Patent Application
20160216883
The present invention relates to a device and a method for relaying information between a paper format and a data format that can be manipulated and further transmitted. Devices have been suggested that have an electronic digitizing writing feature which is compatible with a person using a conventional pen or pencil to makes notes on a piece of paper. The electronic digitizing writing feature then records selected information so that, in effect, the person has what can be described as an electronic copy of the information that has been scribed by the conventional pen or pencil on the piece of paper. U.S. Pat. No. 6,396,481 to Challa et al discloses a digitizing writing device that captures ink data on an ink capturing device while simultaneously capturing electronic pen stroke and transmitting the captured data with a built in wireless transceiver to an adjacent electronic image display surface. U.S. Pat. No. 5,631,741 to Matthews propose a touch sensitive area under a piece of paper which records an image of the writing as pixel positions that are stored in a memory array. The memory array operates in typical fashion in that information stored therein can be later read out to a computer. U.S. Pat. No. 5,631,741 to Matthews discloses the use of vector graphics to represent characters.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,629,499 to Flickinger et al discloses a writing board upon which information is written on paper while simultaneously is recorded digitally such that users can retain both copies. The patent further discloses the use of a bar code reader on the writing board that scans in a bar code recorded on the writing paper so that the paper and digital copies can be linked for further document processing and storage. The approach disclosed in this patent requires the use of a customized pen. Another disadvantage of a customized pen is that it might be uncomfortable or difficult to use in contrast to conventional pens or pencils. The need exists, therefore, for a convenient and stable arrangement that permits a person to use a conventional pen or pencil to makes notes on a piece of paper while permitting the person to retain some form of electronic copy of the information that has been scribed by the conventional pen or pencil on the piece of paper.
The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems by providing an information relay device that permits hand scribed notes or other writings to be placed on a conventional piece of paper while automatically converting such notes or other writings to information stored on a device separate from the piece of paper, whereby such stored information can be re-accessed, updated, or supplemented via a wired or wireless network.
It is one object of the present invention to provide a new and improved information relay device that may be easily and efficiently manufactured.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new and improved information relay device that is convenient to deploy and to carry.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information relay device including a feedback station, the feedback station having a plurality of repositories, and a platform disposable in a port mode with the feedback station via which selected markings placed on the platform are associated by the feedback station with discrete repositories and a deploy mode in which the selected markings will not be associated by the feedback station with repositories if these selected markings were to be placed on the platform.
According to further features of the one aspect of the present invention, the platform has a surface that can carry non-transient markings while the platform in its deployed mode and the platform and the feedback station are operatively couplable with one another in a manner in which a non-transient marking placed on the platform is associated with at least one of the repositories of the feedback station. Also, the feedback station is operably interconnectable with an information exchange medium that is not the platform with this operable interconnection being such one or both of the feedback station and the information exchange medium alters, deletes, or supplements information about a respective non-transient marking associated with a given repository of the feedback station as a function of the presence, absence, or content of the information about the respective non-transient marking associated with the given repository of the feedback station.
In accordance with a preferred feature of the information relay device, the platform includes a portion formed of paper fibers capable of carrying a non-transient marking and the feedback station includes a tray portion on which the paper fibers portion of the platform can be disposed and the feedback station is operable such that a marking placed on the paper fibers portion of the platform while the platform is disposed on the tray portion is readable by the feedback station to associate the marking with a respective repository of the feedback station. The platform in its paper mode can display a list format with designated areas to display items on a list or a calendar format with designated area to display event entries, reminders, or other calendar-associated markings.
The present invention is generally directed towards a convenient-to-carry and convenient-to-use information relay device. The principles of the present invention, however, are not limited to the particular configurations of information relay devices described herein. It will be understood that, in light of the present disclosure, the information relay device of the present invention, and its associated components and features, can be successfully used in connection with a variety of scenarios including as a stand-alone device and in combination with other information accessing devices. Additionally, to assist in the description of the information relay device of the present invention, words such as top, bottom, front, rear, right and left may be used to describe the accompanying figures, which may be but are not necessarily drawn to scale. It will be appreciated that the information relay device of the present invention can also be used as a stand-alone device or used in combination with other information processing or information handling arrangements.
Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon review of the following detailed description, claims, and drawings.
As seen in
The platform 116 is disposable in a port mode with the feedback station 112 via which selected markings placed on the platform are associated by the feedback station 112 with discrete ones of the repositories 114 and a deploy mode in which the selected markings will not be associated by the feedback station 112 with the repositories 114 if these selected markings were to be placed on the platform. The platform 116 is shown in a convenient, easy-to-carry configuration as a sheet of paper, it being understood that paper is defined herein as any material suitable for use with or as the platform 116 wherein such material comprises paper fibers, cardboard, or any other material operable to be marked on.
The platform 116 has a surface that can carry non-transient markings while the platform in its deployed mode. Thus, for example, with the platform 116 configured as a sheet of paper, markings can be made on the sheet of paper with a writing implement such as an ink pen, a dry marker, or a graphite-based implement such as a pencil. As will be described in more detail herein, the platform 116 and the feedback station 112 are operatively couplable with one another in a manner in which a non-transient marking placed on the platform 116 is associated with at least one of the repositories 114 of the feedback station 112, wherein a non-transient marking is to be understood herein as any discoloration of the paper via deposition of, for example, ink or pencil lead, any deformation of the paper producing a distinguishable marking, or otherwise any visually distinguishable trace placed on the paper that can serve the operation of the information relay device. A non-transient marking does not include a marking dependent upon the presence or absence of an electrical charge to remain visible nor does it include a marking projected as an image onto the paper that disappears once the projecting medium ceases projecting the image.
As shown in
As seen in
The feedback station 112 includes a second template 134 and, solely for illustration purposes, the second template 134 is shown in
In the example shown, the second set of indicia 136 of the second template 134 include the letters forming the calendar term “January”— which is different than the letters forming the terms “Shopping List” of the first template 120—and a plurality of straight line segments 138 each associated with a respective day of a month.
The feedback station 112 is operably interconnectable with an information exchange medium that is not the platform 116 and, as shown in
The repositories 114 of the feedback station 112 may be configured as transient data that can be generated and stored in an arrangement comprised of hardware, software, or a hybrid of hardware and software. For example, the information relay device can be provided with an ASIC electronic chip that is capable of processing information relating to each respective script or representation placed on the platform 116, dynamically assigning a transient association marker, and referencing the transient association marker for data handling and display purposes including, for example, generating an indicia 122 on the feedback station 112 that duplicates the respective script or representation placed on the platform 116 or providing information to the cloud 140 concerning the respective script or representation placed on the platform 116. It is also possible that the repositories 114 of the feedback station 112 can be hosted on the cloud 140 and the feedback station 112 merely comprises a display capability to display the scripts or representations as directed by the cloud 140.
The present invention contemplates that any suitable stroke tracking, stroke recordal, or stroke capture approach can be used to evaluate non-transient markings placed on the platform 116 by a user. A stroke is considered to be a movement of a user resulting in a non-transient marking and it can be understood that a stroke can be conceptualized as a series of x-y coordinate pairs generated as the tip of the writing implement is guided along the surface of the platform 116 by the user. Alphabetic representations, numerical representations, and graphic representations that are neither alphanumeric or numeric, can be understood as being composed of a series of strokes and from this understanding it can be conceived that data about these strokes, such as the sequence in which they are made or the vector (direction) or speed of the contact point of the writing implement as strokes are created can be used to distinguish and identify the individual strokes.
In addition to actively assessing in real time the movement characteristics of the writing implement to derive data about stroke formation, it is also possible to assess the alphabetic representations, numerical representations, and graphic representations after they have been placed on the platform 116 by deploying a number of known approaches such as Intelligent Character Recognition (ICR), Intelligent Word Recognition (IWR) and Optical Mark Recognition (OMR). Additionally, such approaches can be enhanced via the use of neural networks that recognize both printed script representations and cursive script representations.
The platform 116 may therefore be provided with, for example, a pressure sensitive digitizing surface operatively coupled with software and/or hardware. The pressure digitizing surface would therefore underlie the platform 116 when the platform 116 is disposed on the feedback station 112 in the port mode and the pressure digitizing surface can be responsive to the press contact thereon of the contact point of the writing implement as strokes are generated to create the alphabetic representations, numerical representations, and graphic representations
With respect to the software and/or hardware that can perform the stroke assessment, such software and hardware can be deployed to harvest stroke data and compare the observed or detected strokes and stroke groups or clusters to, for example, a catalog of strokes. Data about strokes can be uploaded via, for example, a wired connection or a wireless transmitter, to a further processing unit, which can be the cloud 140 or a personal computer, a personal digital assistant, a mobile telephonic device, or the like.
While one embodiment of the information relay device has been described with reference to
Continuing with the description of the list variation, a user may select an application entitled “Grocery” by touching a tab 146. Then, in a step 214, the user selects among several variants of the platform 116 to choose an appropriate variant of the platform 116 for use in connection with the application entitled “Grocery”. As seen in
With the “Shopping list” variant 148 disposed in the tray 142 of the feedback station 112, the user then uses the ink pen 118, in a step 218, to print or write in cursive script on the “Shopping list” variant 148, which, as noted, is a sheet of imprinted paper. The feedback station 112 detects, senses, or otherwise makes note of the scripted letters that have been placed onto the “Shopping list” variant 148. Thereafter, in a step 220, the user removes the “Shopping list” variant 148 from the tray 142 of the feedback station 112. Since the “Shopping list” variant 148 is a sheet of Imprinted paper that now also bears a list of items that the user desires to purchase, the user can place the sheet of paper into a pocket or a purse, for example, or transfer the sheet of paper to another person who will attend to the shopping task.
In a step 222, the feedback station 112 performs an information exchange with an information exchange medium. Depending upon the configuration of the feedback station 112, the feedback station 112 may be configured to automatically exchange information with the cloud 140 in connection with the removal of the “Shopping list” variant 148 from the tray 142 of the feedback station 112 or, alternatively, the tray 142 may display, for example, a blinking screen tab that invites the user to press the tab and thereby initiate the information exchange. The feedback station 112 and the cloud 140 can be configured to cooperate such that a number of other transactions occur automatically or after user selection in addition to the information exchange between the feedback station 112 and the cloud 140 that relays information to the cloud 140 concerning the script that has been placed on the platform 116. For example, the cloud 140 may automatically or as a function of user prompting pass on appropriate notification to other devices operatively connected to the cloud 140 such as, for example, other devices accessed by the user such as a personal computer, a personal digital assistant, a mobile telephonic device, or the like. These other devices will then execute appropriate steps to update information or create information based upon the newly received information received by the cloud 140 concerning the script that has been placed on the platform 116. Moreover, the cooperation between the feedback station 112 and the cloud 140 can include having the cloud 140 provide updated, revised, or to-be-deleted information to the feedback station 112 that has been received from other devices of the user or that is later received from such devices. It can be understood that this will enable the user to visually compare the list composed on the “Shopping list” variant 148 with the now-updated list displayed on the tray 142 of the feedback station 112, whereupon the user can decide to amend the list on the “Shopping list” variant 148 by, for example, tracing a strike out line through an item on the list on the “Shopping list” variant 148 or printing or writing an additional item on the list on the “Shopping list” variant 148 to correspond with an item displayed on the tray 142 of the feedback station 112.
Enhancements can also be provided to further automate the user experience with the information relay device or to provide additional features. For example, to facilitate a comparison of the list composed on the “Shopping list” variant 148 with the now-updated list displayed on the tray 142 of the feedback station 112, the feedback station 112 can be configured to visually or aurally alert a user that deleted items or added items appear on now-updated list displayed on the tray 142 of the feedback station 112. The user can then decide to amend the list composed on the ‘Shopping list’ variant 148 or, alternatively, the user may choose to carry the feedback station 112 during a trip to a store so that the user can consult the now-updated list displayed on the tray 142 of the feedback station 112 in lieu of the list composed on the “Shopping list” variant 148. The feedback station 112 can be outfitted with features customary to portable or hand-held devices including, for example, a plug-in power source, a rechargeable battery, or other electrical power supplying features and including data transmission capabilities such as, for example, the capability to connect to a Wi-Fi communication network or to connect to a telephonic communication network such as a 4G telephone network.
Software and/or hardware that can perform the stroke assessment, such software and hardware can be deployed to harvest stroke data and compare the observed or detected strokes and stroke sets to, for example, a catalog of strokes. Data about strokes can be uploaded via, for example, a wired connection or a wireless transmitter, to a further processing unit, which can be the cloud 140 or a personal computer, a personal digital assistant, a mobile telephonic device, or the like.
Reference is now had to
With the “Calendar” variant 150 disposed in the tray 142 of the feedback station 112, the user then uses the ink pen 118, in a step 318, to print or write in cursive script on the “Calendar” variant 150, which may be, for example, a sheet of Imprinted paper. The feedback station 112 detects, senses, or otherwise makes note of the scripted letters that have been placed onto the “Calendar” variant 150. Thereafter, in a step 320, the user removes the “Calendar” variant 150 from the tray 142 of the feedback station 112. The “Calendar” variant 150 is a sheet of imprinted paper that now also bears a calendar with event entries, reminders, or other calendar-associated markings.
Depending upon the configuration of the feedback station 112, the feedback station 112 may be configured to automatically exchange information with the cloud 140 in connection with the removal of the “Calendar” variant 150 from the tray 142 of the feedback station 112 or, alternatively, the tray 142 may display, for example, a blinking screen tab that invites the user to press the tab and thereby initiate the information exchange. Enhancements specific to the calendar variation of the method can include, for example, options allowing a user to of generate repeat entries of a calendared event on a weekly basis, a bi-weekly basis, or a monthly basis, for example.
With reference to
Although this invention has been disclosed and described in its preferred forms with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art. Additionally, it is understood that the present disclosure of the preferred forms is only by way of example and that numerous changes in the details of operation and in the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.
