Method and system for automatically segmenting and recognizing handwritten chinese characters

A system for automatically segmenting and recognizing handwritten character strings, comprising:

• input means, for accepting character strings continuously written by a user, and recording the user input in strokes and the associated timing information;
• model storage means, for storing a geometry model which describes geometric characteristics of stroke sequences in handwritten character strings and a language model which describes dependency among characters or words;
• segmenting means, for determining potential segmentation schemes in the character strings continuously written by a user based on said associated timing information and said geometry model;
• recognizing means, for recognizing groups of strokes as defined by each of the potential segmentation schemes and computing a probability characterizing the exactness of the recognition result;
• and
• arbitrating means, for correcting the probability characterizing the exactness of the recognition result by said language model;
• and selecting the recognition result and the corresponding segmentation scheme having the maximum probability value as the segmentation and recognition result of the character strings continuously written by a user.

Apparatus for automatically segmenting and recognizing character strings continuously written by a user in a handwritten character processing system, wherein said handwritten character processing system records character strings continuously written by a user in strokes and associated timing information thereof, said apparatus comprising:

• at least one processor operative to:
• (i) create a geometry model which describes geometric characteristics of stroke sequences of handwritten character strings and a language model which describes dependency among characters or words;
• (ii) determine potential segmentation schemes in the character strings continuously written by a user based on said associated timing information and said geometry model;
• (iii) recognize groups of strokes as defined by each of the potential segmentation schemes and computing a probability characterizing the exactness of the recognition result;
• (iv) correct the probability characterizing the exactness of the recognition result by said language model;
• and (v) select the recognition result having the maximum probability value and the corresponding segmentation scheme as the segmentation and recognition result of the character strings continuously written by a user.