Thinkscribe combined electronic and paper based scheduling

• US 6,144,371 A
• Filed: 03/18/1998
• Issued: 11/07/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Clary, Gregory James, Nathan, Krishna Sundaram
• Primary Examiner(s): Liang, Regina
• Application Number:
  US09/040,581
• Time in Patent Office: 965 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173-179, 345/145, 345/146, 178/18.01, 178/18.03, 178/19.01, 382/187, 382/188, 382/189, 707/512, 707/513, 707/500, 707/541, 705/7-9
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/046 by electromagnetic means

Abstract

A scheduling facilitation system includes a recording unit, a markable surface (e.g., a template), and a stylus. The recording unit includes a memory, a logic design implementation (e.g., software and/or hardware), and a working surface. The memory stores an electronic representation of a schedule. The logic design implementation serves to correlate the working surface to the schedule. The working surface is superimposed with the markable surface. A stylus stroke signal (e.g., a first radio frequency) conveys to the recording unit scheduling information for a selected entry location of the schedule. A stylus stroke mark (e.g., ink) concurrently conveys to the markable surface the scheduling information. The memory stores the scheduling information. A check signal (e.g., a second radio frequency and/or a soft button activation) can search for scheduling opening(s) and/or conflict(s).

Claims

1. A scheduling facilitation method, comprising:

storing an electronic representation of a schedule in a recording unit, said schedule including a number of entry locations, said recording unit including a working surface thereon, said working surface superimposed with a markable surface having thereon a physical representation of said entry locations, said physical representation including therein one or more designations allowing user identification of a selected entry location of said entry locations;

correlating a part of said working surface to said entry locations;

selecting said selected entry location on said markable surface with a stylus;

providing a stroke signal and a stroke mark with said stylus, said stroke signal conveying to said recording unit a section of scheduling information for said selected entry location, said stroke mark conveying to said markable surface said section of scheduling information;

storing an indication of said section of scheduling information in a portion of said electronic representation of said schedule associated with said selected entry location; and

reserving said selected entry location in said electronic representation of said schedule to track that scheduling information is already associated with said selected entry location.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a scheduling conflict check signal for said recording unit upon user selection of said selected entry location, said recording unit associating said scheduling conflict check signal with said selected entry location;

and

responsive to said scheduling conflict check signal, said recording unit checking whether said selected entry location is reserved.

3. A scheduling facilitation method, comprising:

storing an electronic representation of a schedule in a recording unit, said schedule including a number of entry locations, said recording unit including a working surface thereon, said working surface superimposed with a markable surface having thereon a physical representation of said entry locations, said physical representation including therein one or more designations allowing user identification of a selected entry location of said entry locations;

correlating a part of said working surface to said entry locations;

providing a scheduling conflict check signal for said recording unit upon user selection of said selected entry location, said recording unit associating said scheduling conflict check signal with said selected entry location; and

responsive to said scheduling conflict check signal, said recording unit checking said electronic representation of said schedule to determine whether scheduling information is already associated with said selected entry location.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising indicating whether said scheduling information exists in said electronic representation of said schedule, responsive to said scheduling conflict check signal.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said indicating comprises emitting one or more of an audio signal and a visual signal, when said scheduling information exists.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising indicating to a user a portion of said scheduling information when said scheduling information exists, responsive to said scheduling conflict check signal.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said indicating comprises displaying said portion of said scheduling information, when said scheduling information exists.

8. The method of claim 3, further comprising allowing user deletion of a portion of said scheduling information, when said scheduling information exists in said electronic representation of said schedule.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said allowing comprises enabling one or more of user operation of a soft button and user conducting of a special stroke with said stylus.

10. The method of claims 3, further comprising linking said recording unit to a network for synchronization of said schedule.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said synchronization includes one or more of uploading information from said recording unit to said network and downloading information from said network to said recording unit.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein said network provides a number of levels of authorization for controlling user access to said schedule.

13. The method of claim 3, wherein said scheduling conflict check signal providing comprises one or more of user selection of a soft button and user holding of said stylus proximate to said working surface.

14. The method of claim 3, further comprising the steps of:

selecting said selected entry location on said markable surface with said stylus;

providing a stroke signal and a stroke mark with said stylus, said stroke signal conveying to said recording unit a section of scheduling information for said selected entry location, said stroke mark conveying to said markable surface said section of scheduling information; and

storing an indication of said section of scheduling information in a portion of said electronic representation of said schedule associated with said selected entry location.

15. A scheduling facilitation system, comprising:

a recording unit including a memory, a logic design implementation, and a working surface, said memory storing an electronic representation of a schedule including a number of entry locations therein, said logic design implementation serving to correlate a part of said working surface to said entry locations;

said working surface superimposed with a markable surface having thereon a physical representation of said entry locations, said physical representation including therein one or more designations allowing user identification of a selected entry location of said entry locations;

a stylus allowing user selection of said selected entry location on said markable surface, said stylus providing a stroke signal and a stroke mark, said stroke signal conveying to said recording unit a section of scheduling information for said selected entry location, said stroke mark conveying to said markable surface said section of scheduling information;

said memory storing an indication of said section of scheduling information in a portion of said electronic representation of said schedule associated with said selected entry location;

said stylus providing a scheduling conflict check signal for said recording unit upon user selection of said selected entry location, said recording unit associating said scheduling conflict check signal with said selected entry location; and

responsive to said scheduling conflict check signal, said recording unit checking said electronic representation of said schedule to determine whether scheduling information is already associated with said selected entry location.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said markable surface comprises a layer of paper and said stroke mark comprises one or more of ink and graphite.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein a number of layers are disposed between said markable surface and said working surface.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein said stroke signal comprises a radio frequency.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein said recording unit includes a digitizer.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein said digitizer has a character recognition capability.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein said logic design implementation includes one or more of software and hardware.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein said recording unit is selectively linkable to a network for synchronization of said schedule.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein said synchronization includes one or more of uploading information from said recording unit to said network and downloading information from said network to said recording unit.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein said network provides a number of levels of authorization for controlling user access to said schedule.

25. The system of claim 15, wherein said recording unit indicates said selected entry location is reserved in said electronic representation of said schedule.

26. The system of claim 15 wherein said number of entry locations comprise time slots of an electronic representation of a schedule and said selected entry location comprises a selected time slot.

36. The system of claim 21, wherein said logic design implementation includes one or more of software and hardware.

27. A scheduling facilitation system, comprising:

a recording unit including a memory, a logic design implementation, and a working surface, said memory storing an electronic representation of a schedule including a number of entry locations therein, said logic design implementation serving to correlate a part of said working surface to said entry locations;

said working surface superimposed with a markable surface having thereon a physical representation of said entry locations, said physical representation including therein one or more designations allowing user identification of a selected entry location of said entry locations;

means for providing a scheduling conflict check signal for said recording unit upon user selection of said selected entry location, said recording unit associating said scheduling conflict check signal with said selected entry location; and

responsive to said scheduling conflict check signal, said recording unit checking said electronic representation of said schedule to determine whether scheduling information is already associated with said selected entry location.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein said logic design implementation serves to associate said scheduling conflict check signal with said selected entry location.

29. The system of claim 28, further comprising an indicator serving to indicate whether said scheduling information exists in said electronic representation of said schedule, responsive to said scheduling conflict check signal.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein said indicator provides one or more of an audio signal and a visual signal, when said scheduling information exists.

31. The system of claim 29, wherein said indicator serves to indicate to a user a portion of said scheduling information when said scheduling information exists, responsive to said scheduling conflict check signal.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein said indicator serves to display said portion of said scheduling information, when said scheduling information exists.

33. The system of claim 27, wherein said recording unit allows user deletion of a portion of said scheduling information, when said scheduling information exists in said electronic representation of said schedule.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein said deletion occurs upon one or more of user operation of a soft button and user conducting of a special stroke with said stylus.

35. The system of claim 27, wherein said scheduling conflict check signal is provided through one or more of user selection of a soft button and user holding of a stylus proximate to said working surface.

37. The system of claim 27, further comprising a stylus that allows user selection of said selected entry location on said markable surface, said stylus providing a stroke signal and a stroke mark, said stroke signal conveying to said recording unit a section of scheduling information for said selected entry location, said stroke mark conveying to said markable surface said section of scheduling information;

and

said memory storing an indication of said section of scheduling information in a portion of said electronic representation of said schedule associated with said selected entry location.

38. A paper-based correlation system, comprising:

a recording unit including a memory, a logic design implementation, and a working surface, said memory storing an electronic representation of a template including a number of entry locations therein, said logic design implementation serving to correlate a part of said working surface to said entry locations;

said working surface superimposed with a markable surface having thereon a physical representation of said entry locations, said physical representation including therein one or more designations allowing user identification of a selected entry location of said entry locations;

a stylus allowing user selection of said selected entry location on said markable surface, said stylus providing a stroke signal and a stroke mark, said stroke signal conveying to said recording unit a section of field information for said selected entry location, said stroke mark conveying to said markable surface said section of field information;

said memory storing an indication of said section of field information in a portion of said electronic representation of said template associated with said selected entry location;

said stylus providing an information conflict check signal for said recording unit upon user selection of said selected entry location, said recording unit associating said information conflict check signal with said selected entry location; and

responsive to said information conflict check signal, said recording unit checking said electronic representation of said template to determine whether information is already associated with said selected entry location.

39. The system of claim 38, wherein said template resembles a negotiable instrument.

40. The system of claim 38, wherein said logic design implementation includes one or more of software and hardware.