Image analysis – Pattern recognition – On-line recognition of handwritten characters
Reexamination Certificate
1996-10-07
2001-12-11
Au, Amelia M. (Department: 2623)
Image analysis
Pattern recognition
On-line recognition of handwritten characters
C382S314000, C382S207000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06330359
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to a character input device, and more particularly to an input device capable of correctly recognizing and inputting hand-written letters and symbols upon being written.
BACKGROUND ART
Optical character readers (OCRs) have been utilized to correctly recognize and input letters on manuscripts. With the OCR, letters may be input without manual input work using an input device such as a keyboard.
When inputting an English manuscript for instance through manual input work, an operator reads the letters and then manually inputs the read letters through the keyboard. Here, the speed of reading the English manuscript and the input speed through the keyboard largely depend an the linguistic proficiency and the keyboard operating ability of the operator.
In contrast, in the input work with the OCR, the English manuscript is read as graphic information with an optical device such an a scanner. Then, the graphic information is analyzed with a CPU according to a predetermined program, and the information read as graphic image is recognized as a specific character. Since the recognized characters are taken into the device, no manual work is required. Therefore, characters may be input without being affected by the operator's linguistic proficiency or keyboard operating ability.
The OCR can recognize not only characters but also numerals and symbols. Therefore, the OCR is utilized for recognizing postal codes (numerals) on letters or postcards, and checking examination papers (recognizing symbols and numerals) as well as recognizing and inputting characters.
On the other hand, there is an input device such an a pen input device, other than the OCR, with which characters written with a special electronic pen on a liquid crystal screen having transparent electrodes are recognized and input. With the pen input device, input of characters is made upon the characters being written. Therefore, the pen input device requires no separate recognition work with OCR, using a scanner or the like. Also, since no input work through the keyboard is required, the pen input device is attracting attention as a speedy input device.
However, the conventional pen input device has the following problems.
That is to say, since the OCR performs the reading optically, the surface condition of the manuscript on which the characters are written may become a problem. For example, when checking examination papers utilizing the OCR, recognition may not be performed correctly if answering marks such as [O] and [X], or score numerals are overlapped with question sentences.
To avoid such a problem, a scoring box may be provided separately on the answer paper so that the scoring box may be separately recognized with the OCR. In that case, however, the scoring box must always be provided and moreover the reading position must be registered in the OCR. Such preparation work before the recognition work is cumbersome.
Furthermore, the recognition may become uncertain when there are traces of rubber eraser, leaked ink, blurred ink, or breakage or wrinkles on the paper.
Another problem is that, since the checking is followed by the recognition with the OCR, the input work cannot be done speedily in parallel with the checking.
With the pen input device on the other hand, since the data input is done with a special electronic pen, a liquid crystal panel, etc., existing hardware cannot be utilized in the recognition work, and a special computer system is required. This results in a high cost of the product.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
The object of the invention made in view of the above is to provide an input device capable of solving the problems described above, and correctly recognizing and inputting hand-written characters upon being written, without using an input device such as the optical character reader or a keyboard.
The pen-grip type input device and the input device of the invention are provided with; pressure detecting means for detecting the finger pressure of the writer, and analyzing means for obtaining a unit waveform from the variation in the detected pressure and for recognizing characters by comparing the unit waveform with previously learned and stored characters. Therefore, hand-written characters may be accurately and speedily recognized and input without using an input device such as an OCR or a keyboard.
The pen-grip type input device and the input device of the invention are further provided with held state recognizing means for recognizing the held state of the writing instrument by obtaining an output from gravity direction detecting means disposed to surround the writing instrument. Therefore, the held state of the writing instrument is recognized so that the pressure detecting means in correctly associated with fingers.
The pen-grip type of auxiliary input device and the auxiliary input device of the invention are provided with at least one gravity direction detecting means disposed around an input pen of the pen input device so that a change in the tilt angle (rotary angle about the pen point) of the input pen in detected. Also, input function selecting means is provided for selecting input functions of the pen input device according to the output from the gravity direction detecting means. Therefore, input functions may be selected simply by changing the rotary angle of the input pen.
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Au Amelia M.
Japan Nesamac Corporation
Merchant & Gould P.C.
Miller Martin E
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