Technology Advances In The Mobile Computing
- Digital Pen, Ink & Paper for Mobile Data Applications -

Anoto describes this new technology as  revolutionary in that it allows you to communicate over the Internet with only pen and paper, without cables.

The Anoto technology is a combination of a proprietary pattern, advanced image processing, Bluetooth wireless technology and an information infrastructure. These features combined let consumers use pen and paper in conjunction with all the possibilities of the mobile digital world.

Anoto hopes to create an open standard for digital paper and is now inviting other parties to develop products, applications and services around the technology. The first products will reach the market in the middle of next year.

Consumers can store their written scribbles, or send graphical e-mails and also electronically order products with just pen and paper. The time-consuming task of re-entering notes made on note-pads, into digital environment is past history. Consumers are no longer restricted to text-based SMS or e-mail, but can communicate hand written notes to anyone holding a mobile phone, PDA or PC. Companies can also use the technology to create customized and very powerful systems for data collection, document/goods tracking, journal keeping, etc.

The Anoto technology consists of a piece of paper, the Anoto pen and a web server. On the paper, a proprietary pattern has been printed, in which any position can be expressed as X-Y coordinates commands or services. The Anoto pen includes a digital camera, an advanced image processing unit and a Bluetooth radio transceiver. There is a camera and an infrared LED close to the point of the pen. When writing with an Anoto pen on a paper covered with the pattern, digital snapshots of the grid are taken and each snapshot contains information, which is enough to make an accurate calculation of the position. This information can be transmitted to a mobile phone, PC or PDA via Bluetooth wireless technology.

ANOTO TECHNOLOGY

The Anoto Technology is a combination of an ingenious pattern, advanced image processing, Bluetooth wireless communication and an information infrastructure. These features let you use pen and paper together with all the possibilities of information technology.

The pattern

The pattern consists of small dots slightly dislocated from a strict grid arrangement. A very small part of the pattern, 2x2 mm, gives the exact location in the full pattern.

The predefined area

Different parts of the full pattern space can be dedicated to different applications such as time managers, note-pads, e-commerce etc. Certain parts of the space define functions such as store and send.

Bluetooth Transceiver

The Bluetooth wireless technology is a de facto standard that enables all things that are now connected by cables to be connected wirelessly. 

Battery

A rechargeable battery enables a full day of use.

Memory

The pen contains enough memory to locally store several pages of writing.

Ink Cartridge and Force Sensor

The pen holds an ordinary ink cartridge - all that is written is visible to the eye just like a normal pen. A force-sensing resistor measures the stylus tip force.

Processor

A dedicated image processor calculates the positions in the full pattern space in real time.

Camera
The pattern is illuminated by infrared light and a digital camera, i.e. CMOS sensor, acquires images of the pattern at 100 frames per second. The ink from the pen is not visible to the camera. In this way the pattern is not destroyed by writing on it.

The user paper

The pattern appears as a faint grey shade on the paper and enables seamless integration with the digital domain of Anoto and further.

The full pattern

Every 2x2 millimeter of the pattern gives the exact location, down to 1/30 of a millimeter, in the full pattern that has the size of 73,000,000,000,000 A4 pages - equivalent to half the size of the USA.

DIGITAL INK, Inc., Wireless Pen Technology

Digital Ink, Inc. has developed a wireless pen technology that allows users to communicate with handwritten data (text or drawings).  The n-scribe system looks and writes like a regular pen, yet lets users transmit handwritten information over cell phones. There is no need to re-key data, and no special paper or pads are required.

Plug the device into a cell phone, PDA or laptop with wireless modem, as well as a PC, and DigitalInk’s server will convert the handwriting into PDF or JPEG format, then send the message as an email attachment. The handwriting appears cleanly on the cell phone or PDA screen. Digital Ink recently completed a development agreement and received significant venture financing from Intel Capital, Intel’s strategic investment program. 

APPLICATIONS 

e-commerce - Service providers can design their own functionality into paper products and advertisements. The function, for example ordering a product, is transmitted to the service provider together with the unique identity of the pen.

Digital Storage - Everything written or sketched with the pen can be transferred to your computer or other digital device upon request – tick the "Store" box.

Communication- Every sketch or note can be faxed, e-mailed or sent by SMS – write the address and tick the designated box.

Find out More: http://www.anoto.com

Anoto Whitepaper: http://www.anoto.com/download/anoto_whitepaper.pdf

Full description of Anoto Technology: http://www.anoto.com/download/anoto_desrip.pdf