Method and system for creating and sending handwritten or handdrawn messages via mobile devices

• US 7,516,183 B2
• Filed: 07/12/2004
• Issued: 04/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SendSig, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Lot 38 Acquisition Foundation LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Shiigi, Clyde
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, VIET DUY
• Application Number:
  US10/891,389
• Publication Number:
  US 20040249899A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,730 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/219, 709/246, 709/250, 709/217, 719/328, 719/329
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/14 Backbone network devices

Abstract

A handwritten or handdrawing messaging system employs a handwriting messaging component operable with a messaging client of a mobile device connected to the data transmission network to set up a handwriting data capture area in the messaging client into which the user can enter handwritten or handdrawn input through a suitable manual input device, and then operates to capture the handwritten or handdrawn input and send it as a handwritten electronic message to the intended recipient. It also sets up a graphical data viewing area within the messaging client for viewing handwritten electronic messages sent to the user. Preferably, it is a small-footprint software module installed with the messaging client of the mobile device. The mobile device can be any type of wired or wirelessly-connected portable device operating on a computing platform, such as a personal digital assistant (PDA) device, game console or player device, or other mobile messaging device. The manual input device can be a touch-sensitive screen, tablet with pen input, stylus pad with stylus input, or an attached drawing pad. The system is particularly useful for messaging via mobile game player devices, so that people all over the world can send handwritten messages, chat, and play handdrawn games with each other.

Claims

1. A handwritten messaging system operable on mobile devices connected to a data transmission network comprising:

(a) a server component operable on a server computer connected to a data transmission network for receiving a handwritten message in electronic format sent from a user of a mobile device and delivering the handwritten message in real time to a mobile device of another recipient to whom it is addressed;

(b) the mobile device having a handwriting messaging component operable with a messaging client of the mobile device having a connection to the data transmission network, wherein said handwriting messaging component sets up a handwriting data capture area within said messaging client into which the user can enter handwritten input through a suitable manual input device, and said handwriting data capture area operates to capture the handwritten input as graphical data and send it as a message in electronic format on the data transmission network; and

(c) the mobile device being connected to the data transmission network having a messaging client for sending and receiving the handwritten electronic message sent from the mobile device of the user to that of the recipient via the network and for inputting it and then viewing it as a handwritten message via the messaging clients of the respective devices.

2. A handwritten messaging system according to claim 1, wherein the handwriting messaging component is operable for also setting up a graphical data viewing area for viewing handwritten electronic messages sent to the user via the data transmission network.

3. A handwritten messaging system according to claim 1, wherein the handwritten messaging component is a small-footprint software module installed with the messaging client of the mobile device.

4. A handwritten messaging system according to claim 1, wherein the mobile device is a portable game console or game player device.

5. A handwritten messaging system according to claim 1, wherein the mobile device is mobile game player with a wireless connection to a wireless data network.

6. A handwritten messaging system according to claim 1, wherein the handwritten messaging component of the mobile device converts the handwritten input to a graphical data attachment to an email message.

7. A handwritten messaging system according to claim 1, wherein the handwritten messaging component of the mobile device converts the handwritten input to “

push email”

format wherein the recipient is automatically alerted of receipt of a handwritten message on the recipient'"'"'s mobile device.

8. A handwritten messaging system operable on mobile devices connected to a data transmission network comprising:

(a) a server component operable on a server computer connected to a data transmission network for receiving a handwritten message in electronic format sent from a user of a mobile device and delivering it to a mobile device of another recipient to whom it is addressed;

(b) the mobile device having a handwriting messaging component operable with a messaging client of the mobile device having a connection to the data transmission network, wherein said handwriting messaging component sets up a handwriting data capture area within said messaging client into which the user can enter handwritten input through a suitable manual input device, and said handwriting data capture area operates to capture the handwritten input as graphical data and send it as a message in electronic format on the data transmission network; and

(c) the mobile device being connected to the data transmission network having a messaging client for sending and receiving the handwritten electronic message sent from the mobile device of the user to that of the recipient via the network and for inputting it and then viewing it as a handwritten message via the messaging clients of the respective devices,

wherein the handwritten messaging component of the mobile device converts the handwritten input to “

instant messaging”

format wherein the handwritten message is automatically displayed on the recipient'"'"'s mobile device.

9. A handwritten messaging system operable on mobile devices connected to a data transmission network comprising:

(a) a server component operable on a server computer connected to a data transmission network for receiving a handwritten message in electronic format sent from a user of a mobile device and delivering it to a mobile device of another recipient to whom it is addressed;

(b) the mobile device having a handwriting messaging component operable with a messaging client of the mobile device having a connection to the data transmission network, wherein said handwriting messaging component sets up a handwriting data capture area within said messaging client into which the user can enter handwritten input through a suitable manual input device, and said handwriting data capture area operates to capture the handwritten input as graphical data and send it as a message in electronic format on the data transmission network; and

(c) the mobile device being connected to the data transmission network having a messaging client for sending and receiving the handwritten electronic message sent from the mobile device of the user to that of the recipient via the network and for inputting it and then viewing it as a handwritten message via the messaging clients of the respective devices,

wherein the handwritten messaging component of the mobile device converts the handwritten input to “

chat”

format in which a handwritten message written by one user is automatically displayed on the other user'"'"'s screen, then the other user can markup the handwritten message or write a reply on a scrollable portion of data capture area, back and forth with each other.

10. A handwritten messaging system according to claim 9, wherein the handwritten messaging component of the mobile device converts the handwritten input to “

chat”

format in which each user can write a reply on a scrollable portion of the data capture area, back and forth with each other.

11. A handwritten messaging method for use with mobile devices comprising:

(a) setting up a data capture area for handwriting input in a display screen for a messaging client of a mobile device of a user (as sender) connected to a data transmission network, and using a manual input device operatively coupled to the handwriting data capture area to enable the sender to enter handwritten input into the handwriting data capture area of the messaging client;

(b) composing a handwritten message on the mobile device of the sender by entering handwritten manual input with the input device in the handwriting data capture area of the messaging client, capturing the handwritten input as graphical data, and sending it in real time as a handwritten electronic message on the data transmission network to a recipient to whom the handwritten electronic message is addressed; and

(c) receiving the handwritten electronic message sent from the sender through the data transmission network to a mobile device of the recipient to whom it is addressed,

wherein the mobile devices are connected to the data transmission network and enable inputting the handwritten message in the mobile device of the user and viewing it as a handwritten message in the mobile device of the recipient via the messaging clients of the respective devices.

12. A handwritten messaging method according to claim 11 further comprising setting up a graphical data viewing area for viewing handwritten electronic messages sent to the mobile device of the user via the data transmission network.

13. A handwritten messaging method according to claim 11, wherein the data capture area is set up by a small-footprint software module installed with the messaging client of the mobile device.

14. A handwritten messaging method according to claim 11, wherein the mobile device is a portable game console or game player device.

15. A handwritten messaging method according to claim 11, wherein the mobile device is mobile game player with a wireless connection to a wireless data network.

16. A handwritten messaging method according to claim 11, wherein the messaging client of the mobile device converts the handwritten input to a graphical data attachment to an email message.

17. A handwritten messaging method according to claim 11, wherein the messaging client of the mobile device converts the handwritten input to “

push email”

format wherein the recipient is automatically alerted of receipt of a handwritten message on the recipient'"'"'s mobile device.

18. A handwritten messaging method for use with mobile devices comprising:

(a) setting up a data capture area for handwriting input in a display screen for a messaging client of a mobile device of a user (as sender) connected to a data transmission network, and using a manual input device operatively coupled to the handwriting data capture area to enable the sender to enter handwritten input into the handwriting data capture area of the messaging client;

(b) composing a handwritten message on the mobile device of the sender by entering handwritten manual input with the input device in the handwriting data capture area of the messaging client, capturing the handwritten input as graphical data, and sending it as a handwritten electronic message on the data transmission network; and

(c) receiving the handwritten electronic message sent from the sender through the data transmission network to a mobile device of a recipient to whom it is addressed

wherein the mobile devices are connected to the data transmission network and enable inputting the handwritten message in the mobile device of the user and viewing it as a handwritten message in the mobile device of the recipient via the messaging clients of the respective devices, and

the messaging client of the mobile device converts the handwritten input to “

instant messaging”

format wherein the handwritten message is automatically displayed on the recipient'"'"'s mobile device.

19. A handwritten messaging method for use with mobile devices comprising:

(a) setting up a data capture area for handwriting input in a display screen for a messaging client of a mobile device of a user (as sender) connected to a data transmission network, and using a manual input device operatively coupled to the handwriting data capture area to enable the sender to enter handwritten input into the handwriting data capture area of the messaging client;

(b) composing a handwritten message on the mobile device of the sender by entering handwritten manual input with the input device in the handwriting data capture area of the messaging client, capturing the handwritten input as graphical data, and sending it as a handwritten electronic message on the data transmission network; and

(c) receiving the handwritten electronic message sent from the sender through the data transmission network to a mobile device of a recipient to whom it is addressed,

wherein the mobile devices are connected to the data transmission network and enable inputting the handwritten message in the mobile device of the user and viewing it as a handwritten message in the mobile device of the recipient via the messaging clients of the respective devices, and

the messaging client of the mobile device converts the handwritten input to “

chat”

format in which a handwritten message written by one user is automatically displayed on the other user'"'"'s screen, then the other user can markup the handwritten message or write a reply on a scrollable portion of data capture area, back and forth with each other.

20. A handwritten messaging method according to claim 19, wherein the messaging client of the mobile device converts the handwritten input to “

chat”

format in which each user can write a reply on a scrollable portion of the data capture area, back and forth with each other.