Method, system and product for information management

• US 20020056576A1
• Filed: 11/13/2001
• Published: 05/16/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Anoto Group AB
• Original Assignee: Anoto Group AB
• Inventors: Ericson, Petter
• Granted Patent: US 7,002,559 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 178/18.01
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0321 by optically sensing the absolute position with respect to a regularly patterned surface forming a passive digitiser, e.g. pen optically detecting position indicative tags printed on a paper sheet constructional details of pen-shaped pointing devices G06F3/03545, G06F3/03542, G06F3/037
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus

Abstract

A method, a system and a product for managing information uses of an absolute position-coding pattern formed of marks positioned on one or more products. The coordinates of the marks define an imaginary surface, which includes all marks which the absolute position-coding pattern has the capacity to code. The imaginary surface is divided into at least two regions, the coordinates of which can be separated from each other. The information is generated by passing a sensor device over the marks on the product and reading the absolute coordinates of the position of the sensor device. Reading of coordinates from the first region results in a information management function of the sensor device, such as a send function, and reading of coordinates from the second region forms message information.

Claims

1. A method of managing information input via a sensor device and a position-coding pattern printed on a product, comprising:

reading coordinates of said sensor device based on movement of said sensor device relative to said position-coding pattern, said position-coding pattern including marks, the coordinates of which define an imaginary surface that includes all marks which the position-coding pattern codes, said imaginary surface being divided into at least a first region and a second region; and

executing an information management function based on coordinates read from said first region, said information management function managing information formed by coordinates read from said second region.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said information management function is one of:

storing information, sending information, and converting information.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said information management function is a send function by which said sensor device sends coordinates from a send area of said first region to a database device which allocates a particular send address to said send area, which is used to send message information to a recipient.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3, wherein said send address is communicated to said sensor device, which sends a request to a computer device defined by said send address to execute a program in said computer device.

5. A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein said program analyzes coordinates read from said second region and sends a request to said sensor device to transfer the message information, the program generating a message according to said information.

6. A method as claimed in claim 5, wherein said program generates an e-mail which is sent to a recipient.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the e-mail address for said recipient is included in the message information.

8. A method as claimed in claim 5, wherein said program generates a function for performing an electronic commerce service.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said surface comprises at least one of a send region, a note region, a general region, an application domain region, a private region and a direct-managed region.

10. A system for managing information input via a sensor device and a position-coding pattern printed on a product, comprising:

coordinate reading means for reading coordinates of said sensor device based on movement of said sensor device relative to said position-coding pattern, said position-coding pattern including marks, the coordinates of which define an imaginary surface that includes all marks which the position-coding pattern codes, said imaginary surface being divided into at least a first region and a second region; and

information management means for executing an information management function based on coordinates read from said first region, said information management function managing information formed by coordinates read from said second region.

11. A system as claimed in claim 10, wherein said information management function executed by said information management means is one of:

storing information, sending information, and converting information.

12. A system as claimed in claim 10, wherein said information management function executed by said information management function means is a send function which enables said sensor device to send coordinates from a send area of said first region to a database device which allocates a particular send address to said send area, which is used to send message information to a recipient.

13. A system as claimed in claim 12, wherein said send address is communicated to said sensor device, which sends a request to a computer device defined by said send address to execute a program in said computer device.

14. A system as claimed in claim 13, wherein said program analyzes coordinates read from said second region and sends a request to said sensor device to transfer the message information, the program generating a message according to said information.

15. A system as claimed in claim 14, wherein said program generates an e-mail which is sent to a recipient.

16. A system as claimed in claim 15, wherein the e-mail address for said recipient is included in the message information.

17. A system as claimed in claim 14, wherein said program generates a function for performing an electronic commerce service.

18. A system as claimed in claim 10, wherein said surface comprises at least one of a send region, a note region, a general region, an application domain region, a private region and a direct-managed region.

20. A product as claimed in claim 19, wherein the first region and said second region belong to different regions of said imaginary surface.

21. A product as claimed in claim 19, wherein said second region defines at least one of a storing function, a sending function, and a converting function.

22. A product as defined in claim 19, wherein said second region defines a send address designating a destination for digitally recorded message information of said first region.

23. A product as defined in claim 19, wherein digitally recorded message information of said first region includes an email address to be associated with said function.

24. A product as defined in claim 19, wherein said product includes at least one of a send region, a note region, a general region, an application domain region, a private region and a direct-managed region.

19. A product comprising:

a writing area having a position-coding pattern thereon, said position-coding pattern including marks, the coordinates of which define an imaginary surface that includes all marks which the position-coding pattern codes, said imaginary surface being divided into at least a first region for digitally recording message information and a second region defining a function which is to be performed with regard to the digitally recorded message information.