This document provides an overview of tablet PCs, including their history, hardware components like the electromagnetic digitizer and pen, and software features in Windows XP Tablet PC Edition like digital ink and the input panel. It discusses how tablet PCs function as both notebooks and PDAs, with designs as either slates or convertibles, and the key components and technologies that enable pen input and writing on the computer like the tablet sensor, pen coil, and digital ink data type.
6. The History of Tablet PCs
• Concepts of writing on computer is not new
–
1. Pen Windows OS from Microsoft (In the time of Windows
3.1)
2. Windows 95 Pen Edition
3. Newton Pen input device (from Apple Computer)
• But all failed…
7. The History of Tablet PCs
• Bert Keely – the dreamer of
Tablet PCs.
• First drawing the future of Tablet
in the SGI lab.
• In order to fulfill his dream, he met
the CEOs of Apple and Dell, but all
of them refused Keely.
• Finally, Bill Gates accepted his
suggestion, and soon decided to
develop an OS for his dream.
Microsoft software
architect Bert
Keely shows a
prototype of the
Tablet PC during
Bill Gates' keynote
at COMDEX/Fall
2000.
8. What we can expect for
Tablet PCs ?
• Function as a real “Notebook”
9. What we can expect for
Tablet PCs ?
• Can we expect more ? ….
• All functionality one computer could
has.
10. What is Tablet PCs ?
• It is a superset of –
(1) PDA
(2) Notebook
(3) Desktop
11. What is Tablet PCs ?
• Software view – Windows XP Tablet PC
Edition.
• Hardware view – the computers which
running the tablet OS.
1. “Slate” Tablet – has no keyboard or mouse but a
pen as input.
2. “Convertible” Tablet – like traditional notebook,
but has a rotatable screen.
13. What feature should
Tablet PCs have ?
• An electromagnetic digitizer to
convert handwriting
• Rapid hot docking
• Fast standby resume
14. • Screen rotation
• Legacy-free – you should not expect any
serial/parallel ports or PS2 on a Tablet PC.
• Log-on and log-off at the click of a
button
(from Microsoft : Hardware Assumption for Tablet PCs)
What feature should
Tablet PCs have ?(con’t)
20. Writing On Computer ?
• In Addition to a screen and a pen, you should have
one ”sensing technique”.
• For PDA -> resistive-control panel.
• For Tablet PC -> Electromagnetic Digitizer.
3D-Control
24. Getting the Position (con’t)
• The coupled energy resonates with
the circuit.
• And reflects back towards the
sensor by forming a shaped h-domain
field at the tip of the pen.
30. Where does the data go?
(continued)
• The raw data – gathered by the sensor, then
send to the tablet control chip (W8001).
• From analog to digital – which is done by
the W8001.
• Data Processing – the digital data is relay to
the MCU, and then be computed into (x, y, z),
pressure, tilt angle.
• To Client – sent by either an asychronous
serial interface (UART) or a synchronous one
(SSI, SPI, I2C)
31. Other Concerns
• Should perform error correction
calculation to counteract many
distortions. (inductive components
and metals)
33. Ink
• Ink is what we write on paper.
• The “Digital Ink” technology has
been developed by Microsoft.
34. The concept of Ink
• A visualization of pen strokes.
• A data type supported by OS – you can
use ink on every application !!
35. Input Panel
• Write Anywhere
• Writing Pad
• Character Recognizer
• On-Screen Keyboard
36. What ink can do…
• Mouse
• Text editing
• Drawing
• Gesture
37. From Ink to Money
• “Digital Ink” technology – support the ink data
type from the os system.
• The prospect of ink –
1. Business signature security.
2. No need to teach people how to use computer.
3. Many chances waited to be discovered…
38. Gesture
• Software developer can design his own
gesture.
ex. 3D rotation, special move…
• Recognition issues
solution : ink-only mode,
Gesture-only mode,
or Mixed mode.
39. How to pen-enable your
computer
• Pen-enable – to use electromagnetic pen as
mouse.
• Need hardware support.
http://www.wacom.com/productinfo/index.cfm
40. How to ink-enable your
computer ?
• Ink-enable – to draw and edit ink on an ink-
enabled application.
• Download the Windows XP SP2 and
Experience Pack for Tablet PC, then
execute.
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/tabletpc/default.mspx
41. How to develop ink-enable
applications ?
• Windows Tablet SDK v1.7 available.
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dntablet/html/Ta
• Visual Basic .NET
• C#
• Managed C++
43. Ink to Text Conversion
• For an application itself does not accept
pen and ink input directly.
• It can still receive ink and handwriting
input through Tablet PC Input Panel.
44. Ink Controls
• You can position the controls on the user's
screen to a fixed region for pen and ink
input.
45. Surface Ink
• These application support features such as
selection and editing ink.
• Do not convert handwriting to text.
• Do not reflow ink.
46. Ink Manipulation
• Handle ink as a data type as surface ink.
• But support reflowing and overlay ink
object.
47. Speech Control
• The Tablet APIs also provide many
feature for speech-enable apps.
• User can do things in the same time –
Send control via speech input
Retrieving data from speech output
Do pen editing
48. Other Concerns for Tablet
Applications
• Rapid hot docking
• Fast standby resume
• Legacy-free Log-on and log-off at
the click of a button
• Power Issues.