Method and apparatus for digitally capturing handwritten notes

• US 6,504,956 B1
• Filed: 10/05/1999
• Issued: 01/07/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ecrio, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Ecrio, Inc.
• Inventors: Gobburu, Venkata T., Gannage, Michel E., Challa, Nagesh
• Primary Examiner(s): Mancuso, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dastouri, Mehrdad
• Application Number:
  US09/412,212
• Time in Patent Office: 1,190 Days
• Field of Search: 382/188, 382/189, 382/187, 382/190, 382/195, 382/312, 382/313, 382/314, 382/315, 382/320, 345/168, 345/169, 345/173, 345/179, 345/802, 345/835, 178/18.01, 178/18.03, 707/530, 361/683
• US Class Current: 382/188
• 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 3/021 Arrangements integrating additional peripherals in a keyboard, e.g. card or barcode reader, optical scanner
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

The note capture device enables a user of any type of image capture device to enjoy the advantages of handwritten notes while having access to the power and flexibility offered by standalone as well as networked computing devices for information storage, retrieval, modification, and communication. The major elements of the note capture device are a housing which contains preferably an electromagnetic digitizer tablet, a small notepad such as a Post-it® Notes product or a small paper pad overlying the region of the housing that contains the digitizer tablet, a pen that works in conjunction with the electromagnetic digitizer tablet in the housing, and a wireless or wired connection to a host computer. The notepad has a removable paper writing surface and the pen includes an inked tip of any desired type so that the user experiences a comfortable and familiar feel of pen/pencil on paper as he or she writes on the notepad. The host computer runs an image capture application that captures the pen strokes from the note capture devices and displays them on the screen in a virtual note. The image capture application also is able to post virtual notes on documents created by other programs, including word processors and memoboard applications, and to create note files. The notes are available to the user or may be shared with other users.

Claims

1. A method of capturing handwritten notes from a notepad comprising a plurality of stacked adhesive-backed note sheets onto an image capture device having a viewing screen, comprising:

creating a virtual note on the image capture device, the virtual note being a representation of one of the adhesive-backed sheets of the notepad;

detecting a pen action resulting from a stroke of a pen on the notepad sheet;

digitizing the pen stroke to obtain a digital representation thereof, in real time with the pen stroke;

capturing the digital representation of the pen stroke on the virtual note, in real time with the pen stroke;

associating the virtual note with a virtual document existing on the inage capture device;

displaying the virtual note with the virtual document on the viewing screen, in real time with the pen stroke;

detecting a pen action resulting from a tap of the pen at a location on the notepad;

digitizing the location of the pen tap on the notepad;

capturing on the image capture device the digital representation of the location of the pen tap, in real time with the pen tap; and

in response to the capturing step, executing an action on the image capture device associated with the location of the pen tap on the notepad;

wherein the location of the pen tap on the notepad is the top right corner, and the action comprises popping up a new note associated with an open application.

2. A method as in claim 1 wherein the location of the pen tap on the notepad is the bottom right corner, and the action comprises time stamping the virtual note and saving the virtual note to memory.

3. A method of capturing handwritten notes from a notepad comprising a plurality of stacked adhesive-backed note sheets onto an image capture device having a viewing screen, comprising:

creating a virtual note on the image capture device, the virtual note being a representation of one of the adhesive-backed sheets of the notepad;

detecting a pen action resulting from a stroke of a pen on the notepad sheet;

digitizing the pen stroke to obtain a digital representation thereof, in real time with the pen stroke;

capturing the digital representation of the pen stroke on the virtual note, in real time with the pen stroke;

associating the virtual note with a virtual document existing on the image capture device;

displaying the virtual note with the virtual document on the viewing screen, in real time with the pen stroke;

detecting a pen action resulting from a tap of the pen at a location on the notepad;

digitizing the location of the pen tap on the notepad;

capturing on the image capture device the digital representation of the location of the pen tap, in real time with the pen tap; and

in response to the capturing step, executing an action on the image capture device associated with the location of the pen tap on the notepad;

wherein the location of the pen tap on the notepad is the bottom left corner, and the action comprises executing a user defined function.

4. A method of capturing handwritten notes from a notepad comprising a plurality of stacked adhesive-backed note sheets onto an image capture device having a viewing screen, comprising:

creating a virtual note on the image capture device, the virtual note being a representation of one of the adhesive-backed sheets of the notepad;

detecting a pen action resulting from a stroke of a pen on the notepad sheet;

digitizing the pen stroke to obtain a digital representation thereof, in real time with the pen stroke;

capturing the digital representation of the pen stroke on the virtual note, in real time with the pen stroke;

associating the virtual note with a virtual document existing on the image capture device;

displaying the virtual note with the virtual document on the viewing screen, in real time with the pen stroke;

detecting a pen action resulting from a tap of the pen at a location on the notepad;

digitizing the location of the pen tap on the notepad;

capturing on the image capture device the digital representation of the location of the pen tap, in real time with the pen tap; and

in response to the capturing step, executing an action on the image capture device associated with the location of the pen tap on the notepad;

wherein the location of the pen tap on the notepad is the top left corner, and the action comprises displaying a menu of options and completing selection and execution of at least one of the options.

5. A method of capturing handwritten notes from a plurality of notepads onto an image capture device having a viewing screen, comprising:

detecting a pen action resulting from a first stroke of a pen on a sheet of a first one of the notepads;

posting a first virtual note on a virtual document, the first virtual note being a representation of the sheet of the first notepad;

capturing the pen stroke digitally on the first virtual note, in real time with the first pen stroke;

displaying the first virtual note on the virtual document on the viewing screen, in real time with the first pen stroke;

detecting a pen action resulting from a second stroke of a pen on a sheet of a second one of the notepads;

posting a second virtual note on the virtual document, the second virtual note being a representation of the sheet of the second notepad;

capturing the pen stroke digitally on the second virtual note, in real time with the second pen stroke; and

displaying the second virtual note on the virtual document on the viewing screen, in real time with the second pen stroke.

6. A method as in claim 5 further comprising:

assigning a first color to the first notepad; and

assigning a second color to the second notepad;

wherein the first virtual note displaying step comprises displaying the first virtual note in the first color; and

wherein the second virtual note displaying step comprises displaying the second virtual note in the second color.

7. A method as in claim 6 further comprising organizing the first virtual note and the second virtual note on the virtual document by color.

8. A method as in claim 7 wherein the associating step comprises:

establishing a color to represent the document; and

assigning the color to the notepad.