Electronic device, handwritten document search method and storage medium

1. An electronic device comprising:

a processor, and

a memory, wherein the processor is configured to:

store on a storage medium handwritten documents comprising stroke data items corresponding to strokes;

divide first strokes into line structures, the first strokes corresponding to a search key for searching for stroke data items in the handwritten documents;

virtually set a rectangle which circumscribes the first strokes for each of the line structures;

determine a length of a first direction side of the rectangle and a length of a second direction side of the rectangle;

perform a character-string search when there is a line structure in which the first direction side of the rectangle is greater than or equal to a first threshold value obtained based on the second direction side of the rectangle; and

perform a noncharacter-string search when there is no line structure in which the first direction side of the rectangle is greater than or equal to the first threshold value.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first strokes comprise handwritten strokes received in a search key input area on a screen.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first strokes comprise strokes selected from a handwritten document displayed on a screen.

4. A handwritten document search method comprising:

storing on a storage medium handwritten documents comprising stroke data items corresponding to strokes;

dividing first strokes into line structures the first strokes corresponding to a search key for searching for stroke data items in the handwritten documents;

virtually setting a rectangle which circumscribes the first strokes for each of the line structures;

determining a length of a first direction side of the rectangle and a length of a second direction side of the rectangle;

performing a character-string search using a character-string searcher when there is a line structure in which the first direction side of the rectangle is greater than or equal to a first threshold value obtained based on the second direction side of the rectangle; and

performing a noncharacter-string search using a handwriting searcher when there is no line structure in which the first direction side of the rectangle is greater than or equal to the first threshold value.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the first strokes comprise handwritten strokes received in a search key input area on a screen.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the first strokes comprise strokes selected from a handwritten document displayed on a screen.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon a computer program which is executable by a computer, the computer program controlling the computer to execute functions of:

storing on a storage medium handwritten documents comprising stroke data items corresponding to strokes;

dividing first strokes into line structures, the first strokes corresponding to a search key for searching for stroke data items in the handwritten documents;

virtually setting a rectangle which circumscribes the first strokes for each of the line structures;

determining a length of a first direction side of the rectangle and a length of a second direction side of the rectangle;

performing a character-string search using a character-string searcher when there is a line structure in which the first direction side of the rectangle is greater than or equal to a first threshold value obtained based on the second direction side of the rectangle; and

performing a noncharacter-string search using a handwriting searcher when there is no line structure in which the first direction side of the rectangle is greater than or equal to the first threshold value.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to:

calculate an aspect ratio of the rectangle;

perform the character-string search using the character-string searcher when the aspect ratio is greater than or equal to two or when the aspect ratio is less than or equal to one-half; and

perform the noncharacter-string search using the handwriting searcher when the aspect ratio is not greater than or equal to two and when the aspect ratio is not less than or equal to one-half.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to determine selection of the character-string search using the character-string searcher when there is a line structure in which a number of characters whose code data has been acquired by character recognition is greater than or equal to a second threshold value.

10. The device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to determine selection of a hybrid search of the character-string search using the character-string searcher and the noncharacter-string search using the handwriting searcher when there is no line structure in which a number of characters whose code data has been acquired by character recognition is greater than or equal to a second threshold value.

11. The device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to:

determine selection of the character-string search using the character-string searcher when there is a line structure in which a number of characters whose code data has been acquired by character recognition is greater than or equal to two; and

determine selection of a hybrid search of the character-string search using the character-string searcher and the noncharacter-string search using the handwriting searcher when there is no line structure in which a number of characters whose code data has been acquired by character recognition is greater than or equal to two.

12. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:

calculating an aspect ratio of the rectangle;

performing the character-string search using the character-string searcher when the aspect ratio is greater than or equal to two or when the aspect ratio is less than or equal to one-half; and

performing the noncharacter-string search using the handwriting searcher when the aspect ratio is not greater than or equal to two and when the aspect ratio is not less than or equal to one-half.

13. The method of claim 4 , further comprising determining selection of the character-string search using the character-string searcher when there is a line structure in which a number of characters whose code data has been acquired by character recognition is greater than or equal to a second threshold value.

14. The method of claim 4 , further comprising determining selection of a hybrid search of the character-string search using the character-string searcher and the noncharacter-string search using the handwriting searcher when there is no line structure in which a number of characters whose code data has been acquired by character recognition is greater than or equal to a second threshold value.

15. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:

determining selection of the character-string search using the character-string searcher when there is a line structure in which a number of characters whose code data has been acquired by character recognition is greater than or equal to two; and

determining selection of a hybrid search of the character-string search using the character-string searcher and the noncharacter-string search using the handwriting searcher when there is no line structure in which a number of characters whose code data has been acquired by character recognition is greater than or equal to two.

16. The medium of claim 7 , wherein the computer program further controls the computer to execute functions of:

calculating an aspect ratio of the rectangle;

performing the character-string search using the character-string searcher when the aspect ratio is greater than or equal to two or when the aspect ratio is less than or equal to one-half; and

performing the noncharacter-string search using the handwriting searcher when the aspect ratio is not greater than or equal to two and when the aspect ratio is not less than or equal to one-half.

17. The medium of claim 7 , wherein the computer program further controls the computer to execute functions of determining selection of the character-string search using the character-string searcher when there is a line structure in which a number of characters whose code data has been acquired by character recognition is greater than or equal to a second threshold value.

18. The medium of claim 7 , wherein the computer program further controls the computer to execute functions of determining selection of a hybrid search of the character-string search using the character-string searcher and the noncharacter-string search using the handwriting searcher when there is no line structure in which a number of characters whose code data has been acquired by character recognition is greater than or equal to a second threshold value.

19. The medium of claim 7 , wherein the computer program further controls the computer to execute functions of:

determining selection of the character-string search using the character-string searcher when there is a line structure in which a number of characters whose code data has been acquired by character recognition is greater than or equal to two; and

determining selection of a hybrid search of the character-string search using the character-string searcher and the noncharacter-string search using the handwriting searcher when there is no line structure in which a number of characters whose code data has been acquired by character recognition is greater than or equal to two.