1. A method of capturing data from an input received by a handwriting capture device, the method comprising:
receiving printed paper including an identifier associated with an object, the printed paper having been prepared by:
selecting a plurality of object elements, the selected object elements including an identifier independent of an object;
associating the selected object elements with one another, including associating the identifier with the object; and
printing, on a piece of paper, at least one of at least one associated object element, a representation of at least one associated object element or information related to at least one associated object element, wherein the resulting printed paper includes the identifier printed thereon, the identifier including a modulus number with a check digit encoded within a pattern, and wherein the resulting printed paper is received;
sensing the identifier from the printed paper, including sensing the check digit of the identifier based upon the pattern encoding the check digit;
determining if the sensed identifier is known and proper based upon the sensed check digit;
capturing an electronic handwriting input based upon a position of the writing stylus with respect to the printed paper; and
associating the electronic handwriting input with the sensed identifier to thereby associate the electronic handwriting input with the object associated with the identifier.
2. A method according to claim 1, wherein selecting a plurality of object elements comprises selecting a plurality of object elements further including a pattern from which a position of the writing stylus is capable of being determined, and
wherein associating the selected object elements with one another includes associating the pattern with the identifier.
3. A method according to claim 2, wherein receiving printed paper comprises receiving a plurality of pieces of printed paper,
wherein selecting a plurality of object elements for each printed paper includes selecting an identifier unique from the identifier selected for the other printed papers, and selecting a pattern the same as the pattern selected for at least one of the other printed papers, and
wherein printing on each piece of printed paper includes printing, on a piece of paper, the associated identifier and pattern.
4. A method according to claim 1, wherein sensing the identifier includes prompting operation of the device to sense the identifier associated with an object, wherein prompting operation comprises controlling vibration of a writing stylus to thereby prompt a user to operate the device to sense the identifier, operation of the device being prompted before sensing the identifier.
5. A method according to claim 4, wherein the identifier is encoded within a barcode, and wherein prompting operation of the device comprises prompting operation of the device after receiving input other than a scanned barcode, and before sensing the identifier.
6. A method according to claim 4, wherein prompting operation of the device comprises prompting operation of the device if a predetermined amount of time passes before sensing the identifier.
7. A method according to claim 1, wherein sensing the identifier includes:
capturing initial electronic handwriting input corresponding to the identifier;
converting the initial electronic handwriting input into a text representation of the initial electronic handwriting input; and
sensing the identifier based upon the text representation of the initial electronic handwriting input.
8. A method according to claim 7 further comprising:
triggering verification of the identifier when the sensed identifier is at least one of unknown or improper, wherein triggering verification includes presenting at least a portion of the sensed identifier; and
receiving at least a portion of the identifier based upon the presented portion of the sensed identifier such that the sensed identifier including the received portion is at least one of known or proper.
9. A method according to claim 1, wherein the identifier comprises a modulus number including a check digit, and wherein the method further comprises:
determining if the sensed identifier is known and proper based upon the sensed check digit; and
triggering verification of the identifier when the sensed identifier is at least one of unknown or improper.
10. A method according to claim 1, wherein the identifier is encoded within a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, and wherein sensing the identifier comprises reading the identifier from the RFID tag.
11. A method according to claim 1, wherein the object comprises a database record, and the method further comprises storing at least one of the electronic handwriting input or a representation of the electronic handwriting input in the associated database record.
12. A method according to claim 1, wherein sensing the identifier comprises:
imaging at least a portion of the object including the identifier such that the image of the respective portion of the object includes the identifier;
converting the image of the identifier into a machine-readable form; and
sensing the identifier based upon the machine-readable form of the identifier.
13. A method according to claim 12, wherein at least a portion of the object is imaged with a camera associated with a writing stylus, and wherein imaging at least a portion of the object comprises imaging at least a portion of the object in response to bringing the writing stylus into proximate contact with the object.
14. A method according to claim 12, wherein the identifier is positioned relative to an identifiable portion of the object, wherein imaging at least a portion of the object comprises imaging at least a portion of the object such that the image of the respective portion of the object further includes the identifiable portion, wherein sensing the identifier further comprises:
segmenting the identifier within the image based upon the identifiable portion of the object and a location of the identifier relative to the identifiable portion, and
wherein converting the image comprises converting the image based upon the segmented identifier.
15. A method according to claim 1, wherein receiving printed paper includes receiving a printed paper having been prepared by further:
printing a reprint of the identifier associated with the object on printed paper including the identifier printed thereon; and
inspecting the resulting printed paper including the identifier and the reprint, inspecting the printed paper including identifying one of a match and a mismatch between the reprint and the printed identifier.
16. A system comprising:
a first computing arrangement programmed to prepare printed paper including an identifier associated with an object, the first computing arrangement being programmed to prepare the printed paper for use in capturing and processing data from an input received by a handwriting capture arrangement,
wherein the first computing arrangement comprises a first processor programmed to select or receive selection of a plurality of object elements, the selected object elements including an identifier independent of an object, wherein the first processor is also programmed to associate the selected object elements with one another, including being programmed to associate the identifier with the object, and direct a printer to print, on a piece of paper, at least one of at least one associated object element, a representation of at least one associated object element or information related to at least one associated object element, wherein the resulting printed paper includes the identifier printed thereon, the identifier including a modulus number with a check digit encoded within a pattern; and
a pen-enabled computing arrangement programmed to interact with the printed paper prepared by the first computing arrangement, wherein the pen-enabled computing arrangement comprises at least one second processor in communication with a handwriting capture interface and programmed to sense the identifier, and wherein the second processor is further programmed to sense the check digit of the identifier based upon the pattern encoding the check digit, and thereafter determine if the sensed identifier is known and proper based upon the sensed check digit.
17. A system according to claim 16, wherein the first processor is programmed to select or receive selection of a plurality of object elements further including a pattern from which a position of the writing stylus is determinable, and wherein the first processor is programmed to further associate the pattern with the identifier.
18. A system according to claim 17, wherein the first computing arrangement is programmed to prepare a plurality of pieces of printed paper, wherein the first processor is programmed to select or receive selection of, for each printed paper, an identifier unique from the identifier selected for the other printed papers, and select or receive selection of a pattern the same as the pattern selected for at least one of the other printed papers, and wherein the first processor is programmed to direct the printer to print, on each piece of printed paper, the associated identifier and pattern.
19. A system according to claim 16, wherein the pen-enabled computing device further comprises the handwriting capture interface, the handwriting capture interface being programmed to capture an electronic handwriting input based upon a position of the writing stylus with respect to the printed paper,
wherein the second processor being programmed to sense the identifier includes being programmed to:
control vibration of the writing stylus to thereby prompt a user to operate the arrangement to sense the identifier; or
automatically sense the identifier independent of user operation of the arrangement to sense the identifier, and
wherein the second processor is thereafter programmed to sense the identifier from the printed paper and associate the electronic handwriting input with the sensed identifier to thereby associate the electronic handwriting input with the object associated with the identifier.
20. A system according to claim 19, wherein the identifier is encoded within a barcode, and wherein the second processor is programmed to prompt the user after receiving input other than a scanned barcode, and before sensing the identifier.
21. A system according to claim 19, wherein the second processor is programmed to prompt the user if a predetermined amount of time passes before sensing the identifier.
22. A system according to claim 19, wherein the handwriting capture interface is programmed to capture initial electronic handwriting input corresponding to the identifier,
wherein the second processor is programmed to convert the initial electronic handwriting input into a text representation of the initial electronic handwriting input, and thereafter sense the identifier based upon the text representation of the initial electronic handwriting input.
23. A system according to claim 22, wherein the second processor is further programmed to trigger verification of the identifier when the sensed identifier is at least one of unknown or improper, wherein the pen-enabled computing arrangement further comprises:
a display in communication with the second processor, wherein the second processor is programmed to direct the display to present at least a portion of the sensed identifier when triggering verification of the identifier, and
wherein the second processor is programmed to receive at least a portion of the identifier based upon the presented portion of the sensed identifier such that the sensed identifier including the received portion is at least one of known or proper.
24. A system according to claim 16, wherein the identifier comprises a modulus number including a check digit, wherein the second processor is further programmed to determine if the sensed identifier is known and proper based upon the sensed check digit, and trigger verification of the identifier when the sensed identifier is at least one of unknown or improper.
25. A system according to claim 16, wherein the identifier is encoded within a radio frequency (RF) identification (RFID) tag, wherein the pen-enabled computing arrangement further comprises an RF interrogator in communication with the second processor, and wherein the second processor is programmed to sense the identifier by reading the identifier from the RFID tag by means of the RF interrogator.
26. A system according to claim 16, wherein the object comprises a database record, and wherein the second processor is further programmed to facilitate storage of at least one of the electronic handwriting input or a representation of the electronic handwriting input in the associated database record.
27. A system according to claim 16, wherein the pen-enabled computing arrangement further comprises a camera programmed to image at least a portion of the object including the identifier such that the image of the respective portion of the object includes the identifier, wherein the second processor is programmed to automatically sense the identifier including being programmed to direct the camera to image at least a portion of the object including the identifier, convert the image of the identifier into a machine-readable form, and thereafter sense the identifier based upon the machine-readable form of the identifier.
28. A system according to claim 27, wherein the camera is associated with the writing stylus, and wherein the camera is programmed to image at least a portion of the object in response to the writing stylus being brought into proximate contact with the object.
29. A system according to claim 27, wherein the identifier is positioned relative to an identifiable portion of the object, wherein the camera is programmed to image at least a portion of the object such that the image of the respective portion of the object further includes the identifiable portion, wherein the second processor is programmed to sense the identifier including being programmed to segment the identifier within the image based upon the identifiable portion of the object and a location of the identifier relative to the identifiable portion, and convert the image based upon the segmented identifier.
30. A system according to claim 16, wherein the first processor is programmed to direct the printer to further print a reprint of the identifier associated with the object on printed paper including the identifier printed thereon, the first computing arrangement thereby being programmed to facilitate inspection of the resulting printed paper, inspection of the resulting printed paper including identifying a match or a mismatch between the reprint and the printed identifier.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A measuring device comprising:
means for measuring, the means for measuring having a housing, a tape and an end hook, the end hook being joined to an end of the tape, while an opposite end of the tape is contained within the housing;
means for magnetism, the means for magnetism being joined to the end hook, the means for measuring and means for magnetism being a standard tape measure as defined by federal specification GGG-T-106F and the means for magnetism being at least 2,200 Guass.
2. The measuring device of claim 1 wherein:
the means for magnetism is at least one magnet.
3. The measuring device of claim 2 wherein:
the tape measure is between three feet and one-hundred feet in length.
4. The measuring device of claim 2 wherein:
the means of magnetism is a plurality of magnets.
5. The measuring device of claim 1 wherein the means for magnetism has a minimum residual induction Gauss of between 11,400 and 13,550.
6. A measuring device comprising:
a tape measure having a housing joined to a tape;
an end hook joined to an end of the tape; and
a magnet joined to the end hook, the tape measure, end hook and magnet combination being adapted to pass the drop test, extension test and accuracy test of the Federal Specifications for Tape Measures GGG-T-106F Type V classes A and B and the magnet being at least 2,200 Gauss.
7. The device of claim 6 wherein the magnet is compression fit within the end hook.
8. The device of claim 6 further comprising a plurality of said magnets.
9. The device of claim 6 wherein the magnet has a minimum residual induction Gauss of between 11,400 and 13,550.
10. The device of claim 6 wherein the magnet is permanently attached to the end hook.
11. The device of claim 6 wherein the magnet is adapted to be selectively attachable to pipes.
12. The device of claim 6 wherein the magnet is adapted to be selectively attachable to metal wall studs.
13. The device of claim 6 wherein the magnet is adapted to be selectively attachable to iron beams.
14. A method of manufacturing a tape measure, comprising:
providing a tape measure having a housing joined to a tape;
defining at least one aperture into an end hook, such end hook being joined to an end of the tape; and
joining at least one magnet within the at least one aperture such that the tape measure and magnet combination conform to the physical requirements of Federal Specification GGG-T-106F Type V class A and B (Apr. 12, 1993) and the magnet being at least 2,200 Gauss.
15. The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of:
attaching said magnet through the end hook of a tape measure.
16. The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of:
joining a plurality of magnets to the end hook of the tape measure.
17. The method of claim 14 wherein the step of joined, further comprises the step of compression fitting the at least one magnet within the aperture.
18. The method of claim 14 wherein the magnet has a minimum residual induction Gauss of between 11,400 and 13,550.