Method and Apparatus for Sharing Information Using a Handheld Device

Abstract

A method and apparatus for sending information to a data processing apparatus for identifying a document to share with a recipient. A handheld device is capable of communicating with the data processing apparatus. Information is captured from the document and stored in the handheld device as document data. A communications path is established between the handheld device and the data processing apparatus. The document data is sent to the data processing apparatus through the communications path. Reference documents are provided. Each reference document has reference data stored in a memory. At least a portion of the received document data is extracted as scanning data. The reference data is retrieved from the memory. The scanning data is compared with the reference data. When the scanning data matches at least a portion of the reference data of one of the reference documents, the one reference document is selected as the identified document for forwarding to the recipient.

1 . A method comprising:
 storing a plurality of reference documents in a memory device, including storing reference data for each reference document of the plurality of reference documents, wherein the reference data comprises data representing human-readable content from an associated reference document of the plurality of reference documents, wherein the human-readable content includes actual content from the associated reference document of the plurality of reference documents;   receiving, at a data processing system from a mobile device in communication with the data processing system, digital audio data captured by the mobile device from audio voice signals identifying actual content of a source document, wherein the digital audio data comprises digital data converted from the audio voice signals;   extracting at least a portion of the digital audio data as scanning data;   retrieving the reference data for at least one reference document from the memory device;   comparing the scanning data with the retrieved reference data, wherein comparing the scanning data with the retrieved reference data includes comparing human-language content in the scanning data with actual text content in the retrieved reference data of the at least one reference document;   if comparing the scanning data with the retrieved reference data indicates at least the portion of the scanning data matches at least a portion of the retrieved reference data, identifying the at least one reference document of the plurality of reference documents associated with the matched at least a portion of the retrieved reference data as being the same document as the source document.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the scanning data includes data identifying a name of the source document. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the scanning data includes data identifying at least one of the author, title and reference number of the source document. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the memory device is a remote storage device. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 identifying, when the scanning data matches at least a portion of the reference data associated with a second reference document of the plurality of reference documents, the second reference document as an alternative identified document; and   sending at least a portion of the alternative identified document to the mobile device.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 receiving an indication from the mobile device indicating the at least a portion of the at least one reference document or the at least a portion of the second reference document as being equivalent to the source document.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising sending at least a portion of the at least one reference document to the mobile device. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the sending comprises:
 attaching the identified at least one reference document to an e-mail message, and   sending the e-mail message to a data processing system.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the step of sending includes sending the identified at least one reference document to a receiving address. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the step of sending includes sending an image of at least a portion of at least one reference document. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein extracting includes:
 extracting at least a portion of the captured digital audio data as scanning data by converting digital audio data to text-based digital data.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the steps of receiving, retrieving, comparing and identifying are performed by a data processing system of a server connected to the mobile device by a wireless network connection. 
     
     
         13 . A method comprising:
 capturing digital audio data regarding a document utilizing a mobile device, wherein the digital audio data comprises audio data representing actual content from the document;   establishing a communications path between the mobile device and a data processing system;   sending the captured digital audio data from the mobile device to the data processing system via the communications path; and   receiving, at the mobile device from the data processing system, data representing at least a portion of the actual content of the document.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the step of receiving includes receiving the entire document. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising receiving at least a portion of a reference document as an alternative identified document; and sending at least a portion of the alternative identified document to the mobile device. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  further comprising:
 receiving an indication from the mobile device indicating the at least a portion of the alternative identified document as being equivalent to the document. 
 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the entire document is sent to address data provided by the mobile device. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 13  wherein capturing the digital audio data includes:
 receiving the digital audio data as spoken audio, and converting the spoken audio to a digital audio signal; and 
 wherein storing the captured digital audio data includes storing the digital audio signal. 
 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 13  further comprising storing the captured digital audio data in a memory of the mobile device. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 13  further comprising storing the captured digital audio data in a remote storage device. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 13  further wherein the captured digital audio data includes data identifying at least one of the author, title and reference number of the source document. 
     
     
         23 . A data processing system for identifying one of a plurality of reference documents from information received from a handheld device in communication with the data processing system, the data processing system coupled to the data network and each reference document having reference data, the data processing system comprising:
 at least one memory device in which a plurality of instructions are stored; and   a processor coupled to the at least one memory device and capable of executing instructions in the memory device to: (i) access the reference data in the at least one memory device, and (ii) receive the information from the handheld device, wherein the information comprises data scanned from a document by the handheld device, wherein execution of the instructions causing a plurality of steps to be performed including:   
       storing a plurality of reference documents in a memory device, including storing reference data for each reference document of the plurality of reference documents, wherein the reference data comprises data representing human-readable content from an associated reference document of the plurality of reference documents, wherein the human-readable content includes actual content from the associated reference document of the plurality of reference documents;
 receiving, at a data processing system from a mobile device in communication with the data processing system, digital audio data captured by the mobile device from audio voice signals identifying actual content of a source document, wherein the digital audio data comprises digital data converted from the audio voice signals; 
 extracting at least a portion of the digital audio data as scanning data; 
 retrieving the reference data for at least one reference document from the memory device; 
 comparing the scanning data with the retrieved reference data, wherein comparing the scanning data with the retrieved reference data includes comparing human-language content in the scanning data with actual text content in the retrieved reference data of the at least one reference document; 
 if comparing the scanning data with the retrieved reference data indicates at least the portion of the scanning data matches at least a portion of the retrieved reference data, identifying the at least one reference document of the plurality of reference documents associated with the matched at least a portion of the retrieved reference data as being the same document as the source document. 
 
     
     
         24 . The data processing apparatus of  claim 23 , wherein the execution of the instructions by the processor causes further steps to be performed, namely:
 receiving address information identifying a receiving address for a recipient;   establishing a communications path between the data processing system and a device associated with the recipient via the data network, and   sending, using the address information, at least a portion of the one or more reference documents to the receiving address of the recipient via the communications path.   
     
     
         25 . The data processing system of  claim 23 , wherein sending at least a portion of the identified document includes:
 sending at least a portion of one or more reference documents to a receiving address of the recipient via transmission over a data network coupling the handheld device to the data processing system.   
     
     
         26 . The data processing system of  claim 23 , further comprising sending data representing at least a portion of the identified one or more reference documents. 
     
     
         27 . The data processing system of  claim 26 , wherein sending data representing at least a portion of the identified document includes:
 sending at least a portion of the identified document to a receiving address via facsimile transmission.   
     
     
         28 . The data processing apparatus of  claim 26 , wherein sending the selected document includes:
 attaching the selected document to an e-mail message, and sending the e-mail message to the receiving address via the data network.   
     
     
         28 . The data processing apparatus of  claim 23 , further wherein the scanning data includes data identifying at least one of the author, title and reference number of the source document. 
     
     
         29 . A wireless personal device comprising:
 (i) an audio capturing apparatus operable to receive as input audio signals;   (ii) a transceiver operating to receive and transmit a wireless data connection with a data processing system coupled to a wireless data network, the transceiver being operable to:
 establish a wireless communications path between the wireless personal device and the data processing system coupled to the wireless data network; and 
 send a captured digital audio data from the wireless personal device to the data processing system via the wireless communications path; 
   (iii) a memory in which a plurality of instructions are stored; and   (iv) a processor coupled to the memory and capable of executing the instructions in the memory, wherein execution of the instructions causes a plurality of steps to be performed including:
 capturing digital audio data regarding a document utilizing the audio capturing apparatus, wherein the digital audio data comprises audio data representing audio signals identifying actual content from the document; 
 establishing a communications path between the wireless personal device and a data processing system; 
 sending the captured digital audio data from the wireless personal device to the data processing system via the communications path; and 
 receiving, at the wireless personal device from the data processing system, at least a portion of the actual content of the document. 
   
     
     
         30 . The wireless personal device of  claim 29  wherein the step of receiving includes receiving the entire document. 
     
     
         31 . The wireless personal device of  claim 29  further comprising receiving at least a portion of a reference document as an alternative identified document; and sending at least a portion of the alternative identified document to the wireless personal device. 
     
     
         32 . The wireless personal device of  claim 31  further comprising:
 receiving an indication from the wireless personal device indicating the at least a portion of the alternative identified document as being equivalent to the document. 
 
     
     
         33 . The wireless personal device of  claim 29  wherein the entire document is sent to address data provided by the wireless personal device. 
     
     
         34 . The wireless personal device of  claim 29  wherein capturing the digital audio data includes:
 receiving the audio signals as spoken audio and converting the spoken audio to a digital audio signal. 
 
     
     
         35 . The wireless personal device of  claim 29  wherein the wireless personal device is a cellular phone. 
     
     
         36 . The wireless personal device of  claim 29  wherein the wireless personal device is a personal digital assistant (“PDA”). 
     
     
         37 . The wireless personal device of  claim 29  wherein the wireless personal device is a head-wearable device including a microphone operating as the audio capturing apparatus, and an integrated heads-up display, wherein the integrated heads-up display presents at least a portion of the received actual content of the document. 
     
     
         38 . The wireless personal device of  claim 29  wherein the wireless personal device is a wearable projector device including a microphone operating as the audio capturing apparatus, and an integrated projector that projects at least a portion of the received actual content of the document. 
     
     
         39 . The wireless personal device of  claim 29  wherein the captured digital audio data includes data identifying at least one of the author, title and reference number of the source document. 
     
     
         40 . A computer program product, comprising:
 a non-transitory computer readable media; and   program code on the computer readable media that when executed by a data processing system, cause the data processing system to perform:
 storing a plurality of reference documents in a memory device, including storing reference data for each reference document of the plurality of reference documents, wherein the reference data comprises data representing human-readable content from an associated reference document of the plurality of reference documents, wherein the human-readable content includes actual content from the associated reference document of the plurality of reference documents; 
 receiving, at a data processing system from a wireless personal device in communication with the data processing system, digital audio data captured by the wireless personal device from audio voice signals identifying actual content of a source document, wherein the digital audio data comprises digital data converted from the audio voice signals; 
 extracting at least a portion of the digital audio data as scanning data; 
 retrieving the reference data for at least one reference document from the memory device; 
 comparing the scanning data with the retrieved reference data, wherein comparing the scanning data with the retrieved reference data includes comparing human-language content in the scanning data with actual text content in the retrieved reference data of the at least one reference document; 
 if comparing the scanning data with the retrieved reference data indicates at least the portion of the scanning data matches at least a portion of the retrieved reference data, identifying the at least one reference document of the plurality of reference documents associated with the matched at least a portion of the retrieved reference data as being the same document as the source document. 
   
     
     
         41 . The computer program product of  claim 40  wherein the scanning data includes data identifying a name of the source document. 
     
     
         42 . The computer program product of  claim 40  wherein the scanning data includes data identifying an author of the source document. 
     
     
         43 . The computer program product of  claim 40  wherein the scanning data includes data identifying a publication date of the source document. 
     
     
         44 . The computer program product of  claim 40  further comprising:
 identifying, when the scanning data matches at least a portion of the reference data associated with a second reference document of the plurality of reference documents, the second reference document as an alternative identified document; and 
 sending at least a portion of the alternative identified document to the wireless personal device. 
 
     
     
         45 . The computer program product of  claim 44  further comprising:
 receiving an indication from the wireless personal device indicating the at least a portion of the at least one reference document or the at least a portion of the second reference document as being equivalent to the source document. 
 
     
     
         46 . The computer program product of  claim 40  further comprising sending at least a portion of the at least one reference document to the wireless personal device. 
     
     
         47 . The computer program product of  claim 46  wherein the sending comprises:
 attaching the identified at least one reference document to an e-mail message, and 
 sending the e-mail message to a data processing system. 
 
     
     
         48 . The computer program product of  claim 46  wherein the step of sending includes sending the identified at least one reference document to a receiving address. 
     
     
         49 . The computer program product of  claim 46  wherein the step of sending includes sending an image of at least a portion of at least one reference document. 
     
     
         50 . The computer program product of  claim 40  wherein extracting includes:
 extracting at least a portion of the captured digital audio data as scanning data by converting digital audio data to text-based digital data. 
 
     
     
         51 . The computer program product of  claim 40  wherein at least one of the steps of receiving, retrieving, comparing and identifying are performed by a data processing system of a server connected to the wireless personal device by a wireless network connection.