Method and apparatus for computerized recognition

• Main Authors: BEERNINK; ERNEST H, PAGALLO; GIULIA, CAPPS; STEPHEN P, TCHAO; MICHAEL C
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 07.01.1997
• Edition: 6
• Subjects: CALCULATING; COMPUTING; COUNTING; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS; PHYSICS; PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECOGNITION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS

A recognition system for a pen-based computer system characterized by: a tablet for inputting strokes from a stylus; a low-level recognizer responsive to the strokes and operative to perform low-level recognition on the strokes; a high-level recognizer responsive to at least some of the strokes and operative to perform high-level recognition on those strokes; and a recognition interface permitting communication between the recognizers and an application program. The high-level recognizer includes a controller capable of receiving units to be recognized; a number of recognition domains coupled to the controller, where each of the recognition domains can receive one or more units from the controller and is capable of providing an interpretation of the meaning of the one or more units to the controller; and an arbiter coupled to the controller which is capable of resolving conflicts between multiple interpretations developed by the recognition domains. A method implemented by the high-level recognition system includes the steps of creating a stroke object from a stroke generated by the stylus on the tablet; grouping the stroke object with at least one other stroke object, if possible; classifying the stroke object by passing the stroke object to a number of recognition domains; and arbitrating between conflicting classifications generated by the recognition domains. This permits unstructured, free-form inputs to a pen-based computer system to be recognized and acted upon by the system.