Information processing apparatus for recognizing an inputted character based on coordinate data series

An information processing apparatus comprising a coordinate input unit for inputting coordinate data series, a recognition unit for recognizing a character based on the coordinate data series inputted, and a page/note management unit for managing a data aggregate of the character recognized as a page, receiving a search condition from a user, and managing one or more page aggregates hit by the condition as notes.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present technology relates to an information processing apparatus such as a personal computer on which a touch panel, for example, is mounted, and to a method of processing information.

BACKGROUND ART

An apparatus having a UI (User Interface) using a touch panel is widely used. The touch panel is also used for operating the UI of a PC (Personal Computer). The touch panel allows a handwriting character input in combination with a character recognition technology, and can provide comfort operability to a user who is not accustomed to a key board operation.

In a tablet type personal computer, any memo can be made by handwriting. When an operator selects at least one part of writing strokes on the memo, characters within the selected part are recognized and the recognized result can be sent to a text input item as proposed by Patent Document 1, for example.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

Problem to be Solved by the Invention

It is common to save data such as a memo inputted by handwriting using a touch panel as a file in an information processing apparatus such as a personal computer. However, the memo simply saved as the file requires complicated operations including user operations to open the file and to find the intended file, when a user want to look a plurality of memos at the same time or to look a plurality of memos highly relevant.

In view of the above-described circumstances, an object of the present technology is to provide an information processing apparatus and a method of processing information with improved operability.

Means for Solving the Problem

In order to solve the above-described problems, an information processing apparatus according to the present technology includes a coordinate input unit for inputting coordinate data series; a recognition unit for recognizing a character based on the coordinate data series inputted; a page/note management unit for managing a data aggregate of the character recognized as a page, receiving a search condition from a user, and managing one or more page aggregates extracted based on the condition as notes.

The information processing apparatus may further includes a display processing unit for displaying the page/note managed.

The display processing unit may display a reduced size image of the page.

The page/note management unit manages meta data relating to the page by linking the meta data with the page, and searches the meta data based on the condition.

The meta data includes a word inputted by the user.

A method of processing information according to another aspect of the present technology includes inputting coordinate data series by a coordinate input unit; recognizing a character based on the coordinate data series inputted in a recognition unit; managing a data aggregate of the character recognized as a page, receiving a search condition from a user, and managing one or more page aggregates extracted based on the condition as notes by a page/note management unit.

Effect of the Invention

As described above, according to the present technology, the operability of the information processing apparatus can be improved.

MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

First Embodiment

The present embodiment relates to an information processing apparatus having a display on which a touch panel is disposed. In an application operation environment displayed on the display, an input using a pointing device such as a pen, a user's finger and a mouse can be processed.

Information Processing Apparatus

FIG. 1is an appearance view of an information processing apparatus in a first embodiment of the present technology.

An information processing apparatus10is a so-called tablet type personal computer.

The information processing apparatus10has a thin plate housing11, and a display screen unit12disposed at one main surface of the housing11.

The display screen unit12has a display panel and a touch panel. As the display panel, a liquid crystal display is used. As the touch panel, an electrostatic capacitance type touch panel is used, for example.

At the housing11, along with the display screen unit12, an USB terminal, a headphone output terminal, a memory card slot, a speaker, a microphone, a camera (not shown) and the like are disposed.

FIG. 2is a diagram showing a hardware configuration of the information processing apparatus10.

The information processing apparatus10has a CPU21, a main memory22, storage23, a communication unit24, a touch panel control unit25, a display control unit26, an interface unit27and a system bus28.

The CPU21controls hardware of the information processing apparatus10and executes an arithmetic processing for executing an application.

The main memory22is used as a work area for the CPU21.

The storage23is a readable and writable memory for storing a variety of data including an operating system, an application program and user data. The application program creates and manages pages and notes based on handwritten input data. Hereinafter, the application is called as “a note management application”.

The communication unit24executes processing to establish a networking and communicate with external devices. Examples of the communication unit24include a wireless LAN device, a near field communication device, an infrared communication device and the like.

The touch panel control unit25drives and controls the touch panel29.

The display control unit26generates display data to be supplied to a display30.

The interface unit27controls input and output of data with a USB terminal, a head phone output terminal, a memory card slot, a camera and the like.

The note management application activates the CPU21as an operation unit.

FIG. 3is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of the information processing apparatus10.

An application screen control unit41(display processing unit) generates a variety of screens including a graphical user interface and a reply screen of the note management application, and controls, e.g., switches them.

A button operation detection unit42generates an input event corresponding to the operation by each button disposed on a screen of the note management application based on coordinate data supplied from the touch panel control unit25(a coordinate input unit), and supplies the input event to other operation unit.

A character recognition unit43recognizes a character in coordinate data series supplied from the touch panel control unit25(the coordinate input unit).

A page/note management unit44executes a variety of processing and management, e.g., creates, saves, reads out, searches or sorts the pages and the notes that are aggregate units of user data.

Next, the page and the notes will be described.

FIG. 4is a view for illustrating the pages and the notes.

A page P is a minimum unit of data aggregates input by a user's handwriting. The page P is seen as a piece of paper from the user on the display screen unit12.

To the page P, a creation date, an updated date, a belonged note, a type of paper, a page number, a meta tag, a thumb nail image etc. are added as meta data M1.

The creation date is time and date when the page P is created.

The updated date is time and date when the page P is updated.

The belonged note is a note N to which the page P is belonging, and the note N is an aggregate unit of one or more of pages P. The note N will be described later in detail.

The type of paper is a class sorted by a paper format. A plurality of papers having a plurality of classes are selected by the user's preferences, and the user can handwrite in accordance with the paper format.

The page number is a sequence of the page P in the note N.

The tag is added information composed of words, for example, a heading, remarks, etc. inputted by the user appropriately.

The thumb nail image is a reduced size image of the page P, and is used for showing a list of the page P, for example.

The note N is an aggregate unit of one or more pages P. The note N is seen as one note from the user on the display screen unit.

To the note N, a title, a creation date, an updated date, a page number, a tag, a note color etc. are added as meta data M2.

The title is a name added to the note N. The title is automatically added by the note management application, but can be added by inputting any title by the user.

The creation date is time and date when the note N is created.

The updated date is time and date when the note N is updated.

The page number is a number of a page included in the note N.

The tag is added information composed of words, for example, a heading, remarks, etc. inputted by the user appropriately.

Next, a user interface of the note management application will be described.

To the information processing apparatus10, the user operates and instructs to start the note management application. Then, the note management application is loaded from the storage23to the main memory22, and is started.

Once the note management application is started, an initial screen is generated by the application display control unit41and is displayed on the display30.

As the initial screen, it assumes that a list of the notes is displayed.

FIG. 5is an example of a note list screen50.

On the note list screen50, if the note is already saved, objects51corresponding to the respective notes are displayed. The objects51corresponding to the notes are designs of abstracted notes, and are different from typical icons in that attributes added to the notes are reflected by appearances of the objects51in terms of colors. InFIG. 5, the attributes are not reflected by the appearances of the objects51. Each object51displays correspondingly a word example showing attribute information52such as a name, a creation date and an updated date of the note. In the note list screen50, the object51corresponding to each note is arranged in accordance with predetermined sort conditions (the order of the title, the order of the creation date, the order of the updated date, the order of the size (the page number)). Sorting conditions can be selected/changed by a user's operation of a button.

The note list screen50can further display a main operation bar60and a note operation bar70as the graphical user interfaces.

The main operation bar60has a search button61, a share button62, a device button63, a setting button64and the like.

The search button61is to invoke a search operation screen.

The share button62is to invoke a function to upload a content including a photo to a content share site on a web.

The device button63is to invoke information about devices mounted to the information processing apparatus10.

The setting button64is to invoke a variety of setting screens in the information processing apparatus10.

The main operation bar60is also displayed on screens other than the note list screen50.

The note operation bar70has a plurality of buttons71,72and73for receiving a variety of instructions about the note operation such as addition, deletion and sorting of notes, a label color setting button74, a tag generation button75and a page list display button76.

The label color setting button74is to invoke a function to set colors of the objects51in the note. According to the embodiment, there is adopted a design that a part of the objects51is considered as a label, and a color of the label can be changed by a setting.

The page list display button76is to invoke a page list screen of the note selected by a user.

FIG. 6is a view showing a page list screen.

In a page list screen80, a list of one or more pages belonging to the selected note is displayed. The pages displayed are reduced size images (thumb nail images)81. To the reduced size images81of the respective pages, attribute information82such as the sequence in the note, the creation date and the updated date are displayed correspondingly.

On the page list screen80, the above-described main operation bar60and a page operation bar90can be further displayed as the graphical user interface.

The page operation bar90has a plurality of buttons for receiving instructions about the page operation such as addition, sorting (moving) and deletion of pages, a smart note creation button94, a tag generation button95, a return button96, an edit button97and the like.

The smart note creation button94is to invoke a function to create a new note as a smart note from one or more pages searched under the condition specified by the user about all pages belonging to the selected note.

The tag generation button95is to invoke a function to create a page tag. A tag creation function stores word data such as remarks inputted freely by the user as a tag of the page of interest into the storage23.

The return button96is to instruct to return to a previous screen (the note list screen50).

The edit button97is to invoke an edit screen of the page selected by the user.

FIG. 7is a view showing an edit screen.

On an edit screen100, a pen13for the touch panel (hereinafter referred simply as “pen”) shown inFIG. 1is used to execute a handwriting input, and a page is edited by text input using a software key board.

The page edit screen100further displays an edit operation bar110.

The edit operation bar110has a return button111, a view mode button112, a slide button113, a text input button114, a pen input button115, an undo button116, a redo button117, a select button118, a paper change button119, an import button120, a page delete button121, a page add button122and the like.

The return button111is to instruct to return to a previous screen (a page list screen80).

The view mode button112is to switch the page edit screen100to a look only mode (a view mode) to inhibit edit and input of/to the page edit screen100. When the button is operated in the view mode, the view mode is canceled, and the page edit screen100can be edited and inputted.

The slide button113is to invoke a function to slide display the pages belonging to the note of interest.

The text input button114is to invoke a function to input text data using a software keyboard to the page edit screen100.

The pen input button115is to invoke a function to handwrite words using the pen on the page edit screen100.

When the handwriting input function is invoked, a pen selection window (not shown) for selecting a type of the pen is displayed on the page edit screen100. Using the pen selection window, the user can select a type of the pen including a ball-point pen, a marker, a brush, a pencil, an eraser, etc. and can also select of a width the pen (a width of a writing stroke), a color (a color of a writing stroke), etc. A selection of the pen can be confirmed by the user in a writing stroke confirmation area disposed within the pen selection window.

To the undo button116, an undo function is assigned.

To the redo button117, a redo function is assigned.

The selection button118is to invoke a function to select an area from the page or to select a text.

The paper change button119is to invoke a function to select a type of the paper.

The import button120is to invoke a function to import a file or data and to arrange it on the page.

The page delete button121is to delete the page under editing.

The page add button122is to add a page.

On the above-described page edit screen100, the paper change button119is operated to display a paper selection screen.

FIG. 8is a view showing a paper selection screen.

On a paper selection screen130, a list of a plurality of paper format images131is shown as candidates. When a desirable type of paper is selected from the candidates131by a user's touch operation, the format of the paper selected is adopted as a format of a page to be edited.

[Operation of Note Management Application]

Next, an operation of the information processing apparatus10by a note management application will be described.

It assumes that a page belonging to a certain note is edited.

When the pen input button115of the page edit screen100is operated by a user to activate the handwriting input function, the character recognition unit43executes character recognition to the coordinate data series outputted from the touch panel control unit25. Character data as a result of the character recognition becomes display data by the application screen control unit41and is displayed on the page edit screen100. Also, character data inputted using the software key board is displayed on the screen by the application screen control unit41.

In the page edit on the page edit screen100, a user can reflect the format of the paper on the page under editing by operating the paper change button119to invoke the paper selection screen130, set or change the type of the paper.

When the page edit is completed by the operation of the return button96, the page/note management unit44stores the character data inputted on the page edit screen100into the storage23as user data per page, and also stores the updated date, the type of the paper, the note belonged, a storage location of the thumb nail image into the storage23as the meta data of the page of interest.

Next, it assumes that it returns to the display of the page list screen80by the operation of the return button96.

The user can invoke the tag creation function by the operation of the tag generation button95on the page list screen80, and set the tag to the above-described page. The set tag is added to the meta data stored on the storage23by the page/note management unit44.

Similarly, the page number in the note is added to the meta data by the page/note management unit44.

As to the respective notes displayed on the note list screen50, the title, the creation date, the updated date, the page number, the tag, the color of the note etc. are similarly stored on the storage23by the page/note management unit44as the meta data of the note of interest.

Next, an operation to create a new node (a smart note) by searching a page matched with a search condition specified arbitrarily by a user from a page group belonging to one note will be described.

First, the user invokes the page list screen80belonging to the note to be intended.

On the page list screen80, when the search button61in the main operation bar60is operated by the user, a search operation screen140is displayed as shown inFIG. 9. To a text box141of the search operation screen140, the user inputs a keyword for the search conditions using a software keyboard. When a search execution button142of the search operation screen140is operated by the user, the page/note management unit44searches the page including a search keyword in the meta data.

For example, it assumes that a “cook” is inputted as the search keyword. In this case, all pages including the “cook” in the meta data are searched and are displayed on the page list screen80. In order to provide the pages hit by the free word search, it is beneficial to utilize the application by setting one or more words corresponding to the page contents as a tag by the user.

It should be appreciated that dates (a creation date, a last update date) or types of paper can be used as the search keywords.

The page groups searched and collected on the page list screen80can be sorted again in accordance with any sorting conditions. For example, sorting can be executed again in accordance with a date order, a type order of paper or the like.

Thereafter, when the user operates the smart note creation button94(FIG. 6) disposed on the page operation bar90displayed together with the page list screen80, the page/note management unit44newly creates a note for collecting the pages displayed on the page list screen80. As the note created is configured of the pages narrowed by the user specified keywords, it might be said that the note is easy to use information for the user.

After the smart note is created, a display is switched to the note list screen50by the application screen control unit41. At this time, the note list screen50displays a newly created smart note added to the existing note. Alternatively, the display may be temporarily controlled such that the smart note newly added is recognized at a glance. For example, there is a method to display and emphasize the smart note newly added for a given length of time by a color, a size and a position of the object.

In general, a title is put to the note. A title including the search keyword may be automatically generate and put to the smart note added. In this way, the user can know what keyword is used to search the smart note. Also, as the manual input operation by the user to add the title, the user's operability is improved.

Next, an operation to create a new node (a smart note) by searching a page matched with a search condition specified arbitrarily by a user from a page group belonging to all notes or a plurality of notes selected by the user will be described.

The user invokes the note list screen.

When the user operates search button61in the main operation bar60on the note list screen50, the search operation screen140is displayed as shown inFIG. 9. To a text box141of the search operation screen140, the user inputs a search keyword using a software keyboard. When the search execution button142of the search operation screen141is operated by the user, the page/note management unit44searches the page including the search keyword in the meta data from all notes. The following operations are similar to those when the user creates the new node (the smart note) by searching the page matched with the search condition specified arbitrarily by the user from the page group belonging to one note.

On the note list screen50, the user can select the note to be searched by operating the selection button that can select individual note and search the page from the narrowed notes.

The note and the page may be searched separately, i.e., in two stages, to create the smart note.

In this case, the page/note management unit44searches the note including the search keyword in the meta data and then searches the page group belonging to the note. At this time, different keywords may be used to search the note and the page.

In the above-described embodiments, the search is executed by comparing the meta data to the search keyword. Alternatively, the search may be executed by comparing the user data to the search keyword.

The present technology may have the following configurations.

a coordinate input unit for inputting coordinate data series;

a recognition unit for recognizing a character based on the coordinate data series inputted;

a page/note management unit for managing a data aggregate of the character recognized as a page, receiving a search condition from a user, and managing one or more page aggregates extracted based on the condition as notes.

(2) The information processing apparatus according to the above (1), further including:

a display processing unit for displaying the page/note managed.

(3) The information processing apparatus according to the above (1) or (2), in which

the page/note management unit manages the meta data relating to the page by linking the meta data with the page, and searches the meta data based on the condition.

(4) The information processing apparatus according to any one of the above (1) to (3), in which

the meta data includes a word inputted by the user.

(5) The information processing apparatus according to any one of the above (1) to (4), in which

the display processing unit displays a reduced size image of the page.

DESCRIPTION OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

10information processing apparatus25touch panel control unit41application screen control unit42button operation detection unit43character recognition unit44page/note management unit