Data recording apparatus featuring spatial coordinate data merged with sequentially significant command data

• US 6,055,552 A
• Filed: 10/31/1997
• Issued: 04/25/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/1997
• 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.
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRINH, WILLIAM B
• Application Number:
  US08/961,691
• Time in Patent Office: 907 Days
• Field of Search: 707/530, 178/18.01, 345/507, 345/179
• US Class Current: 715/243
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/174 Form filling; Merging

Abstract

This disclosure provides a data recording system and, in particular, an electronic digitizing clipboard and a remote computer. A stylus of the clipboard is used to write on pages, with a digitizer underneath the pages generating an electronic record of entered marks for storage and later recreation of the pages. The electronic record represents both stylus spatial coordinates, normally sampled every ten milliseconds, certain user commands such as page identification, inserted at significant locations within the aggregate data stream, or other data, for example, audio data from a built-in microphone. Data in the stream is associated with prior page identification commands, such that subsequent data may be cut or sorted based upon timing of that data relative to the page identification commands. In this manner, data may be distinguished and moved by a "splicing" mechanism, notwithstanding any spatial overlap with previous stylus data.

Claims

1. A data recording apparatus adapted for creating plural pages or forms of data in a format adapted for editing by a remote editor, comprising:

an input device selectively operated by a user to enter a first sequence of data representing spatial coordinates;

a command mechanism selectively used to command a first change from a first one of the plural pages or forms of data to a second one of the plural pages or forms of data and adapted to command a second change, back to the first one of the pages or forms; and

one of software, firmware and hardware that inserts command codes representing the changes at locations within the first sequence of data dependent upon the relative timing between commands of change by the user and individual ones of the data, such that a second sequence of data is produced which includes both data representing spatial coordinates and at least two inserted commands;

wherein the inserted commands are adapted to permit the remote editor to subsequently distinguish, based on the second sequence, data intended by the user for different ones of the plural pages or forms, notwithstanding any possible spatial overlap of represented by the data, based upon relative timing of inserted commands relative to data of the first sequence.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the command mechanism includes a user interface having a visual display, for displaying possible commands, and an enter button, for selecting one of the possible commands.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the command mechanism includes a bar code scanning mechanism, adapted to scan a bar code on the second one of the multiple pages or forms which uniquely identifies the second one of the multiple pages or forms.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the input device includes a digitizer which mounts the plural pages or forms, and a stylus utilized by the user to write data physically onto the plural pages or forms, the first sequence of data being produced at regular periodic intervals and representing relative position of the stylus with respect to the digitizer;

the first and second sequences of data include data electronically representing stylus strokes; and

the inserted commands are adapted to permit the remote editor to electronically associate individual stylus strokes with individual ones of the multiple pages or forms, notwithstanding spatial overlap between multiple stylus strokes with each other with respect to the digitizer.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a time code generator, wherein at least one of the first and second sequences is formatted to include a time code associated with the data from the input device, such that the remote editor may separate data into at least two groups based upon time of data entry and notwithstanding any spatial overlap represented by the data.

6. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the first sequence includes data representing spatial coordinates sampled at regular and periodic intervals; and

said apparatus further includes

a buffer for temporarily storing one of the command codes and the data representing spatial coordinates, and

a mechanism for inserting the command codes in between the data representing spatial coordinates.

7. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the data representing spatial coordinates represents a sampling at least ten times per second.

8. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a wireless communications device that transmits data from said apparatus to the remote editor.

9. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising digital memory which is internal to said apparatus, the second sequence of data being stored in the memory in a manner adapted for selective later transmission to the remote editor.

10. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said apparatus is a portable electronic board and further comprises internal memory that stores the data representing spatial coordinates without a concurrent electronic display of such data.

11. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein:

said apparatus further includes a paper-supporting surface that receives the plural pages or forms, and an stylus;

the stylus includes an inking mechanism for writing on the plural pages or forms, the digitizer being associated with the paper-supporting surface for digitizing stylus stroke information for storage in the memory; and

entry of data by the user using the inking mechanism both inks a hard-copy of a page or form and also results in digitization of all stylus entered by the user on the page or form, without regard to any pre-printed fields or matter appearing on the page or form.

12. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the command mechanism includes a mechanism that inserts a page identification code in response to a change between different ones of plural pages, the page identification code being uniquely associated with one of the plural pages.

13. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising software that compresses data from the first sequence of data for inclusion into the second sequence of data.

14. An improvement according to claim 13, wherein the software further compresses position data to a variable length format and to include flags indicating length of compressed position data, for inclusion into the second sequence of data.

15. In a portable electronic board mounting plural pages in a stacked, overlapping relationship, the board including an input device adapted to permit a user to write upon individual pages to thereby create completed hardcopy pages, the board adapted to simultaneously digitize information entered upon the pages by the user to therefrom create an electronic file of all information entered by the user upon the pages as a single data stream, the board having a command mechanism adapted for use in identifying which one of the plural pages is being written upon, the improvement comprising:

one of software, firmware and hardware that generates command codes representing identification of page changes;

a mechanism for merging both the command codes and the single data stream in a manner that preserves their relative timing of entry, and for thereby creating a second data stream; and

means for storing the second data stream internally to said board and for selectively transmitting the second data stream to a remote editor;

wherein the inserted commands are adapted to permit a remote editor to subsequently distinguish based on the second data stream digitized information intended by the user for different ones of the plural pages, notwithstanding any possible spatial overlap of represented by the data, based upon relative timing of inserted command codes relative to the digitized information.

16. An improvement according to claim 15, wherein the digitized information includes data representing spatial coordinates, the improvement further comprising a time code generator which inserts a time code as part of each datum representing spatial coordinates.

17. An improvement according to claim 15, further comprising a time code generator which inserts a time code as part of the command codes.

18. An improvement according to claim 15, further comprising:

using a stylus as the input device;

forming the single data stream to represent samples of continuous stylus strokes; and

producing and inserting into at least the second data stream an indication that data represents a new stylus stroke.

19. An improvement according to claim 18, further comprising:

a time code generator which inserts a time code as part of the command codes; and

including in the indication a time code which identifies a time associated with the corresponding stylus stroke.

20. An improvement according to claim 19, the improvement further comprising forming the indication in response to a change in pen pressure, and inserting into at least the second data stream a time code corresponding to the change in pen pressure.

21. An improvement according to claim 15, further comprising compressing data from the single data stream.

22. An improvement according to claim 21, wherein compressing data includes compressing position data to a variable length format and to include flags indicating length of compressed position data.