Electronic board to store and transfer information

• US 5,629,499 A
• Filed: 12/14/1995
• Issued: 05/13/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Curry, Bo U., Flickinger, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Stephen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kim, Kevin
• Application Number:
  US08/572,356
• Time in Patent Office: 516 Days
• Field of Search: 178/18, 178/19, 382/3, 345/179, 345/173, 345/74, 364/709.11
• US Class Current: 178/18.01
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1698 the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1632 Pen holder integrated in the computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

A low-cost and rugged electronic apparatus to store and to transfer written information. The apparatus includes a pen and a board, which has a sensing mechanism, a memory device and a communication link. When the pen imprints symbols to the board, the symbols are not concurrently electronically displayed. But the symbols are detected by the sensing mechanism, stored in the memory device, and can later be transferred to an electronic device through the communication link.

Claims

1. An apparatus both permitting a user to write on multiple pages or forms and also digitizing the information entered by the user onto the pages or forms, such that the user may retain both copies of completed documents and electronic file data representing information entered onto the pages or forms, the apparatus not itself including a visual display device for displaying the information entered onto the pages or forms, comprising:

a board for mounting the pages or forms thereon;

a stylus for imprinting symbols on the pages or forms without concurrently displaying the symbols electronically;

a sensing mechanism coupled to the board for sensing the symbols and for converting the symbols into information for storage in memory inside the board while the symbols are imprinted, such sensing and conversion of information on the symbols being completed independently of any image information of the pages or forms;

a memory device inside the board for storing the information about the sensed symbols as electronic file data, such storing being completed without reference to any image information of the pages or forms;

a mechanism for identifying at least one of the pages or forms as being current, the memory effective to store information on sensed symbols in association with the current page or form; and

an output device of said apparatus coupled to the memory device for providing a data file of the sensed and stored information on the symbols without a concomitant file of image information of the pages or forms with which to duplicate the pages or forms.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is a portable electronic board to store information and selectively transmit that information to a remote digital device.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the mechanism includes a manually-actuated switch that switches between the multiple pages or forms, and a visual display that indicates one of the multiple pages or forms which is current.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said apparatus receives the multiple pages or forms in stacked, overlapping relationship;

the user selects one of the multiple pages or forms, uses the mechanism to define the selected one of the multiple pages or forms as being current, and writes on the selected one of the multiple pages or forms; and

said apparatus identifies data entered with the selected one of the multiple pages or forms, such that electronic file data is automatically associated with the selected one of the multiple pages or forms, notwithstanding presence of other pages or forms within the stacked, overlapping relationship which are beneath the selected one.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a power regulating circuit; and

a sensing device associated with one of the stylus and the sensing mechanism, the sensing device sensing a predetermined condition and being coupled to the power regulating circuit to provide an indication to the power regulating circuit in response to the predetermined condition;

wherein the power regulating circuit activates the clipboard in response to the indication from the sensing device.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said apparatus is adapted to sense one of stylus proximity to the board and pressure of the stylus upon the board, the predetermined condition being the detection of one of them.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the output device includes a communications link for communicating to another digital electronic device.

8. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the communications link includes a jack that provides selective hardwire communications between said apparatus and another digital electronic device.

9. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the communications link includes an infrared communications port that provides infrared communications between said apparatus and another digital electronic device.

10. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the communications link includes an radio frequency communications port that provides radio frequency communications between said apparatus and another digital electronic device.

11. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the mechanism includes a manually-activated switch and a form number, which is electronically stored in association with imprinted symbols.

12. A method of processing information entered on multiple pages or form, using an electronic board to store and transfer information that both permits the user to write on the pages or forms and also digitizes the information entered by the user onto the page or forms, such that the user may retain both completed documents and electronic file data representing information entered onto the pages or forms, wherein the electronic board includes a mechanism that performs switching between individual ones of the multiple pages or forms, the electronic board not directly providing a visual display of the information entered onto the pages or forms, comprising:

imprinting symbols on the pages or forms mounted on a board with a stylus;

sensing the symbols imprinted on the pages or forms without concurrently electronically displaying the symbols on said electronic board;

converting the sensed symbols into information for storage in memory inside the board while the symbols are imprinted, such sensing and converting being completed without reference to any image information of the pages or forms;

selectively using the mechanism to

select a first one of the pages or forms, and distinguish it from others of the multiple pages or forms,

cause the board to automatically associate electronic file data with the first one of the multiple pages or forms.

subsequently, select a second, different one of the pages or forms and distinguish it from others of the multiple pages or forms, and

subsequent to selection of the second, different one of the pages or forms, cause the board to automatically associate electronic file data with the second one of the multiple pages or forms;

storing the information about the symbols in memory in the board as electronic file data in association with the pages or forms, such storing being completed without reference to any image information of the pages or forms; and

outputting the electronic file data of the information on the sensed symbols stored in memory inside the board without a concomitant file of image information with which to duplicate the pages or forms, the data being associated, respectively, with the one of first one and second one of the multiple pages or forms.

13. A method according to claim 12, further comprising:

receiving the multiple pages or forms in stacked, overlapping relationship;

selecting one of the multiple pages or forms, uses the mechanism to define the selected one of the multiple pages or forms as being current, and writing on the selected one of the multiple pages or forms; and

automatically associating electronic file data with the selected one of the multiple pages or forms, notwithstanding presence of other pages or forms within the stacked, overlapping relationship which are beneath the selected one.

14. A clipboard adapted to receive multiple pages or forms, each page form being associated with a unique identifier, comprising:

a stylus for the user to enter information on each page or form;

a supporting surface that includes a digitizing pad, which receives and supports the pages or forms, the digitizing pad sensing relative movements between the stylus and supporting surface, and responsively storing data representative of movements of the stylus with respect to the pad, without regard to location of any pre-printed matter on the pages or forms;

a mechanism that is selectively actuated by the user to indicate selection of a new page or form on the paper supporting surface, the mechanism operative to associate the data representative of movements of the stylus with respect to the pad with electronic file data which corresponds to the selected page or form and to cause selection of the selected page or form as a current page or form;

a memory that receives data from the digitizing pad, and stores the data in an electronic file corresponding to the current page or form; and

an identification mechanism that electronically associates the unique identifier for each page or form with a corresponding electronic file;

wherein said electronic clipboard

receives a plurality of page or forms in a stacked, overlapping relationship, and

generates electronic file data for each page or form representing relative movements between the stylus and the digitizing pad for a corresponding one of the pages or forms and without any regard to the location of pre-printed matter on the pages or forms.

15. A clipboard according to claim 14, wherein:

the mechanism includes both a mechanism for detecting a previously unknown form, including a manually-actuated switch and a sensing mechanism that provides an indication when the stylus is in close-proximity to the supporting surface, the mechanism being actuated when the indication is provided subsequent to use of the manually-actuated switch.

16. A clipboard according to claim 14, wherein the clipboard further comprises:

a visual indication of a unique identifier for the current page or form; and

means for selecting any one of the multiple pages or forms and causing it to be defined as the current page or form.

17. A clipboard according to claim 14, wherein at least two of the multiple pages or forms are different copies of one identical document, each of at least two to be filled out by the user with different information.

18. A clipboard according to claim 14, wherein at least two of the multiple pages or forms are different, non-identical documents.

19. An electronic board to store and transfer information that receives multiple pages or forms, said electronic board adapted to sense stylus information and to make an electronic record of the same for duplication of information entered on the pages or forms, comprising:

a stylus for the user to enter information on the pages or forms without concurrently displaying the information electronically on said electronic board;

a supporting surface for the pages or forms, the supporting surface including a digitizing pad that senses relative movements between the stylus and the supporting surface, and that responsively produces electronic data representing the same without any distinction between data entry fields; and

a memory associated with said electronic board that stores the electronic data as a electronic file representing the information entered on the pages or forms, without distinction between data entry fields and without regard to location of pre-printed matter on the pages or forms;

wherein said electronic board

is adapted to receive multiple pages or forms,

further comprises means for indicating at least one of the multiple pages or forms which a user desires to write upon as being current,

automatically associates the electronic data with the current at least one page or form, and

associates the electronic data with others of the multiple pages or forms in response to activation of said means to indicate others of the multiple pages or forms as being current.