Apparatus and method for handwriting recognition

• US 8,094,938 B2
• Filed: 04/02/2004
• Issued: 01/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Wang, Kong Qiao, Liu, Ying, Zou, Yanming, Gao, Yi pu, Kangas, Jari A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Repko, Jason M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thomas, Mia M
• Application Number:
  US11/547,066
• Publication Number:
  US 20080166049A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,839 Days
• Field of Search: 382181-190, 382/137, 382/312, 345/173, 345/169, 345/156, 345/418, 235/435
• US Class Current: 382/185
• 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

An apparatus (100) for handwriting recognition has a touch-sensitive display screen (240) providing a hand writing input area (270) capable of detecting hand-made user input. The apparatus also has a processing device (300) coupled to the touch-sensitive display screen and providing a user interface to a user. The handwriting input area (270) includes a writing start area (280) capable of switching between a first two-dimensional scope (282) and a second two-dimensional scope (282′), larger than the first two-dimensional scope. The processing device (300) is configured to handle said handmade user input as either a logical mouse event, associated with a control operation for said user interface, or a logical pen event, associated with handwriting. User input within the writing start area when having its first two-dimensional scope is handled as a logical mouse event and causes the writing start area to switch to its second two-dimensional scope, Furthermore, user input that starts within the writing start area when having its second two-dimensional scope is handled as a logical pen event and causes interpretation of the user input (252) as a symbol (254) from a plurality of predefined symbols.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a touch-sensitive display screen providing a handwriting input area capable of detecting hand-made user input; and

a processing device providing a user interface to a user via the touch-sensitive display screen, wherein;

the handwriting input area includes a writing start area capable of switching between a first two-dimensional size and a second two-dimensional size, larger than the first two-dimensional size, wherein said writing start area is smaller than said handwriting input area; and

in that

the processing device is configured to handle said hand-made user input as either a logical mouse event, associated with a control operation for said user interface, or a logical pen event, associated with handwriting;

wherein user input within the writing start area when having its first two-dimensional size is handled as a logical mouse event and causes the writing start area to switch to its second two-dimensional size;

wherein user input that starts within the writing start area when having its second two-dimensional size and ends anywhere within the handwriting input area including outside said writing start area is handled as a logical pen event and causes interpretation of the user input as a symbol from a plurality of predefined symbols, said plurality of predefined symbols including a first symbol set and a second symbol set, and said writing start area comprising a first subarea and a second subarea, each being capable of switching between a first two-dimensional size and a second two-dimensional size, larger than the first two-dimensional size;

wherein user input within either of said first subarea and second subarea, when having its respective first two-dimensional size, is handled as a logical mouse event and causes a switch to its second two-dimensional size;

wherein user input that starts within said first subarea, when having its second two-dimensional size, is handled as a logical pen event and causes interpretation of the user input as a symbol from said first symbol set;

wherein user input that starts within said second subarea, when having its second two-dimensional size, is handled as a logical pen event and causes interpretation of the user input as a symbol from said second symbol set; and

wherein the symbol from said first symbol set and the symbol from said second symbol set are combinable into a sequence of symbols.

2. An apparatus as in claim 1, said plurality of predefined symbols further comprising at least a third symbol set, and said writing start area further comprising at least a third subarea, the third subarea being capable of switching between a first two-dimensional size and a second two-dimensional size, larger than the first two-dimensional size,

wherein user input within any of said first subarea, second subarea and third subarea, when having its respective first two-dimensional size, is handled as a logical mouse event and causes a switch to its second two-dimensional size;

and

wherein user input that starts within the third subarea, when having its second two-dimensional size, is handled as a logical pen event and causes interpretation of the user input as a symbol from said third symbol set.

3. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein a switch to the second two-dimensional size for either of said first subarea or second subarea causes a switch for the other one of said first subarea or second subarea to its first two-dimensional size, if not already having it, so that only one of said first and second subareas can have its second two-dimensional size at any given time.

4. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the processing device is configured to provide a visual indication of said writing start area on said display screen.

5. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said writing start area has a fixed location within said handwriting input area.

6. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said processing device is configured to adjust a location of the writing start area depending on a current cursor position.

7. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein a location of the writing start area is adjustable by a user of the apparatus.

8. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said handwriting input area is formed by a majority of the display screen'"'"'s available presentation area.

9. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said handwriting input area is formed by the entire display screen'"'"'s available presentation area.

10. An apparatus as in claim 1, said user input including at least one pen stroke, wherein said processing device is configured to display, on said display screen, a graphical trace representing said at least one pen stroke prior to the interpretation thereof.

11. An apparatus as in claim 10, wherein said processing device is configured to display, on said display screen , said symbol when it has been interpreted from said at least one pen stroke.

12. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said plurality of predefined symbols includes a symbol set selected from the group consisting of:

Latin characters, upper case characters, lower case characters, Arabic numerals, punctuation symbols, Cyrillic characters, Chinese characters, Japanese Kanji symbols, Japanese Hiragana characters and Japanese Katakana characters, and user-defined symbols.

13. An apparatus as in claim 1, in the form a mobile terminal for a mobile telecommunication system.

14. An apparatus as in claim 1, in the form of a portable/personal digital assistant (PDA).

15. A method comprising:

providing, within a handwriting input area, a writing start area capable of switching between a first two-dimensional size and a second two-dimensional size, larger than the first two-dimensional size;

wherein said writing start area is smaller than said handwriting input area;

detecting user input within the writing start area;

handling user input, when said writing start area has its first two-dimensional size, as a logical mouse event and in response switching the writing start area to its second two-dimensional size;

handling said user input, when said writing start area has its second two-dimensional size and said user input starts within the writing start area and ends anywhere within the handwriting input area including outside said writing start area, as a logical pen event and in response interpreting said user input as a symbol from a plurality of predefined symbols, said plurality of predefined symbols including a first symbol set and a second symbol set, and said writing start area comprising a first subarea and a second subarea, each being capable of switching between a first two-dimensional size and a second two-dimensional size, larger than the first two-dimensional size;

wherein user input within either of said first subarea and second subarea, when having its respective first two-dimensional size, is handled as a logical mouse event and causes a switch to its second two-dimensional size;

wherein user input that starts within said first subarea, when having its second two-dimensional size, is handled as a logical pen event and causes interpretation of the user input as a symbol from said first symbol set;

wherein user input that starts within said second subarea, when having its second two-dimensional size, is handled as a logical pen event and causes interpretation of the user input as a symbol from said second symbol set; and

wherein the symbol from said first symbol set and the symbol from said second symbol set are combinable into a sequence of symbols.

16. A method as in claim 15, said plurality of predefined symbols further comprising at least a third symbol set, and said writing start area further comprising at least a third subarea, the third subarea being capable of switching between a first two-dimensional size and a second two-dimensional size, larger than the first two-dimensional size,

wherein user input within any of said first subarea, second subarea and third subarea, when having its respective first two-dimensional size, is handled as a logical mouse event and causes a switch to its second two-dimensional size;

and

wherein user input that starts within said third subarea, when having its second two-dimensional size, is handled as a logical pen event and causes interpretation of the user input as a symbol from said third symbol set.

17. A method as in claim 15, wherein a switch to the second two-dimensional size for either of said first subarea or second subarea causes a switch for the other one of said first subarea or second subarea to its first two-dimensional size, if not already having it, so that only one of said first and second subareas can have its second two-dimensional size at any given time.

18. A method as in claim 15, comprising the further step of visually indicating said writing start area on said display screen.

19. A method as in claim 15, comprising the further step of adapting a location of said writing start area within said handwriting input area depending on a current cursor position.

20. A method as in claim 15, comprising the further step of adapting a location of said writing start area within said handwriting input area depending on a user setting.

21. A method as in claim 15, said user input including at least one pen stroke, the method comprising the further step of displaying, on said display screen, a graphical trace representing said at least one pen stroke prior to the interpretation thereof.

22. A method as in claim 21, comprising the further step of displaying, on said display screen, said symbol when it has been interpreted from said at least one pen stroke.

23. A method as in claim 15, wherein said plurality of predefined symbols includes a symbol set selected from the group consisting of:

Latin characters, upper case characters, lower case characters, Arabic numerals, punctuation symbols, Cyrillic characters, Chinese characters, Japanese Kanji symbols, Japanese Hiragana characters and Japanese Katakana characters, and user-defined symbols.