Handwriting recognition employing pairwise discriminant measures

Abstract

In a handwriting recognition system a method for differentiating a first character from a second character having similar characteristics. The method includes the steps of determining during a training session at least one pairwise discriminant measure associated with the first character and with the second character. The step of determining includes a step of evaluating with a potential discriminant measure a plurality of prototype first characters and a plurality of prototype second characters. Subsequently, during a handwriting recognition session, the method evaluates with at least one of the previously determined discriminant measures selected from a set of same an input character identified as being either the first prototype character or the second prototype character. The step of evaluating includes a step of analyzing a stroke or strokes associated with the input character in accordance with one or more of the pairwise discriminant measures selected from the set, summing the results of each discriminant measure analysis to obtain a result for each of the pair of characters associated with the pairwise discriminate measure, and selecting a character from the pair that has a maximum value result.