Interactive paper system

• US 8,797,579 B2
• Filed: 02/03/2012
• Issued: 08/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Rosenfeld, Daniel Allen, Chellapilla, Kumar H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zheng, Jacky X
• Application Number:
  US13/365,569
• Publication Number:
  US 20120207391A1
• Time in Patent Office: 914 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.15, 358/474, 358/505, 358537-538, 382/306, 382/305, 382/186, 382/187, 715/541
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00222 details of image data generation or reproduction, e.g. scan-to-email or network printing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00933 Timing control or synchronising H04N1/00928, H04N1/00931, H04N1/00954 and H04N1/0096 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0096 Simultaneous or quasi-simultaneous functioning of a plurality of operations H04N1/32545 takes precedence; multiprogramming arrangements of computers G06F9/46

Abstract

A printer, scanner device and methods for using same are described herein. A printer device may include a dedicated input that, when actuated, generates and sends a request to a computer for known data or a predetermined print job, e.g., schedule information from a personal information management (PIM) application. A scanner device may include another dedicated input that, when actuated, automatically scans a document fed to the device by the user and sends the scanned image to IM (or other) software on a computer, bypassing the need to manipulate the scanned image using scanner software. The device may be used with printed metapaper, which includes a barcode or other indicia identifying the metapaper and corresponds to a stored template image of the metapaper. When the metapaper is rescanned, the scan can be compared to the stored template information to identify changes and synchronize the changes with the IM software.

Claims

1. One or more computer readable storage devices having executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed, perform a method comprising:

extracting a printed identifier from a digital image of a scanned document, said printed identifier uniquely identifying the scanned document and said identifier uniquely associated with a particular user;

querying a template database for a template information having an index corresponding to the printed identifier and having one or more regions on the scanned document, the regions having region information including a location and layout of the region and a type of data to which the region corresponds;

comparing the digital image with the template information returned by the querying step to identify a handwritten annotation on the scanned document in at least one of the template regions made subsequent to a time when the scanned document was printed, said handwritten annotation comprising recognized handwriting;

making one or more assumptions about the handwritten annotation based on the region in which it is located;

associating the handwritten annotation with default information for each region as a function of the one or more assumptions, the default information being used to determine a particular type of data expected to be represented by the handwritten notation to assist in the recognition and analysis thereof; and

recognizing the handwritten annotation, said recognizing comprising;

determining the handwritten annotation has a plurality of possible interpretations using a handwriting recognition technique;

applying the one or more assumptions about the handwritten annotation and the associated default information to the plurality of possible interpretations to select one interpretation from the plurality of possible interpretations; and

associating the handwritten annotation with the selected interpretation.

2. The computer readable storage devices of claim 1, wherein the template information comprises region information for each of the one or more regions on the scanned document.

3. The computer readable storage devices of claim 2, wherein said region information further comprises, for each region, data identifying information printed in that region.

4. The computer readable storage devices of claim 1, said method further comprising automatically updating a source of data contained on the scanned document based on the handwritten annotation.

5. The computer readable storage devices of claim 1, wherein a first region of the one or more regions corresponds to new appointments, and said method further comprising:

identifying the handwritten annotation as being located in the first region; and

automatically updating appointment information based on the handwritten annotation.

6. The computer readable storage devices of claim 5, wherein a second region of the one or more regions corresponds to to-do list information, and said method further comprising:

identifying another handwritten annotation as being located in the second region; and

automatically updating to-do-list information based on the other handwritten annotation.

7. The computer readable storage devices of claim 1, wherein a first region of the one or more regions corresponds to to-do list information, and said method further comprising:

identifying the handwritten annotation as being located in the first region; and

automatically updating to-do-list information based on the handwritten annotation.

8. One or more computer readable storage media stored in a media device, said stored computer readable media including instructions that, when executed by a processor, perform a method comprising:

extracting from a scanned document an identifier and a first handwritten annotation, said identifier uniquely identifying the scanned document;

determining a type of information corresponding to the first handwritten annotation as a function of the identifier;

associating the first handwritten annotation with default information for each region, the default information used to determine a type of data expected to be represented by the first handwritten notation to assist in the recognition and analysis of the first handwritten annotation; and

recognizing the first handwritten annotation, said recognizing comprising;

determining the first handwritten annotation has a plurality of possible interpretations using a handwriting recognition technique;

applying the default information for the region to the plurality of possible interpretations to select one interpretation from the plurality of possible interpretations; and

associating the first handwritten annotation with the selected interpretation; and

storing the first handwritten annotation in an information management software application as a description for an entry in an information management software application corresponding to the type of information, said first handwritten annotation comprising recognized handwriting.

9. The computer readable storage media stored in the media device of claim 8, wherein the type of information comprises at least one of a daily schedule, a weekly schedule, a monthly schedule, and a to-do list item.

10. The computer readable storage media stored in the media device of claim 8, said method further comprising:

extracting from the scanned document a second handwritten annotation identifying a date;

converting the second handwritten annotation to a date value identifying the date; and

storing the date value as being associated with the entry.

11. The computer readable storage media stored in the media device of claim 10, said method further comprising:

extracting from the scanned document a third handwritten annotation identifying a time;

converting the third handwritten annotation to a time value identifying the time; and

storing the time value as being associated with the entry.

12. The computer readable storage media stored in the media device of claim 10, wherein the type of information comprises an appointment, wherein the date identifies an appointment date, wherein the time identifies an appointment time, and wherein the first handwritten annotation describes the appointment.

13. A computerized system for synchronizing data received from a scanned document, said system comprising:

a computer processor; and

a computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer executable instructions to be executed by the computer processor, said instructions comprising instructions for;

extracting a printed identifier from a digital image of a scanned document, said printed identifier uniquely identifying the scanned document;

querying a template database for a template information having an index corresponding to the printed identifier;

identifying one or more regions on the scanned document, the one or more regions having region information;

comparing the digital image with template information returned by the querying step to identify a handwritten annotation in at least one region of the scanned document, the handwritten annotation made subsequent to a time when the scanned document was printed;

determining the handwritten annotation has a plurality of possible interpretations using a handwriting recognition technique;

applying default information for the at least one region to the plurality of possible interpretations to select one interpretation from the plurality of possible interpretations, the default information used to determine a particular type of data expected to be represented by the handwritten notation to assist in the recognition and analysis of the handwritten annotation, wherein the recognition and analysis of the handwritten annotation includes making one or more assumptions about the handwritten annotation based on the region in which it is located; and

associating the handwritten annotation with the selected interpretation.

14. The computerized system of claim 13, said region information comprising, for each region, a location and layout of the region, a type of data to which the region corresponds, and data identifying information printed in that region.

15. The computerized system of claim 13, said instructions comprising instructions for automatically updating a source of data contained on the scanned document based on the first handwritten annotation.

16. The computerized system of claim 13, wherein a first region of the one or more regions corresponds to new appointments, and the instructions further comprise instructions for:

identifying the handwritten annotation as being located in the first region; and

automatically updating appointment information based on the handwritten annotation.

17. The computerized system of claim 16, wherein a second region of the one or more regions corresponds to to-do list information, and the instructions further comprise instructions for:

identifying another handwritten annotation as being located in the second region; and

automatically updating to-do-list information based on the other handwritten annotation.

18. The computerized system of claim 13, wherein a first region of the one or more regions corresponds to to-do list information, and the instructions further comprise instructions for:

identifying the handwritten annotation as being located in the first region; and

automatically updating to-do-list information based on the handwritten annotation.