System and method for editing a hand-drawn chart in ink input

• US 20060061780A1
• Filed: 03/30/2005
• Published: 03/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Li, Yantao, Wang, Xianfang, Chen, Tongxian, Wang, Jian
• Granted Patent: US 7,394,935 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.800
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

A system and method for editing ink objects recognized in ink input is provided. An ink parser may recognize an ink object in ink input and then an ink editing user interface may edit the ink object recognized by the ink parser. The ink parser may include a chart detector, shape recognizer, and various ink object recognizers such as a chart recognizer, a list detector and a table detector. The various ink object recognizers may recognize particular ink objects. The ink editing user interface may edit the ink object recognized by the ink parser. The ink editing user interface may include a chart editor, list editor, table editor, mode switcher, and a visualizer. The mode switcher may switch the ink editing system between inking mode and ink editing mode.

Claims

1. A computer system for editing ink input, comprising:

an ink parser for recognizing a hand-drawn chart in ink input;

a chart editor operably coupled to the ink parser for editing the hand-drawn chart recognized by the ink parser; and

a mode recognizer operably coupled to the chart editor for switching between inking mode for receiving ink input and ink editing mode for editing the hand-drawn chart recognized in the ink input.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the ink parser comprises an operably coupled chart detector having a container detector for detecting the containers within ink input and a connector detector for detecting the connectors within ink input.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the ink parser comprises an operably coupled shape recognizer having a container recognizer and a connector recognizer.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the ink parser comprises a chart recognizer for recognizing a hand-drawn chart in ink input.

5. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable components comprising the system of claim 1.

6. A method in a computer system for editing ink input, comprising:

receiving ink input;

parsing the ink input;

performing chart recognition for an ink object in the ink input;

switching to an editing mode to edit the chart;

editing the chart by performing an ink editing operation; and

regenerating the ink representing the edited chart.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising performing chart detection to detect the chart in the ink input.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising performing shape recognition to recognize containers and connectors detected within the ink input.

9. The method of claim 6 further comprising generating a drawing of the chart recognized in the ink input.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein editing the chart by performing an ink editing operation comprises creating a bounding box for the chart and receiving an indication that the bounding box for the chart is selected.

11. The method of claim 6 wherein editing the chart by performing an ink editing operation comprises displaying resize selection handles for drawing parts of the chart and receiving an indication that one of the selection handles for the drawing parts of the chart is selected.

12. The method of claim 6 wherein editing the chart by performing an ink editing operation comprises resizing the chart.

13. The method of claim 6 wherein editing the chart by performing an ink editing operation comprises creating a bounding box for a container in the chart and receiving an indication that the bounding box for the container in the chart is selected.

14. The method of claim 6 wherein editing the chart by performing an ink editing operation comprises moving a container in the chart to another position in the chart.

15. The method of claim 6 wherein editing the chart by performing an ink editing operation comprises deforming a backbone of a connector linking a moved container of the chart and regenerating the strokes of the connector.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein deforming the backbone of the connector comprises performing normal connector deformation.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein deforming the backbone of the connector comprises performing straight connector deformation.

18. The method of claim 7 further comprising switching to inking mode to receive additional ink input.

19. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 7.

20. A computer system for editing ink input, comprising:

means for receiving ink input;

means for parsing the ink input;

means for performing chart recognition for an ink object in the ink input;

means for switching to an editing mode to edit the chart;

means for editing the chart by performing an ink editing operation; and

means for regenerating the ink representing the edited chart.