Abstract: Techniques are provided for determining a document, an authenticated document sender and an intended document recipient. The intended recipient of the document is optionally notified of new documents available for review. A non-optional delivery confirmation is recorded when an authenticated recipient reads, prints, forwards or otherwise accesses the document. The sender is optionally notified when the non-optional delivery confirmation is recorded.

Abstract: The present invention includes systems, methods, and computer readable media for locating, sorting, and modifying images for future use. A conversion engine submits search requests to an image search engine and accepts the received results. The conversion engine arranges the search results according to selected visual characteristics of the image. Editing tools can then convert the results of the image search into vector based images which can be easily manipulated and enable users to modify the re-ranked images for future use.

Abstract: Systems and methods in accordance with the present invention provide freeform annotation techniques designed to make freeform annotations on a digital document more flexible, reliable and presentable on a screen of a computing device. They allow users to markup the document, add comments, and link between annotations, while maintaining the freeform nature of these annotations without constraining the kinds of annotations allowed. These freeform annotations are then unequivocally recognized via a state machine into three groups of annotation marks: anchor, comment, and link, each of which is associated with either part of the digital document or with another annotation mark. In addition, these annotation marks can be repositioned and resized to fit within the display area available on the screen based on the display properties of the screen, thus supporting the natural flow of annotating the document in a freeform manner.

Abstract: A medium, system and method of generating an information digest document. In various exemplary embodiments, the medium, system and/or method may include determining associated previously accessed content information in response to a user-defined digest specification, and generating a digest document of the associated previously accessed content information.

Abstract: A medium, system and method of processing content information. In one exemplary embodiment, the medium, system and method include determining associated previously accessed content information in response to an action performed on a document containing information and based on a context of the information, and indicating to a user the determined associated content information.

Abstract: A system for automatic emphasis of freeform annotations contained within an electronic document is performed based on a determined importance of each annotation. The importance of each annotation is determined by a mark parser that groups, types and ranks each of the annotations. A weighted value is assigned to each grouped, ranked and typed annotation based on temporal and spatial information. The display characteristics of the weighted annotation is altered based on the weighted value.

Abstract: A document storage management system and method that manages the storage of documents based upon the similarity of the content of the documents. Groups of documents are created based upon the similarity of the contents of the documents. Those groups are displayed to the user in a ranked list of selectable groups to permit selection of a group or document. The storage of the selected group or document is then managed by, for example, deleting, compressing, or copying. The displayed list may be ranked based upon a least recently used policy, the relevance to a predetermined topic, the size of the group, the radius of the group based upon the maximum distance of any document from the group centroid, the number of documents in the group and any other combination of parameters.

Abstract: The technique for selecting at least a part of object on an electronic media includes, providing annotations on the object, grouping the annotation on the object, and selecting one or both of the object and the annotations based on the grouping of the annotations on the object. The techniques also provide the system that selects a part of object on a media, that includes an annotation grouping circuit that provides annotations on the object and groups the annotations on the object, and an object selection circuit that selects at least one of the object and the annotations based on the grouping of the annotation on the object.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for displaying sets of high value annotation information while maintaining the contextual relevance of the high value annotations to the source portion of the annotated document. A selection criteria such as annotator name, time or other criteria, is applied to the high value annotations. High value annotations having overlapping display locations in the source document are determined and the overlap resolved based on a presentation style. The high value annotations and the document is displayed based on the presentation style.

Abstract: A method and system for position-aware freeform printing in which a source image space in a source medium and a target image space in a target medium are specified. A selected image in the source image space is copied and/or optionally processed and transferred to the target image space. A controller captures the selected source image and stores the image in a memory. The image is optionally processed and the processed and optionally formatted image is output. The controller may format the processed image to fit into the target image space by controlling the rendering of the processed image onto the target medium as the printing device is moved over the target image space in a freeform direction. The controller predicts the freeform direction that the print head will travel by detecting the motion previously traveled and adjusting the image to compensate for the predicted freeform direction.

Abstract: The reading and writing system enhances free-form ink annotating and note taking by creating links between passages in response to free-form ink. The reading and writing system generates links between free-form ink anchors and also generates links between documents in different windows when a free-form ink stroke extends across window boundaries. The reading and writing system also removes a link when the free-form ink stroke representing the link is erased. The reading and writing system will display the ink anchors in a display showing all related linked anchors with their surrounding context when a corresponding link is selected.

Abstract: A system, apparatus, and article of manufacture for detecting a reader's interest in a particular external document through their markings and annotations, and processing the marks in various ways, is provided. By detecting anchors proximal to annotations made by a reader, a collection of the annotated anchors and the related documents may be organized and generated for a reader to process according to their desires.

Abstract: The method and system of the invention maintains the indication of the logical relationship of freeform digital ink annotations to objects in an electronic display even as the view changes. The invention maps the logical relationship of the freeform digital ink annotations to objects in the view based upon the layout relationships of the freeform digital ink annotations to the objects in the view. If the view changes, the invention maintains the layout relationship of the freeform digital ink annotations to the objects in the view based upon the mapping of the freeform digital ink annotations to the objects.

Abstract: The document reading system passively analyzes a document to generate margin or end notes of references to other documents that relate to annotated passages in the document or to the entire document. The invention is responsive to the annotation of a document to passively generate a query that retrieves documents that have similar content to the annotated passage. The retrieved documents are available to the reader through selectable links placed in the margin near the annotation. Additionally, the invention provides end notes with links to documents that are similar in content to the overall content of the annotated document. The invention assists the reader by passively generating selectable links to related documents to assist the user in relating the new document to previously read material.

Abstract: The method and system of the invention enables free-from digital ink annotation of data traces and storage management of the data trace based upon the free-from digital ink annotations. An embodiment of the system and method of the invention receives a freeform digital ink annotation on a data trace, maps the freeform digital ink annotation to the data corresponding to the annotated portions of the data trace and renders the freeform digital ink annotations on a display of the data trace.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for generating reminder messages based on a freeform input is disclosed. In one embodiment, freeform inputs are handwritten annotations on paper that are scanned into a computer system. Based on information contained in the freeform input, the system creates a reminder message and transmits it in response to a time reference contained in the freeform input. In an alternative embodiment, freeform digital ink inputs may be directly entered into a pen computer system via a stylus. Reminder messages may be delivered over a computer display, facsimile device, via email, telephone or portable paging device.

Abstract: A system for automatic emphasis of freeform annotations contained within an electronic document is performed based on a determined importance of each annotation. The importance of each annotation is determined by a mark parser that groups, types and ranks each of the annotations. A weighted value is assigned to each grouped, ranked and typed annotation based on temporal and spatial information. The display characteristics of the weighted annotation is altered based on the weighted value.

Abstract: A method and system for position-aware freeform printing in which a source image space in a source medium and a target image space in a target medium are specified. A selected image in the source image space is copied and/or optionally processed and transferred to the target image space. A controller captures the selected source image and stores the image in a memory. The image is optionally processed and the processed and optionally formatted image is output. The controller may format the processed image to fit into the target image space by controlling the rendering of the processed image onto the target medium as the printing device is moved over the target image space in a freeform direction. The controller predicts the freeform direction that the print head will travel by detecting the motion previously traveled and adjusting the image to compensate for the predicted freeform direction.

Abstract: Widgets are annotated with freeform digital ink. Rather than annotating the data displayed by widgets, annotations are made “on” the widgets themselves and stored in relation to the application and/or window they are associated with. These annotations allow users to interact with widgets without having to keep a separate hardcopy set of notes or instructions explaining how to use the widgets.

Abstract: Widgets are annotated with freeform digital ink. Rather than annotating the data displayed by widgets, annotations are made “on” the widgets themselves and stored in relation to the application and/or window they are associated with. These annotations allow users to interact with widgets without having to keep a separate hardcopy set of notes or instructions explaining how to use the widgets.