[0001] This application claims priority to Provisional Patent Application 61/704,896 filed September 24, 2012 and Provisional Patent Application No. 61 /704,892 filed September 24 2012 the entirety of which are incorporated by reference herein. This application is being filed concurrently with Nonprovisionai Patent Application No, 13/974,272 filed August 23 2013 titled HANDWRITING RECOGNITION SERVER, by Gay et al. the entirety of which is incorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND

f0OO2| This disclosure is directed to visual feedback, and more specifically to, correlating a private use area of a character encoding method with animated font- characters for successive displa as visual feedback from an input

|0003] Text input to a small form-factor computer, especially a mobile device such as a smart-phone or personal digital assistant (PDA), equipped with a touch-sensitive screen has historically been via an on-screen keyboard. Because of the smail form-factor of mobile devices, the screen is necessarily also smail, for example, 50mm wide by 35mm high, and the on-screen buttons for the letters of the alphabet are similarly small and require concentration and learned skill to accurately target with the fingers. In addition, the space occupied by the on-screen keyboard is not available for the display of other information, and thus the useful size of the display is further reduced.

[0004J To solve this problem, computer algorithms have been developed to allow finger movements over the touch-sensitive screen to input hand-written characters. Such handwriting recognition products take the complex finger movements made during hand-written input and analyze their shape and sequence to interpret the intended characters. These algorithms are complex, have inherent processing delays, are subject to errors of recognition and have not displaced on-screen keyboards in the majority of mobile devices,

SUMMARY

0005] A method for providing visual feedback on a display device of a gesture input is disclosed. The method includes receiving from a user a gesture input and correlating the gesture input with a first animated font character in an animated font character library. As the gesture input continues, the first animated font character morphs to a second animated font character to give a visual appearance to the user of a character forming on the display device. In this regard _. , the first animated font character and th second animated font character can be component animated font characters that are each segments of a completed animated font character that is formed in step with the gesture input,

(0006] In another embodiment, a system for providing visual feedback on a display device of a gesture input is disclosed. The system includes a gesture input device, display device, a. standard font character library with a private use area, and an animated font character library for storing a plurality of animated font characters. The animated font characters include a plurality of component animated font characters and a plurality of completed animated font characters. The component animated font characters can be visual segments of one or more completed animated fo t characters. in this regard, the completed animated font character can turn into or morph on the display device to a standard font characte i the standard font library. In yet another embodiment, the standard font character library described is encoded by the Unicode character encoding method and the private use area is a Private Use Area of the Unicode character encoding method.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

|0007] FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a system for processing gestures and displaying animated fonts.

[0008] FIG. 2A shows an example of gesture recognition with visual feedback.

{0009] FIG. 2B is a continuation of the example of gesture recognition with visual feedback shown in FIG. 2A.

{0010] FIG. 2C is a continuation of the example of gesture recognition with visual feedback shown in FIG. 2B.

{0011 J FIG, 2D is a continuation of the example of gesture recognitio with visual feedback shown in FIG. 2C.

(0012] FIG, 2E is a continuation of the example of gesture recognition with visual feedback shown in FIG. 2D.

[0013] FIG.2F is a continuation of the example of gesture recognition with visual feedback shown in FIG. 2E.

[0014] FIG. 3 A is a table showing in the column entitled "Animated Image" ^" the visual feedback elements stored in an animated fo t character library.

[0015] FIG. 3B is a continuation of the table of FIG. 3 A. [0016} FIG, 3C is a continuation of the table of FIG. 3B,

[0017| FIG, 3D is a continuation of the table of PIG, 3C

[0018] FIG. 3E is a continuation of the table of FIG. 3D.

[0019] FIG, 4 is a block diagram illustrating an example system for serving handwriting character input software embedded in a webpage to a computing device, OO203 FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating a computing device that utilizes gestures for controlling the computing device of FIG, 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS

[00213 FIG. 1 shows a touch operative input with a visual display device 100 operating in accordance with an embodiment of this disclosure. Device 100 can include a gesture input device 112, which can include a touchscreen input device for receiving a handwritten character input from a gesture in the form of a finger impression on a touchscreen and a display 111, Device 100 includes a standard font character library 102 populated with standard font characters and an animated font character library 106 populated with animated font characters 118, shown in the middle column of a table 107 in FIG. 3.

[0022] Standard font characters in standard font character library 102 and animated font characters 118 in animated font character library 106 can be encoded in any character encoding format that includes a private use area. The private use area contains values that are intentionally left undefined, so that third parties may define their own characters without conflicting with the standard character assignments. An example of a character encoding method that inciudes a private use area is the Unicode character encoding method,

[0023] According to the Unicode character encoding method, standard font characters m standard font character librar 102 are correlated with values in Unicode Planes 0-14, This correlated standard font character library can be contained in a Unicode font file. This Unicode font file including standard font character librarv 102 is available to, and widely used by., everyone. Animated font characters 11.8 in animated character librar 106 are correlated with values in Unicode Planes 15-16, which correspond to Unicode's Private Use Area ("PUA"). Only parties with a Unicode font file having animated character library 1.06 are able to communicate with or use animated font characters 1.1.8. One skilled in. the art would recognize thai animated font character library 106 can be stored in the same file (as shown in FIG. 1) or in a file separate from standard font- character library 102, where the font characters in each library 02 and 1.06 is correlated with the same character encoding method.

O024| Animated font character library 106 includes completed animated font characters (e.g., 118c, d, e, f in FIG. 3), as well as component animated font characters (e.g., 118a, b in FIG. 3). Component animated font characters are parts or segments of completed animated font characters, A single component animated font character can be a part or segment of one or more completed animated font characters; for example, component animated font character 118a is a segment of completed animated font characters 118c, HSd, TiSe, and T!8f. Animated font characters 118 are each correlated with, a unique numerical value associated with the particular character encoding method, so each animated font character 118 has equal dignity with the standard, iont characters in font standard font character library 102. This allows device 1.00 to receive, process, and display each animated font character 118 in the same manner, and with the same speed and efficiency, as any standard font character in standard font character library 102.

[0025] Device 100 includes at least one application 110 running on an operating system 108. Application 110 can be a typical word processing application 110 or an other type of application that a user may use to compose, edit or format written material. Device 100 Includes at least one gesture analysis program 114 (which can reside in a gesture analysis module) running on operating system 1.08. Gesture analysis program 114 receives a handwriting input from gesture input device 112 and accesses standard font character librar 102 directly, or through operating system 118, and passes animated font characters 1.18 to display device 111 for display of visual feedback. £0026] Gesture input software 115 operating in gesture analysis program 11.4 translates gestures received from a user from gesture input device 112, into a unique code that can be associated with animated font characters 118 in animated font character library 106. In an embodiment with a touchscreen for gesture input device 112, the gesture can begin with a finger Impression on the touchscreen and continue in the form of a continuous impression until the Impression is removed from the touchscreen, in an embodiment gesture input software 115 in gesture analysis application 114 transiates gestures Into directional components or unit vectors. An example of such software can be found in U.S. Patent No. 6,647,145, the contents of which are hereb incorporated by reference herein. These unit vectors can be associated with the numerical values associated with the particular character encoding method and correspond with animated font characters 118 in animated font character library 106 of standard font character library 102, One skilled in the art would understand, however, that any gesture input software 115 can be used, provided that it can translate a gesture input from gesture input device 112,

00273 HG. 3 is table 107 that correlates animated font characters 118 in animated font character library 106, as shown in. the middle column entitled "Animated Images," with unit vectors 117 and standard characters in column 1.05. The first column in. table 107 shows the contents of a register 1.16, which stores unit vectors 117 as they are derived from the gesture input. Each unit vector 11.7 can be associated with the direction of the gesture with respect to an initial reference point or axis or indeed any recognized characteristic of the inputted gesture. Unit vectors 1.1.7 include an "L" unit vector 1.17a that corresponds with a left gesture, an "R" unit vector 1.17b that corresponds with, a right gesture, a "D" unit vector 117c that corresponds with a down gesture, and a "U" unit vector 11 d that corresponds with an up gesture. In this regard, each direction of a gesture with respect to the initial reference point can be stored in register 116 until t e gesture is terminated. One or more unit vectors 117 are summed together to create unique unit vector words 11.3 in. column 1 6 of table 107. it should be understood that any characteristic of the inputted gesture can be recognized by gesture analysis program 114 and used to generate a code for the selection of an appropriate animated font character 118 for visual display on display device 111. Also a standard font character can be drawn using a series of discrete st okes/ for example, the English letter "x" or Japanese or Chinese character.

[0028] Each vector word 113 in column 116 is associated with a unique animated font character 118 in animated font character librar 106. Animated fonts 118 include completed animated font characters (e.g., 118c, d, e, f in FIG, 3), as well as component animated font characters (e.g., 118a, b in FIG. 3). Once a gesture input is initiated, register 116 is populated with one or more unit vectors 117 as the gesture progresses to create one of vector words 113 in register 1 6. Each vector word 113 is associated with a numerical value corresponding to one of animated font characters 118, which will be displayed on display device 111 in step with the formation of vector word 1.13. Component animated font characters morph into further component animated font characters or completed animated, font characters giving the visual appearance to the user of an animated letter growing and forming according to the gesture movements. When the user concludes the gesture, the complete animated font character turns into its corresponding standard font character,

[0029] FIGS- 2A-2F demonstrates a user's finger 120 forming the standard character, the letter "g" on device 100 with the animated visual feedback of animated font characters 118 forming on display device 111. A glyph 121 tracks the gesture of user 120 and simultaneously displays animated font characters 118 on display device 111. Glyp 121 is for illustrative purposes of this disclosure to aid in the description of a gesture input into device 100. What is important is the near instantaneous visual feedback that user 120 sees from animated font characte s 118 forming on display device 11.

[0030] User 120 begins, as shown in FIG. 2 A, with a gesture in the left direction from an initial reference. The gesture is translated by gesture analysis program 114 into L unit vector 117a and stored in register 116. Gesture analysis program 114 passes the numerical value associated with L unit vector 117a to operating system 108, Operating system 108 uses its native font rendering algorithms to display animated font character 118a from animated font character .library 106 of standard font character library 102. If user 120 stops the gesture at this point by removing his finger, the gesture input would he interpreted as a "delete" input with visual feedback in the form of animated image 118a (shown, in row lof the table of FIG. 3),

[0031] User .120 continues to form the letter "g" on device 1.00 by continuing the gesture in the down direction, as shown i FIG. 2B. Register 116 is provided with. D unit vector 1.17c, as described above, and animated font character 1.1.8b is show on display device 111. User 120 continues the gesture in the right directio followed by the up direction, as shown in FIG. 2C Register 116 is provided with R unit vector 117b and U unit vector 117d, and animated font character llSd is shown on display device 111. The transition of animated image 118a through the subsequent curve toward the right direction can be a compromise between successive animated font characters, in this exampl animated font characters 118c and the animated font character corresponding with the letter "c" and vector word LDR, so the user is presented with a smooth transition or morph. If user 120 stops the gesture with the registe containing LDRU b removing his finger, the gesture input would turn into the letter "o."

[0032] User 120 continues the gesture in the dow directio i the continuing process of forming the letter "g", as shown in FIG, 2D, Register 116 is provided with another D unit vector 117c, Register 1 6 now contains LDRUD; so animated font character 118e is shown on display device 111, If user 120 stops the gesture at this point., the gesture input would turn into the letter " ^' a. ^' "

[0033} User 120 continues the gesture in the left direction to form the letter "g", as show in FIG. 2E. Register 116 is provided with L unit vector 117a, which now contains LDRUDL, so animated font character 118i which corresponds to the lower-case form of the basic Latin, alphabet letter "g", is shown, on display device 11. FIG. 2F shows user 120 indicating the gesture is completed b removing his finger or un-touchtng gesture input device 1 2 of device 100. Animated font character 118f immediately turns into standard font character for the letter "g" in standard font character library 102.

|0034| Animated font characters !!8a~f appear successively on display device 111, as though the are morphing into a fully-formed letter "g." These completed animated font characters turn into standard font characters in the standard font character library 102, which can be combined together to form a sequence (word, sentence, paragraph., document) of standard font characters. In this manner, display device 11 shows the drawn parts of a letter in real time, in response to gesture movements of user 120, giving the visual appearance to the user of an animated letter appearing on display 120 that seems to grow and form according to the gesture movements. This allows user 120 to observe a precise and neat character throughout: the entire gesture input on device 100, Each animated font character 118 is treated as a standard font character of standard font character library 102, and is associated with a numerical value, so each animated font character 118 is recognized by operating system 108 of device 1.00 at the machine code level allowing for nearl instantaneous recognition of the gesture input by device 100,

[0035] Animated font characters 118 ca be displayed as outline or vector fonts or as conventional bitmap fonts. A vector font uses drawing instructions and mathematical formulas to describe each glyph or character, while bitmap fonts consist of a matrix of dots or pixels representing; the image of each glyph or character. Display of these animated font characters 118 as a conventional bitmap within the time intervals required by user 120 for visual feedback of rapid text entry and with changing scales of the displayed animated font, characters 118, however, can pose specific problems of coding and execution of the computer code, escaling pixel-based font Is complex. Maintaining the pixel based font at different scales requires extra storage space and processing power, and increases inefficiency proportionall to the number of scales supported. Making any change to a pixel based font requires re-drawing as many animated font characters 118 as are supported. While some sizes scale gracefully, others require manual modifications. Editing a vector font is simpler, as the developer only needs to make the changes once.

[0036] Vector font can he rendered dynamically. JavaScript can be used to modify scalable vector graphic files, so that it becomes trivial to modify the shape of animated font character 118 according to a simple set of rules. This allows the developer to define an algorithm to determine the progress a user's finger makes along a path on gesture input device 112, and then, re-calculate in an analog manner, and re-render the displayed animated font character 118,

[0037} Vector font allows for animated font characters 118 to be scaled using native operating system algorithms, which offload the complex work of handling text rendering and obtain the benefits from advanced features of font rendering as provided by operating system 108. Native operating system algorithms come embedded in operating system 108, and are in commo use, which allows the deployment of more advanced font files that use vector-based graphics, such as OpenType™ or TrueType™ fonts. These fonts allow mathematical determination of rendering font characters at different sizes and circumstances. Thus, the required manipulations of displayed fonts are already coded into the operating system 108 as optimized, efficient code, and the task of coding software to manipulate animated font characters 118 is greatly simplified. Examples of advanced features handled by operating system 108 are sub-pixel rendering, anti-aliasing, and kerning, as well as any other performance enhancements. This results in the smoothest possible font animation, with a frame rate that accurately follows finger etc, movements.

[0038] Furthermore, when inserting graphics into text, operating system 108 expects to handle the graphics as a word boundary. This leads to unexpected behavior, including splitting words at the wrong places. There is no easy wa to solve this issue by overriding operating system 108. Populating private use area 104 with animated font characters 118, however, allows animated font characters 118 to he inserted into a standard text control of many operating systems, automatically handling the animation as part of the word it is building. This also aliows the animation to occur in real time in the text area of the document,

[0039} Using graphic based animation requires potentially complex calculations to align with text (depending on the implementation). Such complex calculations ca be avoided by putting the animation frames (e.g., animated font characters 118) into a font file (e.g., animated font character library 106). The font tile can then be implemented w th any font algorithm on any platform. These standard font algorithms simply insert the characters into a string. This avoids the need to calculate the position and scale of the anim tion according to current text content.

[0040] The user desires smooth visual feedback of animated font characters 118 on display device 111. Sudden changes of apparent position of component animated font characters (e.g., 118a, b) with respect to previously displayed component animated font characters (e.g., 118a, b) can disorient the user and give a jerky or discontinuous visual feedback and render character input less easy and efficient. Furthermore, correlating animated font characters 118 with values outside the private use area 104 of a standard font character library 102 would cause " ^' collisions' ^'' between animated font characters 118 and standard font characters. These collisions would interrupt the successive visual display of animated font characters 118.

|0041 J The system and methods described herein can be used globally, as a standard (or animated) font in any language, without interfering with existing writing methods. Standard characters from any language can he deconstructed into partial, component characteristics or characters to form a unique animated font character library ^" 106 full of partial, component and complete characters,

[0042] Furthermore, this disclosure is not limited to fonts, An animation character library is disclosed where any animation can be deconstructed into frames to populate the animation library with each frame being treated as an animated font characters 118 and populated In animated font character library 106 for loading into private use area 104. This may prove particularly useful in the video game industry or in any interactive animation displays controlled by user gesture input. Instead of using considerable processing power to animate a scene, a animated visual scene can be quickl displayed by invoking a script containing a series of inputs corresponding to a sequence of frames stored in animated, font character library 106 allowing the animation to ^' be carried, out natively by operating; system 108.

|0043] Device 100 can be any form of digital computer, including a desktop, laptop, workstation., mobile device, smartphone, tablet, and other similar computing devices. Generally, device 100 includes a processor, memory, an input/output device such as a display device 111, a communication interface, and a transceiver, among other components. The devic 100 may also be provided with a storage device, such as a microti rive or other device, to provide additional storage. Each of these components is interconnected using various buses, and several of the components may be mounted on a common motherboard or in other manners as appropriate, 00 4| The processor can execute instructions within the computing device 100, including instructions stored in the memory. The processor may be implemented as a chipset of chips that include separate and multiple analog and digital processors. The processor may provide, for example,, for coordination of the other components of the device 100, such as control of user interfaces (e.g. gesture input device 112), applications 110 run by device 100, and wireless communication by device 100.

[0045] The processor may communicate with a user through a control interface, and a displa interface coupled to display 112, The display interface may comprise appropriate circuitry for driving display 112 to present graphical and other information to a user. The control interface ma receive commands from a user and convert them for submission to the processor.

[0046] The processor can utilize an operating system 108 configured to receive instructions via a graphical user interface, examples of such operating systems include MICROSOFT WINDOWS, UNIX, and so forth. It is understood that other, light weight operating systems can be used for basic embedded control applications. In this regard, the processor executes one or more computer programs, such as applications 1.10, gesture application program 114 with gesture input software 115, and any other software to carr out the methods and implement the systems described herein, that provid functionality in addition to that of the operating system 108, Generally, operating system 108, standard font character library 102, including animated character library 1 6, and the compute programs are tangibly embodied in a computer-readable medium, e.g. one or more of the fixed and or removable data-storage devices. Both the operating system 108 and the computer programs may be loaded from such datastorage devices into memory for execution by the processor. The computer programs comprise instructions which, when read and executed by the processor, cause the same to perform the steps necessary to execute the steps or feat res of the present invention.

[0047} The touchscreen input device for a gesture input device can include display panel 111 and input panel 112, where input panel 112 is transparent and overlaid on display panel 111. The touch-sensitive area is substantially the same size as the active pixels on display panel 111, Displa panel 111, however, could be any type of display or panel even including a holographic display, while gesture input device 112 could be a virtual-reality type input where the gesture input is performed in the air or some other medium.

[00483 HANDWRITING RECOGNITION SERVER

[0049] hi another embodiment a handwriting recognitio server is disclosed.

[0050J FIG, 4 is a block diagram illustrating an example system for serving handwriting character input software embedded in a webpage to a computing device.

[0051 J FIG, 5 is a block diagram illustrating an computing device that utilizes gestures for controlling the computing device of FIG, 1.

[0052] FIG, 4 shows a block diagram of a system 100 for serving a gesture input application 104 to a computing device 108 for local execution on computing device 108 by a web browser 112. Gesture input application 104 can be embedded in a web application 110, such as a webpage 110, and stored in a network server 102. Server 102 transmits web application 110, with the embedded gesture input application 104, to computing device 108 for execution by web browser 112. Web browser 112 analyzes and translates a detected gesture input into standard font character inputs or commands.

[0053] In one embodiment, gesture input application 104 includes character recognition software described in U.S. Pat, No. 6,647/145, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein. The application described in the Ί45 Patent, from hereon after referred to as the unit-vec or-visuai feedback (''UVVF') a lica ion, relies on the recognition of unit vectors characterizing finger movements to display a perfect font character in step with each finger movement. The UVVF method is a simple efficient application that can be easily embedded info web application 106 for execution, by web browser 112.

[0054] Gesture input application 104 can further include a visual feedback application, as described in co-pending U.S. Pat. App. No. 13/974,332 titled, Method and System for Providing Animated Font for Character and Command Input to a Computer, filed August 23, 2013, by the same inventors, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein. Gesture input application 104 can include an animated font character library with component animated font characters and completed animated font characters where component animated font characters are segments of completeci animated font characters. These component animated font characters show on the display resolve into completed animated font characters in step with the gesture input. The animated font characters are correlated with a private use area of a character encoding method, such as Unicode, therefore these animated font characters are treated by web browser 1.12 as standard font characters. This enables web browser 112 to manipulate easily the animated font characters for realistic visual feedback. The completed animated font character is then seamlessl exchanged for its corresponding standard font character as a input or actio commands to server 102.

[0055} Even though the preferred gesture input application 104 in the instant disclosure is the UWF application, one skilled in the art will recognize that any type of gesture input application 104 can foe used, provided such gesture input application 104 can be efficiently served by server 102 to computing device 108 for local execution in we browser 1.1.2. One skilled in the art will further recognize, that visual feedback, while advantageous, is not required; and further, an type of visual feedback can be used, for example, animated font characters may be stored as bitmaps or other files in gesture input application 104.

{0056| FIG. 5 shows computing device 108, which is more fully described below. Generally, computing device 108 requests and receives a web application 1.05 from server 102 embed with gesture input application 108, Gesture input application 108 can be embedded within, the mark-up language of web application 105, such mark-up langu ge includes XTML or HTML, or embedded in a scripting language file, such as JavaScript file, A script engine 113 (or any other type of rendering engine component that interprets or executes the source code i web application 112) In web browser 112 on computing device 102 executes gesture input application 104 in real-time, in ste with the gesture provided to input device 118, This allows the user to input characters or commands in to the webpage as viewed by web browser 112 and served by server 102 by means of simple gestures, with the visual feedback displayed on displa 120 of computing device 108. Text input to webpage 105 is affected through the web browser 112 of any touch screen mobile devic ?.

[0057] In an embodiment, server 102 serves a webpage 105 to web browser 112 on computing device 108 via a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP). Web browser 112 on computing device 102 sends a get request:

GET / HTTP/11

Host: ww w.u vvf.com fOOSSJ Server 102 responds with a header:

HTTP/1.1 200 OK

Date: Tue, 19 Oct 2010 14:32:10 GMT

Server: Apache/2.2.11 (Win32) DAV/2

mod. ssl/ 2.2.11 OpersSSL/ 0.9,81 PHP/5.2.9

X-Powered-By: PHP/ 5.2.9

Content-Length: 2948

Content-Type: text/ html

£0059] The respoiise of server 102 also includes the following coiitent:

<!DOCTYPE HTML>

<htmi lang= ^!! en-US ⁱⁱ >

<head>

<meta charset- ^{^} UIF-S ¹ ^

< titie>U VVF</ ti tl e>

<link rel=" stylesheet" href- 'style.css" />

<scri pt ty e- 'text/ javascript"

src- ^w uvvf.js"></script>

</head>

<body>

^" <hl>U F</hl>

<p>This is a demonstration of UVVF</p>

</foody>

</htm.l> £00601 There are two files referenced in the head section of the above content. The first file is a style-sheet (named "sty.le.css" above) containing rules for styling webpage 1.05 and the gesture input area on webpage 105. The second document is a JavaScript file (named "uvvf.js" above) written in JavaScript source code containing gesture input application 108. These two files are downloaded from, server 102, by web browser 112 in much the same wa as the original HTML file, A third, file ca be provided containing animated font character library 107 with the digitally encoded images of animated fonts as described in the co-pending application cited above. Animated font character library 107 can be a sprite file, and Is referenced by the JavaScript and stylesheet files. Animated font character library 107 is also provided by server 102 In a manner similar to the first two files described above. One skilled in the art would recognize that two or more files identified above can be combined into a single file embedded into webs page 105 and served to web browser 112,

[0061] Once all files are loaded into web browser 112, a Document Object Model (DOM) is constructed. Afterwards, gesture Input application 108 executes the JavaScript file line-by-line. The JavaScript will Initialize webpage 105 to put ail necessary components of gesture input application 108 in place, .including an. input area and an. output area In the form of an animated sprite. The JavaScript is used, to detect the gesture and execute the program logic for gesture input application 108 according to the interpreted gesture input, and manipulate the style elements of the DOM to effectively output Information to the user. This includes swapping the sprite image position to display the correct animated font and inserting letters into the DOM when a completed character is detected.

[0062J In another embodiment, vvebpage 105 is implemented in a Flash or Java programing language, in this einixxliment gesture input application 104 is embedded into webpage 105 as objects, where web browser 112 allocates a region for the object and passes over responsibility to that region to the appropriate application (Flash/Java) via a plug-in. In this embodiment when web browser 112 receives a Flash file, it runs the Flash application as a separate process, passing the Flash file to the Flash application, and inserting the Flash application in webpage 105 at the designated location. JavaScript however, does not require a separate application, for rendering, rather rendering only requires JavaScript engine 113 in web browser 1.12 on. computing device 108. The output of the JavaScript engine 113 is simply webpage 105 rather tha a designated object within webpage 105.

[00631 methods and process described herein is a system for inputting a hand generated characters into a vvebpage 105 hosted on a server 102, by way of a computing device 108 running web browser 1.1.2. With reference to FIG. 4, server 102 includes an type of network-connected storage device. Server 102 includes web application 1.05 embed with gesture input application 108, operating system 140, one or more processors 142, memory 144, a network interface 1 6, and one or more storage devices 148. Operating system 140 and web application 105 embed with gesture input application 108 are executable by one or more components of server 102. The aforementioned components 142, 144, 46, and 148 may be interconnected (physically, comnumie Uvel y , and/ or operatively) for iiiter-cornponen.t communications.

[0084] Processor 142 is configured to implement functionality and process instructions for execution within server 102. Processors 142, for example, may be capable of processing instructions stored in memory 144 or storage devices 148, Memory 144 stores information within server 102 during operation. Memory 144 can he a computer- readable storage medium or temporary memory, and is used to store program instructions for execution by processors 142. Memory 144, in one example, is used by system software or application software running on server 102 (e.g., operating system 140 and web application 105 embed with gesture input application 108, respectively), to temporarily store information during program execution.

[0065] Storage devices 148 can include one or more com uter- ead able storage media configured to store larger amounts of information than memory 144, including one or more applications 147, web applications 105, gesture input application 104, and animated font character library 107.

[0086 Server 102 also includes a network interface 146 to communicate with multiple computing devices 108(a) through 108(n) via one or more networks, e.g., network 106. Network interface 146 may be a network interface card (such as an Ethernet card, an optical transceiver, a radio frequency transceiver, or any other type of device that can send and receive information). Server 102 may include operating system 140, which, controls the operation of the components of server 102. Software applications can be included within one or more modules, e.g., web application 105 can be included within its own web application module and gesture input application 108 can be included within its own gesture input module or embedded i the web application module. These applications and/ or modules can be implemented or contained within, operable by,, executed by, and/or be operatively/ communicatively coupled to components of server 102, e.g., processors 142, memory 144, network interface 146, storage devices 148. |0O67] With reference to FIG. 5, computing device 108 can be any form of digital computer, including a desktop, laptop, workstation, mobile device, s.marlpho.ne, tablet, and other similar computing devices. Computing devices 108 includes generally a processor 114, memory 116, an input device, such as a gesture input device 118 or touch-sensitive screen 118, an output device, such as a display 120, a network communication interface 122, and a transceiver, among other components. Computing device 1.08 may also be provided with a mass storage device 124, such as a micro-drive or other device, to provide additional storage. Each of these components is interconnected using various buses, and several of the components may be mounted on a common motherboard or in other manners as appropriate.

|O068] ^' Processor 114 can execute instructions within, the computing device 1.08, including instructions stored in memory 116. Processor 114 may be implemented as a chipset of chips that include separate and multiple analog and digital processors. Processor 11 may provide, for example, for coordination of the other components of computing device 108, such as control of user interfaces (e.g. gesture input device 118), one or more applications 123 run by computing device 108, and wireless communication by computing device 108 0069| Processor 114 may communicate with user through a control interface,, and a display interface coupled to display 120. The display interface may comprise appropriate circuitry lo driving display 120 to present graphical and other information to a user. The control interface may receive commands from a user and convert them for submission to the processor.

[0070] Processor 114 can utilize any operating system 126 configured to receive instructions via a graphical user interface, such as MICROSOFT WINDOWS, UNIX, and so forth. It is understood that other, light weight operating systems can be used for basic embedded control applications. Processor 114 executes one or more computer programs, such as applications 123 and web browser 112. Generally, operating system 126 _. , a plications 123,, and web browser 112 are tangibly embodied in, a computer- readable medium, e.g. one or more of the fixed and /or removable storage devices 124. Both the operating systern 126 and the computer programs may be loaded from such storage devices 124 into memor 116 for execution by processor 1 14. The computer programs comprise instructions which, when read and executed by the processor, cause the same to perform the steps necessary to execute the steps or features of the present invention; for example, processor 114 executing application software for web browser 112 interprets gesture input application 104 embedded in web application 105 and translates gesture input from input device 118 into standard font characters.

[0071] The computing device 108 can include a display panel for output device 120 and input panel for input device 118, where input panel is transparent and overlaid on display panel. The touch-sensitive area is substantially the same size as the active pixels on the display panel. The displa panel 111, however, could be any type of display or panel, even including a holographic display,, while gesture input device 1.18 could be a virtual-reality type input where the gesture input is performed in the air or some other medium,

[00723 Gesture input application 104 is interpreted by web browser 112, Gesture input application 104 provides instructions tor detecting characteristics of gestures, e.g. finger movements, to produce a numerical code for the character as a time dependent sequence of signals, and comparing each characteristic as the character is drawn with a predetermined set of characteristics, so that each signal corresponding to the predetermined characteristic detected at each successive step of movement is displayed on display device 120. In. this regard, display device 120 provides visual, feedback, wherein a component of a character provided in digital form by server 102 is displayed sequence.

[0073 1, A method comprising: providing on a server a gesture input application adapted for translating gesture input into font characters; connecting the server to a network having connected thereto at least one computing device; and embedding the gesture input application into a web application; serving the web application with an embedded gesture input application to the computing device for locally executing the gesture input application by a web browsing software on the computing device.

[0074] 2, The method of claim 1, wherein execution on th computing device means the computing device receives gesture input and the computing device translates the gesture input into at least one standard font character. 0075} 3, The method of claim 2, and further comprising receiving from the computing device a command derived from the at least one standard font character from the server.

0070} 4 The method of claim 3, wherein the web application is a webpage.

[0077J5, The method of claim 4, and further comprising receiving a request from the web browsing software on the computing device for the webpage, wherein the web browsing software is adapted for executing the gesture input application.

[0078} 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the web application includes rules for styling the webpage on the computing device and the gesture input application.

|0079} 7, The method of claim 6, wherein the gesture input application is executed locally on. the computing device without feedback from the server.

|0080} 8. The method of claim 6, wherein the rules for stylin the webpage and the gesture input application comprise JavaScript source code, and further comprising executing the gesture input application with a JavaScript engine of a eb browser on the computing device.

|0081 ] 9. A network server comprising: a web application module having a web application; a gesture input module having gesture input application; and a network interface, wherein the network interface is configured to provide the web appiicaiion and the gesture input application to a computing device having a web browsing application for execution of the gesture input application b the web browsing application of the computing de ice. [0082] 10. The network server of claim 9, wherein the computing device is adapted by the gesture input application to. translate a gesture input into at least one standard font character and the web browsing application of the computing device provides to the server an input derived .from, the at least one standard font character.

[0083333 , The network server of claim 9, wherein the gesture input application is embedded in the web application when it is provided to the web browsing application of the computing device.

[0084] 12. The network server of claim 11, wherein the web application includes rules for styling a webpage on the computing device and the gesture input application.

[0085] 1.3. The network server of claim 12, wherein the gesture input application is executed locally on the computing device by a script engine in the web browsing applicatio and translates a gesture input into at least one standard font character without feedback from the network server.

[0086] 14. The network server of claim 12, wherein the web application module further includes an animated font librar t provide visual feedback to a user,

[0087] 15. The network server of claim 9, wherein the web application includes a imit-vector-visual feedback application that characterizes a gesture input into a unit vector,

[0088] 16. A computing device, comprising: an input device for receiving a gesture input; a network interface adapted for connecting to network; and a web browsing application adapted for receiving a web application from the network, wherein the web application further including a gesture input application, and wherein the web browsing application is adapted for executing the gesture input application to translate the gesture input into at least one standard font character.

[0089317. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the gesture input application further includes an animated font character library having completed animated font characters and component animated font characters correlated with a private use area of a character encoding method.

[0090] 18. The computing dev ce of claim 16, wherein the gesture input application includes a unit-vector-visual feedback application that characterizes the gesture input into a unit vector.

|0091 } 1.9. The computing device of claim 16, wherei the web application includes rules for sty ling a webpage on the computing device and the gesture input application, [0092] 20. The computing device of claim 16, wherein the rules for styling the webpage on the computing device, the gesture input application, and an animated font, character library are written in Ja aScript wherei the web browsing application further comprises a script engine to translate the gesture input application and adapt the computing device to translate the gesture input into the least one standard font character as an input to the web browsing application, and wherein the script engine uses the animated font character library to provide visual feedback for the gesture input. 0093| it will be appreciated that other devices, software products, modules and methods could be used to transfer from any web application or webpage 1.05, gesture input application 104 to computing device 108, allowing the input of finger movements corresponding to intended characters or their associated commands to webpage 105 from computing device 108 running any browser or program of equivalent web-access functionality.