System and method for organizing recognized and unrecognized objects on a computer display

A method of inserting a handwritten word written on the display screen of a pointer-based computer into a document displayed on said display screen, the method comprising the following steps:

• (a) identifying in the document displayed a paragraph which intersects a bounding box surrounding the handwritten word;
• (b) replacing an existing word in the paragraph if the bounding box surrounding the handwritten word substantially overlaps the bounding box surrounding any existing words in the paragraph;
• and
• (c) inserting the handwritten word proximate but not overlapping bounding boxes surrounding existing words in the paragraph if the bounding box surrounding the handwritten word does not substantially overlap the bounding box surrounding any existing words in the paragraph wherein said steps of identifying, replacing, and inserting are performed by said pointer-based computer.

A pointer-based computer system comprising:

• a display screen;
• a pointer for inputting handwritten information on the display screen;
• a processor coupled to the display screen;
• a recognizer running on the processor and identifying at least some of the handwritten information as recognized text words and at least some of the handwritten information as unrecognized ink words, the unrecognized ink words being displayed on the display screen in their handwritten input form and the recognized text words appearing in a standard font;
• and
• means for formatting both the recognized text words and the unrecognized ink words according to a protocol which treats both types of word identically and adjusts their positions with respect to one another in one or more paragraphs such that both unrecognized ink words and recognized text words are contiguously displayed in the same paragraphs on the display screen, the unrecognized ink words being displayed in their handwritten input form and the recognized text words being displayed in a standard font within the formatted paragraphs.

A computer readable medium containing program instructions for:

• analyzing handwritten input entered in a pointer-based computer system having a display screen on which the path of the pointer is displayed as ink, the analyzing step being accomplished with a word recognizer to identify some parts of the handwritten input as recognized text words and other, different parts of the handwritten input as unrecognized ink words, the unrecognized ink words being displayed on the display screen in their handwritten input form and the recognized text words appearing in a standard font;
• grouping the recognized text words and the unrecognized ink words into one or more paragraphs containing both a recognized text word and an unrecognized ink word;
• formatting the recognized text words and unrecognized ink words by adjusting their positions with respect to one another within the one or more paragraphs so that the paragraphs have one or more lines, at least one of which has a plurality of words, wherein the words in each line are separated from one another by defined word separation distances;
• and
• displaying the formatted paragraphs on said display screen such that both unrecognized ink words and recognized text words are displayed in the same paragraphs, the unrecognized ink words being displayed in their handwritten input form and the recognized text words being displayed in a standard font within the formatted paragraphs.