Systems and Methods for Interacting with a Computer Through Handwriting to a Screen

Abstract

Systems and methods are described that enable a user to: select a control with a handwritten stroke at least part of which resides outside of a selectable area of the control; use a moving-input control without having to make a selection other than handwriting on, over, or near the control; and/or delete text displayed on an electronic form by handwriting over that text.

1 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
 receiving a handwriting stroke made to a screen that is displaying a control having a selectable area; and   selecting the control based on a position of the handwriting stroke relative to the selectable area of the control.   
     
     
         2 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the handwriting stroke is received outside of the selectable area of the control. 
     
     
         3 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the handwriting stroke begins outside of the selectable area of the control. 
     
     
         4 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the handwriting stroke ends outside of the selectable area of the control. 
     
     
         5 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the selecting the control further comprises selecting the control responsive to determining that the handwriting stroke intersects the selectable area of the control. 
     
     
         6 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein selecting the control further comprises:
 generating a bounded writing area around at least a portion of the handwriting stroke made to the screen;   comparing the bounded rectangle to control geometries associated with the control; and   selecting the control if the bounded writing area overlaps the control geometries associated with the control.   
     
     
         7 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 6 , wherein the control geometries associated with the control comprise the selectable area of the control. 
     
     
         8 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 6 , further comprising, if the bounded writing area does not overlap the control geometries associated with the control:
 selecting the control if a distance of the bounded writing area to the control geometries associated with the control is less than an additional distance of the bounded writing area to additional control geometries associated with an additional control; or   selecting the additional control if the additional distance of the bounded writing area to the additional control geometries associated with the additional control is less than the distance of the bounded writing area to the control geometries associated with the control.   
     
     
         9 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein selecting the control further comprises:
 generating a bounded writing area around at least a portion of the handwriting stroke made to the screen;   comparing the bounded writing area to control geometries associated with the control and to additional control geometries associated with an additional control; and   selecting the control if an overlap of the bounded writing area to the control geometries associated with the control is larger than an additional overlap of the bounded writing area to the additional control geometries associated with the additional control.   
     
     
         10 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 9 , further comprising selecting the additional control if the additional overlap of the bounded writing area to the additional control geometries associated with the additional control is larger than the overlap of the bounded writing area to the control geometries associated with the control. 
     
     
         11 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 10 , wherein selecting the control or selecting the additional control is based at least in part on a beginning position of the handwriting stroke made to the screen. 
     
     
         12 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the selecting the control further comprises selecting the control without user interaction independent of the handwriting stroke received and while in a mode permitting the handwriting stroke to be interpreted as text. 
     
     
         13 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the control comprises a moving-input control, the method further comprising interpreting the handwriting stroke as input to the moving-input control. 
     
     
         14 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 13 , further comprising, responsive to interpreting the handwriting stroke as input to the moving-input control, causing movement of the screen based on the input. 
     
     
         15 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the control comprises a check box or a radio button. 
     
     
         16 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein handwriting stroke is received via a stylus. 
     
     
         17 . A computing device comprising:
 a screen;   a processor; and   computer-readable storage media comprising instructions stored thereon that, responsive to execution by the processor, perform a method comprising:
 causing display of one or more controls on the screen; 
 receiving a handwriting stroke made to the screen; 
 selecting, without user interaction independent of the handwriting stroke received and while in a mode permitting the handwriting stroke to be interpreted as text, the control. 
   
     
     
         18 . The computing device as recited in  claim 17 , wherein the instructions, responsive to execution by the processor, perform a method further comprising interpreting the handwriting stroke as input to the selected control. 
     
     
         19 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
 causing display of one or more controls on a screen;   receiving a handwriting stroke made to the screen;   selecting, without user interaction independent of the handwriting stroke received and while in a mode permitting the handwriting stroke to be interpreted as text, the control; and   interpreting the handwriting stroke as input to the selected control.   
     
     
         20 . The computer-implemented method as recited in  claim 19 , wherein the selecting the control further comprises:
 generating a bounded rectangle around at least a portion of the handwriting stroke made to the screen;   comparing an area within the bounded rectangle to an area associated with the control to determine if the area within the bounded rectangle overlaps the area associated with the control; and   selecting the control when the area within the bounded rectangle overlaps the area associated with the control.