Method computer program product and device for arranging coordinate areas relative to each other

• US 7,441,183 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2002
• Issued: 10/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Anoto Group AB
• Original Assignee: Anoto Group AB
• Inventors: Burstrom, Stefan, Andersson, Jan B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hutton; Doug
• Assistant Examiner(s): Blackwell; James H
• Application Number:
  US10/488,877
• Publication Number:
  US 20040236741A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,233 Days
• Field of Search: 715/200, 715/203, 715/208, 715/211, 715/230, 345/179, 382/313, 382/314
• US Class Current: 715/230
• 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: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

The invention relates to a method, a computer program product and a device for arranging a first and a second coordinate area relative to each other, which first and second coordinate areas are coded on a first and a second surface by a position-coding pattern. The method comprises the steps of receiving an electronic representation of a continuous line that has been drawn over the surfaces while the position-coding pattern on these was recorded, and creating an association between the first and second coordinate areas, based on a direction in which the line was drawn over a discontinuity in the Position-coding pattern, a first association being created if the line was drawn in a first direction and a second association being created if the line was drawn in a second direction.

Claims

1. A method for associating a first coordinate area on a first surface with a second coordinate area on a second surface, said first and second coordinate areas being coded by a position-coding pattern, said method comprising:

receiving an electronic representation of a continuous line that has been drawn from either the first surface or the second surface to the other surface; and

creating an association between said first and second coordinate areas based on a direction in which the line was drawn over a discontinuity in the position-coding pattern between the first surface and the second surface, a first association being created if the line was drawn in a first direction and a second association being created if the line was drawn in a second direction.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of receiving an electronic representation comprises receiving a series of pairs of coordinates that represents the line and that has been determined from the position-coding pattern.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

detecting the discontinuity by comparing a distance between two pairs of coordinates which were recorded during a predetermined interval of time with a predetermined distance value.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving in electronic form an indication of the discontinuity in the position-coding pattern.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of creating an association comprises determining the direction of the line by comparing a time of recording a first pair of coordinates included in the line with a time of recording a second pair of coordinates included in the line, which pairs of coordinates lie on separate sides of the discontinuity.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of receiving an electronic representation comprises receiving in electronic form an indication of the direction.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of creating an association comprises creating a database entry comprising a reference to said first and second coordinate areas and an indication of the direction between them.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein which the step of receiving an electronic representation comprises receiving the electronic representation from a user device.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of receiving an electronic representation comprises receiving the electronic representation from a sensor.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first and second coordinate areas are associated with first and second data sets respectively.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein said data sets comprise electronic documents.

12. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein said association is a reference from one of said data sets to the other.

13. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the step of creating an association comprises creating a database entry that has a reference to said first and second data sets and an indication of the direction between them.

14. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the step of creating an association comprises modifying one of said data sets to comprise a reference to the other of said data sets.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein said reference is a hyperlink.

16. A computer program product comprising a program, tangibly embodied on a computer readable storage medium, for arranging a first and a second electronically-stored data set relative to each other wherein, when executed, the program carries out the method according to claim 1.

17. A device for associating a first coordinate area on a first surface with a second coordinate area on a second surface, said first and second coordinate areas being coded by a position-coding pattern, said device comprising:

means for receiving an electronic representation of a continuous line that has been drawn from either the first surface or the second surface to the other surface; and

means for creating an association between said first and second coordinate areas based on a direction in which the line was drawn over a discontinuity in the position-coding pattern between the first surface and the second surface, a first association being created if the line was drawn in a first direction and a second association being created if the line was drawn in a second direction.

18. The device as claimed in claim 17, further comprising:

a sensor for reading off the position-coding pattern on said first and second surfaces.

19. The device as claimed in claim 17, wherein the device is a user device which is configured for digitizing handwriting.

20. The device as claimed in claim 17, further comprising:

means for communication with a user device.