JP2006119712A - Information management terminal device and program, and document for electronic pen - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a classified aggregation management system that divides entry information that a user enters into a paper medium according to the intention of the user to store/manage the entry information and can easily and accurately display the entry information after grouping and ordering it. <P>SOLUTION: The classified aggregation management system 100 makes the user enter arbitrary information into the entry area of a notebook 3 first by using an electronic pen 10. Then the user who desires to subdivide the information entered into the entry area enters a division line and a classification symbol by using the electronic pen 10. A server acquires the entry information that the electronic pen enters, generates classification data on the basis of the recognized classification symbol and corresponding area data, and stores the data according to the classification symbol. Consequently, the entry information that the user enters into the notebook 3 can be divided according to the intention of the user, and stored and managed. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a technique capable of extracting and processing specific information from information entered with an electronic pen.

  Usually, when attending a lecture or attending a meeting, a user often takes notes on a university note or a loose leaf composed of a plurality of ruled lines. Unlike electronic data, information written on such a paper medium cannot be easily grouped or ordered. Therefore, if information described on the paper medium can be managed as electronic data on a server or a personal computer (hereinafter referred to as “PC”), it is convenient because grouping and ordering can be easily performed. is there.

  In this way, when information written on paper media is managed as electronic data on a server or PC, a user who visually recognizes a university note or loose leaf whose contents have been memo punched or entered as image data with a scanner. It is necessary to drool.

  However, inputting electronic data based on a handwritten university note or loose leaf takes time and effort, and causes a problem that the burden on the user is heavy. Furthermore, the punch input may cause human error due to manual work.

  In addition, information written on paper media that is not divided into multiple items, such as university notes and loose leaves, is not clearly linked to each other, so the corresponding electronic data is divided based on the user's intention. However, grouping and ordering are difficult, and there is a problem that they cannot be divided and managed on a server or a PC.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above points. Information entered by a user on a paper medium is divided and stored and managed based on the user's intention, and is grouped and ordered. An object of the present invention is to provide a classification-based aggregation management system that can be displayed easily and accurately.

  One aspect of the present invention is an information management terminal device that manages information entered in a form for an electronic pen using an electronic pen, and the electronic pen form is printed with a dot pattern that can be recognized by the electronic pen. An entry area for recognizing arbitrary information entered by the user, and a frame area for recognizing a classification symbol indicating the classification of information divided by the division line entered in the entry area. The information management terminal device includes entry information acquisition means for acquiring entry information entered on the electronic pen form by the electronic pen, the entry area, the frame area, and the dot pattern. The coordinate information acquisition means for acquiring the information associated with the position coordinates as coordinate information, and referring to the coordinate information based on the entry information, thereby the division license. Division line recognition means for recognizing, area data extraction means for extracting the information entered in the entry area as area data based on the recognized division line and the coordinate information, the recognized division line and the coordinates Based on the information, the frame data extracting means for extracting the information entered in the frame area as frame data, the classification symbol recognizing means for recognizing the classification symbol based on the extracted frame data, the recognized classification symbol, Classification data generation means for generating classification data based on the extracted area data, and classification data storage means for storing the classification data based on the classification symbol.

  The information management terminal device configured as described above is assumed to be a computer terminal including an ASP (Application Service Provider) server, a stand-alone PC, and the like.

  The electronic pen form is printed with a dot pattern that can be recognized by the electronic pen, and has an entry area and a frame area. The user first enters arbitrary information in the entry area of the electronic pen form using the electronic pen. When the user wants to subdivide the information entered in the entry area, the user enters the division line and the classification symbol using the electronic pen. The electronic pen reads the dot pattern on the form as it moves, and acquires entry information regarding the contents of symbols, character strings, lines, etc. entered by the user. Here, the entry information includes position coordinates on the dot pattern. The entry information acquired by the electronic pen is acquired by the information management terminal device. The information management terminal device recognizes the division line based on the acquired entry information and coordinate information. Then, the information management terminal device extracts area data and frame data from the entry information based on the division line and the coordinate information. Furthermore, the information management terminal device recognizes the classification symbol entered by the user by an OCR (Optical Character Reader) or the like based on the extracted frame data. Then, the information management terminal device generates classification data based on the recognized classification symbol and the corresponding area data, and stores it based on the classification symbol.

  According to this, the information management terminal device stores the entry information entered by the user in the electronic pen form according to the user's intention based on the division line and the classification symbol. That is, entry information can be stored and managed in a state edited according to the user's intention. Further, according to this, the user can easily store the entry information as digital data by entering the division line and the classification symbol in the electronic pen form with the electronic pen without performing a complicated PC operation. It becomes possible to manage.

  In one aspect of the information management terminal device, the classification symbol includes a group symbol indicating the area data group and an order symbol indicating the order in the area data group. According to this, the information management terminal device can store and manage the entry information after grouping and ordering based on the classification symbols entered by the user. In addition, users can store and manage entry information as grouped and ordered digital data by entering classification symbols on electronic pen forms using an electronic pen without complicated operations. It becomes.

In another aspect of the information management terminal device, the information management terminal device is based on classification data extraction means for extracting classification data from the classification data storage means, and a group symbol of classification symbols included in the classification data. Grouping means for grouping the corresponding area data, ordering means for ordering the corresponding area data based on the order symbols of the classification symbols included in the classification data, and for each group by the grouping means, The apparatus further comprises merge file creation means for creating a merge file obtained by merging area data according to the order by the ordering means, and merge display means for displaying the created merge file. According to this, the information management terminal device creates a merge file in which the area data is grouped and ordered based on the classification symbol. Then, the information management terminal device displays the merge file. Therefore, the information management terminal device divides and stores the entry information entered by the user in the electronic pen form based on the user's intention, and also makes it easy and accurate after grouping and ordering. Can be displayed.
In another aspect of the information management terminal device, the dividing line is written in the entry area and the frame area with one stroke, and both ends thereof are located in the frame area. According to this, the information management terminal device can accurately recognize the division line based on the position coordinates of the entry area and the frame area stored in the coordinate information from the entry information. The dividing line can be any stroke such as a vertical line, horizontal line, diagonal line, etc. as long as the entry area and the frame area pass through one stroke and both ends are located within the frame area.

  In still another aspect of the information management terminal device, the electronic pen form further includes a sticky note box for displaying the merge file as a sticky note, and the coordinate information acquisition means is further filled in the sticky note box. Information for associating a sticky note area for recognizing a check mark and position coordinates on the dot pattern is obtained as coordinate information, and the information management terminal device is a document for creating a document. A creation application, a determination unit that determines whether or not a check mark has been entered in the sticky note box by referring to the coordinate information based on the entry information, and a decision that the determination unit has been entered in the sticky note box If the document creation application is executed, the merge file is displayed as an electronic sticky note. Further comprising a shows means. According to this, when the user enters a check mark in the sticky note box, the information management terminal device can display the merge file as an electronic sticky note by a pop-up or the like on the document creation application. In other words, when a user creates a document using the document creation application, the user can fill in an electronic pen form and display the organized information ordered for each group as an electronic sticky note. Therefore, it is possible to assist the user when creating the document.

  In another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information management program executed by a computer for managing information entered in an electronic pen form by an electronic pen, wherein the electronic pen form is a dot that can be recognized by the electronic pen. A pattern is printed, and a recognition area for recognizing arbitrary information entered by the user, and a classification symbol indicating the classification of information divided by the division lines entered in the entry area are recognized. The information management program includes entry information acquisition means for acquiring entry information entered on the electronic pen form by the electronic pen, the entry area, the frame area, and the dot pattern. Coordinate information acquisition means for acquiring information associated with the upper position coordinates as coordinate information, referring to the coordinate information based on the entry information A dividing line recognizing unit for recognizing the dividing line, an area data extracting unit for extracting information entered in the entry area as area data based on the recognized dividing line and the coordinate information; Frame data extraction means for extracting information entered in the frame area as frame data based on the line and the coordinate information, classification symbol recognition means for recognizing the classification symbol based on the extracted frame data, recognized classification The computer is caused to function as classification data generation means for generating classification data based on the symbols and the extracted area data, and classification data storage means for storing the classification data based on the classification symbols.

  By executing the information management program by a computer, the information management terminal device described above can be realized. Moreover, each aspect of the above-described information management terminal device can be realized in the same manner.

  According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electronic pen form in which entry information is written by an electronic pen including an ink pen unit and a reading unit that optically reads a dot pattern, and arbitrary information entered by a user is received. An entry area for recognition and information entered in the entry area are divided, and a frame area for recognizing a classification symbol indicating a classification of the divided information is provided. By using the electronic pen to fill in such electronic pen forms, the classification symbol can be recognized, and the entry information can be subdivided and processed easily and accurately based on the user's intention. It becomes possible.

  In one aspect of the electronic pen form, the information entered in the entry area is divided by dividing lines that are written in one stroke in the entry area and the frame area. When the writer uses the electronic pen to fill in such a form for the electronic pen, the division line and the classification symbol can be recognized, and the entry information can be subdivided easily and accurately based on the user's intention. Can be processed.

  According to the present invention, entry information entered by a user on a paper medium is divided and stored and managed based on the user's intention, and is displayed easily and accurately after being grouped and ordered. Can do.

  Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. First, an outline of an electronic pen used as an input device in the system of the present invention will be described.

[Electronic pen]
FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing how the electronic pen is used, and FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing the structure of the electronic pen. As shown in FIG. 1, the electronic pen 10 is used in combination with a dedicated paper 20 on which a dot pattern is printed. The electronic pen 10 includes a pen tip portion 17 similar to a normal ink pen, and a user writes characters on the dedicated paper 20 in the same manner as a normal ink pen.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the electronic pen 10 includes a processor 11, a memory 12, a data communication unit 13, a battery 14, an LED 15, a camera 16, and a pressure sensor 18 therein. The electronic pen 10 includes an ink cartridge (not shown) as a component similar to a normal ink pen.

  The electronic pen 10 does not convert the locus of the ink drawn on the dedicated paper 20 by the pen tip unit 17, but converts the locus coordinates of the movement of the electronic pen 10 on the dedicated paper 20 into data. While the LED 15 illuminates the vicinity of the pen tip 17 on the dedicated paper 20, the camera 16 reads the dot pattern printed on the dedicated paper 20 and converts it into data. That is, the electronic pen 10 can acquire a stroke generated when the user moves the electronic pen 10 on the dedicated paper 20 as image data or vector data.

  The pressure sensor 18 detects the pressure applied to the pen tip portion 17 when the user writes characters on the dedicated paper with the electronic pen 10, that is, the writing pressure, and supplies the detected pressure to the processor 11. The processor 11 switches the LED 15 and the camera 16 on and off based on the writing pressure data given from the pressure sensor 18. That is, when the user writes characters or the like on the dedicated paper 20 with the electronic pen 10, writing pressure is applied to the pen tip portion 17. Therefore, when the writing pressure exceeding the predetermined value is detected, it is determined that the user has started the description, and the LED 15 and the camera 16 are operated.

  The camera 16 reads the dot pattern on the dedicated paper 20 and supplies the pattern data to the processor 11. The processor 11 calculates X / Y coordinates on the dedicated paper 20 from the supplied dot pattern.

  The processor 11 acquires the writing pressure array data and the X / Y coordinate data while the description of the user is performed, and stores them in the memory 12 in association with the time stamp (time information). Therefore, data corresponding to the description content of the user is stored in the memory 12 in time series. The capacity of the memory 12 can be about 1 Mbyte, for example.

  All the acquired data is held in the memory 12 until a transmission instruction is given by the user. When the user issues a transmission instruction, the data communication unit 13 transmits the data in the memory 12 to the terminal device 25 within a predetermined distance from the electronic pen 10. Basically, once a transmission instruction is given, the electronic pen 10 transmits all the data stored in the memory 12 to the terminal device 25, so that the memory 12 is cleared. Therefore, when it is desired to transmit the same information to the terminal device 25 again after transmission, the user needs to write the description on the dedicated paper 20 again. In this case, the user only has to trace characters written on the dedicated paper 20 with an ink pen.

  The electronic pen 10 itself does not include a function button such as a transmission button, and a transmission instruction and other instructions are performed by a user checking the dedicated box provided at a predetermined position on the dedicated paper 20 with the electronic pen 10. Executed. A transmission instruction is associated with the position coordinates of the dedicated box in advance. When the processor 11 receives the position coordinates of the dedicated box, the processor 11 supplies data in the memory 12 to the data communication unit 13 and transmits the data to the terminal device 25. To do. The electronic pen 10 can indicate completion of data transmission by vibration of the electronic pen.

  The battery 14 is for supplying power to each element in the electronic pen 10, and the electronic pen 10 itself can be turned on / off by a cap (not shown) of the electronic pen, for example.

  As described above, the electronic pen 10 has a function of acquiring coordinate data and writing pressure data corresponding to characters and the like described on the dedicated paper 20 by the user and transmitting them to the nearby terminal device 25. Since the pen tip portion 17 is a normal ink pen, the content described on the dedicated paper 20 remains as an original original. That is, at the same time as describing the original paper, its contents can be digitized in the form of coordinate data in real time.

  According to the standard function of the electronic pen 10, data obtained by the electronic pen 10 is in principle in the form of coordinate data or vector data, and is not text data. However, as a standard function, the electronic pen 10 has a function of converting text into alphanumeric characters by describing it in a dedicated area provided on the dedicated paper 20.

  Also, the electronic pen 10 can hold property information (pen information and pen owner information) regarding the pen itself and its owner, and can be referred to from an application. As the pen information, a battery level, a pen ID, a pen manufacturer number, a pen software version, a subscription provider ID, and the like can be held. The pen owner information can hold nationality, language, time zone, email address, free memory capacity, name, address, fax / phone number, mobile phone number, and the like.

  In the data communication unit 13 in the above example, the electronic pen 10 is connected to the terminal device 25 by various methods such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) wireless transmission, wired transmission using a USB cable, and data transmission by contact with a terminal. It is conceivable to perform data transmission.

  Next, a method for acquiring X / Y coordinate data of contents described by the user with the electronic pen will be described. As described above, a predetermined dot pattern is printed on the dedicated paper 20. The camera 16 of the electronic pen 10 does not read the locus of ink described on the dedicated paper 20 by the user, but reads the dot pattern on the dedicated paper 20. Actually, as shown in FIG. 1, the illumination area by the LED 15 and the shooting area of the camera 16 (located in the illumination area) are deviated from the position where the pen tip portion 17 contacts the dedicated paper 20.

  The dot pattern is printed with a special ink containing carbon, and the camera 16 can recognize only the pattern with the special ink. Even if ruled lines or frames are printed on dedicated paper with inks other than dedicated ink (not including carbon), the electronic pen does not recognize them. Therefore, when creating forms such as various application forms using dedicated paper, input frames, ruled lines, cautions, etc. are printed with ink other than dedicated ink.

  In the dot pattern, as illustrated in FIG. 3, the position of each dot is associated with data. In the example of FIG. 3, the 2-bit information of 0 to 3 is displayed by shifting the dot position vertically and horizontally from the reference position (intersection of vertical and horizontal lines) of the grid. The position coordinates on the dedicated paper are determined by the combination of information expressed in this way. As illustrated in FIG. 4A, 36 dots are arranged in a grid within a range of 2 mm in length and width, and the data array (FIG. 4B) indicated by these dots is displayed on the dedicated paper. Are associated with the position coordinates. Therefore, when the camera 16 of the electronic pen 10 captures a dot pattern as shown in FIG. 4A, the processor 11 changes the data array shown in FIG. 4B based on the dot pattern data input from the camera 16. The position coordinates on the dedicated paper (that is, where the dot pattern is located on the dedicated paper) corresponding to the acquired position are calculated in real time. The minimum unit for recognizing the dot pattern is 2 mm × 2 mm, and the camera 16 takes about 100 shots per second.

  Next, the dedicated paper will be described. An example of the structure of the dedicated paper is shown in FIG. As shown in the figure, the dedicated paper 20 has a dot pattern 32 printed on a mount 30 and a design 34 such as a ruled line printed thereon. The mount 30 is usually paper, and the dot pattern 32 is printed with dedicated ink containing carbon as described above. Further, the design 34 is printed with normal ink or the like. The dot pattern and the design may be printed at the same time, or one of them may be printed first.

  An example of the design 34 is shown in FIG. FIG. 6 shows an example of a certain application form 36 in which a plurality of entry fields 38 and a transmission box 39 are printed. Although it is not clearly shown in FIG. 6 and will be described in detail later, a dot pattern is actually printed on the entire surface of the application form 36, and an entry box 38 and a transmission box 39 are formed on the entire surface using ordinary ink. It is printed. The user can enter the necessary items in each entry field 38 of the application form 36 using the electronic pen 10 in the same manner as a conventional application form without being aware of the dot pattern.

  The area on the dedicated paper 20 can be roughly divided into two types. One is an entry area, in which the content described by the electronic pen 10 is handled as information as it is. In the example of FIG. 6, a plurality of entry fields 38 correspond to this. The other is a functional element, and when the corresponding area is checked with the electronic pen 10, actions, instructions, etc. defined in advance for the area are executed. The transmission box 39 in the example of FIG. 6 corresponds to this.

  The transmission box 39 is used when giving an instruction to transmit data stored in the electronic pen 10 to the nearby terminal device 25 as described above. When the user checks the transmission box 39 with the electronic pen 10, the electronic pen 10 reads the dot pattern in the transmission box. The pattern is associated with a transmission instruction, and the processor 11 in the electronic pen 10 issues a command to transmit data stored in the memory 12 to the data communication unit 13.

  The assignment of dot patterns is usually performed for each application (paper type). In other words, the dot patterns in a certain application form do not overlap in one sheet, but the same dot pattern is printed on the same application form. Therefore, when the user inputs necessary items with the electronic pen 10, it can be specified from the coordinate data on the application form which item of the application form the input item is for.

  As described above, by printing a predetermined design on the dedicated paper on which the dot pattern is printed, various application forms using the dedicated paper can be created. If the user uses the electronic pen 10 and fills in necessary items in a normal manner, the electronic data is automatically acquired.

  In the above example, the dot pattern is printed on the dedicated paper with carbon-containing ink. However, the dot pattern can be printed on ordinary paper using a printer and carbon-containing ink. Furthermore, the design on the dedicated paper can also be formed by a printer instead of printing. When dot patterns are formed on paper by a printer, different dot patterns can be formed on each sheet. Therefore, it is possible to identify and distinguish each of these sheets by the difference in the formed dot patterns.

  In the present specification, the term “printing” has a concept including not only normal printing but also printing by a printer.

  Next, transmission processing of data acquired by the electronic pen will be described with reference to FIG. The data acquired by the electronic pen 10 is mainly data of items input by the user, but usually does not include information on where the service server that is the transmission destination of the data is. Instead, information specifying the application or service related to the dedicated paper is included in the dot pattern on the dedicated paper, and the information is acquired from the dedicated paper during the user's input operation. Therefore, the terminal device 25 that has received the entry data from the electronic pen 10 first makes an inquiry to the inquiry server 26 to which service server 27 the data input to the dedicated paper should be transmitted. The inquiry server 26 has information on a corresponding service server for each dedicated paper, and in response to an inquiry from the terminal device 25, information (such as a URL) of the service server 27 that performs a service related to the dedicated paper. Reply to the terminal device 25. Then, the terminal device 25 transmits the entry data acquired from the electronic pen to the service server 27.

  In the above example, the terminal device 25, the inquiry server 26, and the service server 27 are separately configured. However, some or all of them may be configured as one device. In the present embodiment, it is assumed that a server described later also serves as the inquiry server 26 and the service server 27.

[Centralized management system by category]
Next, the classification management system according to the present invention will be described. FIG. 7 shows a schematic configuration of the category-based aggregation management system 100. The classification-based aggregation management system 100 shown in FIG. 7 includes entry information entered by a user using the electronic pen 10 on an electronic pen form (hereinafter referred to as “notebook”) composed of a plurality of ruled lines. It can be divided and managed according to the user's intention, and can be displayed with grouping and ordering easily and accurately. In the present embodiment, a plurality of ruled lines are printed on the notebook. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the notebook design can be arbitrarily set.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the classified management system 100 is configured by connecting a terminal device 25 and a server 5 through a network 2. Here, one suitable example of the network 2 is the Internet. The terminal device 25 is a terminal that can exchange data via the network 2 such as a PC or a mobile phone used by a user.

  The server 5 is connected to a classification data database (hereinafter referred to as “DB”) 7. The server 5 in the present invention is assumed to be a computer terminal including not only an ASP but also a PC used by a user.

  First, referring to FIGS. 8 to 10, an outline of a method for managing entry information by this system will be described. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the note 3, and FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the note 3 in which a division line and a classification symbol are entered. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a configuration of classification symbols to be described later. Note 3 has a ruled line in an entry area to be described later, but in FIG. 9, for convenience, the ruled line is omitted and the boundary line of the entry area is indicated by a broken line.

  Note 3 is created as the above-mentioned dedicated paper, and a plurality of ruled lines are printed as shown in FIG. Here, in the notebook 3, as shown in the figure, in addition to the ruled lines, the transmission box 39 described above, a filing box 50, a mail box 51, a FAX box 52, and a printing box 53 described later are set. FIG. 8B is a diagram schematically showing an area set in the dot pattern printed on the note 3 shown in FIG. As shown in the drawing, the area corresponding to the ruled line portion of the notebook 3 indicated by diagonal lines is an entry area where the user can enter arbitrary information with the electronic pen 10. The area corresponding to the transmission box 39 is a transmission area for recognizing transmission of entry information stored by the electronic pen 10. Further, in the areas corresponding to the filing box 50, the mail box 51, the FAX box 52, or the printing box 53, filing, mail transmission, FAX transmission, or printing is performed by using only necessary information in the entry information as digital data. A filing area, a mail area, a FAX area, or a print area.

  In the dot pattern printed on the note 3, an area other than the entry area, the transmission area, the filing area, the mail area, the FAX area, and the print area is referred to as a frame area.

  In the present embodiment, the boxes 50 to 53 are provided on the notebook 3, but the present invention is not limited to this, and other boxes can be used as long as the entry area and the frame area are set. Etc. can be arbitrarily set. That is, the boxes 50 to 53 and the like are not necessary.

  The user uses the electronic pen 10 to enter arbitrary information in the ruled line portion of the note 3, that is, the entry area. Then, as shown in FIG. 9A, the user can divide the information entered in the entry area by entering a division line that passes through the entry area and the frame area in one stroke. Both ends of the dividing line need to be located within the frame area. In other words, any number of dividing lines may be entered on the note 3 as long as it passes through the entry area and the frame area with one stroke and both ends are located within the frame area. Further, the dividing lines are not necessarily horizontal, and may be diagonal lines or vertical lines as shown in FIG. The server 5 divides the information entered in the entry area of the note 3 based on the coordinate information or vector information constituting the dividing line. That is, when the user enters such a division line, the server 5 can arbitrarily divide and subdivide the information entered in the entry area.

  As shown in FIG. 9A, the user who has divided the information entered in the entry area by the division line enters the classification symbol in the frame area corresponding to the divided entry area. The classification symbol can be entered for each divided entry area. If it is within the corresponding frame area, it can be entered at an arbitrary position such as the right side, the left side, or the upper side as shown in FIG. 9B. . Specifically, as shown in FIG. 10, the classification symbol is a group symbol indicating the group of information divided on the left side of the hyphen (-), and an order symbol indicating the order of the divided information on the right side. By entering such a classification symbol, the user can group and order the divided information.

  In this embodiment, the group symbols are alphabets and the order symbols are numbers. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and what is used for the group symbols and order symbols can be arbitrarily set. it can.

  The electronic pen 10 acquires stroke data corresponding to the contents entered in the note 3, temporarily stores it in the memory 12 in the electronic pen 10, and then transmits the stroke data to the terminal device 25. The terminal device 25 receives the stroke data from the electronic pen 10 and transmits it to the server 5 through the network 2. The server 5 acquires the stroke data as entry information indicating the contents entered by the user on the note 3. The server 5 first recognizes the division line included in the entry information. Then, the server 5 extracts area data obtained by subdividing the information entered in the entry area and the frame data entered in the corresponding frame area from the entry information based on the recognized division line. Further, the server 5 recognizes the classification symbol by OCR (Optical Character Reader) based on the frame data. And the server 5 produces | generates the classification data comprised from the recognized classification | category symbol and corresponding area data. By storing such classification data in the classification data DB 7 based on the classification symbol, the server 5 stores and manages the subdivided entry information based on the group and ordering arbitrarily set by the user. Can do.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 11, the outline of the display method of the fragmented entry information by this system is described. FIG. 11A is a diagram schematically showing area data segmented on the notebook 3. Moreover, 11 (b) is a figure which shows the area data merged based on the classification symbol.

  Specifically, note 3 is composed of a plurality of pages, but FIG. 11A shows four of them, and the area within the broken line is the entry area of each page. In the first sheet, the information entered in the entry area is divided into three areas. From the top, the area data corresponding to the classification symbol “A-2” and the area corresponding to the classification symbol “B-1”, respectively. Data and area data corresponding to the classification symbol “C-3” are shown.

  In FIG. 11A, for convenience, classification symbols are written in the segmented area data. However, as described above, arbitrary information is entered by the user in the segmented area data. The classification symbol is assumed to be entered in the corresponding frame area. Similarly, in the second to fourth sheets, the information entered in the entry area is divided into several area data, and classification symbols are respectively set.

  The area data as shown in FIG. 11A is stored and managed in the classification data DB 7 based on the classification symbols as described above. When the area data is displayed, the server 5 creates and displays a merge file in which the area data is merged according to the order symbol for each group indicated by the group symbol of the classification symbol, as shown in FIG. 11B. Can do. According to this, the server can easily display the data grouped or ordered based on the division lines and classification symbols entered on the note 3 by the user, that is, the edited entry information. Therefore, the user can easily and accurately edit the data by entering the division line and the classification symbol on the notebook 3 without performing a complicated operation on the terminal device 25 or the server 5.

  In the present embodiment, the server 5 displays the merge file. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the merge file is transmitted to the terminal device 25 used by the user, and the terminal device. 25 may be displayed. That is, the server 5 subdivides the entry information based on the user's intention, and converts it into display type data by grouping and ordering.

  Moreover, the server 5 can also display each area data separately based on the time which the electronic pen 10 read irrespective of the classification symbol. In this embodiment, in order to distinguish between the two, creating and displaying a merge file is referred to as “merge display”, and displaying separately based on the read time is referred to as “separate display”.

[Note]
Next, note 3 will be described. In the system of the present invention, the notebook 3 as shown in FIG. 8 is created as the dedicated paper described above. That is, as illustrated in FIG. 5, a predetermined dot pattern 32 is printed on the mount 30, and a predetermined box or ruled line is printed thereon. As described above, the dot pattern 32 is printed with ink containing carbon so that the electronic pen 10 can recognize it. On the other hand, since the design 34 such as a mark or a ruled line is printed with normal (not including carbon) ink, the electronic pen 10 does not recognize it.

  As described above, the note 3 includes the filing box 50, the mail box 51, the FAX box 52, and the print box 53. When a check mark is entered in the filing box 50, necessary information in the entry information is taken into a PC or the like and automatically filed according to the date, category, or the like. When a check mark is entered in the mail box 51, the entered information is sent by e-mail via a PC or a mobile phone. When a check mark is entered in the FAX box 52, the entry information is transferred to the FAX via a PC or a mobile phone. When a check mark is entered in the print box 53, the entry information is printed out via a PC or a mobile phone.

  In the present invention, the entry information is edited based on the division line and the classification symbol entered by the user, and is stored and managed in the classification data DB 7 as classification data. Therefore, by providing the mail box 51 in the present invention as described above, the user can send a part of the arbitrarily selected entry information or the merge file created according to the classification symbol attached to the mail. it can. Further, by providing a filing box 50, a FAX box 52, and a printing box 53, filing, FAX, and printing can be performed. That is, even users who are not good at keyboard operations can easily edit edited data by entering check marks in the boxes 50 to 53 without performing complicated operations on the terminal device 25 or the server 5. Mail transmission, FAX transmission, and printing can be performed.

  Note that the mail transmission method, FAX transmission method, and specific printing method are known techniques, and thus description thereof is omitted for the sake of convenience.

[server]
Next, the server 5 will be described in detail. FIG. 12 shows an internal configuration of the server 5 in the classification-based aggregation management system 100 in particular. As illustrated, the server 5 includes an information management program 501, an entry information acquisition function 502, a divided line recognition function 503, an area data extraction function 505, a frame data extraction function 506, a classification symbol recognition function 507, a classification data generation function 508, A classification data management function 509, a classification data ordering function 510, a merge display function 511, and a separate display function 512 are included. Further, the classification symbol recognition function 507 includes an OCR recognition program execution function. The classification data management function 509 includes a classification data storage function. Each function is realized by the CPU included in the server 5 executing a program prepared in advance.

  The information management program 501 is a program that subdivides entry information acquired from the electronic pen 10 according to the user's intention and stores and manages each information. The information management program 501 is a program that displays each information stored and managed after being grouped and ordered according to the user's intention.

  The entry information acquisition function 502 is a function for acquiring entry information entered in the note 3 by the user using the electronic pen 10 by executing the information management program 501.

  As shown in FIG. 13, the coordinate table 503 stores coordinate data and area names using the area ID as a key. The area ID is information for identifying each area set on the dot pattern printed on the note 3, and the area name is the name of each area. The coordinate data is a position coordinate on the note 3 indicating the location of the area corresponding to each area ID. The server 5 refers to the coordinate table 503 based on the position coordinates included in the entry information acquired by the entry information acquisition function 502, and grasps in which area the entry information is the stroke data entered. Can do.

  The division line recognition function 504 is a function for recognizing the division line entered by the user by referring to the coordinate table 503 based on the entry information acquired by the entry information acquisition function 502. Specifically, the dividing line passes through the entry area and the frame area with one stroke, and both ends are located within the frame area. Therefore, the division line recognition function 504 extracts such a stroke from the entry information based on the coordinate table 503 and recognizes it as a division line.

  The area data extraction function 505 is based on the division line recognized by the division line recognition function 504 and the coordinate table 503, and is the information entered in the entry area from the entry information and subdivided by the division line. Extract as area data. For example, when the entry area is divided into three by two division lines, the area data extraction function 505 extracts three area data.

  The frame data extraction function 506 is the information entered in the frame area from the entry information based on the division line recognized by the division line recognition function 504 and the coordinate table 503, and each area subdivided by the division line. Information entered at a position corresponding to the data is extracted as frame data. That is, the frame data extraction function 506 extracts, as frame data, information on a frame area in which a classification symbol is entered, which is associated with the divided area data, from the entry information.

  The classification symbol recognition function 507 is a function for recognizing a classification symbol based on the frame data extracted by the frame data extraction function 506. Specifically, the classification symbol written in the frame data is recognized by executing the OCR recognition program by the OCR recognition program execution function. Here, OCR is a system that recognizes and converts input characters into digital data.

  The classification data generation function 508 is a function for generating classification data from the classification symbols recognized by the classification symbol recognition function 507 and the area data extracted by the area data extraction function 505 corresponding thereto.

  The classification data management function 509 is a function for managing the classification data generated by the classification data generation function 508 based on the classification symbol. Specifically, the classification data is stored in the classification data DB 7 based on the classification symbol by the classification data storage function.

  Here, the classification data DB 7 will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 14, the classification data DB 7 is composed of group symbols, order symbols, area data, and reading time. The group symbol and the order symbol constitute the classification symbol included in the classification data, and are information indicating the group and order of the corresponding area data. The area data is information entered in each of the entry areas and divided by the division lines. In the present embodiment, the area data is stored as image data. The reading time is the time when the electronic pen 10 reads the corresponding area data. By referring to the reading time, the area data can be displayed in the order entered by the user regardless of the classification symbol.

  In the present embodiment, the area data is stored as image data. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and may be stored as stroke data or the like.

  The classification data ordering function 510 is a function for grouping area data based on the group symbol stored in the classification data DB 7 and ordering the area data according to the order symbol for each group. That is, the classification data ordering function 510 is a function for creating a merge file in which area data is grouped and ordered based on classification symbols.

  The merge display function 511 is a function for displaying the area data ordered by the classification data ordering function 510, that is, the merge file. In FIG. 12, the classification data ordering function 510, the merge display function 511, and the separate display function 512 are executed by the interface of the server 5. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the server 5 may create the merge file and then transmit the merge file to the terminal device 25, and the merge display may be performed on the terminal device 25. .

  The separate display function 512 is a function that displays the area data stored in the classification data DB 7 in an order that the user has entered based on the reading time.

[Management process]
Next, a management process executed by the category-based aggregation management system 100 will be described. FIG. 15 is a flowchart of the management process. In this process, the user enters a check mark in the transmission box 39 without displaying a check mark in the boxes 50 to 53, and displays information.

  The user first enters arbitrary information in the entry area of the notebook 3 using the electronic pen 10. In addition, when the user wants to subdivide the entered information, the user uses the electronic pen 10 to enter the division line in the notebook 3. Further, when it is desired to group and order the subdivided information, the user enters a classification symbol in the frame area of the notebook 3 using the electronic pen 10, and finally enters a check mark in the transmission box 39. .

  The electronic pen 10 reads the written characters and the like entered in the notebook 3 by the user (step S1), acquires them as entry information, and stores them in the memory 12 (step S2). Then, at the timing when a check mark is entered in the transmission box 39, the electronic pen 10 transmits the entry information stored in the memory 12 to the server 5 via the terminal device 25 (step S3).

  The server 5 receives entry information from the electronic pen 10 via the terminal device 25 (step S4). Then, the server 5 recognizes the division line entered by the user based on the received entry information and the coordinate table 503 (step S5). Further, the server 5 extracts segmented area data from the entry information based on the recognized division line and the coordinate table 503. Further, the server 5 extracts frame data corresponding to each subdivided area from the entry information based on the recognized division line and the coordinate table 503 (step S6). Then, the server 5 recognizes the classification symbol by OCR based on the extracted frame data (step S7). Further, the server 5 generates classification data based on the classification symbol and the corresponding area data (step S8), and stores and manages it in the classification data DB 7 based on the classification symbol (step S9).

  Next, the server 5 determines whether or not the classification data is to be merged and displayed (step S10). Specifically, the server 5 determines whether to display the merged data based on a predetermined signal received from the user. When the merge display is not performed (step S10; No), the server 5 separately displays the area data stored in the classification data DB 7 based on the reading time (step S13). On the other hand, when the merge display is performed (step S10; Yes), the server 5 performs grouping and ordering of the area data according to the group symbol and the order symbol constituting the classification symbol stored in the classification data DB 7. Thereby, the server 5 creates a merge file (step S11). Then, the server 5 displays the merge file (step S12), and the management process is completed.

  According to this, the entry information entered by the user with the electronic pen 10 on the notebook 3 can be easily classified and ordered. In the present invention, by entering division lines and classification symbols, it is possible to classify and order entry information not only within the same page but also across several pages. That is, the server 5 can collect and manage handwritten characters entered in the notebook 3 in order as the user intends.

[Modification]
In the above embodiment, the server 5 has the information management program 501 and the functions 502 to 512 as shown in FIG. 12, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the information management program 501 and It is good also as the terminal device 25 which a user uses each function 502 thru | or 512 having. In this case, the classification data DB 7 is also created in the terminal device 25.

  According to this, by installing the information management program 501 in a stand-alone PC that does not communicate via the network 2, the PC can store the functions 502 to 512 shown in FIG. 12 and the classification data DB7. Will have. That is, the present invention can also be applied to collect and manage personal information by the terminal device 25 used by the user.

[Application example]
As an application example of the above-described classification management system, it is conceivable to assist document creation by displaying a merge file as an electronic tag. Such document creation assistance will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 16 is an example of Note 3 in the application example. FIG. 17 is an example of a display screen in which a merge file is displayed as an electronic tag on the document application.

  The note 3 in the application example has a sticky note box 70 in addition to the entry area, the frame area, and the transmission box 39, as shown in FIG. By entering a check mark in the tag box 70, the merge file can be displayed in a pop-up as a tag 83 when the document creation application 81 creates a document, as shown in FIG. A system of such an application example is called a sticky note system.

  According to the tag system, merged files that are grouped and ordered based on the classification symbol can be displayed as a tag 83 on the same display screen 82 as the document creation application 81. Therefore, the user can easily create a document while recognizing the contents entered in the note 3 by looking at the tag.

  With this classification management system, information entered by users on paper media is divided and stored and managed based on the user's intention, and is grouped and ordered for easy and accurate display. can do.

It is a figure which shows the usage pattern of an electronic pen typically. It is a functional block diagram which shows the structure of an electronic pen. It is a figure explaining the expression method of the information by the dot pattern printed on the exclusive paper. It is an example of a dot pattern and the information corresponding to it. The structure of a form composed of dedicated paper is shown. An example of an electronic pen form is shown. It is a figure which shows schematic structure of the aggregation management system classified by classification in this invention. An example of a note is shown. An example of a note in which a division line and a classification symbol are written is shown. The structure of a classification symbol is shown. It is a figure which shows the area data on the note 3, and the area data merged based on the classification symbol. FIG. 8 is a functional block diagram of a server included in the classification-based aggregation management system shown in FIG. 7. It is a figure which shows typically the data structure of a coordinate table. It is a figure which shows typically the data structure of classification data DB. It is a flowchart of the management process in this embodiment. The example of the note 3 in an application example is shown. It is an example of a display screen in which a merge file is displayed as an electronic tag on a document application.

Explanation of symbols

2 ... Network 3 ... Note 5 ... Server 7 ... Classification data DB
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Electronic pen 11 ... Processor 12 ... Memory 13 ... Data communication unit 14 ... Battery 25 ... Terminal device 26 ... Inquiry server 27 ... Service server 100 ... Classification management system classified by classification

Claims (12)

An information management terminal device for managing information entered in an electronic pen form by an electronic pen,
The electronic pen form is printed with a dot pattern that can be recognized by the electronic pen, and includes an entry area for recognizing arbitrary information entered by the user, and a division line entered in the entry area. A frame area for recognizing a classification symbol indicating the classification of the divided information,
The information management terminal device
Entry information acquisition means for acquiring entry information entered on the electronic pen form by the electronic pen;
Coordinate information acquisition means for acquiring, as coordinate information, information in which the entry area, the frame area, and position coordinates on the dot pattern are associated;
Division line recognition means for recognizing the division line by referring to the coordinate information based on the entry information;
Area data extraction means for extracting information entered in the entry area as area data based on the recognized division line and the coordinate information;
Frame data extraction means for extracting information entered in the frame area as frame data based on the recognized division line and the coordinate information;
Classification symbol recognition means for recognizing the classification symbol based on the extracted frame data;
Classification data generating means for generating classification data based on the recognized classification symbol and the extracted area data;
An information management terminal device comprising: classification data storage means for storing the classification data based on the classification symbols.   2. The information management terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the classification symbol includes a group symbol indicating a group of the area data and an order symbol indicating an order in the group of the area data. The information management terminal device
Classification data extraction means for extracting classification data from the classification data storage means;
Grouping means for grouping corresponding area data based on a group symbol of classification symbols included in the classification data;
Ordering means for ordering corresponding area data based on the order symbol of the classification symbol included in the classification data;
A merge file creating means for creating a merge file by merging area data according to the order by the ordering means for each group by the grouping means;
The information management terminal device according to claim 2, further comprising merge display means for displaying the created merge file.   4. The division line according to claim 1, wherein the dividing line is entered in one stroke in the entry area and the frame area, and both ends thereof are located in the frame area. 5. Information management terminal device. The electronic pen form further includes a sticky note box for displaying the merge file as a sticky note,
The coordinate information acquisition means further acquires, as coordinate information, information in which a tag area for recognizing a check mark entered in the tag box and position coordinates on the dot pattern are associated with each other. ,
The information management terminal device
A document creation application for creating a document;
Determining means for referring to the coordinate information based on the entry information to determine whether a check mark is entered in the tag box;
A sticky note display means for executing the document creation application and displaying the merge file as an electronic sticky note when the determination means determines that the sticky note box has been entered. 4. The information management terminal device according to 4. An information management program executed by a computer for managing information entered in a form for an electronic pen by an electronic pen,
The electronic pen form is printed with a dot pattern that can be recognized by the electronic pen, and includes an entry area for recognizing arbitrary information entered by the user, and a division line entered in the entry area. A frame area for recognizing a classification symbol indicating the classification of the divided information,
The information management program includes:
Entry information acquisition means for acquiring entry information entered on the electronic pen form by the electronic pen;
Coordinate information acquisition means for acquiring, as coordinate information, information in which the entry area, the frame area, and position coordinates on the dot pattern are associated with each other;
A division line recognition means for recognizing the division line by referring to the coordinate information based on the entry information;
Area data extraction means for extracting information entered in the entry area as area data based on the recognized division line and the coordinate information;
Frame data extraction means for extracting information entered in the frame area as frame data based on the recognized division line and the coordinate information;
Classification symbol recognition means for recognizing the classification symbol based on the extracted frame data;
Classification data generation means for generating classification data based on the recognized classification symbol and the extracted area data,
An information management program for causing the computer to function as classification data storage means for storing the classification data based on the classification symbol.   7. The information management program according to claim 6, wherein the classification symbol includes a group symbol indicating the group of area data and an order symbol indicating the order in the area data group. The information management program includes:
Classification data extraction means for extracting classification data from the classification data storage means;
Grouping means for grouping corresponding area data based on a group symbol of classification symbols included in the classification data;
Ordering means for ordering corresponding area data based on the order symbol of the classification symbol included in the classification data;
Merge file creation means for creating a merge file in which area data is merged according to the order by the ordering means for each group by the grouping means,
8. The information management program according to claim 7, further causing the computer to function as merge display means for displaying the created merge file.   10. The division line according to claim 6, wherein the dividing line is entered in one stroke in the entry area and the frame area, and both ends thereof are located in the frame area. 11. Information management program. The electronic pen form further includes a sticky note box for displaying the merge file as a sticky note,
The coordinate information acquisition means further acquires, as coordinate information, information in which a tag area for recognizing a check mark entered in the tag box and position coordinates on the dot pattern are associated with each other. ,
The computer has a document creation application for creating a document,
The information management program includes:
Determining means for determining whether or not a check mark has been entered in the sticky note box by referring to the coordinate information based on the entry information;
The computer is further caused to function as sticky note display means for executing the document creation application and displaying the merge file as an electronic sticky note when the determination means determines that the sticky note box has been filled in. Item 10. The information management program according to Item 8 or 9. An electronic pen form in which entry information is written by an electronic pen including an ink pen unit and a reading unit that optically reads a dot pattern,
An entry area to recognize any information entered by the user,
The information entered in the entry area is divided, and a frame area for recognizing a classification symbol indicating the classification of the divided information is provided. . 12. The electronic pen form according to claim 11, wherein the information entered in the entry area is divided by division lines that are entered in one stroke in the entry area and the frame area.

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