Method and system for composition and delivery of electronic mail

• US 6,816,274 B1
• Filed: 05/23/2000
• Issued: 11/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/1999
• 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): Williams, Kimberly
• Assistant Examiner(s): CARTER, TIA A
• Application Number:
  US09/575,144
• Time in Patent Office: 1,631 Days
• Field of Search: 382/187, 382/188, 382/313, 382/314, 382/317, 382/122, 382/315, 358/1.15, 358/473, 358/478, 358/401, 358/402, 358/434, 358/440, 358/442, 358/448, 358/462, 358/472, 178/18.01, 178/18.03, 178/18.09, 235/375, 379/93.01, 379/93.24, 379/100.08, 379/100.09
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 19/207 Encoding along a bar
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/02 Framework
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/36 for portability , i.e. hand-held printers or laptop printers B41J3/4075 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1204 resulting in reduced user or operator actions, e.g. presetting, automatic actions, using hardware token storing data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1265 Printing by reference, e.g. retrieving document/image data for a job from a source mentioned in the job
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1288 in client-server-printer device configuration
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/1894 Outputting the image data to the printing elements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/21 Combinations with auxiliary equipment, e.g. with clocks or memoranda pads
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00307 with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0082 Image hardcopy reproducer H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3269 of machine readable codes or marks, e.g. bar codes or glyphs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3271 Printing or stamping

Abstract

A method for composition and transmission of an electronic mail message including: printing a document to facilitate composition and transmission of the electronic mail message; composing the electronic mail message on the document utilizing a sensing device adapted to read coded data in the document; transmitting interaction data from the sensing device to a computer system, the interaction data representing interaction of the sensing device with the coded data to allow the message to be electronically captured in the computer system; and transmitting the message to at least one recipient address.

Claims

1. A method for composition and transmission of an electronic mail message including:

printing a document to facilitate composition and transmission of the electronic mail message;

composing the electronic mail message on the document utilizing a sensing device adapted to read coded data in the document;

transmitting interaction data from the sensing device to a computer system, the interaction data representing interaction of the sensing device with the coded data to allow the message to be electronically captured in the computer system; and

transmitting the message to at least one recipient address.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the address of the recipient is converted from hand-written indicia on the document to an electronic form of the address to facilitate transmission.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least part of the message as applied to the document is converted from hand-written indicia or alpha-numerals to electronic equivalents.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least part of the electronic mail message as applied to the document is converted from hand-written indicia, alpha-numerals, diagrams, figures, or the like, to an electronic form which substantially preserves the format and appearance of the relevant part of the message.

5. A method as claimed in claim 3 or 4, wherein electronically capturing the message includes receiving, in the computer system, movement data regarding movement of the sensing device relative to the document.

6. A method as claimed in claim 5, including the sensing device sensing its movement relative to the form using the coded data.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least part of the electronic mail message is transmitted to the recipient address as digital ink.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the message is delivered at the address in the form of a second document containing the electronic mail message.

9. A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the second document has at least one user interactive element which enables a recipient to indicate a response to associated information in the second document by interacting with the user interactive element using a sensing device which is adapted to transmit response data to a computer.

10. A method as claimed in either claim 8 or 9, wherein the second document is automatically printed.

11. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein only an electronic mail message from an approved sender is accepted at the recipient address, the approved sender being entered in a customizable electronic list or database.

12. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a user addresses the electronic mail message to the recipient address by selecting a name from a list on the document using the sensing device.

13. A method as claimed in claim 1, including receiving, in the computer system, indicating data derived from the coded data, regarding the identity of the document and a position of the sensing device relative to the document in order to identify the document and determine when the sensing device is used to interact with the document.

14. A method as claimed in claim 13, including receiving, in the computer system, movement data regarding movement of the sensing device relative to the document.

15. A method as claimed in claim 1, including the sensing device sensing its movement relative to the document using the coded data.

16. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensing device includes an identification code specific to a particular user and the method includes monitoring use of the sensing device in the computer system.

17. A method as claimed in claim 1, including printing the document on demand.

18. A method as claimed in claim 13, including printing the document on a surface of a surface-defining structure and, at the same time, printing the coded data on the surface.

19. A method as claimed in claim 18 which includes printing the coded data to be substantially invisible in the visible spectrum.

20. A method as claimed in claim 13, including retaining a retrievable record of the printed document, the document being retrievable using the identity data as contained in the coded data.

21. A system for composition and transmission of an electronic mail message including:

a printer for printing a document with coded data, to facilitate composition and transmission of the electronic mail message;

a sensing device for reading the coded data and transmitting interaction data, representing interaction of the sensing device with the coded data to allow for electronic capture of the message, generated by moving the device relative to the document; and

a computer system for receiving the interaction data from the device and transmitting the message to a recipient address.

22. A system as claimed in claim 21, wherein the computer system is adopted to transmit the electronic mail message to an electronic mail server.

23. A system as claimed in claim 21, wherein the computer system is provided with means so that the address of the recipient is converted from hand-written indicia on the document to an electronic form of the address.

24. A system as claimed in claim 21, wherein the computer system is provided with means so that at least part of the electronic mail message as applied to the document is converted from electronically captured hand-written indicia or alpha-numerals to electronic equivalents.

25. A system as claimed in claim 21, wherein the computer system is provided with means so that at least part of the electronic mail message as applied to the document is converted from electronically captured hand-written indicia, alpha-numerals, diagrams, figures, or the like, to an electronic form which substantially preserves the format and appearance of the relevant part of the electronic mail message.

26. A system as claimed in claim 24 or 25, wherein the computer system is adapted to receive movement data regarding movement of the sensing device relative to the coded data, in order to electronically capture the message.

27. A system as claimed in claim 26, wherein the sensing device senses its own movement relative to the document using the coded data.

28. A system as claimed in claim 21, further including a printer at the recipient address for producing a second document containing the electronic mail message.

29. A system as claimed in claim 28, wherein the second document has at least one user interactive element which enables a recipient to indicate a response to associated information in the second document by interacting with the user interactive element using a sensing device which is adapted to transmit response data to a computer.

30. A system as claimed in claim 28, wherein the printer only accepts an electronic mail message from an approved sender, the approved sender being entered in a customisable electronic list or database.

31. A system as claimed in claim 21, wherein the coded data serves to identify the document and a position of the sensing device relative to the document.

32. A system as claimed in claim 22, wherein the computer system is adapted to receive movement data regarding movement of the sensing device relative to coded data, in order to capture the message.

33. A system as claimed in claim 21, wherein the sensing device sensing its movement relative to the document using the coded data.

34. A system as claimed in claim 21, wherein the sensing device includes a marking nib.

35. A system as claimed in claim 21, wherein the document is printed on a surface of a surface-defining structure and wherein the printer prints the document on demand.

36. A system as claimed in claim 21, wherein the printer is arranged to print the coded data at the same time as printing the document on a surface-defining structure.

37. A system as claimed in claim 21, wherein the coded data is substantially invisible in the visible spectrum.

38. The system as claimed in claim 21, including a database for keeping a retrievable record of each document generated, each document being retrievable by using its identity, as included in its coded data.