INTERACTIVE PAPER SYSTEM

• US 20120207391A1
• Filed: 02/03/2012
• Published: 08/16/2012
• 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.
• Granted Patent: US 8,797,579 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/176
• 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 media storing executable instructions for synchronizing data received from a scanned document, said method comprising steps of:

extracting an ID indicia from a digital image of a scanned document;

querying a template database for a template information having an index corresponding to the ID indicia; and

comparing the digital image with template information returned by the querying step to identify a first handwritten annotation on the scanned document made subsequent to a time when the scanned document was printed, said first handwritten annotation comprising recognized handwriting.

2. The computer readable media of claim 1, wherein the template information comprises region information identifying one or more regions on the scanned document.

3. The computer readable media of claim 2, wherein said region information comprises, 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.

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

5. The computer readable media of claim 3, wherein a first region of the one or more regions corresponds to new appointments, and said method further comprising the steps of:

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

automatically updating appointment information based on the first handwritten annotation.

6. The computer readable medium of claim 3, wherein a first region of the one or more regions corresponds to to-do list information, and said method further comprising the steps of:

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

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

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

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

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

12. The computer readable media of claim 1, 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.

8. One or more computer readable media storing executable instructions for creating an entry in an information management software application, said method comprising steps of:

extracting from a scanned document a first handwritten annotation;

determining a type of information corresponding to the first handwritten annotation; and

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

9. The computer readable media of claim 8, wherein the type of information comprises a to-do list item.

10. The computer readable media of claim 8, said method further comprising steps of:

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 media of claim 10, said method further comprising steps of:

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.

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 processor executable instructions, said instructions comprising instructions for;

extracting an ID indicia from a digital image of a scanned document;

querying a template database for a template information having an index corresponding to the ID indicia; and

comparing the digital image with template information returned by the querying step to identify a first handwritten annotation on the scanned document made subsequent to a time when the scanned document was printed, said first handwritten annotation comprising recognized handwriting.

14. The computerized system of claim 13, said template information comprising region information identifying one or more regions on the scanned document.

15. The computerized system of claim 14, 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.

16. 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.

17. The computerized system of claim 15, wherein a first region of the one or more regions corresponds to new appointments, and the instructions further comprise instructions for:

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

automatically updating appointment information based on the first handwritten annotation.

18. The computerized system of claim 15, 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 first handwritten annotation as being located in the first region; and

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

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

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

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