Device and system for retrieving and displaying handwritten annotations

Abstract

An apparatus for capturing and displaying handwritten annotations, for use with a computer system, comprises a transparent digitizing tablet adapted to cooperate with a stylus in order to capture handwritten annotations. It also comprises a transparent electro-luminescent display adapted to display captured handwritten annotations, the transparent digitizing tablet being superposed on the transparent electro-luminescent display.

I claim:  
     
         1 . Apparatus for capturing and displaying handwritten annotations, for use with a computer system, the apparatus comprising: 
 a substantially transparent digitizing tablet responsive to a stylus for capturing handwritten annotations; and    a substantially transparent electro-luminescent display for displaying handwritten annotations captured by the digitizing tablet;    wherein the digitizing tablet is superposed on the electro-luminescent display.    
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the electro-luminescent display is a transparent organic light-emitting device.  
     
     
         3 . A system for capturing and displaying electronic handwritten annotations, comprising: 
 a substantially transparent digitizing tablet responsive to a stylus for capturing handwritten annotations and a substantially transparent electro-luminescent display for displaying and highlighting handwritten annotations captured by the digitizing tablet, wherein the digitizing tablet is superposed on the electro-luminescent display;    a computer system;    means for digitizing annotations made by the stylus on the digitizing tablet and sending the digitized annotations to the computer system; and    means for transmitting digitized annotations from the computer system to the electro-luminescent display.    
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the computer system includes means for storing digitized annotations received from the digitizing table.  
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein a digitized annotation is stored in the computer system in association with a reference to a physical document.