Method of annotating a primary image with an image and for transmitting the annotated primary image
First Claim
1. In a computing network comprising a plurality of computing systems with each computing system comprising display means for displaying an image, input means for data entry, data storage means, memory means, and an application program stored on the storage means, the program comprising means for capturing a selected portion of an image displayed on the display means for generating a primary image, means for generating a plurality of secondary images having distinguishable attributes, means for selecting at least one secondary image for positioning the secondary image on the generated primary image and for activating the secondary image, means for selecting desired secondary images positioned on the primary image for activating the secondary image for generating an annotatory data input and display region associated with the secondary image, the annotatory region for inputting annotatory data to annotate the primary image and for displaying annotatory data with an associated activated secondary image for viewing annotations to the primary image, means for selectively displaying and hiding annotatory regions so that the regions do not interfere with viewing the primary image, and means for selectively displaying and hiding secondary images positioned on the primary image, a method of superimposing a secondary image on a primary image for annotating the primary image and for routing the primary image through the computing network, the method comprising the steps of:
- (1) invoking the application program for running the program;
(2) generating a display image on the display means;
(3) capturing a selected portion of the display image to generate a primary image;
(4) repeating step (3) for generating desired additional primary images;
(5) selecting a desired secondary image;
(6) positioning the selected secondary image on the primary image;
(7) activating the secondary image for generating the annotatory data input and display region of the associated secondary image;
(8) inputting annotatory data into the annotatory region;
(9) deactivating the associated secondary image for closing the annotatory data region of the associated secondary image;
(10) deselecting the secondary image;
(11) repeating steps (5) through (10) for each desired annotation to the primary image;
(12) generating a routing list of a plurality of users including a first user and subsequent users for transmitting at least one primary image from the first user to subsequent users in a predetermined sequence;
(13) transmitting at least one primary image from the first user to the subsequent users in the sequence prescribed by the routing list;
(14) notifying each subsequent user upon receipt of at least one primary image transmitted from the first user;
(15) upon notification of receipt of at least one primary image, a subsequent user invoking the application program stored on their computer for running the program to perform the following steps;
(16) calling a received primary image into memory for displaying the image on the display means;
(17) selecting a desired secondary image positioned on the primary image for activating the secondary image;
(18) activating the selected secondary image for generating the associated annotatory data region for displaying annotatory data in the region, the annotatory data in the region representative of annotations from the first user;
(19) deactivating the secondary image for closing the associated annotatory data region of the secondary image for hiding the annotatory data;
(20) deselecting the secondary image;
(21) repeating steps (17) through (20) for displaying desired annotations input by the first user;
(22) selecting a desired secondary image;
(23) positioning the selected secondary image on the primary image for activating the secondary image and activating the image for generating the associated annotatory data region for displaying annotatory data in the region;
(24) inputting additional annotatory data into the annotatory region to append the data to the annotatory data input by the first user;
(25) deactivating the associated secondary image for closing the annotatory data region for hiding the annotatory data and appended annotatory data from the primary image;
(26) deselecting the secondary image;
(27) repeating steps (22) through (26) for each desired appended annotation to the primary image;
(28) repeating steps (5) through (10) for each desired new annotation to the primary image;
(29) repeating steps (16) through (28) for each primary image received by the user; and
(30) transmitting each received and annotated primary image to a subsequent next user prescribed by the routing list.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of superimposing a secondary, graphical image on a primary image for annotating the primary image is provided. The secondary image is opened to access underlying information attached thereto, referred to as an annotation. The annotation communicates information that preferably pertains to the primary image. Annotations can be sorted and ordered by criteria including date and author. Preferably, position, shape, form, color, and animation provide information about the secondary image. The secondary image is displayed over the primary image as either a mark or glyph. The glyph is a pictographic icon that conveys information by its position on the primary image and its type. The mark is a simple glyph. A glyph or mark is opened by users enabling the users to annotate the primary image with their annotations. A plurality of marks and glyphs displayed on the primary image are initialized for viewing and inputting annotations and terminated for hiding the annotations, so that the annotations do not interfere with viewing the image. The invention enables users to either sequentially, or in parallel, review and annotate the primary image.
252 Citations
14 Claims
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1. In a computing network comprising a plurality of computing systems with each computing system comprising display means for displaying an image, input means for data entry, data storage means, memory means, and an application program stored on the storage means, the program comprising means for capturing a selected portion of an image displayed on the display means for generating a primary image, means for generating a plurality of secondary images having distinguishable attributes, means for selecting at least one secondary image for positioning the secondary image on the generated primary image and for activating the secondary image, means for selecting desired secondary images positioned on the primary image for activating the secondary image for generating an annotatory data input and display region associated with the secondary image, the annotatory region for inputting annotatory data to annotate the primary image and for displaying annotatory data with an associated activated secondary image for viewing annotations to the primary image, means for selectively displaying and hiding annotatory regions so that the regions do not interfere with viewing the primary image, and means for selectively displaying and hiding secondary images positioned on the primary image, a method of superimposing a secondary image on a primary image for annotating the primary image and for routing the primary image through the computing network, the method comprising the steps of:
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(1) invoking the application program for running the program; (2) generating a display image on the display means; (3) capturing a selected portion of the display image to generate a primary image; (4) repeating step (3) for generating desired additional primary images; (5) selecting a desired secondary image; (6) positioning the selected secondary image on the primary image; (7) activating the secondary image for generating the annotatory data input and display region of the associated secondary image; (8) inputting annotatory data into the annotatory region; (9) deactivating the associated secondary image for closing the annotatory data region of the associated secondary image; (10) deselecting the secondary image; (11) repeating steps (5) through (10) for each desired annotation to the primary image; (12) generating a routing list of a plurality of users including a first user and subsequent users for transmitting at least one primary image from the first user to subsequent users in a predetermined sequence; (13) transmitting at least one primary image from the first user to the subsequent users in the sequence prescribed by the routing list; (14) notifying each subsequent user upon receipt of at least one primary image transmitted from the first user; (15) upon notification of receipt of at least one primary image, a subsequent user invoking the application program stored on their computer for running the program to perform the following steps; (16) calling a received primary image into memory for displaying the image on the display means; (17) selecting a desired secondary image positioned on the primary image for activating the secondary image; (18) activating the selected secondary image for generating the associated annotatory data region for displaying annotatory data in the region, the annotatory data in the region representative of annotations from the first user; (19) deactivating the secondary image for closing the associated annotatory data region of the secondary image for hiding the annotatory data; (20) deselecting the secondary image; (21) repeating steps (17) through (20) for displaying desired annotations input by the first user; (22) selecting a desired secondary image; (23) positioning the selected secondary image on the primary image for activating the secondary image and activating the image for generating the associated annotatory data region for displaying annotatory data in the region; (24) inputting additional annotatory data into the annotatory region to append the data to the annotatory data input by the first user; (25) deactivating the associated secondary image for closing the annotatory data region for hiding the annotatory data and appended annotatory data from the primary image; (26) deselecting the secondary image; (27) repeating steps (22) through (26) for each desired appended annotation to the primary image; (28) repeating steps (5) through (10) for each desired new annotation to the primary image; (29) repeating steps (16) through (28) for each primary image received by the user; and (30) transmitting each received and annotated primary image to a subsequent next user prescribed by the routing list.
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2. The method of claim 1 wherein the next subsequent user is a selected one of the first user and a subsequent user determined by the routing list.
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3. The method of claim 1 comprising the further steps of:
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(31) transmitting at least one primary image from the first user to each subsequent user in parallel; (32) repeating steps (16) through (28) for each primary image received by the user; and (30) transmitting each received and annotated primary image back to the first user, the first user repeating steps (16) through (28) for each received and annotated primary image received thereby from the subsequent users for performing data manipulation as directed by the annotations input by the first user and subsequent users.
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4. The method of claim 1 comprising the further steps of:
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(31) transmitting at least one primary image from the first user to a first subsequent user; (32) repeating steps (16) through (28) for each received and annotated primary image received by the first subsequent user; (33) transmitting each received and annotated primary image from the first subsequent user to a next subsequent user; (34) repeating steps (31) through (33) until a last subsequent user is transmitted each received and annotated primary image; and (35) transmitting each received and annotated primary image from the last subsequent user to the first user, the first user repeating steps (16) through (28) for each received and annotated primary image received thereby from the last subsequent user for performing data manipulation as directed by the annotations input by the first user and subsequent users.
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5. The method of claim 1 wherein an annotatory data comprises user generated data selected from the group consisting of a text data stream, a graphical animation data stream, an audio data stream, and a video data stream.
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6. The method of claim 5 wherein the annotatory data is sorted by data selected from the group consisting of date of annotatory data input, time of annotatory data input, and author of annotatory data input.
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7. In a computing network comprising a plurality of computing systems with each computing system comprising display means for displaying an image, input means for data entry, data storage means, memory means, and an application program stored on the storage means, the program comprising means for capturing a selected portion of an image displayed on the display means for generating a primary image, means for generating a plurality of secondary images having distinguishable attributes, a first type of secondary image comprising a simple graphic icon and a second type of secondary image comprising a pictographic icon, means for selecting at least one secondary image for positioning the secondary image on the generated primary image and for activating the secondary image, means for selecting desired secondary images positioned on the primary image for activating the secondary image for generating an annotatory data input and display region associated with the secondary image, the annotatory region for inputting annotatory data to annotate the primary image and for displaying annotatory data with an associated activated secondary image for viewing annotations to the primary image, means for selectively displaying and hiding annotatory regions so that the regions do not interfere with viewing the primary image, and means for selectively displaying and hiding secondary images positioned on the primary image, a method of superimposing a secondary image on a primary image for annotating the primary image and for routing the primary image through the computing network, the method comprising the steps of:
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(1) invoking the application program for running the program; (2) generating a display image on the display means; (3) capturing a selected portion of the display image to generate a primary image; (4) repeating step (3) for generating desired additional primary images; (5) selecting a desired secondary image of a desired one of the first and second image types; (6) positioning the selected secondary image on the primary image; (7) activating the secondary image for generating the annotatory data input and display region of the associated secondary image; (8) inputting annotatory data into the annotatory region; (9) deactivating the associated secondary image for closing the annotatory data region of the associated secondary image; (10) deselecting the secondary image; (11) repeating steps (5) through (10) for each desired annotation to the primary image; (12) generating a routing list of a plurality of users including a first user and subsequent users for transmitting at least one primary image from the first user to subsequent users in a predetermined sequence; (13) transmitting at least one primary image from the first user to the subsequent users in the sequence prescribed by the routing list; (14) notifying each subsequent user upon receipt of at least one primary image transmitted from the first user; (15) upon notification of receipt of at least one primary image, a subsequent user invoking the application program stored on their computer for running the program to perform the following steps; (16) calling a received primary image into memory for displaying the image on the display means; (17) selecting a desired secondary image positioned on the primary image for activating the secondary image; (18) activating the selected secondary image for generating the associated annotatory data region for displaying annotatory data in the region, the annotatory data in the region representative of annotations from the first user; (19) deactivating the secondary image for closing the associated annotatory data region of the secondary image for hiding the annotatory data; (20) deselecting the secondary image; (21) repeating steps (17) through (20) for displaying desired annotations input by the first user; (22) selecting a desired secondary image; (23) positioning the selected secondary image on the primary image for activating the secondary image and activating the image for generating the associated annotatory data region for displaying annotatory data in the region; (24) inputting additional annotatory data into the annotatory region to append the data to the annotatory data input by the first user; (25) deactivating the associated secondary image for closing the annotatory data region for hiding the annotatory data and appended annotatory data from the primary image; (26) deselecting the secondary image; (27) repeating steps (22) through (26) for each desired appended annotation to the primary image; (28) repeating steps (5) through (10) for each desired new annotation to the primary image; (29) repeating steps (16) through (28) for each primary image received by the user; and (30) transmitting each received and annotated primary image to a next user prescribed by the routing list.
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8. The method of claim 7 wherein the next user is a selected one of the first user and a subsequent user determined by the routing list.
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9. The method of claim 7 comprising the further steps of:
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(31) transmitting at least one primary image from the first user simultaneously to each subsequent user; (32) repeating steps (16) through (28) for each primary image received by the user; and (30) transmitting each received and annotated primary image simultaneously back to the first user, the first user repeating steps (16) through (28) for each received and annotated primary image received thereby from the subsequent users for performing data manipulation as directed by the annotations input by the first user and subsequent users.
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10. The method of claim 7 comprising the further steps of:
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(31) transmitting at least one primary image from the first user simultaneously to a first subsequent user; (32) repeating steps (16) through (28) for each received and annotated primary image received by the first subsequent user; (33) transmitting each received and annotated primary image from the first subsequent user to a next subsequent user; (34) repeating steps (31) through (33) until a last subsequent user is transmitted each received and annotated primary image; and (35) transmitting each received and annotated primary image from the last subsequent user to the first user, the first user repeating steps (16) through (28) for each received and annotated primary image received thereby from the last subsequent user for performing data manipulation as directed by the annotations input by the first user and subsequent users.
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11. The method of claim 7 further comprising:
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the first type of secondary image comprises a glyph comprising a pictographic icon and the second type of secondary image comprises a mark comprises a non-intrusive, simple, generally rectangular icon, the secondary images provided with indicating means for indicating the position of the secondary image with respect to the primary image, the indicating means selected from the group consisting of shape of the secondary image, form thereof, color thereof, and animation of thereof; the marks configured into a desired one of predefined sets and user created sets that comprise user defined associated meaning; and each glyph positioned on the primary image providing information about itself due to the position of the glyph and its form, each glyph positioned on the primary image activated to generate its associated annotatory region to enable a user to input annotatory data in the region for annotating the primary image with their own annotations.
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12. The method of claim 7 comprising the further step of cyclically displaying and hiding selected secondary images on the primary image.
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13. The method of claim 7 wherein an annotatory data comprises user generated data selected from the group consisting of a text data stream, a graphical animation data stream, an audio data stream, and a video data stream.
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14. The method of claim 7 wherein the annotatory data is sorted by data selected from the group consisting of date of annotatory data input, time of annotatory data input, and author of annotatory data input.
Specification