Method and apparatus for linking electronic ink to electronic personal information systems

US6355889B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• International Business Machines Corporation · US

Inventors

• Simon Butcher · Woburn, US
• John P. Karidis · Ossining, US
• Sreenivasulu Kesavarapu · Tarrytown, US
• Scott D. Lekuch · New York, US
• Toby Maners · Boca Raton, US
• James R. Moulic · Anchorage, US
• Bengt-Olaf Schneider · Yorktown Heights, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 28, 2000
• Grant date: Mar 12, 2002
• Expiry date: Jun 28, 2020

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G06Q10/109
• WIPO field: IT methods for management
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

Disclosed is a method and an apparatus, as well as a computer program, for associating digitizer tablet stroke samples with entries in an electronic personal information management (PIM) tool, such as an electronic organizer or an electronic calendar. A stroke database has a plurality of time stamped stroke entries, and a PIM database has a plurality of entries each having a time associated therewith. A controller searches at least one of the stroke database and the PIM database to locate corresponding entries in each database that indicate that a particular one of the stroke entries was created at a time that corresponds to a particular one of the PIM database entries. The controller is responsive to the search being successful for forming a link between the stroke entry and the PIM database entry for enabling corresponding stroke information to be visualized in association with the particular one of the PIM database entries. In accordance with these teachings, and by example, a user is enabled to recall and view handwritten notes and other information that were made during a meeting that corresponds to an entry within the organizer database.