Apple Is Working Hard On Handwriting Recognition Technology

2023 Author: Gordon Kinson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-11-26 08:36

A couple of patent applications released Thursday by the US Patent and Trademark Office indicate that Apple is working hard to incorporate heuristic technologies into its devices to make ink technology more realistic and user-friendly, and to improve the quality of touch input

(in particular, so that accidental touches of the touch controller are ignored when using the device).

Handwriting recognition technology

"Handwriting recognition technology", first presented in 2011, uses a certain list of rules by which a digital copy of a user's handwriting is recognized. In other words, it converts the information entered by the user into a set of characters that can be used by the operating system and at the same time appear on the screen in the form of handwritten handwriting.

From the appendix to the patent:

This way of solving the problem seems to be quite acceptable when difficulties arise with the collection and processing of information entered using the stylus: it is much easier to fix several points per second and then connect them, as a result of obtaining data that is understandable to both the user and the information system, than to read the movement of the stylus along touch control device completely. In addition, such a system is suitable for not the most powerful devices that are simply unable to provide quick initialization of the input information, if you need to read the stylus movements completely.

Such developments can be useful, including for corporate clients of Apple, who specialize, for example, in the delivery of various cargo and parcels. Nowadays such companies mainly use devices that read all information coming from touch controllers. Often, such devices simply do not have enough resources to provide the necessary performance when performing such actions.

Eliminating this apparent disadvantage requires a different approach - exactly the one mentioned above. The technology, patented by Apple, uses a specific set of rules to connect the points that have been read from the sensor. If the device determines that a curve is required in a particular case, a so-called "smoothness correction factor" is applied to maintain smoothing.

The key to the secret of the system's functionality is the calculation of speed and direction. Both metrics are analyzed together to determine if a straight or curved line is required.

One important thing to note for iPad users. This technology can be used for both stylus and finger input.

Already, applications can be found in the App Store that take advantage of new handwriting recognition technology to reproduce handwriting. These applications can be used, for example, for handwriting recognition using plastic cards or drawing.

Selective Touch technology

Another technology, which the US Patent Office also released Thursday, also has a lot to do with touch controllers. In this case, we are talking about a technology that, at the time of using the sensor by the user, ignores touches outside the so-called "active area".

I think everyone who uses Apple products has had a situation where, when using a device with a touch screen, accidental touching led to unpleasant results for the user. New technology will help avoid this.

The new system prevents accidental input by detecting an "active area" and ignoring touches outside of this area. The area can be activated by the user, and any touch in this area is identified by the system and displayed on the screen. The rest of the touches that occur outside the "active area" or "not related to the current task are simply not identified by the system.

Both patent applications, published Thursday, list Lindley Crumley as the inventor, and the patent on handwriting recognition technology also lists the name of David Clarke. Applications were first submitted in April 2011.