Image analysis – Pattern recognition – On-line recognition of handwritten characters
Reexamination Certificate
1998-07-30
2001-07-03
Boudreau, Leo (Department: 2721)
Image analysis
Pattern recognition
On-line recognition of handwritten characters
C382S159000, C382S181000, C382S185000, C382S186000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06256410
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to machine translation of handwritten information and, more particularly, to methods and apparatus for customizing handwriting models to individual writers to improve the accuracy of translation.
With the rise in the popularity of hand-held, pen-based computers, the need for accurate machine translation of handwritten text into machine printed text has increased. However, due to the wide variety of handwriting styles, many of which have ambiguous and/or conflicting character representations, generic machine translation with high fidelity is a very difficult task. To reduce this problem, methods have been developed to attempt to enable machine translation devices to adapt to individual writers' styles. These methods can be divided into those which require the collection of samples of a writers' handwriting and those which do not. Typically, the methods which require samples of a writers' handwriting are preferable due to their superior translation performance. However, none of the conventional handwriting translation systems have been able to provide customization which provides consistently accurate and significantly improved translation results.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides methods apparatus for adapting a writer independent system to a user from samples of the user's writing to form a writer dependent recognition system. The writer independent system is trained using handwriting samples collected from a pool of writers. A machine translation system of a users' handwriting utilizing samples from a pool of writers is usually not as accurate as is a system trained on only the users' handwriting due to the fact that the variability in writing style is greater in a pool of writers as compared to that from a single writer. Accordingly, the present invention provides methods and apparatus for customizing handwriting models to individual users by training a writer dependent handwriting recognition system with a specific writers' handwriting samples such that the accuracy of realtime recognition is significantly increased when that particular writer uses the system.
In one aspect of the invention, a method of training a writer dependent handwriting recognition system with handwriting samples of a specific writer comprises the steps of: capturing the handwriting samples of the specific writer; segmenting the handwriting samples of the specific writer; initializing handwriting models associated with the specific writer from the segmented handwriting samples; and refining the initialized handwriting models associated with the specific writer to generate writer dependent handwriting models for use by the writer dependent handwriting recognition system. Preferably, the method also comprises the step of repeating the refining step until the writer dependent handwriting models yield recognition results substantially satisfying a predetermined accuracy threshold.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments thereof, which is to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings in which the same reference numerals are used throughout the various figures to designate same or similar components.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5434929 (1995-07-01), Beernink et al.
patent: 5544257 (1996-08-01), Bellegarda et al.
patent: 5559925 (1996-09-01), Austin
patent: 5577135 (1996-11-01), Grajski et al.
patent: 5617486 (1997-04-01), Chow et al.
patent: 5644652 (1997-07-01), Bellegarda et al.
patent: 5666438 (1997-09-01), Beernink et al.
patent: 5675665 (1997-10-01), Lyon
patent: 5680480 (1997-10-01), Beernink et al.
patent: 5680510 (1997-10-01), Hon et al.
patent: 5710831 (1998-01-01), Beernink et al.
patent: 5710832 (1998-01-01), Berman et al.
patent: 5737490 (1998-04-01), Austin et al.
patent: 5757964 (1998-05-01), Lee et al.
patent: 5761687 (1998-06-01), Hon et al.
patent: 5768422 (1998-06-01), Yaeger
patent: 5796863 (1998-08-01), Lyon
patent: 5805730 (1998-09-01), Yaeger et al.
patent: 5805731 (1998-09-01), Yaeger et al.
patent: 5828999 (1998-10-01), Bellegarda et al.
patent: 5852801 (1998-12-01), Hon et al.
patent: 5881169 (1999-03-01), Henry, Jr.
patent: 5903884 (1999-05-01), Lyon et al.
patent: 5946410 (1999-08-01), Lyon
patent: 6052481 (2000-04-01), Grajski et al.
Nadler, et al. “Pattern Recognition Engineering”, 219-220, 1993.*
Nathan, et al. “Parameter Typing in Writer-Dependent Recognition of On-Line Handwriting”, IEEE, 1996.*
Nathan, et al. “On-Line Handwriting Recognition Using Continuous Parameter Hidden Markov Models”, IEEE, pp. 121-124, 1993.
Nathan Krishna S.
Perrone Michael P.
Subrahmonia Jayashree
Boudreau Leo
F. Chau & Associates LLP
International Business Machines Corp.
Mariam Daniel G.
LandOfFree
Methods and apparatus for customizing handwriting models to... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Methods and apparatus for customizing handwriting models to..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Methods and apparatus for customizing handwriting models to... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2495760