Electronic Ink Processing Asynchronous Analysis

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing software applications face challenges in efficiently processing electronic ink due to the lack of accessible and efficient layout analysis and classification tools, leading to delayed operations and inability to accept new input during processing, especially when handling angled or closely written ink strokes and distinguishing between text and drawings.

Innovation Solution

The development of techniques that allow electronic ink processing to be performed asynchronously, using spatial information to describe document elements and maintain data structures that link ink strokes to other document elements, enabling simultaneous analysis and new input acceptance without halting application operations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If layout analysis and classification are performed on electronic ink, then recognition accuracy is improved, but processing time increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverecognition accuracyVSAvoidprocessing time
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by performing layout analysis and classification of electronic ink strokes before the handwriting recognition process. The system analyzes the spatial relationships, grouping strokes into words, lines, and paragraphs in advance, so that when recognition algorithms process the ink, they already have structured information about the layout and classification, improving accuracy without requiring additional processing time during the recognition itself

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the electronic ink into distinct components through layout analysis, dividing the continuous ink stream into discrete units such as individual strokes, words, lines, and paragraphs. This segmentation allows the recognition system to process each unit separately with appropriate algorithms, improving overall recognition accuracy while managing processing complexity and time

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Measurement precision

If parsing process is executed to improve recognition accuracy, then text recognition is improved, but application response speed decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetext recognition accuracyVSAvoidapplication response speed
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

The parsing process is executed as a preliminary action that prepares the electronic ink data structure in advance. The system analyzes and structures the ink into words, lines, and paragraphs before the application needs to respond to user input or display results. This pre-processing improves recognition accuracy while the application can continue to respond to user actions without waiting for the parsing to complete, thus maintaining response speed

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a copy of the electronic ink data structure that can be processed independently. By working with a copy rather than modifying the original input data, the system can perform comprehensive parsing and analysis without blocking the main application flow, thereby maintaining application response speed while improving recognition accuracy through thorough parsing

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

3Reliability

If ink analysis is performed synchronously, then processing completeness is ensured, but user input capability is lost

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprocessing completenessVSAvoiduser input capability
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a dynamic processing model where the ink analysis system can operate independently of the user input stream. The analysis process dynamically adjusts to accommodate new ink input while maintaining completeness of previously analyzed ink. Users can continue to input ink without interruption, and the system processes ink asynchronously, ensuring both processing completeness and continuous user input capability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary analysis of ink strokes as they are input, preparing the data structure in advance while the user continues to input. This preliminary action ensures that processing is initiated immediately without blocking user input, while completeness is maintained through continuous processing of subsequent ink strokes in the background

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS7468801B2Electronic ink processing
Publication Date: 2008.12.23 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC
  • US7468801B2 patent drawing
  • US7468801B2 patent drawing
  • US7468801B2 patent drawing

AI summary

An application programming interface instantiates an ink analyzer object that receives document data for a document containing electronic ink content from a software application hosting the document and running on a first processing thread. The ink analyzer object then employs the first thread to make a copy of the document data, provides the copy of the document data to an electronic ink analysis process, and returns control of the first processing thread to the analysis process. After the analysis process has analyzed the electronic ink, the ink analyzer object reconciles the results of the analysis process with current document data for the document.