Hybrid information management system for handwriting and text

Abstract

A computer system used with special input hardware for providing the benefits of computerization to handwritten as well as keyboard entered information to meet a wide spectrum of commonly-occurring, written information processing needs. The input hardware consists of a transparent digitizing tablet mounted atop a flat panel display screen such that a user can handwrite directly upon the display screen with an attached pen. Application program functions include appointment documentation and work scheduling, handwritten or text file creation and manipulation, author-to-typist liaison functions for document production, handwritten annotation to text, handwritten note creation from text, and text document creation from handwritten source material.

I claim: 
     
       1. A computer information system for handwriting and text, comprising: a) a computer including a non-volatile storage area and a display;   b) means, including a digitizing pen for indicating positional coordinate information of said pen as an image on said display when said pen is moved, and for initiating a plurality of commands to said computer based upon the position of said image on said display;   c) means for entering digital information into said computer;   d) means for entering handwritten and text information into said storage area and displaying said information on said display;   e) means for creating, in said storage area, handwriting files which accept handwritten information as well as text .[.and which can be calendar-sequenced upon user direction, and can have date indicia and positional format areas, said date indicia and said positional format areas being in a calendar format.].;   f) means for manipulating said handwritten and text information within and between said handwriting files in a plurality of different ways in accordance with said respective plurality of commands;   g) means for indexing, storing, retrieving, copying and deleting said handwriting files in said computer;   h) means for creating a program object image on said display, said program object image representing a visual element of a programming system, which is created by a command to said programming system, which appears as an image on said display, which possesses one of a plurality of programmer-controllable physical shapes or sizes, including that of a button object image, which can be moved to any location on said display, which can have program commands associated with it such that a program associated with said program object image can be activated by a user to perform specific program actions;   an improvement comprising:   i) means for allowing said user (1) to create, and place one or more of said program object images on an image of one of said handwriting files on said display, and (2) to associated one or more of said program object images with any specific section of said handwritten information; whereby labor savings or other beneficial actions produced by said user's activation of said program object image associated with said specified handwritten information can be derived repeatedly without repeated creation of said program object image or the commands that it automates;   j) means which can be activated by said user to move as a group only said specific sections of handwritten information and some or all of said program object images associated with said specified section of handwritten information to a specific location within or across said handwriting files which accept handwriting, such that the associations between said specific section of handwritten information and said program object images are preserved; whereby the substantial labor to recreate said linkages can be eliminated which otherwise would be necessary for said user to derive the benefit of said associations in another file location or in a different file; and   k) means for identifying precisely said specific section of handwritten information which may be carried out by one of a plurality of techniques, including encirclement of the desired material by the user with a line drawing cursor.   
     
     
       2. The system of claim .[.1.]. .Iadd.22.Iaddend., further including a means for uploading and downloading information between a portable computer and a non-portable computer. 
     
     
       3. The system of claim .[.1.]. .Iadd.22.Iaddend., further including means for jumping from .[.one of the following:.]. said handwriting file .[.and said calendar-sequenced file,.]. to another of the following: said handwriting files .[.and said calendar-sequenced files.]. for temporary processing, then returning to the departure position of said one file. 
     
     
       4. The system of claim .[.1.]. .Iadd.22.Iaddend., further including a graphic index of said handwriting files .[.and said calendar-sequenced files.]., said index being composed of elements which, when cursor selected, retrieve an associated file. 
     
     
       5. The system of claim .[.4.]. .Iadd.1 .Iaddend.further including means which can be activated by a single user command for moving multiple selected specified sections of said handwritten information and their respective associated program object images to a specific location within or across said handwriting files, such that the associations between said specific section of handwritten information and said respective program object images are preserved; whereby the substantial labor needed to recreate the multiple associations between numerous specified sections of handwritten information and their respective associated program objects may be eliminated. 
     
     
       6. The system of claim .[.4.]. .Iadd.1 .Iaddend.wherein said association of said specific section of handwritten information and said program object image is carried out by one of a plurality of programming techniques, including physical placement by said user of said program object image adjacent to said specific section of handwritten information; said physical placement being carried our by one of a plurality of known means, including acquiring said programming object image with the cursor-positioning device, dragging said program object image to the desired location and releasing it there. 
     
     
       7. The system of claim .[.4.]. .Iadd.1 .Iaddend.wherein said program object image appears as a button which can have program commands associated with it such that a program associated with said button can be activated by the user to perform specific program actions. 
     
     
       8. The system of claim .[.4.]. .Iadd.1 .Iaddend.wherein the activation of said programming object image is carried out by said user placing the cursor on said program object image and pressing a button on the cursor positioning device. 
     
     
       9. The system of claim .[.4.]. .Iadd.1 .Iaddend.wherein said program object image associated with said specific section of handwritten information appears as a button (104 in FIG. 5) which, when activated by said user retrieves a file, whereby a user can associate, with said specific section of handwritten information, a button which when activated retrieves a computer file containing information which can be handwritten or textual or both and which is related to the associated handwritten notation. 
     
     
       10. The system of claim .[.4.]. .Iadd.1 .Iaddend.wherein said means which can be activated by said user to move a plurality of said specific sections of handwritten information and any subset of said program object images respectively associated with said specific sections of handwritten information to specific locations within or across said .[.regular or calendar-sequenced.]. files which accept handwriting is further arranged to optionally modify the relative positioning at the target location of the items being moved upon command of said user; whereby said user can update handwritten notes and their associated benefit-producing buttons without fear of obliterating notes and objects on said target material. 
     
     
       11. The system of claim .[.4.]. .Iadd.1.Iaddend., further including a graphic index of said handwriting files .[.and said calendar-sequenced files.]., said index being composed of elements which, when cursor selected, retrieve an associated file. 
     
     
       12. The system of claim .[.4.]. .Iadd.1.Iaddend., further including means for uploading and downloading information from said computer to another computer. 
     
     
       13. The system of claim .[.4.]. .Iadd.1.Iaddend., further including means for jumping from one of .[.the following:.]. said handwriting file .[.and said calendar-sequenced file.]. to another of .[.the following:.]. said handwriting files .[.and said calendar-sequenced files.]. for temporary processing, then returning to the departure position of said one file. 
     
     
       14. The system of claim .[.4.]. .Iadd.1.Iaddend., further including means for associating a date with said handwriting files such that said file is automatically retrieved when said dates become contemporaneous or later than the current date. 
     
     
       15. The system of claim .[.4.]. .Iadd.1.Iaddend., further including means for linking a plurality of records containing handwriting in said handwriting files such that said plurality of records may be filed as single record in said handwriting files in said computer. 
     
     
       16. The system of claim .[.4.]. .Iadd.1.Iaddend., further including means for executing a program external to said system without quitting said system. 
     
     
       17. The system of claim .[.4.]. .Iadd.1.Iaddend., further including means for automatically placing current time and date information into one of said handwriting files. 
     
     
       18. The system of claim .[.4.]. .Iadd.1.Iaddend., further including means for searching through a plurality of said handwriting files to retrieve one of said handwriting files having a piece of embedded text identical to a sought-after search text. 
     
     
       19. The system of claim .[.4.]. .Iadd.1.Iaddend., wherein said means for identifying precisely said specific section of handwritten information is arranged to select all handwriting in a predefined fixed area on a particular file screen format which displays the handwriting. (FIG. 5). 
     
     
       20. The system of claim .[.4.]. .Iadd.1.Iaddend., wherein said program object image further combines the data entry and storage characteristics of a programming language field element which can accept user supplied data entered by a plurality of means including selection of letters and numbers from a set of alphanumeric images displayed on the screen, and which also evidences the action-triggering characteristics of a button object and which can further be characterized as a field-button; whereby activation of said program object image by said user performs a beneficial action which relies upon the user-supplied information provided to said program object image. 
     
     
       21. The system of claim 20, wherein said program object image is arranged to dial a telephone number supplied to the field-button object by said user when said computer is connected to a modem, whereby said user can associated with said specific section of handwritten information a field-button .[.(105 in FIG. 5).]. which when clicked on by said user can cause the number which has been entered into the field-button to be dialed. 
     
     
       22. In a computer information system for handwriting and text, comprising: a) a computer including a non-volatile storage area and a display;   b) means, including a digitizing pen for indicating positional coordinate information of said pen as an image on said display when said pen is moved, and for initiating a plurality of commands to said computer based upon the position of said image on said display;   c) means for entering digital information into said computer;   d) means for entering handwritten and text information into said storage area and displaying said information on said display;   e) means for creating in said storage area, handwriting files which accept handwritten information as well as text;   f) means for manipulating said handwritten and text information within and between said files in a plurality of different ways in accordance with said respective plurality of commands; and   g) means for indexing, storing, retrieving, copying and deleting said files which accept handwritten information as well as and text in said computer; and   h) a keyboard and means for typing into one of said handwriting files;   the improvement comprising:   i) means for creating files which accept handwriting and text and which display a two-part format, one part comprising an area for handwriting, the other a scrolling text window which accepts information entered by means of said keyboard or displays previously created text, whereby a user can (1) handwrite notes in said handwriting area and (2) view text displayed in said scrolling text window; and   j) means for editing text in said text window with a plurality of commands, including at least cut, copy, paste, and wordwrap function commands.