ANNOTATION DETECTION AND ANCHORING ON INK NOTES

Abstract

Systems and methods for detecting annotation digital ink strokes and further associating annotation digital ink strokes with word digital ink strokes are presented. Ink strokes are captured on a writing surface and then classified as words or annotations. Annotations are then anchored to corresponding words. When words are relocated or edited on the writing surface, the anchored annotations are also relocated and may even be reshaped according to the changes in the anchored words.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The foregoing summary of the invention, as well as the following detailed description of preferred embodiments, is better understood when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which are included by way of example, and not by way of limitation with regard to the claimed invention.

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of an example of a conventional general-purpose digital computing environment that can be used to implement various aspects of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows an exemplary document that may be displayed on a computer device writing surface, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 illustrates a system that maybe used to classify and anchoring annotations.

Digital ink stroke data may be delivered to one or more classification and anchoring engines, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4 shows a document having modified annotation positions, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5 illustrates a method of associating an annotation with one or more words represented by a plurality of digital ink strokes, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of associating an annotation with one or more words represented by a plurality of digital ink strokes, the method comprising: (a) classifying at least one digital ink stroke as an annotation; and(b) anchoring the at least one digital ink stroke to the one or more words represented by a plurality of digital ink strokes.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the annotation comprises an underline.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein (a) comprises determining if the at least one ink stroke is beneath and adjacent to writing lines.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein (a) comprises determining if the at least one ink stroke is a drawing stroke.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein (a) comprises determining if the at least one ink stroke has a relatively large width to height ratio.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein (a) comprises determining if the at least one ink stroke overlaps a word in a horizontal direction.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein (b) comprises associating information that uniquely identifies the at least one ink stroke to the one or more words.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the annotation comprises a blob

9. The method of claim 8, wherein (a) comprises determining if the at least one ink stroke forms a closed pattern.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein (a) comprises determining if the closed pattern encloses words.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein (b) comprises associating information that uniquely identifies the at least one ink stroke to the one or more words.

12. A system for associating an annotation with one or more words represented by a plurality of digital ink strokes, the system comprising: a writing surface configured to digitally capture digital ink strokes;a underline classification and anchoring engine coupled to the writing surface and programmed with computer-executable instructions to perform the steps comprising: (a) receiving a plurality of digital ink strokes;(b) classifying at least one digital ink stroke as an underline; and(c) anchoring the at least one digital ink stroke the one or more words represented by a plurality of digital ink strokes.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein (b) comprises determining if the at least one ink stroke is beneath and adjacent to writing lines.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein (b) comprises determining if the at least one ink stroke is a drawing stroke.

15. The system of claim 12, further including: a blob classification and anchoring engine coupled to the writing surface and programmed with computer-executable instructions to perform the steps comprising: (a) receiving a plurality of digital ink strokes;(b) classifying at least one digital ink stroke as a blob; and(c) anchoring the at least one digital ink stroke the one or more words represented by a plurality of digital ink strokes.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein (b) comprises determining if the at least one ink stroke forms a closed pattern.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein (b) comprises determining if the closed pattern encloses words.

19. A computer-implemented method of linking annotations with one or more words represented by a plurality of digital ink strokes, the method comprising: (a) receiving a plurality of digital ink strokes;(b) classifying at least some of the digital ink strokes as words and annotations;(c) anchoring annotation digital ink strokes to word digital ink strokes;(d) receiving a command to reposition word digital ink strokes on a writing surface; and(e) in response to (d), reposition word digital ink strokes and corresponding anchored digital ink strokes.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the annotation comprises an underline.