Calendar

• US 6,666,376 B1
• Filed: 05/26/2000
• Issued: 12/23/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Anoto Group AB
• Original Assignee: Anoto Group AB
• Inventors: Ericson, Petter
• Primary Examiner(s): Frech, Karl D.
• Application Number:
  US09/580,337
• Time in Patent Office: 1,306 Days
• Field of Search: 235/380, 235/375, 235/454, 235/494
• US Class Current: 235/454
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0321 by optically sensing the absolute position with respect to a regularly patterned surface forming a passive digitiser, e.g. pen optically detecting position indicative tags printed on a paper sheet constructional details of pen-shaped pointing devices G06F3/03545, G06F3/03542, G06F3/037
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/10 Character recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/1426 by sensing position defining codes on a support
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/1448 based on markings or identifiers characterising the document or the area

Abstract

A calendar comprises a plurality of pages and a plurality of calendar areas, each of which identifies a unique time period and is adapted to receive handwritten entries for that time period. The calendar areas are provided with a code which makes it possible to create an electronic back-up of a handwritten entry which is made in the calendar area.

An arrangement for electronic storage of the entry which is made in the physical calendar is adapted to record the handwritten entry electronically and to determine the unique time period with which the entry is associated so that the entry can be stored in the correct position in a digital calendar.

Claims

1. A calendar, comprising:

a plurality of pages, which have a plurality of calendar areas, each of which identifies a unique time period and is adapted to receive a handwritten entry for that time period;

an electronically readable code provided on each of said calendar areas, said electronically readable code allowing the electronic recording of the handwritten entry made in the calendar area and its association with the time period specified by the calendar area.

2. A calendar according to claim 1, wherein the code is an absolute position-coding pattern which extends across the calendar areas and codes coordinates for absolute positions so that a handwritten entry which is made in a first of said calendar areas can be recorded digitally in the form of a coordinate sequence by detecting the absolute position-coding pattern and the time period which is identified by the first calendar area can be determined on the basis of the coordinates in the coordinate sequence.

3. A calendar according to claim 2, wherein the absolute position-coding pattern constitutes a first subset of a larger absolute position-coding pattern, said subset coding coordinates for points within a first coordinate area on an imaginary surface, which comprises all points which the larger absolute position-coding pattern has the capacity of coding, said first coordinate area being dedicated to calendar information.

4. A calendar according to claim 2 or 3, wherein at least one page is provided with said absolute position-coding pattern and indications which specify said unique time periods, the absolute position-coding pattern and said indications being superimposed on each other.

5. A calendar according to claims 1, wherein at least one calendar area is associated with a function field which defines a command that is to be carried out with respect to a handwritten entry which is made in this calendar area.

6. A calendar according to claim 5, wherein the function field is provided with an absolute position-coding pattern.

7. A calendar according to claim 6, wherein the absolute position-coding pattern of the function field is a subset of a larger absolute position-coding pattern, said subset coding coordinates for points in a coordinate area on an imaginary surface, which comprises all points which the larger absolute position-coding pattern has the capacity of coding, the coordinate area being dedicated to the command.

8. A calendar according to claim 1 further comprising at least one writing area, which does not identify a time period and which is adapted to receive handwritten entries, said writing area being provided with an absolute position-coding pattern.

9. A calendar according to claim 8, wherein the absolute position-coding pattern is a subset of a larger absolute position-coding pattern, said subset coding coordinates for points within a coordinate area on an imaginary surface, which comprises all points which the larger absolute position-coding pattern has the capacity of coding.

10. A calendar according to claim 8, wherein the writing area is associated with a function field which defines a command that is to be carried out with respect to a handwritten entry made in the writing area.

11. A calendar according to claim 10, wherein said command is one of storing the handwritten entry, sending a mail containing the handwritten entry, sending an SMS containing the handwritten entry, and sending a fax containing the handwritten entry.

12. A calendar according to claims 6 or 8, wherein the absolute position-coding pattern is based on a first string of symbols which contains a first predetermined number of symbols and has the characteristic that, it a second predetermined number of symbols is taken from the first string of symbols, the location of these symbols in the first string of symbols is unambiguously determined, the first string of symbols being used to determine the position in a first dimension on the calendar page;

and on a second string of symbols having the same characteristic as the first string of symbols, the second string of symbols being used to determine the position in a second dimension on the calendar page.

13. A system for electronic storage of a handwritten entry made in a calendar, which comprises a plurality of pages with a plurality of calendar areas, provided with a position code associated with each of said calendar areas, each of the calendar areas identifying a unique time period and adapted to receive the handwritten entry, said system comprising:

a digital pen adapted to record a handwritten entry on the calendar and electronically record the handwritten entry by sensing the position code, for entry into a computer device,

a computer device receiving information of the handwritten entry including position code information and identifying the unique time period associated with a calendar area from the position code information, thereby enabling the creation of an electronic back-up of the calendar.

14. A system according to claim 13, wherein the digital pen is provided with a sensor for capturing images for recording the handwritten entry and a pen point for making the entry in the physical calendar.

15. A system according to claim 13, wherein the digital pen further comprises a processor for processing the images, said processor being adapted to detect the position code in the form of an absolute position-coding pattern in each of said images and to convert said absolute position-coding patterns in each image to coordinates for a point, the handwritten entry being recorded as a coordinate sequence.

16. A system according to claim 15, wherein the system further comprises means for determining the unique time period on the basis of the coordinates in said coordinate sequence.

17. A system according to any one of claims 13-16, wherein the computer device stores the handwritten entry in a digital calendar, the storing occurring associated with an indication of time which corresponds to said unique time period which identifies the calendar area in which the handwritten entry is made.

18. A system according to claim 13, wherein the system associates a time stamp with each handwritten entry.

19. A system according claim 15, wherein the system identifies predetermined coordinates as defining a predetermined command and initiates a measure with regard to an electronically recorded handwritten entry in response to the detection of said command.

20. A system according to claim 13, wherein the digital pen has means for wireless transfer of the handwritten entry to the computer device.

21. A system according to claim 13, further comprising means for warning a user about a coming event on the basis of the electronically registered handwritten entry and the predetermined time period.

22. A method for processing calendar information comprising the steps of:

electronically recording a handwritten entry which is made in a calendar area in a physical calendar, the recording being made in the form of a coordinate sequence;

determining a unique time period to which the calendar area corresponds on the basis of coordinates in said coordinate sequence, and

storing the electronically recorded handwritten entry in a digital calendar in connection with an indication of time corresponding to the unique time period.

23. A method according to claim 22, wherein the step of recording the handwritten entry comprises capturing images of an absolute position-coding pattern on which said handwritten entry is made, and detecting coordinates for absolute positions on the basis of the images of the absolute position-coding pattern.

24. A calendar page comprising:

a user writable media having calendar information imprinted thereon and having calendar areas associated with times for receiving user writing;

a position coding pattern provided on the user writable media, the position coding pattern enabling electronic recording of a handwritten entry which is made on the calendar page, the absolute position coding pattern also associating the handwritten entry with the calendar area on which it is written.

25. A calendar page according to claim 24, wherein the coding pattern is an absolute position-coding pattern.

26. A calendar page according to claim 25, wherein the absolute position-coding pattern is adapted to enable one of the functions of storing the handwritten entry in an external unit, sending a mail containing the handwritten entry, sending an SMS containing the handwritten entry, and sending a fax containing the handwritten entry.

27. A system for recording information into a physical calendar provided with a plurality of temporal areas coded with a position code, each of which identifies a unique time period and is adapted to receive a handwritten entry for that time period comprising:

an electronic pen for writing in said physical calendar and for electronically reading the writing imparted to the physical calendar by reading said position code and developing position code information defining the writing and its associated time period; and

a computer system receiving said position code information and electronically recording the writing with its associated unique time period in a computer calendar.

28. The system of claim 27 wherein said calendar comprises a plurality of pages.

29. The system of claim 27, wherein the electronic pen is a digital pen provided with a sensor for capturing images for recording the handwritten entry and a pen point for writing in the physical calendar.

30. The system of claim 29 wherein the digital pen includes a processor for processing the position code to produce an image of the writing on said calendar.

31. The system of claim 29 wherein said position code is an absolute position-coding pattern, said digital pen converting the absolute pattern into a coordinate sequence identifying the path of the pen point when making the handwritten entry.

32. The system of claim 27, wherein the system further comprises means for determining the unique time period on the basis of the coordinates in said coordinate sequence.

33. The system of claim 27 wherein the computer system stores the handwritten entry in a digital calendar, the storing occurring associated with an indication of time which corresponds to said unique time period which identifies the calendar area in which the handwritten entry is made.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the system associates a time stamp with each handwritten entry.

35. The system of claim 27, wherein the system identifies predetermined coordinates as defining a predetermined command and initiates a measure with regard to an electronically recorded handwritten entry in response to the detection of said command.

36. The system of claim 27, wherein the digital pen includes means for wireless transfer of the handwritten entry to the computer system.

37. The system of claim 27, further comprising means for warning a user about a coming event on the basis of electronically registered handwritten entry and the predetermined time period.