Method and Apparatus for Sharing Information Using a Handheld Device

• US 20100039533A1
• Filed: 10/23/2009
• Published: 02/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wireless Recognition Technologies LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hemisphere II Investment LP
• Inventors: Ratcliff, Raymond F.
• Granted Patent: US 8,285,791 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/231.990
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A method and apparatus for sending information to a data processing apparatus for identifying a document to share with a recipient. A handheld device is capable of communicating with the data processing apparatus. Information is captured from the document and stored in the handheld device as document data. A communications path is established between the handheld device and the data processing apparatus. The document data is sent to the data processing apparatus through the communications path. Reference documents are provided. Each reference document has reference data stored in a memory. At least a portion of the received document data is extracted as scanning data. The reference data is retrieved from the memory. The scanning data is compared with the reference data. When the scanning data matches at least a portion of the reference data of one of the reference documents, the one reference document is selected as the identified document for forwarding to the recipient.

Claims

1. A method for identifying a document, the method comprising:

storing a plurality of reference documents in a memory device, including storing reference data for each reference document of the plurality of reference documents, wherein the reference data comprises actual data from the associated reference document;

receiving digital image data at a data processing system from a handheld device, wherein the digital image data corresponds to an image of one of the reference documents of the plurality of reference documents, and wherein the digital image data comprises at least one image of a document captured by the handheld device;

extracting at least a portion of the received digital image data as scanning data;

retrieving from the memory device the reference data for at least one reference document;

comparing the scanning data with the retrieved reference data;

identifying, when the scanning data matches at least a portion of the retrieved reference data, the one reference document as the document scanned by the handheld device; and

sending data representing at least a portion of the identified document to the handheld device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the scanning data includes digital text data identifying a name of the document.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the scanning data includes digital text data identifying an author of the document.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the scanning data includes digital text data identifying a publication date of the document.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a receiving address at a data processing system from a handheld device;

and

wherein the step of sending data includes;

attaching the identified document to an e-mail message, and

sending the e-mail message to a receiving address via a data network coupling the handheld device to the data processing system.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a receiving address at a data processing system from a handheld device;

and

wherein the step of sending data includes sending the identified document to the receiving address via facsimile transmission.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying, when the scanning data matches at least a portion of the reference data associated with a second of the plurality of reference documents, the second reference document as an alternative identified document; and

sending at least a portion of the alternative identified document to the handheld device.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving an indication from the handheld device indicating the at least a portion of the one reference document or the at least a portion of the second reference document as identifying the document.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein sending data includes sending an image of at least a portion of the identified document.

10. A method comprising:

capturing digital image data regarding a document utilizing a handheld device, wherein the digital image data comprises at least one image of a document captured by the handheld device;

storing the captured digital image data in a memory of the handheld device;

establishing a communications path between the handheld device and a data processing system;

sending the captured digital image data and address data from the handheld device to the data processing system via the communications path; and

receiving, at the handheld device from the data processing system, data representing a digital image of at least a portion of the document.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of receiving includes receiving the entire document.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the document is an electronic document.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the entire document is sent to the address indicated by the address data.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the document is a newspaper article.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein capturing the information includes:

scanning the document to generate scanned information, and converting the scanned information to digital image data; and

wherein storing the captured information includes storing the digital image data.

16. A data processing system for identifying one of a plurality of reference documents for sharing with a recipient in communication with a data network, each reference document having reference data, from information received from a handheld device in communication with the data processing system, the data processing system coupled to the data network, the data processing system comprising:

a first memory device in which a plurality of instructions are stored; and

a processor coupled to the memory device and capable of executing the instructions in the first memory device to;

(i) access the reference data in the memory, and (ii) receive the information from the handheld device, wherein the information comprises actual data scanned from a document by the handheld device, wherein execution of the instructions causing a plurality of steps to be performed including;

storing a plurality of reference documents in a second memory device, including storing reference data for each reference document of the plurality of reference documents, wherein the reference data comprises actual data from the associated reference document;

receiving digital image data at a data processing system from a handheld device, wherein the digital image data corresponds to an image of one of the reference documents of the plurality of reference documents, and wherein the digital image data comprises at least one image of a document captured by the handheld device;

extracting at least a portion of the received digital image data as scanning data;

retrieving from the memory device the reference data for at least one reference document;

comparing the scanning data with the retrieved reference data;

identifying, when the scanning data matches at least a portion of the retrieved reference data, the one reference document as the document scanned by the handheld device; and

sending data representing at least a portion of the identified document to the handheld device.

17. The data processing system of claim 16, wherein the execution of the instructions by the processor causes further steps to be performed, namely:

establishing a communications path between the data processing system and a device associated with the recipient via the data network, and sending, using the address information, the identified document to the receiving address of the recipient via the communications path.

18. The data processing system of claim 16, wherein sending at least a portion of the identified document includes:

sending at least a portion of the identified document to a receiving address of the recipient via transmission over a data network coupling the device to the data processing system.

19. The data processing system of claim 16, wherein sending data representing at least a portion of the identified document includes:

sending at least a portion of the identified document to a receiving address via facsimile transmission.

20. The data processing system of claim 16, wherein sending data representing at least a portion of the identified document includes sending an image of at least a portion of the identified document.

21. A handheld device for identifying a document, comprising:

a memory in which a plurality of instructions are stored; and

a processor coupled to the memory and capable of executing the instructions in the memory, wherein execution of the instructions causes a plurality of steps to be performed including;

capturing digital image data regarding a document utilizing the handheld device, wherein the digital image data comprises at least one image of a document captured by the handheld device;

storing the captured digital image data in a memory of the handheld device;

establishing a communications path between the handheld device and a data processing system on a data network;

sending the captured digital image data from the handheld device to the data processing system via the communications path; and

receiving, at the handheld device from the data processing system via the communications path, data representing at least a portion of actual data contained in the document.

22. The handheld device of claim 21, wherein the document is a newspaper article.

23. The handheld device of claim 21, wherein capturing the information includes:

scanning the document to generate scanned information, and converting the scanned information to digital image data; and

wherein storing the captured information includes storing the digital image data.

24. The handheld device of claim 21, wherein the handheld device is a cellular phone.

25. The handheld device of claim 21, wherein the handheld device is a personal digital assistant (“

PDA”

).

26. The handheld device of claim 21, wherein the handheld device is a watch.

27. The handheld device of claim 21, wherein the handheld device captures the information using an image capture capability of the handheld device.

28. A processor readable storage medium containing processor readable program code such that when executed by a processor in a data processing system, performs a method for identifying one of a plurality of reference documents, each reference document having reference data stored in a memory and wherein the reference data comprises actual data from the associated reference document, based on digital image data received by the data processing system from a handheld device in communication with the data processing system over a data network, the method comprising:

receiving digital image data at a data processing system from a handheld device, wherein the digital image data corresponds to an image of one of the reference documents of the plurality of reference documents, and wherein the digital image data comprises at least one image of a document captured by the handheld device;

extracting at least a portion of the received digital image data as scanning data;

retrieving from the memory device the reference data for at least one reference document;

comparing the scanning data with the retrieved reference data;

identifying, when the scanning data matches at least a portion of the retrieved reference data, the one reference document as the document scanned by the handheld device; and

sending data representing at least a portion of the identified document to the handheld device.