Abstract: Disclosed are a document retrieval method and system for separately performing a process for correcting erroneously recognized characters existing in characteristic character strings within a seed document or the documents to be registered and a process for tolerating erroneously recognized characters existing in the documents targeted for retrieval. The process for correcting erroneously recognized characters existing in characteristic character strings extracts characteristic character strings from a read document, replaces the extracted characteristic character strings containing erroneously recognized characters with character strings appropriate for document retrieval, and selects characteristic character strings for use in actual document retrieval.

Abstract: A system and method of using character set matching to identify the matching or best-matching font to print text of indeterminate language are presented. Today's operating systems do not provide the native tools and functions to easily display text of unknown language or multiple languages. The complexity of any underlying code that handles a multilingual display is sharply increased due to the text being segmented into multiple text runs. The invention employs character set engine that provides necessary character set guessing functionality, as well as an enumerator module to build a linked list of suitable output fonts to display text from an arbitrary language, and multilingual text. Output on a laser, inkjet or other printing apparatus can be granted by traversing that list.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for representing sets of Chinese or Asian characters having complicated and basic ideographic symbols in collision free combinations of English letters to provide one-code-one-character ideographic character coding.

Abstract: The capacity of a character feature dictionary is reduced, and stored as a feature dictionary. The capacity is reduced by clustering feature vectors in units of columns or rows for character features, by making m column vectors represent the column or row features, and by assigning 1 to m identification numbers. The capacity of the dictionary can be further reduced by representing a column or row feature with an addition sum of other column or row features, or differential features after clustering is performed, or by performing dimension compression for character features. Word recognition is performed by synthesizing a word feature for a comparison based on a word list to be recognized, and by making a comparison between a feature extracted from an input word and the synthesized feature. Or, a comparison between input word and input word features whose numbers of dimensions are different may be made with nonlinear elastic matching.

Abstract: The present invention provides effective information search means, and/or effective acquired information submission means, without overtly expressing an intent (e.g., through the depression of a search button) to acquire information. In an example embodiment, the kana-kanji conversion routine is activated, and a character string is input using voice, a keyboard or a graphic entry process. Then, a conversion key is depressed to convert the input character string into kanji. Upon the depression of the conversion key, the homonym candidate selection routine is initiated, and the conversion candidate is presented. In response to the depression of the conversion key, or the change of the conversion candidate in the homonym candidate selection routine, the information access routine is activated. Then, the information access procedure is performed, and the search results are acquired. Thereafter, the search results are presented.

Abstract: A handwritten Chinese character input method and system is provided to allow users to enter Chinese characters to a data processor by adding less than three strokes and one selection movement such as mouse clicking or stylus or finger tapping. The system is interactive, predictive, and intuitive to use. By adding one or two strokes which are used to start writing a Chinese character, or in some case even no strokes are needed, users can find a desired character from a list of characters. The list is context sensitive. It varies depending on the prior character entered. Compared to other existing systems, this system can save users considerable time and efforts to entering handwritten characters.

Abstract: There is provided a character-string information output apparatus that can avoid any confusion due to a difference between character string commands, and that can improve its expandability. An image writing apparatus analyzes commands identical in information content to character string information to which an input instruction has been issued. The analyzed support commands are all written onto a nonvolatile memory through a card drive. On the other hand, an electrophotographic image processing apparatus searches a DPOF file on the nonvolatile memory for all commands through a card read drive. From among the searched commands, a command that the electrophotographic image processing apparatus can support is extracted as a target command for the electrophotographic image processing apparatus.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for handwriting recognition system for ideographic characters and other characters based on subcharacter hidden Markov models. The ideographic characters are modeled using a sequence of subcharacter models and by using two-dimensional geometric layout models of the subcharacters. The subcharacter hidden Markov models are created according to one embodiment by following a set of design rules. The combination of the sequence and geometric layout of the subcharacter models is used to recognize the handwriting character.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for encoding a handwritten stroke set, each of the handwritten stroke set being representative of a constituent stroke of an ideographic character, to obtain an encoded input sequence. The method includes ascertaining a shape of a first stroke of the handwritten stroke set and ascertaining one of a location information and a size information pertaining to the first stroke. The method further includes assigning a first code to the encoded input sequence responsive to a determination of the shape of the first stroke and a determination of the one of the location information and the size information of the first stroke. The first code is predefined to represent the shape of the first stroke and the one of the location information and the size information of the first stroke. The first code is sufficiently unique to distinguish the first code from other codes representing other permutations of shape and the one of the location information and the size information of the first stroke.

Abstract: The present invention is a method for recognizing non-English alpha characters that contain diacritics. An image analysis separates the character into its constituent components. The one or more diacritic components are then distinguished and isolated from the base portion of the character. Optical recognition is performed separately on the base portion. The diacritic is recognized through a special image analysis and pattern recognition algorithms. The image analysis extracts geometric information from the one or more diacritic components. The extracted information is used as input for the pattern recognition algorithms. The output is a code that corresponds to a particular diacritic. The recognized base portion and diacritic are combined and a check is performed for acceptable combinations in a chosen language. By separately recognizing the base portion and diacritic, the character sets used by the recognizer can be narrowed, resulting in greater recognition.

Abstract: In a document in which a plurality of data items of different kinds are mixed, when one data item is edited, the relative positional relation to other data items is prevented from being destroyed, whereby information is prevented from becoming meaningless or from being changed. For example, when an edit is carried out on one data item, a deviation amount of that data item is derived and a shift process by the same amount is effected on the other data items, whereby the relative positional relation can be maintained among the data items.

Abstract: A method and system for mapping a number of characters in a string, wherein the string comprises a combination of characters representing indexed expressions and a combination of characters representing non-indexed expressions. One embodiment produces a weight array that can be utilized to compare a first and second string having indexed and non-indexed expressions. In one embodiment, a method generates a set of special weights for characters that represent indexed and non-indexed expressions. The method then associates a weight value of an indexed expression with the specific group of characters representing a specific non-indexed expression, and generates a weight array by retrieving a plurality of special weights associated with the specific group of characters representing the specific non-indexed expression and the associated weight value of the indexed expression.

Abstract: A system identifies a character code. This character code may be received from keyboard entry, read from memory, or acquired from an external network, for example. This character code can comprise an arrangement of bytes. Each byte can be identified as a group, plane, row, or cell. The row and plane values of the character code can be mapped to corresponding row and plane values of an optimized character code. Character attributes associated with each optimized character code can be accessed. The row and plane values of optimized character codes can be mapped to corresponding row and plane values of character codes.

Abstract: The technique of the invention efficiently eliminates non-required portions of image data from the subject of character recognition and specifies connection of recognition areas in a linguistically correct order, thus enhancing the accuracy of recognition. The procedure of the invention specifies multiple recognition areas in image data corresponding to one page of a document and carries out character recognition in each of the multiple recognition areas. The procedure selects one of the multiple recognition areas as a target processing area and determines which of a side recognition area located on a left side or a right side of the target processing area and a lower recognition area located below the target processing area is a linguistic continuance of the target processing area. For example, a recognition frame FR4 is set to the target processing area. The last line of the recognition frame FR4 is ended with a punctuation symbol.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for analyzing and assessing documents using a profile for documents, such as a payment instrument. In one embodiment, the profile may include variable machine-printed writing. In other embodiments, the profile may include pre-printed information. A method may include providing a document to a computer system. In one embodiment, profile representations may be determined for information fields of the document. The determination may use variable machine-printed writing and/or pre-printed information from at least one of the information fields of the documents. In one embodiment, the method may further include comparing machine-printed writing and/or pre-printed information in information fields of the document to at least profile representation from at least one information field of at least one other document. In some embodiments, the method may include assessing fraud in the document using at least one of the comparisons.

Abstract: A Chinese text entry system and method is provided to allow users to enter a character to a device such as a cellular phone or a PDA by adding a first few strokes required for the character using a joystick or its equivalent. By simply moving the joystick to add one or more strokes which are used to start writing a character, or in some case even before any stroke is added, a user can find a desired character from a displayed selection list. The selection list is context sensitive, varying depending on the last character entered, so that the user can be provided with the most possible candidates of the desired character.

Abstract: Beginning with the first letter or stroke, this invention uses the relative frequency of the sequential groups of letters or strokes from which individual words or characters are gradually built in order to provide a better way of computer indexing languages for easier and more efficient access to both the frequently used words or characters and the less-frequently used. This makes possible a system of text input that is both more efficient and more intuitive than utilizing just word or character frequency, an input approach which eliminates typing transpositions, reduces word-spelling errors or character-stroke-order uncertainty, and provides an alternative to a standard keyboard which is especially helpful with wireless phones and hand-held computers, and similar devices lacking standard keyboards. This invention can make words and characters quite accessible in an intuitive way without requiring any direct input of words or letters, strokes or characters.

Abstract: A method for recognizing handwritten Chinese characters based on stroke recognition comprises steps of: recognizing handwritten strokes, updating stroke code sequences; retrieving in dictionaries/lexicons at least one corresponding character/phrase entry so as to obtain at least one candidate Chinese character/phrase; dynamically displaying the at least one candidate Chinese character/phrase; jumping to the step of recognizing strokes if it is judged that a next stroke is being written; inputting a displayed Chinese character/phrase into computers as the result of recognition if this character/phase is selected by the user.

Abstract: Described are methods for entering and editing data strings that are inputted into cellular telephones having a screen. In one method, all basic Hangul consonants and some of the compound Hangul consonants are included in a candidate consonant list and all basic Hangul vowels and some of the compound vowels are included in a candidate vowel list. The candidate consonant and vowel lists are alternatively displayed on a component display region (906) located on the screen. For form a Korean character, a user can select consonant(s) and vowel from the candidate consonant and vowel lists. To form a compound Hangul component that is not included in either the candidate consonant list or the candidate vowel list, the user selects a basic Hangul component as a first part of the compound Hangul component from either the candidate consonant list or the candidate vowel list.

Abstract: Black correction to character, lines, and the like, is performed smoothly so as to maintain quality of an image as much as possible. In a character thickness determining circuit 114 of a black character determination unit 113, the thickness of characters and lines are determined based on RGB signals. Further, character/line outline information is obtained at an edge detector 115, and chromaticity information is obtained at a chromaticity determining unit 116. When an image processing is performed based on the combination of the outline information and the chromaticity information, a thickness determination signal is corrected so that the thickness of the character, lines, and like changes continuously.

Abstract: The invention intends to construct an image processing environment in which the copyright protecting information can be easily added to the print information without disturbing the print image and there can be easily discriminated whether the print information contains the copyright information. In an image processing apparats capable of executing a printing process on a recording medium by a printing unit, based on video information generated from print information entered from an information processing apparatus through a predetermined communication medium, the isolated point extracting circuit detects a predetermined isolated point in the video information and a copyright discriminating circuit discriminates whether the print information entered from the information processing apparatus contains copyright information based on the result of detection by the isolated point extracting circuit.

Abstract: A lattice data structure suitable for storage on a computer-readable medium is provided which represents a plurality of orthographic forms of a Japanese lexical entry. The lattice includes a plurality of data fields each adapted to hold data representing a word element of the entry. Each data field includes a first subfield containing data representing a primary form of the corresponding word element and a second field containing data representing an alternate form of the corresponding word element. Also provided is a method of normalizing Japanese lexical entries to produce a normalized form that includes the primary form of each word-element representation of the lattice and does not include the alternate forms. Also provided are methods of segmenting text using the disclosed lattice.

Abstract: A word segmentation method to identify proper names in input text includes locating a sequence of single-characters in the input text not forming part of a multiple-character word. The method further includes comparing the sequence of single-characters to a lexical knowledge base to identify if a first portion of the sequence corresponds to stored identifiable portions of a proper name, and comparing the sequence of single-characters to the lexical knowledge base to identify if a second portion of the sequence proximate the first portion includes characters known to comprise a second portion of a proper name. Instructions can be provided on a computer readable medium to implement the method.

Abstract: The inputting apparatus and method is disclosed which associates at least two keys consecutively pressed with a corresponding Chinese character stroke. When a user presses keys associated with the strokes constituting a Chinese character, the inputting method of the invention will generate various strokes based on the user input and then meaningful Chinese character. Since the Chinese character inputting method according to the invention is only concerned with the direction of consecutively pressing at least two keys, it is only necessary for the user to consider the direction of depression of the keys corresponding to the strokes when inputting strokes without considering which key is to be pressed, thereby greatly reducing the memory burden of the user.

Abstract: A handwritten Chinese character input method and system is provided to allow users to enter Chinese characters to a data processor by adding less than three strokes and one selection movement such as mouse clicking or stylus or finger tapping. The system is interactive, predictive, and intuitive to use. By adding one or two strokes which are used to start writing a Chinese character, or in some case even no strokes are needed, users can find a desired character from a list of characters. The list is context sensitive. It varies depending on the prior character entered. Compared to other existing systems, this system can save users considerable time and efforts to entering handwritten characters.

Abstract: Cursive Chinese characters are analyzed using a semantic matching process whereby radicals within the character are first extracted and used to reduce the search space of the full lexicon to only those characters containing the matching radical. In performing the radical extraction, the input character is normalized and segmented into strokes that are in turn organized based on stroke up/down information and local maxima and minima information. Obscure breakpoints and connecting strokes are removed in the process. Dynamic program matching is then performed on a stroke basis in which stroke substitution costs are assessed on a point-by-point basis through a variety of techniques, including tangent vector analysis, center relationship assessment and starting point/ending point assessment. Dynamic programming costs are normalized based on the length of the reference radical and location dissimilarities are removed.

Abstract: A character pattern is extracted from image data read from a document, listing, etc., and discriminated between a hand-written character and a typed character by a hand-written/typed character discrimination unit. The hand-written/typed character discrimination unit obtains, from the character pattern, N feature vectors containing a feature indicating at least the complexity and the linearity of the character pattern; and discriminating the character pattern between a hand-written character and a typed character using the feature vectors. A character recognition unit performs a character recognizing process based on the result of discriminating whether the character data is a hand-written character or a typed character. As a feature of the above described character pattern, the variance of line widths, the variance of character positions, etc. can also be used.

Abstract: The present invention provides a facility for selecting from a sequence of natural language characters combinations of characters that may be words. The facility uses indications, for each of a plurality of characters, of (a) the characters that occur in the second position of words that begin with the character and (b) the positions in which the character occurs in words. For each of a plurality of contiguous combinations of characters occurring in the sequence, the facility determines whether the character occurring in the second position of the combination is indicated to occur in words that begin with the character occurring in the first position of the combination. If so, the facility determines whether every character of the combination is indicated to occur in words in a position in which it occurs in the combination. If so, the facility determines that the combination of characters may be a word.

Abstract: A messaging device has a message reception component configured to receive a printable message from a message originator, and a printer that prints the received message and that also prints an origin identifier of the message originator on the print medium. After the message is printed, a user marks it up for reply to the message originator. The messaging device has an optical scanner and optical recognition logic that detects the origin identifier and that instructs the messaging device to send the annotated message back to the message originator. In addition, the optical recognition logic recognizes instructions written on handwritten cover sheets. By preparing such a cover sheet with handwritten instructions, a user can instruct the message device regarding various transmission parameters such as recipients and recipients' telephone or facsimile numbers.

Abstract: Every Chinese character belongs to a small graphic form group which is created with respect to the radical of the character instead of character components. Every small graphic form group is incorporated into higher-level groups, i.e. medium graphic form groups, in turn every medium graphic form group is incorporated into higher-level groups, i.e. large graphic form groups. Input guidance is provided according to this hierarchy concerning graphic form. More specifically, the large groups are presented and one of them is selected by the first keystroke, the medium groups are presented and one of them is selected by the second keystroke, and the small groups are presented and one of them to which the desired character for input belongs is selected by the third keystroke. In this fashion, three keystrokes to a numeric keypad efficiently narrows down the alternative characters for conversion.

Abstract: The system described herein automatically defines a set of radicals to be used in a Kanji character handwriting recognition system and automatically creates a dictionary of the Kanji characters that are recognized by the system. In performing its functionality, the system described herein first obtains representative handwriting samples for each Kanji character that is to be recognized by the system. The system described herein then evaluates the samples to identify a set of subparts (“radicals”) that are common to at least two of the Kanji characters. These radicals represent component roots from which the characters are formed. Each Kanji character is formed by one or more of these radicals. The radicals that are identified by the system described herein are not constrained to any preset definition (e.g., the traditional set of radicals used to organize Japanese dictionaries).

Abstract: The structure of entered document image data is analyzed and a character string in a text block that has been analyzed is subjected to pattern recognition. Synonyms and equivalents of words obtained as results of language analysis are extracted and words obtained as results of language analysis are converted to words of another language. A character string in a text block that has been analyzed is translated to another language. At least results of analyzing the structure of document image data, results of character recognition and results of language analysis are stored, and at least one of the results of extraction, results of conversion and results of translation are stored in a RAM in association with the results of character recognition.

Abstract: This invention discloses a method for automatically segmenting and recognizing Chinese character strings continuously written by a user in a handwritten Chinese character processing system, comprising the steps of: creating a geometry model and a language mode; finding out all of potential segmentation schemes in the Chinese character strings continuously written by a user based on the associated timing information and said geometry model; recognizing the groups of strokes as defined by each of potential segmentation schemes and computing the probability characterizing the exactness of recognition results; correcting the probability characterizing the exactness of recognition results by said language model; and, selecting the recognition result and the corresponding segmentation scheme having the maximum probability value.

Abstract: A method for recognizing handwritten Chinese characters based on stroke recognition comprises steps of: recognizing handwritten strokes, updating stroke code sequences; retrieving in dictionaries/lexicons at least one corresponding character/phrase entry so as to obtain at least one candidate Chinese character/phrase; dynamically displaying the at least one candidate Chinese character/phrase; jumping to the step of recognizing strokes if it is judged that a next stroke is being written; inputting a displayed Chinese character/phrase into computers as the result of recognition if this character/phase is selected by the user.

Abstract: A character image is inputted by use of a scanner, and recognized. The resultant character string of such recognition is represented on a display. The image serving as recognition source of the character designated on the display screen thereof, and the image in the vicinity of such image are represented. A character frame, which can discriminate the character image serving as recognition source, is edited in order to designate a new character image. This image and the inputted character information are registered on a character recognition dictionary correspondingly. Thereafter, the character recognition is carried out even with the utilization of such newly registered character. As a result, the recognition rate of the character recognition increases one after another.

Abstract: A pattern extraction apparatus computes the convexity/concavity of an input pattern, regards a pattern having large convexity/concavity as a character, and regards a pattern having small convexity/concavity as a ruled line.

Abstract: Described are methods for entering and editing data strings that are inputted into cellular telephones having a screen. In one method, all basic Hangul consonants and some of the compound Hangul consonants are included in a candidate consonant list and all basic Hangul vowels and some of the compound vowels are included in a candidate vowel list. The candidate consonant and vowel lists are alternatively displayed on a component display region (906) located on the screen. To form a Korean character, a user can select consonant(s) and vowel from the candidate consonant and vowel lists. To form a compound Hangul component that is not included in either the candidate consonant list or the candidate vowel list, the user selects a basic Hangul component as a first part of the compound Hangul component from either the candidate consonant list or the candidate vowel list.

Abstract: To obtain a query for use in information retrieval, a document is scanned. The resulting text image data define an image of a segment of text in a first language. Automatic recognition is then performed on at least part of the text image data to obtain text code data including a series of element codes. Each element code indicates an element that occurs in the first language, and the series of element codes defines a set of expressions that also occur in the first language. Automatic translation is then performed on a version of the text code data to obtain translation data indicating a set of counterpart expressions in a second language. The counterpart expressions are used to automatically obtain query data defining the query. The query can then be provided to an information retrieval engine.

Abstract: A medical treatment support system has operations A to G on a display screen to easily handle respective data on a sheet. Operation A facilitates the browsing of a large amount of data. Operations B and C allow the user to easily copy and move data. Operation D is a scale function to facilitate measurement. Using operation E, the operator can easily divide an area into segments only by drawing a horizontal line. Operation F is used to change a display angle of image data displayed on the screen. Operation G allows the user to browse respective data classified for each sheet label. The new functions of the single-unit input/output pen-tablet device can be intuitively operated by a user not versed in the functions. This consequently mitigates the load of complex input operation which interrupts thinking of the user and which hinders diagnosis mitigated in medical treatment.

Abstract: A method of finding a Chinese character in an electronic dictionary. The method includes sorting the characters in the dictionary into three groups according to stroke type: horizontal, vertical and slant, identifying which group a character belongs to based on the first writing stroke of the character, locating an original root of the Chinese character from the identified group based on a first three writing strokes of the Chinese character and finding the Chinese character in the dictionary based on the first three writing strokes of the Chinese character that immediately follow the strokes of the located original root.

Abstract: Systems and methods for reordering unconstrained handwriting data using both spatial and temporal interrelationships prior to recognition, and for spatially organizing and formatting machine recognized transcription results. The present invention allows a machine recognizer to generate and present a full and accurate transcription of unconstrained handwriting in its correct spatial context such that the transcription output can appear to “mirror” the corresponding handwriting.

Abstract: A host computer extracts characters from print data, assigns IDs in units of characters, forms a character set with a predetermined length, and stores the IDs and images in correspondence with each other. Character data to be transferred to a printer is indicated by its position and character ID, and other data to be transferred to the printer are mapped as an image, which is compressed in units of band images. Both the character data and band image data are generated to have the predetermined length, with the obtained data being transmitted to the printer. The printer controls data read/write in units of predetermined lengths, and an empty area is released. Since the empty area is managed in units of predetermined lengths, all the data received from the host computer can be stored in that area. Hence, the printer neither needs map characters nor collects unused areas.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: A character reading method has enhanced character segmentation accuracy and character string recognition accuracy for reading correctly hand-written addresses on postal matters. The method extracts provisional character patterns from image information of the address character string (step 206), creates a table 219 of tentative character patterns and implements the character classification for the tentative character patterns (step 207), extracts, specifically for characters of the street number portion of the address character string, periphery information (vertical and horizontal lengths, vertical/horizontal length ratio, pattern spacings, etc.) of tentative character patterns (step 212), and segments the character string into characters accurately based on the information (step 215).

Abstract: A method of using a Chinese dictionary, including the steps of (a) selecting a stroke type of a first stroke of a principal root in a desired Chinese Character from among a corresponding stroke group found in a root table, the stroke group being a horizontal stroke, a vertical stroke and a slant stroke, the root table containing a root for the desired Chinese character together with a page where the desired Chinese character is found in the Chinese dictionary, (b) identifying the page from the root table that is associated with the selected stroke type of the first stroke, (c) selecting a stroke type of a first stroke in the secondary root from among the corresponding stroke group, (d) finding on the page a list of Chinese characters associated with the selected stroke type of the first stroke in the secondary root, (e) selecting stroke types of the next one or two strokes in sequence in the secondary root from among the corresponding stroke group, (f) finding a subsidiary list of Chinese characters from the

Abstract: To efficiently recognize characters from several character sets, a palmtop computer system is disclosed wherein more that one character input area is displayed. Each character input area is designed to recognize strokes that represent characters from a different character set. In one embodiment, the palmtop computer system has an alphabetic input area and a numeral input area. In such an embodiment, strokes entered in the alphabetic input area are interpreted as alphabetic characters and strokes entered in the numeral input area are interpreted as numerals.

Abstract: An apparatus for recognizing characters read by a reading unit. A circumscribing rectangle of a read character is formed, and the degree of narrowness of that circumscribing rectangle is acquired. Characters having a degree of narrowness that is equal to or greater than a predetermined value are selected and blank areas are added to the circumscribing rectangle to yield a character area with a corrected degree of narrowness. The character is normalized by converting the character area to a specified size, and is recognized based on the normalized character. It is therefore possible to normalize even characters significantly elongated vertically or horizontally for easier recognition and to group their character patterns.

Abstract: An on-line character recognition method is disclosed that recognizes inputted characters on-line by finding distance between strokes for patterns in stroke units of inputted characters and patterns in stroke units for each reference stroke. Reference patterns and inputted character patterns are each divided and represented as stroke shape patterns that indicate the shapes of strokes and stroke position patterns that indicate the position or size of strokes. Inter-stroke shape distances corresponding to each stroke shape pattern and inter-stroke position distances corresponding to each stroke position pattern are found, following which the inter-stroke distance is found based on the inter-stroke shape distances and the inter-stroke position distances.

Abstract: The present invention provides an ideogrammatic character editor method and apparatus for creating, editing and communicating ideogrammatic characters which are comprised of a series of strokes forming a word in a particular language. A platform displays pre-formed strokes and provides an area on which the pre-formed strokes are positioned. A selector selects and positions the pre-formed strokes on the platform. An encoder encodes each pre-formed stroke selected and positioned by the selector on the platform as a stroke code and a position on the platform. A processor stores the stroke code and the position for each pre-formed stroke encoded by the encoding unit in a stroke loc list. In preferred embodiments, the present invention creates Japanese Kanji, Chinese and Korean characters, but also creates ideogrammatic characters of any language including those presently existing or those yet to be developed.

Abstract: A method for incremental recognition of ideographic handwriting comprises in order the steps of: (1) entering in a natural stroke order at least one stroke of an ideographic character from a computer entry tablet; (2) providing the at least one stroke to an incremental character recognizer, which produces a hypothesis list of at least one candidate character; (3) displaying a hypothesis list of candidate characters containing the at least one stroke; (4) selecting a correct character from among the candidate characters on the hypothesis list if it a correct character appears thereon; (5) entering in natural stroke order at least one additional stroke of the ideographic character from the computer entry tablet if no candidate character is a correct character; (6) providing the additional stroke(s) to the incremental character recognizer, which produces an updated hypothesis list; (7) displaying the updated hypothesis list of candidate characters containing every stroke; (8) selecting a correct character from a