Apple patent application covers tablet tech for pen-based input

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Shane McGlaun13 November 2009, 8:00 AM

New patent application from Apple outlines sweet tablet tech.


One of the longest running rumors swirling about products from Cupertino has been of the Apple tablet. The rumors of a tablet from Apple have been swirling for months and many believe the tablet will be coming soon. A new patent application from Apple has turned up today that is for tech related to a tablet.

The patent application is for pen-based tablet input. The iPhone may have skipped the stylus, but with a larger tablet, a stylus would be most welcome. The patent application covers technology that improves digital ink recognition and breaks down strokes and phrases.



The application reads: "Upon the occurrence of an ink phrase termination event, the ink manager notifies the handwriting recognition engine and organizes the preceding ink strokes into an ink phrase data structure...The present invention, in large part, relates to the observation that client applications and handwriting recognition software in pen-based computer systems can make far more accurate ink-related decisions based on entire ink phrases, rather than individual ink strokes."

The last time I tried to use handwriting on a touchscreen device was when my Palm PDA was the gadget to have years ago. Things didn’t work well at all then. I will be surprised if stylus input is the only way to go when an Apple tablet finally debuts. Apple has made a name in multi touch with its iPhone.

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The Big Baboo (User):

"Apple Tablet" ay I reckon that'd be a hard pill to swallow :)

13 November 2009, 8:26 AM (4 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Tin (Regular user):

Umm, phrase base ink input? Doesn't Windows Mobile's handwriting input already wait until you stop (usually because you run out of room)?

13 November 2009, 9:44 AM (4 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

straker135 (Regular user):

Yep it does and it isn't too bad. I can take notes in lectures even with technical terms and it is about 90% accurate. My writing is pretty legible (mostly) but the application still has problems at times with some letters. It makes a better guess at what they are depending on context. If I was less fussy editing as I go I would be quicker but editing later, well that almost never happens.

13 November 2009, 5:47 PM (4 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

The Big Baboo (User):

Yea :) I suppose if another electronic gadget floats your boat :)
i remember actually going through the trouble of learning short-hand in Year 9 of high school because I thought that could be useful later on.
It was and I'm grateful I did,and guess what :) No batteries to recharge or exchange.

14 November 2009, 8:16 AM (4 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

straker135 (Regular user):

Yep my PDA is an old HP iPaq 4700 with a cooked ROM updated to Win Mobile 6.1 courtesy of XDA Developers but every now and then it crashes and when it does my Machead mate waves his little pocket paper dairy under my nose and says "Ha!"

15 November 2009, 7:59 AM (3 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

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