Patent Publication Number: US-2013229341-A1

Title: Handwriting input device and computer-readable medium

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from prior Japanese Patent Application No. 2012-047062, filed Mar. 2, 2012, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a handwriting input device configured to input a handwritten character or figure, and a computer-readable medium having a program stored thereon. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     In recent years, information terminals such as a personal digital assistant (PDA), personal computer (PC), cellular phone, electronic dictionary, portable game device, and the like, provided with a tablet or a touch-screen display and capable of inputting a character or a figure by handwriting, are widely in practical use. 
     On a display unit of such an information terminal, display corresponding to various functions is carried out naturally, and hence it is not possible to fixedly display, for example, a mark for inputting a character by handwriting. Accordingly, there is a problem that rows of character strings input by handwriting, and the size of the characters are likely to be disordered, and the character strings cannot be written well. 
     Thus, a handwritten character input device provided with a function of neatly arranging handwritten characters and facilitating input of the handwritten characters by detecting, at the time of input of characters by handwriting, a first touching position on a tablet or a touchpanel, and using a position apart from the first touching position by a predetermined distance in a predetermined direction as an origin to thereby define a virtual frame for input of characters, and guide input of characters, is contrived (for example, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 09-091377). 
     In a conventional handwritten character input device, although it is possible to detect a first touching position on a tablet or a touchpanel, and define a virtual frame for carrying out handwriting using the touching position as a writing position of the first character, guiding of input of characters is not carried out before the tablet or the touchpanel is actually touched. Accordingly, it is not possible to confirm a position at which handwriting is to be started before the tablet or the touchpanel is actually touched, thereby causing a problem that the device lacks operability for neatly inputting handwritten characters. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a handwriting input device and computer-readable medium having a program stored thereon, each of which makes it possible to appropriately guide a user to a write position from the time at which input of handwritten characters is actually started. 
     According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a handwriting input device comprising: a display unit; a position detecting unit provided integral with the display unit and configured to detect an access position and a contact position of an operation tool; a guide figure display unit configured to, when an access position of the operation tool is detected by the position detecting unit, display a guide figure for handwriting input on the display unit based on the detected access position; and a handwriting position display unit configured to, when a contact position of the operation tool is detected by the position detecting unit in a state where the guide figure is displayed by the guide figure display unit, display a locus of the detected contact position on the display unit. 
     Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out hereinafter. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING 
       The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention, and together with the general description given above and the detailed description of the embodiments given below, serve to explain the principles of the invention. 
         FIG. 1  is a front view showing the external configuration of a tablet information terminal device  10  according to an embodiment of a handwriting input device of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a block diagram showing the configuration of an electronic circuit of the information terminal device  10 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a view showing the contents of a guide figure database  22   d  to be stored in a storage device  22  of the information terminal device  10 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a view showing a display operation concomitant with guide display processing according to a first embodiment carried out in accordance with a handwriting input operation of the information terminal device  10 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a flowchart showing the guide display processing according to the first embodiment carried out in accordance with the handwriting input operation of the information terminal device  10 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a flowchart showing guide display processing according to a second embodiment carried out in accordance with the handwriting input operation of the information terminal device  10 ; 
         FIGS. 7A ,  7 B,  7 C,  7 D and  7 E show views each showing a display operation concomitant with the guide display processing according to the second embodiment carried out in accordance with the handwriting input operation of the information terminal device  10 ; 
         FIGS. 8A ,  8 B and  8 C show views each showing a display operation concomitant with guide display processing according to a third embodiment carried out in accordance with the handwriting input operation of the information terminal device  10 ; and 
         FIGS. 9A ,  9 B,  9 C,  9 D,  9 E and  9 F show views each showing a display operation concomitant with guide display processing according to a fourth embodiment carried out in accordance with the handwriting input operation of the information terminal device  10 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described by using the drawings. 
       FIG. 1  is a front view showing the external configuration of a tablet information terminal device according to an embodiment of a handwriting input device of the present invention. 
     This information terminal device  10  (which may be referred to as a handwriting input device) is provided with, for example, a 12-inch tablet display unit  11 . This tablet display unit  11  is constituted by overlaying a dot-matrix color liquid crystal display screen lid and a tablet  11   t  with each other. As this tablet  11   t , for example, an electromagnetic induction tablet is used. Both an access position and contact position of a stylus P (which may be referred to as an operation tool) incorporating therein an induction coil at a distal end thereof on the display screen of the tablet  11   t  are detected as coordinates of the display screen (which may be referred to as a position detecting unit). 
     This information terminal device  10  operates in accordance with touch operations for various data items displayed on the tablet display unit  11  except for an operation of a power key switch for turning-on/off the power. Further, the information terminal device  10  also has a function of recognizing and inputting a handwritten character or figure (which may be referred to as a handwriting position display unit). 
       FIG. 2  is a block diagram showing the configuration of an electronic circuit of the information terminal device  10 . 
     A CPU  21  which is a computer is provided in the electronic circuit of the information terminal device  10 . The CPU  21  controls an operation of each unit of the circuit in accordance with a terminal control program stored in advance in a storage device  22 , or a terminal control program read from an external recording medium  23  such as a memory card or the like into the storage device  22  through a recording medium reading unit  24 , or a terminal control program read from a Web server on a communication network into the storage device  22  through a communication unit  25  by using the storage device  22  and a RAM  26  as a work memory. 
     As the terminal control program stored in the storage device  22 , a control program  22   a  including a communication control program for communicating with an electronic device provided with a communication function, such as an external PC, Web server, and the like through the communication unit  25 , and various application programs for carrying out text processing, table processing, image/sound reproduction processing, mail processing, operation processing, and the like, guide display program  22   b  for guiding to a write position of handwriting input when the handwritten information is input to the tablet display unit  11 , and character recognition program  22   c  for recognizing various characters and figures input by handwriting are stored. 
     Further, in the storage device  22 , a guide figure database  22   d  to be used concomitantly with execution of the guide display program  22   b  is stored. 
       FIG. 3  is a view showing the contents of the guide figure database  22   d  to be stored in the storage device  22  of the information terminal device  10 . 
     In this guide figure database  22   d , guide figure data for guiding to a write position of handwriting input to the tablet display unit  11  is stored. More specifically, various guide figures G 001  (squares for a hiragana character, katakana character, and Chinese character), G 002  (underline for alphabetic characters), . . . corresponding to types of input characters or figures are stored together with their sizes [X=◯◯◯, Y=ΔΔΔ], reference coordinates (X, Y), and corresponding character types. 
     Here, the size [X=◯◯◯, Y=ΔΔΔ] of a guide figure Gn indicates a coordinate range required for development in the display screen area, and the reference coordinates (X, Y) indicate the optimum write starting position set in advance by using the coordinates of an upper-left position of the range (size) of the corresponding guide figure as an origin. 
     In the aforementioned RAM  26 , a display data memory  26   a , input coordinate data memory  26   b , and the like are secured as a storage area for various operations. 
     The display data memory  26   a  includes a storage area of color bitmap data corresponding to the display screen area of the tablet display unit  11 , and display screen data created in accordance with a program being executed is stored in the memory  26   a.    
     Coordinates of an access position and contact position of the stylus P detected by the tablet  11   t  of the display unit  11  concomitantly with the handwriting input to the tablet display unit  11  carried out by the user are stored in the input coordinate data memory  26   b.    
     As described above, the storage device  22 , recording medium reading unit  24 , communication unit  25 , RAM  26 , key input unit  27 , tablet display unit  11  are connected to the CPU  21 , thereby constituting the device  10 . 
     Further, the information terminal device  10  has a function of displaying (which may be referred to as a guide figure display unit) a guide figure Gn when the stylus P is made to approach the tablet display unit  11  at the time of handwriting input corresponding to a user operation on the tablet display unit  11  such that the reference coordinates (X, Y) of the guide figure Gn stored in the guide figure database  22   d  coincide with coordinates (x1, y1) of the access position of the stylus P detected by the tablet  11   t , and guiding the user to an input position of the handwriting carried out by the user. 
     In the information terminal device  10  configured as described above, the CPU  21  controls an operation of each unit of the circuit in accordance with commands described in the terminal control programs  22   a ,  22   b , and  22   c , and software and hardware operate in cooperation with each other, whereby the guide display function concomitant with the handwriting input processing to be described in the following operation description is realized. 
     Next, an operation of the information terminal device  10  provided with the handwriting input function configured as described above will be described below. 
     First Embodiment 
       FIG. 4  is a view showing a display operation concomitant with guide display processing according to a first embodiment carried out in accordance with a handwriting input operation of the information terminal device  10 . 
       FIG. 5  is a flowchart showing the guide display processing according to the first embodiment carried out in accordance with the handwriting input operation of the information terminal device  10 . 
     When the user makes the stylus P approach the display screen of the tablet display  11  in a state where the information terminal device  10  is placed in the handwriting input mode, it is detected by the tablet  11   t  that the stylus P has approached the display screen (step S 1 : YES). Coordinates (x1, y1) of the access position are acquired from the tablet  11   t  and stored in the input coordinate data memory  26   b  (step S 2 ). 
     Then, a guide figure (the guide figure G 001  [for hiragana, katakana, and Chinese characters] in this embodiment) is read from the guide figure database  22   d  (shown in  FIG. 3 ) (step S 3 ). A display position (for example, coordinates indicating the origin of the guide figure) of the guide figure G 001  of the case where the reference coordinates (−5, −10) of the guide figure G 001  coincide with the coordinates (x1, y1) of the access position of the stylus P on the display screen is calculated (step S 4 ). 
     Further, the read guide figure G 001  is displayed on the tablet display unit  11  in accordance with the calculated display position (step S 5 ). 
     That is, when the stylus P approaches the tablet display unit  11 , and the access position thereof is detected by the tablet  11   t , the guide figure G 001  which makes the coordinates (x1, y1) of the detected access position correspond to the optimum write starting position is displayed. Further, in a state where the stylus-down (contact position) of the stylus P on the display screen is not detected (step S 6 : NO), the guide figure G 001  is moved in accordance with the movement of the coordinates (x1, y1) of the access position of the stylus P, and is displayed on the display screen (steps S 1  to S 5 ), and hence it is possible to confirm the optimum write starting position before the characters are actually written. 
     After this, when write of characters is started by using the stylus P while the guide figure G 001  displayed on the display screen is referred to, coordinates of the contact position of the stylus P on the tablet display unit  11  are detected simultaneously with the start of write (step S 6 : YES). 
     Then, the display position of the guide figure G 001  on the tablet display unit  11  is fixed thereto, and a locus of the movement of the detected contact position of the stylus P is depicted and displayed (step S 7 ). It should be noted that when the coordinates of the position at which the stylus P is brought into contact with the display unit  11  are detected in step S 6 , the display position of the guide figure G 001  on the tablet display unit  11  is fixed thereto, and a locus of the movement of the detected contact position of the stylus P may be depicted and displayed after the stylus-up is once carried out. 
     Further, even when the contact position of the stylus P temporarily becomes undetected because of, for example, a break concomitant with the handwriting within one character or a break between characters, if the duration of the state is shorter than a fixed time (step S 8 : NO), and the access position or the contact position of the stylus P detected again is within the area of the displayed guide figure G 001  (step S 9 : YES), a locus of the movement of the contact position of the stylus P detected again is depicted and displayed (step S 7 ). 
     Further, even when it is determined that a fixed time or more has elapsed from the time at which the contact position of the stylus becomes undetected (step S 8 : YES), a locus of the movement of the contact position of the stylus P detected again is depicted and displayed in the area of the guide figure G 001  (steps S 7  to S 9 ). 
     It should be noted that the squares for a hiragana character, katakana character, and Chinese character (shown in  FIG. 3 ) constituting the guide figure G 001  of the first embodiment are constituted of a combination of those of a preset number (for example, four). When the contact position of the stylus P is detected in the area of the last (fourth) square of the guide figure G 001  concomitantly with the input of handwritten characters corresponding to the guide figure G 001 , a new guide figure G 001  of the same set is displayed to be continued from the right end (tail end) of the currently displayed guide figure G 001  on the basis of the size [X=◯◯◯, Y=ΔΔΔ] of the new guide figure G 001 , and this procedure is repeated until the newly displayed guide figure reaches a position a predetermined distance short of the right end of the display screen having a width corresponding to one line of writing. 
     After this, when it is determined that a fixed time or more has elapsed from the time at which the contact position of the stylus becomes undetected (step S 8 : YES), if it is determined that handwriting input for one line corresponding to the guide figure G 001  has been completed (step S 10 : YES), the guide figures G 001  displayed so far on the corresponding one line are erased (step S 11 ). It should be noted that when a time longer than the fixed time used in step S 8  is set, and the stylus-up is kept for a time longer than the set time, the guide figures G 001  may be erased while determining that the handwriting input has been completed (which may be referred to as a guide figure erasing unit). 
     Therefore, according to the guide display processing of the first embodiment of the information terminal device  10  provided with the handwriting input function and configured as described previously, it is possible for the user to sequentially write and depict characters by handwriting from the beginning of the write of the characters at appropriate positions on the basis of the guide figure G 001  to be displayed on the display screen from the time immediately before the handwriting input to the tablet display unit  11  is started by using the stylus P, and it is further possible to greatly improve the operability for nearly inputting handwritten characters. 
     Second Embodiment 
       FIG. 6  is a flowchart showing guide display processing according to a second embodiment carried out in accordance with a handwriting input operation of the information terminal device  10 . 
     In the flowchart showing the guide processing of the second embodiment in  FIG. 6 , processing steps identical to the flowchart of the first embodiment in  FIG. 5  are denoted by step reference symbols identical to those in  FIG. 5 , and a description of them is omitted. 
       FIGS. 7A ,  7 B,  7 C,  7 D and  7 E show views each showing a display operation concomitant with the guide display processing according to the second embodiment carried out in accordance with the handwriting input operation of the information terminal device  10 . 
     In the guide display processing according to the second embodiment, a character type of a character input by handwriting is recognized in addition to the guide display processing (steps S 1  to S 11 ) of the first embodiment and, when the character type of the already displayed guide figure G 001  is different from the recognized character type, processing (steps S 101  to S 104 ) of switching display to a new guide figure G 002  for the recognized character type, and displaying the new guide figure G 002  is added. 
     It should be noted that in the second embodiment, in the guide figure Gn to be read first from the guide figure database  22   d  and displayed by detection of the coordinates (x1, y1) of the access position of the stylus P, guide figure G 001  for hiragana, katakana, and Chinese characters is set to a default. 
     That is, as shown in  FIG. 7A , when the stylus P approaches the display screen of the tablet display unit  11 , and the coordinates (x1, y1) of the access position thereof are detected, a guide figure G 001  for the default-set character types (hiragana, katakana, and Chinese) is read from the guide figure database  22   d  on the basis of the coordinates (x1, y1) of the access position, and is displayed (steps S 1  to S 5 ). 
     Further, as shown in, for example,  FIG. 7B , when a handwritten character “a” of the alphabet is input and depicted in accordance with the first square of guide figure G 001  (steps S 6  to S 9 ), it is determined concomitantly with an operation of moving the stylus P to the next square that the coordinates of the contact position of the stylus P are not detected for a fixed time or more (step S 8 : YES) and, furthermore it is determined that handwriting input for one line corresponding to guide figure G 001  has not been completed yet (step S 10 : NO), the depicted handwritten character “a” is character-recognized (step S 101 ) (which may be referred to as a character recognition unit). 
     Then, guide figure G 002  for the alphabetic character stored in the guide figure database  22   d  is read from the database  22   d  in accordance with the character type [alphabetic] of the character-recognized handwritten character (step S 102 ) (which may be referred to as a figure switch/display unit). 
     Further, a display position of guide figure G 002  for the alphabetic character newly read from the guide figure database  22   d  is calculated on the basis of the display position of the currently displayed guide figure G 001  displayed in the guide display processing (steps S 4  and S 5 ) of the last time (step S 103 ). As shown in  FIG. 7C , the new guide figure G 002  is displayed in place of the current guide figure G 001  (step S 104 ). 
     Thereby, handwritten characters of the alphabetic character to be input by handwriting by referring to the newly displayed guide figure G 002  for the alphabetic character are sequentially depicted and displayed in the area of guide figure G 002  subsequent to the alphabetic character “a” input and depicted by handwriting (steps S 7  to S 9 ). 
     After this, when it is determined that a fixed time or more has elapsed from the time at which the contact position of the stylus becomes undetected (step S 8 : YES), if it is determined that handwriting input for one line corresponding to guide figure G 002  has been completed (step S 10 : YES), the corresponding guide figure G 002  for the one line is erased (step S 11 ). 
     It should be noted that according to the guide display processing of the second embodiment shown in  FIG. 6 , when the character type [hiragana] of the handwritten character “ ” input by handwriting in accordance with the currently displayed guide figure G 001  for hiragana, katakana, and Chinese characters corresponds to the character type of guide figure G 001  as shown in, for example,  FIGS. 7D and 7E , the same guide figure G 001  is repetitively overwritten and displayed. However, in such a case, the configuration in which the processing of switching the guide figure to the new guide figure Gn of steps S 102  to S 104  is omitted may be employed. 
     Therefore, according to the guide display processing of the second embodiment of the information terminal device  10  provided with the handwriting input function and configured as described previously, it is possible for the user to sequentially write and depict characters by handwriting from the beginning of the write of the characters at appropriate positions on the basis of guide figure G 001  to be displayed on the display screen from the time immediately before the handwriting input to the tablet display unit  11  is started by using the stylus P. Further, it is possible to display an appropriate guide figure G 002  at all times in accordance with the character type of the character actually input by handwriting. Furthermore, it is possible to greatly improve the operability for neatly inputting handwritten characters in various character types. 
     Third Embodiment 
       FIGS. 8A ,  8 B and  8 C show views each showing a display operation concomitant with guide display processing according to a third embodiment carried out in accordance with a handwriting input operation of the information terminal device  10 . 
     In the guide display processing according to the third embodiment, the configuration is employed in which the guide figure Gn to be stored in the guide figure database  22   d  is constituted of, for example, guide figures G 11  and G 12  for two characters and, each time one handwritten character is input and recognized on a one-by-one basis in accordance with guide figures G 11  and G 12 , succeeding guide figures G 13 , . . . are additionally displayed in sequence subsequent to the currently displayed guide figures G 11  and G 12  (which may be referred to as a guide figure addition/display unit). 
     According to the above, it is possible for the user to clearly recognize guide figures Gn . . . to be extensionally displayed subsequent to the input position of the handwritten characters while further inputting handwritten characters, and it is possible to impart a more effective guiding function to the information terminal device  10 . 
     Fourth Embodiment 
       FIGS. 9A ,  9 B,  9 C,  9 D,  9 E and  9 F show views each showing a display operation concomitant with guide display processing according to a fourth embodiment carried out in accordance with a handwriting input operation of the information terminal device  10 . 
     In the guide display processing according to the fourth embodiment, the guide figure Gn for default display to be stored in the guide figure database  22   d  is constituted of guide figures G 11 , Gh 1 , and Gv 1  formed by combining guide figure G 11  for the first character, guide figure Gh 1  for the horizontally written second character located on the right of guide figure G 11 , and guide figure Gv 1  for the vertically written second character located beneath guide figure G 11 . 
     Further, the configuration is employed in which when a handwritten character is input to the area of guide figure Gh 1  for the horizontally written second character, and is recognized as shown in  FIGS. 9A to 9C , guide figure Gv 1  for the vertically written second character is erased, and succeeding guide figures Gh 2 , . . . are additionally displayed in sequence subsequent to guide figure Gh 1  in the rightward direction and, when a handwritten character is input to the area of guide figure Gv 1  for the vertically written second character, and is recognized as shown in  FIGS. 9D to 9F , guide figure Gh 1  for the horizontally written second character is erased, and succeeding guide figures Gv 2 , . . . are additionally displayed in sequence subsequent to guide figure Gv 1  in the downward direction. 
     According to the above, it is possible for the user, irrespectively of whether the user wants to horizontally write characters by handwriting or the user wants to vertically write characters by handwriting, to clearly recognize guide figures Ghn . . . or guide figures Gvn . . . to be extensionally displayed subsequently in the input direction of the handwritten characters while inputting the handwritten characters, and it is possible to impart a more effective guiding function (which may be referred to as a guide figure selection unit) having a high degree of operability to the information terminal device  10 . 
     It should be noted that in the embodiment described above, although the specific examples including guide figure G 0001  for hiragana, katakana, and Chinese characters, and guide figure G 002  for alphabetic characters have been described as the guide figure Gn to be used for the guide display processing for handwriting input, it goes without saying that the embodiment is not limited to these character types. 
     Each of the methods of the processing items to be carried out in the information terminal device  10 , and database which are described in each of the aforementioned embodiments, i.e., each of the methods of the guide display processing according to the first embodiment shown in the flowchart of  FIG. 5 , guide display processing according to the second embodiment shown in the flowchart of  FIG. 6 , guide display processing according to the third embodiment shown by the display operation of  FIGS. 8A ,  8 B and  8 C, guide display processing and the like of the fourth embodiment shown by the display operation of  FIGS. 9A ,  9 B,  9 C,  9 D,  9 E and  9 F, and the database such as the guide figure database  22   d  shown in  FIG. 3  can be stored in an external recording medium ( 23 ) such as a memory card (ROM card, RAM card, and the like), magnetic disk (floppy disk, hard disk, and the like), optical disk (CD-ROM, DVD, and the like), semiconductor memory, and the like, and can be distributed as a program which can be executed by a computer. Further, the computer ( 21 ) of each of various types of information terminal devices ( 10 ) each of which is provided with the tablet display unit ( 11 ) reads the program stored in the external recording medium ( 23 ) into the storage device ( 22 ), and the operation of the device is controlled by the read program, whereby it is possible to realize the guide display function concomitant with the handwriting input processing described in each of the aforementioned embodiments, and execute the identical processing by the aforementioned method. 
     Further, it is possible to transmit data of the program for realizing each of the aforementioned methods on a communication network in the form of a program code, and it is also possible to realize the guide display function concomitant with the handwriting input processing described in each of the aforementioned embodiments by capturing the program data on the computer ( 21 ) of each of the various types of information terminal devices ( 10 ) each of which is connected to the communication network, and is provided with the tablet display unit ( 11 ). 
     It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the aforementioned embodiments, and can be variously modified in the implementation stage within a range not deviating from the essence of the invention. Furthermore, inventions of various stages are included in each of the aforementioned embodiments, and by appropriately combining a plurality of disclosed configuration conditions with each other, various inventions can be extracted. For example, even when some configuration conditions are deleted from the all the configuration conditions shown in the embodiments or some configuration conditions are combined in different forms, if the problem described in the paragraph of “Problem to Be Solved” can be solved, and the advantage described in the paragraph of “Advantage of the Invention” can be obtained, the configuration conditions obtained after deletion of some of the conditions or the combined configuration can be extracted as an invention. 
     Additional advantages and modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details and representative embodiments shown and described herein. Accordingly, various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventive concept as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.