Pen gesture-based user interface

• US 20040240739A1
• Filed: 05/30/2003
• Published: 12/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zhan, Peng, Chang, Lu, Seni, Giovanni
• Application Number:
  US10/448,768
• Publication Number:
  US 20040240739A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/186
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/1423 the instrument generating sequences of position coordinates corresponding to handwriting preprocessing or recognising digital ink G06V30/32

Abstract

A user interface for an electronic device has a pen based input device (256) that captures a collection of coordinates that correspond to handwritten information. According to certain embodiments, a processor (260) carries out a command recognition process in which a command gesture (124, 130, 134, 138, 142, 144, 148) is recognized (210) in the collection of coordinates. The command gesture identifies a set of coordinates form at least a portion of the collection of coordinates that represent a command (120). The identified coordinates are then extracted (220) and translated to a command (230) for execution (244).

Claims

1. A user interface method for an electronic device, comprising:

capturing a collection of coordinates that correspond to handwritten information on an input device;

recognizing a command gesture in the collection of coordinates, the command gesture identifying a set of coordinates forming at least a portion of the collection of coordinates as representing a command; and

translating the identified coordinates to the command.

2. The user interface method according to claim 1, further comprising executing the command on the electronic device.

3. The user interface method according to claim 1, wherein the translating comprises:

extracting the set of coordinates from the collection of coordinates;

recognizing handwriting in the set of coordinates; and

interpreting the handwriting as a command.

4. The user interface method according to claim 1, further comprising obtaining additional information from storage to execute the command.

5. The user interface method according to claim 1, wherein the input device comprises a pen input device.

6. The user interface method according to claim 1, wherein the identifying is carried out by determining that the set of coordinates is enclosed by a closed form geometric shape.

7. The user interface method according to claim 6, wherein the closed form geometric shape comprises at least one of an ellipse, a circle, an oval, a polygon, a rectangle, a triangle and an irregular closed form.

8. The user interface method according to claim 1, wherein the identifying is carried out by determining that the set of coordinates has boundaries defined by one or more open form geometric shapes.

9. The user interface method according to claim 8, wherein the open form geometric shapes comprise at least one of brackets, semicircles, free form curves, lines and framing corners.

10. A computer readable storage medium containing instructions that, when executed on a programmed processor carries out a user interface process in accordance with claim 1.

13. The user interface according to claim 11, wherein the input device comprises a pen input device.

11. A user interface for an electronic device, comprising:

an input device that captures a collection of coordinates that correspond to handwritten information;

means for recognizing a command gesture in the collection of coordinates, the command gesture identifying a set of coordinates forming at least a portion of the collection of coordinates as representing a command;

means for recognizing handwriting in the set of coordinates and converting the handwriting to text; and

a semantic interpreter that translates the text into the command.

12. The user interface according to claim 11, further comprising means for executing the command on the electronic device.

14. The user interface according to claim 11, wherein the command is recognized by determining that the set of coordinates is enclosed by a closed form geometric shape.

15. The user interface according to claim 14, wherein the closed form geometric shape comprises at least one of an ellipse, a circle, an oval, a polygon, a rectangle, a triangle and an irregular closed form.

16. The user interface according to claim 11, wherein the command is recognized by determining that the set of coordinates has boundaries defined by one or more open form geometric shapes.

17. The user interface according to claim 16, wherein the open form geometric shapes comprise at least one of brackets, semicircles, free form curves, lines and framing corners.

18. A user interface for an electronic device, comprising:

an input device that captures a collection of coordinates that correspond to handwritten information;

a processor that carries out a command recognition process comprising;

recognizing a command gesture in the collection of coordinates, the command gesture identifying a set of coordinates forming at least a portion of the collection of coordinates as representing a command; and

translating the identified coordinates to the command.

19. The user interface according to claim 18, wherein the processor carries out the command recognition process by execution of a computer program.

20. The user interface according to claim 18, further comprising executing the command on the electronic device.

21. The user interface according to claim 18, wherein the translating comprises:

extracting the set of coordinates from the collection of coordinates;

recognizing handwriting in the set of coordinates; and

interpreting the handwriting as a command.

22. The user interface according to claim 18, further comprising a storage device that stores retrievable information to execute the command.

23. The user interface according to claim 18, wherein the input device comprises a pen input device.

24. The user interface according to claim 18, wherein the identifying is carried out by determining that the set of coordinates is enclosed by a closed form geometric shape.

25. The user interface according to claim 24, wherein the closed form geometric shape comprises at least one of an ellipse, a circle, an oval, a polygon, a rectangle, a triangle and an irregular closed form.

26. The user interface according to claim 18, wherein the identifying is carried out by determining that the set of coordinates is has boundaries defined by one or more open form geometric shapes.

27. The user interface according to claim 26, wherein the open form geometric shapes comprise at least one of brackets, semicircles, free form curves, lines and framing corners.

28. A method of using an interface to an electronic device, comprising:

writing a handwritten command using a command syntax; and

segregating the handwritten command from non-commands by using a handwritten command gesture associated with the command.

29. The method according to claim 28, wherein the handwritten command and gesture are entered using a pen input device.

30. The method according to claim 28, wherein the gesture comprises a closed form geometric shape.

31. The method according to claim 30, wherein the closed form geometric shape comprises at least one of an ellipse, a circle, an oval, a polygon, a rectangle, a triangle and an irregular closed form.

32. The method according to claim 28, wherein the gesture comprises one or more open form geometric shapes.

33. The method according to claim 32, wherein the open form geometric shapes comprise at least one of brackets, semicircles, free form curves, lines and framing corners.