JPS5985580A - Input mode selection on-line input device of handwritten character and pattern - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To have a quick on-line input by selecting optionally either the drawing pattern of a handwritten character or pattern or the recognition pattern of the handwritten character just by giving a touch of a pen to a prescribed area on a tablet. CONSTITUTION:A tablet 1 contains an input part comprising a function input region a and a writing input region B. When a touch of a pen is given to an input mode designation frame 1a of the region A, the character or pattern can be supplied. Then a display mode designation frame 1b and a display row number designation frame 1d are touched with the pen, and an internal processing circuit 8 is driven to display the handwritten character or pattern. Furthermore a selection circuit 3 receives a position coordinate signal Pfc (x, y) with a touch of the pen to an input mode selection frame 1c. Then the position coordinates Pi(x, y) of a drawing pattern of the handwritten character or pattern supplied to the region B via AND gates 4 and 5 are led to a handwritten character pattern recognizing circuit 6 or sent directly to the circuit 8.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an online input device for selecting an input mode for handwritten characters and graphics.

Due to the development of a peripheral device called a tablet, which can encode the pen position coordinates of handwritten characters or graphics on two-dimensional coordinates and input them online into a computer, online input devices for handwritten characters or graphics are now in practical use. Gender is rapidly beginning to be valued. That is, it has already been put to practical use as a graphic input device in some technical fields such as CAD (computer aided design) and CAI (computer assisted instruction), and its introduction into the development of telemail technology has also begun to be considered. In the field of telemail technology, especially when thinking from the recipient's perspective, receiving handwritten letters directly is less likely to misread the message, and it is more beneficial to understand the content accurately than receiving it in printed form. On the other hand, it is considered preferable to directly receive handwritten figures as they are, from the viewpoint of speedy communication.

Also, from the sender's perspective, it may be necessary to transmit only traces of the sender's signature to clarify responsibility for the contents of the message. In other words, if the sender wishes to directly input handwritten characters in the form of a sys form based on his/her own free will, or if the sender wishes to directly input a handwritten letter using the drawing pattern, or if the sender wishes to directly input a handwritten letter using the drawing pattern, or if the sender wishes to directly input a handwritten letter using the drawn pattern, or if the sender wishes to directly input a handwritten letter using the drawn pattern, or if the sender wishes to directly input a handwritten letter using the drawn pattern, or if the sender wishes to directly input a handwritten letter using the drawn pattern, or if the sender wishes to directly input a handwritten letter using the drawn pattern, or if the sender wishes to directly input a handwritten letter using the drawn pattern, or if the sender wishes to directly input a handwritten letter using the drawn pattern, or if the sender wishes to directly input a handwritten letter using the drawn pattern, or, as in the case of a handwritten correspondence, the sender may input the sys form directly by using the character recognition device. It is desirable to be able to quickly select one of the two recognition patterns and perform online input while freely switching between the two in response to the case where character pattern recognition is performed through the computer and input using each recognition pattern is desired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above requirements, an object of the present invention is to provide an online input device for selecting an input mode for handwritten characters and graphics, which can arbitrarily select either drawing or recognition of the input pattern.

The online input device for selecting an input mode for handwritten characters and figures according to the present invention includes a tablet having an input section consisting of a function input area and a handwriting input area, and a device for inputting data into a predetermined portion within the function input area. Selection means for selecting whether to output the position coordinate signal of the drawing pattern handwritten in the handwriting input area directly to the information processing device or through the handwritten character recognition means in response to the specified position coordinate signal input by the user. It consists of the following:

According to the present invention, a caller can arbitrarily select either a handwritten character, a figure drawing pattern, or a handwritten character recognition pattern by simply touching a predetermined area on the tablet with a pen, and quickly Can be entered online.

The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block configuration diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention, including a character/graphic input device (tablet) h, a position coordinate storage circuit 2, a selection circuit 3, AND gate circuits 4 and 5, and a handwritten character pattern. It includes a recognition circuit 6 and an OR circuit 7.

On the operation surface of the tablet 1, an input instruction frame 1a, a display mode instruction frame 1b, an input mode selection instruction frame 1c, and a display line number instruction in the function input area (hereinafter referred to as function code area) A are displayed. Handwriting input of characters or figures with a pen in the pentara or writing input area (hereinafter referred to as writing area) B into the frame ld,
They are each encoded in a Gray code representing the position coordinates, and are further encoded with binary code signals pf(x, y) and pH(x, y), respectively.
y) and output to the position coordinate storage circuit 2.

Here, the signals pf(X, y) and pH(x+y) are used as general terms for the position coordinate signals of the function code and drawing pattern output from the function code area A and writing area B, respectively. Although there is no need to place any particular restrictions on the input method of the tablet 1, an electromagnetic induction method in which position coordinates can be directly obtained as a digital signal is suitable. In this method, a pen with a ballpoint pen attached to the tip of an electromagnetic pen is used, and the drawn characters or figures can be left as a record on the paper attached to the writing area B device. Since grid C is printed in advance, pattern recognition processing for handwritten characters can be performed without error.

Further, an oil-based material is used in each instruction frame window in the function code area A to prevent ink from adhering to a ballpoint pen.

pf (X, y) and p input into the position coordinate storage circuit 2
Each signal of i(x,y) is output in synchronization with a clock signal (not shown). At this time, each position coordinate signal p, (x, y) representing the position coordinate of each instruction frame in function code area A is sent to the input device through a corresponding function key circuit. form a functional circuit. For example, when the input mode instruction frame 1a is touched, a functional circuit is formed in a state where characters or figures can be input, and when the display mode instruction frame 1b and the display line number instruction frame 1d are touched, , a functional circuit is formed that drives the internal processing circuit 8 and displays handwritten input characters or figures on the display surface. FIG. 1 only shows a functional circuit consisting of a selection circuit 3 which operates as a function key circuit when the input mode selection instruction frame 1c is touched, and two AND gate circuits 4.5. In other words, the selection circuit 3 receives a position coordinate signal p of a drawing pattern of a handwritten character or figure input into the writing area B through the input cover pattern selection instruction frame IC.
Input mode selection instruction frame IC in the generic position coordinate signal p (x, y) from signal action code area A indicating whether or not i (X+y) is guided to the handwritten character pattern recognition circuit 6 This is a specific position coordinate signal that is recognized. This selection circuit 3 can be easily constructed with a normal ring counter circuit. In this case, the selection circuit 3 performs T11 every time the input mode selection instruction frame IC is touched.
The AND gate circuits 4 and 5 output two selection signals ps and p/s having opposite phases to each other.
Now, the selection signal ps is II 1n,
If p/s is I□n, AND gate circuits 4 and 5
are in the open and closed states, respectively, and the drawing pattern position coordinate signal pl(X.

y) is given to the handwritten character pattern recognition circuit 6.

After being subjected to character butter/recognition processing, it is sent via an OR circuit 7 to an internal processing circuit 8 having functions such as display processing and the central control unit CPU of the host computer. Further, if the selection signals ps and p/s have a phase relationship opposite to that described above, the AND gate circuits 4 and 5 will also be in the opposite state, and the drawing pattern position coordinate signal p1(x+y)
without going through the input path to the handwritten character pattern recognition circuit 6,
It is sent directly to the internal processing circuit 8 and the computer central control unit CPU via the OR circuit 7. Normally, the drawing pattern position coordinate signal p*'(x*y) has a structure of 10 to 16 pits, so the AND gate circuits 4 and 5 are arranged in the same number as the number of bits. For simplicity, this is shown as a representative 1-bit circuit in the figure. In addition, device coordinate signals p, (x,
y) also has a 10 to 16 pit configuration, but if we pay attention to the unique properties of the position coordinates, it is possible to determine which input route the caller has selected based on the characteristics of the bit array. In this case, a light display device (not shown) that blinks in conjunction with the ring counter circuit of the selection circuit 3 is installed in the frame window of the input mode selection instruction frame IC, and the input path and the light display contents are related. It is obvious that the caller can reconfirm the input results by displaying them on the display screen.

In this way, the caller can simply touch the input cover turn selection instruction frame IC on the tablet 1.
Circuit for recognizing handwritten character drawing turns and character turns 6
You can freely select whether to input the characters after processing the recognized character code, or to input the signature handwriting or drawing turns such as figures as they are.

FIGS. 2, 3, and 4 are respectively an input surface configuration diagram, a block configuration diagram, and an in-circuit signal waveform diagram of an electromagnetic induction tablet that can be used in this embodiment. This tablet has loop-shaped coils at different intervals, and when an electromagnetic pen is placed between both coils, the position of the electromagnetic pen is on the inside of one coil, and the position of the electromagnetic pen is on the outside of the other coil. It takes advantage of the phenomenon in which currents with opposite phases are induced. Figure 2 shows two orthogonal sets of x:yi#(xl,x2.xa) and (
Y1+y2+ya) are each strung like a gray cord, and 8
A part of the input surface that was made into a ×8 dividing surface is shown. Here, the part surrounded by the coil is Jl + the other part is It 01
1, the sense coil for the X coordinate is coded in Gray code as shown in the table below.

The same applies to Gray coding for the Y coordinate.

The above Gray coding is embodied in the circuit configuration shown in FIG. Now, consider the case where an electromagnetic pen is placed at one position of one sense coil x3. When an electromagnetic pen 11 excited by an oscillator 10 is brought into contact with an input surface 12, an induced electromotive force is generated in each sense coil. This is amplified by an amplifier 13 and converted through a Schmitt circuit 14 into a logic signal in which the positive voltage is -11 and the negative voltage is It□If, which is applied to one input of the AND gate circuit 15. The exciting current of the oscillator 10 is waveform-shaped by a Schmitt circuit 16 and then passed through a delay circuit 17.
to drive. In response to the fall of the output pulse signal of the delay circuit 17, the gate pulse generation circuit 18 generates a gate pulse and applies this to the other input of the AND gate circuit 15. In this case, the delay time of the delay circuit 17 is set so that the gate pulse is generated within the time period in which the electromagnetic pen is in the coil and the logic signal is 1+1 It. Therefore, a pulse signal is taken out from the output of the AND gate circuit 15 when the electromagnetic pen 11 is inside the sense coil, and the induced electromotive force is in reverse phase in the line outside the sense coil. Goodpa/l/7. Schmitt circuit 1 at the time of occurrence
Since the logic signal from 4 becomes If□n, no pulse appears at the output of the AND gate circuit 15. Figure 4 (
Figures a) and (b) show the signal waveforms in the circuit explained above. Figure (a) shows the waveform when the electromagnetic pen is inside the sense coil, and Figure (bl shows the waveform when the electromagnetic pen is outside the coil). be.

Here, each waveform diagram of % ai represents the signal waveform of each corresponding circuit section a to i in FIG. 3. The flip-flop 16 in FIG.
11 output, and is reset by the AND of the negative output of this gate circuit 15 and the gate pulse from the gate pulse generation circuit 18. As a result, the output of the shift flip-flop 16 is automatically reset when there is no output from the AND gate circuit 15, and the position of the electromagnetic pen can be taken out as a parallel gray code. Logic NOT circuit 17 and AND gate circuit 1
8 is inserted for this purpose. Electromagnetic pen 11 in Fig. 3
Since the position of is touching the surface surrounded by Xl and X3 of the sense coil, the signal output from coils X and x3 is n I If, and the output from coil X2 is 11011
It is.

Parallel N-bit Gray code GNGN-1...
02G□ and pure binary code BNBN-1...B2
Since the following logical formula holds true between B and B, conversion to a binary code is easy.

1-1.2・・・・・・・・・N-1 Therefore, this function code area A
It is easy to configure the tablet 1 of the present invention, which has an input surface divided into writing areas B for convenience of operation, and the resolution is relatively high considering the required mechanism, so it is extremely effective in carrying out the present invention.

The present invention can also be implemented using a tablet using any input method other than the electromagnetic induction method described above. However, in a device that outputs a position coordinate signal as an analog signal, such as a tablet using a resistor flat plate, analog-to-digital conversion processing is required, resulting in a somewhat complicated detection circuit.

The handwritten character pattern recognition circuit 6 may be constructed by implementing the invention described in the patent application for "Online Handwritten Character Recognition Device" (Japanese Patent Application No. 194174-1982) filed by M. I can do it.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a handwritten character pattern recognition circuit used in an embodiment of the present invention. On a sheet of paper placed on the writing area B of the tablet 1, characters are handwritten and input into the character squares C using the electromagnetic pen 11 according to the principle of -squares/-characters. The position coordinate signal pi (x, y) output from the tablet 1 by drawing with the electromagnetic pen 11 is detected in the start/end detection unit 20 and the movement amount detection unit 21, respectively, to determine the start and end positions of the character. The movement amount Δl between each position ffl target value when sampling is performed at equal intervals from the coordinate and the start end of the drawing pattern is calculated to the end. - The start and end of a character is determined by detecting the position coordinates of the place where the electromagnetic pen 11 first issued a signal and the position coordinates of the place where the electromagnetic pen 11 issued a signal last within the same character square. data is specified. The movement amount △l is the movement amount integration unit 2
2, and each time the specified movement amount is reached, their position coordinates (x'4+yJ) are stored in the coordinate storage unit 23 together with the position coordinates (X1+1) at which the integration starts. , Y, ) and (X'3 *
Y'3) enters the converter 24, where the direction angle θ between the two points is determined. Here, the direction angle θ is as follows.

This direction angle θ is continuously determined by j+1=n'i, and as a result, a time-series pattern θ of the movement direction angle for each movement distance is obtained along the drawing pattern from the start end to the end of one character. , θ□,
...... θ, ......, θ is obtained. This time-series pattern is generated by the pattern matching section 25 from the standard time-series patterns Rθo, Rθ2 . ...Rθ1.・・・
...Time axis normalization matching is performed between Rin and Yu. This time axis normalized matching is based on the Acoustical Society of Japan paper [Comparison of various DP matching methods in speech recognition].
Speech Research Group Material 873-22. The recognition character code signal R is displayed on the display via the internal processing circuit 8, and is also sent to the central control unit CPU. According to this recognition device, it is possible to recognize kanji, two katakana, alphabets, alphanumeric characters, etc. with a recognition rate of 99 characters or more. Therefore, the recipient can receive the sender's handwritten characters in an easy-to-read typeface.

As explained in detail above, the caller can freely select either handwritten characters, drawing patterns of figures, or handwritten character recognition patterns simply by touching a predetermined area on the input surface of the tablet. , it is a great contribution especially to the field of tele-mail, since online input can be done quickly.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.
3 and 4 are respectively an input surface configuration diagram, a block configuration diagram, and an in-circuit signal waveform diagram of an electromagnetic induction tablet that can be used in this embodiment, and FIG. 5 is a handwritten diagram used in this embodiment. FIG. 1 is a block configuration diagram of a character pattern recognition circuit. 1...Tablet, A...Function code area, B...Writing area,
la...Input instruction frame, lb...Display mode instruction frame, IC...Input mode, selection instruction frame, ld...Display line number instruction frame, (χ, V) \ho... Function code area position coordinate f coordinate signal, pt (x, y)... Writing area position coordinate signal, p (x, y)... Input mode selection instruction frame position coordinate signal fc. No., ps, pls...Selection signal. Figure 2 Figure 5 Figure 3 (drink) Figure 4

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A tablet having an input section consisting of a function input area and a writing input area; a selection means for selecting whether to directly output a position coordinate signal of a drawing pattern handwritten in the image to an information processing device or to output it via a handwritten character recognition means. Input mode selection online input device. (2) The selection means is comprised of a ring counter circuit and a circuit.
) An online input device for selecting input modes for handwritten characters and figures.