System and method for locating on a physical document items referenced in another physical document

• US 7,027,038 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2001
• Issued: 04/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Carro, Fernando Incertis
• Primary Examiner(s): Follansbee, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): SIDDIQI, MOHAMMAD A
• Application Number:
  US09/923,150
• Publication Number:
  US 20020101447A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,709 Days
• Field of Search: 715/702, 715/501, 715/513, 715/863, 715/560, 715/517, 715/500, 715/700, 715/864, 345173-179, 345/156, 709/232
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/748 Hypervideo linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object in the context of video distribution systems H04N21/858
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

The present invention generally relates to interactive hypermedia systems and more particularly to a method and system for locating on a physical document items referenced in another physical document. The present invention discloses a method and system for creating hyperlinks from items (e.g. words, pictures, foot notes, symbols, icons) on a first physical document to particular points on a second physical document (manuscript or printed document), for activating these hyperlinks simply by touching the first document, and for highlighting by means of a light emitting source, the position of the items on the second document. In a preferred embodiment, the present invention discloses a method and system for highlighting on a hard-copy map the geographic positions of places referenced in a hard-copy document.

Claims

1. A method, for use on a user system, of creating hyperlinks from hyperlinked items referenced in a first physical document to particular points on a second physical document, said method comprising the steps of:

creating a hyperlink table for the first physical document;

storing in said hyperlink table an identification of the first physical document;

storing in said hyperlink table an identification of a page of the first physical document and an identification of a hyperlinked item defined on said page;

associating with the hyperlinked item a point on a page of a second physical document;

storing in said hyperlink table absolute coordinates of the associated point;

determining a position of a point pressed on a first opto-touch foil, the first opto-touch foil being aligned with the first physical document, said point corresponding to a position of the hyperlinked item on the page of the first physical document; and

storing in the hyperlink table, the position of the point pressed, said hyperlink table comprising for the hyperlinked item, an indication of the position of the hyperlinked item on the page of the first physical document in terms of foil coordinates with respect to the first opto-touch foil.

2. The method of claim 1, further including the steps of:

computing from the absolute coordinates, foil coordinates with respect to the second opto-touch foil corresponding to position on a second opto-touch foil aligned with the page of the second physical document; and

storing the foil coordinates with respect to the second opto-touch foil in the hyperlink table.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising calibrating the second opto-touch foil with respect to a referenced item in the first physical document.

4. The method of claim 1, further including the step of:

storing in said hyperlink table an identification and a location of information associated with each defined hyperlinked item of a plurality of hyperlinked items.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of storing in said hyperlink table an identification and a location of information associated with each defined hyperlinked item further includes the step of:

storing a destination address in the communication network where the information associated with the hyperlinked item can be accessed.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said user system is connected to a communication network comprising at least one server, and wherein the information associated with the hyperlinked items is located on said at least one server.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the information associated with the hyperlinked items is located on the user system.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said second physical document is a geographic map and said absolute coordinates are geographic coordinates.

9. A system, comprising:

a first opto-touch foil aligned with a page of a first physical document;

a user system;

a connection between said first opto-touch-foil and said user system;

a second opto-touch foil aligned with a second physical document;

a connection between said second opto-touch-foil and said user system;

a hyperlink table;

means for storing in said hyperlink table an identification of the first physical document;

means for storing in said hyperlink table an identification of a page of the first physical document and an identification of a hyperlinked item defined on said page;

means for associating with the hyperlinked item a point on a page of the second physical document;

means for storing in said hyperlink table absolute coordinates of the associated point;

means for determining a position of a point pressed on a first opto-touch foil, the first opto-touch foil being aligned with the first physical document, said point corresponding to a position of the hyperlinked item on the page of the first physical document; and

means for storing in the hyperlink table, the position of the point pressed, said hyperlink table comprising for the hyperlinked item, an indication or the position of the hyperlinked item on the page of the first physical document in terms of foil coordinates with respect to the first opto-touch foil.

10. The system of claim 9, further including:

means for computing from the absolute coordinates, foil coordinates corresponding to position on a second opto-touch foil aligned with the page of the second physical document; and

means for storing the foil coordinates of the second opto-touch foil in the hyperlink table.

11. The system of claim 9, further including:

means for storing in said hyperlink table an identification and a location of information associated with each defined hyperlinked item of a plurality of hyperlinked items.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said means for storing in said hyperlink table an identification and a location of information associated with each defined hyperlinked item includes means for storing a destination address in the communication network where the information associated with the hyperlinked item can be accessed.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein said user system is connected to a communication network comprising at least one server, and wherein the information associated with the hyperlinked items is located on said at least one server.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the information associated with the hyperlinked items is located on said user system.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein said second physical document is a geographic map and said absolute coordinates are geographic coordinates.

16. The system of claim 11, further comprising means for calibrating the second opto-touch foil with respect to a referenced item in the first physical document.