Image analysis – Pattern recognition – On-line recognition of handwritten characters
Reexamination Certificate
2001-01-24
2004-09-28
Johns, Andrew W. (Department: 2621)
Image analysis
Pattern recognition
On-line recognition of handwritten characters
C382S284000, C707S793000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06798907
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to the processing of handwritten information and, more particularly, to systems, computer program products and methods for transmitting and processing handwritten data.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A variety of devices have recently been developed to capture and process handwritten information. For example, devices have been developed to capture handwritten information and to convert the handwritten information into text utilizing various character recognition techniques. This text can then be further processed, transmitted or otherwise utilized in the same fashion as text that has been entered via a keyboard or the like. In addition, devices have been developed that capture handwritten information and thereafter maintain the handwritten information in handwritten form for subsequent transmission, display or the like. For example, the handwritten information may be a map, a diagram or other drawing, or a document that includes Asian language characters that are not easily entered using standard keyboards. As such, these devices generally maintain an image of the handwritten information for subsequent transmission or display.
The devices that capture handwritten information are computing devices such as a pen-enabled computing device. A pen-enabled computing device enables the user to input handwritten information with a writing stylus instead of a mouse or a keyboard. In this regard, a pen-enabled computing device includes a handwriting capture interface. The handwriting capture interface may be a touch-sensitive screen and an associated processor for determining the coordinates that have been contacted by a writing stylus. Alternatively, the handwriting capture interface may include an electronic writing tablet having an overlaid writing surface. The writing surface may include, for example, a blank sheet of paper or a preprinted form. By writing upon the writing surface by means of a writing stylus, the user generates a visible, or “written ink,” copy of the handwritten information. The handwriting capture interface of this exemplary pen-enabled computing device also includes a processor for detecting movement of the writing stylus upon the electronic writing tablet, i.e., relative to the writing surface, in order to capture an “electronic” copy of the handwritten information. Depending upon the design of the handwriting capture interface, the writing stylus may be a conventional pen or pencil, and the stylus may have a radio transmitter, a camera, an ultrasound transducer, any of a variety of magnetic or electric field devices, or any combinations thereof.
As will be apparent, the pen-enabled computing device may be capable of producing both an electronic ink and a written ink copy of the handwritten information. Since the writing stylus is generally capable of providing a written ink copy of the handwritten information on the writing surface, the user is automatically provided with a hard copy, or visual feedback. It is understood, however, that a written ink copy of the handwritten information may not be provided in some instances, such as those instances in which the handwritten information is only captured and stored by the pen-enabled computing device as an electronic copy.
Typically, a pen-enabled computing device senses the position and/or movement of the writing stylus with respect to the electronic writing tablet. Coordinates, such as the X and Y coordinates, representative of the position of the writing stylus at different points in time are stored by the pen-enabled computing device as the electronic copy of the handwritten data. The handwritten data is then often used for other purposes, such as by being incorporated into documents or being displayed. In order for the handwritten data to be subsequently utilized, it is sometimes translated from the handwritten form to text form. While text translation schemes may facilitate practical uses for the handwritten data, they are often not able to accurately translate the handwritten information. In addition, translation routines may impose additional processing and storage requirements that may disadvantageously add to the size and cost of the pen-enabled computing device. Moreover, certain handwritten information, such as maps, diagrams or other drawings, and documents containing Asian language characters, is highly usable in image form. Thus, the demand for pen-enabled computing devices that are capable of utilizing handwritten information for subsequent purposes, such as processing, transmission or the like, without requiring the handwritten information to first be translated into text form is increasing.
In a number of applications, the handwritten information that is captured by a pen-enabled computing device is designed to be transmitted to another, remotely located computing device. For example, a user may wish to provide a friend or co-worker in another town with a hand-drawn map. In these applications, the pen-enabled computing device is therefore one component of a larger system or network which permits the handwritten information that has been captured by the pen-enabled computing device to be transmitted to another remote computing device. In this situation, the pen-enabled computing device can include a transmitter for transmitting the handwritten data to a server, either via the Internet, wirelessly or according to some other transmission medium. The server then further distributes the handwritten data to the remote computing device, also via the Internet, wirelessly or according to some other transmission medium. The recipient can then display or otherwise process the handwritten data that has been received by the remote computing device.
Systems that include pen-enabled computing devices are desirably designed such that the resulting image of the handwritten information that is displayed for the recipient by the remote computing device accurately reflects the original handwritten information that was entered by the user and does so in a manner that is aesthetically pleasing. As such, the processor of some conventional pen-enabled computing devices smoothes the handwritten information prior to transmission of the handwritten information. As such, the image of the handwritten information that is eventually displayed to the recipient will appear to be less jagged and will appear to more accurately represent the handwritten information originally entered by the user. In order to smooth the handwritten information, the processor initially captures a plurality of coordinates representative of the position of the writing stylus relative to the electronic writing table at different instances in time, thereby defining one or more writing strokes. In order to display the handwritten information, the coordinate data is rendered into an image by utilizing line-drawing techniques known to those skilled in the art. The resulting image can be smoothed, such as by applying antialiasing techniques known to those skilled in the art. In this regard, antialiasing techniques adjust the gray-scale values of the pixels of the image in the vicinity of the lines such that the resulting lines appear to be smoother and have fewer sharp edges or corners. By way of example, the gray-scale values of the pixels along a line perpendicular to the line constructed by the line-drawing techniques can be modified to create a relatively smoothly shaped profile, as opposed to the relatively rectangular profile otherwise created by the line-drawing techniques. By repeating this process at each of a plurality of points along the line constructed by the line-drawing techniques, the image of the handwritten information can be smoothed.
Sometimes, the resolution of the handwritten information will also need to be changed from the resolution at which the handwritten information was captured to a new resolution at which an image of the handwritten information will be subsequently displayed. In instances in which it would be desirable to increase the resolution of the handwritten inform
Booth Roger L.
Clary Gregory J.
DiPierro Christopher M.
Hebert, Jr. Peter F.
Priebe Jason S.
Advanced Digital Systems, Inc.
Alavi Amir
Alston & Bird LLP
Johns Andrew W.
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