System and method for annotating documents

• US 7,111,230 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2003
• Issued: 09/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Original Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Inventors: Euchner, James A., Obrea, Andrei, Coffy, Jean-Hiram
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Stephen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Faber, David
• Application Number:
  US10/707,582
• Publication Number:
  US 20050138541A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,002 Days
• Field of Search: 715/512, 715/751, 715/530, 715/514
• US Class Current: 715/232
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/169 Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes

Abstract

A method and system for collaborative annotation of a master document using a digital pen system is described. At least one hardcopy printout of the master document is printed on digital paper used with a digital pen system. The digital paper is associated with the electronic master document. Using the digital pen, annotations and edits may be made to the hardcopy representation. The digital pen system records the annotations and edits and updates the electronic document automatically.

Claims

1. A method for managing the annotation of a document comprising:

obtaining an original document;

making an original electronic version of the document available to an annotation manager system;

associating the original electronic version of the document with digital paper;

receiving a plurality of annotations from a plurality of team members each using a hardcopy of the original electronic version of the document that was printed on the associated digital paper;

receiving annotation author identification data for identifying associating each of the plurality of annotations with the team member who created the annotation;

obtaining hierarchal permission data for each team member;

determining for each annotation if such annotation is an authorized annotation using the hierarchal permission data;

associating each authorized annotation with a location in the original electronic version of the document;

creating a new annotated version of the original electronic version of the document incorporating the authorized annotations;

parsing the annotations for at least one editing command;

determining an authorization level for the at least one editing command; and

if the authorization level for the at least one editing command is below an authorization threshold, converting the at least one editing command into an annotation.

2. The method of claim 1, further including:

converting non-priority editing commands into annotations.

3. A method for managing the annotation of a document comprising:

obtaining an original document;

making an original electronic version of the document available to an annotation manager system;

associating the original electronic version of the document with digital paper;

receiving a plurality of annotations from a plurality of team members each using a hardcopy of the original electronic version of the document that was printed on the associated digital paper;

receiving annotation author identification data for identifying associating each of the plurality of annotations with the team member who created the annotation;

associating each annotation with a location in the original electronic version of the document;

obtaining hierarchal priority data for the team members;

determining if any two of the annotations overlap, and if so, selecting one of the two overlapping annotations using the hierarchal data;

creating a new annotated version of the original electronic version of the document incorporating the non-overlapping annotations and the selected overlapping annotations.