SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ANNOTATING DOCUMENTS

• US 20050138541A1
• Filed: 12/22/2003
• Published: 06/23/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Original Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Inventors: Obrea, Andrei, Euchner, James A., Coffy, Jean-Hiram
• Granted Patent: US 7,111,230 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/205
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/169 Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes

Abstract

A method and system for collaborative annotation of a master document using a digital pen system is described. At least one hardcopy printout of the master document is printed on digital paper used with a digital pen system. The digital paper is associated with the electronic master document. Using the digital pen, annotations and edits may be made to the hardcopy representation. The digital pen system records the annotations and edits and updates the electronic document automatically.

Claims

1. A method for managing the annotation of a document comprising:

obtaining an original document;

making an original electronic version of the document available to an annotation manager system;

associating the original electronic version of the document with digital paper;

printing a plurality of hardcopies of the original electronic version of the document on the associated digital paper;

distributing the hardcopies to a plurality of team members;

receiving a plurality of annotations from the team members;

associating each annotation with a location in the original electronic version of the document; and

creating a new annotated version of the original electronic version of the document incorporating the annotations.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

incorporating annotation metadata into the new annotated version.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein,

the metadata includes a time and date associated with each annotation.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein,

the metadata includes a user identification for each annotation.

5. The method of claim 1, further including:

anchoring at least one of the annotations to a paragraph of the original electronic version of the document.

6. The method of claim 1, further including:

anchoring at least one of the annotations to a paragraph of the original electronic version of the document.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

parsing the annotations for at least one editing commands.

8. The method of claim 7, further including:

determining an authorization level for the at least one editing command; and

if the authorization level for the at least one editing command is below an authorization threshold, converting the at least one editing command into an annotation.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein,

the at least one editing command is a plurality of editing commands;

and

further including;

prioritizing the editing commands.

10. The method of claim 8, further including:

converting nonpriority editing commands into annotations.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein,

the associating the original electronic version of the document with digital paper further comprises scanning a digital pattern on the digital paper before printing a plurality of hardcopies.

12. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

comparing the annotation time metadata against a reviewer profile.

13. A system for managing the annotation of a document comprising:

means for obtaining an original document;

means for making an original electronic version of the document available to an annotation manager system;

means for associating the original electronic version of the document with digital paper;

means for printing a plurality of hardcopies of the original electronic version of the document on the associated digital paper;

means for distributing the hardcopies to a plurality of team members;

means for receiving a plurality of annotations from the team members;

means for associating each annotation with a location in the original electronic version of the document; and

means for creating a new annotated version of the original electronic version of the document incorporating the annotations.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

means for incorporating annotation metadata into the new annotated version.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein,

the metadata includes a time and date associated with each annotation.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein,

the metadata includes a user identification for each annotation.

17. The system of claim 13, further including:

means for anchoring at least one of the annotations to a paragraph of the original electronic version of the document.

18. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

means for parsing the annotations for at least one editing commands.

19. The system of claim 18, further including:

means for determining an authorization level for the at least one editing command; and

means for determining if the authorization level for the at least one editing command is below an authorization threshold.

20. The system of claim 19, further including:

means for converting nonpriority editing commands into annotations.