Image analysis – Image sensing – Hand-held
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-06
2001-12-25
Boudreau, Leo (Department: 2621)
Image analysis
Image sensing
Hand-held
C382S120000, C382S121000, C382S122000, C382S181000, C382S187000, C382S188000, C382S202000, C382S309000, C382S312000, C345S179000, C358S473000, C358S478000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06334003
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a data input system applicable to a POS (Point Of Sales) terminal or a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant).
Computers are in remarkably wide use in recent years, and in connection therewith an attempt to computerize information are being made in various kinds of business. Computerized information of various kinds are now indispensable to determining management strategy.
In the distributive industry, an ID number is attached to each article for sale, and the distribution of articles is recorded on the basis of the ID numbers. By so doing, high-efficiency management of stocks and order placement and acceptance is intended. In addition, accumulated data are analyzed to work out an effective sale strategy.
In general, ID numbers of articles and similar kind of data are entered from a keyboard. Since the amount of data that must be entered increases steadily, the data input operation is a burden.
Under these circumstances, various types of data input means, which may supersede keyboards, have been developed. Among such data input means is an OCR (Optical Character Recognition) system, which recognizes characters on a sheet of paper on the basis of the intensity pattern of light reflected from the sheet of paper. To enter characters, the operator is only required to trace the characters by means of a pen-type input device (input pen) having an image scanner at the distal end. Therefore, when an ID number attached to an article is input from a POS terminal or the like, the use of the OCR system is very efficient in comparison with a keyboard.
To recognize characters on a sheet of paper, the OCR system radiates light to them from a light source and detects the reflected light by a sensor. The intensity pattern of the reflected light is acquired, and an intensity pattern closest to the acquired pattern is selected from among the patterns stored in a dictionary beforehand. If the sheet of paper is stained, however, the OCR system may make an error in recognizing characters or may not be able recognize them at all. In such cases, corrections have to be entered from another type of input device, namely, a keyboard.
However, if the data entered from an input pen must be corrected by means of a keyboard, the user is required to switch the input device each time a correction is entered. Since this results in a deterioration in the operating efficiency, the correcting method described above is not suitable when the amount of data to be entered is very large.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a data input system which enables data input by writing without using a tablet or the like and thus realizes more efficient data input than before, e.g., lighten the burden on the user when corrections are made to the characters recognized by the OCR system.
To attain the above object, the present invention provides a data input system comprising: an image scanner; a moving distance sensor; first character recognition means for cutting out a character region from image data read by the image scanner and for executing character recognition; correction-required character specifying means for specifying a character from among a sequence of characters recognized by the first character recognition means; second character recognition means for tracing a locus of movement based on moving distance data including the moving distance and moving direction obtained by the moving distance sensor, and for recognizing a character represented by the locus of movement; and recognized character correcting means for replacing a character recognized by the first character recognizing means and specified as a correction-required character by the correction-required character specifying means with a character recognized by the second character recognition means.
According to the data input system of the present invention, image data on a sequence of characters are entered from an image scanner, which is incorporated in an input pen, by tracing the characters with the input pen. Each of the characters is identified based on the entered image data. If, in this input processing, an error in recognition occurs, the correct character is written with the input pen. By so doing, moving distance data, including a moving distance and a moving direction, are obtained by a moving distance sensor. On the basis of the moving distance data, a locus of movement is traced, and a character corresponding to the locus of movement is recognized.
As can be seen from the above, the data input system of the present invention does not compel the user to switch input devices between an ordinary input operation and a correcting operation. Accordingly, the working efficiency does not deteriorate.
The present invention also provides a data input system comprising: an image scanner; a moving distance sensor; first character recognition means for cutting out a character region from image data read by the image scanner and for performing character recognition; second character recognition means for tracing a locus of movement based on moving distance data including the moving distance and moving direction obtained by the moving distance sensor, and for recognizing a character represented by the locus of movement; and distinguishing means for automatically distinguishing among newly input data provided by the first character recognition means, corrected input data provided by the first character recognition means, newly input data provided by the second character recognition means, and corrected input data provided by the second character recognition means.
The data input system of the present invention has the first and second input modes. In the first input mode, image data on a sequence of characters are entered from an image scanner, which is incorporated in the input pen, by tracing the characters with the input pen. Each of the characters is identified based on the entered image data. In the second input mode, a character is written with the input pen. By the writing of the character, moving distance data, including a moving distance and a moving direction, are obtained by a moving distance sensor. On the basis of the moving distance data, a locus of movement is traced, and a character corresponding to the locus of movement is recognized. In addition, the input mode used for the data input operation is automatically specified in accordance with the manner in which the input pen is used.
Therefore, the data input system of the present invention does not compel the user to switch input modes during a data input operation. Accordingly, the efficiency of the data input operation is enhanced.
The present invention further provides a data input system which is used for selecting and designating an item from among a plurality of items prepared beforehand as options, and which comprises: a moving distance sensor; and item selection means for tracing a locus of movement based on moving distance data including a moving distance and a moving direction obtained by the moving distance sensor, and for selecting an item from among the plurality of items in accordance with the locus of movement traced.
The data input system of the present invention of the present invention recognizes a line segment or a graphic pattern, drawn with an input pen or the like, in accordance with a locus of movement. The locus of movement is traced on the basis of moving distance data including a moving distance and a moving direction and obtained by the moving distance sensor. In accordance with the recognized line segment or graphic pattern, the data input system executes item selection.
As can be seen from the above, the data input system of the present invention enables the user to perform an item selection operation by means of an input pen, with no need to employ a tablet.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the inventio
Boudreau Leo
Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner L.L.P.
Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
Mariam Daniel G.
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