JP2006309354A - Digital pen input system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a digital pen input system providing easy creation of a business form without use of expert knowledge or an advanced facility. <P>SOLUTION: The digital pen input system is provided with base paper having a blank space printed only with dots having a predetermined pattern, a printer printing a business form layout in the blank space, and a digital pen for entering information by a pen tip, photographing dots in positions passed by the pen tip, and carrying out output to a terminal device. The terminal device is provided with a layout reading means for reading the business form layout to generate business form layout data, a recognition area setting means for setting a recognition area on the basis of the business form layout data, and a process type setting means for setting a recognition process type for each recognition area. A recognition process of dot pattern information outputted from the digital pen is carried out by referring to the recognition area and the recognition process type. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a digital pen input system for writing information on a sheet as well as writing information as electronic data.

  The digital pen input system is to fill the form paper with dots printed in a predetermined pattern together with the normal form layout with a pen equipped with a small camera and print the dots printed on the paper with the camera provided on the pen. Shoot and send the captured dot pattern information to a terminal device such as a personal computer. From this data, calculate the type of form and the coordinate position on the form through which the pen tip has passed, and use the information entered on the form. Electronic data is converted (Patent Document 1).

  Users who use this system create their own application software suitable for each user's business, and load the captured dot pattern information into the created application software via the digital pen dedicated application kit. The information entered on the form is saved as electronic data.

  By the way, conventionally, the form paper used in the digital pen input system creates a form layout using a dedicated application, and prints dots having a predetermined pattern together with this form layout on a white paper by a specialized printing facility, In addition, a special function that the digital pen processes is defined (form definition), and a check is placed within a specific frame line of the printed form layout to make a code indicating the start or end of entry on the form. It is created by setting a function to transmit data stored in the pen built-in memory to the terminal device or to erase data in the memory.

  Therefore, in order to create a form paper, in addition to a specialized application and knowledge to handle the application, printing equipment and advanced printing technology are required and must be ordered from a specialized supplier. In addition, it takes a large amount of cost, and the form layout and form definition must all be determined at the stage of creating the form sheet. In other words, when changing the form layout or form definition, even if it is a minor change, it is necessary to place an order with the supplier and recreate it, which incurs a large cost each time.

Therefore, before the introduction of the digital pen input system, such as when trial and evaluation of the system to introduce this system, proposal of solutions using this system, etc., or after the introduction of the digital pen input system Even if the form paper is improved, in order to create a form paper or a new form paper that suits the usage of each business, a large initial cost is required for each form paper, and digital pen input is required. It was a cause that hindered the spread of the system.
JP-T-2003-511661

  The problem to be solved is that it takes a lot of cost to create a form before the system introduction such as trial use and evaluation of the system, and the present invention uses specialized knowledge and advanced equipment. It is an object of the present invention to provide a digital pen input system that can easily create a form without any problems.

  In order to solve the above problem, as described in claim 1, a base paper having a blank space on which only dots having a predetermined pattern are printed, and a printer for creating a form paper by printing a form layout in the blank space; A digital pen that fills in the information with the pen tip and photographs the dot at the position where the pen tip has passed and outputs the dot pattern information to the terminal device, and the terminal device has a form layout of the form paper Reading means for generating form layout data by reading the data, recognition area setting means for setting a recognition area to be recognized based on the generated form layout data, and processing for setting a recognition processing type for each set recognition area Type setting means to set the dot pattern information output from the digital pen to the terminal device. Providing digital pen input system which is characterized in that the recognition process with reference to the recognition area and recognition processing type.

  By configuring as described in claim 1, an arbitrary form layout printed on a blank space of a base paper is read, a recognition area and a recognition process type to be recognized are set according to the form layout data, and these recognition settings are set. Can be created and used for digital pen input without requiring dedicated applications or specialized equipment, and can be used in small quantities for system trials and evaluations. The required number of form sheets can be easily supplied.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a digital pen input system according to the present invention.

  This digital pen input system includes a digital pen 10, a terminal device 20 capable of communicating with the digital pen 10, a base paper 30 on which dots 32 are printed in a predetermined pattern as shown in an enlarged view in FIG. And a printer unit 22 for printing a form layout.

  The terminal device 20 can communicate with the digital pen 10 wirelessly or by wire, and is, for example, a personal computer or a server device. The terminal device 20 includes a monitor 21 and is connected to a printer 22. Communication is performed via a LAN, an Internet line, a USB connection, or the like.

  The base paper 30 is a general-purpose paper having a large number of dots 32 printed in a predetermined pattern as shown in an enlarged view in FIG. 1, and a blank space 31 on which only the dots 32 are printed. The blank space 31 is arranged at the center of the base paper 30, and the form layout 35 is created by printing the form layout on the blank space 31 by the printer 22.

  A plurality of check boxes 33 may be provided around the blank space 31. In the check box 33, special functions to be processed by the digital pen 10 are defined in advance. The dots 32 are printed with ink that absorbs infrared rays, and the border lines and check boxes 33 of the form layout are printed with ink that does not absorb infrared rays so as not to interfere with the dots 32.

  Next, the structure of the digital pen 10 will be described. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of the structure of the digital pen.

  The digital pen 10 includes a pen tip 11 and an ink cartridge 17 for writing on a paper, and also takes a pen pressure sensor 18 that detects the pen pressure of the pen tip 11 and a dot 32 on the paper that the pen tip 11 has passed. Camera 12, processor 13 that controls digital pen 10 and data processing, memory 14 that stores data, communication unit 15 that communicates with terminal device 20 in a wired or wireless manner, and a battery that drives digital pen 10 16.

  When characters or the like are written on the form paper 35 using the digital pen 10, the writing pressure sensor 18 detects the writing pressure, and the processor 13 causes the camera 12 to photograph the dots 32. This camera 12 uses infrared rays, and can photograph only the dots 32 printed with ink that absorbs infrared rays.

  The captured dot pattern information is stored in the memory 14 in chronological order, and these data stored in the memory 14 by the communication unit 15 are transmitted to the terminal device 20. For data communication, the data stored in the memory 14 is transmitted to the terminal device 20 after the entry into the form paper 35 is completed, or the data is entered into the form paper 35 with the digital pen 10 and at the same time the data is wirelessly or wired by the terminal device. 20 to send.

  In the memory 14, the pen pressure data measured by the pen pressure sensor 18 together with the dot pattern information, the time data read from the timekeeping function (not shown) built in the digital pen 10, and the like may be stored together.

  Further, the dot pattern information transmitted to the terminal device 20 may be dot pattern image data photographed by the camera 12 of the digital pen 10, or indicates a locus of the pen tip 11 calculated from the photographed dot pattern image data. Stroke data may be used, and pen pressure data, time data, and the like may be transmitted together with dot pattern information.

  Next, an embodiment of the layout reading unit will be described. The form layout data 36 can be generated from the form layout printed on the form paper 35 by the layout reading means. The layout reading means reads the form paper 35 on which the form layout is printed with a scanner to generate image data, and uses this image data as the form layout data 36. In another embodiment, image data can be generated by reading data created by document creation software or spreadsheet software, and this image data can be used as the form layout data 36.

  Next, an embodiment of the recognition area setting unit will be described with reference to FIGS. A recognition area range to be recognized can be set on the form paper 35 by the recognition area setting means. For this recognition area, using the form layout data 36 generated by the layout reading means, for example, the vertical and horizontal coordinates in pixels or millimeters are set with the upper left corner of the form layout data 36 as the origin, and the upper left of the recognition area. Each recognition area is set according to the end coordinate value and the vertical and horizontal lengths of the recognition area.

  In the first embodiment of the recognition area setting means, the coordinate value is set by displaying the dialog box 23 and the form layout data 36 on the monitor 21 as shown in FIG. The coordinate value is input to the dialog box 23, and the vertical and horizontal lengths of the recognition area are further input.

  In the second embodiment of the recognition area setting means, as shown in FIG. 4, the form layout data 36 is displayed on the monitor 21, and a desired range is selected by dragging on the layout data with the mouse. Set the range as the recognition area.

  Next, processing type setting means will be described. A processing type for each recognition area can be set for the recognition area set by the recognition area setting means by the processing type setting means. The processing type set here includes, for example, the data order of the recognition area at the time of data output, the type of information entered in the recognition area (handwritten characters, print characters, check marks, figures, pictures, etc.), character attributes ( Symbols, kanji, hiragana, katakana, alphanumeric characters, etc., language (Japanese, English, French, Russian, etc.), number of characters written in the recognition area (predetermined number of characters, free pitch, etc.) and output format (fixed length) Output, data delimiter, output on-off, etc.).

  Next, an example of a usage mode of the digital pen input system configured as described above will be described.

  The operator first generates form layout data 36 from the form sheet 35 on which the form layout is printed in the blank space 31 of the base paper 30 by the printer 22 by the layout reading means. Based on the form layout data 36, the recognition area F and the recognition processing type are set by the recognition area setting means and the processing type setting means, respectively. These settings are performed on the terminal device 20 by displaying the form layout data 36 on the monitor 21.

  When the form pen 35 is filled in with the digital pen 10 and the dot pattern information is output to the terminal device 20, the recognition information set for each recognition area F from the entry information image converted into electronic data based on the dot pattern information. Recognition processing is performed according to the processing type, and the data is stored in a desired data format.

  The digital pen input system configured as described above has the following effects.

  The digital pen input system according to the present invention prints a form layout by a printer 22 on a base paper 30 having a blank space 31 on which only dots 32 are printed, generates form layout data 36 by a layout reading means, and sets a recognition area. Since the recognition area and the recognition processing type can be set by the means and the processing type setting means and used as a form paper for digital pen input, a small amount of various kinds of form sheets can be easily supplied in a necessary number.

It is a figure which shows the structure of the digital pen input system which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows one structural example of the structure of a digital pen. It is a figure explaining 1st Embodiment of a recognition area setting means. It is a figure explaining 2nd Embodiment of a recognition area setting means.

Explanation of symbols

10 Digital Pen 20 Terminal Device 21 Monitor 22 Printer 23 Dialog Box 30 Base Paper 31 Blank Space 32 Dots 33 Check Box 35 Form Paper 36 Form Layout Data F Recognition Area

Claims (1)

A base paper having a blank space on which only dots having a predetermined pattern are printed, a printer that creates a form paper by printing a form layout in this blank space, and a position where the pen tip passes through while entering information at the pen tip And a digital pen that outputs the dot pattern information to the terminal device,
The terminal device sets a layout reading unit that reads a form layout of the form sheet and generates form layout data, a recognition area setting unit that sets a recognition area to be recognized based on the generated form layout data, and Processing type setting means for setting a recognition processing type for each recognition region, and performing dot recognition processing on the dot pattern information output from the digital pen to the terminal device with reference to the set recognition region and recognition processing type. Digital pen input system.

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