Electronic recording and communication of information

• US 6,698,660 B2
• Filed: 06/21/2001
• Issued: 03/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Anoto Group AB
• Original Assignee: Anoto Group AB
• Inventors: Lindström, Marianne, Fåhraeus, Christer, Wiebe, Linus
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Thien M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TAYLOR, APRIL ALICIA
• Application Number:
  US09/885,530
• Publication Number:
  US 20020033414A1
• Time in Patent Office: 985 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235/380, 235/462.15, 235/462.49, 235/472.03, 235/472.01, 345/179
• US Class Current: 235/472.01
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

In a method of recording and managing information, information is written on a product using a handheld writing device, the handwritten information being recorded electronically and at least partly communicated in a communication network. Moreover, the user writes by means of the writing device a command which is recorded electronically and which qualifies the managing of the electronically recorded information in the communication network.

A system for information management, a server unit in such a system, a computer program for information management and a product are also described.

Claims

1. A method of recording and managing information, comprising the steps of:

writing said information on a product that is dedicated to at least one predefined service, using a handheld writing device, said service being defined by a set of predetermined processing instructions to be executed on said information by a receiving station;

recording said information electronically;

writing on the product, using the writing device, a refining command;

recording the refining command electronically; and

communicating a data quantity to the receiving station, said data quantity representing at least part of said information and the refining command,

wherein the refining command is interpreted to further qualify the predefined service by modifying said set of processing instructions in the receiving station.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said information and the refining command are recorded electronically by the writing device.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of writing the refining command includes writing a symbol that signals the existence of the refining command.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of writing refining command includes writing a string of characters, to define the refining command.

5. A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the refining command is written as a sequence of command words, and wherein each subsequent command word in said sequence qualifies a preceding command word.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of recording said information electronically includes detecting a position code on the product and converting said position code to one or more sequences of positions by means of the writing device.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the refining command initiates formatting of at least part of said information.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the refining command initiates a translation of at least part of said information.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the refining command initiates a character interpretation of at least part of said information.

10. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of recording the refining command electronically includes detecting a position code on the product and converting said position code to one or more sequences of positions by means of the writing device.

11. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the refining command initiates an information object to be associated with at least part of said information.

12. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the refining command identifies a payment service.

13. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of recording the refining command electronically includes detecting a position code on the product and converting said position code to one or more sequences of positions by means of the writing device.

14. A method as claimed in claim 6 or 13, wherein said at least one service is identified based on the position code on the product.

15. A method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the refining command is written in a position-coded field which is dedicated to character interpretation of information noted therein.

16. A method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the refining command is written in a position-coded field which is dedicated to commands.

17. A system for information management, comprising:

a product that is dedicated to at least one predefined service; and

a writing device which electronically records handwritten information on the product and communicates at least part thereof to a receiving station which executes a set of predetermined processing instructions on the handwritten information,

wherein the product has a field which enables electronic recording of a refining command by means of said writing device, said system interpreting said refining command to further which qualify said at least one service by modifying said set of processing instructions in the receiving station.

18. A system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the writing device is designed for simultaneous writing and electronic recording of the refining command.

19. A system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the product is provided with a position code which codes at least one position, and wherein the writing device is designed to record the handwritten information by detection of said position code.

20. A system as claimed in claim 17, wherein said field is provided with a position code which codes at least one position, and wherein the writing device is designed to record the refining command by detection of said position code.

21. A system as claimed in claims 17, wherein said field is dedicated to character interpretation of information noted therein.

22. A system as claimed in claim 17, wherein said field is dedicated to commands.

23. A system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the receiving station interprets and executes the refining command.

24. A system as claimed in claim 23, wherein the product is provided with a position code which codes at least one position, wherein the writing device is designed to record the handwritten information by detection of said position code, and wherein the receiving station identifies said at least one service based at least one position in the handwritten information.

25. A system as claimed in claim 17, which identifies the existence of a refining command on the basis of a symbol included therein.

26. A system as claimed in claim 17, which identifies the meaning of a refining command on the basis of a character string included therein.

27. A computer unit which is adapted to be included in a system for managing electronic information, which computer unit is adapted to:

receive a plurality of position indications,

identify among said position indications an information quantity which represents handwritten information,

identify, based on at least one of said position indications, a predetermined set of processing instructions to be executed on said information quantity,

scan said position indications for identification of a refining command, and, when identifying said the refining command, modify said set of processing instructions on the basis of the refining command.

28. A computer unit as claimed in claim 27, which is designed to search, during said scanning, for given positions among said position indications.

29. A computer unit as claimed in claim 27, which is designed to search, during said scanning, for a predetermined symbol.

30. A computer unit as claimed in claim 27, which is designed to identify, during said scanning, a character string, and to form the refining command from said character string.

31. A computer program for information management, which is stored on a computer-readable memory medium and which comprises instructions for causing a computer to:

receive a plurality of position indications,

identify among said position indications an information quantity which represents handwritten information,

identify, based on at least one of said position indications, a predetermined set of processing instructions to be executed on said information quantity,

scan said position indications for identification of a refining command, and

when identifying the refining command, modify said set of processing instructions on the basis of the refining command.