Image analysis – Pattern recognition – On-line recognition of handwritten characters
Reexamination Certificate
1998-10-21
2001-05-22
Johns, Andrew W. (Department: 2621)
Image analysis
Pattern recognition
On-line recognition of handwritten characters
Reexamination Certificate
active
06236753
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display apparatus which allows hand-written graphic characters of, for example, a letter, a figure, etc. to be entered, more particularly to an apparatus and method for displaying contour lines of a figure, which displays contour lines of a hand-written graphic character created by contouring processing carried out immediately after the hand-written graphic character is entered, as well as a medium on which a program for controlling the apparatus is stored.
2. Description of the Related Art
Related art technologies for drawing contour lines of a graphic character stored beforehand is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publications JP-A 58-172768 (1983), JP-A 3-75973 (1991), and JP-A 8-146939 (1996). In JP-A 58-172768 (1983), contour lines of graphic characters stored beforehand are created and displayed by setting a rectangular coordinate system in which each coordinate axis is inclined by 45° to a display rectangular coordinate system set up for the display face beforehand. Consequently, the line width of the contour line in the oblique direction becomes equal to the line widths of the graphic character in both vertical and horizontal directions. The corners of the contour line are thus rounded.
Furthermore, in JP-A 3-75973, both starting and ending points of a stroke are found, then regular polygons inscribing circles drawn around the starting and ending points assumed as center points are found, and after this, a stroke figure inscribing both of the regular polygons, that is, a contour line is found. In addition, in JP-A 8-146939, an original letter stored beforehand is drawn so as to be contoured with a contoured letter. It is possible to specify a width and angle for shifting the contoured letter, as well as a color for the contoured letter.
The related art described above is also used for contouring processing for all of coordinate data representing a graphic character to be contoured. The contouring processing is possible only after all the coordinate data of the graphic character is entered. Consequently, when a curve or the like is drawn freely using a pointing device on digital image data, it is impossible to contour the curve in real time. For example, in the case of a display apparatus which allows hand-written graphic characters of letters, figures, etc. to be entered, it is impossible to display contour lines of the hand-written graphic characters immediately. Additionally the operator cannot confirm the contour lines during contouring processing.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Under such circumstances, it is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method for displaying an image with contour lines of the figure serviceably, as well as a medium on which a control program is stored.
In a first aspect of the invention there is provides an apparatus for displaying contour lines of a figure comprising:
displaying device having a display face for which a predetermined rectangular coordinate system is set up;
inputting device for specifying coordinates in the rectangular coordinate system of the displaying device to output coordinate data; and
contour data creating circuit for accumulating and fetching coordinate data outputted from the inputting device from a time of beginning of output to create contour data representing contour lines which enclose the figure composed of the coordinate data, on the basis of the accumulated coordinate data,
wherein the contour lines of the figure, composed of the contour data are displayed on the displaying device.
According to the first aspect of the invention, when coordinates are specified in the rectangular coordinate system set up for the display face of the displaying device, contour lines according to the specified coordinates can be displayed. In other words, when coordinates are specified, the coordinate data representing the specified coordinates is outputted and accumulated. On the basis of the accumulated coordinate data, contour data is created. The contour data represents contour lines which enclose the figure composed of the coordinate data. Consequently, in a display apparatus which allows hand-written graphic characters of a letter, a figure, etc. to be entered, immediately after a hand-written graphic character is entered, the graphic character is contoured and displayed. In addition, it is possible to confirm the contour lines while the contouring processing is performed. The convenience of the apparatus is thus improved significantly.
In a second aspect of the invention the contour data creating circuit includes:
first figure generating circuit for generating the first figure data composed of the accumulated coordinate data;
first storing circuit for storing the first figure data;
second figure generating circuit for generating the second figure data including the first figure data and representing the second figure which encloses the first figure composed of the first figure data;
second storing circuit for storing the second figure data; and
synthesizing circuit for synthesizing contour data obtained by removing the first figure data from the second figure data.
According to the second aspect of the invention, when coordinates are specified, the coordinate data representing the specified coordinates is outputted and accumulated, so that contour data is created on the basis of the accumulated coordinate data. At this time, the first figure data composed of the accumulated coordinate data is generated and stored in the first storing circuit. Then the second figure data including the first figure data and representing contour lines which enclose the figure composed of the first figure data is generated and stored in the second storing circuit. In addition, the first figure data is removed from the second figure data, thereby contour data is synthesized. After this, contour lines are displayed.
In a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a method for displaying contour lines of a figure, comprising the steps of:
specifying coordinates in a predetermined rectangular coordinate system set up for the display face of the displaying device thereby to output the coordinate data of the specified coordinates;
accumulating the outputted coordinate data from a time of beginning of output and creating contour data representing contour lines which enclose the figure composed of the coordinate data on the basis of the coordinate data; and
displaying the contour lines composed of the contour data.
According to the third aspect of the invention, it is possible to provide a method for displaying contour lines, which is applicable to the apparatus described in the first aspect of the invention.
In a fourth aspect of the invention the step for creating contour data includes the steps of:
generating and storing the first figure data composed of the accumulated coordinate data;
generating and storing the second figure data including the first figure data and representing a second figure which encloses a first figure composed of the first figure data; and
removing the first figure data from the second figure data thereby to synthesize contour data.
According to the fourth aspect of the invention, it is possible to provide a method for displaying contour lines, which is applicable to the apparatus described in the second aspect of the invention.
In a fifth aspect of the invention there is provided a medium in which a program for controlling the contour line display apparatus described above by a computer is stored, the program comprising specifying coordinates in a predetermined rectangular coordinate system set up for the display face of the displaying device thereby to output the coordinate data; accumulating the outputted coordinate data from a time of the beginning of the output; creating contour data representing contour lines which enclose the figure composed of the coordinate data on the basis of the coordinate data, and displaying the contour lines composed of the contour data on the displaying device.
According
Azarian Seyed H.
Johns Andrew W.
Nixon & Vanderhye P.C.
Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
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