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Performance
of 50 Completed ATP Projects
Status
Report - Number 2
NIST SP 950-2
Chapter
5 - Information Technology
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Communication
Intelligence Corporation (CIC)
Chinese Character-Recognition
Methods for Computer Data Entry
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| China
is the world’s most populous country, and in the last decade
its economy has begun to mushroom. Because modern economies rely heavily
on computers, the potential market for computers in China has grown
along with its economy. |
COMPOSITE
PERFORMANCE SCORE
(Based on a four star rating.)
|
Accessing China’s
Giant Computer Market Potential
A major technical problem, however, impedes the widespread use of computers
in China: the Chinese language is ideographic, using symbols to form characters
representing things or ideas rather than letters to form words. Written
Chinese employs thousands of symbols, as opposed to the 26 letters used
in written English. Some keyboard methods exist for entering Chinese characters
into a computer, but they are laborious. This technical barrier means
that the large potential Chinese market is not readily accessible to U.S.
computer businesses.
This ATP project enabled
Communication Intelligence Corporation (CIC), a small California company,
to develop a stylus-and-tablet method for writing Chinese directly into
a computer. CIC is a spin-off from SRI International (formerly Stanford
Research Institute) and was founded in 1984 to commercialize English handwriting
recognition technology. In its first ATP project, CIC developed technology
for a digitized stylus-and-pad system that can be used to enter cursive
handwriting in English into a computer. In this second ATP project, CIC
applied several techniques from its earlier work: using a tablet and stylus
to record pen strokes, getting tablet sensory data into the computer,
and using algorithms to convert graphics signals to digital
form. In addition, the company created a way to recognize handwritten
Chinese characters.
 |
A screenful
of Chinese characters, with one in the process of being composed.
They were entered into the computer after being written
on a pad using a stylus. |
A System That Recognizes
Nonalphabetic Writing
For the foundation of its system, CIC developed a high-quality database
of about 750,000 characters penned by 2,800 Chinese writers. It also developed
an algorithm that recognizes 6,763 Guojia Biaozhun characters, the standard
set of characters determined by the Chinese government
to be used by schools, publishers, and other institutions. The technology
can be applied to personal computers in the People’s Republic of
China, the Republic of China, Taiwan and countries such as Japan and Korea,
where Chinese characters are part of the written language.
The technology will
also be useful in applications for other languages that use nonalphabetic
writing. Most important is Japanese, which uses symbols to represent the
syllables of words and employs two different syllable sets — hiragana
(made with more-flowing strokes) and katakana (made with more-angular
strokes). Application to handwritten Japanese is also complicated by the
interspersion of Chinese characters and English words in Japanese writing.
Entering the Chinese
Market
The company has entered into a joint venture, which is called CICC and
has 50 employees, with the Ministry of Electronic Industries of Jiangsu
(the coastal province that includes Shanghai). Under the agreement, CIC
will perform system integration services and market its pen-based business
computer systems (incorporating the ATP-funded technology) to Chinese
business and government users. The goal of the venture is to develop and
market a “Chinese computer” designed specifically to meet Chinese
business requirements.
Part of the agreement
specifies that the company will package U.S. hardware and office automation
software as part of the Chinese computer. To implement this agreement,
CIC is in discussions with several major U.S. computer companies about
installing the CIC character-recognition software in their products before
selling them in the Chinese market.
The sale of its products
in the Chinese market will open a huge opportunity for CIC, as well as
many other U.S. sellers of personal computer hardware and software in
China. For a country with a population of about one billion (few of whom
now use computers), the potential market is vast. But solving the technical
barrier to entering data in Chinese was a necessary step in actualizing
the market and making it accessible to U.S. producers of computers and
computer products.
ATP Accelerates Technology
Development
CIC officials say the company was able to accomplish this technology development
18 to 24 months sooner than it could have without the ATP funds. Moreover,
the ATP award helped the company develop licensing agreements and secure
a joint-venture partner.
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Project
Highlights
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PROJECT:
To develop a Chinese character-recognition system to be used in
place of a keyboard for computer entry of information in Chinese,
opening Chinese markets to U.S. computer products.
Duration: 12/20/1993 — 3/19/1996
ATP Number: 93-01-0211
FUNDING (in
thousands):
| ATP |
$1,480
|
62%
|
| Company |
911
|
38%
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| Total |
$2,391
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ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
CIC fulfilled its goals by developing a recognition system for Chinese
characters. The company’s progress is indicated by the fact
that it:
- collected
a high-quality database of about 750,000 Chinese characters penned
by 2,800 Chinese writers;
- developed
a recognition algorithm that supports 6,763 Guojia Biaozhun characters,
the standard set of characters determined by the Chinese government
to be used by printers, schools, and so forth;
- entered into
a joint venture with the Ministry of Electronic Industries of
Jiangsu Province, China, to perform system integration services
and to market the company’s pen-based business computer systems
to Chinese businesses and government agencies;
- released
the first major product version of its character-recognition software
in September 1997; and
- entered into
discussions with several major U.S. computer companies about incorporating
the CIC character recognition technology into their computers
for sale in China.
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COMMERCIALIZATION
STATUS:
Commercialization is in progress. CIC recently closed its first
major deal with a Chinese company to incorporate the ATP-funded
technology into its products. CIC is also in discussions with major
U.S. computer companies to incorporate the technology into their
products for China.
OUTLOOK:
Benefits from this project are expected to accrue to U.S. companies
through U.S. leadership in China’s computer market, the development
of computer standards in China based on U.S. technology, and large
direct sales of U.S. computer components into China’s markets.
Composite
Performance Score:
COMPANY:
Communication Intelligence Corporation (CIC)
275 Shoreline Drive, Suite 520
Redwood Shores, CA 94065-1413
Contact:
Russ Davis
Phone: (650) 802-7757
Number of employees: 66 at project start, 93 at the end of
1997
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Return to Table
of Contents or go to next section.
Date created: April
2002
Last updated:
April 12, 2005
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