Providing information through interaction with a printed page

Abstract

A method for providing information is disclosed. Page descriptors are stored in a server. A printed page is printed by a printer with visible and invisible data. The invisible data is indicative of one or more of the page descriptors. A sensing device senses the invisible data when placed in an operative position relative to the printed page, and transmits information extracted from sensed invisible data to the server. The page descriptor of the printed page is identified by the server, and information associated with the page descriptor and positioning of the sensing device relative to the printed page is provided by the server.

1 . A method providing information, said method comprising the steps of:
 printing by a printer a printed page with visible and invisible data, said visible and invisible data being printed simultaneously, said invisible data being indicative of a position of the invisible data on the printed page and an identity of a page descriptor, the page descriptor describing a spatial extent of the visible data;   storing by a server a plurality of page descriptors;   sensing by a sensing device the invisible data when placed in an operative position relative to the printed page;   transmitting by the sensing device information extracted from sensed invisible data to the server;   identifying by the server the page descriptor of the printed page; and   providing by the server information associated with the page descriptor and positioning of the sensing device relative to the printed page.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the system provides navigational and related route planning information based on the positioning of the sensing device relative to the printed page. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the page descriptor has a field value uniquely identifying the printed page. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the invisible data is printed on the page in infrared ink. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the sensing device is pen-shaped and includes infra-red sensors to detect the invisible data. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the invisible data is encoded on the printed page by means of a Reed-Solomon code. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the invisible data is redundantly encoded.