nanogui: Handwriting recognition on handhelds.
Subject:
Re: Handwriting recognition on handhelds.
From:
Gaillard Pierre-Olivier ####@####.####
Date:
7 Jul 2000 18:45:40 -0000
Message-Id: <396624E7.C724AA6C@free.fr>
Alessandro Rubini wrote:
>
> Can someone please give some pointer to current implementations? Are
> they general algorithms or complete programs for microwindows or other
> environment?
- Squeak (Smalltalk) by Alan Kay seems to be very interesting because
this
guy knows algorithms from the 70s that CANNOT BE PATENTED (since they
were
published before the US patent office started delivering silly software
patents).
- A C'T article presented some algorithm but I don't know what it is
worth
and lost the reference though you may find it back by searching
slashdot.
- I modified a Japanese characters recognition program called kanjipad
to
run under Nano X (and describe a roman character-set for it).
Unfortunately that program is derived from the Xerox
Parc article about Unistroke. So that it offers almost no protection
against
a patent suit (we would win in the end, but what you are looking for
is an algorithm
so old that the lawyers will leave you alone).
>
> What about the patent of Xerox? Back then when I was pondering on
> stroke recognition, I heard that Xerox sued 3Com for the pilot.
> The patent is "US4034343: Optical character recognition system".
> Is this an issue or not?
>
This is considered as an issue by Alan Kay himself. Though, he is
convinced
that there is plenty of prior art from the 1960s so that the patent is
void.
The problem is : Who is going to fight Xerox about it ? Even 3Com might
prefer to pay a license... And then Xerox can still use its bogus
patent against
free software recognition programs (especially those that use
characters made of only one
stroke like graffiti)...
So, the issue is pretty difficult. I would go for Squeak myself. In
fact when I buy a handheld
computer this autumn (probably the Ipaq from Compaq) I will evaluate
Smalltalk on it, use squeak
or recode Squeak. As you can see I am not even considering using the
software (kanjipad) that I already have
adapted : that is because you cannot make free software in the shadow
of a patent.
Regards,
P.O. Gaillard
