Method and system for object selection

• US 6,720,985 B1
• Filed: 09/15/2000
• Issued: 04/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia, Lapstun, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayerl, Raymond J.
• Application Number:
  US09/663,640
• Time in Patent Office: 1,306 Days
• Field of Search: 345/863, 345/769, 345/179, 345/156, 345/770, 345/700, 345/764, 345/780, 345/157, 358/1.18, 358/1.15, 358/1.1, 358/1.13, 715/505, 715/507, 715/530, 715/541, 715/542
• US Class Current: 715/863
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 13/12 specially adapted for small cards, envelopes, or the like , e.g. credit cards, cut visiting cards
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 19/207 Encoding along a bar
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/445 Printers integrated in other types of apparatus, e.g. printers integrated in cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 15/02 Postcards; Greeting, menu, business or like cards; Letter cards or letter-sheets B42D25/00 takes precedence; envelopes B65D27/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06037 multi-dimensional coding
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3829 involving key management

Abstract

The present invention provides a method for enabling association of objects in a computer system, the method including the steps of: providing a user with at least one first form printable on a first surface to provide to a user viewable information associated with one or more objects; providing a user with at least one second form printable on a second surface to provide to a user viewable information associated with one or more commands; receiving, in a computer system, indicating data from a sensing device operated by the user regarding movement of the sensing device relative to said first or second surface; interpreting, in the computer system and from the indicating data, if the movement of the sensing device relative to the first surface is in relation to selection of one or more of said objects of said at least one first form, and if the movement of the sensing device relative to the second surface is in relation to selection of one or more of said commands of said at least one second form, thereby signifying in the computer system the association of selected one or more objects with selected one or more commands; and providing the user with an amended version of said at least one second form including a representation of said selected one or more objects.

Claims

1. A method for enabling association of objects in a computer system, the method including the steps of:

providing a user with at least one first form printable on a first surface to provide to a user viewable information associated with one or more objects;

providing a user with at least one second form printable on a second surface to provide to a user viewable information associated with one or more commands;

receiving, in a computer system, indicating data from a sensing device operated by the user regarding movement of the sensing device relative to said first or second surface,

interpreting, in the computer system and from the indicating data, if the movement of the sensing device relative to the first surface is in relation to selection of one or more of said objects of said at least one first form, and if the movement of the sensing device relative to the second surface is in relation to selection of one or more of said commands of said at least one second form, thereby signifying in the computer system the association of selected one or more objects with selected one or more commands; and

providing the user with an amended version of said at least one second form including a representation of said selected one or more objects.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of said forms includes coded data indicative of at least one reference point of the form, and said indicating data regarding movement of the sensing device relative to the respective surface is generated by way of the sensing by the sensing device of its movement relative to the respective surface using at least some of the coded data.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein at least one of said forms includes coded data indicative of an identity of the form, and said indicating data from the sensing device includes data regarding the identity of the form.

4. The method of claim 3 which includes retaining a retrievable record of each form generated, the form being retrievable using its identity as contained in its coded data.

5. The method of claim 2, the surface being provided by laminar substrate, the method including printing at least one of said forms on the substrate on demand, and, at the same time, printing the coded data on the substrate.

6. The method of claim 5, including printing the coded data to be substantially invisible in the visible spectrum.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said indicating data is provided by way of the sensing device generating data regarding its own movement relative to the respective surface.

8. The method of claim 1, said movement including a stroke of part of the sensing device on or relative to said first surface, including the step of interpreting, in the computer system, if a prescribed manner of stroke has been effected in relation to said viewable information in order to identify selection of said one or more objects.

9. The method of claim 8, said viewable information associated with one or more objects being provided as one or more viewable information zones on said first surface, the method including the step of identifying, in the computer system and from said indicating data, if a stroke has encircled one or more of said viewable information zones, thereby selecting said one or more objects.

10. The method of claim 8, said viewable information associated with one or more objects being provided as one or more viewable information zones on said first surface, the method including the step of identifying, in the computer system and from said indicating data, if a stroke has intersected one or more of said viewable information zones, thereby selecting said one or more objects.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensing device includes a marking nib, movement of the sensing device therefore enabling the provision of a visible marking on a respective surface.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of associating said selected one or more objects with said selected one or more commands involves application of said one or more available commands to said one or more objects, such that the representation of said selected one or more objects on the amended version of said at least one second form is dependent on said selected one or more commands.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of providing the user with the amended version of said at least one second form is automatic on interpretation in the computer system signifying selection of said one or more commands.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of providing the user with the amended version of said at least one second form is carried out on receipt in the computer system of a further instruction.

15. The method of claim 1, said one or more commands including a paste command, wherein the amended version of said at least one second form includes a representation of a copy of said selected one or more objects.

16. The method of claim 15 for selection of a feature of said one or more objects such that said selected one or more of the available commands is carried out with respect to that feature.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein selection of said one or more commands causes or permits activation of one or more selection hyperlinks in the computer system.

18. The method of claim 1, at least one of the surfaces being provided by a laminar substrate, the method including printing at least one of said forms on the substrate on demand.

19. The method of claim 18 or 5, wherein at least one of said forms is printable on multiple items of said laminar substrate, and the method includes binding the multiple items.

20. The method of claim 1, in which the sensing device contains an identification means which imparts a unique identity to the sensing device and identifies it as being associated with a particular user and in which the method includes monitoring, in the computer system, said identity.

21. The method of claim 1, which includes providing all required information relating to said one or more commands on at least one of said forms, to eliminate the need for a separate display device.

22. A system for enabling association of objects in a computer system, the system including:

at least one first form printable on a first surface to provide to a user viewable information associated with one or more objects;

at least one second form printable on a second surface to provide to a user viewable information associated with one or more commands;

a computer system for receiving indicating data from a sensing device operated by the user regarding movement of the sensing device relative to said first or second surface,

the computer system adapted to determine, from the indicating data received, if the movement of the sensing device relative to the first surface is in relation to selection of one or more of said objects of said at least one first form, and if the movement of the sensing device relative to the second surface is in relation to selection of one or more of said commands of said at least one second form, thereby signifying in the computer system the association of selected one or more objects with selected one or more commands; and

means for providing the user with an amended version of said at least one second form including a representation of said selected one or more objects.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein at least one of said forms includes coded data indicative of at least one reference point of the form, and said indicating data regarding movement of the sensing device relative to the surface is generated by way of the sensing by the sensing device of its movement relative to the surface using at least some of the coded data.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein at least one of said forms includes coded data indicative of an identity of the form, and said indicating data from the sensing device includes data regarding the identity of the form.

25. The system of claim 23, the means for providing the user with the amended version of said at least one second form comprising a printer, at least one of the surfaces being provided by a laminar substrate, the system adapted to print at least one of said forms on the substrate on demand, wherein the printer is adapted to print the coded data on the page at the same time as the form is printed.

26. The system of claim 25, the coded data printed to be substantially invisible in the visible spectrum.

27. The system of claim 22, wherein the sensing device is adapted to generate data regarding its own movement relative to said first or second surface, in order to provide said indicating data.

28. The system of claim 22, said movement including a stroke of part of the sensing device on or relative to said first surface, the computer system adapted to identify from said indicating data if a prescribed manner of stroke has been effected in relation to said viewable information in order to identify selection of said one or more objects.

29. The system of claim 28, said viewable information associated with one or more objects being provided as one or more viewable information zones on said first surface, the computer system adapted to identify if a stroke has encircled one or more of said viewable information zones, thereby selecting said one or more objects.

30. The system of claim 28, said viewable information associated with one or more objects being provided as one or more viewable information zones on said first surface, the computer system adapted to identify if a stroke has intersected one or more of said viewable zones, thereby selecting said one or more objects.

31. The system of claim 22 including the sensing device.

32. The system of claim 22 in which said part of the sensing device includes a marking nib.

33. The system of claim 22 in which the sensing device contains an identification means to impart a unique identity to the sensing device to identify it as being associated with a particular user.

34. The system of claim 22, wherein the means for providing the user with the amended version of said at least one second form comprises a printer, at least one of the surfaces being provided by a laminar substrate, the computer system adapted to print at least one of said forms on the substrate on demand.

35. The system of claim 34 or 25, the system arranged to print all of said at least one first form, said at least one second form, and said amended version of said at least one second form.

36. The system of claim 34 or 25, including a binding means to bind multiple items of said laminar substrate, to cater for a form printed on multiple pages.

37. The system of claim 36, the binding means being provided as a part of the printer.