Information encoded in an expression

• US 7,813,597 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2006
• Issued: 10/12/2010
• 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., Cohen, B. Isaac, Levien, Royce A., Harlow, Ed, Malamud, Mark A., Leuthardt, Eric C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bali; Vikkram
• Assistant Examiner(s): ENTEZARI, MICHELLE M
• Application Number:
  US11/603,336
• Publication Number:
  US 20080088606A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,422 Days
• Field of Search: 382/313, 382/314, 382/179
• US Class Current: 382/314
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03 Arrangements for converting the position or the displacement of a member into a coded form
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0317 in co-operation with a patterned surface, e.g. absolute position or relative movement detection for an optical mouse or pen positioned with respect to a coded surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0383 Signal control means within the pointing device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

Embodiments provide a method, and a device A device includes a writing element operable to form a mark on a surface corresponding to a movement of the writing element over the surface. The device also includes a controller operable to digitally encode information in the mark.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a writing element operable to form a mark on a surface corresponding to a movement of the writing element over the surface;

a controller operable to digitally encode information in the mark, the information following a contour of the mark and comprising binary data linearly deposited along the mark as a series of dashes;

a memory configurable by a file that includes at least one correlation between an instance of encoded digital information and an environment of the device; and

a translator operable to decode the digitally encoded information corresponding to the environment of the device.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the writing element operable to form a mark on a surface corresponding to a movement of the writing element over the surface further includes:

a writing element operable to form a human viewable mark on a surface corresponding to a movement of the writing element over the surface.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the writing element operable to form a mark on a surface corresponding to a movement of the writing element over the surface further includes:

a writing element operable to form a machine-readable mark on a surface corresponding to a movement of the writing element over the surface.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the writing element operable to form a mark on a surface corresponding to a movement of the writing element over the surface further includes:

an electronic writing element operable to form a mark on a surface corresponding to a movement of the writing element over the surface.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the writing element operable to form a mark on a surface corresponding to a movement of the writing element over the surface further includes:

a writing element operable to form a mark on a surface corresponding to a manual movement of the writing element over the surface.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the writing element operable to form a mark on a surface corresponding to a movement of the writing element over the surface further includes:

a writing element operable to form a mark on a surface corresponding to a machine caused movement of the writing element over the surface.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller operable to digitally encode information in the mark further includes:

a controller operable to digitally encode information in the mark, the digitally encoded information including more information than any information represented by the movement of the writing element over the surface.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller operable to digitally encode information in the mark further includes:

a controller operable to digitally encode information in the mark, the encoded information including information other than any information represented by the movement of the writing element over the surface.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller operable to digitally encode information in the mark further includes:

a controller operable to digitally encode information in the mark by regulating the formation of the mark, the encoded information including information additional to any information represented by the movement of the writing element over the surface.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller operable to digitally encode information in the mark further includes:

a controller operable to digitally encode information in the mark by regulating the formation of the mark.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller operable to digitally encode information in the mark further includes:

a controller operable to receive information other than information represented by the movement of the writing element over the surface and to digitally encode the received information in the mark.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller operable to digitally encode information in the mark further includes:

a controller operable to receive the information corresponding to an aspect of the surface and to digitally encode the received information in the mark by regulating the formation of the mark.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller operable to digitally encode information in the mark further includes:

a controller operable to digitally encode contextual information in the mark.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller operable to digitally encode information in the mark further includes:

a controller operable to digitally encode information in the mark formed on a surface of a patient, the information corresponding to at least one of a patient information and/or a patient history.

32. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller further includes a controller operable to encode information corresponding to an identification of a human being proximate to the device and an identification of a physical object proximate to the device by regulating a discharge of a marking substance.

33. The device of claim 32, wherein the identification is obtained by a sensor operable to at least acquire information from a radio frequency identification (RFID) associated with the human being and the physical object.

34. The device of claim 1, wherein:

the writing element comprises at least two electronically driven printheads;

the writing element is operable to discharge a marking substance from a first electronically driven printhead of the at least two electronically driven printheads in response to a movement of the device; and

the controller is operable to encode information corresponding to a context of the device by regulating a discharge of a second marking substance from a second electronically driven printhead of the at least two electronically driven printheads.

15. A method comprising:

forming a mark representing a first information on a surface, wherein the forming a mark representing a first information on a surface further includes forming a mark representing a first information on a surface in response to a manual action; and

regulating the formation of the mark to include a second information, the second information following a contour of the mark and comprising binary data linearly deposited along the mark as a series of dashes.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the forming a mark representing a first information on a surface further includes:

forming a mark representing a first information on a surface corresponding to a movement of an electronic writing element over the surface.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the forming a mark representing a first information on a surface further includes:

forming an expressed mark representing a human-understandable information on a surface.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the forming a mark representing a first information on a surface further includes:

discharging a marking substance onto a surface to form a mark representing a first information.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the regulating the formation of the mark to include a second information further includes:

regulating the formation of an analog mark to include a digitally expressed second information.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the regulating the formation of the mark to include a second information further includes:

regulating volume, continuity, color, and pattern of the mark to include a second information.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the regulating the formation of the mark to include a second information further includes:

regulating an orthogonal aspect of the mark relative to a movement of the writing element of the mark to include a second information.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein the regulating the formation of the mark to include a second information further includes:

regulating amplitude, frequency, differential shift, and parameter of an orthogonal aspect of the mark relative to a movement of the writing element of the mark to include a second information.

23. The method of claim 15, wherein the forming a mark representing a first information on a surface further includes:

forming an expressed mark representing a human-understandable information on a surface.

24. The method of claim 15, wherein the forming a mark representing a first information on a surface further includes:

discharging a marking substance onto a surface to form a mark representing a first information.

25. The method of claim 15, wherein the regulating the formation of the mark to include a second information further includes:

regulating the formation of an analog mark to include a digitally expressed second information.

26. The method of claim 15, wherein the regulating the formation of the mark to include a second information further includes:

regulating at least one of volume, continuity, color, and/or pattern of the mark to include a second information.

27. The method of claim 15, wherein the regulating the formation of the mark to include a second information further includes:

regulating an orthogonal aspect of the mark relative to a movement of the writing element of the mark to include a second information.

28. The method of claim 15, wherein the regulating the formation of the mark to include a second information further includes:

regulating at least one of amplitude, frequency, differential shift, and/or parameter of an orthogonal aspect of the mark relative to a movement of the writing element of the mark to include a second information.

29. A device comprising:

means for forming a mark representing a first information on a surface corresponding to a movement of an electronic writing element over the surface; and

means for regulating the formation of the mark to include a second information, the second information following a contour of the mark and comprising binary data linearly deposited along the mark as a series of dashes.

30. The device of claim 29, wherein the means for forming a mark representing a first information on a surface corresponding to a movement of an electronic writing element over the surface further includes:

means for forming a mark expressing a first information on a surface corresponding to a movement of an electronic writing element over the surface.

31. The device of claim 29, wherein the means for regulating the formation of the mark to include a second information further includes:

means for regulating the formation of the mark to include a second digitally expressed information.