Method and system for creating and sending handwritten or handdrawn messages via mobile devices

• US 8,782,159 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2008
• Issued: 07/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SendSig, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Lot 38 Acquisition Foundation LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Shiigi, Clyde K.
• Primary Examiner(s): SERRAO, RANODHI N
• Application Number:
  US12/335,275
• Publication Number:
  US 20090164595A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,038 Days
• Field of Search: 709204-207, 379/93.01
• US Class Current: 709/207
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/14 Backbone network devices

Abstract

A handwritten or handdrawing messaging system employs a handwriting messaging component operable with a messaging client of a mobile device connected to the data transmission network to set up a handwriting data capture area in the messaging client into which the user can enter handwritten or handdrawn input through a suitable manual input device, and then operates to capture the handwritten or handdrawn input and send it as a handwritten electronic message to the intended recipient. It also sets up a graphical data viewing area within the messaging client for viewing handwritten electronic messages sent to the user. Preferably, it is a small-footprint software module installed with the messaging client of the mobile device. The mobile device can be any type of wired or wirelessly-connected portable device operating on a computing platform, such as a personal digital assistant (PDA) device, game console or player device, or other mobile messaging device. The manual input device can be a touch-sensitive screen, tablet with pen input, stylus pad with stylus input, or an attached drawing pad. The system is particularly useful for messaging via mobile game player devices, so that people all over the world can send handwritten messages, chat, and play handdrawn games with each other.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving image data representative of handwriting input to a mobile device in a graphical data capture area of an electronic messaging client operating in a browser at the mobile device;

formatting the image data for attachment to an electronic message using an application of the electronic messaging client; and

sending the image data to a recipient address of the electronic message using the application.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving other image data representative of other handwriting input to another mobile device in another graphical data capture area of an instance of the electronic messaging client operating in another browser at the other mobile device; and

displaying the image data as pixel data using the electronic messaging client.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the sending includes sending the image data to the recipient address in real-time.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the sending includes pushing the image data to the recipient address.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

storing the image data in response to failure of the pushing the image data to the recipient address and re-trying the pushing the image data after the storing.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

discarding the image data in response to failure, for a predetermined amount of time, of the pushing the image data.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the formatting includes formatting the image data for display at a device associated with the recipient address in a web browser.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing the image data prior to the sending.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the recipient address information at the electronic messaging client prior to the formatting.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to determining a connection has been established with an electronic messaging server over a network, initializing the electronic messaging client using the application; and

displaying the graphical data capture area in the browser.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the formatting the image data comprises formatting the image data in a graphics interchange format.

12. A mobile device, comprising:

at least one processor comprising hardware configured to facilitate execution of a handwriting messaging client configured to employ an application, running in a browser at the mobile device, to set up a graphical data capture area within the handwriting messaging client to capture image data representative of handwriting input to the graphical data capture area, employ the application to format and send the image data as an attachment to an electronic message, and employ the application to display the image data as graphical data.

13. The mobile device of claim 12, wherein the handwriting messaging client is further configured to employ the application to receive other image data captured using an instance of the handwriting messaging client, wherein the other image data is representative of other handwriting input to another graphical data capture area of the instance of the handwriting messaging client running in another browser, and display the image data as pixel data.

14. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein the handwriting messaging application is further configured to employ the application to receive the other image data as the pixel data embedded in a web page.

15. The mobile device of claim 12, wherein the handwriting messaging client is further configured to poll for new image data representative of other handwriting input sent from another mobile device.

16. The mobile device of claim 15, wherein the handwriting messaging client is further configured to periodically poll for the new image data representative of the other handwriting input sent from the other mobile device.

17. The mobile device of claim 12, wherein the handwriting messaging client is further configured to employ the application to send the image data as pixel data embedded in a web page.

18. The mobile device of claim 12, wherein the handwriting messaging client is initialized via the application in response to connection with an electronic messaging server over a network, and wherein the graphical data capture area is displayed in the browser in response to initialization of the handwriting messaging client.

19. A method, comprising:

receiving at a second mobile device, first image data representative of handwriting input to a first mobile device in a graphical data capture area of an electronic messaging client operating in a browser at the first mobile device, wherein the first image data is sent by the first mobile device as an electronic message attachment;

displaying the first image data in a chat format with an instance of the electronic messaging client running in a browser at the second mobile device; and

receiving additional image data at the second mobile device after displaying the first image data, the additional image data representative of handwriting input to the second mobile device in a graphical data capture area of the instance of the electronic messaging client running in the browser at the second mobile device.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the receiving of the additional image data includes receiving the additional image data in a scrollable portion of the graphical data capture area of the instance of the electronic messaging client running in the browser at the second mobile device.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

transmitting the additional image data to the first device as an electronic message attachment.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

combining the additional image data with the first image data on display to form combined handwritten image data.

23. A method, comprising:

receiving, from a data transmission network, image data as an attachment to an electronic message, wherein the image data is formed from handwriting input to a mobile device employing a handwriting messaging client that uses an application, running in a browser at the mobile device, to capture the handwriting input in a graphical data capture area of the handwriting messaging client, format the image data, display the image data, and transmit the image data;

receiving an identification of a targeted recipient device of the image data;

determining that the targeted recipient device is executing an instance of the handwriting messaging application based on the identification; and

transmitting the image data to the targeted recipient device in a format for a rendering of the image data without attaching the image data to the electronic message, the transmitting including using the instance of the handwriting messaging application in response to the determining.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the transmitting includes pushing the image data to the targeted recipient device.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the transmitting includes transmitting the image data to the targeted recipient device after receiving a polling message from the targeted recipient device.

26. A mobile device, comprising:

means for receiving, by the mobile device, image data representative of handwritten input to the mobile device in a graphical data capture area of a messaging client operating in a browser at the mobile device;

means for formatting the image data by the mobile device for attachment to an electronic message using an application of the messaging client; and

means for sending the image data by the mobile device to a recipient address of the electronic message using the application.

27. The mobile device of claim 26, further comprising:

means for determining, by the mobile device, that a connection has been established with an electronic messaging server over a network, and in response to determining the connection has been established with the electronic messaging server over the network;

means for initializing, by the mobile device, the electronic messaging client using the application; and

means for displaying, by the mobile device, the graphical data capture area in the browser.

28. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising computer executable instructions that, in response to execution, cause a computing device to perform operations, comprising:

receiving image data representative of handwriting input to a mobile device in a graphical data capture area of an electronic messaging client operating in a browser at the mobile device;

formatting the image data for attachment to an electronic message using an application of the electronic messaging client; and

sending the image data to a recipient address of the electronic message using the application.

29. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 28, the operations further comprising:

in response to determining a connection has been established with an electronic messaging server over a network, initializing the electronic messaging client using the application; and

displaying the graphical data capture area in the browser.