Method and apparatus for handwriting input on a pen based palmtop computing device

Abstract

A pen-based palmtop computer system having a small dedicated text input area is disclosed. In one embodiment, the dedicated text input area consists of a large digitizer pad laid on top of a smaller flat panel display screen such that a portion of the digitizer pad extends beyond the flat panel display screen. In this embodiment, the dedicated text input area is located in the region of the digitizer pad that extends beyond the flat panel display screen. Text can be entered by handwriting in the small dedicated text input area or tapping keys on an illustrated keypad.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A pen-based computer apparatus, said pen-based computer apparatus comprising the elements of: 
 a display screen; and    a digitizer pad, said digitizer pad overlaid on said display screen; and    a dedicated handwriting area, said dedicated handwriting area comprising a subarea of said digitizer pad; and    a handwriting interpreter, said handwriting interpreter immediately interpreting characters written in said dedicated handwriting area.    
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said handwriting interpreter comprises an immediate recognition system.  
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising the elements of: 
 at least two character boxes, said character boxes comprising subareas of said dedicated handwriting area, said handwriting interpreter interpreting information in a first character box when the user writes in a second character box.  
 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein gesturing from said dedicated handwriting area to an area outside of said dedicated handwriting area causes a virtual floating keyboard to be displayed.  
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein a user can start writing at any time into said dedicated handwriting area and said apparatus immediately responds to said input.  
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising 
 a dedicated function area, said dedicated function area comprising a subarea of said digitizer pad, said function area comprising at least one function button that performs an associated function when touched with a pen or finger.  
 
     
     
         7 . A pen-based computer apparatus, said pen-based computer apparatus comprising the elements of: 
 a display screen;    a digitizer pad, said digitizer pad overlaid on said display screen, said digitizer pad extending beyond said display screen; and    a dedicated handwriting area, said dedicated handwriting area a subarea of said digitizer pad extending beyond said display screen.    
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7  further comprising: 
 a handwriting interpreter, said handwriting interpreter comprising an immediate recognition system.  
 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8  wherein said handwriting interpreter interprets a consecutive stream of characters written on top of each other in said dedicated handwriting area.  
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 7  further comprising the elements of: 
 at least two character boxes, said character boxes comprising subareas of said dedicated handwriting area, said handwriting interpreter interpreting information in a first character box when the user writes in a second character box.  
 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 7  wherein said handwriting area has a printed keyboard displayed beneath said digitizer pad.  
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 7  wherein a user can start writing at any time into said dedicated handwriting area and said apparatus immediately responds to said input.  
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 7  further comprising 
 a dedicated function area, said dedicated function area comprising a subarea of said digitizer pad, said function area comprising at least one function button that performs an associated function when touched with a pen or finger.  
 
     
     
         14 . A method of inputting text into a computer system, said method comprising the steps of: 
 providing a computer system with a flat panel display and a digitizer pad overlaid on said flat panel display;    designating a subarea of said digitizer pad as a text input area;    writing a series of characters onto said text input area; and    displaying said characters in a font on said flat panel display.    
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein said digitizer pad extends beyond said flat panel display.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14  wherein said method further comprises the step of: 
 immediately recognizing a character after a user writes a character into said text input area.  
 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein said step of writing a series of characters onto said text input area further comprises writing said characters consecutively on top of each other.  
     
     
         18 . A method of organizing a display of a computer system, said method comprising the steps of: 
 overlaying a large digitizer pad on top of a smaller flat panel display such that a portion of said large digitizer pad extends beyond said flat panel display; and    designating said portion of said large digitizer pad than extends beyond said flat panel display as a text input area.    
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  wherein further comprising the steps of: 
 writing a series of characters onto said text input area; and displaying said characters in a font on said flat panel display.  
 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein said method further comprises the step of: 
 immediately recognizing a character after a user writes a character into said text input area.