145;

Step 145;

returning a determination result that the currently input stroke and the previously input stroke probably belong to the same character; and

Step 146;

returning a determination result that the currently input stroke and the previously input stroke do not belong to the same character;

Step 150;

determining whether a new stroke is inputted;

if yes, going to Step 120;

otherwise, going to Step 160;

Step 160;

submitting a currently written character track to a recognition engine for recognition, and outputting a recognition result;

going to Step 220;

Step 170;

determining whether some character on the touch screen is dimmed;

if yes, going to Step 180;

otherwise, going to Step 190, wherein the dimmed character refers to a previous handwritten character that has been written and recognized, and a stroke color thereof has been processed in Step 200;

Step 180;

clearing a previous dimmed character;

Step 190;

combining all strokes except the current stroke into a handwritten character, submitting the handwritten character to the recognition engine for recognition, and outputting a recognition result;

Step 200;

dimming the stroke color of the handwritten character formed of all the strokes except the current stroke, or making colors of an (i+1)^th character and an i^th character different, wherein the character is defined as a dimmed character; and

Step 210;

determining whether a new stroke is inputted;

if yes, going to Step 120;

otherwise, going to Step 160; and

Step 220;

ending.

5. The multi-character continuous handwriting input method as in claim 1, wherein

the multi-character continuous handwriting input method is a left-to-right handwriting input method that inputs characters from the left-hand side to the right-hand side.

2. A multi-character continuous handwriting input method, comprising the following steps:

Step 110;

touching a touch screen with a handwriting pen or a finger to start inputting a stroke;

Step 120;

moving the handwriting pen or the finger on the touch screen;

recording a stroke track and displaying the stroke track on a handwriting area on the touch screen;

Step 130;

moving the handwriting pen or the finger away from the touch screen, current stroke input being finished;

Step 140;

determining whether the currently written stroke and a previously input stroke belong to the same character;

if yes, going to Step 150;

otherwise, going to Step 170;

Step 150;

determining whether a new stroke is inputted;

if yes, going to Step 120;

otherwise, going to Step 160;

Step 160;

submitting a currently written character track to a recognition engine for recognition, and outputting a recognition result;

going to Step 220;

Step 170;

determining whether some character on the touch screen is dimmed;

if yes, going to Step 180;

otherwise, going to Step 190, wherein the dimmed character refers to a previous handwritten character that has been written and recognized, and a stroke color thereof has been processed in Step 200;

Step 180;

clearing the previous dimmed character;

Step 190;

combining all strokes except the current stroke into a handwritten character, submitting the handwritten character to the recognition engine for recognition, and outputting a recognition result;

Step 200;

dimming the stroke color of the handwritten character formed of all the strokes except the current stroke, or making colors of an (i+1)^th character and an i^th character different, wherein the character is defined as a dimmed character; and

Step 210;

determining whether a new stroke is inputted;

if yes, going to Step 120;

otherwise, going to Step 160; and

Step 220;

ending.

3. A multi-character continuous handwriting input method, comprising the following steps:

writing a character on a touch unit;

after writing an i^th character, writing an (i+1)^th character on the i^th character in an overlapping manner;

when a user is writing, determining whether the current stroke belongs to the i^th character or the (i+1)^th character;

when it is determined that the user starts writing the (i+1)^th character in an overlapping manner, dimming a display color of strokes of the i^th character automatically, so that the user sees a clear track of a newly written character on a display screen; and

continuously writing multiple characters without pauses according to the above manner, wherein when an (i+2)^th character is written, the i^th character disappears automatically from the display screen, and the color of the (i+1)^th character is dimmed automatically, or colors of the (i+1)^th character and the (i+2)^th character are made to be different.

4. The multi-character continuous handwriting input method as in claim 3, wherein:

a method for determining whether the current stroke written by the user belongs to the i^th character or (i+1)^th character comprises the following steps;

Step 141;

determining whether the current stroke is a first stroke inputted by the user;

if yes, going to Step 146;

otherwise, going to Step 142;

Step 142;

determining whether the current stroke is a new character stroke at a right side of a previous stroke;

if yes, going to Step 145;

otherwise, going to Step 143;

Step 143;

determining whether the current stroke overlaps another previously written stroke;

if yes, going to Step 144;

otherwise, going to Step 145;

Step 144;

determining whether an overlapping degree between the current stroke and the previously written stroke is greater than a given threshold;

if yes, going to Step 146;

otherwise, going to Step 145;

Step 145;

returning a determination result that the currently input stroke and the previously input stroke probably belong to a same character; and

Step 146;

returning a determination result that the currently input stroke and the previously input stroke do not belong to the same character.

6. The multi-character continuous handwriting input method as in claim 3, wherein

the multi-character continuous handwriting input method is a left-to-right handwriting input method that inputs characters from the left-hand side to the right-hand side.