Image analysis – Pattern recognition – Unconstrained handwriting
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-29
2001-10-02
Au, Amelia M. (Department: 2623)
Image analysis
Pattern recognition
Unconstrained handwriting
C382S254000, C345S467000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06298154
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the modification and generation of textual characters which appear to be handwritten.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Text and the printed page have been known for hundreds of years. Since the original invention of movable type, typesetters have used a variety of artistic type designs intended to accentuate or clarify their communication. These designs, known as typefaces, are created by skilled artists.
In contrast to the printed page, people have been writing by hand for thousands of years. Although in the past writers may have strictly shaped their letters according to a particular standard, today handwriting is unique to each individual despite being based, at the time of instruction, on a common, normative handwriting model.
Some typeface designers have created typefaces based on the characteristics of handwriting. For example, the typefaces Mistral and Tekton are based on personal handwriting or lettering. There are also computer typefaces designed to resemble cursive writing, such as script, and are commonly found on desktop computers today.
Not only are standard typefaces resembling an individual's handwriting widely available, there are today, commercial services that will create a personal typeface based on a handwriting sample for any customer who desires it. These services create typefaces used on a computer for rendering text. A single character within a handwritten font may take several forms depending on the surrounding, contextual characters; see U.S. Pat. No. 5,412,771, issued May 2, 1995, to Fenwick.
Since the advent of handwriting, handwritten text has been used to personalize communication. An extreme case is the signature, considered to be definitive proof of the writer's identity. More generally, a handwritten communication is taken to be more personal and emotive than a printed textual communication whether printed by computer, typewriter, or other machine.
Printed photographic images for consumers are often personalized with text, that is the photographic print or an object bearing the photographic image contains a message with special meaning to the owner. For example, a picture given as a gift might have a message written on the picture expressing suitable sentiments to the recipient. When written by computer, these personalized messages are rendered from a text string in an existing typeface, in a suitable font, chosen either by the gift creator or by the manufacturer of the product. The text strings are typically entered via keyboard by an operator or by the customer herself.
An additional level of personalization can be obtained by using the customer's own handwriting as the “rendered” text. This handwritten string can be scanned as an image, suitably processed to extract the “handwriting image” and composited into the product (see U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/752,701). Individuals may also like to provide the appearance of handwritten communications separately from any image or other presentation, for example, in a standard letter.
Unfortunately, many people have practically illegible handwriting and are reluctant to use their own writing, whether manual or computer rendered, for fear of embarrassment. This is especially true when the handwriting is used to personalize a gift. There is a need therefore for an improved method of generating personal handwriting to be used, for example, on personalized gifts and photographs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This object is achieved according to the present invention by a computer implemented method for generating an image of handwritten text having improved appearance. According to the method, a user first provides a handwritten sample of the text. Next, a digital image of the handwritten sample is generated. The digital image is then processed in a computer to generate a digital image of text having improved appearance. Finally, the digital image having improved appearance is displayed. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the sample is synthesized with an existing, normative type face so as to create a new sample that is representative of the person's handwriting but exhibits characteristics of the normative typeface. These characteristics may include improved legibility, consistency, or quality of appearance. According to one approach, the digital image of a handwritten sample is combined with a digital image of the sample written in a normative handwriting font. According to an alternative approach, the digital images of several samples of the same text are combined to produce the improved image.
The synthesis is accomplished by comparing the same personal and normative characters or connected words (for cursive writing) and combining them to create differently formed characters or words.
By combining a handwritten text sample or text produced by a type face derived from a handwriting sample with a normative handwriting sample of the same text, a modified sample of personal handwriting that improves upon and maintains the characteristics of an individual's handwriting is created.
By using a computer to improve the appearance of personal handwriting in this way, and then incorporating the improved handwriting into an image or other gift article, the perceived acceptability of the gift, especially on the part of the giver, is greatly improved.
ADVANTAGES
This invention provides an advantage in the creation of personalized articles bearing a handwritten inscription. By applying this invention, the difficulty encountered by individuals dissatisfied with their personal handwriting is overcome. The technique is flexible in its use of a variety of writing styles and in the incorporation of a variety of handwriting attributes. The invention allows one to improve the appearance of their personal handwriting by creating a more consistent appearance or by incorporating a variety of desired attributes. The method can be implemented automatically or with manual assistance, with the use of readily available tools and does not require the categorization of characters or complex analysis of character formation and structure.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4817034 (1989-03-01), Hardin, Sr. et al.
patent: 5327342 (1994-07-01), Roy
patent: 5412771 (1995-05-01), Fenwick
patent: 5426594 (1995-06-01), Wright et al.
patent: 5889889 (1999-03-01), Sinden
patent: 6052481 (2000-04-01), Grajski et al.
patent: 6069978 (2000-05-01), Peairs
patent: 6125207 (2000-09-01), Merchant et al.
Au Amelia M.
Close Thomas H.
Dastouri Mehrdad
Eastman Kodak Company
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