Patent ID: 7453447

Claim:
An interactive apparatus having an audio recording mode and an audio playback mode, comprising: a writing tool for manually writing non-electronic information on an encoded writing medium comprising a plurality of visual non-electronic markings representing encoded position information; an audio input device for recording audio; an audio output device for playing said recorded audio; and an optical unit for determining position on said encoded writing medium of said writing tool based on said encoded position information and for recognizing said encoded position information and non-electronic information on said encoded writing medium, wherein recognition of a non-electronic recording-enabling graphical element on said encoded writing medium by said optical unit activates said audio input device in said audio recording mode and enables time-synchronization of creation of writing on said encoded writing medium with said writing tool and recording of said audio, and further wherein recognition of a non-electronic playback-enabling graphical element on said encoded writing medium by said optical unit activates said audio output device in said audio playback mode and enables multiple techniques to control playback of said recorded audio.