Handwritten character retrieval apparatus and method

1. A handwritten character retrieval apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

storage comprising instructions to cause the processor to execute:

acquisition of a handwritten character string in units of each of strokes;

feature extraction of a first feature value which is unique to each of the strokes from the handwritten character string;

segmentation of the strokes into a plurality of sets;

append of a second feature value based on the sets, to each of the strokes; and

retrieval of an item including the handwriting character based on the first feature value and the second feature value;

wherein the segmentation comprises segmentation of the handwritten character string into at least one part or all of a character area, a word block, a character block and a radical block, and

classification of the handwritten character string into at least the character area and an area other than the character area,

the second feature value is a feature value vector indicative of a total number of strokes included in each of one or a plurality of sets to which each of the strokes belongs, and

the second feature value appended for each of the strokes includes at least a third feature value and a fourth feature value, the third feature value being associated with the sets to which the strokes belong if the strokes belong to the character area, the fourth feature value being associated with the sets to which the strokes belong if the strokes belong to the area other than the character area.

2. The handwritten character retrieval apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the acquisition comprises acquisition of the handwritten character string in units of a stroke by online recognition.

3. The handwritten character retrieval apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the acquisition comprises acquisition of one of pre-stored handwritten character strings, which is designated by a user.

4. The handwritten character retrieval apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the acquisition comprises acquisition of a handwritten character string which is formed by using templates of stroke strings, which are prepared in advance in accordance with the sets.

5. The handwritten character retrieval apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a display configured to display a retrieval result by the retrieval unit.

6. The handwritten character retrieval apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the retrieval comprises retrieval of a handwritten document including a stroke string which is similar to the acquired handwritten character string.

7. The handwritten character retrieval apparatus of claim 6 , wherein when a retrieval result is displayed, the handwritten document including the stroke string is displayed, and the stroke string is displayed and the stroke string is highlighted.

8. A handwritten character retrieval apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

storage comprising instructions to cause the processor to execute:

acquisition of a handwritten character string in units of each of strokes;

feature extraction of a first feature value which is unique to each of the strokes from the handwritten character string;

segmentation of the strokes into a plurality of sets;

append of a second feature value based on the sets, to each of the strokes; and

retrieval of an item including the handwriting character based on the first feature value and the second feature value;

wherein the segmentation comprises segmentation of the handwritten character string into at least one part or all of a character area, a word block, a character block and a radical block, and

classification of the handwritten character string into at least the character area and an area other than the character area,

wherein the second feature value is a feature value vector indicative of a feature value that is obtained by applying a method, which is identical to a method of calculating the first feature value, to all strokes included in each of one or a plurality of sets to which each of the strokes belongs, and

the second feature value appended for each of the strokes includes at least a third feature value and a fourth feature value, the third feature value being associated with the sets to which the strokes belong if the strokes belong to the character area, the fourth feature value being associated with the sets to which the strokes belong if the strokes belong to the area other than the character area.

9. The handwritten character retrieval apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the acquisition comprises acquisition of the handwritten character string in units of a stroke by online recognition.

10. The handwritten character retrieval apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the acquisition comprises acquisition of one of pre-stored handwritten character strings, which is designated by a user.

11. The handwritten character retrieval apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the acquisition comprises acquisition of a handwritten character string which is formed by using templates of stroke strings, which are prepared in advance in accordance with the sets.

12. The handwritten character retrieval apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising a display configured to display a retrieval result by the retrieval unit.

13. The handwritten character retrieval apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the retrieval comprises retrieval of a handwritten document including a stroke string which is similar to the acquired handwritten character string.

14. The handwritten character retrieval apparatus of claim 13 , wherein when a retrieval result is displayed, the handwritten document including the stroke string is displayed, and the stroke string is displayed and the stroke string is highlighted.