U.S. patent application number 09/927613 was filed with the patent office on 2002-03-07 for method and apparatus for handwriting input on a pen based palmtop computing device.
Invention is credited to Haitani, Robert Yuji, Hawkins, Jeffrey C..
Application Number | 20020028018 09/927613 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 23574152 |
Filed Date | 2002-03-07 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020028018 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Hawkins, Jeffrey C. ; et
al. |
March 7, 2002 |
Method and apparatus for handwriting input on a pen based palmtop
computing device
Abstract
A pen-based palmtop computer system having a small dedicated
text input area is disclosed. In one embodiment, the dedicated text
input area consists of a large digitizer pad laid on top of a
smaller flat panel display screen such that a portion of the
digitizer pad extends beyond the flat panel display screen. In this
embodiment, the dedicated text input area is located in the region
of the digitizer pad that extends beyond the flat panel display
screen. Text can be entered by handwriting in the small dedicated
text input area or tapping keys on an illustrated keypad.
Inventors: |
Hawkins, Jeffrey C.;
(Redwood City, CA) ; Haitani, Robert Yuji;
(Cupertino, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Hickman Palermo Truong & Becker
600 Willow Street
San Jose
CA
95125-5106
US
|
Family ID: |
23574152 |
Appl. No.: |
09/927613 |
Filed: |
August 9, 2001 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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09927613 |
Aug 9, 2001 |
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08805453 |
Feb 25, 1997 |
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6295372 |
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08805453 |
Feb 25, 1997 |
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08398141 |
Mar 3, 1995 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
382/187 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F 3/04886 20130101;
G06V 30/1423 20220101; G06F 3/04883 20130101; G06F 15/0225
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
382/187 |
International
Class: |
G06K 009/00 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A pen-based computer apparatus, said pen-based computer
apparatus comprising the elements of: a display screen; and a
digitizer pad, said digitizer pad overlaid on said display screen;
and a dedicated handwriting area, said dedicated handwriting area
comprising a subarea of said digitizer pad; and a handwriting
interpreter, said handwriting interpreter immediately interpreting
characters written in said dedicated handwriting area.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said handwriting interpreter
comprises an immediate recognition system.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising the elements of: at
least two character boxes, said character boxes comprising subareas
of said dedicated handwriting area, said handwriting interpreter
interpreting information in a first character box when the user
writes in a second character box.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein gesturing from said dedicated
handwriting area to an area outside of said dedicated handwriting
area causes a virtual floating keyboard to be displayed.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a user can start writing at any
time into said dedicated handwriting area and said apparatus
immediately responds to said input.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a dedicated function
area, said dedicated function area comprising a subarea of said
digitizer pad, said function area comprising at least one function
button that performs an associated function when touched with a pen
or finger.
7. A pen-based computer apparatus, said pen-based computer
apparatus comprising the elements of: a display screen; a digitizer
pad, said digitizer pad overlaid on said display screen, said
digitizer pad extending beyond said display screen; and a dedicated
handwriting area, said dedicated handwriting area a subarea of said
digitizer pad extending beyond said display screen.
8. The apparatus of claim 7 further comprising: a handwriting
interpreter, said handwriting interpreter comprising an immediate
recognition system.
9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said handwriting interpreter
interprets a consecutive stream of characters written on top of
each other in said dedicated handwriting area.
10. The apparatus of claim 7 further comprising the elements of: at
least two character boxes, said character boxes comprising subareas
of said dedicated handwriting area, said handwriting interpreter
interpreting information in a first character box when the user
writes in a second character box.
11. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said handwriting area has a
printed keyboard displayed beneath said digitizer pad.
12. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein a user can start writing at
any time into said dedicated handwriting area and said apparatus
immediately responds to said input.
13. The apparatus of claim 7 further comprising a dedicated
function area, said dedicated function area comprising a subarea of
said digitizer pad, said function area comprising at least one
function button that performs an associated function when touched
with a pen or finger.
14. A method of inputting text into a computer system, said method
comprising the steps of: providing a computer system with a flat
panel display and a digitizer pad overlaid on said flat panel
display; designating a subarea of said digitizer pad as a text
input area; writing a series of characters onto said text input
area; and displaying said characters in a font on said flat panel
display.
15. The method of claim 14 wherein said digitizer pad extends
beyond said flat panel display.
16. The method of claim 14 wherein said method further comprises
the step of: immediately recognizing a character after a user
writes a character into said text input area.
17. The method of claim 16 wherein said step of writing a series of
characters onto said text input area further comprises writing said
characters consecutively on top of each other.
18. A method of organizing a display of a computer system, said
method comprising the steps of: overlaying a large digitizer pad on
top of a smaller flat panel display such that a portion of said
large digitizer pad extends beyond said flat panel display; and
designating said portion of said large digitizer pad than extends
beyond said flat panel display as a text input area.
19. The method of claim 18 wherein further comprising the steps of:
writing a series of characters onto said text input area; and
displaying said characters in a font on said flat panel
display.
20. The method of claim 19 wherein said method further comprises
the step of: immediately recognizing a character after a user
writes a character into said text input area.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to the field of palmtop
computer devices. Specifically, the present invention discloses a
palmtop computer system that efficiently reduces the handwriting
input area and maximizes the display screen area.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] As the components required to build a computer system have
reduced in size, new categories of computer systems have emerged.
One of the new categories of computer systems is the "palmtop"
computer system. A palmtop computer system is a computer that is
small enough to be held in the hand of a user. Most palmtop
computer systems are used as addressbooks, daily organizers, and
electronic notepads.
[0003] Since palmtop computer systems are so small, keyboards are
generally not efficient input devices. Palmtop computers with
keyboards have keyboards that are so small that a user cannot
touch-type. Furthermore, to use a keyboard a user must usually put
the palmtop computer system down onto a flat surface so the user
can type.
[0004] Instead of using a keyboard, many palmtop computers employ a
pen and a digitizer pad as an input system. The pen and digitizer
pad combination works well for palmtop computers since the
arrangement allows a user to hold the palmtop computer system in
one hand while writing onto the digitizer pad with the other
hand.
[0005] There have been a number of palmtop computer systems
introduced that rely on the pen and digitizer pad combination as
the primary means of interfacing with the computer system. Most of
these pen-based palmtop computer systems provide handwriting
recognition whereby the user can write words and letters on the
digitizer pad and the palmtop computer system converts the user's
handwriting into a machine readable format. Examples of pen-based
palmtop computer systems that provide handwriting recognition
include the Apple.RTM. Newton.RTM. and the Tandy.RTM.
Zoomer.TM..
[0006] One of the major difficulties in designing a pen-based
palmtop computer system is that handwriting recognition requires a
large area in which to write. Although a user can comfortably view
text on a computer screen displayed in a relatively small font,
most users require a much larger surface area in order to write
with a pen on a digitizer pad. A larger area is required for
writing since digitizer pads are not extremely accurate and the
resolution of most flat panel display devices is not great enough
to display small ink patterns. However, a competing goal for
palmtop computer systems is that users want the systems to be very
small for portability. Thus, it would be desirable to design a
palmtop computer system that minimizes the amount of surface area
required for a handwriting area such that the amount of area on a
small palmtop computer system used for the display screen is
maximized.
SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
[0007] It is therefore an object of the present invention to design
a pen-based computer system that minimizes the amount of surface
area required for handwriting input such that the display screen
area is maximized.
[0008] It is a further object of the present invention to design a
small pen-based palmtop computer system that can be built at
minimal cost.
[0009] It is yet a further object of the present invention to
design a pen-based computer system that will sustain less damage by
long term pen usage.
[0010] These and other objects, features and advantages of the
present invention will be apparent from the detailed description
that follows below and from the accompanying drawings. A pen-based
palmtop computer system is disclosed. The pen-based palmtop
computer system has a small dedicated text input area. In one
embodiment, the dedicated text input area consists of a large
digitizer pad laid on top of a smaller flat panel display screen
such that a portion of the digitizer pad extends beyond the flat
panel display screen. In this embodiment, the dedicated text input
area is located in the region of the digitizer pad that extends
beyond the In this embodiment, the dedicated text input area is
located in the region of the digitizer pad that extends beyond the
flat panel display screen. Text can be entered by handwriting in
the small dedicated text input area or tapping keys on an
illustrated keypad.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] The objects, features, and advantages of the present
invention will be apparent from the following detailed description
of the preferred embodiment of the invention with references to the
following drawings.
[0012] FIG. 1 illustrates a pen-based computer system that uses a
large permanent input field for handwriting input.
[0013] FIGS. 2a and 2b illustrate a pen-based computer system that
uses a large temporary input field for handwriting input.
[0014] FIG. 3 illustrates a pen-based computer system that uses a
floating input box for handwriting input.
[0015] FIGS. 4a and 4b illustrate a pen-based computer system that
uses a tiled input box for handwriting input.
[0016] FIGS. 5a and 5b illustrate a first embodiment of the
pen-based computer system of the present invention.
[0017] FIG. 6 illustrates a second embodiment of the pen-based
computer system of the present invention.
[0018] FIG. 7 illustrates a cross sectional view of the second
embodiment of the pen-based computer system.
[0019] FIG. 8 illustrates a cross sectional view of a third
embodiment of the pen-based computer system.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0020] Methods and apparatus for implementing a pen-based computer
system with a small handwriting input area are disclosed. In the
following description, for purposes of explanation, specific
nomenclature is set forth to provide a thorough understanding of
the present invention. However, it will be apparent to one skilled
in the art that these specific details are not required to practice
the present invention. In other instances, well-known circuits and
devices are shown in block diagram form to avoid obscuring the
present invention unnecessarily.
[0021] Palmtop computer systems are designed to be small enough to
hold in one hand. Thus, palmtop computer systems can only have
small screen displays. To efficiently use the small screen display,
most designers of pen-based palmtop computer systems have designed
their products to provide an enlarged handwriting area only when
necessary to input handwriting but otherwise output text onto the
display screen at the smallest size comfortable for reading. The
existing palmtop computer systems have employed four methods of
providing the enlarged handwriting input areas: 1) Permanent Large
Fields; 2) Temporary Large Fields; 3) Floating Writing Box or
Keyboard; or 4) Tiled Writing Box or Keyboard. Each technique has
certain advantages as disadvantages as described below.
[0022] 1) Permanent Large Fields
[0023] Some pen-based computer systems display large handwriting
input fields where handwritten text must be entered. FIG. 1
illustrates an example of this technique. In FIG. 1, a phone book
entry form 120 is displayed on the screen and the name and phone
number input fields are large enough to write in. Typically the
rest of the data 130 is displayed at a smaller size suitable for
viewing only. The advantage of this method is that the user can
write directly into the field. However, the major downside of this
approach is that the large handwriting input field permanently
occupies valuable display screen space thus limiting the number of
input fields and other data that can be displayed simultaneously on
the display screen. For most applications, a large permanent input
field method is only practical on computers with relatively large
displays such as the tablet sized computer of FIG. 1 or a notebook
computer equipped with a pen. For small palmtop computer systems
designed to be held in one hand, large permanent input fields are
usually impractical.
[0024] 2) Temporary Large Fields
[0025] The Temporary Large Fields method is similar to the
Permanent Large Fields method except that the handwriting input
field is only displayed when it is needed. FIGS. 2a and 2b
illustrate an example of the Temporary Large Field technique.
Referring to FIG. 2a, the output text fields 210 of a phone book
program are normally displayed in a small font for viewing. When a
user wishes to enter a new person into the phone book, the user
selects an entry button ("New" box 220 in FIG. 2a). The program
then expands a large handwriting input field as illustrated in FIG.
2b. The user writes in the enlarged handwriting input field to
enter the new information. When done writing, the user selects a
done button 240 and the handwriting input field collapses back to
the smaller size for viewing. One downside of this approach is that
when a handwriting input field expands, other data on the screen
must be moved or covered to accommodate the new handwriting input
field. This step can be disorientating to the user. Another
disadvantage is that the user must perform extra steps to expand
and collapse the handwriting input field. Finally, this and the
previous method only work for field oriented text. They are not
easily adaptable to editing larger blocks of multi-line text
typically needed for notes and correspondence.
[0026] 3 Floating Writing Box or Keyboard
[0027] A third method of providing an enlarged handwriting input
area employs a floating box on the screen for entering handwritten
text. FIG. 3 illustrates an example of the floating box technique.
As illustrated in FIG. 3, the floating handwriting input box 310 is
displayed above the base application and obscures part of the base
application. The floating input box 310 can be moved around on the
screen such that the user can view any obscured text. The floating
input box 310 may contain a field for handwriting in or alternately
a picture of a keyboard. When the user writes in the box (or
presses one of the on-screen keys of an illustrated keyboard)
equivalent characters are passed to the underlying application. The
floating input box method has the advantage of working with
existing keyboard based applications without modifying the existing
application for pen-based input. However, the floating input box
method has several disadvantages, most notably is the fact that the
floating input box 310 obscures part of the application. To see
what is underneath the floating input box 310, the user must
reposition the box. The obscuring problem gets worse the smaller
the screen display is. Another problem with this method is that the
user must perform several steps when inputting text: position the
text insertion point, display the floating input box, move the
floating input box, and close the floating input box.
[0028] 4) Tiled Writing Box or Keyboard
[0029] The last method also creates an input box or virtual
keyboard but instead of a floating box above the application, the
input box is displayed in a fixed location on the display screen.
FIGS. 4a and 4b illustrate the tiled input box technique. As
illustrated in FIG. 4a, to open the tiled input box, the user
selects a button 420 that requests text input. As illustrated in
FIG. 4b, the currently running application then resizes itself
smaller such that it displays all its data without overlapping a
newly created input box 440. In computer terms, the resized
application 430 and the adjacent input box 440 are "tiled." This
method maximizes the amount of data displayed on the screen when
not entering text, and it never obscures any of the application
when entering text. One disadvantage of this method is that all
applications must be capable of automatically resizing to
accommodate the input box 440. Furthermore, the resizing causes
confusion this causes to the user when data is automatically moved
on the display.
[0030] All existing pen-based computer operating systems use one of
more of these four methods to provide at area for inputting
handwritten text. The following list contains the major vendors of
pen-based software and the handwriting text input methods used:
1 Manufacturer & pen-based software Text input method(s) Apple
Computer, Newton OS: 2 & 3 General Magic, MagicCap: 3 & 4
GeoWorks, Geos: 1, 2 & 3 Microsoft, Windows for Pen Computing:
1, 2 & 3 Palm Computing, Graffiti: 3 Sharp Corporation, Zaurus
(Japanese model) 4 Telxon Corporation, PenRight! 1, 2 & 3
[0031] All the currently employed handwriting text input methods
have the shortcomings as described above. The most notable problem
is that the handwriting input area requires valuable display screen
space. The problems with the existing handwriting input methods are
exacerbated when the display screen becomes smaller. Since one of
the problems in achieving consumer acceptance of palmtop computer
systems is that the existing palmtop systems are still too large, a
new text entry solution is needed to design smaller palmtop
computer systems.
A Pen-based Computer System with a Dedicated Handwriting Area
[0032] To cure the problems found in existing pen-based computer
systems, a new type of handwriting input technique needed to be
employed. An ideal design would meet the achieve the following
objectives:
[0033] Display all text at the best size for viewing, even while
editing;
[0034] Work on any size display screen, even very small
displays;
[0035] Not obscure any displayed data while entering text;
[0036] Not cause any redrawing or resizing of applications; and
[0037] Allow handwritten text to be entered immediately without any
extra steps from the user.
[0038] The present invention introduces an improved method of
designing a pen-based palmtop computer system that meets all these
objectives. The present invention meets the above objectives by
introducing the concept of a small dedicated writing area that is
located in close proximity to the display. In a preferred
embodiment, the dedicated writing area comprises an area of
digitizer pad that extends beyond the active area of the flat panel
display.
[0039] FIGS. 5a and 5b illustrate an external view of a first
embodiment of a pen-based palmtop computer system constructed
according to the teachings of the present invention. In the
embodiment of FIG. 5, a small part of the display screen is
designated as a permanent input area 530. The permanent input area
530 could be located anywhere on the palmtop computer system, but
placing the permanent input area 530 below the screen display works
best location since the user's hand will not obscure or touch the
screen display when the user is writing into the permanent input
area 530.
[0040] Some of the permanent input area 530 is used for function
buttons such as buttons 532, 535, 537 and 538. The areas behind the
function buttons can display icons symbolizing different functions
that become available. The remainder of the permanent input area
530 is designated as a permanent text input area 540. The permanent
text input area 540 normally displays a small box for inputting
handwritten text as illustrated in FIG. 5a. However, if the user
wants to enter text by tapping on a keyboard then a small keyboard
can be displayed in the permanent text input area 540 as
illustrated in FIG. 5b.
[0041] With the permanent text input area 540 always displayed in
the same position on the display, the applications running on the
palmtop computer system can always rely on having a well-defined
output area on the display screen. The application never needs to
resize itself to accommodate handwritten input. Furthermore, the
application is never obscured by a handwriting input box.
[0042] The permanent text input area 540 is always available to an
application running on the palmtop computer system such that the
application can always receive text input and the user is presented
with a consistent user interface. Since the permanent text input
area 540 is always available, applications can be written such that
the user can start writing before entering an editing mode. For
example, while viewing a To-Do List in a To-Do List application,
the application can automatically create a new To-Do list item if
the user starts to write in the text input area. This shortcut
feature enables a user to quickly enter information without having
to traverse through a menu system.
[0043] As illustrated in FIGS. 5a and 5b, the permanent text input
area of the present invention is not very large such that a user
cannot write long lines of information into the permanent text
input area. Therefore, the palmtop computer system of the present
invention preferably uses a handwriting recognition system that
provides immediate feedback to the user. For example, the permanent
text input area may comprise two or more "character boxes" where
each character box consists of a defined area of the permanent text
input area. The user writes consecutive letters into different
character boxes. When the user begins writing into a character box,
the handwriting recognition system processes the character box that
the user last wrote into. If there are two character boxes, then
the user simply alternates between the two character boxes.
[0044] In a preferred embodiment, the handwriting recognition
system used in the present invention comprises a system that allows
the user to write consecutive characters on top of each other. Each
character is immediately recognized after it is written. Thus, the
permanent text input area only needs to be large enough for a user
to write a single handwritten character. One example of a
handwriting recognition system used that allows a user to write
consecutive characters on top of each other is the Graffiti.TM.
program by Palm Computing, Inc. of Los Altos, Calif. The techniques
for implementing a handwriting recognition system that allows the
user to write consecutive letters on top of each other are
disclosed in the U.S. patent application entitled "Multiple Pen
Stroke Character Set and Handwriting Recognition System With
Immediate Response", filed Jul. 1, 1994, Ser. No. 08/270,025, and
are hereby incorporated by reference.
An Alternative Embodiment
[0045] The flat panel display screens are usually the most
expensive component of any palmtop computer system. Furthermore,
flat panel display screens occupy a large amount of the space
within the interior of a palmtop computer system. Thus, it would be
desirable to reduce the size of a flat panel display screen on a
palmtop computer system. In an alternate embodiment of the present
invention, the size of the flat panel display screen is reduced
such that the handwriting input area and the function buttons are
not located on an area above the flat panel display screen.
Instead, the digitizer pad extends beyond the flat panel display
screen and the dedicated input area is located on the area of the
digitizer pad that extends beyond the flat panel display screen
such that no visual feedback is provided directly under the pen in
that area.
[0046] FIG. 6 illustrates the alternate embodiment of the present
invention. As illustrated in FIG. 6, the handwriting input area 640
and the function keys 632, 635, 637, and 638 form a permanent input
area 630 that is located below the display screen area 620. The
permanent input area 630 (the handwriting input area 640 and the
function keys 632, 635, 637, and 638) are located on an active
region of a digitizer pad that extends beyond the flat panel
display screen such that the palmtop computer system can sense
input from the user in the permanent input area 630.
[0047] Since the permanent input area 630 is not located above the
display screen, no feedback in the form of "digital ink" will
appear beneath the user's pen when the user writes in the permanent
input area 630. However, tests with users have indicated that when
using a handwriting recognition program such as Graffiti.TM. where
consecutive characters are written on top of each other, the
digital ink feedback is not necessary. Instead, the user is
watching the display area 620 where the recognized character output
from the user's handwriting is displayed.
[0048] To accommodate users that still desire having a keyboard to
tap characters on, or for the occasional use of an on-screen
keyboard to supplement handwriting recognition, the palmtop
computer system of the present invention can still implement a
pop-up keyboard in the display area. To view the pop-up keyboard,
the user simply places the pen in text input area 630 and moves the
pen up into the display area 620. This "input area to display area"
gesture causes a small keyboard to appear in the display area.
Alternatively, a keyboard design could be permanently printed in
the text input area over the over the digitizer pad.
[0049] The second embodiment of the palmtop computer system of the
present invention provides several additional benefits. The second
palmtop embodiment of the present invention costs less to
manufacture than the first embodiment since a smaller flat panel
display is used. Since the flat panel display is the most expensive
component in a palmtop computer system, this improvement can
significantly reduce unit cost of a palmtop computer system
constructed according to the teachings of the second
embodiment.
[0050] Furthermore, the second embodiment of the palmtop computer
system is more durable. The top surface of the digitizer pads used
on palmtop computers can become scratched. Scratching can occur if
a user does not write with the supplied pen or if the user writes
hard for sustained periods of time. When a digitizer pad is located
above the display area, the scratches on the digitizer pad can make
the flat panel display difficult to read. In the second embodiment
the permanent input area is not located over the display area and
therefore, the digitizer pad area over display area is less likely
to become scratched. Any scratches that do occur in the permanent
input area do not affect the functionality of the unit and can be
partially hidden by using colored printed material under the
digitizer pad in the permanent input area as illustrated in FIG.
6.
[0051] Finally, the second embodiment of the present invention
provides additional internal space within the palmtop computer
system. FIG. 7 illustrates a cross sectional side view of a palmtop
computer system constructed according to the teachings of the
second embodiment. As illustrated in FIG. 7, a digitizer pad 705
extends over the majority of the top surface of the palmtop
computer. A flat panel display screen 710 lies beneath a portion of
the digitizer pad 705. Note that the flat panel display screen 710
fills a significant amount of space inside the palmtop computer.
Beneath the flat panel display screen 710 is a main logic board 780
and a daughter board 785.
[0052] The digitizer pad 705 is divided into a display area 720 and
the permanent input area 730. The display area 720 has flat panel
display screen 710 beneath it. Since the permanent input area 730
does not have the flat panel display screen 710 beneath it, there
is additional of space within the body of the palmtop computer
system beneath the permanent input area 730. This space can be used
to house large internal components for the palmtop computer system
such as the batteries 790 as illustrated in FIG. 7. Conversely,
most existing palmtop computer systems have a large unused surface
area, such as area 250 in FIG. 2a, since a thick internal space is
required to house some components. FIG. 8 illustrates another
version of the second embodiment. In the version of FIG. 8, a row
of push buttons is located at the bottom of the screen such that
the palmtop computer system can easily be operated without using
the accompanying pen.
[0053] Although the present invention has been described in terms
of specific exemplary embodiments, it will be appreciated that
various modifications and alterations might be made by those
skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of
the invention as set forth in the following claims.
* * * * *