NL2006520C2 - METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING PERSONALIZED POSTCARDS - Google Patents

Description

Method and device for producing personalized postcards.

Background of the invention. The invention relates to a method and device for producing personalized postcards.

US2002 / 0091711 describes a device for controlling and communicating data. The device uses a digital pen with which the user can apply a digital figure to special paper. The special paper comprises a specific pattern that can be detected with a sensor in the pen and a computer program calculates the position where the user has had the pen on the paper. Such graphic information can be sent to a recipient. Letters written by the user can be converted into digital characters using an OCR (Optical Character Recognition) Technique. The pen can also physically leave the written information on the special paper, for example with ink, so that the user has a physical copy. In one embodiment, the special paper is a postcard that can be described by the user. The system is arranged to receive the information written with the pen and to send the postcard in digital form as an e-mail to a recipient.

US2005 / 0136886 discloses a system for sending digital postcards using a mobile terminal, such as a mobile telephone.

Summary of the invention

The tendency in the present time is to want to carry out all communication digitally. In practice, however, it has been found that there is nevertheless a need for receiving personalized mail, in particular postcards that contain original information manually applied by a sender. However, buying a postcard, describing it, acquiring and sticking a stamp and subsequently depositing the postcard in a letterbox are increasingly perceived as cumbersome. Therefore, there is also a need to be able to use the increasing automation in acquiring and sending such postcards. The known systems cannot provide this.

2

The invention therefore has for its object to provide a device and method with which all the advantages of modern digital communication can be used and yet postcards can be sent with personalized information. Personalized information is information that has the original form of what the sender has applied to the postcard by hand.

It is noted that the concept of "postcard" must be understood in a broad sense: greeting cards (which can be folded in an envelope) and postcards are included. The size of the postcard can be any commercially available size.

To this end, the invention provides an apparatus and a method as claimed in the appended claims.

Brief description of the figures 15

Figure 1 shows a sketchy arrangement of a user terminal 1.

Figure 2 shows a block diagram of an embodiment of the total arrangement according to the invention.

Figure 3 shows an example of a side of a paper sheet to be described by a user.

Figures 4a and 4b show examples of digital pens that can be used in the invention.

Figures 5a and 5b show a writing pad that can be used in the invention.

These figures are intended to further describe some embodiments. They are not intended to be exhaustive. The scope of the invention is only determined by the text of the appended claims and technical equivalents thereof.

Detailed description of some embodiments. Figure 1 shows the exterior of a user terminal 1 that can be used in the invention.

3

The user terminal 1 comprises a frame with screen 3 for displaying information to the user. The screen 3 can be a touch screen designed to record instructions from a user.

A tabletop 9 is mounted on the front of the user terminal 1, on which a pin holder 6 is located. The pen holder 6 can receive a digital pen 5. A user can remove the digital pen 5 from the pen holder 6 and then use it by writing on a paper sheet 29. The paper sheet is made available to the user by the user terminal 1 via a first slot 7, after the user has given suitable instructions for this, for example via touch screen 3.

Instead of the digital pen 5 with pen holder 6, a writing pad or writing tablet (not shown in Figure 2, but in Figures 5a and 5b) can be used. In that case, no paper sheet 29 will be made available. Paper tray 25 and printer 27 can then optionally remain present for providing the user with paper with messages.

A keyboard 13 is provided on the tabletop 9. The keyboard 13 can be arranged for several functions, for example for supporting a financial transaction by the user, entering data, providing instructions to a processor in the user terminal, etc.

At the front of the user terminal 1, for example, a second slot 11 is arranged next to the first slot 7. A user can enter a credit card or bank card therein for carrying out a financial transaction. Alternatively or additionally, the front of the user terminal may be provided with a money receiving unit (not shown) in which the user can enter paper money and / or coins to support such a financial transaction.

In one embodiment, the user terminal is provided with a camera 15, for example in the form of a webcam. If desired, a flash (not shown) can be provided for illuminating the environment at the moment when camera 15 takes a photo.

Figure 2 shows an extensive arrangement of the terminal 1 and a server 40 with which the terminal 1 is connected via a network 21. Also, Figure 2 shows that several terminals, 1 ', 1 ”can be connected to server 40 via the network 21 .

30 4

The terminal 1 comprises a terminal processor 17 for performing arithmetic operations.

The terminal processor 17 is connected to a number of memory components 35 which may comprise, for example: a hard shit, Read Only Memory (ROM), Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EEPROM) and Random Access Memory (RAM). Not all of these memory types necessarily have to be present. Moreover, they do not have to be physically located close to the terminal processor 17. They can also be placed at a distance therefrom.

The terminal processor 17 is also connected to means for entering instructions, data, etc. by a user, such as the keyboard 13 and a mouse (not shown). Other input means concern, for example, the touch screen 3. A track ball and / or speech converter, which is known to the skilled person, could also be used. Apart from touch screen 3, for example, a monitor or LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) screen, a plasma display panel, an Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED), an Active Matrix OLED (AMOLED) or any other type of display unit known to those skilled in the art could are applied.

A reading unit 17 connected to the terminal processor 17 is provided. The reading unit 17 is adapted to read data from and possibly store it on a data carrier, such as a CDROM 33. Other data carriers can for instance 20 DVDs, Blu Ray discs, Compact Flash (CF), Secure Digital (SD), Micro SD, Mini SD, Extreme Digital (xD), and memory sticks concern, as is known to the expert.

The terminal processor 17 is connected to a paper tray 25 in which one or more paper sheets 29 are present during operation. Also, terminal processor 17 is optionally connected to a printer 27 for printing output data on one or both sides of paper sheet 29 before the paper sheet 29 is made available to the user via slot 7. Such a printer 27 is preferably located in a paper path between paper bin 25 and slot 7, so that the terminal processor 27 can control suitable paper transport means for removing a paper sheet 29 from the paper bin 25 and then transporting it via the printer 27 to the slot 7, while in the meantime the printer can print output data sent by the terminal processor 17 on one or both sides.

Camera 15 is also connected to terminal processor 17 for providing recorded images to the terminal processor 17.

5

Terminal processor 17 is connected to a card reader 23 arranged behind second slot 11 (Figure 1) and arranged to read out a bank card and / or credit card. Such a bank card and / or credit card can be provided with a magnetic strip and / or chip as is known to those skilled in the art. The chip may optionally be adapted to support a digital wallet, that is to say may have a memory in which "digital money" is stored that can be used for such a financial transaction. The chip also contains a suitable processor that can run a computer program that is stored in the chip's memory and supports the financial transaction.

The terminal processor 17 is connected to the communication network 21, for example the PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network), a local network (LAN = wide area network), a wide area network (WAN = wide area network), etc. by means of input / output means 19. The terminal processor 17 is adapted to communicate with other communication devices via the network 21.

The terminal processor 17 can be implemented as a stand-alone system or as a number of parallel operating processors, each of which is arranged to perform sub-tasks of a larger program, or as one or more main processors with various sub-processors. Portions of the functionality of the invention may even, if desired, be performed by remote processors communicating with terminal processor 17 via network 21.

The server 40 can be designed as a standard server, as is known to the person skilled in the art. Figure 2 shows some components of server 40 as may be used in the context of the invention.

The server 40 comprises a server processor 41 for performing arithmetic operations.

The server processor 41 is connected to a number of memory components 45 which may include, for example: a hard disk, Read Only Memory (ROM), Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EEPROM) and Random Access Memory (RAM). Not all of these memory types necessarily have to be present. Moreover, they do not have to be physically located close to the server processor 41. They can also be placed at a distance therefrom.

The server processor 41 is also connected to means for entering instructions, data, etc. by a user, such as the keyboard 37 and a mouse (not shown). Other input means concern, for example, a touch screen. A track ball and / or speech converter, which is known to the skilled person, could also be used. The server processor 41 is connected to a display screen 39, for example an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) screen, a plasma display panel, an Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED), an Active Matrix OLED (AMOLED) or any other type of display unit known to the expert.

A reading unit 31 connected to the server processor 41 may be provided. The reading unit 31 is adapted to read data from and possibly store it on a data carrier, such as a CDROM 33. Other data carriers can for instance 10 DVDs, Blu Ray discs, Compact Rash (CF), Secure Digital (SD), Micro SD, Mini SD, Extreme Digital (xD), and memory sticks concern, as is known to the expert.

Server processor 41 is also connected to a printer 43 for printing output data on one or both sides 51a, 51b of a postcard 51.

The server processor 41 is connected to the communication network 21. The server processor 41 is arranged to communicate with other communication devices via the network 21.

The server processor 41 can be implemented as a stand-alone system or as a number of parallel operating processors, each of which is arranged to perform sub-tasks of a larger program, or as one or more main processors 20 with various sub-processors. Portions of the functionality of the invention may even, if desired, be performed by remote processors that communicate with server processor 41 over network 21.

Figure 3 shows an example of a special paper sheet 29 that can be used in the invention. Figure shows the side that can be described by the user with digital pen 5.

Paper sheet 29 is provided with a first area 42 in which the user can write a message with digital pen 5. Such a message is further referred to here as "handwritten information". Such information may contain text, but also figures. Characteristic for this is that it is applied by hand and is therefore characteristic of the user. For example, text is provided in the user's handwriting, while figures may be characteristic of the user. In other words, the handwritten information is 7 personalized, just like information that was / is traditionally written on the back of postcards.

The paper sheet also comprises a second area 30 on which the user can provide address information of a recipient with digital pen 5. To this end, the second area 30 comprises, for example, a first sub-area 32 in which the name of the addressee can be written, a second sub-area 34 in which the street name of the address of the addressee can be written, a third sub-area 36 for the zip code of the addressee, a fourth sub-area for the addressee's place name and a fifth sub-area for the addressee's country.

Furthermore, the paper sheet 29 comprises a predetermined grid or pattern 44 that can be detected by a suitable sensor 48 (see Figs. 4a, 4b), so that it can be determined precisely at which location the user has placed the digital pen 5 on the paper sheet. Such a grid 44 can have any suitable shape, but is preferably invisible to the user. A suitable digital pen can be obtained, for example, from the Anoto company at (see www.anoto.com).

Figures 4a and 4b show very schematically two possible embodiments of the digital pen 5.

In Fig. 4a, digital pen 5 comprises a pen processor 8. The pen processor 8 is connected to a sensor 48, which is, for example, placed on a pin 50. The sensor 48 is arranged so that it can detect the grating 44 and emits a signal depending on the local shape of the grating. That signal is sent to the pen processor 5, so that the position of the pen 50 on the paper sheet can be determined precisely.

The digital pen 5 also comprises an ink reservoir 22 for storing ink. The ink reservoir is arranged such that when a user writes something on the paper sheet 29 with the marker 50, this becomes visible with ink.

Figure 4a shows how digital pen 5 is located in a suitable cavity in pen reserve 6. In this inserted state, the digital pin 5 contacts a suitable sensor 20 which outputs a signal which indicates whether or not digital pin 5 is included in the cavity. This signal is sent to a pen holder processor 14, which is connected to the sensor 20.

Pen holder processor 14 is connected to pen processor 8 via a cable 10 so that pen holder processor 14 and pen processor 8 can communicate with each other.

8

Both the pen processor 8 and the pen holder processor 14 can be implemented as an analog, digital or software-running processor.

Figure 4b shows an alternative digital pin 5. The digital pin 5 of Figure 4b differs only at one point from that of Figure 4a, namely in Figure 4b the pin processor 8 is connected to a first antenna 16 and pin holder processor 14 is connected to a second antenna 18 instead of with cable 10. In the embodiment of Fig. 4b, the pen processor 8 and pen holder processor 14 can communicate with each other wirelessly via their respective antennas 16, 18.

Figures 5a and 5b show a writing pad (or writing tablet) 60 that can be used instead of the digital pen 5 and pen holder 6. Figure 5a shows a frame 66 with a surface 62 that can be written on with a stylus 64. The writable surface 62 is, as is known, arranged such that it detects hand-driven movements of the stylus by a user on the writable surface 62 and converts it into a suitable 15 electrical signal. The writable surface 62 also shows what the handwritten information looks like.

Figure 5b shows that writable surface 62 is connected to a writing pad processor 68 that receives the electrical signal generated by writable surface 62 through the handwritten movements of the stylus 64 on the writable surface 62 and forwards it to terminal processor 17. Terminal processor 17 processes this signal in the same manner as the signal received from the digital pen 5.

The operation of the device according to the invention will now be described.

With the device shown, personalized postcards can be printed, which can be sent from a central location, such as controlled by server 40, to a recipient.

For example, a user goes to the user terminal 1 and on the screen 3 sees instructions on how to use the user terminal. A program 30 for recording the information that it wants to send starts, for example, the moment it takes the digital pen 5 from the pen holder 6. Sensor 20 detects this. The signal sent by sensor 20 is evaluated for this purpose by pin processor 14. Alternatively, this signal can also be sent to terminal processor 17 which is arranged to make this evaluation on the basis of a suitable computer program. The start signal can also be given by a user via touch screen 3.

After receiving the signal from sensor 20, terminal processor 17 drives paper tray 25 to make a paper sheet 29 available through slot 7. As stated, this paper sheet can first be guided via printer 27 so that printer 27 is first on one or both sides of the paper sheet 29 can print a message and / or figure. The message and / or figure may relate to advertising, a lottery number, a bar code, a photo, etc.

Printer 27 can also be arranged to apply the pattern 44 to the paper sheet, for example in the form of special pixels which are position-specific.

The terminal processor 17 may alternatively be arranged to make a paper sheet 29 available via slot 7 after having received a suitable order from the user via touch screen 3, instead of after receiving the signal from sensor 20.

The paper sheet 29 appears on tabletop 9, so that the user can manually provide information he wishes with the aid of digital pen 5. Such information may relate to a personal message in area 42 and the address of a recipient in area 30. It is preferred that the digital pen 5 is provided with ink reservoir 22 which appears on the paper sheet 29 at places where the user with pen pen 50 has written or drawn. The user then sees what he is doing. Sensor 48 also records where exactly the pen 50 has made contact on the paper sheet. A corresponding signal is sent to pen processor 8 which forwards this data, for example in the form of a series of position-specific pixels contacted on the paper sheet, to terminal processor 17. This signal then contains all information corresponding to the actual analog form wherein the user has manually applied information to paper sheet 29.

Optionally, the terminal processor 17 may be arranged to display an image based on it on screen 3 under the control of a suitable software program, so that the user sees what information is being sent to the system.

In one embodiment, the terminal memory 35 has stored a series of images which can be made visible by the user via the touch screen 3. The user can then select a desired image and make this clear to the terminal processor 17. The terminal processor 17 combines the 11u information regarding the selected image with the handwritten information. Alternatively, these images may also be stored somewhere else in a central memory, for example server memory 45, and be accessible to and selectable by the user via terminal processor 17.

Upon instruction from the user, the terminal processor 17 makes contact with the server processor 41 via network 21 and sends the total information to server processor 40. This instruction from the user can be based on an instruction received via touch screen 3 or keyboard 13 and a signal that sensor 20 in pen holder 6 generates the moment the user places the digital pen 5 back in pen holder 6.

The server processor 41 stores the received information or not in memory 45 and converts this information into a print signal for printer 43. Printer 43 has or is connected to a storage bin (not shown) in which a stack of cards is located. These cards can be pre-printed postcards with a certain image on the front, for example a photo. The rear side, however, has free areas on which the printer 43 can print the information originally provided on the paper sheet 29 by the user under the control of the server processor 41 in substantially the original form. This applies in any case to the information in the area 42. Thus, a personalized postcard 51 is thus made which can be sent to the address as visible in the address area 30.

In the case that the information received from terminal processor 17 also includes information relating to an image selected by a user, the printer 43 will print this image on one side (the front) of the card.

The address data in address area 30 is also preferably printed in the original handwritten form by printer 43.

In one embodiment, the system comprises a processor, for example terminal processor 17 or server processor 41, which is controlled by a suitable computer program and analyzes the address data in area 30 using per se known OCR (optical character recognition) techniques and converted into digital characters. These digital characters together form the address of the addressee. Optionally, the server processor 41 can print these characters as printed letters on the postcard 51.

It is preferable if either terminal processor 17 or server processor 41 compares this address with an address file that can be consulted by this processor 17, 41. Such an address file can be stored in either terminal code 35 or script 45. Alternatively, this can be an address file that can be consulted via a website. The result will be an address from the address file that is closest to the address written by the user in area 30. The result can also be a list of some addresses that are all close to the address entered by the user.

First, the processor 17, 41 performing this function may be arranged to display a message on the screen 3, in which the user is asked to confirm that the address found by the processor 17, 43 in the address file is indeed the address that the user means. Alternatively, the user may be asked to make a selection from the list of addresses. After the user confirms the address, the processor 17, 43 ensures that an associated address barcode 53 is printed by the printer 43 at the address on the postcard 51 so that the postcard 51 for mail routing can be processed by machine.

If the processor 17, 41 cannot find such an address, it can communicate this to the user via screen 3 and offer the user the option of entering a corrected address or give him the option of having only the handwritten address in his original address. have it printed on postcard 51. This can be useful if the user knows that the address is correct, but it is, for example, an address abroad that cannot be found in databases.

The system is preferably adapted to make the user pay in advance for the service of making and sending the postcard 51. This can be done by programming the terminal processor 17 so that it can support an automatic financial transaction. This can for instance take place with the card reader 23 which can read out a bank card, credit card or the like, and with keyboard 13 with which the user can enter a PIN code associated with such a card. Any form of payment known to those skilled in the art can be used in the context of the invention. This also includes paying via a text message to a bank or with a card that can communicate with the terminal 1 via an RFID. "Payment" can also take place 30 because the user enters a code using the keyboard 13, which code the user has received as an offer or in the context of a discount promotion. The terminal 1 can also be provided with a payment unit with which the user can pay money with contact.

12

If a writing pad 60 (Figures 5a, 5b) is used, the operation of the device is basically the same as described above. Only then paper sheet 29 is not made available to the user. The user must then apply the information he requires with the stylus to the writable area 62, which information is subsequently processed by the system in the same manner as the information originating from digital pen 5. The writing pad processor 68 is then arranged, during operation, to display to the user similar areas 30 and 42 on the writable area 62 as on the back of paper sheet 29 in Fig. 3.

Claims (16)

An apparatus for producing one or more personalized postcards comprising a server (40) and one or more user terminals (1; 1 '; 1 ") spaced apart from the server (40), which server (40) and user terminals (1; 1 '; 1 ") are arranged to communicate with each other, the user terminal (1; 1'; 1") comprising: • A terminal processor (17) • A unit (5) connected to the terminal processor (17); 60) for recording handwritten information wherein the unit (5; 60) for recording handwritten information is arranged to send the handwritten information to the terminal processor (17), which terminal processor is adapted to send the handwritten information to the server ( 40), and wherein the server (40) comprises: • A server processor (41) adapted to receive the handwritten information from the terminal processor (17) • A printer (43) connected to the server processor (41) wa The server processor (41) is arranged to print this handwritten information in the form in which it is written by the user on the paper sheet via the printer (43) on a postcard after receipt of the handwritten information. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the unit (5; 60) for recording handwritten information comprises: 25. a paper tray (25) connected to the terminal processor (17) for storing one or more paper sheets and releasing one of the paper sheets after having received an instruction from the terminal processor for this purpose • a digital pen (5) provided with a pen processor (8) for recording handwritten information when a user with the digital pen (5) 30 writes such handwritten has written information on a paper sheet wherein the digital pen (5) is arranged to send the handwritten information in the form on which it is written on the paper sheet by the user to the terminal processor (17). Device according to claim 2, characterized in that the user terminal comprises a pen holder (6) connected to the terminal processor and adapted to communicate with the pen processor (8) such that the handwritten information 5 from the pen (5) via the pen holder (6) can be sent to the server processor (41). 4. Device as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the pen holder (6) comprises a sensor (20) which is adapted to detect whether or not the pen (5) is located in the pen holder (6). Device according to claim 4, characterized in that: the terminal processor (17) is adapted to receive a signal from the sensor (20) that the pin is being taken out of the pin holder (6) and in that case a program starts to send an instruction to the paper bin (25) for storing one or more paper sheets to release a paper sheet to the user, and o to receive information written on the paper sheet by the user with the pen (5) The terminal processor (17) is adapted to receive a signal from the sensor (20) that the pen is being introduced into the pen holder (6) and in that case automatically to send the handwritten information to the server processor (41), 25 Device according to claim 5, characterized in that the terminal is provided with a tabletop (9) and during release of the paper sheet, the paper sheet is automatically placed on the tabletop (9). Device according to one of claims 2 to 6, characterized in that the pin (5) is provided with an ink reservoir (22). Device according to one of claims 2 to 7, characterized in that the paper tray has received at least one paper sheet, which paper sheet has a predetermined pattern (44), and wherein the pin (5) comprises a position sensor (48) around a position within the pattern, so that the position of the pen on the paper sheet can be determined. Device as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that the paper sheet has a predetermined address field (30) for recording manually to be supplied by the user address data of an addressee of the postcard, the device is arranged to receive such address data to receive and convert it to digital address data using an optical character technique, and to print a barcode (53) on the postcard based on the digital address data that allows automatic post routing of the postcard. Device according to one of claims 2 to 9, characterized in that the terminal is provided with a terminal printer (27) connected to the terminal processor (17), with which the terminal processor (17) can print predetermined information on one side of the paper sheet before the paper sheet is released to the user. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the unit (5; 60) for recording handwritten information comprises a writing path (60): 12. Device as claimed in claims 1-8 or 10-11, characterized in that the terminal processor (17) is adapted to present the user with an address list and to have the user make a choice from the address list. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the terminal processor (17) is arranged to support a payment transaction by the user and to send the handwritten information to the server (40) only after the payment transaction has been completed. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the terminal comprises touch screen (3) connected to the terminal processor (17) for displaying information to the user and receiving instructions from the user. Device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, characterized in that the terminal (1) is provided with a photo camera (15) for taking a photo and the device is adapted to take the photo off on one side of the postcard (51) to push. A method for producing one or more personalized postcards 10 using a system comprising a server (40) and one or more user terminals (1; 1 '; 1') remote from the server (40), which server (40) and user terminals (1; 1 '; 1 ”) are arranged to communicate with each other, the method comprising: • recording original information handwritten by a user with a unit (5; 60) for recording of handwritten information, • sending the original handwritten information from the user terminal (1; 1 '; 1 ”) to the server (40), • the server (40) receiving the original handwritten information • the server (40) with a printer (43) printing the original 20 handwritten information on a postcard.