US 4,817,034 AGranted

Computerized handwriting duplication system

AssigneeESP Systems, LLC

InventorsWilliam F. Hardin, Sr., William M. Mack, Jr.

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Abstract

A computerized handwriting duplication system includes a general purpose, programmable, digital microcomputer having a buffer memory, a program memory for a computer program, and a memory for storing the digital representation of the coordinates of a signature. The system also includes a digitizer pad for providing to the microcomputer as raw data the X and Y coordinates of points travelled by a pen writing a signature thereon and for providing a keyboard-type of input information to the microcomputer. The computer program comprises routines for receiving a large string of bytes of serial raw data in absolute distances; for converting the data to relative distances beginning from a predetermined starting point and then from the previous adjacent coordinate point; for compressing the data by deleting all coordinate information generated when the cursor pen is out of contact with the digitizer pad; and for smoothing the handwriting by determining new coordinates for all points falling outside a predetermined locus. An X-Y plotter is connected to the microcomputer and is supplied with plotting commands and data points which the computer has refined from the raw data supplied to it by the digitizer pad.

Claims9

Dependent claims

A method of duplicating handwriting comprising producing a set of a plurality of serial, mutually adjacent coordinates of points of raw data by moving a cursor through a plurality of locations on a digitizer pad to produce handwriting, said digitizer pad comprising means for detecting said locations and means for generating the coordinates of each location, said coordinates representative of a plurality of representative points which when connected by a line would replicate said cursor movement and thus replicate said handwriting, wherein said cursor can be placed out of proximity of said digitizer's pad, can be placed in proximity, but not touching said digitizer pad, and can touch said digitizer pad, said digitizer pad and cursor producing a signal when said cursor is in contact with said digitizer pad, and wherein said cursor and digitizer pad produce said raw coordinates as data at a predetermined rate irrespective of whether said cursor is in contact with said digitizer pad, and wherein said digitizer pad and cursor provide as indication data a first indication when said cursor is out of proximity of said pad, provide a second indication when said cursor is in proxmity of said pad, but not touching said pad, and provide said signal as a third indication when said cursor is in contact with said pad;

serially storing at a predetermined rate said raw coordinate data and said indication data in a memory means readable by a digital computer;
refining said coordinate point data by compressing said data by deleting all data having either said first indication or said second indication;
serially recalling said plurality of point coordinate data from said memory means;
and
driving a writing instrument to traverse serially a path from each point coordinates to the next adjacent point coordinate and thus serially over all of said plurality of point coordinates so as to produce a line connecting together each point coordinate and thus replicating said handwriting.

2 more elements

A method of duplicating handwriting comprising:

producing an initial set of a plurality of serial, mutually adjacent coordinates of points of raw data of a handwritten word as the word is being written by moving a cursor through a plurality of locations on a digitizer pad to produce the handwritten word, said digitizer pad comprising means for detecting said locations and means for generating the coordinates of each location, said coordinates representative of a plurality of representative points which when connected by a line would replicate said cursor movement and thus replicate said handwriting, said raw data point coordinates being in absolute units from a predetermined origin;
serially storing said set of raw data point coordinates in a memory means readable by a digital computer;
serially recalling said plurality of refined point coordinates from said memory means;
refining said recalled raw data point coordinates with said computer to produce a plurality of refined data point coordinates by changing said raw data point coordinates from absolute units to relative units that are a relative distance from another coordinate;
and
driving a writing instrument to traverse serially a path from each refined point coordinates to the next adjacent refined point coordinate and thus serially over all of said plurality of refined point coordinates so as to produce a line connecting together each point coordinate with the point coordinates adjacent thereto and thus repliciting said handwriting.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.