Written command

• US 7,295,193 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2000
• Issued: 11/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Anoto Group AB
• Original Assignee: Anoto Group AB
• Inventors: Fahraeus, Christer
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe; Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KIMNHUNG T
• Application Number:
  US09/746,782
• Publication Number:
  US 20010024193A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,517 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-179, 345/901, 345/19.01, 345/19.03, 379/142, 379/52, 178/19.01, 178/19.03, 178/18.01, 178/18.03, 178/18.04, 382/187, 382/189, 382/311
• US Class Current: 345/179
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0321 by optically sensing the absolute position with respect to a regularly patterned surface forming a passive digitiser, e.g. pen optically detecting position indicative tags printed on a paper sheet constructional details of pen-shaped pointing devices G06F3/03545, G06F3/03542, G06F3/037
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/17 using hand-held instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/19 by sensing codes defining pattern positions

Abstract

A handheld electronic device which is adapted to carry out at least one operation. The device is controllable by a user using the device as a pen and writing a command for initiating said operation, such as “dial the following telephone number”.

A method for initiating the operation in an electronic device and software used for implementing the method.

Claims

1. A handheld electronic device which is adapted to carry out at least one operation, comprising:

a registration device for registering strokes when the device is moved;

interpretation means for determining if the strokes comprise a command; and

processor means for carrying out an operation associated with the command upon determination of said command,

wherein the registration device is adapted to record the command electronically by detecting a position code arranged on a writing surface, upon which the command is written, and wherein the position code encodes position by directions of displacements of dots from raster points.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein said registration device comprises an optical sensor, which is adapted to record images of the writing surface, and a signal processor, which is adapted to use the position code in the images for providing a digital representation of the command.

3. A device according to claim 2, wherein the signal processor comprises a character interpretation function which is adapted to translate the digital representation of the command into character-coded format.

4. A device according to claim 1, wherein, furthermore, the registration device is adapted to record a message information quantity, which is used in the operation, in essentially the same way as the command is recorded.

5. A device according to claim 4, wherein the device has at least two modes, one being a command mode for recording the command and the other being an information mode for recording the message information quantity.

6. A device according to claim 5, wherein the device is adapted to assume the command mode when the user writes said predetermined command using the device.

7. A device according to claim 5, wherein the device is adapted to assume the command mode when the device detects that the writing surface has a predetermined design.

8. A device according to claim 4, wherein the registration device is adapted to record the information quantity by detecting the position code on a writing surface.

9. A device according to claim 1, wherein the device has a first and second part which are separable and which have transceivers for mutual wireless communication, and wherein the device is controllable by the user using the first part as said pen, by means of which the command for initiating the operation is written.

10. A device according to claim 1, which device is a mobile telephone.

11. A device according to claim 1, which device is a digital pen for electronic recording of information.

12. A device according to claim 1, wherein only a detachable part of the device is used as a pen for writing the command for carrying out the operation, the detachable part being adapted for communication with the rest of the device.

13. The handheld electronic device of claim 1, wherein the position code codes each position by a plurality of marks and adjoining positions being partly coded by means of the same marks, and wherein the device further comprises decoding means for decoding said position code.

14. The handheld electronic device of claim 1, wherein the interpretation means are arranged to interpret the strokes as a command when the strokes are written on a part of the position code which codes predetermined positions.

15. The handheld electronic device of claim 1, wherein the interpretation means comprises character recognition means for translating the command to character-coded format.

16. The handheld electronic device of claim 1, wherein the command is a command to carry out an operation from the group of operations including dialing a telephone number, faxing, sending an electronic message, saving information, managing a document, managing a file, starting a program, controlling a program and closing a program.

17. The handheld electronic device of claim 1, wherein the command is written by alphanumerical characters.

18. A software program, which is stored on a memory medium, which can be read by a computer and which comprises instructions for causing the computer to detect a command, by electronically detecting a position code, written by means of a handheld electronic device, which is used as a pen, and to initiate a predetermined operation in response to the command, wherein the position code encodes position by directions of displacements of dots from raster points.

19. A method for initiating an operation in a handheld electronic device, comprising:

using the device as a pen; and

writing a command symbol to perform an operation corresponding to a command based on the command symbol on a surface that includes a position code, wherein the position code encodes position by directions of displacements of dots from raster points.

20. A method for controlling a handheld electronic device, the device being adapted to carry out at least one operation, comprising:

registering strokes when the device is moved;

determining if the strokes comprise a command; and

carrying out an operation upon determination of the command, wherein the registering strokes includes recording the command electronically by detecting a position code arranged on a writing surface, upon which the command is written, wherein the position code encodes position by directions of displacements of dots from raster points.

21. A method according to claim 20, wherein registering strokes is performed using an optical sensor which records images of the writing surface, and wherein determining if the strokes comprise a command further includes processing, using the position code in the images, for providing a digital representation of the command.

22. A method according to claim 21, further comprising:

translating the digital representation of the command into character-coded format.

23. A method according to claim 20, further comprising:

registering a message information quantity.

24. A method according to claim 23, further comprising:

registering the message information quantity by detecting a position code on a writing surface.

25. A method according to claim 24, wherein the device is adapted to assume the command mode when the user writes said predetermined command using the device.

26. A handheld electronic device which is adapted to carry out at least one operation, comprising:

a registration device for registering strokes when the device is moved;

an interpreter for determining if the strokes comprise a command; and

a processor for carrying out an operation associated with the command upon determination of said command, wherein the registration device is adapted to record the command electronically by detecting a position code arranged on a writing surface, upon which the command is written, wherein the position code encodes position by directions of displacements of dots from raster points.

27. A handheld electronic device which is adapted to initiate at least one operation comprising:

a recording device for recording the movement pattern of the device over a writing surface when the device is used for writing on the writing surface, said recording device being adapted to record the movement pattern of the device electronically by detecting a position code on the writing surface,

an interpretation module for detecting and interpreting a command formed and defined by at least a part of the recorded movement pattern, and

a processor for initiating an operation corresponding to the command, wherein the position code encodes position by directions of displacements of dots from raster points.

28. The handheld electronic device of claim 27, wherein the interpretation means comprises character recognition means for translating the command to character-coded format.

29. The handheld electronic device of claim 27, wherein the position code codes each position by a plurality of marks and adjoining positions being partly coded by means of the same marks, and wherein the device further comprises decoding means for decoding said position code.

30. The handheld electronic device of claim 27, wherein the interpretation means are arranged to interpret the strokes as a command when the strokes are written on a part of the position code which codes predetermined positions.

31. The handheld electronic device of claim 27, wherein the command is a command to carry out an operation from the group of operations including dialing a telephone number, faxing, sending an electronic message, saving information, managing a document, managing a file, starting a program, controlling a program and closing a program.

32. The handheld electronic device according to claim 27, wherein said registration device comprises an optical sensor, which is adapted to record images of the writing surface, and a signal processor, which is adapted to use the position code in the images for providing a digital representation of the command.

33. The handheld electronic device of claim 27, wherein the command is written by alphanumerical characters.

34. The handheld electronic device according to claim 27, wherein the registration device is adapted to record a message information quantity, which is used in the operation, in essentially the same way as the command is recorded.

35. The handheld electronic device according to claim 34, wherein the registration device is adapted to record the information quantity by detecting the position code on a writing surface.

36. The handheld electronic device according to claim 34, wherein the device has at least two modes, one being a command mode for recording the command and the other being an information mode for recording the message information quantity.