MXPA00010548A - Device and method for recording hand-written information - Google Patents

Abstract

A device for recording hand-written information in the form of characters, symbols, graphs, drawings, calligraphy and similar hand-written information defined by a hand movement, comprises recording means (3) which are adapted to be moved by a hand which carries out the hand movement and to record a plurality of images with partially overlapping contents while the recording means are being moved. The device further comprises image-processing means (4) which are adapted to determine the relative position of the images with the aid of the partially overlapping contents for providing a description in digital format of how the unit has been moved and, in this way, a digital representation of the hand-written representation. A method of recording hand-written information is also disclosed.

Description

DEVICE AND METHOD TO REGISTER MANUALLY WRITTEN INFORMATION FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a device for recording manually written information in the form of manually written characters, symbols, graphics, calligraphy and similar information, defined by a manual movement, comprising recording means that are adapted to be moved with a hand that carries out the manual movement and which are adapted to record a plurality of images with partially overlapping contents, while the recording means is moving. The invention also relates to a method for recording written information manually.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Nowadays, practically all information processing takes place in computers. The processed information often consists of text that is entered into the computer by the intermediary of a keyboard.

If the text to be entered has already been written on a piece of paper, an explorer is sometimes used for the introduction.

Sometimes there is a need to introduce manually written or manually generated information to a computer. An example of this when you want to enter a person's signature. Currently, this can be done by exploring the signature or by writing the person's signature with the help of a mouse in a drawing program. Certain smaller computers, called pocket computers, have an interface that makes it possible to enter a written text manually with the help of a pen. More specifically, such computers have a touch-sensitive screen, over which the user writes with a pen. The computer records the movement of the pen across the screen. The ICR software (ICR = intelligent character recognition) identifies the characters represented by the registered movement and stores them in a format encoded with characters on the computer. One drawback of this technique is that it requires access to a touch-sensitive screen. On the other hand, through document JP 03265023, it is known to introduce manually written text to a computer with the help of a pen whose tip is provided with a sphere. When one "writes" with the pen on a substrate, the sphere rolls. With the help of information about how much and in which direction the sphere is moving, the computer can determine how the pen is moving. One drawback of this device and other devices based on mobile mechanical components is that the mobile component makes the device more difficult to manufacture and less durable. In addition, EP 0 629 759 discloses a device for storing manually written texts in the form of an image. This device has no moving parts. It includes the tip of a pen and a CCD area sensor that is used to reproduce the writing with the tip of the pen. In one embodiment, the device has the tip of a pen at a first end and the CCD sensor at a second end. In this case, the user writes first with the tip of the pen and then rotates the device and activates the CCD sensor to reproduce what has already been written. In another mode, the tip of the pen and the CCD sensor are located at the same end of the device. In this case, the CCD sensor continuously reproduces what is written by recording images. Images that have partially overlapping content are put together with a composite image of what has been written. When the written information has to be shown, a composite image is shown.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an alternative method and an alternative device for recording manually written information in the form of characters, symbols, graphics, calligraphy and similar written information manually, defined by a manual movement.

This object is achieved with a device according to claim 1 and a method according to claim 18. Preferred embodiments are set forth in the subclaims. Thus, according to a first aspect, the invention relates to a device for recording manually written information in the form of characters, symbols, graphs, drawings, calligraphy and similar information manually, defined by a manual movement. The device comprises recording means adapted to be moved by a hand that carries out a manual movement and to register a plurality of images with partially overlapping contents while the recording means is moving. The device further comprises image processing means that are adapted to determine the relative position of the images with the help of the partially overlapping contents to provide a description in digital format of how the recording means have been moved and, thus, a representation digitally written information. Accordingly, the device is based on the idea of using images. However, the images are not used as in the prior art to reproduce written information manually but are instead used to determine how the recording media is moving when the user performs the manual movement, for example "write" or "draw" something. The device does not then need to store images of the written information manually, but it is sufficient to store information about the movement. This also means that you can enter information written manually to the computer without "writing" any information simultaneously with ink or a dye from the tip of a pen on a writing surface. The information can be written directly in the air, if only the recording media are directed to a surface that gives the contents of the images, making it possible to determine how the images overlap. Needless to say, the device can also be provided with the tip of a pen and that "dye-based" writing with the electronic record can take place simultaneously. In this case, however, the dye-based writing need not take place within the field of view of the recording media. When manually written information is to be displayed after registering, this is carried out based on the stored description of how the recording media has been moved. Thus, the device performs a manual movement digitizer, so that the computer can process the information represented by the manual movement. In this context, it should be noted that the movement of the recording media is represented by the projection of the end of the recording media on the surface to which the recording media are directed. The image processing means is preferably carried out with the aid of a suitably programmed processor.

It can also be carried out entirely technical support with some combination of technical support and software. In an advantageous embodiment, the device is adapted to store said description in digital format. They can then use, for example, the information written manually by means of the description.

Alternatively, the description can be transmitted, for example to a personal computer on which the display can take place. A main advantage of the device is that the image registration function can also be used for other purposes, thus enabling the device of several and different fields of application. For example, the image registration function can be used to enter text and images that are already defined on a certain form of information carrier, represented in images the text and / or images with the help of the sensor. This is a user access to a completely new tool that makes it possible to work efficiently. With this unique tool, the user can register information in text and image from different sources and supply it with written information manually. In this way, it is the device that can become an important tool for students, for office staff and other work individuals involves information processing. Suitably, the description comprises a plurality of motion vectors, each indicating how the unit has been moving between the register of two images. The motion vectors can be described with the help of coordinates of a certain point and the first image and the coordinates and to the same point in the second one, expressing itself in some suitable coordinate system. Motion vectors are a way to save memory to store the description of how the registration unit has moved. In some applications, it may be advantageous for the computer to know how the registration unit has moved during manual movement. This may be the case, for example, if one wishes to introduce calligraphy or other information corresponding to lines that are not of uniform thickness. For this purpose, the description may include directions of rotation, each indicating how the registration unit has been rotated between the registration of two images. In addition, in one embodiment, the device is adapted to determine the speed at which the registration unit has moved between the registration of two images. In this mode, the device can thus determine the speed in different parts of the movement path defined by the manual movement. This may be interesting, if one wishes for example to verify the authenticity of a signature, purpose for which the device may also be adapted to check the speed thus determined with the previously recorded speed data, in order to verify that the signatory is really the same person who made the previous signature, from which the recorded speed data was obtained.

As mentioned by way of introduction, the information that one wishes to process in a computer often consists of text, that is, several types of characters. For this reason, the device is advantageously adapted to identify the characters with the help of the description in digital format of how the registration unit has been moved and to store them in format encoded with characters. The ICR software is advantageously used for this purpose. An advantage of storing the information entered in encoded format with characters in the device is that this requires less memory space. Advantageously, the device has sensor means sensitive to light with a two-dimensional sensory surface for recording the images. In this context, a two-dimensional sensory surface refers to the fact that the sensory surface must be able to reflect an image on a surface with a matrix of image elements, so that they can be register the images with overlapping contents. A CCD sensor and a CMOS sensor are examples of suitable sensors. The determination of the relative position of the images must be carried out both horizontally and vertically, in order to be possible the introduction of written information manually, defined by movements arbitrary manuals. While the registration unit is moving, it is directed to a surface on which an image is formed with the help of the images. It is possible to pass the unit on the surface in contact with it, and whose ____________________ case the manual movement is carried out in the same way as if one were writing or drawing on the surface with a pen. Alternatively, it can be held at a certain distance from the surface, which is therefore not intended to be a uniform surface, but rather can have any kind of topography, in which case the manual movement of the surface is carried out. the same way as if one were writing or drawing in the air. The purpose in both cases is that the recording unit continuously records images of what is located within its field of vision along its trajectory of movement. In order to make it easier for the user to "see" what he is writing or drawing by means of the registration unit, the device preferably comprises trace means to indicate on the surface how the unit is moving. The tracing means may, of course, comprise a pen function, but preferably they should not leave permanent marks on the substrate to which they are directed. For example, they may comprise a lighting means adapted to project light on the surface. In a preferred embodiment, the recording means and the image processing means are arranged in a common receptacle, which is adapted to be moved by a hand that does the manual movement. It then becomes a tool the user carries with him easily and which is, therefore, easy to use in all types of situations. Of course, written information recorded manually from the device is transmitted, for example to a stationary computer. In an alternative embodiment, the recording means may be arranged in a first receptacle and the image processing means in a second receptacle, such as a stationary computer, to which the recording means are connected. The advantage of the aforementioned alternative is the fact that smaller amounts of data can be transferred from the device to the computer. Furthermore, in a particularly preferred embodiment, the device is adjustable to an operational mode in which it adapts to previously defined record information, especially text, which is located on the information carrier, presenting the information in images with the help of a plurality of images with partially overlapping contents. In this modality, the device's ability to record images in two ways is used, something that a user has obviously attractive, since it is not required to use two different tools with different technical solutions for these functions. In addition, the device is advantageously adjustable to an additional operational mode in which it is adapted to represent in images an object located at a distance from the device. In this operational mode, the device thus has the function of a camera. This operational mode may require that the device be equipped with an adjustable lens system that allows information from images also defined at longer distances. In addition, the placed device advantageously provided with a transceiver for wireless communication with an external unit. In this way, information can be transferred between the device and, for example, an external computer. The transceiver can be an IR transceiver, a mobile radio transceiver or some other suitable transceiver. According to a second aspect of the invention, this relates to a method for recording manually written information in the form of characters, symbols, graphs, drawings, calligraphy and similar manually written information, defined by a manual movement, comprising the steps of move a device with a hand that performs manual movement, record a plurality of images with overlapping contents while the device is moving; and determine the relative position of the images with the help of the partially overlapping contents to provide a description and digital format of how the device has been moved and, in this way, a digital representation of the written information manually. The method has the same advantages as those described above with respect to the device. According to a third aspect of the invention, it relates to a method for determining the position of a device that is adapted to record a plurality of images while it is moving, recording the images with partially overlapping contents that is used to determine the position Of the device. This aspect of the invention can be used, for example, to solve the problems associated with determining the position of three-dimensional mouses. A dimensional mouse is a control device with at least six degrees of freedom. Currently, accelerometers are used to determine how the three-dimensional mouse moves. The drawback of these accelerometers is that they are only able to determine relative positions. Consequently, they are unable to determine how much the control device has moved, in such a way that it has returned to its original position. In contrast, if a three-dimensional mouse is equipped with one or more devices with the structure described above, each device can be used to determine the translational position along and the rotational position around an axis by recording images with partially overlapping contents. By comparing each image with the image in the original position, it can be determined when the device returns to the original position. Furthermore, by determining the relative position of the images and with the knowledge of the frequency of the image registration, it is possible to determine the speed of movement, the distance and the direction of movement, and therefore the position of the moment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present invention will now be described by means of an example which shows how the invention can be carried out, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows schematically one embodiment of a device according to the invention; Figure 2 is a block diagram of the electronic circuit system in a mode of a device according to the invention; Figure 3 is a flow chart showing the operation of the device; Figure 4 is a schematic illustration showing how images are displayed on a surface in connection with the input of manually written information; Figure 5 illustrates how the information entered on a display can be displayed; Figure 6 is a flow diagram illustrating how the device is used in browser mode; and Figure 7a-7e schematically shows how the text is recorded in the browser mode.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED MODALITY In the embodiment of the device according to the invention shown in Figure 1, it comprises a receptacle 1 having approximately the same conformation as a conventional highly illuminating pen. A short side of the receptacle has a window 2, which is designed to bump or stay at a distance from a surface when information is to be entered into a computer with the aid of the device. It is a little embedded in the receptacle to thin not to waste with the paper. The receptacle 1 contains essentially an optical part 3, an electronic circuit part 4, to which information is fed, and an energy supply 5. The optical part 3 is used to record images and is thus an example of how they can be carried to effect the recording media.

It comprises a light-emitting diode (LED) 6, a lens system 7 and a light-sensitive sensor 8, which constitutes the interface with the part of electronic circuits 4. The function of LED 6 is to illuminate a surface that is commonly located under the window. A diffuser 9 is mounted opposite the LED 6 to diffuse the light. The lens system 7 has the function of projecting an image of the surface located under the window 2 onto the light sensitive sensor 8 as precisely as possible. If the sensor 8 has a smaller light sensitive area than the window 2, it is also required that the lens system 7 reduce the image. In this example, the light-sensitive sensor 8 comprises a square, two-dimensional, CCD (CCD = charge-coupled device) unit with a converted A / C. Such sensors are commercially available. The sensor 8 is mounted at a small angle to the window 2 and on its own printed circuit board 11. The power supply to the device is obtained from a material 12, which is mounted in a separate compartment 13 in the receptacle. The block diagram in figure 2 schematically shows the electronic circuit part 4. This is used, among other things, to process the recorded images and is thus an example of how the image processing means can be carried out. It comprises a processor 20, which through the intermediary of a collective line 21 is connected to a ROM 22, in which the problems of the processor are stored, to a read / write memory 23, which constitutes the processor's working memory and in the which the sensor images as well as the identified and interpreted characters are stored, to a logic control unit 24, as well as to the sensor 8 and the LED 6. The logic control unit 24 is connected at the same time to a number of peripheral units which comprise a display 25, which is mounted in the receptacle, an IR receiver 26 for transferring information to / from an external computer, buttons 27, by means of which the user can control the device and specifically adjust the device between a first mode in which you can enter information written manually, a second mode in which the device operates as a scanner and a third mode in which the device operates as a camera, a tracker LED 28 that emits a luminous gas, making it easier for the user to know what information is being entered, as well as a indicator device 29, for example an LED, indicating when the pen is ready to record information. In the control logic unit 24, control signals are generated to the memories, the sensor and the peripheral units. The control logic also manages the generation and priority consideration of interrupts to the processor. The buttons 27, the IR transceiver 26, the display 25 and the tracker LED 28 and the LED 6 are accessed, writing and reading with the processor in a register in the logic control unit. The buttons 27 general interrupts to the processor 20, when activated. The operation of the device will now be described, but assuming that the user first wishes to enter written text manually. The user directs the device to a surface that has some kind of configuration. For example, the surface may be a sheet of paper with text on it, a wall or a bowl of candy. Press a button 27 to activate the device and subsequently "write" the text you want to enter with the device directed to the selected surface. The tracker LED 28 successively indicates the path of movement on the surface by means of a luminous night to give the user an idea of the movement. When the user activates the pen, the processor 20 commands the LED 6 to start generating selection pulses at a predetermined frequency, suitably at 25 Hz, after which the images recorded by the sensor are stored in the read / write memory. 23. When the user has written the information they want to enter, release the button 27, whereupon the processor 20 deactivates the LED 6. In user can then control the device to display the information entered on the display 25 or transfer it to a external computer by the intermediary of the IR transceiver 26. The possibility of displaying the information scanned directly on the display has turned out to be very important, since a user often wants to verify that the correct information has been explored. The flow chart of Figure 3 shows in more detail how the device works in connection with the input of manually written information. In step 301, images with overlapping contents are scanned while the device is moving in relation to the surface to which it is directed. The scanned images are stored in the read / write memory 23. The images are stored as images, ie with the help of a plurality of image elements, each having a gray scale value in a range from white to black. As soon as an image has been registered, the procedure begins to determine how the current image and the previous image overlap, step 302, that is to say in which relative position the best match between the contents of the images is obtained. For this purpose, all possible overlap positions between the images are examined at the level of image elements, and an overlap measurement is determined as follows: 1) For each overlapping position of the image element, the scale values are added gray of the two relevant image elements, if the latter are not white. Such an image element position in which none of the image elements is white is designated a positive position. 2) All gray scale sums are added for all positive positions. 3) All the neighbors of each image element position are examined. If an overlapping image element position is not a neighbor of a positive position and consists of an image element that is white and an image element position that is not white, the gray scale value of the non-white image element, possibly multiplied by a constant, was subtracted from the sum in point 2). 4) The overlap position that provides the highest overlap measurement as expressed above is selected. In the resulting composite image, the average value of the gray scale value of the overlapping image elements is used. In this way, noise in the overlap area can be suppressed. The union is thus carried out both vertically and horizontally. If it is detected that, when they are joining, the images do not end on a horizontal line, the composite image is adjusted appropriately, so that it remains horizontal, for example by rotating the composite image. Swedish patent application No. 9704924-1 and the corresponding application of E.U.A. No. 024,641 describe an alternative way of consuming the images in order to find the best overlap position. The content of these applications is hereby incorporated by reference. When the relative position of the two images has been determined, the processor 20 determines a motion vector, in step 303, which indicates how far and in which direction the device has been joined between the image registration. The motion vector is stored in the memory as part of a digital description of how the device has been moved. The processor also determines how the second image is rotated relative to the first one, ie how the device has been rotated between the recording of the images. This is done by examining the overlap in different rotational positions between the first image and the second. The rotation is stored as an indication of rotation in the memory and also constitutes parts of the description of how the device has been moved. When this step is completed, the first image is downloaded and the second image becomes the first image, after which it is started during the suuent scanned image with this new first image. It should be noted that in most cases, it is not necessary to determine the motion vectors and the rotation indications in a separate step, but they can be obtained as a direct result of the determination of the relative position of the images. As is evident from what has been described above, steps 301-303 may proceed more or less whereabouts. When the device detects that the introduction of an information unit is complete, for example with the user releasing the button 17 or by the device that is not moving for at least a predetermined time, the device decides whether to interpret it. or not the information entered, step 304. The indicated use was used by pressing a button of the information entered is information in text to be interpreted, the processor 20 in the motion vectors in the description of the unit of information in question to a ICR module that identifies which character represents the motion vectors. Sufficiently, the identified character is stored in encoded format with characters in the memory. The interpreted character can be displayed on the display 25, if the user indicates this preference by pressing a button. If the user does not indicate that the information is to be interpreted, no internal option is taken with respect to the information unit and the device is ready to perform additional information units. Figure 4 shows schematically how images with overlapping contents are recorded, when a device is directed as described above to a sheet of paper and the device is moved in a movement path forming the letter "R" to simplify, the contents of the images in Figure 4. Figure 5 shows how a letter R introduced on the display of the device can be reproduced on the basis of the non-relative devices determined by the device for the images in Figure 4., in this case, the device shows an "image" of the character entered with the help of motion vectors, there was no interpreted character. The above description outlines how the device can be used in a first mode to enter normally generated information. However, in a second way, the device can also be used as an explorer, ie to scan a text information in defined images on an information carrier. If the user wishes to use the device in this way, it indicates this by pressing a button in an appropriate manner. Assume now that the user wants to explore the text of a sheet of paper. In this case, the user directs the device to the sheet of paper with the text of the location and wishes to start recording a sequence of characters. It includes the button 27 to activate the pen and passes it over the text to be registered, following the text in the same way as when reading the text. The tracker LED 28 emits a luminous gas that makes it easier to follow the lines. When the user activates the pen, the processor 20 controls the LED 6 to scan the images in the same manner as described above with respect to entering manually generated information. When the user has passed the device on which a link is selected at the end of a line of characters, he lifts the pen from the sheet of paper and releases the activator button, next of which the processor 20 which is activated in LED 6. The flow chart of Figure 6 illustrates in more detail how the device operates in this mode. In step 601, images with overlapping contents are expected and stored in the same manner as in the first mode. In step 602, the best overlap position for each pair of images is determined in the same manner as described above for the first mode. In this position, the images of a composite image comprising a plurality of characters, possibly an entire line, are joined. In step 603, the software of the processor 20 divides the composite image into sub-images, each comprising only one character. The purpose of this is to create input signals to the OCR software that is to increment the characters. The division is performed by sobbing the gray scale values of the picture elements for each row of picture elements and each column of picture elements in the composite picture. By studying the minimum values of local intensity for the row sums and the column sums thus obtained, limits for the extension of each character in the image can be discarded.

In step 604, each of the sub-images or a predetermined format of image elements is scaled by dividing the sub-image into groups of image elements, each of which is replaced with an image element whose gray-scale value corresponds to an average value of the gray scale values of the image elements included in the group. If necessary, a similar scale reduction can be carried out among other steps in the method according to the invention. In addition, the character is centered with respect to its equilibrium point and the gray scale values are normalized, so that the sum of the casting of the gray scale value of each element in the image is given a fixed value. Subsequently, in step 605, each character is interpreted in the composite image that is recorded in the character sequence. The gray scale values of the image elements which together constitute a sub-picture containing only one character are fed in as input signals to an OCR software. In step 606, the identified character is stored using a predetermined format of character code, for example the ASCII code in the read / write memory 23 in the memory area for interpreted characters. When the character identification and character storage is completed, the processor activates the indicator device 29 to inform the user that it is ready to register a new character sequence, step 607. Subsequently, it returns to step 601.

The above steps in both the first and the second modes are thus carried out by the processor 20 with the help of the associated units and the appropriate software. Such software can be created by the person skilled in the art with the help of the above instructions, if it is not commercially available. Figures 7a-7e illustrate how the character sequence "Flygande báckasiner" is explored. Figure 7a shows the text on a sheet of paper, which also has a certain amount of "I can point" in the form of small black spots. Figure 7b shows the images that are being recorded with the help of the sensor. As you can see from this figure, the contents of the images partially overlap. For example, the letter I appears completely in the image number 1 and partially in the image number 2. The degree of overlap depends on the speed of traction, ie the speed with which the user pulls the device over the text in relation to the frequency with which the content of the sensor is read. Figure 7c shows how the complete composite image looks. It should be noted that the image is still stored in the form of an image element. Figure 7d illustrates the division of the composite image into subimages. Figure 7e shows the scaled and normalized letters that are used as input signals to the neural network. When the method has been carried out, the text "Flygande báckasiner" is stored in the read / write memory of the device as ASCII code.

As stated above, the device can also be used in a third mode, camera mode, to record images of objects that are located at a distance from the device. In order to perform the image formation defined at various distances, the lens system 7 can be adjustable between two fixed positions, one being used in the browser mode and the other in the camera mode. Alternatively, the position of the lens system 7 can be slidably adjustable to provide an autofocus function. Adjustment of the lens system can be done by the same technique used in the cameras.

Claims (21)

NOVELTY OF THE INVENTION CLAIMS

1. - A device for recording manually written information in the form of characters, symbols, graphs, drawings, calligraphy and similar manually written information, defined by a manual movement, comprising recording means (3) that are adapted to be moved by a hand that carries the manual movement and to record a plurality of images with partially overlapping contents while the recording means is moving, characterized in that the device further comprises image processing means (4) that are adapted to determine the relative position of the images with the help of the partially overlapping contents to provide a description in digital format of how the recording media has been moved and, in this way, a digital representation of the information written manually.

2. A device according to claim 1, further characterized in that the device is adapted to store said description in digital format.

3. A device according to claim 1 or 2, further characterized in that said description comprises a plurality of motion vectors, each indicating how the recording means has moved between the registration of two images.

4. - A device in accordance with verification 1, 2 or 3, further characterized in that said description comprises rotation indications, each indicating how the recording means has been rotated between the registration of two images.

5. A device according to any of the preceding indications, further characterized in that said device is adapted to determine, on the basis of the overlapping contents of the images, the speed at which the recording means have moved between the registration of two images

6. A device according to claim 5, further characterized in that said device is adapted to compare the speed with previously recorded speed data to verify the authenticity of the information entered.

7. A device according to any of the preceding claims, further characterized in that the manually written information comprises characters and because the image processing means are also adapted to identify the characters with the help of the description in digital format and to store the characters identified in encoded format with characters.

8. A device according to any of the preceding claims, further characterized in that said device has a light-sensitive sensor means (8) with a two-dimensional sensory surface to record the images.

9. - A device according to any of the preceding claims, further characterized in that said image processing means are adapted to determine the relative position of the images both horizontally and vertically.

10. A device according to any of the preceding claims, further characterized in that the recording means are adapted to be directed, while moving, to a surface on which images are projected with the help of said plurality of images.

11. A device according to any of the preceding claims, which also comprise tracking means (28) for indicating on the surface the movement of the recording means.

12. A device according to claim 11, further characterized in that the tracking means (28) comprise a lighting means that projects light on the surface.

13. A device according to any of the preceding claims, further characterized in that the recording means and the image processing means are arranged in a common receptacle (1) that is adapted to be moved by a hand that carries out the movement manual.

14. A device according to any of claims 1-12, further characterized in that the recording means are arranged in a first receptacle and the image processing means in a second receptacle.

15. A device according to any of the preceding claims, further characterized in that the image processing means comprise a processor (20).

16. A device according to any of the preceding claims, further characterized in that said device is adjustable to an operational mode in which it is adapted to record previously defined information, preferably text, located on an information carrier, forming images of the information with the help of a plurality of images with partially overlapping contents.

17. A device according to any of the preceding claims, further characterized in that said device is adjustable to an operational mode in which it is adapted to form images of an object located at a distance from the device.

18. A device according to any of the preceding claims, which also comprises a receiver (26) for wireless communication with an external unit. 19.- A method of recording manually written information in the form of characters, symbols, graphs, drawings, calligraphy and similar manually written information, defined by a manual movement, comprising the steps of: moving a device with a hand that is carrying out the manual movement; registering a plurality of images with overlapping contents, while the device is moving; and determining the relative position of the images with the help of the partially overlapping contents to provide a description in digital format of how the device has been moved and, in this way, a digital representation of the information described manually. 20. A method according to claim 19, further characterized in that the information defined by a manual movement comprises characters and also comprises the steps to identify the characters with the help of the description and store them in digital format encoded with characters. 21. A method of determining the position of a manually held device that is adapted to record a plurality of images while it is moving, further characterized by recording the images with partially overlapping contents that is used to determine the position of the device.