Remote data access and management system utilizing handwriting input

Abstract

A spreadsheet and a browser on a portable computer accept data from an input recognizer, including a non-cursive handwriting recognizer or a speech recognizer and communicate data directly with another computer or over the Internet using wireless media such as radio and infrared frequencies or over a landline. The computer is endowed with a plurality of built-in or snap-on expansion accessories to enhance the data capture capability as well as the ease of reading data from the limited screen of the present invention. These accessories include a camera, a scanner, a voice recorder or voice capture unit, and a remote large screen television. The camera and scanner allows visual data to be capture, the voice recorder allows the user to make quick verbal annotations into a solid state memory to minimize the main memory requirements, while the voice capture unit allows the voice to be captured into memory for subsequent transmission over the Internet or for voice recognition purposes. The spreadsheet or database receives data from the Internet or from the accessories and further can graph or manipulate the data entered into the spreadsheet as necessary. Furthermore, the database has a smart search engine interface which performs fuzzy search such that inexact queries can still result in matches. The smart search engine thus allows users to locate information even though the exact spelling or concept is not known. To minimize user's work in locating information to analyze, the spreadsheet and database can spawn and train an intelligent agent to capture data from a suitable remote source such as the Internet and transmit the data to the spreadsheet or browser for further analysis. Alternatively, the user can capture data directly by scanning or dictating the information into the spreadsheet or browser. In another aspect of the invention, a pan and zoom capability is provided to provide the user with an appropriately scaled view of the data for ease of reading. Alternatively, when the portable computer is within range of a larger display device such as an appropriately equipped television display or a personal computer with a larger display, the present invention's wireless link transmits the video information to the larger display to allow the user to view data the larger display unit. Similarly, the present invention provides a remote stereo receiver adapted to receive sound data stream from the portable computer and driving high quality speakers to support multimedia applications on the portable computer.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A portable computer system for managing data for a user, comprising: 
 a processor;    an input recognizer embodied in said program storage device, said input recognizer adapted to receive non-cursive handwritings from said user and convert said non-cursive handwritings into text data;    a program storage device coupled to said processor;    a computer readable code embodied in said program storage device and coupled to said input recognizer for receiving said non-cursive handwritings, said computer readable code storing said data and allowing said user to process said data.    
     
     
         2 . The portable computer system of  claim 1 , wherein said computer readable code is a spreadsheet.  
     
     
         3 . The portable computer system of  claim 2 , further comprising a magnifier code coupled to said spreadsheet code and said input recognizer code, said magnifier code zooming in or out of portions of said spreadsheet upon demand by said user to improve the readability of said spreadsheet.  
     
     
         4 . The portable computer system of  claim 1 , wherein said computer readable code is a spreadsheet, further comprising: 
 a scanner removably coupled to said processor; and    an optical character recognition (OCR) engine coupled to said processor, said scanner and said spreadsheet.    
     
     
         7 . The portable computer system of  claim 1 , wherein said computer readable code is a spreadsheet, further comprising: 
 an analog to digital converter coupled to said processor;    a microphone coupled to said voice recorder; and    a speech recognizer coupled to said processor, said analog to digital converter and to said spreadsheet.    
     
     
         8 . The portable computer system of  claim 1 , wherein said computer readable code is a spreadsheet, further comprising a communications unit coupled to said processor and to said spreadsheet.  
     
     
         9 . The portable computer system of  claim 8 , wherein said computer readable code is a spreadsheet, further comprising a peripheral device selected from the group consisting of a camera, a scanner, a tuner, an audio system, a modem, a voice recorder, and a display, said peripheral device coupled to said communications unit to provide data to said spreadsheet in a non-contact manner.  
     
     
         10 . The portable computer system of  claim 1 , wherein said computer readable code is a spreadsheet, further comprising a browser coupled to said spreadsheet.  
     
     
         11 . The portable computer of  claim 1 , wherein said program storage device coupled to said processor is a browser.  
     
     
         12 . The portable computer of  claim 1 , wherein said browser is adapted to operate with an intermediate language, said browser further comprising: 
 an intermediate language parser; and    an intermediate language interpreter coupled to said parser, said interpreter performing actions in accordance with said intermediate language.    
     
     
         13 . The portable computer system of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a digital simultaneous voice data (DSVD) modem coupled to said processor, said DSVD modem adapted to communicate with a remote DSVD modem; and    a blackboard code for receiving data from said remote DSVD modem and displaying said data to a user.    
     
     
         14 . The portable computer system of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a data storage device coupled to said processor; and    a file system code for linking said processor to said data storage device, said file system allowing applications to open and close files stored on said data storage device.    
     
     
         15 . The portable computer of  claim 11 , further comprising: 
 an application executing on said computer, said application generating one or more messages having one or more instructions;    a data compression engine coupled to said application, said data compression engine generating a compressed message from said application message; and    a message manager coupled to said data compression engine, said message manager adapted to transmit said compressed message over a media.    
     
     
         16 . The portable computer of  claim 15 , further comprising: 
 a resource;    a decompression engine adapted to receive said compressed message and decoding said application message from said compressed message;    an event manager coupled to said decompression engine, said event manager queuing said application message; and    an event handler coupled to said event manager and to said resource, said handler accessing said resource in accordance with said message instructions.    
     
     
         17 . The portable computer system of  claim 11 , further comprising a Java compiler or interpreter coupled to said processor.  
     
     
         18 . The portable computer system of  claim 11 , further comprising an intelligent agent adapted to be sent by said processor to a remote network for data collection purposes.  
     
     
         19 . The portable computer system of  claim 18 , wherein said intelligent agent is sent over an Internet for data collection purposes.  
     
     
         20 . The portable computer of  claim 18 , wherein said intelligent agent comprises: 
 a first code for specifying a goal for said intelligent agent;    a second code coupled to said first code for sending said agent over a network;    a third code coupled to said second code, said third code mining databases existing on said network in search of data satisfying said goal; and    a fourth code coupled to said third code for reporting results back to the portable computer.