Device and method for communication

A product for electronic transmission of handwritten information, a user unit for recording and sending the information, and a computer program for controlling a user unit are disclosed. The product may include at least one writing area for the handwritten information and an address area indicating an address to which the handwritten information is to be sent. A position-coding pattern in the form of a plurality of symbols may be reproduced in the writing area, an arbitrary position area of a predetermined size of the position-coding pattern unambiguously defining a position on the product. The address area may include an address-coding pattern with a plurality of symbols, an arbitrary address portion of a predetermined size of the address-coding pattern unambiguously defining part of the address.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for electronically transmitting handwritten information.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The amount of information transmitted electronically has increased in recent years. Most of the information transmitted electronically has been generated by means of a computer. There is, however, a great need for electronically transmitting information that has been generated in some other way than by means of computers. For instance, there is a need for transmitting handwritten information in connection with the filling-in of a form. A further example when there is a need for transmitting handwritten information involves advertisements in newspapers. Advertisements in newspapers sometimes have a writing area for handwritten information and a fax number to which the advertisement can be sent.

For a long time the only possibility of sending handwritten information was to use a fax machine. An alternative is to use a scanner for converting the information to a digital image, which can then be transmitted via a computer communication link or via the telephone network. U.S. Pat. No. 5,852,434 discloses a method for entering handwritten information by means of a pen and a base with a coordinate pattern. When writing on the base, the pen records the movement and stores it as positions.

Independently of how the information is entered, a manual step is necessary when transmitting the information.

There is thus a need for an alternative method and a device for more easily transmitting handwritten information such as handwritten text.

SUMMARY OF A FEW ASPECTS OF THE INVENTION

There is provided a product for electronic transmission of handwritten information comprising at least one writing area for the handwritten information. The writing area comprises a position-coding pattern comprising a plurality of first symbols. An arbitrary position area of a predetermined first size of the position-coding pattern unambiguously defines a position on the product.

The product further provides an address area indicating an address to which the handwritten information is to be sent. The address area comprises an address-coding pattern comprising a plurality of second symbols. An arbitrary address portion of a predetermined second size of the address-coding pattern unambiguously defines part of the address.

There is further provided a method for entering handwritten information and transmitting the handwritten information. The method comprising reading an input signal corresponding to a recorded image, converting the recorded image to at least one position and storing the position based on a position-coding pattern corresponding to the recorded image; converting the recorded image to at least one character and storing the character based on an address-coding pattern corresponding to the recorded image, and transmitting stored positions to an address corresponding to characters stored in the memory.

Still further, there is provided a user unit for electronic transmission of handwritten information comprising a reading head adapted to optically record images from a surface; a memory; means for converting the recorded image to at least one position and storing the position in the memory based on a position-coding pattern contained in the recorded image which codes at least one position; means for converting the recorded image to at least one character and storing the character in the memory based on an address-coding pattern contained in the recorded image which codes at least one character, and means for transmitting at least part of positions stored in the memory to an address corresponding to characters stored in the memory.

The foregoing summarizes only a few aspects of the invention and is not intended to be reflective of the full scope of the invention as claimed. Additional features and advantages of the invention are set forth in the following description, may be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practicing the invention. Moreover, both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A product for electronic transmission of handwritten information according to the present invention may be used in connection with at least one writing area for the handwritten information and an address area, which indicates an address where the handwritten information is to be transmitted. The product may be constructed with a position-coding pattern in the form of a plurality of symbols provided in the writing area. Furthermore, an arbitrary position area of a predetermined size of the position-coding pattern may unambiguously define a position on the product. Still further, the address area may include an address-coding pattern with a plurality of symbols wherein an arbitrary address portion of a predetermined size of the address-coding pattern unambiguously defines part of the address.

The product including a writing area and/or address area may include a sheet of paper in a newspaper but may also include an information board. Indeed, the invention in its broadest sense is not limited to any particular form of product.

Position-coding patterns are known from, for instance, U.S. Pat. No. 5,852,434. In the present invention, a writing area with a position-coding pattern makes it possible to enter information in the writing area with a user unit while at the same time record a position sequence corresponding to the movement of an information reader, such as a pen. As a result, the handwritten information may be recorded while being written on the sheet of paper. Since the address area contains an address-coding pattern, it may be possible to read the address where the handwritten information is to be sent by recording the information with a user unit adapted to enter the address-coding pattern and the position-coding pattern. The position-coding pattern may thus define a large number of positions, with each position being associated with a different part of the writing area.

The size of the position area required to unambiguously determine a position from the position-coding pattern may be advantageously at least the same as the size of the address area required to unambiguously determine part of the address from the address-coding pattern. It may therefore be possible to adapt a user unit to the position-coding pattern without taking the address-coding pattern into consideration.

The part of the address to be unambiguously determined may be an individual character. The decoding operation may be simple with the address portion of a predetermined size of the address-coding pattern unambiguously defining a character.

It is within the scope of the invention that certain characters correspond to a special command. For instance, a character may constitute information about how the information is to be transmitted. Thus, one character may signify that the information is to be sent by electronic mail and another character may signify that the information is to be sent by fax.

The address area may contain information that defines a communication medium to be used for the transmission of the handwritten information. If the address area does not contain such information, a user unit can interpret the information in the address area and thus establish which communication medium to use. For example, all addresses containing the character “@” are interpreted as electronic mail addresses.

The position-coding pattern may define positions within a partial code area, which is part of a larger virtual code area, the address area containing information that defines the coordinates for at least part of the writing area.

The position-coding patterns on different products advantageously code different partial code areas. As a result, a user unit recording the address can determine which handwritten information is to be sent to the address. A user can write on a plurality of products in parallel without any risk that the written information is mixed up. Different companies can then reserve different partial code areas.

The address-coding pattern may contain a plurality of sequence portions with symbols, with an address portion for defining part of the address containing sequence portions of a predetermined number and a predetermined length. By the symbols being arranged in sequence portions, the recording and interpretation of the pattern may be facilitated.

Each of the sequence portions comprises at least one subsequence of a predetermined length of a sequence, where each subsequence may unambiguously define a sequence value that corresponds to the position of the subsequence in the sequence. As a result, the subsequences may be easily converted to sequence values.

The difference between the sequence value defined by a subsequence of a first sequence portion and the sequence value defined by a subsequence of a second sequence portion may be constant independently of from which parts of the sequence portions the subsequences are selected when the subsequences are fetched from corresponding parts of the sequence portions. By using differences between sequence portions, the address-coding pattern may be independent of which parts of the address-coding pattern are recorded. If the sequence portions are arranged in columns in a matrix, the address-coding pattern will be insensitive to at what height in the columns the address-coding pattern is recorded.

The difference value, which corresponds to the difference between sequence values from different sequence portions, can be represented as a binary value. A first part of the binary value may represent a character and a second part of the binary value may code a sequence position for the sequence portions in the matrix.

By the difference value coding a sequence position, the recording of the address may be facilitated since it may then be possible to record different parts of the address on different occasions and get the complete address together by means of the sequence positions. This may result in robust inputting. It may be thus possible to record different parts of the address-coding pattern on different occasions and put together the entire address by means of the sequence positions.

The symbols in the address-coding pattern may advantageously have a size different from that of the symbols in the position-coding pattern. Alternatively, the symbols in the address-coding pattern may be arranged with an interspace that is different from that of the symbols in the position-coding pattern. A user unit may thus be able to easily distinguish the address-coding pattern and the position-coding pattern.

It goes without saying that it is possible for the two patterns to differ from each other merely by the information they code. A user unit may have to then interpret the information represented by the patterns before it can determine whether it is a position-coding pattern or an address-coding pattern. The address-coding pattern cannot be interpreted as positions since the positions to which they are then decoded will not be associated with each other, which is the case of the position-coding pattern.

The address area may also code a public key, the receiver specified by the address being capable of decoding a message that has been coded by means of the public key. This may facilitate the encryption of the message that has been written manually in the writing area.

By using the above-mentioned sequences for coding the address-coding pattern, it may be possible to store long encryption keys in the address.

The address-coding pattern may alternatively be divided into a plurality of code fields, each of which corresponding to a character. An arbitrary address portion on the address-coding pattern may mean that the address portion is associated with one code field only. Each code field can, for example, define a specific code area on a virtual surface. The partial code areas on the virtual surface may then in turn be associated with different characters.

According to another embodiment, the address-coding pattern may be a bar code. However, it may not be possible to provide a bar code that can be recorded on several occasions. Besides, a bar code might be less compact.

If the address-coding pattern is divided into code fields, separating fields preferably separate the code fields. The code fields being separated by separating fields may facilitate the identification of the different code fields.

A user unit for electronic transmission of handwritten information according to the invention may include a reading head and a memory, and may be adapted to optically record images from a surface by means of the reading head. The user unit may also be adapted to convert the recorded image to at least one position and store the position in the memory based on a position-coding pattern, which codes at least one position, contained in the recorded image. Further, the user unit may convert the recorded image to at least one character and store the character in the memory based on an address-coding pattern, which codes at least one character, contained in the recorded image. Still further, the user unit may transmit at least part of the positions stored in the memory to an address corresponding to the characters stored in the memory. Handwritten information can thus easily be transmitted to a predetermined address by means of a user unit according to the invention.

A product according to the invention, together with a user unit according to the invention, can be used, for example, to order articles. A user may input an order for articles together with the user's address. When the receiver, defined by the address, receives the message, the receiver may send the ordered articles to the inputted address.

There are a number of alternatives to the way the recording of images may be initiated. According to one embodiment of the invention, the user unit comprises a pen point. The user unit is then adapted to record images as the pen point is being pressed against a surface.

The user unit may be adapted to convert a first part of characters stored in the memory to an address and a second part of characters stored in the memory to writing-area information defining a writing area, and to send only positions contained in the writing area to the address. This may prevent information that has been recorded on surfaces other than the writing area from being sent to the address.

The user unit may be adapted to attach recorded images of the address-coding pattern to a set of sequence portions, to convert the set of the sequence portions to a set of sequence values, and to convert the sequence values to characters by means of information stored in the memory.

The user unit may be adapted to attach an identification number when sending information to the address, the identification number being unique for each user unit. This permits identification of the user unit.

A computer can read a memory medium according to the invention. A computer program can be stored on the memory medium and can be used for inputting handwritten information and electronically transmitting the information. The computer program may be characterized in that it contains instructions for making the computer read an input signal corresponding to a recorded image, convert the recorded image to at least one position and store the position in response to the fact that the recorded image corresponds to a position-coding pattern, convert the recorded image to at least one character and store the character in response to the fact that the recorded image corresponds to an address-coding pattern, and transmit the stored positions to an address corresponding to the characters stored in the memory.

The above features can be combined in the same embodiment.

FIG. 1shows a product according to an embodiment of the present invention. The product may be a sheet of paper1, which comprises a writing area2and an address area3. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the sheet of paper1is a page in a publication such as a newspaper. The writing area2comprises a position-coding pattern that may consist of a plurality of position symbols4arranged in a matrix. The position symbols4inFIG. 1are greatly exaggerated in respect of size. A first arbitrary position area5of the writing area2unambiguously defines a position on the sheet. The address area3comprises an address-coding pattern with a plurality of address symbols6. The address symbols6are larger than the position symbols4, which make it possible to easily distinguish the different patterns. An arbitrary address portion20of the address area3may define a character. The position-coding pattern and the address-coding pattern may thus have the property that if an arbitrary part of the pattern of a certain minimum size is recorded, a position and a character, respectively, may be unambiguously defined. Coding pattern examples will be described in more detail below.

The position-coding pattern can be of the type as disclosed in the above-mentioned U.S. Pat. No. 5,852,434, where each position is coded by a specific symbol. However, the position-coding pattern may be advantageously of the type disclosed in Applicant's PCT applications WO 00/73983, PCT/SE00/01895, and WO 01/16691 (the technical disclosures of which are hereby incorporated in this application by reference), where each position is coded by a plurality of symbols and each symbol contributes to the coding of several positions.

The position-coding pattern may be made up of a small number of symbol types. An example is disclosed in WO 00/73983, where a larger dot represents a “one” and a smaller dot represents a “zero”. Another example is disclosed in PCT/SE00/01895, where four different displacements of a dot in relation to a raster point code four different values.

FIG. 2illustrates an example of a user unit14adapted to record images from a surface. The user unit14comprises a light-emitting diode7for illuminating the surface to be recorded, an image sensor8in the form of a CCD for recording images, an image-processing means9and a memory10. The user unit14may further include a battery12for supplying power to the reading head and buttons13for turning on the reading head.FIG. 2also shows a communication device15in the form of a computer which may be disconnected from the user unit14and which may be connected to a network via cables18,19. In this case, the network is the public telephone network but could also be an internal network. The user unit14may be provided with a transmitter16for transmitting recorded information. The user unit14may transmit information to the communication device15that may transmit the information by the public telephone network. In the latter case, the user unit14may be a mobile unit in a mobile communication system and which transmits information to the mobile communication system by means of the transmitter16. The user unit14may also include a pen point21for a user to enter information. The pen point21may be pressure-sensitive and connected to the image-processing means9. When the pen point21is pressed against a base, recording of an image may be initiated. Thus, recording of images may be initiated when a user enters information in the writing area2. The communication device15may be provided with a receiver17for receiving information from the user unit14. The transmitter16and the receiver17may communicate, for example, by using IR or radio waves.

According to an alternative embodiment, the transmitter16may constitute a communication device which communicates with the world around via a mobile telephone system. The user unit14may then constitute a mobile unit in a mobile telephone system.

FIGS. 3a-dshow an embodiment of a symbol that can be used in the matrix inFIG. 1according to the invention. The symbol comprises a virtual raster point28, which is represented by the intersection between the raster lines, and a marking29, which has the form of a point. The value of the symbol depends on where the marking29is located. In the example inFIG. 3, there are four possible locations, one on each of the raster lines extending from the raster points. The displacement from the raster point is the same for all values. The symbol has inFIG. 3athe value 0, inFIG. 3bthe value 1, inFIG. 3cthe value 2, and inFIG. 3dthe value 3. In other words, there are four different kinds of symbols. Each symbol can thus represent one of four values “0-3”.

FIG. 4illustrates a sequence32that is used to code the address in the address-coding pattern and positions in the position-coding pattern. The sequence32comprises 1024 values33, which each are either “0”, “1”, “2” or “3”. An arbitrary subsequence34,35with five values may unambiguously define a sequence value that corresponds to the position of the subsequence in the sequence32. Each subsequence appears only once in the sequence. Thus, the first subsequence34corresponds to the sequence value “0” and the second subsequence35corresponds to the sequence value “1”. Sequences of this kind are described in “Pseudo-Random Sequences and Arrays” by F. Jessi MacWilliams and Neil J. A. Sloane in “Proceedings of the IEEE Vol. 64 No. 12 Dec. 1976”.

FIG. 5shows part of the address-coding pattern in the address area3in FIG.1. The address-coding pattern consists of a matrix20with symbols6. The columns36in the matrix20consist of subsequences of the sequence that has been described above in connection withFIG. 4, in which the values have been converted to symbols.

The recording of an address from an address-coding pattern in the address area3will now be described with reference toFIGS. 1,2and5. When the user unit14is passed across the address-coding pattern in the address area3, an image of a first address portion20is recorded, with twenty five (i.e., five times five) symbols6arranged in columns36, which each constitute a subsequence of the sequence32. Each of the symbols6is one of the four different symbols that are shown in FIG.3. Each of the symbols6consists of a marking that is displaced, in relation to a virtual raster point, in one of four directions. The distance between crossings in the virtual raster is 0.3 millimeters, according to this embodiment of the invention. Each marking is displaced 0.05 millimeters from its corresponding virtual raster point, while the size of a marking is 0.03 millimeters. The image-processing means9converts the subsequences36in the matrix20to subsequences39with values40. Each subsequence39with values40corresponds to a sequence value27corresponding to the position in a sequence with 1024 values, where each value is either “0”, “1”, “2” or “3”. If an image is recorded, which is displaced one row in the matrix20, sequence values corresponding to the next position in the sequence may be obtained. The user unit14may convert the subsequences39to sequence values27. Subsequently, the user unit14may calculate data values26as the difference modulo1024between the sequence values27for adjoining columns. By the sequence values27increasing to the same extent for each column if the recorded image is displaced in the direction of the column, the data values, which equal the difference between the sequence values, may be independent of the height at which the image is recorded. Then, the data values26may be converted to binary values and the eight least significant bits in each character value may be converted to characters11which are stored in the memory10while the two most significant bits from four adjoining character values are used as position for the columns. Thus, a total of 256 different characters can thus be coded. The characters11may constitute part of the address.

FIG. 6shows part of the position-coding pattern in the writing area2in FIG.1. The first matrix61inFIG. 6is the smallest matrix that unambiguously defines a position. The position-coding pattern in the writing area2may be made up of symbols62like those shown in FIG.3. The difference between the symbols62in the writing area2and the symbols6in the address area3may be that the symbols in the address area3are larger than the symbols in the writing area2. In the position-coding pattern, the four different symbol values may be used to code a binary bit in each of two orthogonal directions. Thus, the four different symbol values, 0, 1, 2, and 3, may code the four different bit combinations (0, 0), (0, 1), (1, 0), and (1, 1), respectively, where the first digit in each bit combination relates to a first direction and the second digit relates to a second direction which is orthogonal to the first direction. When a user unit14records the first matrix61inFIG. 6, it may then be converted to a second matrix63with values64, which defines the x coordinate, and to a third matrix65with values66, which defines the y coordinate, based on the above relationship between symbol values and bit combinations. The second matrix63and the third matrix65contain subsequences67with values which may each be either “0” or “1”. In the third matrix65, the subsequences67may constitute rows in the matrix while the subsequences may constitute columns in the second matrix63. Each of the subsequences67may be part of a writing area sequence similar to the sequence32shown in FIG.4. Thus, each subsequence67may have a unique sequence value. Each of the matrices63,65with values may be converted to a set of five sequence values Sx1-Sx5and Sy1-Sy5, respectively, which define the position of the different subsequences67in the sequence. Then the difference between adjoining sequence values may be calculated, resulting in two sets of four difference values Dx1-Dx4and Dy1-Dy4, respectively, where Dxn=Sxn+1−Sxnmodulo R, where R is the number of unique subsequences in the writing area sequence and Dyn=Syn+1−Synmodulo R. Subsequently, the difference values may be used to generate an x coordinate and a y coordinate.

FIG. 7is a schematic view of the contents in the address area3. The address area may contain a communication part22which specifies which communication medium is to be used, a character part23which specifies the address, a code part24which specifies a public key which can be used to encrypt a message that has been written manually in the writing area2, and a position part25which defines a partial code area in the writing area. The receiver defined by the address may decrypt the message that has been encrypted with the public key.

According to a preferred embodiment, the product may constitute a page in a publication, such as a newspaper. For instance, the writing area2and the address area3may be part of an advertisement offering readers to buy a product. The writing area2is intended for entering the address where the product is to be sent. When a user begins to enter information in the writing area2, the CCD records images which are transmitted to the image processing means9. The user unit14may be arranged so that the recorded images at least contain such a number of symbols that the position on the sheet of paper can be determined. The image processing means9may recognize that the pattern in the image corresponds to a position-coding pattern and may convert the pattern in a submatrix to a position that is stored in a position sequence in the memory10. As long as the pen point21records that the pen point21is pressed down, new images may be recorded. If the user interrupts his writing and then once more begins to write in another position than the one where he stopped, the position sequence will define a discontinuous curve.

When the user scans the reading head across the address area3, images are recorded and sent to the image processing means9, which recognizes that the pattern in the image corresponds to the address-coding pattern in the address area3. The image processing means9may convert the symbols in the recorded image to characters, which may be stored in a string of characters in the memory10. The conversion from symbols4,6,62to characters has been described above. When the pen point21no longer records a pressure, the recording of images may be terminated. The position sequences stored in the memory10, which are associated with the area that is specified by the position part25, may be encrypted by means of the public key, defined by the code part24, and sent to the address defined by the character part23. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, an identification number may also be transmitted with the encrypted position sequence. The identification number is unique for each user unit14. A receiver can identify the customer by means of the identification number.

According to a preferred embodiment, the user unit14may distinguish the different parts in the address area3with separating characters. Alternatively, the number of characters in each part of the address area3may be predetermined. The user unit14may thus easily determine when part of the address area is finished.

FIG. 8shows schematically how a user unit14and a product according to the invention can be used. A user41may input a message in a writing area on a product by means of a user unit42, as described above. The user unit42may send encrypted position sequences together with an identification number to a receiver44, who is a florist, for example, via a communication link43. The position sequence may correspond to a handwritten address with a greeting. The receiver44may then send flowers and the greeting to the handwritten address. The receiver44may then consult a database46via a communication link45. In this example, the database46is not located with the receiver45. The receiver44may obtain information from the database thus allowing the receiver to send an invoice to the user41(as indicated by the dashed line47, or the invoice is sent from the database to the user41, which is indicated by the dashed line48), whereupon the receiver44obtains payment from the database48.

An alternative field of application is to enter the answer to a question in a competition in the writing area2in the product1. When the user41then scans the user unit14across the address area3, the answer entered is transmitted to the receiver together with the user unit's14identity. Then the receiver can in the same way as above consult the database to find out the identity of the user unit14and send prize money, if any, to the owner.

FIG. 9illustrates how information from images recorded at different heights in the address area3may be processed. The first image50contains five times five symbols. The symbols51are converted to symbol values as described in connection with FIG.5. The symbol values in the columns are then converted to sequence values corresponding to the position of the subsequence in the sequence. The five subsequences with symbols corresponding to the columns in the first image50are thus converted to a first set of five sequence values52. The first set of five sequence values52is then converted to a first set of difference values53, which in turn is converted to characters in the same way as described in connection with FIG.5.

When a third image56containing five times five symbols is recorded, the five subsequences consisting of five symbols are converted to a second set of five sequence values54. The second set of five sequence values54is then converted to a second set of difference values55, which in turn is converted to characters in the same way as described in connection with FIG.5. Each of the sequence values54in the second set is four units greater than the sequence values52in the first set since they are fetched further down in the sequences of which the sequence parts constitute a part. However, each of the difference values53in the first set of difference values is the same as the corresponding difference value in the second set of difference values. Thus, the difference values are independent of at what height in the address area57the images are recorded.

FIG. 10shows an address area31according to an alternative embodiment of the present invention. As illustrated, the address area31is divided into a number of subareas37, which each may comprise a position-coding pattern. Each subarea37may thus define a partial code area on a virtual surface. The subareas37may be separated by separating fields38. The user unit14may have in its memory information about which character is associated with a certain partial code area on the virtual surface. When the user unit14records a separating field, it can therefore determine that it has reached the next character in the address area. The drawback of this embodiment is that the address may be less compact.

The above embodiments are to be considered examples only. The above embodiments can be varied in a number of ways without departing from the inventive idea. For instance, the communication device and the reading device can be an integrated unit. Each symbol can define a number with a base other than four. It is within the scope of the invention that the address area merely comprises the code field, the user unit, for example, being adapted to always use the same communication medium. The size of the address-coding pattern that unambiguously defines a part of the address is not necessarily critical to the invention. Thus, depending on how the address is defined, the size of the address-coding pattern may vary considerably. The size of the markings and their displacement in relation to the virtual raster may be different from that mentioned above.

Concurrently filed with the application for this patent are applications entitled Systems and Methods for Information Storage based on Swedish Application No. 0000947-2, filed Mar. 21, 2000, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/207,839, filed May 30, 2000; Secured Access Using a Coordinate System based on Swedish Application No. 0000942-3, filed Mar. 21, 2000, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/207,850 filed on May 30, 2000; System and Method for Printing by Using a Position Coding Pattern based on Swedish Application No. 0001245-0, filed on Apr. 5, 2000, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/210,651, filed on Jun. 9, 2000; Apparatus and Methods Relating to Image Coding based on Swedish Application No. 0000950-6, filed on Mar. 21, 2000, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/207,838, filed on May 30, 2000; Apparatus and Methods for Determining Spatial Orientation based on Swedish Application No. 0000951-4, filed on Mar. 21, 2000, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/207,844, filed on May 30, 2000; System and Method for Determining Positional Information based on Swedish Application No. 0000949-8, filed Mar. 21, 2000, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/207,885, filed on May 30, 2000; Method and System for Transferring and Displaying Graphical Objects based on Swedish Application No. 0000941-5, filed Mar. 21, 2000, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/208,165, filed May 31, 2000; Online Graphical Message Service based on Swedish Application No. 0000944-9, filed Mar. 21, 2000, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/207,881, filed May 30, 2000; Method and System for Digitizing Freehand Graphics With User-Selected Properties based on Swedish Application No. 0000945-6, filed Mar. 21, 2000, U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/207,882, filed May 30, 2000; Data Form Having a Position-Coding Pattern Detectable by an Optical Sensor based on Swedish Application No. 0001236-9, filed Apr. 5, 2000, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/208,167, filed May 31, 2000; Method and Apparatus for Managing Valuable Documents based on Swedish Application No. 0001252-6, filed Apr. 5, 2000, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/210,653 filed Jun. 9, 2000; Method and Apparatus for Information Management based on Swedish Application No. 0001253-4 filed Apr. 5, 2000, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/210,652, filed Jun. 9, 2000; Device and Method for Communication based on Swedish Application No. 0000940-7, filed Mar. 21, 2000, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/208,166, filed May 31, 2000; Information-Related Devices and Methods based on Swedish Application No. 0001235-1, filed Apr. 5, 2000, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/210,647, filed Jun. 9, 2000; Processing of Documents based on Swedish Application No. 0000954-8, filed Mar. 21, 2000, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/207,849, filed May 30, 2000; Secure Signature Checking System based on Swedish Application No. 0000943-1, filed Mar. 21, 2000, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/207,880, filed May 30, 2000; Identification of Virtual Raster Pattern, based on Swedish Application No. 0001235-1, filed Apr. 5, 2000, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/210,647, filed Jun. 9, 2000, and Swedish Application No. 0004132-7, filed Nov. 10, 2000, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/261,123, filed Jan. 12, 2001; and a new U.S. Provisional Application entitled Communications Services Methods and Systems.

The technical disclosures of each of the above-listed U.S. applications, U.S. provisional applications, and Swedish applications are hereby incorporated herein by reference. As used herein, the incorporation of a “technical disclosure” excludes incorporation of information characterizing the related art, or characterizing advantages or objects of this invention over the related art.