Abstract:
The invention is a notepad incorporating a device for transmitting handwritten notes via email. As part of the system, certain hardware and software are built in the notepad to cause emailed notes to be routed through a server thus building up a userbase. Several specific, automated actions are taken on the note which is beneficial to the sender, the manufacturer, and vendors.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1). Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    This invention relates to a kit for recording and transmitting a note created in freehand and the use of this kit in establishing an email userbase for the purpose of delivering commercial services to this userbase.  
           [0003]    2). Discussion of Related Art  
           [0004]    People often record notes on pieces of paper for their own memory, for filing, or for providing to others. In certain instances it may also be useful to have an electronic copy of such a note for subsequent access to the content of the note. An electronic copy of a note thus created in freehand can also be transmitted by electronic mail. The specification of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/321,466 describes a kit which can be used for recording and transmitting an image of a note created in freehand on a notesheet. This specification provides details of how software in the kits, and in the software and server controlling the processing of electronic notes, referred to here as a system director, can utilize the sale of such properly enabled kits to channel their use in furthering multiple business objectives of the system director.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0005]    A system director is used, among other things, to control the routing and processing of electronic mail and Internet communications. The system director measures the magnitude of traffic of electronic mail messages both handwritten and text, passing through a server; it routs mail to the proper destinations; it invokes special system-director-resident applications when a note is encoded for these applications; it inserts advertisements from certified vendors; and it stores and allows access for certified plug-in applications by third party developers; and it routs notes to manufacturers and distributors of kits and products in support of kits for delivery to users.  
           [0006]    Traffic of electronic mail messages passing through the server is initiated by sale of kits for transmission of notes created in freehand. Each kit includes a pad, a detector, a transmitter, and a computer readable medium. The pad has a surface for locating a notesheet on. The detector detects how a note, created in freehand by a writing instrument on the notesheet, is formed, and generates a signal having information of what the note in freehand looks like. The transmitter is in communication with the detector so as to receive the signal. The transmitter transmits the signal to a computer at a remote location. The computer readable medium is insertable into and removable from the computer. The computer readable medium has a program stored thereon. The program is readable by a processor of a computer and includes a receiving module which controls a port of the computer so that the signal is received at the remote location through the port of the computer. The program also has a transmission module which transmits an electronic mail message including at least information of the signal to a recipient. The transmission module includes a routing submodule having information of a predetermined server through which the electronic mail message is transmitted from the computer to the recipient. Because the server is a predetermined server, the system director ensures that all electronic mail message traffic generated utilizing the kit go through the predetermined server so as to generate traffic through the predetermined server. Further traffic is also created using a viral marketing technique whereby a recipient of such emailed notes is not only intrigued by receipt of such, he/she can receive his/her own device and associated paper interface merely by clicking on a logo-actuated link taking them to the server and its system director. The system director routs this request to a billing system and then to a manufacturer or to a retailer of such subsystems who automatically ships the item to the recipient.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]    The invention is further described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating major components of a system which is set up by a system director;  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 2 is a flow chart illustrating how the system director sets up the system of FIG. 1; and  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 3 is a flow chart illustrating how the system director utilizes the system of FIG. 1 to attract potential advertisers.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0011]    The invention is firstly described by way of example with reference to FIG. 1 which illustrates major components which are set up by a system director. The system utilizes a pad on which a notesheet is located and software which is loaded in memory in a computer. A person can create a note in freehand on a notesheet and transmit a signal including information of what the note in freehand looks to the computer. The software has a transmission module which is preprogrammed by the system director so that an electronic mail message of what the note in freehand looks like is transmitted through a system director server. The system director can thereby control all electronic mail messages being transmitted.  
         [0012]    The invention is thereafter further described with reference to FIG. 2 which illustrates how the system is set up by the system director. The system is initially “primed” by the system director who sells pads, notes and software and then continues to sell pads, notes and software to generate electronic mail messages passing through a predetermined system director server. The system then utilizes a viral marketing technique which ensures further sales and growth. Such growth ensures even further electronic mail traffic through the system director server.  
         [0013]    The invention is then further described with reference to FIG. 3 which illustrates how the system director utilizes the electronic mail traffic to attract advertisers and how the advertisers utilize the electronic mail traffic.  
         [0014]    Referring now to FIG. 1, a system  10  is illustrated. A system director  12  is in possession of a kit for recording notes in freehand. The kit includes a pad, software, and notesheets as described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/321,466 which is incorporated herein by reference. Suffice to say that the kit includes a pad, a detector, a transmitter, and a computer readable medium. The pad has a surface for locating a notesheet on. The detector detects how a note, created in freehand by a writing instrument on the notesheet, is formed, and generates a signal having information of what the note in freehand looks like. The transmitter is in communication with the detector so as to receive the signal. The transmitter transmits the signal to a computer at a remote location. The computer readable medium is insertable into and removable from the computer. The computer readable medium has a program stored thereon. The program is readable by a processor of a computer and includes a receiving module which controls a port of the computer so that the signal is received at the remote location through the port of the computer. The program also has a transmission module which transmits an electronic mail message including at least information of the signal to a recipient.  
         [0015]    The system director  12  provides the kit to a retailer or a computer manufacturer  14 . The retailer or computer manufacturer  14  (hereinafter referred to as “retailer”) then sells the kit to a user  16  or users. The user  16  is then in position of the software  18  provided on disk which is insertable into and removable from a computer  20  and installed on a computer  20  of the user. The user  16  is also in possession of the pad  22  which is in communication with the computer  20 . The user  16  can then locate a notesheet on the pad  22  and create a note in freehand on the notesheet. A detector detects movement of a writing instrument creating the note in freehand and a transmitter transmits a signal to the computer  20  of what the note in freehand looks like.  
         [0016]    The software  18  includes a receiving module  26 , a preferences module  28 , a rendering module  30 , rendering code  32 , and a transmission module  34 . The receiving module  30  is used to control the computer  20  so that a signal can be received from the pad  22  through a port of the computer  20  into the computer  20 . Certain preferences such as sound, borders, and encryption can be selected utilizing the preferences module  28 . The rendering module  30  is used to create an image of what the note in freehand looks like on a screen of the computer  20 . The rendering code  32  can be transmitted from the computer  20  to a computer of a recipient so that an image of the note in freehand can be created on a screen of a computer of the recipient. The transmission module  34  includes a recipient address submodule  36  and a routing submodule  38 . The recipient address submodule includes a list of Internet addresses. The user  16  can select one of the addresses on the notesheet on the pad  22  for purposes of sending an electronic mail message including an image of the note in freehand to a selected recipient.  
         [0017]    The routing submodule is set up by the system director  12  before sale of the software  18 . The routing submodule  38  ensures that the electronic mail message is transmitted from the user computer  20  through a user Internet service provider (ISP)  42  over the Internet to a pre-selected system director server  44 . The electronic mail message is then forwarded by the system director server  44  through a recipient ISP  46  to a recipient computer  48 . The system director  12  thereby ensures that all electronic mail messages transmitted utilizing the pad  22  and software  18  go through the system director server  44 . The sale of kits including a pad  22  and software  18  therefore increases traffic of Internet mail messages through the system director server  44 . The system director  12  thus “primes” traffic through the system director server  44  through initial sale of software  18  and pads  22 .  
         [0018]    An applications programmer interface (API)  52  is resident on the system director server  44 . Pad dependent applications, anti-virus applications, sound, borders, encryption, plug-ins, instant messages, and third party applications may be stored on the API  52 . An electronic mail message passing through the system director server  44  may be enhanced with the applications on the API  52 . In particular, sound or borders may be added to the electronic mail message or the electronic mail message may be encrypted depending on the preferences selected by the user  16  utilizing the preferences module  28 .  
         [0019]    As mentioned earlier, the rendering code  32  is transmitted to the recipient computer  48  so that an image of the note in freehand is created on the recipient computer  48  utilizing the rendering code  32 . The rendering code  32  also places a link next to the image which, when clicked on by the recipient, opens and directs a browser to a system director e-commerce site  54  for selling custom notes, pads, and software. The recipient can order such notes, pads, and software on the system director e-commerce site  54 , whereafter a message is sent to the retailer  14 . The software  18  thereby stimulates further sale of notes, pads, and software in a viral marketing technique.  
         [0020]    The system  10  also includes signature verification  56  and commercial messages  58 . The signature verification  56  will be described hereinbelow with reference to FIG. 2 and the commercial messages  58  will be described hereinbelow with reference to FIG. 3.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 2 now illustrates further details of how the system director sets the system  10  up. In step  60  the system director provides kits, each kit including a pad, notes, and software, to a retailer. In step  62  the retailer sells the kit to a user. In step  64  the user installs the software on a computer of the user and then selects preferences. In step  66  the user locates a notesheet on the surface of the pad and writes on the notesheet. In step  68  the user can select to order custom notesheets by writing on the notesheet on the pad. If notesheets are not ordered by the user, step  70  is commenced wherein an electronic mail message is sent through a user ISP to the system director server. In step  72  the system director server invokes applications which are resident on the API. The applications are invoked dependent on the preferences selected by the user in step  64 . One of the preferences that can be selected by the user is signature verification. In step  74  a determination is made whether the user selected signature verification. If signature verification is not selected then step  76  is commenced wherein the electronic mail message is sent through a recipient ISP to a recipient computer. The electronic mail message is opened on a screen of the recipient computer, including an image of a note created in step  66  as modified in step  72 .  
         [0022]    It can thus be seen that, as step  62  is repeated, more Internet mail messages will be sent through the system director server in step  70 . Steps  60  and  62  can thus be referred to as the “priming” of electronic mail message passing through the system director server in step  70 .  
         [0023]    In addition, there is also a viral marketing technique carried out in steps  80  to  86 . In step  80  the recipient of the electronic mail message can click on a link on the opened message on the screen of the recipient computer to order a pad, notes, or software. If the recipient does click on the link, step  82  is commenced. In step  82  a browser of the recipient is opened and directed to an e-commerce site which provides information of how a kit can be acquired including a pad, notes, or software. In particular, the e-commerce site provides the recipient the option to either order a kit for a fee or to acquire a kit for free. In step  84  the recipient selects whether he wants to acquire the kit for free or for a fee. The relevance of the selection in step  84  will be described with reference to FIG. 3. In step  86  a message is sent to the retailer to order one of the kits. Step  62  is then repeated with the user being substituted with the recipient. It can thus be seen that steps  62  to  86  requires no further input from the system director. Further sales of kits thus has a viral marketing nature wherein it feeds on itself. Such a viral marketing technique further increases the traffic of electronic mail messages passing through the system director server in step  70 . The purpose of the increased traffic will be described hereinbelow with reference to FIG. 3.  
         [0024]    As mentioned, the user has the option in step  68  to order custom notesheets. If the user does order custom notesheets then step  90  is initiated. In step  90  the message is sent to the retailer including information provided by the user of what the custom notesheets should look like. The retailer then sells the notesheets to the user.  
         [0025]    As also mentioned, the user also has the option to select signature verification in step  74 . If such a selection is made, then step  92  is commenced. In step  92  details of a signature created in step  66  is sent to a signature verification authority which verifies the authenticity of the signature. The signature verification authority then returns a message to the system director server which in turn sends a message to an e-commerce vendor in step  94 . The e-commerce vendor can then determine whether a sale should be made to the user.  
         [0026]    The options provided in steps  68  and  74  are examples of facilities that can be provided to a user to further increase traffic through the system director server. The purpose of increasing traffic through the system director server, in particular electronic mail traffic, is now described with reference to FIG. 3.  
         [0027]    In step  100  the system director initiates the chart in FIG. 2 which creates electronic mail traffic through the system director server. After some time the system director executes step  102  wherein the system director measures the electronic mail traffic passing through the system director server. In step  104  the system director provides information relating to the magnitude of traffic to a potential advertiser. The purpose of step  104  is to attract the potential advertiser to utilize the system director server for purposes of advertisement in return for value accruing to the system director. In step  106  the system director and advertiser agree to add icons to electronic mail messages passing through the system director server in return for value. The advertiser is interested in adding the icons to the electronic mail messages because of the magnitude of traffic of electronic mail messages passing through the server and because the icons are advertisements for the advertiser.  
         [0028]    In step  108  the advertiser provides an icon to the system director. In step  110  the system director programs the system director server so that the icon is added to selected ones of electronic mail messages passing through the system director server. An icon is only added to an electronic mail message if the electronic mail messages originate from an original recipient who selected in step  84  of FIG. 2 to receive a kit for free. An icon is not added to an electronic mail message originating from a user who paid for a kit. Once opened on a screen of a computer of a recipient, the icon may for example be located in a corner of the electronic mail message and may be a link to a website of the advertiser.  
         [0029]    In step  110  the advertiser provides value to the system director. The value may take on any form such as the payment of a fee for every icon added to every electronic mail message. It can thus be seen that the system director obtains value from an advertiser because of the magnitude of traffic of electronic mail messages passing through the system director server. The magnitude of traffic depends on both “priming” and viral marketing techniques. The traffic is however ensured because of the sale of the software  18  in FIG. 1 including the routing submodule  38 , as used in combination with the pad  22 .  
         [0030]    While certain exemplary embodiments have been described and shown in the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that such embodiments are merely illustrative and not restrictive of the current invention, and that this invention is not restricted to the specific constructions and arrangements shown and described since modifications may occur to those ordinarily skilled in the art.