System and method for providing gesture suggestions to enhance interpretation of user input

• US 20030231167A1
• Filed: 06/12/2002
• Published: 12/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smart Technologies ULC (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Smart Technologies ULC (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Leung, Andy
• Granted Patent: US 7,283,126 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A touch system comprises a touch panel having a touch surface and a projector presenting images onto the touch surface. A computer executing an applications program is coupled to the touch panel and the projector. The computer is responsive to contact output generated by the touch panel in response to proximity of a pointer to the touch surface and updates image data conveyed to the projector so that images presented on the touch surface reflect pointer activity. The computer executes a gesture suggestion and writing recognition routine. The gesture suggestion and writing recognition routine performs recognition to convert ink on the touch surface into another object based on a selected interpretation.

Claims

1. A method of recognizing ink displayed on a touch panel comprising the steps of:

selecting an interpretation to be used to interpret said ink from a plurality of available interpretations; and

recognizing the ink using the selected interpretation.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said selecting is performed in response to user input.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising the step of displaying said plurality of available interpretations on said touch panel as gesture suggestions prior to said selecting.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said selecting includes the step of contacting said touch panel at the location where the interpretation to be selected is presented.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said available interpretations include a text interpretation and a freehand interpretation.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein when said text interpretation is selected, said ink is converted into text during said recognizing.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein when said freehand interpretation is selected, said ink is converted into a graphic object during said recognizing.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said available interpretations include a text interpretation and a freehand interpretation.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein when said text interpretation is selected, said ink is converted into text during said recognizing.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein when said freehand interpretation is selected, said ink is converted into a graphic object during said recognizing.

11. A system for recognizing ink displayed on a touch panel comprising:

means for selecting an interpretation to be used to interpret said ink from a plurality of available interpretations; and

means for recognizing the ink using the selected interpretation.

12. A system according to claim 11 wherein said selecting means selects said interpretation in response to user input.

13. A system according to claim 12 further comprising means for displaying said plurality of available interpretations on said touch panel as gesture suggestions.

14. A system according to claim 13 wherein said selecting means is responsive to user contact on said touch panel at the location where the interpretation to be selected is presented.

15. A system according to claim 11 wherein said available interpretations include a text interpretation and a freehand interpretation.

16. A system according to claim 15 wherein when said text interpretation is selected, said recognizing means converts said ink into text.

17. A system according to claim 15 wherein when said freehand interpretation is selected, said recognizing means converts said ink into a graphic object.

18. A touch system comprising:

a touch panel having a touch surface;

a projector presenting images onto said touch surface; and

a computer executing an applications program and being coupled to said touch panel and said projector, said computer being responsive to contact output generated by said touch panel in response to proximity of a pointer to said touch surface and updating image data conveyed to said projector so that images presented on said touch surface reflect pointer activity, said computer executing a gesture suggestion and writing recognition routine, said gesture suggestion and writing recognition routine performing recognition to convert ink on said touch surface into another object based on a selected interpretation.

19. A touch system according to claim 18 wherein said gesture suggestion and writing recognition routine selects said interpretation from a plurality of available interpretations in response to user input.

20. A touch system according to claim 19 wherein said gesture suggestion and writing recognition routine displays said plurality of available interpretations on said touch panel.

21. A touch system according to claim 20 wherein said gesture suggestion and writing recognition routine is responsive to user contact on said touch panel at the location where the interpretation to be selected is presented.

22. A touch system according to claim 19 wherein said available interpretations include a text interpretation and a freehand interpretation.

23. A touch system according to claim 22 wherein when said text interpretation is selected, said gesture suggestion and writing recognition routine converts said ink into text.

24. A touch system according to claim 22 wherein when said freehand interpretation is selected, said gesture suggestion and writing recognition routine converts said ink into a graphic object.

25. A computer program product including a computer readable medium having a computer program for recognizing ink displayed on a touch panel embodied thereon, said computer program including:

computer program code for selecting an interpretation to be used to interpret said ink from a plurality of available interpretations; and

computer program code for recognizing the ink using the selected interpretation.

26. A computer program product according to claim 25 wherein computer program code for selecting selects said interpretation in response to user input.

27. A computer program product according to claim 26 wherein said computer program further comprising computer program code for displaying said plurality of available interpretations on said touch panel.

28. A computer program product according to claim 27 wherein said computer program code for selecting is responsive to user contact on said touch panel at the location where the interpretation to be selected is presented.