Generating a form for allowing handwritten interaction with computer software

• US 7,715,035 B2
• Filed: 03/10/2005
• Issued: 05/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Lapstun, Paul, Silverbrook, Kia
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Douglas Q
• Application Number:
  US11/075,917
• Publication Number:
  US 20050151723A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,888 Days
• Field of Search: 235/487, 358/3.28, 358/508, 358/538, 358/1.13, 358/1.14, 358/1.15, 358/1.18, 382/186
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 13/103 for the sheet feeding section
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 13/106 for the sheet output section
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17503 Ink cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17513 Inner structure
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17523 Ink connection
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17546 electronically
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17553 Outer structure
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17556 Means for regulating the pressure in the cartridge
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17563 Ink filters
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/2114 Ejecting specialized liquids, e.g. transparent or processing liquids B41J2/211 takes precedence
• 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 21/608 Secure printing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0384 Wireless input, i.e. hardware and software details of wireless interface arrangements for pointing devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2153 Using hardware token as a secondary aspect
• 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 3/03546 : using a rotatable ball at the tip as position detecting member
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 : Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0386 : for light pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 : for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1204 : resulting in reduced user or operator actions, e.g. presetting, automatic actions, using hardware token storing data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1265 : Printing by reference, e.g. retrieving document/image data for a job from a source mentioned in the job
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1284 : Local printer device
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/00 : Methods or arrangements for effecting co-operative working between equipments covered by two or more of main groups G06K1/00 - G06K15/00, e.g. automatic card files incorporating conveying and reading operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/10 : Character recognition
• 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: G06V 30/1444 : Selective acquisition, locating or processing of specific regions, e.g. highlighted text, fiducial marks or predetermined fields
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/56 : Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/603 : Digital right managament [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/805 : Lightweight hardware, e.g. radio-frequency identification [RFID] or sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 : involving digital signatures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3263 : involving certificates, e.g. public key certificate [PKC] or attribute certificate [AC]; Public key infrastructure [PKI] arrangements network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using certificates in a packet data network H04L63/0823
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00127 : Connection or combination of a still picture apparatus with another apparatus, e.g. for storage, processing or transmission of still picture signals or of information associated with a still picture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00204 : with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00244 : with a server, e.g. an internet server fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00326 : with a data reading, recognizing or recording apparatus, e.g. with a bar-code apparatus arrangements for the associated working of recording or reproducing apparatus with related apparatus G11B31/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00358 : Type of the scanned marks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00376 : Means for identifying a mark sheet or area
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00567 : Handling of original or reproduction media, e.g. cutting, separating, stacking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00968 : by scanning marks on a sheet mark-sheet input means H04N1/00355; sensing record carriers G06K7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32101 : Display, printing, storage or transmission of additional information, e.g. ID code, date and time or title
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32122 : in a separate device, e.g. in a memory or on a display separate from image data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32128 : attached to the image data, e.g. file header, transmitted message header, information on the same page or in the same computer file as the image for information embedded in the image H04N1/32144
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32771 : in response to a request, e.g. for a particular document
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32778 : using a mark-sheet or machine-readable code request
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0082 : Image hardcopy reproducer H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3205 : of identification information, e.g. name or ID code H04N2201/3209 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3207 : of an address
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3226 : of identification information or the like, e.g. ID code, index, title, part of an image, reduced-size image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3242 : of processing required or performed, e.g. for reproduction or before recording H04N2201/3256 and subgroups take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3243 : of type information, e.g. handwritten or text document
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3247 : Data linking a set of images to one another, e.g. sequence, burst or continuous capture mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3249 : data relating to a linked page or object, e.g. hyperlink
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3269 : of machine readable codes or marks, e.g. bar codes or glyphs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/327 : which are undetectable to the naked eye, e.g. embedded codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3271 : Printing or stamping
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3278 : Transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 : Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation

Abstract

A system for enabling user interaction with computer software. The system includes a computer system that determines information and an identity, which are at least partially indicative of a text field. The computer system then determines a layout defining an arrangement for coded data indicative of the identity and information, and transfers print data to a printer to thereby cause the printer to print a form by printing the coded data and the information. The coded data is printed to be substantially coincident with the information such that when a sensing device is placed in an operative position relative to the information, the sensing device can sense the coded data and generate indicating data at least partially indicative of the text field.

Claims

1. A system for enabling user interaction with computer software, the system including:

a computer system for;

determining information relating to at least one text field, the at least one text field being at least partially indicative of an interaction with the computer software;

determining an identity, the identity being at least partially indicative of the at least one text field;

determining a layout defining an association between;

coded data at least partially indicative of the identity; and

,

the information;

generating print data according to the layout, the print data being at least partially indicative of;

a plurality of marks, each mark having a predetermined pattern common to all marks and coded data, the predetermined pattern including a rotationally invariant pattern; and

the information; and

,

transferring the print data to a printer;

the printer, the printer being responsive to the print data to print a form by printing the coded data and the information; and

a sensing device for sensing the marks when moved in an operative position relative to the information, and for using the rotationally invariant pattern to correct for perspective distortion of the marks, for decoding the coded data of the marks, and for generating indicating data at least partially indicative of movement of the sensing device relative to the at least one text field.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the layout includes at least one of:

a page description indicative of placement of the information on the form; and

,

a map indicative of an arrangement of the coded data.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer system is further for:

generating the identity;

recording an association between the generated identity and the layout; and

,

causing generation the coded data using the generated identity.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the identity is at least one of:

an identity of the form;

an identity of a region of the form; and

,

an identity of the at least one text field.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the coded data includes a number of coded data portions, and wherein at least one of the computer system and the printer is for:

determining a data portion identity for each coded data portion, the data portion identity being at least partially indicative of the identity; and

,

causing printing of the coded data using a map, the map defining, for each data portion identity, a location for the corresponding coded data portion on the surface.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the indicating data is at least partially indicative of a stroke, the stroke defining a sequence of sensing device positions determined from the sensed coded data.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the sequence of sensing device positions are at least one of:

a sequence of relative positions; and

,

a sequence of absolute positions.

8. The system of claim 4, wherein the coded data includes a number of data portions, each data portion having a unique data portion identity, the unique data portion identity being indicative of the location of the coded data portion on the form, thereby allowing the absolute position of the sensing device to be determined.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the indicating data is generated using a number of sensed data portions, and wherein the computer system is further for:

determining, from the indicating data, the data portion identity of each sensed data portion;

determining, using the indicating data, a map;

determining, using each data portion identity and the map, a corresponding location for each data portion; and

,

determining from each corresponding location, the movement of the sensing device relative to the at least one text field.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the coded data includes a number of data portions, each data portion coincident with the at least one text field having an identical data portion identity, wherein the indicating data is generated by:

sensing a number of images of the coded data;

comparing the images to determine common features in sequential images; and

,

determine movement of the sensing device relative to the at least one text field by determining changes in position of the common features between the sequential images.

11. The system of claim 1, the sensing device comprising:

(a) an image sensor adapted to capture images of at least some of the coded data when the sensing device is placed in an operative position relative to the interface surface; and

(b) a processor adapted to;

(i) identify at least some of the coded data from at least one of the captured images;

(ii) determine an orientation and position, within at least one of the captured images, of at least some of the coded data;

(iii) decode at least some of the coded data; and

(iv) generate the indicating data using at least some of the decoded coded data and the determined orientation and position.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the system includes a relay device for:

receiving the indicating data from the sensing device; and

,

transferring the indicating data to the computer system.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the relay device is the printer.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the sensing device includes a data store for storing an identifier, and wherein the sensing device generates the indicating data using the identifier.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer system is for:

receiving the indicating data from the sensing device;

determining, using the indicating data, movement of the sensing device relative to the at least one text field; and

,

performing an action associated with the at least one text field at least partly based on the movement of the sensing device.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the computer system is for:

determining, from the indicating data, the identity;

determining, using the identity, a page description; and

,

determining, using the page description, the at least one text field.