Abstract: When data is keyed in by operating a keyboard K displayed in a touch panel input area 14a, its character code is stored in a real data memory 46b of a RAM 23 and data on its attribute, pointer and data length is stored as management data. When handwritten data is input by manipulating a handwriting board P displayed in the input area 14a, coordinate data corresponding to the locus of the input handwritten data is stored in the real data memory, and data on its attribute, pointer and data length is stored as management data. The keyed-in data including the character code and the handwritten data including image data are both displayed in an output area 14b on the basis of the real data and its management data. Data edition including data erasure can be dealt with in a unified manner.

Abstract: A color image is locally discoloured in the vicinity of edges. The edges extend, for example, between a superposed foreground and a background in a computer-generated image, but also between different regions in natural images which are processed, for example, in a television receiver. Consequently, the edges are perceived as being sharper upon display.

Abstract: A method for providing assured communications in a two-way wireless communications system is disclosed. An instruction is constructed at a first device for wireless transmission to a second device where the instruction is received by the second device and ultimately seen by the user. The instruction is transmitted as an instruction signal. The second device alters the instruction signal and transmits it back in altered form to provide an indication that the instruction has been received by the second device. The user of the second device informs the operator of the first device that the instruction has been seen by the user by transmitting a further altered version of the instruction signal to the first device. The disclosed method assures the operator of the first device that instructions are being received and acknowledged in a timely manner.

Abstract: A cache is used to provide additional information to a recognition system about what words are likely to be used in a current context. Words are added to the cache only if they are explicitly corrected by the user. If the user forgets to correct (or postpones correcting) a recognition error, nothing is added to the cache, and therefore, there is no negative impact on the recognition system.

Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to provide a handwriting information detecting method and apparatus for the same, in which a user can choose any handwriting tool such as a pen or a pencil, and when the user writes with the tool, the handwriting information can be detected. The handwriting information detecting method of the present invention comprises steps of detecting a motion of a writing tool, held by a writing tool holder comprising at least one acceleration sensor, based on at least one acceleration signal output from the at least one acceleration sensor when the writing tool is grasped by fingers; and recognizing handwriting information of a character or a figure written by the writing tool according to the detected motion thereof, and outputting the information.

Abstract: An image recognition apparatus recognizes an input locus as a command, a figure and a character, respectively in gesture recognition mode, figure recognition mode and character recognition mode. Regarding each recognized result, similarity between the input image and the recognized shape is obtained. The similarities are compared with each other, and if the difference between the similarities is less than a predetermined value, the recognized results are displayed for selection by an operator. Then, selected one of the displayed shapes is determined as the final recognition result. This enables correct locus input even if there is a possibility that the locus is recognized, in different recognition modes, as similar shapes of different functions.

Abstract: Handwritten/input stroke data is compared with a gesture dictionary. If the data coincides with a specific gesture, it is checked whether the gesture is completed, and the stroke data is stored. After the meaning of the gesture command is analyzed by using the gesture dictionary, an image stroke data group which does not coincide with any gesture, and an icon group replacing stroke data which coincides with a gesture appears on the display screen. In this state, when the user taps icons having functions as gestures he/she wants to execute, the corresponding gesture commands are executed.

Abstract: An improved mechanism for converting handwritten input data into text and commands in a computer system is provided. An unintended results detection component is used after the handwritten data has been converted to text and commands. The unintended results detection component determines when the converted text and commands were likely unintended by the computer user. If the unintended results detection component determines that the converted text and commands were likely unintended by the computer user, the unintended results detection component outputs an indication to the user. The user then has the option of accepting or rejecting the interpretation of the system of the handwritten input data.

Abstract: When data to be copied is enclosed on the screen of an input/display device by a figure image represented by an enclosing figure (a circle with an open part), the data is stored together with the figure image. When the same figure image is drawn in a slightly larger size in an unwritten area, a target copy area is automatically set inside the figure image and the stored data is enlarged and displayed in the target copy area according to the dimension of the set area.

Abstract: Apparatus and a method for comparing an electronic handwritten pattern to a stored string are provided. The string includes a group of portions, each having at least one stroke. Movement of a stylus forms the pattern, and a sequence of strokes is generated. Each stroke represents a stylus movement within a predetermined alphabet. The sequence of strokes has a plurality of portions. A linear systolic array processor determines an edit distance between the string and the pattern. The processor compares a first portion of the string to a first portion of the pattern. A plurality of edit distance components are generated based on the comparison. Each component corresponds to a different set of operations that transforms the first portion of the stored string into the first portion of the pattern. The components are calculated based on a further comparison between additional portions of the stored string and the pattern. The component which has a minimum value is selected.

Abstract: The present invention provides a user with the option of editing handwritten input such that the user may elect to split one or more continues segments, or blocks of ink, to form one or more discrete continues segments. The split discrete segments are then presented as individual discrete continuous segments and analyzed as individual discrete segments by the method of machine recognition of handwritten input being employed by a device that functions to receive handwritten input.

Abstract: A hand-written graphic form inputting apparatus by which a plurality of hand-written graphic forms can be inputted efficiently is disclosed. When a hand-written graphic form inputted from a graphic form inputting device is recognized so as to produce graphic form candidates and the graphic form candidates thus produced are stored into a graphic form candidate buffer, a graphic form relation determination device determines the correlation between the inputted graphic form inputted and the graphic form candidates. The graphic form determination device determines a most likely graphic form candidate from among the graphic form candidates in accordance with a result of a determination from the graphic form relation determination device.

Abstract: A system and method including a computer shape definition language are disclosed for defining shapes and mining time sequences that resemble the shapes. The system and method include provisions for establishing a user-defined alphabet that in turn establishes a set of elemental shapes. The system also includes simple yet powerful operators for combining the elemental shapes to define a desired time sequence shape. Moreover, intervals of actual time sequences are mapped into corresponding transition sequences using the alphabet, and the transition sequences are stored in a hierarchical index structure for easily accessing the transition sequences. The index structure is entered with the desired time sequence shape, and the index structure is traversed to identify maximal actual transition sequences which conform to the desired time sequence shape, within user-definable blurry criteria.

Abstract: An apparatus for identifying a component (10) carrying a dot matrix code comprises a lamp (14) illuminating the dot matrix code, a video camera (18) for reading the illuminated dot matrix code. A computer (20) has an image grabber card (22) to produce a digitized image of the dot matrix code. The personal computer (20) has algorithms (24, 26, 28, 30 and 32) to measure the distances between every dot located in the digitized image, to determine the fundamental inter dot spacing (D). The dots separated by the fundamental inter dot spacing (D) lie in rows and columns of the dot matrix code. There are means to determine the angles (.beta. and .alpha.) between the dots which are in the rows and columns and a camera datum. There are means to determine the orientation and location of the dot matrix code from the angles (.beta. and .alpha.).

Abstract: In an area of a tablet where a handwritten character is written for entry, the result of the recognition of the handwritten character is displayed by replacing the handwritten character written therein; at the same time, the recognition result is also displayed in a display field that can display more characters than can be shown in the handwritten character entry area at one time.

Abstract: A method for entering and manipulating spreadsheet cell data is described. The present invention provides a method for determining the target cell for written information and for scaling the information to fit within the boundaries of the target cell. A multi-tiered character recognition scheme is used to improve the accuracy and speed of character recognition and translation of handwritten data. The original handwritten data is preserved so that either the translated data or original data may be displayed. The present invention also provides for improved editing of cell entries by allowing a plurality of editing tools to be selected. Manipulation of blocks of data can be accomplished with simple gestures. Arithmetic, statistical and logical functions can be invoked with a single command.

Abstract: A method for correcting textual material recognized on a pen-based computer in accordance with the present invention includes the step of receiving an input on a screen of the computer system. The input is then recognized, and a bounding box defining the bounds of the input is defined. A determination of the intention and placement of the recognized input is then made according to the relationship between the bounding box of the recognized input and the bounding boxes of the already existing textual objects. When a substantial overlap is found of the recognized input with an existing textual object and the number of characters of the recognized input is less than a predetermined number, the recognized input is considered as an overwrite of the existing text. If the conditions are not met, the recognized input is considered as an insertion of a new textual object, i.e., a new word.

Abstract: A method and system for training a handwriting recognizer at the time of misrecognition is provided. In a preferred embodiment, a trainer program traps and stores the output from a recognizer. The output includes the recognized symbols mapped to the handwritten data. When training is requested by a user, the trainer displays the handwritten data that was input by the user and the recognized symbols. The user then selects the symbols to train on. In response to the selection, the trainer displays the portion of the handwritten data corresponding to the selected symbols. The user then enters the symbols that the displayed portion of the handwritten data should be recognized as. The trainer then requests the recognizer to train based on the displayed portion of the data and the entered symbols. When training is complete, the trainer requests re-recognition of the handwritten data and displays the newly recognized symbols.

Abstract: An information processing method including memorizing pattern information, memorizing use information of said pattern information memorized, and displaying said pattern information memorized and said use information of said pattern information.

Abstract: An input/display apparatus for handwritten characters is capable of quickly inputting handwritten characters, freely editing characters inputted, and storing a lot of handwritten characters with a limited storing capacity. On a display panel provided with a display surface, the orthogonal coordinates of which are preset, a touch panel provided. An input surface of the touch panel, the orthogonal coordinates of which are preset, is disposed in such a way that the display surface and the input surface overlap each other. When the input surface is indicated with an input pen, the indicated coordinate point is outputted. At the time of handwriting input, when the input surface in the input/display area for characters is continuously indicated, coordinate points on the display surface corresponding to the plurality of indicated coordinate points are displayed.

Abstract: An information processing system has a memory to store information, a display device such as an LCD to display the information, as an image, stored in the memory, and a pattern input device such as a transparent tablet having a position coordinates system corresponding to the display screen of the display device, for inputting a figure pattern to designate the image displayed on the display screen. A recognizing circuit recognizes a shape of the figure pattern input from position coordinates of the figure pattern input by the pattern input means, and a CPU fetches the image, as information, displayed in an area on the display screen of the display device corresponding to the area enclosed in the figure pattern whose shape is recognized by the recognizing circuit, and for performing information processes. An an image data memory stores the information fetched by the CPU. With this system, the information on the display screen designated by the pointing device can be stored into an arbitrary memory.

Abstract: A computer system and method capable of handwriting recognition and user identification are presented. The computer system includes a CPU, a dual-function display assembly and a stylus. The dual-function display assembly senses the relative position of the stylus with respect to the dual-function display. When an appropriate prompt is displayed, a user responds by application of the stylus to the dual-function display to enter user identity, handwriting, handwriting style, handwriting preferences, and other input to the computer system. Using user-specific handwriting preferences and data, improved handwriting recognition for the user is enabled.

Abstract: A pen-based computer copy editing apparatus includes a pressure sensitive screen for displaying original text having page breaks thereon; a pen for writing on the screen by applying pressure thereon; and a CPU for (a) identifying handwriting and gestures corresponding to insertions and deletions of portions of the original text and identifying the insertion of typesetting codes and author queries, in response to pressure applied by the pen on the screen, (b) controlling the screen to display the inserted text corresponding to the handwriting in a handwritten font different from the typewritten font already displayed on the screen such that the inserted text is discernable from screen text in the typewritten font, (c) controlling the screen to display the deleted text in the typewritten font with a strike-out therethrough, such that the deleted text is discernable from unmodified screen text in the typewritten font, (d) controlling the screen to display the typesetting codes in a particular font, (e) controlli

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for determining a positional guideline, such as a baseline or ascender line, of handwritten data. This positional guideline allows for accurate positioning of the data on a computer display. It is calculated by counting the number of pixels per horizontal row in the block of data. These counts of pixels per row are then filtered using a wide moving average. The filtered rows of pixels are then analyzed per row to determine the positional guideline for the given block of handwritten data.

Abstract: A method for processing equations in a graphical computer system characterized by the steps of: receiving at least one unit comprising an equation which was derived from a graphical user input device; parsing the units into a parsed tree utilizing a constrained attribute grammar; and deriving a result of the equation utilizing the parsed tree. Preferably, the graphical user input device is a table or the screen of a pen-based computer system, where stroke units derived from strokes made by a stylus on the screen are passed to at least one recognition domain. The process preferably also includes the steps of: receiving at least one stroke unit comprising an edit to an equation on the screen; determining whether the edit changes the structure of the parsed tree of the equation; and editing the parsed tree if the edit does not change the structure of the parsed tree.

Abstract: An apparatus for recognizing shapes characterized by a stroke grouper receptive to a plurality of strokes formed on a screen of a pen-based computer system; a shape recognition engine receptive to a stroke group produced by the stroke grouper; and a knowledge base coupled to the shape recognition engine, where the knowledge base includes, at a minimum, knowledge concerning closed polygons and closed curves. Preferably, the closed curves of the knowledge base include both circles and ellipses. A method for recognizing digitized shapes in a computer system includes the steps of receiving at least one user-initiated stroke; grouping the user-initiated stroke with related strokes to form a stroke group; and analyzing the stroke group to make a best-guess shape represented by the stroke group. Preferably, the method also looks for other shapes which are related to the best-guess shape and modifying at least one of the location, size, or shape of the best-guess shape to conform with the other shapes.

Abstract: A method for the angle-independent recognition of handwritten objects including: a) receiving a handwritten stroke; b) normalizing the stroke; c) matching the normalized stroke against a stroke database to obtain at least one character part interpretation; and d) recognizing a handwritten object using one or more of the character part interpretations. Preferably, the step of normalizing the stroke includes the step of normalizing an angle of the stroke by first determining a stroke angle and then rotating the stroke by the stroke angle until the stroke is at a normalized position.

Abstract: A system for spacing, storing and recognizing electronic representations of handwriting and printing comprises a central processing unit that couples with a display device, an input device, and a memory. The memory includes means for spacing ink stroke representations, means for recognizing outline elements, means for performing deferred recognition, means for highlighting drawing areas and means for storing and displaying ink stroke representations. These means operate together to provide a pen-based or graphics oriented computer system with improved performance and added functionality for manipulating the space between ink stroke representations.

Abstract: A method for deleting objects displayed on the screen of a display assembly of a pointer based computer system is described. The method includes the steps of detecting a pointer created stroke and processing the stroke for gesture recognition. Thereafter, the processed stroke is checked to determine whether it meets the path definition requirements of a scrub gesture. In another step, a determination is made as to whether an object displayed on the screen has been selected. If an object is selected and the processed stroke meets the requirements of a scrub gesture, the selected object is deleted. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the selected object determining step includes the substep of determining whether any objects were preselected at the time the scrub gesture was made. When no suitable objects are preselected, a determination is made as to whether the scrub gesture substantially overlaps a displayed object. If a displayed object is substantially overlapped, it is selected for deletion.

Abstract: A pen-based teaching system recognizes handwritten input. The system comprises a display simulating a sheet of paper, and a stylus simulating a pen. The system uses handwriting recognition to interact with the student, so that the student enters input into the system as though it were a piece of scratch paper.

Abstract: A pen input processing apparatus in accordance with the present invention has a text editing section for displaying on a screen a window through which a character is handwritten only by handwriting on the screen a line drawing indicative of inputting of character by handwriting. The text editing section has a function wherein the name of gesture command corresponding to a line drawing and the character to be edited are displayed by the screen when each line drawing is handwritten with respect to the screen. The pen input processing apparatus has a gesture command judging section for recognizing the gesture command in accordance with a trace coordinate of the line drawing. When the gesture command is recognized and specified, the recognition of the gesture command is informed by a sound. Only one line drawing is assigned to the same editing instructions for one character and a plurality of characters as editing objects.

Abstract: A method for using information provided during error correction for modifying character prototypes in an on-line handwriting recognition system is disclosed. The method allows a user to correct misrecognized handwritten characters by overwriting directly on the displayed ASCII representation of the recognition result for a given character. The rewritten character is then used to silently retrain the system so as to adapt it to the user's particular handwriting style.

Abstract: A method for processing equations in a graphical computer system characterized by the steps of: receiving at least one unit comprising an equation which was derived from a graphical user input device; parsing the units into a parsed tree utilizing a constrained attribute grammar; and deriving a result of the equation utilizing the parsed tree. Preferably, the graphical user input device is a table or the screen of a pen-based computer system, where stroke units derived from strokes made by a stylus on the screen are passed to at least one recognition domain. The process preferably also includes the steps of: receiving at least one stroke unit comprising an edit to an equation on the screen; determining whether the edit changes the structure of the parsed tree of the equation; and editing the parsed tree if the edit does not change the structure of the parsed tree.

Abstract: A note taking system that integrates word-processing functionality and computerized drawing functionality for processing ink strokes comprises novel methods that provide this functionality such as: a method for modeless operation of the note taking system that automatically switches between providing word-processing functionality and drawing functionality; a novel method for processing ink strokes as drawings, a unique method for processing ink strokes as writing, and other methods for parsing the ink strokes into words, lines, and paragraphs. The present invention also includes additional methods for manipulating figures such as a division between line and shape type figures, and a special handle performing either rotation or re-sizing.

Abstract: A data entry and writing device is equipped with an optical detector comprising light emitting elements and light receiving elements disposed around an opening formed in the device, a character/graphic analyzer for analyzing the locus of a pen which is moved within the opening using time-series coordinate data to thereby perform character/graphic recognition and a display unit for displaying data entered through the character recognition. The data entry and writing device is placed on a form and data are handwritten on the form with the pen through the opening. This permits automatic data entry into the device and data is also displayed on the display unit. The device also includes an erroneous preventing circuit which automatically indicates where errors exist between the data entered by the pen and data processed by the device and guides a user to correct the errors.

Abstract: A numerical expression recognizing apparatus for recognizing a handwritten numerical expression and outputting it as a code train. This apparatus includes: a coordinates input apparatus for inputting a numerical expression consisting of characters including numerals and signs by coordinates; a recognition circuit for recognizing the characters including the numerals and signs and constructing the numerical expression on the basis of a set of the coordinates which were input by the coordinates input apparatus; and an output control circuit for outputting the pattern of the numerical expression constructed by the characters on the basis of the coordinates which were input by the coordinates input apparatus and the characters recognized by the recognition circuit. The pattern of the numerical expression is displayed by a liquid crystal display.