US 6,651,221 B1 · System and methods for spacing, storing and recognizing electronic representations of handwriting, printing and drawings

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. The preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises several novel methods that provide this functionality including: a method for managing space between ink stroke representations, a method for displaying drawing elements in a visually distinct manner, a method for recognizing bullets and dashes, a method for storing ink stroke representations, a method for displaying and printing ink stroke representations, and a method for performing deferred character or word recognition.

Claims5

Dependent claims

A method for highlighting a drawing area and drawing elements when displayed in a system having a display device, a drawing layer for processing drawing elements and a writing layer for processing writing elements, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving an input;
determining whether the input affects at least one drawing element in the drawing layer of the system having the display device, the drawing layer for processing drawing elements and the writing layer for processing writing elements;
if at least one drawing element is affected by the input, determining the vertical and horizontal extents of the at least one drawing element;
determining whether an option is selected, wherein the option determines whether to provide a visually distinct identifier to the user relating to whether the input relates to the drawing layer or to the writing layer;
and
if the option is selected, displaying a visually distinct identifier about the vertical and horizontal extents of the at least one drawing element, wherein the visually distinct identifier provides a visual cue to the user, identifying the at least one drawing element as input relating to the drawing layer.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

System and methods for spacing, storing and recognizing electronic representations of handwriting, printing and drawings

Life of this patent

System and methods for spacing, storing and recognizing electronic representations of handwriting, printing and drawings

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims5