Graffiti (Palm OS)
| Company type | Software |
|---|---|
| Industry | Handwriting recognition, Input methods |
| Founded | 1994 |
| Founder | Jeff Hawkins |
| Products | Handwriting recognition system for PDAs and mobile devices |
Graffiti is a handwriting recognition system designed for single-stroke input, primarily utilized in PDAs operating on Palm OS. Initially created by Palm, Inc. for devices running GEOS, such as HP's OmniGo 100 and OmniGo 120, it also served as an alternative recognition method for the Apple Newton MessagePad when NewtonOS 1.0 had difficulty processing handwriting. Adaptations of Graffiti include the "Block Recognizer" for the Windows Mobile platform, and it functions as the default input recognizer on the Symbian UIQ interface; it was additionally offered for Casio’s Zoomer PDA.
The system employs a streamlined set of uppercase characters drawn with a stylus on a touch-sensitive screen. To enhance recognition accuracy, letters such as "A," "F," "K," and "T" were simplified by removing complex strokes like crossbars. Some characters provide alternative stroke methods—for example, drawing "V" from right to left or reversing "X" similarly to "K"—which often improves detection reliability.
History
The development of Graffiti was led by Jeff Hawkins, who had previously designed "PalmPrint," the character recognition technology used in the Casio Zoomer. Hawkins emphasized ease of learning, comparing mastering Graffiti to acquiring touch-typing skills, stating that "Touch-typing is a skill you learn."
Graffiti first appeared in 1994 on the Casio Zoomer PDA and was later preloaded on the 1996 Pilot 1000 and Pilot 5000 models. Hawkins originally imagined a single writing area allowing letters to overlap.
Internally referred to as "PowerPalmPrint" or P3, the system was further enhanced by Palm engineers Joe Sipher and Ron Marianetti, who incorporated additional characters and punctuation marks and developed a PC prototype using a graphics tablet.
Following a legal defeat to Xerox in 2003, Palm released Graffiti 2, which featured gestures more closely resembling natural handwriting.
Non-Palm OS versions
Besides its use on Palm devices, Graffiti was implemented on the Apple Newton. An unofficial version emerged for iOS devices (including iPhone and iPad) in 2008. ACCESS Co., Ltd., a Japanese company that acquired PalmSource, Inc. in 2005, launched an official Android iteration in 2010. The original patent protecting Graffiti expired at the close of 2016.
StrokeInput is an application available on Apple devices that allows users to employ Graffiti input across all text fields on iPhone and iPad as an additional keyboard option.
Lawsuit
The initial Graffiti system was subject to litigation initiated by Xerox, which claimed infringement of its Unistrokes patent (US patent 5596656), developed at the Palo Alto Research Center by David Goldberg in 1993.
Palm contested the decision through appeals, disputing both infringement allegations and the patent’s legitimacy. Although an appellate court affirmed Xerox’s infringement claim, it sent the case back for further examination of the patent’s validity. In 2004, a judge ruled in favor of Palm, invalidating Xerox’s patent due to prior art evidence. Xerox appealed but eventually reached a settlement with Palm, receiving US$22.5 million in backdated licensing fees. The companies also agreed on a seven-year cross-licensing arrangement covering unspecified patents.
See also
- Graffiti 2
- Moon type — a tactile alphabet for visually impaired users, featuring simplified raised characters inspired by the Roman script
- Nyctograph