Performing an action with respect to a hand-formed expression

• US 8,102,383 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2005
• Issued: 01/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Cohen, Alexander J., Jung, Edward K. Y., Levien, Royce A., Lord, Robert W., Malamud, Mark A., Rinaldo, John D. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Awad, Amr
• Assistant Examiner(s): CERULLO, LILIANA P
• Application Number:
  US11/137,716
• Publication Number:
  US 20060209052A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,435 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-184, 382186-189, 178 1801- 1907, 341 20- 35
• US Class Current: 345/179
• 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

Embodiments include an apparatus, device, system, computer-program product, and method. In an embodiment, a method is provided. The method includes generating a content signal indicative of a hand-formed mark on a surface. The method also includes generating a label signal indicative of a machine-distinguishable tag associated with the hand-formed mark. The machine-distinguishable tag being selected from at least two machine-distinguishable tags. The method further includes distributing a representation of the hand-formed mark to a data recipient in response to the machine-distinguishable tag.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

generating a content signal indicative of a hand-formed mark, the hand-formed mark forming content for inclusion in one or more item list files that represents a machine-distinguishable tag as associated by a user via receiving an indication of a captured image of the machine-distinguishable tag, the mark being on a surface;

generating a label signal indicative of a machine-distinguishable tag associated with the mark, the machine-distinguishable tag selected from at least two machine-distinguishable user-defined tags, wherein a unique user-created descriptor correlates to each tag;

storing a representation of the hand-formed mark in a computing device as retrievable image content for the one or more item list files accessible via a list manager program, the one or more item list files being members of a data recipient file class associated with an electronic mail program; and

distributing the image content as the representation of the hand-formed mark to a data recipient in response to a query associated with the label signal, wherein the data recipient is the one or more item list files within a computing device responsive to the label signal indicative of the machine-distinguishable tag.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating a content signal indicative of a hand-formed mark that represents a machine-distinguishable tag as associated by a user via receiving an indication of a captured image of the machine-distinguishable tag, the hand-formed mark being on a surface includes generating a content signal in a handheld scanning device indicative of a hand-formed mark on a surface.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating a content signal indicative of a hand-formed mark that represents a machine-distinguishable tag as associated by a user via receiving an indication of a captured image of the machine-distinguishable tag, the hand-formed mark being on a surface includes generating a content signal indicative of a handwritten mark on a surface.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating a content signal indicative of a hand-formed mark on a surface includes generating a content signal indicative of a user hand-formed and machine-distinguishable mark on a surface.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating a content signal indicative of a hand-formed mark on a surface includes generating a content signal indicative of a hand-formed and human recognizable mark on a surface.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating a content signal indicative of a hand-formed mark on a surface includes generating a content signal indicative of a hand drawn figure on a surface.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the hand-formed mark includes at least one or a combination of a pattern, a shade, a tone, a letter, a word, a number, an alphanumeric, a character, an icon, a geometric shape, a figure, a graphic, a glyph, a repeated pattern, a random pattern, an image, a region, or a legend.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating a label signal indicative of a machine-distinguishable tag associated with the hand-formed mark includes generating a label signal indicative of a hand-formed machine-distinguishable tag associated with the hand-formed mark.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating a label signal indicative of a machine-distinguishable tag associated with the hand-formed mark includes generating a label signal indicative of a machine-distinguishable tag preformed on the surface and associated with the hand-formed mark.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating a label signal indicative of a machine-distinguishable tag associated with the hand-formed mark includes generating a label signal indicative of a machine-distinguishable tag associated with the hand-formed mark in a handheld device that generated the content signal indicative of a hand-formed mark.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating a label signal indicative of a machine-distinguishable tag associated with the hand-formed mark includes generating a label signal indicative of a machine-distinguishable tag associated by a user with the hand-formed mark in a handheld device that generated the content signal indicative of a hand-formed mark.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating a label signal indicative of a machine-distinguishable tag associated with the hand-formed mark includes generating a label signal indicative of a machine-distinguishable tag proximally associated with the hand-formed mark.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating a label signal indicative of a machine-distinguishable tag associated with the hand-formed mark includes generating a label signal indicative of a machine-distinguishable tag gesturally associated by a user with the hand-formed mark.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the machine-distinguishable tag selected from at least two machine-distinguishable tags includes a machine-distinguishable tag selected from at least two machine-distinguishable user defined tags.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the machine-distinguishable tag selected from at least two machine-distinguishable user defined tags includes a machine-distinguishable tag selected from a tag characterization table having at least two machine-distinguishable tags and a unique user-created descriptor respectively correlating to each tag.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the machine-distinguishable tag selected from at least two machine-distinguishable tags includes a machine-distinguishable tag selected from at least two machine-distinguishable predefined tags.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the machine-distinguishable tag selected from at least two machine-distinguishable predefined tags includes a machine-distinguishable tag selected from a tag characterization table having at least two machine-distinguishable tags and a unique predefined descriptor respectively correlating to each tag.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the machine-distinguishable tag includes at least one character.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the machine-distinguishable tag includes at least one character representing an identification of the hand-formed mark.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the machine-distinguishable tag includes at least one hand-formed machine-distinguishable tag selected from the following:

a pattern, a shade, a tone, a letter, a word, a number, an alphanumeric, a character, an icon, a geometric shape, a figure, a graphic, a glyph, a repeated pattern, a random pattern, an image, a region, a legend, a movement, and/or a gesture.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the distributing a representation of the hand-formed mark to a data recipient in response to the machine-distinguishable tag includes distributing a representation of the content signal indicative of the hand-formed mark to a data recipient in response to the label signal.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the distributing a representation of the hand-formed mark to a data recipient in response to the machine-distinguishable tag includes distributing a representation of the hand-formed mark in response to the machine-distinguishable tag to a data recipient associated with a handheld device that generated the content signal indicative of a hand-formed mark.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the distributing a representation of the hand-formed mark to a data recipient in response to the machine-distinguishable tag includes distributing a representation of the hand-formed mark to a data recipient associated with an application in response to the machine-distinguishable tag.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the distributing a representation of the hand-formed mark to a data recipient in response to the machine-distinguishable tag includes distributing a representation of the hand-formed mark to a data recipient associated with an application in response to a lookup table.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the distributing a representation of the hand-formed mark to a data recipient includes distributing a representation of the hand-formed mark to a data recipient in response to a received user action.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein the distributing a representation of the hand-formed mark to a data recipient in response to the machine-distinguishable tag includes distributing a representation of the hand-formed mark to a data recipient in response to the label signal indicative of a machine-distinguishable tag.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein the distributing a representation of the hand-formed mark to a data recipient in response to the machine-distinguishable tag includes distributing a recognized representation of the hand-formed mark to a data recipient in response to the machine-distinguishable tag.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein the distributing a representation of the hand-formed mark to a data recipient in response to the machine-distinguishable tag includes distributing the content signal indicative of the hand-formed mark to a data recipient in response to the machine-distinguishable tag.

29. The method of claim 1, wherein the distributing a representation of the hand-formed mark to a data recipient in response to the machine-distinguishable tag includes distributing a representation of the hand-formed mark to a program in response to the machine-distinguishable tag.

30. The method of claim 1, wherein the distributing a representation of the hand-formed mark to a data recipient in response to the machine-distinguishable tag includes exposing a representation of the hand-formed mark to an automation in response to the machine-distinguishable tag.

31. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating another content signal indicative of another hand-formed mark on the surface;

generating another label signal indicative of another machine-distinguishable tag associated with the another hand-formed mark, the another machine-distinguishable tag selected from the plurality of machine-distinguishable tags; and

distributing a representation of the another hand-formed mark to another data recipient in response to the another machine-distinguishable tag.

32. A handheld marking device comprising:

a writing detector module for generating a content signal indicative of a hand-formed mark that represents a machine-distinguishable tag as associated by a user via receiving an indication of a captured image of the machine-distinguishable tag, the hand-formed mark forming content for inclusion in one or more item list files, the hand-formed mark being on a surface;

means coupled to the writing detector module, said means for generating a label signal indicative of a machine-distinguishable tag associated with the hand-formed mark, the machine-distinguishable tag selected from at least two machine-distinguishable user-defined tags, wherein a unique user-created descriptor correlates to each tag;

a computer storage media configured to store a representation of the hand-formed mark in the handheld marking device as retrievable image content for the one or more item list files accessible via a list manager program, the one or more item list files being members of a data recipient file class associated with an electronic mail program; and

transmit means coupled to the writing detector module, said transmit means for distributing a representation of the hand-formed mark to an item file in response to a query associated with the label signal wherein the transmit means distributes the image content from the one or more item list files.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the writing detector module for generating a content signal indicative of a hand-formed mark on a surface, and the means coupled to the writing detector module for generating a label signal indicative of a machine-distinguishable tag associated with the hand-formed mark include:

a second means coupled to the writing detector module that includes the means for distributing a representation of the hand-formed mark to an item file in response to the label signal indicative of a machine-distinguishable tag.

34. A system comprising:

an article of manufacture comprising;

a handwritten mark on a surface, the handwritten mark forming retrievable image content for inclusion in one or more item list files;

a machine-distinguishable tag associated by a user via the user directing capture of an image of the machine-distinguishable tag and via the handwritten mark, the machine-distinguishable tag being selected from at least two machine-distinguishable user-defined tags, wherein a unique user-created descriptor correlates to each tag; and

a pen comprising;

a writing element;

a writing detector module operable to generate a signal indicative of the handwritten mark by the writing element on the surface and to store a representation of the hand-formed mark as the retrievable image content for the one or more item list files accessible via a list manager program, the one or more item list files being members of a data recipient file class associated with an electronic mail program;

a tag detector module operable to generate a signal indicative of the machine-distinguishable tag associated with the handwritten mark; and

a transmitter coupled to the writing detector module for distributing a representation of the hand-formed mark to the one or more item list files in response to a query associated with the label signal wherein the transmitter distributes the image content from the one or more item list files.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the machine-distinguishable tag associated with the handwritten mark includes a machine-distinguishable tag hand marked on the surface and associated with the handwritten mark.

36. The system of claim 34, further including a computer program product comprising:

(a) program instructions operable to perform a process in a computer system, the process comprising;

receiving a signal indicative of the handwritten mark;

receiving a signal indicative of the machine-distinguishable tag associated by the user via the user directing capture of an image of the machine-distinguishable tag and via the handwritten mark, the machine-distinguishable tag being selected from at least two machine-distinguishable tags;

storing a representation of the handwritten mark as retrievable image content for one or more item list files accessible via a list manager program, the one or more item list files being members of a data recipient file class associated with an electronic mail program and

distributing a representation of the handwritten mark to a data recipient in response to the machine-distinguishable tag; and

(b) a computer-readable signal-bearing medium bearing the program instructions.