Method of conferencing between two or more remote conference participants via an interactive conference form

Abstract

A method of conferencing between two or more remote conference participants via an interactive conference form is provided. The method comprises the steps of: (a) printing a suitably uniquely encoded interactive conference form for each conference participant, wherein human-readable conference information and coded data are printed on the form simultaneously; (b) a conference participant marking his/her respective conference form using a sensing device; (c) receiving in a computer system, indicating data from the sensing device indicating data regarding the identity of the conference form and a position of the sensing device relative to the conference form, the sensing device, when marking the conference form, generating the indicating data using at least some of the coded data; (d) identifying in the computer system, using at least some of the indicating data, a marked-up interactive conference form; and (e) printing the marked-up interactive conference form for conference participant(s), the marked-up conference form being suitably uniquely encoded, wherein marked-up human-readable conference information and coded data are printed on the form simultaneously. Steps (b) to (e) may be optionally repeated until the conference ends.

1 . A method of conferencing between two or more remote conference participants, the method comprising the steps of: 
 (a) printing an interactive conference form for each conference participant, each conference form including (i) human-readable conference information and (ii) coded data indicative of an identity of the conference form and of a plurality of locations on the conference form,    wherein the human-readable conference information and coded data are printed on the form simultaneously;    (b) a conference participant marking his/her respective conference form using a sensing device;    (c) receiving in a computer system, indicating data from the sensing device regarding the identity of the conference form and a position of the sensing device relative to the conference form, the sensing device, when marking the conference form, generating the indicating data using at least some of the coded data;    (d) identifying in the computer system, using at least some of the indicating data, a marked-up interactive conference form;    (e) printing the marked-up interactive conference form for at least one other conference participant, the marked-up conference form including (iii) marked-up human-readable conference information and (iv) coded data indicative of an identity of the marked-up conference form and of a plurality of locations on the marked-up conference form,    wherein the marked-up human-readable conference information and coded data are printed on the form simultaneously; and    (f) optionally repeating steps (b) to (e) until the conference ends.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein step (c) further comprises receiving, in the computer system, data regarding movement of the sensing device relative to the conference form, the sensing device generating the movement data using at least some of the coded data.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein step (c) further comprises receiving, in the computer system, data regarding the identity of the conference participant marking the conference form in step (b), the sensing device being programmed with data regarding the identity of its corresponding conference participant.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the conference participant enters a hand-drawn mark on his/her respective conference form in step (b).  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the conference participant enters handwritten text data on his/her conference form in step (b).  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the computer system converts the handwritten text data into computer text.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the conference participant enters a handwritten signature in step (b).  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the computer system verifies that the signature belongs to its corresponding conference participant.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein marking the conference form in step (b) corresponds with marking a communal whiteboard.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the coded data is substantially invisible to the unaided human eye.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the computer system retains a retrievable record of each conference form generated, each conference form being retrievable using its identity contained in the coded data.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein conference participants are provided with telephone communication means for simultaneous use during remote conferencing.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the marked-up conference form in step (d) is printed for each respective conference participant.  
   
   
       14 . A system for conferencing between two or more remote conference participants, the system comprising: 
 (a) a plurality of interactive conference forms, one for each respective conference participant, each conference form including (i) human-readable conference information and (ii) coded data indicative of an identity of the conference form and of a plurality of locations on the conference form;    (b) a plurality of sensing devices, one for each respective conference participant, each sensing device being configured for marking a conference form and generating indicating data using the coded data when marking the conference form, the indicating data comprising data regarding the identity of the conference form and a position of the sensing device relative to the conference form;    (c) a computer system configured for receiving the indicating data and for identifying in the computer system a marked-up interactive conference form, using at least some of the indicating data, when a conference participant marks his/her respective form, the marked-up conference form including (iii) marked-up human-readable conference information and (iv) coded data indicative of an identity of the marked-up conference form and of a plurality of locations on the conference form; and    (d) at least one printer configured for printing the interactive conference forms and/or the marked-up interactive conference forms identified by the computer system,    wherein the at least one printer is configured to print the human-readable conference information and the coded data simultaneously.    
   
   
       15 . The system of  claim 14  comprising a plurality of printers, one for each respective conference participant.  
   
   
       16 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the computer system is configured for receiving, data regarding movement of the sensing device relative to the conference form, the sensing device being configured for generating the movement data using at least some of the coded data.  
   
   
       17 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the computer is configured for receiving data regarding the identity of the conference participant marking his/her respective conference form, each sensing device being programmed with data regarding the identity of its corresponding conference participant.  
   
   
       18 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the computer system is configured for converting handwritten text data entered on the conference form into computer text.  
   
   
       19 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the computer system is configured for verifying that a handwritten signature entered on the conference form belongs to its corresponding conference participant.  
   
   
       20 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein marking the conference form corresponds with marking a communal whiteboard.  
   
   
       21 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the coded data is substantially invisible to the unaided human eye.  
   
   
       22 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the computer system is configured to retain a retrievable record of each conference form generated, each conference form being retrievable using its identity contained in the coded data.  
   
   
       23 . A method of enabling conferencing between two or more remote conference participants, the method comprising the steps of: 
 (a) printing an interactive conference form for each conference participant, each conference form including (i) human-readable conference information and (ii) coded data indicative of an identity of the conference form and of a plurality of locations on the conference form,    wherein the human-readable conference information and coded data are printed on the form simultaneously;    (b) receiving in a computer system, indicating data from a sensing device associated with one conference participant when that conference participant marks his/her respective form using the sensing device, the indicating data comprising data regarding the identity of the respective conference form and a position of the sensing device relative to the respective conference form, the sensing device, when marking the conference form, generating the indicating data using at least some of the coded data;    (c) identifying in the computer system, using at least some of the indicating data, a marked-up interactive conference form;    (d) printing the marked-up interactive conference form for at least one other conference participant, the marked-up conference form including (iii) marked-up human-readable conference information and (iv) coded data indicative of an identity of the marked-up conference form and of a plurality of locations on the marked-up conference form,    wherein the marked-up human-readable conference information and coded data are printed on the form simultaneously; and    (e) optionally repeating steps (b) to (d) until the conference ends.    
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein step (b) further comprises receiving, in the computer system, data regarding movement of the sensing device relative to the conference form, the sensing device generating the movement data using at least some of the coded data.  
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein step (b) further comprises receiving, in the computer system, data regarding the identity of the conference participant marking the conference form, the sensing device being programmed with data regarding the identity of its corresponding conference participant.  
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the computer system retains a retrievable record of each conference form generated, each conference form being retrievable using its identity contained in the coded data.