Hand writing input device
A hand-writing input device comprises: an input surface, a guidance device provided on the input surface along a predetermined track to guide a finger or pen along the track; a plurality of switch elements provided at particular positions on the track. When a particular character is inputted, the triggered switch element outputs the corresponding signal, and the combinations of the signals outputted by the switch elements correspond to the inputted characters. Since hand-writing input is performed by guiding a finger or pen along a predetermined track, only few switch elements are needed, thereby simplifying hand-writing recognition, reducing software requirements and increasing recognition accuracy.
1. A hand-writing device for inputting characters, comprising:
an input surface;
a guidance device provided on said input surface and extending along a predetermined track for guiding hand-writing strokes to follow said predetermined track, said predetermined track including a plurality of stroke segments arranged for receiving hand-writing strokes to generate said input characters, wherein said plurality of stroke segments include a plurality of horizontal stroke segments, a plurality of vertical stroke segments, and a plurality of diagonal stroke segments, wherein said guidance device further includes a closed edge surface formed about an entire outer perimeter of said predetermined track, and wherein said guidance device further includes a plurality of interior projections spaced inward from said closed edge surface for guiding said hand-writing strokes to follow said predetermined track, wherein said closed edge surface and said plurality of interior projections identify an absolute position of said hand-writing strokes within said predetermined track; and
a plurality of switch elements provided at positions on said predetermined track, wherein each stroke segment includes at least one respective switch element, wherein at least a certain of said switch elements being triggered by a hand-writing stroke to produce an output signal when a specific character is input by hand-writing, and wherein the combination of the output signals of said triggered switch elements correspond to the inputted character.
2. A hand-writing input device according to claim 1 , wherein said predetermined track is a pattern composed of a first plurality of lengths and a second plurality of lengths, said first plurality of lengths including the lengths between each two adjacent points of a first plurality of points (Pi) sequentially arranged on a closed curve of the closed edge surface, and said second plurality of lengths is formed by a length starting from a point inside of said closed curve and ending at each of a second plurality of points (Pj) on said closed curve.
3. A hand-writing input device according to claim 2 , wherein said first plurality of lengths includes six lengths (P 1 P 2 , P 2 P 3 , P 3 P 4 , P 4 P 5 , P 5 P 6 , and P 6 P 1 ), which are formed by the curve between each two adjacent points of said first plurality of points (P 1 , P 2 , P 3 , P 4 , P 5 and P 6 ) sequentially arranged on said closed curve, and said second plurality of lengths includes six lengths (P 0 P 1 , P 0 P 3 , P 0 P 4 , P 0 P 5 , P 0 P 6 ), which are formed by the length starting from a point (P 0 ) inside of the closed curve and ending at each of the second plurality of points (P 1 , P 2 , P 3 , P 4 , P 5 and P 6 ).
4. A hand-writing input device according to claim 2 , wherein said first plurality of lengths includes six lengths (P 1 P 2 , P 2 P 3 , P 3 P 4 , P 4 P 5 , P 5 P 6 , and P 6 P 1 ), which are formed by the curve between each two adjacent points of said first plurality of points (P 1 , P 2 , P 3 , P 4 , P 5 and P 6 ) sequentially arranged on said closed curve, and said second plurality of lengths includes two lengths (P 0 P 1 and P 0 P 4 ) which are formed by the length starting from a point (P 0 ) inside of the closed curve and ending at each of said second plurality of points (P 1 and P 4 ).
5. A hand-writing input device according to claim 2 , wherein said first plurality of lengths includes six lengths (P 1 P 2 , P 2 P 3 , P 3 P 4 , P 4 P 5 , P 5 P 6 , and P 6 P 1 ), which are formed by the curve between each two adjacent points of said first plurality of points (P 1 , P 2 , P 3 , P 4 , P 5 and P 6 ) sequentially arranged on said closed curve, and said second plurality of lengths includes eight lengths (P 0 P 1 , P 0 P 2 , P 0 P 23 , P 0 P 3 , P 0 P 4 , P 0 P 5 , P 0 P 56 and P 0 P 6 ), which are formed by the length starting from a point (P 0 ) inside of the closed curve and ending at each of the second plurality of points (P 1 , P 2 , P 23 , P 3 , P 4 , P 5 , P 56 and P 6 ).
6. A hand-writing input device according to claim 2 , wherein the pattern formed by the first plurality of lengths and the second plurality of lengths is substantially axially symmetric.
7. A hand-writing input device according to claim 2 , wherein the pattern formed by the first plurality of lengths and the second plurality of lengths is non-symmetrical.
8. A hand-writing input device according to claim 2 , wherein the closed curve formed by said first plurality of lengths is one from the group including a rectangle, an ellipse, and a figure 8.
9. A hand-writing input device according to claim 2 , wherein said plurality of switch elements are positioned on each of said first plurality of lengths, and on at least one of two lengths (P 1 P 0 and P 0 P 4 ) in said second plurality of lengths.
10. A hand-writing input device according to claim 1 , wherein said guidance device comprises a visual guidance device including a visual guide track.
11. A hand-writing input device according to claim 1 , wherein said guidance device comprises a recess having one of said switch elements therein.
12. A hand-writing input device according to claim 1 , wherein said guidance device comprises a protrusion having one of said switch elements thereon.
13. A hand-writing input device according to claim 11 , wherein the cross-section of said recess is substantially trapezoidal.
14. A hand-writing input device according to claim 11 , wherein the cross-section of said recess is substantially semicircular.
15. A hand-writing input device according to claim 12 , wherein the cross-section of said protrusion is substantially trapezoidal.
16. A hand-writing input device according to claim 12 , wherein the cross-section of said protrusion is substantially semicircular.
17. A hand-writing input device according to claim 1 , wherein said switch element is a resistive switch.
18. A hand-writing input device according to claim 1 , wherein said switch element is an electro-optical switch.
19. A hand-writing input device according to claim 1 , wherein said switch element is a capacitive switch.
20. A hand-writing input device according to claim 1 , wherein said input surface includes a touch sensitive screen.
21. A hand-writing input device according to claim 20 , wherein said switch element is a resistive switch comprising a keypad defined on said touch sensitive screen.
22. A hand-writing input device according to claim 1 , wherein said input characters include numerals, letters and characters defined by the user.
23. A hand-writing input device according to claim 1 , wherein the hand-writing input device further includes a micro-processor unit and a memory, said micro-processor unit obtaining codes of characters corresponding to said switch signal combinations from a predetermined inquiry table stored in said memory.
24. A hand-writing input device according to claim 20 , wherein the hand-writing input device further includes a micro-processor unit and a memory, said micro-processor unit obtaining codes of characters corresponding to said switch signal combinations from a predetermined inquiry table stored in said memory based on the combination of switch signals produced by said touch sensitive screen.
25. A hand-writing input device according to claim 23 , wherein the hand-writing device further includes a serial output interface.
26. A hand-writing input device according to claim 23 , wherein the hand-writing device further includes a parallel communication output interface.
27. A hand-writing input device according to claim 23 , wherein the hand-writing device further includes a USB output interface.
28. A hand-writing input device according to claim 23 , wherein the hand-writing device further includes an infrared output interface.
29. A hand-writing input device according to claim 23 , wherein the hand-writing device further includes a blue-tooth output interface.