Method and system for capturing a note-taking session using coded marks

• US 7,290,210 B2
• Filed: 11/12/2002
• Issued: 10/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2000
• 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): Hong, Stephen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Huynh, Thu V.
• Application Number:
  US10/291,822
• Publication Number:
  US 20030106020A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,813 Days
• Field of Search: 715/541, 715/512, 382187-188, 345/173, 345/179, 345156-157, 345/176
• US Class Current: 715/230
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 13/106 for the sheet output section
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17513 Inner structure
• CPC Class Codes: B42C 19/02 starting with single sheets
• CPC Class Codes: B42C 9/0006 by applying adhesive to a stack of sheets
• CPC Class Codes: B42C 9/0081 applying adhesive to individual sheets for binding them together by fusing, welding B42C9/0093
• CPC Class Codes: B42P 2261/04 Producing books by printing sheets in following order, e.g. for ordering via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 29/34 from supports slid from under the articles
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 37/04 for securing together articles or webs, e.g. by adhesive, stitching or stapling adhering replacement to expiring web during change of web roll B65H19/18
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/033 Pointing devices displaced or positioned by the user , e.g. mice, trackballs, pens or joysticks; Accessories therefor digitisers characterised by the transducing means G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/169 Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/085 involving remote charge determination or related payment systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/19 by sensing codes defining pattern positions
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/225 based on a marking or identifier characterising the area
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/1423 the instrument generating sequences of position coordinates corresponding to handwriting preprocessing or recognising digital ink G06V30/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4015 where at least one of the additional parallel sessions is real time or time sensitive, e.g. white board sharing, collaboration or spawning of a subconference
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 : Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 : specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 : Services making use of location information

Abstract

A system and method capturing, in a computer system, data relating to a note-taking session, the session consisting of handwritten annotations made by a user by way of a writing implement on a plurality of pages. The method includes the steps of receiving, in the computer system and via the writing implement, an indication of the start of the note-taking session, data indicative of the handwritten annotations made by said user on the plurality of pages, an indication of the end of the note-taking session, and retaining a retrievable record of the received data for the note-taking session. Starting, ending and printing a note-taking session takes place by way of printed command buttons for designation by the writing implement, which buttons may be printed on each page, or on a part of a backing sheet of a notepad of pages extending beyond the periphery of the pages themselves.

Claims

1. A method of capturing, in a computer system, data relating to a note-taking session, the session including handwritten annotations made by a user by way of a writing implement on a plurality of pages, said pages including coded data indicative of at least one reference point of the page, said coded data comprising a plurality of substantially undifferentiated marks positioned relative to a set of predetermined nominal mark positions, wherein at least two of said plurality of pages include a control portion, wherein the control portion includes therein or thereon coded data indicative of at least one reference point of the control portion, the control portion comprising at least one control zone, the at least one control zone including a print zone, said writing implement including a sensor for detecting said coded data, and the method including the steps of:

receiving, in the computer system and via the writing implement, an indication of the start of the note-taking session;

receiving, in the computer system and via the writing implement, data indicative of said handwritten annotations made by said user on said plurality of pages;

receiving, in the computer system and via the writing implement, an indication of the end of the note-taking session;

retaining a retrievable record of the received data for the note-taking session;

in response to the indication of the end of the note-taking session and without further user intervention, printing a note-taking session end page indicating at least one of a start time and an end time of the note taking session; and

receiving, in the computer system and via the writing implement, an indication of a request to selectively print said data of said handwritten annotations of the note-taking session, wherein the indication of the request to print is received from the writing implement capturing at least some of the coded data of the control portion when placed in an operative position relative to the print zone of the control portion.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein each mark represents one of a plurality of coded values.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the coded value represented by a mark is at least partially determined by the position of the mark relative to the set of predetermined nominal mark positions.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined nominal mark positions are arranged relative to a plurality of nominal lines.

5. The method according to claim 4 wherein at least one pair of the lines are spaced apart from one another by a distance of less than 100 millimeters.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the marks have centers and wherein the relative spacing of the centers of at least one pair of adjacent marks is less than 12 millimeters.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein any 10 millimeter diameter area of the coded data indicative of the at least one reference point of the page includes sufficient information to identify the at least one reference point.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein each of the pages includes coded data indicative of an identity of the page, and said writing implement includes a sensor for detecting said coded data.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein any 10 millimeter diameter area of the coded data indicative of the identity of the page includes sufficient information to identify the page.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein said indication of the start of the note-taking session is provided by the computer system receiving data indicative of said handwritten annotations made by said user on said plurality of pages.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of pages are provided in the form of a notepad, the notepad includes said control portion on a part of the notepad other than on one of said pages.

12. A method according to claim 1, wherein said at least one control zone includes a zone associated with the start of the note-taking session, and said indication of the start of the note-taking session is provided by the computer system receiving an indication that said user has designated said zone by way of said writing implement capturing at least some of the coded data of the control portion when placed in an operative position relative to the zone associated with the start of the note-taking session.

13. A method according to claim 1, wherein said at least one control zone includes a zone associated with the end of the note-taking session, and said indication of the end of the note-taking session is provided by the computer system receiving an indication that said user has designated said zone by way of said writing implement capturing at least some of the coded data of the control portion when placed in an operative position relative to the zone associated with the end of the note-taking session.

14. A method according to claim 1, wherein said writing implement includes a writing nib, and said writing nib is associated with a sensor able to detect nib contact with one of said plurality of pages.

15. A method according to claim 1, the data being printable on a plurality of pages corresponding to the plurality of pages annotated in the note-taking session.

16. A system for capturing data relating to a note-taking session, the session including handwritten annotations made by a user by way of a writing implement on a plurality of pages, said pages including coded data indicative of at least one reference point of the page, said coded data comprising a plurality of substantially undifferentiated marks positioned relative to a set of predetermined nominal mark positions, wherein at least two of said plurality of pages include a control portion, wherein the control portion includes therein or thereon coded data indicative of at least one reference point of the control portion, the control portion comprising at least one control zone, the at least one control zone including a print zone, said writing implement including a sensor for detecting said coded data, and the system including:

a computer system for receiving indicating data via the writing implement operated by the user, said indicating data regarding at least one of a position and a movement of the writing implement relative to a page, the computer system including;

(a) a start/end-identifier for identifying, from the indicating data, an indication of the start of the note-taking session and an indication of the end of the note-taking session;

(b) a memory for retaining a retrievable record of the received data for the note-taking session, said retrievable record being indicative of said handwritten annotations made by said user on said plurality of pages between the start and end of the note-taking session;

(c) a controller to control a printer to print a note-taking session end page indicating at least one of a start time and an end time of the note-taking session in response to the received indication of the end of the note-taking session and without further user intervention;

(c) a print identifier for identifying, using at least some of the coded data of the control portion captured by the writing implement when placed in an operative position relative to the print zone of the control portion, a request to selectively print said data of said handwritten annotations of the note-taking session;

wherein at least two pages of the plurality of pages include a control portion comprising at least one control zone, the computer system receiving an indication via the writing implement that the user has designated one or more control zones using the writing implement.

17. A system according to claim 16, including the plurality of pages.

18. A system according to claim 17, wherein each page includes coded data indicative of an identity of the page, and said indicating data being indicative of both the position of the writing implement relative to a page and the identity of the page.

19. The system according to claim 18, wherein any 10 millimeter diameter area of the coded data indicative of the identity the page includes sufficient information to identify the page.

20. A system according to claim 16, wherein said indicating data regarding at least one of the position and the movement of the writing implement relative to a page is generated by the writing implement upon sensing at least some of the coded data.

21. The system according to claim 16, wherein each mark represents one of a plurality of coded values.

22. The system according to claim 21, wherein the coded value represented by a mark is at least partially determined by the position of the mark relative to the set of predetermined nominal mark positions.

23. The system according to claim 16, wherein the predetermined nominal mark positions are arranged relative to a plurality of nominal lines.

24. The system according to claim 23 wherein at least one pair of the lines are spaced apart from one another by a distance of less than 100 millimeters.

25. The system according to claim 16, wherein the marks have centers and wherein the relative spacing of the centers of at least one pair of adjacent marks is less than 12 millimeters.

26. The system according to claim 16, wherein any 10 millimeter diameter area of the coded data indicative of the at least one reference point of the page includes sufficient information to identify the at least one reference point.

27. A system according to claim 16 including a writing implement which includes a sensor for detecting said coded data.

28. A system according to claim 27, wherein said writing implement includes a writing nib, and said writing nib is associated with a sensor able to detect nib contact with one of said plurality of pages.

29. A system according to claim 16 including at least one notepad incorporating said plurality of pages, the at least one notepad including said control portion on a part of the notepad other than on one of said pages.

30. A system according to claim 16, wherein said at least one control zone includes a session start zone, said means for identifying an indication of the start of the note-taking session comprises means for receiving an indication that said user has designated said zone by way of said writing implement capturing at least some of the coded data of the control portion when placed in an operative position relative to the zone associated with the start of the note-taking session.

31. A system according to claim 16, wherein said at least one control zone includes a session end zone, said means for identifying an indication of the end of the note-taking session comprises means for receiving an indication that said user has designated said zone by way of said writing implement capturing at least some of the coded data of the control portion when placed in an operative position relative to the zone associated with the end of the note-taking session.