General information management system

Abstract

An information management system is intended for management of digitally represented information which is associated with absolute positions on an imaginary surface ( 200 ). The imaginary surface ( 200 ) contains at least two regions ( 201 - 208 ), each of which is dedicated to predetermined management of the digitally represented information. In the system the management of the digitally represented information is carried out on the basis of the region affiliation of the absolute positions associated with the information. The system is suitably based on use of a position-coding pattern which defines the imaginary surface ( 200 ) and which in parts is applicable on different bases. The system makes possible both digital recording of information and control of how the information thus recorded is to be managed. A database, a method for management of information, a method for compiling a pattern layout, a product and use are also described.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:  
     
         1 . A global information management system, which is intended for management of information represented in the form of absolute coordinates and which is based on use of a position-coding pattern which defines an imaginary surface ( 100 ;  200 ) consisting of all the positions whose absolute coordinates the position-coding pattern has the capacity to code, wherein at least two unique regions ( 101 - 104 ;  201 - 213 ) are defined on the imaginary surface ( 100 ; 200 ), each of which is dedicated to a predetermined management of information, so that the management of information represented by the absolute coordinates of at least one position on the imaginary surface ( 100 ; 200 ) is carried out dependent upon the region affiliation of said at least one position.  
     
     
         2 . An information management system according to  claim 1 , in which said information comprises a sequence of positions on the imaginary surface ( 100 ; 200 ), which positions form message information, such as interrelated lines.  
     
     
         3 . An information management system according to  claim 1  or  2 , in which at least one command region ( 104 ;  201 ,  207 ;  216 - 219 ) which represents an operation is defined on the imaginary surface ( 100 ;  200 ), SO that detection of the absolute coordinates for a position within this command region ( 104 ;  201 ,  207 ;  216 - 219 ) results in initiation of said operation.  
     
     
         4 . An information management system according to  claim 3 , in which said operation is one of the operations to store information, to send information and to convert information.  
     
     
         5 . An information management system according to  claim 2 ,  3  or  4 , in which a primary region ( 206 ) on the imaginary surface ( 100 ;  200 ) is dedicated to a predetermined management of information and contains said at least one command region ( 216 - 219 ) and at least one message recording region ( 214 ,  215 ,  220 ), which is dedicated to digital recording of a sequence of positions on the imaginary surface ( 200 ), which positions form message information, such as interrelated lines.  
     
     
         6 . An information management system according to  claim 5 , in which the primary region ( 206 ) contains a plurality of identical standard regions ( 213 ), said at least one message recording region ( 214 ,  215 ,  220 ) and said at least one command region ( 216 - 219 ) being included in such a standard region ( 213 ).  
     
     
         7 . An information management system according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a computer system ( 3 ) which is arranged to store information about the division of the imaginary surface ( 100 ;  200 ) into said regions.  
     
     
         8 . An information management system according to  claim 7 , in which the computer system ( 3 ) is arranged to store information about an owner of at least one of said regions.  
     
     
         9 . An information management system according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising at least one user unit ( 2 ) which is arranged to record said absolute coordinates from a base ( 1 ) which is provided with at least one subset of said position-coding pattern.  
     
     
         10 . An information management system according to  claim 9 , in which the absolute coordinates recorded by means of the user unit ( 2 ) represent graphical information which was written using the user unit ( 2 ) on said at least one subset of the position-coding pattern.  
     
     
         11 . An information management system according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising at least one base ( 1 ) which is provided with at least one subset of said position-coding pattern, said at least one subset coding at least one position within at least one region on the imaginary surface ( 100 ;  200 ).  
     
     
         12 . An information management system intended for management of digitally represented information which is associated with absolute positions on an imaginary surface ( 100 ;  200 ), wherein the imaginary surface ( 100 ;  200 ) contains at least two regions ( 101 - 104 ;  201 - 213 ), each of which is dedicated to predetermined management of said information, so that the management of said information is carried out dependent upon the region affiliation of the absolute positions associated with said information.  
     
     
         13 . An information management system according to  claim 12 , in which at least one command region ( 104 ;  201 ,  207 ;  216 - 219 ) is defined on the imaginary surface ( 100 ;  200 ), which command region represents an operation, so that detection of at least one absolute position within said command region ( 104 ;  201 ,  207 ;  216 - 220 ) results in initiation of said operation.  
     
     
         14 . An information management system according to  claim 13 , in which said operation is one of the operations to store information, to send information and to convert information.  
     
     
         15 . An information management system according to any one of claims  12 - 14 , comprising a computer system ( 3 ) which is arranged to store information about which absolute positions belong to a particular region.  
     
     
         16 . An information management system according to  claim 15 , in which the computer system ( 3 ) is arranged to store information about an owner who is allocated at least one of said regions.  
     
     
         17 . An information management system according to any one of claims  12 - 16 , further comprising a held-held device ( 2 ) which is arranged to record at least one absolute position on a base ( 1 ) which is provided with at least one subset of said imaginary surface ( 100 ;  200 ).  
     
     
         18 . An information management system according to  claim 17 , in which said at least one absolute position which is recorded by the hand-held device ( 2 ) is associated with graphical information which was written with the hand-held device ( 2 ) on the base ( 1 ).  
     
     
         19 . An information management system according to  claim 17  or  18 , in which a position-coding pattern is arranged to define said at least one absolute position, and in which the hand-held device ( 2 ) is arranged to detect and decode the position-coding pattern to determine said at least one absolute position on the imaginary surface ( 100 ;  200 ) and said region affiliation.  
     
     
         20 . An information management system according to  claim 19 , in which the position-coding pattern comprises marks (A 7 ) which are arranged with a displacement from their nominal position (A 6 ).  
     
     
         21 . An information management system according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising at least one base ( 1 ) whose surface is provided with at least one subset of said imaginary surface ( 100 ;  200 ).  
     
     
         22 . A database containing an imaginary surface ( 100 ;  200 ) which consists of positions defined by absolute coordinates, wherein at least one position on the imaginary surface ( 100 ;  200 ) is allocated a rule for information management, so that information which is associated with the absolute coordinates of said at least one position is managed on the basis of said rule.  
     
     
         23 . A database according to  claim 22 , in which the imaginary surface ( 100 ;  200 ) consists of all the positions that a position-coding pattern has the capacity to code.  
     
     
         24 . A database according to  claim 22  or  23 , in which the imaginary surface ( 100 ;  200 ) is divided into at least two regions ( 101 - 104 ;  201 - 213 ) which are each allocated a rule for information management.  
     
     
         25 . A database according to any one of claims  22 - 24 , in which the imaginary surface ( 100 ;  200 ) comprises at least one message recording region ( 101 - 103 ;  202 - 215 ,  220 ) which is allocated a rule for digital recording of a sequence of positions on the imaginary surface ( 100 ;  200 ), which positions form message information, such as interrelated lines.  
     
     
         26 . A database according to any one of claims  22 - 25 , in which the imaginary surface ( 100 ;  200 ) comprises at least one command region ( 104 ;  201 ,  207 ;  216 - 219 ) which is allocated a rule which represents an operation, so that detection of the absolute coordinates for a position within this command region ( 104 ;  201 ,  216 - 219 ) results in initiation of said operation.  
     
     
         27 . A database according to claims  25  and  26 , in which at least one message recording region ( 214 ,  215 ,  220 ) and at least one command region ( 216 - 219 ) are incorporated in a primary region ( 206 ) which is allocated a rule for predetermined information management.  
     
     
         28 . A database according to  claim 27 , in which the primary region ( 206 ) contains a plurality of identical standard regions ( 213 ), said at least one message recording region ( 214 ,  215 ,  220 ) and said at least one command region ( 216 - 219 ) being incorporated in such a standard region ( 213 ).  
     
     
         29 . A database according to any one of claims  26 - 28 , in which said operation is one of the operations to store information, to send information and to convert information.  
     
     
         30 . A database according to any one of claims  22 - 29 , which is stored completely or partially in a memory ( 21 ;  3 ′) in a unit ( 2 ;  3 ) which is incorporated in an information management system.  
     
     
         31 . A method for management of information which is represented by absolute coordinates, comprising the step of defining at least two unique regions ( 101 - 104 ;  201 - 213 ), each of which is dedicated to predetermined information management, on an imaginary surface ( 100 ;  200 ) which consists of all the positions whose absolute coordinates a position-coding pattern has the capacity to code, so that information which is represented by the absolute coordinates of at least one position on the imaginary surface ( 100 ;  200 ) is managed dependent upon the region affiliation of said at least one position.  
     
     
         32 . A method according to  claim 31 , further comprising the step of giving a party the sole right to use a subset of the position-coding pattern, which subset codes at least one position within a predetermined region ( 101 - 104 ;  201 - 220 ) on the imaginary surface ( 100 ;  200 ).  
     
     
         33 . A method according to  claim 31  or  32 , comprising the step of creating said information by moving a held-held device ( 2 ) across a base ( 1 ) which is provided with at least one subset of a position-coding pattern, which subset codes absolute positions on the imaginary surface ( 100 ;  200 ), said information being formed as a sequence of absolute positions on the imaginary surface ( 100 ;  200 ), which absolute positions form message information, such as interrelated lines.  
     
     
         34 . A method according to any one of claims  31 - 33 , comprising the step of initiating an operation, when said at least one position is situated within a command region ( 104 ;  201 ,  216 - 219 ) on the imaginary surface ( 100 ;  200 ).  
     
     
         35 . A method according to claims  33  and  34 , in which said operation concerns all or parts of the recorded message information.  
     
     
         36 . A method according to  claim 34  or  35 , in which said operation is one of the operations to store information, to send information and to convert information.  
     
     
         37 . A method for management of digitally represented information associated with at least one absolute position on an imaginary surface ( 100 ;  200 ), which contains at least two regions ( 101 - 104 ;  201 - 220 ), comprising the steps of determining whether said at least one absolute position, which is associated with said information, is situated within one of said regions ( 101 - 104 ;  201 - 220 ) and managing said information in a predetermined way dependent upon to which region ( 101 - 104 ;  201 - 220 ) said at least one absolute position belongs.  
     
     
         38 . A method according to  claim 37 , comprising the steps of producing said information by moving a hand-held device ( 2 ) across a base ( 1 ) provided with a subset of said imaginary surface ( 100 ;  200 ), of determining the absolute position of the hand-held device ( 2 ) during at least part of said movement and of associating said information with the absolute position thus determined.  
     
     
         39 . A method according to  claim 38 , in which said information comprises a graph which represents said movement.  
     
     
         40 . A method according to  claim 38 , in which said information is characters which correspond to said movement after interpretation by means of a character interpretation program.  
     
     
         41 . A method for compiling a pattern layout which is intended to be applied on a product ( 1 ) and which codes absolute positions on an imaginary surface ( 100 ;  200 ), which surface ( 100 ;  200 ) consists of all the absolute positions that a position-coding pattern has the capacity to code and is divided into regions ( 101 - 104 ;  201 - 220 ), of which at least one first region is allocated a rule for how information which contains at least one position within the first region is to be managed, comprising the step of creating the pattern layout from at least one subset of the position-coding pattern so that the pattern layout codes positions within said first region on the imaginary surface ( 100 ;  200 ).  
     
     
         42 . A method according to  claim 41 , in which said at least one first region comprises a message recording region ( 101 - 103 ;  202 - 215 ,  220 ) which is allocated a rule for digital recording of a sequence of positions on the imaginary surface ( 100 ;  200 ), which positions form message information, such as interrelated lines.  
     
     
         43 . A method according to  claim 41  or  42 , in which said regions ( 101 - 104 ;  201 - 220 ) comprise at least one second region, ( 104 ;  201 ,  216 - 219 ) which is allocated a rule which represents an operation, so that detection of the absolute coordinates for a position within said second region ( 104 ;  201 ,  216 - 219 ) results in initiation of said operation.  
     
     
         44 . A method according to  claim 43 , comprising the step of creating the pattern layout to code positions within one of a plurality of identical standard regions ( 213 ) on the imaginary surface ( 100 ;  200 ), which standard region ( 213 ) contains said at least one first and at least one second region ( 214 - 220 ).  
     
     
         45 . A method according to any one of claims  41 - 44 , comprising the step of creating the pattern layout from a single coherent subset of the position-coding pattern.  
     
     
         46 . A method according to any one of claims  41 - 44 , comprising the step of creating the pattern layout by combining at least two separate subsets of the position-coding pattern.  
     
     
         47 . A product which is intended to be used in a system according to any one of claims  1 - 11 , which product ( 1 ) has a message field ( 1 A) which is provided with a first subset of the position-coding pattern to enable digital recording of graphical information which is written on said first subset, and a command field ( 1 B) which is provided with a second subset of the position-coding pattern, which second subset defines an operation which is to be carried out with regard to the recorded graphical information.  
     
     
         48 . A product according to  claim 47 , in which the first subset of the position-coding pattern in the message field ( 1 A) is continuous with the second subset of the position-coding pattern in the command field ( 1 B), so that the product ( 1 ) is provided with a position-coding pattern which codes positions within a coherent coordinate area on the imaginary surface ( 100 ;  200 ).  
     
     
         49 . A product according to  claim 47 , in which the first subset of the position-coding pattern in the message field ( 1 A) is discontinuous with the second subset of the position-coding pattern in the command field ( 1 B), by the first and second subsets coding positions within separate coordinate areas on the imaginary surface ( 100 ;  200 ).  
     
     
         50 . Use of positions on an imaginary surface ( 100 ;  200 ) for control of management of information, which surface ( 100 ;  200 ) consists of a large number of positions and is divided into regions ( 101 - 104 ;  201 - 213 ), in which a rule is associated with each region ( 101 - 104 ;  201 - 213 ) for how the information which contains coordinates for at least one position within this region ( 101 - 104 ;  201 - 213 ) is to be managed.  
     
     
         51 . Use according to  claim 50 , which comprises providing a product ( 1 ) with at least one subset of a position-coding pattern which codes a large number of positions on the imaginary surface ( 100 ;  200 ), which subset codes at least one position within at least one of said regions ( 101 - 104 ;  201 - 220 ).  
     
     
         52 . Use according to  claim 51 , in which the imaginary surface ( 100 ;  200 ) consists of all the positions which the position-coding pattern has the capacity to code.