System and method of pen-based data input into a computing device

• US 7,280,695 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2002
• Issued: 10/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Empower Technologies Incorporated (EMR Technology Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Empower Technologies Incorporated (EMR Technology Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Leung, Paul Chung Po, Ho, Kenneth Kee, Tam, Kiffin Kin Fong, Chang, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Bella, Matthew C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LIEW, ALEX KOK SOON
• Application Number:
  US10/160,434
• Publication Number:
  US 20030028851A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,957 Days
• Field of Search: 345/168
• US Class Current: 382/187
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/1423 the instrument generating sequences of position coordinates corresponding to handwriting preprocessing or recognising digital ink G06V30/32

Abstract

An improved system and method for pen-based handwritten and keystroke data input into a computer system is disclosed. The system and method receives pen-based data entry from multiple related input boxes within a handwriting area on a digitizer pad. Thread-based processing allows each input box or group of input boxes to be separately evaluated, providing for continuous character recognition. Character strokes entered into each input box or group of input boxes are saved and interpreted together to allow more complete recognition of naturally written characters. Improvements on keyboard layouts are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for processing handwritten character strokes entered into a computer system by a user, comprising:

providing a handwriting area for receiving alphabetic letter strokes, the handwriting area divided into a first input box, a second input box and a third input box;

receiving handwritten character strokes entered into the first, second and third input boxes of the handwriting area, one or more of the handwritten character strokes forming input characters;

interpreting input characters having the handwritten character strokes thereof entered into both the first and second input boxes of the handwriting area as upper case alphabetic characters but not as lower case alphabetic characters; and

interpreting input characters having the handwritten character strokes thereof entered into both the second and third input boxes of the handwriting area as lower case alphabetic characters but not as upper case alphabetic characters.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the steps of interpreting handwritten character strokes entered into the first, second and third input boxes of the handwriting area comprise:

saving each handwritten character stroke received at the input boxes of the handwriting area in a memory; and

recognizing a character based on all handwritten character strokes received at the related input boxes of the handwriting area.

3. A method for processing handwritten character strokes entered into a computer system by a user, comprising:

providing a handwriting area for receiving number and symbol strokes, the handwriting area divided into a first input box, a second input box and a third input box;

receiving handwritten character strokes entered into the first, second and third input boxes of the handwriting area, one or more of the handwritten character strokes forming input characters;

interpreting input characters having the handwritten character strokes thereof entered into both the first and second input boxes of the handwriting area as number characters but not as symbol characters; and

interpreting input characters having the handwritten character strokes thereof entered into both the second and third input boxes of the handwriting area as symbol characters but not as number characters.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the steps of interpreting input characters comprise:

saving each handwritten character stroke received at the first, second and third input boxes of the handwriting area in a memory; and

recognizing a character based on all handwritten character strokes received at the first, second and third input boxes, respectively, of the handwriting area.

5. A method for processing handwritten character strokes entered into a computer system by a user, comprising:

providing a first handwriting area for receiving alphabetic letter strokes, the first handwriting area divided into a first input box, a second input box and a third input box;

providing a second handwriting area for receiving alphabetic letter strokes, the second handwriting area divided into a first input box, a second input box and a third input box;

providing a third handwriting area for receiving number and symbol strokes, the third handwriting area divided into a first input box, a second input box and a third input box;

receiving handwritten character strokes entered into the first, second and third input boxes of the first handwriting area, the handwritten character strokes forming input characters;

receiving handwritten character strokes entered into the first, second and third input boxes of the second handwriting area, the handwritten character strokes forming input characters;

receiving handwritten character strokes entered into the first, second and third input boxes of the third handwriting area, the handwritten character strokes forming input characters;

interpreting input characters having the handwritten character strokes thereof entered into both the first and second input boxes of the first handwriting area and into the first and second input boxes of the second handwriting area as upper case alphabetic characters but not as lower case alphabetic characters;

interpreting input characters having the handwritten character strokes thereof entered into both the second and third input boxes of the first handwriting area and into the second and third input boxes of the second handwriting area as lower case alphabetic characters but not as upper case alphabetic characters;

interpreting input characters having the handwritten character strokes thereof entered into both the first and second input boxes of the third handwriting area as number characters but not as symbol characters; and

interpreting input characters having the handwritten character strokes thereof entered into both the second and third input boxes of the third handwriting area as symbol characters but not as number characters.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the steps of interpreting input characters comprise interpreting handwritten character strokes entered alternatively into the first handwriting area and into the second handwriting area.

7. The method of claim 5, interpreting input characters comprise:

saving each handwritten character stroke received at the handwriting area in a memory; and

recognizing a character based on all handwritten character strokes related to each handwriting area.

8. A pen-based computer system, comprising:

a computing device having a digitizer pad and a data entry pen;

a first handwriting area comprising a subset of the digitizer pad for receiving handwritten alphabetic letter strokes input by the data entry pen, the first handwriting area divided into a first input box, a second input box and a third input box;

a second handwriting area comprising a subset of the digitizer pad for receiving handwritten alphabetic letter strokes input by the data entry pen, the second handwriting area divided into a first input box, a second input box and a third input box;

a handwriting recognition engine, the handwriting recognition engine interpreting a first series of handwritten alphabetic letter strokes having handwritten alphabetic letter strokes entered into both the first and second input boxes of the first handwriting area as upper case alphabetic characters but not as lower case alphabetic characters and interpreting a second series of handwritten alphabetic letter strokes having handwritten alphabetic letter strokes entered into both the first and second input boxes of the second handwriting area as upper case alphabetic characters but not as lower case alphabetic characters and interpreting a third series of handwritten character strokes entered into both the second and third input boxes of the first handwriting area as lower case alphabetic characters but not as upper case alphabetic characters and interpreting a fourth series of handwritten alphabetic letter strokes having handwritten alphabetic letter strokes entered into both the second and third input boxes of the second handwriting area as lower case alphabetic characters but not as upper case alphabetic characters.

9. The computer system of claim 8, wherein:

the computing device further includes a memory, and

the handwriting recognition engine saves each handwritten alphabetic letter stroke received at the first, second and third input boxes of the first and second handwriting areas in a memory and recognizes a character based on all handwritten character strokes received related to each handwriting area.