Handwriting-input device and method

• US 8,665,222 B2
• Filed: 04/05/2005
• Issued: 03/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Nakajima, Kenji
• Primary Examiner(s): Pervan, Michael
• Application Number:
  US11/098,394
• Publication Number:
  US 20050237311A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,255 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-178, 178 1801- 1811, 382/186
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A handwriting-input device and method capable of inputting a mixture of a character and a graphic without feeling discomfort even when an input area is physically limited. A handwriting-input device including, on a display screen, a normalized pencraft input area for inputting a pencraft desired to be normalized to be input and a pencraft arrangement area for inputting a pencraft that is not normalized and normalizing the pencraft to display it, at least includes: coordinate input means to obtain coordinate position information input by an input medium; and input area judgment means to judge which of the normalized pencraft input area and the pencraft arrangement area the pencraft is input in, based on the coordinate position information, wherein the pencraft can be input based on a judgment result in the input area judgment means.

Claims

1. A handwriting-input device comprising:

an input unit;

a display screen on which a normalized pencraft input area for inputting and displaying a pencraft that is to be reduced in size and a pencraft arrangement area for inputting and displaying a pencraft are displayed as separate areas from each other;

a coordinate input part to obtain coordinate position information on a pencraft input by the input unit; and

an input area judgment part to judge which of the normalized pencraft input area and the pencraft arrangement area the pencraft is to be input in, based on the coordinate position information,

wherein, based on a judgment result by the input area judgment part,

once it is judged that the pencraft is input in the normalized pencraft input area by the input unit, the input pencraft is displayed on the normalized pencraft input area,

once it is judged that the pencraft is input in the pencraft arrangement area by the input unit, the pencraft is not input in the normalized pencraft input area, and there is no pencraft that has already been input at an input position of the pencraft in the pencraft arrangement area, the input pencraft is displayed so as to exactly preserve a shape of the pencraft in the pencraft arrangement area,

once it is judged that a first coordinate position of the pencraft as input by the input unit is included in the pencraft arrangement area, and there is a pencraft or a pencraft group that has already been input in the normalized pencraft input area, the pencraft or the pencraft group present in the normalized pencraft input area is reduced in size, so as to exactly preserve a shape of the pencraft or the pencraft group, and displayed at the first coordinate position of the pencraft as input in the pencraft arrangement area, and

once it is judged that the first coordinate position of the pencraft to be input by the input unit is included in the pencraft arrangement area, there is no pencraft that has already been input in the normalized pencraft input area and a pencraft or a pencraft group has already been input at the first coordinate position of the input pencraft, the pencraft or the pencraft group that has already been input is rearranged in the pencraft arrangement area.

2. The handwriting-input device according to claim 1,

wherein the coordinate input part to obtain continuous coordinate position information due to a drag operation of the input unit,

the input area judgment part to detect a coordinate position corresponding to a start position of the drag operation and a coordinate position corresponding to an end position thereof, and to judge which of the normalized pencraft input area and the pencraft arrangement area the coordinate position corresponding to the start position and the coordinate position corresponding to the end position are respectively present in, and

based on a judgment result by the input area judgment part, the pencraft present at the coordinate position corresponding to the start position is to move to the coordinate position corresponding to the end position.

3. The handwriting-input device according to claim 2, wherein an area ratio between the normalized pencraft input area and the pencraft arrangement area is specified, and a display area ratio between the normalized pencraft input area and the pencraft arrangement area is varied depending upon the specified area ratio.

4. The handwriting-input device according to claim 2, wherein a horizontal scroll area is provided between the normalized pencraft input area and the pencraft arrangement area, and the normalized pencraft input area is configured to be enlarged or reduced in size by the horizontal scroll area.

5. The handwriting-input device according to claim 1, wherein an area ratio between the normalized pencraft input area and the pencraft arrangement area is specified, and a display area ratio between the normalized pencraft input area and the pencraft arrangement area is varied depending upon the specified area ratio.

6. The handwriting-input device according to claim 1, wherein a horizontal scroll area is provided between the normalized pencraft input area and the pencraft arrangement area, and the normalized pencraft input area can be enlarged or reduced in size by the horizontal scroll area.

7. A handwriting-input method using a handwriting input device that includes an input unit and a display screen, the method comprising:

allowing the display screen to display a normalized pencraft input area for inputting and displaying a pencraft that is to be reduced in size and a pencraft arrangement area for inputting and displaying a pencraft as separate areas from each other;

obtaining coordinate position information on a pencraft input by the input unit; and

performing in accordance with a first coordinate position of the pencraft to be input by the input unit and an input situation of the pencraft in the respective normalized pencraft input area and the pencraft arrangement area such that;

(1) upon it being judged that the pencraft is input in the normalized pencraft input area by the input unit, the input pencraft is displayed on the normalized pencraft input area;

(2) upon it being judged that the pencraft is input in the pencraft arrangement area by the input unit, the pencraft is not input in the normalized pencraft input area, and there is no pencraft that has already been input at an input position of the pencraft in the pencraft arrangement area, the input pencraft is displayed so as to exactly preserve a shape of the pencraft in the pencraft arrangement area;

(3) upon it being judged that the first coordinate position of the pencraft as input by the input unit is included in the pencraft arrangement area and there is a pencraft or a pencraft group that has already been input in the normalized pencraft input area, the pencraft or the pencraft group present in the normalized pencraft input area is reduced in size, so as to exactly preserve a shape of the pencraft or the pencraft group, and displayed at the first coordinate position of the pencraft as input in the pencraft arrangement area, and

(4) upon it being judged that the first coordinate position of the pencraft to be input by the input unit is included in the pencraft arrangement area, there is no pencraft that has already been input in the normalized pencraft input area, and a pencraft or a pencraft group has already been input at the first coordinate position of the input pencraft, the pencraft or the pencraft group that has already been input is rearranged in the pencraft arrangement area.

8. A non-transitory recording medium storing a program for allowing a computer processor to execute a handwriting-input method using a handwriting input device that includes an input unit and a display screen, the method comprising:

allowing the display screen to display a normalized pencraft input area for inputting and displaying a pencraft that is to be reduced in size and a pencraft arrangement area for inputting and displaying a pencraft as separate areas from each other;

obtaining coordinate position information on a pencraft input by the input unit; and

performing in accordance with a first coordinate position of the pencraft to be input by the input unit and an input situation of the pencraft in the respective normalized pencraft input area and the pencraft arrangement area such that;

(1) once it is judged that the pencraft is input in the normalized pencraft input area by the input unit, the input pencraft is displayed on the normalized pencraft input area;

(2) once it is judged that the pencraft is input in the pencraft arrangement area by the input unit, the pencraft is not input in the normalized pencraft input area, and there is no pencraft that has already been input at an input position of the pencraft in the pencraft arrangement area, the input pencraft is displayed so as to exactly preserve a shape of the pencraft in the pencraft arrangement area;

(3) once it is judged that the first coordinate position of the pencraft to be input by the input unit is included in the pencraft arrangement area and there is a pencraft or a pencraft group that has already been input in the normalized pencraft input area, the pencraft or the pencraft group present in the normalized pencraft input area is reduced in size, so as to exactly preserve a shape of the pencraft or the pencraft group, and displayed at the first coordinate position of the pencraft as input in the pencraft arrangement area, and

(4) once it is judged that the first coordinate position of the pencraft to be input by the input unit is included in the pencraft arrangement area, there is no pencraft that has already been input in the normalized pencraft input area, and a pencraft or a pencraft group has already been input at the first coordinate position of the input pencraft, the pencraft or the pencraft group that has already been input is rearranged in the pencraft arrangement area.