Decoding digital information included in a hand-formed expression

• US 20080088605A1
• Filed: 11/20/2006
• Published: 04/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Cohen, Alexander J., Cohen, B. Isaac, Levien, Royce A., Harlow, Ed, Malamud, Mark A., Leuthardt, Eric C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,873,243 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/179
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03 Arrangements for converting the position or the displacement of a member into a coded form
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0317 in co-operation with a patterned surface, e.g. absolute position or relative movement detection for an optical mouse or pen positioned with respect to a coded surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0383 Signal control means within the pointing device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

Embodiments include a method, a manual device, a handheld manual device, a handheld writing device, a system, and an apparatus. An embodiment provides a device. The device includes an imaging circuit operable to acquire digital information encoded in a hand-formed analog expression marked on a surface by a handheld writing device. The device also includes a translator circuit operable to decode the digital information. The device further includes a correlation circuit operable to generate a signal indicative of the decoded digital information.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

an imaging circuit operable to acquire digital information encoded in a hand-formed analog expression marked on a surface by a handheld writing device;

a translator circuit operable to decode the digital information; and

a correlation circuit operable to generate a signal indicative of the decoded digital information.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a display operable to broadcast a human viewable image corresponding to the digital information.

3. A device comprising:

an imaging circuit operable to acquire digital information encoded in a hand-formed expression formed on a surface by a handheld writing device, the digital information corresponding to an environment of the handheld writing device when the expression was formed on the surface;

a translator circuit operable to decode the digital information corresponding to an environment of the handheld writing device when the expression was formed on the surface; and

a correlation circuit operable to generate a signal indicative of the environment of the handheld writing device when the expression was formed on the surface.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the imaging circuit operable to acquire digital information encoded in a hand-formed expression formed on a surface by a handheld writing device, the digital information corresponding to an environment of the handheld writing device when the expression was formed on the surface further includes:

an imaging circuit operable to acquire digital information encoded in a hand-formed expression formed by a handheld stylus moving on a surface, the digital information corresponding to an environment of the handheld stylus when the expression was formed on the surface.

5. The device of claim 3, wherein the imaging circuit operable to acquire digital information encoded in a hand-formed expression formed on a surface by a handheld writing device, the digital information corresponding to an environment of the handheld writing device when the expression was formed on the surface further includes:

an imaging circuit operable to acquire digital information encoded in a hand-formed expression formed by a substance deposited by a handheld writing device on a surface, the digital information corresponding to an environment of the handheld device when the substance was deposited on the surface.

6. The device of claim 3, wherein the imaging circuit operable to acquire digital information encoded in a hand-formed expression formed on a surface by a handheld writing device, the digital information corresponding to an environment of the handheld writing device when the expression was formed on the surface further includes:

an imaging circuit operable to acquire digital information encoded in at least one of a line, grid, path, stroke, and/or spot hand-formed on a surface by a handheld writing device, the digital information corresponding to an environment of the handheld writing device when the at least one of a line, grid, path, stroke, and/or spot was formed on the surface.

7. The device of claim 3, wherein the imaging circuit operable to acquire digital information encoded in a hand-formed expression formed on a surface by a handheld writing device, the digital information corresponding to an environment of the handheld writing device when the expression was formed on the surface further includes:

an imaging circuit operable to acquire digital information encoded in at least one of a line, grid, path, stroke, and/or spot hand-formed by a substance deposited on a surface by a handheld writing device, the digital information corresponding to an environment of the handheld writing device when the substance was deposited on the surface.

8. The device of claim 3, wherein the imaging circuit operable to acquire digital information encoded in a hand-formed expression formed on a surface by a handheld writing device, the digital information corresponding to an environment of the handheld writing device when the expression was formed on the surface further includes:

an imaging circuit operable to acquire digital information encoded in a marking substance deposited on a surface by a handheld writing device, the digital information corresponding to an environment of the handheld writing device when the marking substance was deposited on the surface.

9. The device of claim 3, wherein the imaging circuit operable to acquire digital information encoded in a hand-formed expression formed on a surface by a handheld writing device, the digital information corresponding to an environment of the handheld writing device when the expression was formed on the surface further includes:

an imaging circuit operable to acquire digital information encoded in at least one of a visible and/or invisible marking substance deposited on a surface by a handheld writing device, the digital information corresponding to an environment of the handheld writing device when the marking substance was deposited on the surface.

10. The device of claim 3, wherein the imaging circuit operable to acquire digital information encoded in a hand-formed expression formed on a surface by a handheld writing device, the digital information corresponding to an environment of the handheld writing device when the expression was formed on the surface further includes:

an imaging circuit operable to acquire digital information encoded in a fluorescent substance deposited on a surface by a handheld writing device, the digital information corresponding to an environment of the handheld writing device when the fluorescent substance was deposited on the surface.

11. The device of claim 3, wherein the imaging circuit operable to acquire digital information encoded in a hand-formed expression formed on a surface by a handheld writing device, the digital information corresponding to an environment of the handheld writing device when the expression was formed on the surface further includes:

an imaging circuit operable to acquire digital information encoded in a hand-formed expression formed on a surface of at least one of a container, a package, a living body, a human body, and/or an object by a handheld writing device, the digital information corresponding to an environment of the handheld writing device when the expression was formed on the surface.

12. The device of claim 3, wherein the imaging circuit operable to acquire digital information encoded in a hand-formed expression formed on a surface by a handheld writing device, the digital information corresponding to an environment of the handheld writing device when the expression was formed on the surface further includes:

an imaging circuit operable to acquire digital information encoded in a hand-formed expression formed on at least one of a skin, layer, paper, metal, plastic, and/or composite surface by a handheld writing device, the digital information corresponding to an environment of the handheld writing device when the expression was formed on the surface.

13. The device of claim 3, wherein the imaging circuit operable to acquire digital information encoded in a hand-formed expression formed on a surface by a handheld writing device, the digital information corresponding to an environment of the handheld writing device when the expression was formed on the surface further includes:

an imaging circuit operable to acquire digital information encoded in a hand-formed expression formed on a surface by a handheld writing device, the digital information corresponding to an environment of the handheld writing device contemporaneous with the formation of the expression on the surface.

14. The device of claim 3, wherein the imaging circuit operable to acquire digital information encoded in a hand-formed expression formed on a surface by a handheld writing device, the digital information corresponding to an environment of the handheld writing device when the expression was formed on the surface further includes:

an imaging circuit operable to acquire digital information encoded in a hand-formed expression formed on a surface by a handheld writing device, the digital information corresponding to an environment temporarily proximate to when the expression was formed on the surface.

15. The device of claim 3, wherein the translator circuit operable to decode the digital information corresponding to an environment of the handheld writing device when the expression was formed on the surface further includes:

a translator circuit operable to decode the digital information corresponding to at least one of a user context and/or an external context of the handheld writing device when the expression was formed on the surface.

16. The device of claim 3, further comprising:

a memory configurable by a file that includes at least one correlation between an instance of encoded digital information and an environment of the handheld marking device.

17. The device of claim 3, further comprising:

a memory configurable by a file that includes at least one user established correlation between an instance of encoded digital information and an environment of the handheld marking device.

18. The device of claim 3, further comprising:

a display operable to broadcast a human viewable image indicative of the environment of the handheld writing device when the expression was formed on the surface.

19. A method comprising:

acquiring information encoded in a track formed on a surface by a manual writing device, the encoded information corresponding to a context of the manual writing device proximate to when the substance was deposited;

interpreting the encoded information; and

generating a signal indicative of the context of the manual writing device when the substance was deposited.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the acquiring information encoded in a track formed on a surface by a manual writing device further includes:

acquiring information encoded in a track formed by a substance deposited on a surface by a manual writing device.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the acquiring information encoded in a track formed on a surface by a manual writing device further includes:

acquiring information encoded in a track formed by a substance deposited on a surface by a handheld manual writing device.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the interpreting the encoded information further includes:

interpreting encoded information based at least in part in response to a file that includes at least one correlation between an instance of encoded information and a context of the manual marking device.

23. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

broadcasting a human viewable image indicative of the context of the manual writing device when the substance was deposited.

24. A device comprising:

means for acquiring information encoded in a track formed on a surface by a manual writing device, the encoded information corresponding to a context of the manual writing device when the substance was deposited;

means for interpreting the encoded information; and

means for generating a signal indicative of the context of the manual writing device when the substance was deposited.

25. The device of claim 24, further comprising:

means for broadcasting a human viewable image indicative of the context of the manual writing device when the substance was deposited.