Apparatus and method for processing electronic documents

• US 5,737,740 A
• Filed: 10/25/1995
• Issued: 04/07/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Numonics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Numonics Corporation
• Inventors: Henderson, Phillip L., Porter, David J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cosimano, Edward R.
• Application Number:
  US08/548,283
• Time in Patent Office: 895 Days
• Field of Search: 178/18, 178/19, 345/179, 358/452, 364/400, 395/327, 395/329, 395/330, 395/331, 395/339, 395/792, 395/803, 395/804
• US Class Current: 715/210
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/169 Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text

Abstract

A system is disclosed for the processing of electronic documents wherein the hardcopy of an original document is placed on an x-y digitizer. The original document is then written upon with a digitizer pen that marks the original document while at the same time converting the handwritten marking into digital form. The digitized edit is stored as an electronic document that can be printed for general distribution, displayed, edited or the like. The system is useful in such applications as group meetings or presentations, where information is gathered and handwritten on a paper pad or flip chart supported by an easel.

Claims

1. A system for processing documents comprising:

a support means for receiving relative to a substantially horizontal plane at least one document in a position having a longitudinal axis of said document being closer to an axis perpendicular to said horizontal plane than to an axis parallel to said horizontal plane;

means for marking on said at least one document;

means responsive to said marking means for converting said marking provided on said document into electronic form; and

means for storing said electronic form of said marking as an electronic version of said document.

2. A system according to claim 1, further comprising means for detecting when said document is replaced with at least a second document, wherein said detecting means comprises a switch and activating means cooperatively associated with said switch, said activating means further including contact means adapted for engaging said document, with said activating means activating said switch as said contact means is displaced relative to displacement of said document.

3. A system according to claim 1, further comprising means for displaying a page designation corresponding to said document.

4. A system according to claim 1, further comprising means for identifying said document.

5. A system according to claim 4, wherein said identifying means comprises a code on said document, means for reading said code, and means operatively associated with said reading means for storing said code corresponding to said document.

6. A system according to claim 4, wherein said identifying means comprises gage means for measuring a width of said document, whereby said identification of said document corresponds to a predetermined width measured by said gage means.

7. A system according to claim 1 further comprising:

means for correlating the position of the document with the electronic version of said document;

means for editing said marking on said document;

means responsive to said edit made to said marking for converting said edit provided on said document into electronic form; and

means for storing said electronic form of said edit and said electronic version of said document as an edited electronic version of said document.

8. A system according to claim 7, wherein said means for marking on said at least one document and means for editing said marking on said document comprises a digitizer pen including a mechanism for marking the document.

9. A system according to claim 7, wherein said means for storing said electronic form of said marking as an electronic version of said document and said means for storing said electronic form of said edit as an edited electronic version of said document comprises a computer.

10. A system according to claim 9, wherein said electronic version of said document and edited electronic version of said document are stored in one file.

11. A system according to claim 1, wherein said means responsive to said marking means for converting said marking provided on said document into electronic form comprises a digitizer, said digitizer having a substantially planar surface for receiving said document, wherein an axis defined by said substantially planar surface is substantially perpendicular to said horizontal plane, whereby said horizontal plane is substantially parallel to a portion of ground at least adjacent said support means.

12. A system according to claim 11, wherein said means responsive to said edit made to said marking for converting said edit provided on said document into electronic form comprises a digitizer.

13. A system according to claim 12, further comprising means for positioning said document in a predetermined location relative to said digitizer.

14. A system according to claim 11, wherein said support means includes means for retaining said document on said substantially planar surface of said digitizer.

15. An apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said retaining means includes at least one substantially L-shaped stop connected with and extending from said substantially planar surface proximate a bottom end of said digitizer.

16. A system according to claim 15, wherein said retaining means further includes at least one clip connected with and extending from said substantially planar surface proximate an upper end of said digitizer.

17. An apparatus for processing documents comprising:

a digitizer board having a substantially planar surface for receiving a document;

means for supporting said digitizer board relative to a substantially horizontal plane so that an axis defined by said substantially planar surface is positioned closer to an axis perpendicular to said horizontal plane than to an axis parallel to said horizontal plane;

a digitizer pen including means for marking said document;

said digitizer being responsive to said digitizer pen for converting said marking as provided on said document into digital form; and

a computer for storing said digital form of said marking provided on said document in a file.

18. An apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said documents define a pad of paper of a defined number of sheets and said document comprises one sheet from said pad of paper.

19. An apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said support means comprises means for positioning said apparatus on a surface, said support means further comprising means for connecting said digitizer board and said positioning means so that said axis defined by said substantially planar surface of said digitizer board is substantially perpendicular to said horizontal plane, whereby said horizontal plane is substantially parallel to a portion of ground adjacent said apparatus.

20. An apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said positioning means comprises an easel having a plurality of elongate legs and said connecting means includes at least two of said elongate legs for supporting said digitizer board on said easel.

21. An apparatus according to claim 17 further comprising means for retaining said document on said substantially planar surface of said digitizer board.

22. An apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said retaining means includes at least one substantially L-shaped stop connected with and extending from said substantially planar surface proximate a bottom end of said digitizer board.

23. An apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said retaining means further includes at least one clip connected with and extending from said substantially planar surface proximate an upper end of said digitizer board.

24. A method for processing documents comprising the steps of:

a) positioning a document on a digitizer coupled to a support so that a longitudinal axis of said document is closer to an axis perpendicular to a portion of ground than to an axis parallel to said portion of ground;

b) marking said document;

c) digitizing the marking made to said document; and

d) storing said digitized marking made to the document to provide an electric version of said document in a file.

25. A method according to claim 24 further comprising the steps of:

a) positioning said document on said digitizer;

b) correlating the position of the document with the electronic version of said document;

c) editing said document;

d) digitizing the edit made to said document; and

e) storing said digitized edit made to said document and the electronic version of said document as an edited electronic version of said document in said file.

26. A method according to claim 25, further comprising the steps of:

detecting when said document is removed; and

providing a second file for a second document.

27. A method according to claim 26, further comprising the steps of:

reading a code on said document; and

attaching said code as a page identifier to said file.

28. A method according to claim 26, further comprising steps of:

reading a code on said document; and

accessing said file corresponding to said code.

29. A method according to claim 25 further comprising the step of:

detecting when said document is replaced with a second document.

30. A method according to claim 29, wherein said documents define a pad of paper of a defined number of sequentially arranged sheets.

31. A method according to claim 30 further comprising steps of:

detecting when said sheets of said pad of paper are advanced to a new sheet;

accessing a new file each time said pad of paper is advanced.

32. A method according to claim 30, further comprising steps of:

detecting when said sheets of said pad of paper are returned to an old sheet;

accessing an old file corresponding to said old sheet.

33. A method according to claim 30 further comprising the steps of:

detecting a width of said pad of paper;

accessing a file associated with a particular sheet corresponding to a measured width of said pad of paper.