Method for creating and selecting active regions on physical documents

[0001] The present invention relates to printed media documents with electronic links to related, electronic information.

[0002] Electronic publishing is well known today. An enormous amount of content, including documents, books and other types of publications are now accessible to users of personal computers or specialized e-book readers, via the WWW or CD ROM. Nevertheless, some people prefer the feeling and ease of reading a tangible newspaper, magazine or book.

[0003] Hyperlinks on web pages are well known today where a user can “click on” an icon, and in response, the web browser will fetch and display another web page linked to the icon. It was also known to define hyperlink active regions in a web page as rectangles, circles, and polygons, and associate them with a hyperlink address. They enable selected areas of a digital image (e.g., a GIF or JEPG image file) to be made “clickable” (i.e., active) so that a user can navigate from the web page containing the image to a number of other web pages or files, depending on which part of the image is selected. To create an imagemap, three things are required: an image, a database that relates each active region within the image to a hypertext reference, and a method of associating the database with the image.

[0004] U.S. patent application 20020087598 entitled “Method and system for accessing interactive multimedia information or services by touching highlighted items on physical documents” was filed on Apr. 25, 2001 and published on Jul. 4, 2002. It discloses a system and method for manually selecting and electronically accessing multimedia information and/or services located on a user workstation or on one or a plurality of servers connected to a communication network. To make a selection, a person touches his or her finger to a word, letter, symbol, picture, icon, etc. that is electronically illuminated on the surface of a hard-copy document or any other physical surface. These illumination items are illuminated by a luminous signal (or light spot) generated by a transparent opto-touch foil, operating under the control of a user workstation. These illumination items act like hyperlinks. When the user selects one of the illuminated items, the user workstation receives from the opto-touch foil a signal indicating the position of the selected item. Then, the user workstation identifies and locates, by reference to a hyperlink table, the information and/or the service associated with the selected item. If the information and/or service is located in a remote server, the user workstation sends a request to this server for the information and/or service. If the information and/or the service is stored in the user workstation, then this information and/or service is accessed locally. The user workstation then displays the information or provides the requested service.

[0005] In U.S. patent application 20020087598, the hyperlinked items are identified by the user as discrete illuminated points (light spots) emitted by the transparent opto-touch foil placed over the document. When the user touches the foil, a “minimum distance” algorithm is used to identify the hyperlink item selected by the user. According to the minimum distance algorithm, the distance from the coordinates of the point pressed by the user on the opto-touch foil is compared to the coordinates of all hyperlinked items (i.e., assimilated to illuminated points) defined on the document. The hyperlink item closest to the point that was pressed is the one deemed selected and triggered. Each hyperlink item (light spot) is a associated with a unique hyperlink destination (i.e., with a single URL) giving access to a single multimedia information or service related with the selected item.

[0006] The system disclosed in U.S. patent application 20020087598 may have difficulty discriminating between touch points adjacent to closely spaced hyperlink items. Also, the appearance of the illuminated spots on the transparent foil over the document may mask, to some degree, the print seen by the user. Also, the use of a light spot as the hyperlink item does not always convey the subject matter of the hyperlinked information.

[0007] An object of the present invention is to create and utilize indicia of active regions on a printed document in such a way as to facilitate user selection of an active region.

[0008] Another object of the present invention is to create and utilize indicia of active regions on a printed document in such as a way as not to mask the document.

[0009] Another object of the present invention is to create and utilize indicia of active regions on a printed document in such a way as to more readily convey the subject matter of the hyper-linked information.

[0010] Another object of the present invention is to create and utilize indicia of active regions on a printed document in such as a way as to show the hyperlinked information related to an active region selected by the user.

[0011] The present invention resides in a system, method and program product for presenting and selecting an active region of a physical document page so that a user can access corresponding information via a workstation. A transparent electro-luminescent tablet or other touch sensitive plate is positioned over the physical document page. The tablet or plate is coupled to the workstation. The physical document page is identified to the workstation. The workstation stores information defining an active region for the physical document page and a hyperlink to a web page or web file containing information related to content of the active region. The workstation directs the tablet or plate to display the active region over the physical document page. A user touches a point within the active region. In response, the tablet or plate conveys the touch point to the workstation, and the workstation displays on a computer screen the hyperlink.

[0012] The invention also resides in a system, method and program product for presenting and selecting an active region of a physical document page so that a user can access corresponding information via a workstation. A transparent electro-luminescent tablet or other touch sensitive plate is positioned over the page. The tablet or plate is coupled to the workstation. The page is identified to the workstation. The workstation stores information defining an outline of the active region for the page and a hyperlink or information related to content of the active region. The workstation directs the tablet or plate to display the outline of the active region over the page. A user touches a point within the outline. In response, the tablet or plate conveys the touch point to the workstation, and the workstation displays on a computer screen the information related to the content of the active region.

[0013] The invention also resides in a system, method and program product for presenting and simultaneously selecting first and second active regions of a physical document page so that a user can access corresponding information via a workstation. A transparent electro-luminescent tablet or other touch sensitive plate is positioned over the page. The tablet or plate is coupled to the workstation. The page is identified to the workstation. The workstation stores information defining outlines of the first and second active regions for the page and first and second hyperlinks or first and second documents related to contents of the first and second active regions, respectively. The outline for the second active region encompasses the outline for the first active region. The workstation directs the tablet or plate to display the outlines of the first and second active regions over the page. A user touches a point within the outline of the first active region. In response, the tablet or plate conveys the touch point to the workstation, and the workstation displays on a computer screen the first and second hyperlinks or the first and second documents related to the contents of the first and second active regions.

[0032] FIG. 1 illustrates how the present invention is used to provide additional information or a translation for a foreign language newspaper 100. The user places an Electro-luminescent display tablet (“ELDT”) over a page of the newspaper or other document of interest. Then, the user identifies the document to a user workstation. In response, the user workstation directs the ELDT to display/illuminate a perimeter of an active region 103 on the document. Then, the user touches a printed item 101 within the active region 103 with a stylus 102 in order to receive additional information about the content within the active region. In response, the user workstation 203 automatically displays an English translation 104 of the text printed in the highlighted region. (Alternately, an English translation can be read by a text-to-speech conversion system.) Alternately, in response to the user touching the identified item 101, the user workstation may display one or more hyperlinks to web pages or other documents or applications related to the subject of the selected item. A short summary of each hyperlink may be displayed adjacent to each hyperlink to advise the user what further information the hyperlink will elicit. If the user selects one of the hyperlinks using a mouse or keyboard, the user workstation will display the associated web page or other information.

[0033] FIG. 2 illustrates the main components of the present invention and their operation. Physical documents 200 can be of any kind, for example, newspapers, legal documents, maps (e.g., topographical maps, political maps, historical maps, route maps, shaded relief maps, city maps, natural resources maps, rail road maps or other type of map), fiction novels, academic text books, technical books, commercial catalogs or other type of engraved, written, or printed surface.) The document can be made of paper, plastic, wood or any other material. For identifying a selected document 200 to the system, the title 205, a numerical reference 206 (e.g., the ISBN number, or any other number assigned by the publisher or the user), or even the URL (i.e., the internet address) 207 of the publisher server may be printed, written or attached on the physical document (e.g., on the front cover, back cover or first page).

[0034] As shown in FIG. 15, the electro-luminescent digitizing tablet (ELDT) 201 comprises two superposed, functionally independent transparent foils 1501 and 1502. Transparent digitizing tablet (DT) 1501 can be a type used commonly to manufacture position sensible liquid crystal display devices (PSLCDs) for computers. The generated signals are generally proportional to the coordinates of the point that is pressed 1504 by the stylus 202. Transparent electro-luminescent display (EL) 1502 can be a transparent, bright, self-emitting display that can emit light 1505 from either one or both surfaces. The combination of both foils (i.e., the digitizing tablet 1501 stacked over the electro-luminescent display 1502) forms electro-luminescent digitizing tablet (ELDT) 201.

[0035] FIG. 15 illustrates an ELDT placed and aligned over a physical document 200 comprising a plurality of items 1507 (i.e., words, paragraphs, sections, pictures, icons, etc.) printed (or written, painted, engraved . . . ) on the surface of the document 200. FIG. 15 also illustrates how the electro-luminescent display 1502 emits light 1505 illuminating and defining polygonal or circular perimeters defining the active regions of a printed document. This occurs when a user draws them with the stylus 202 and subsequently, when the user selects them. The portions of the ELDT other than those displaying the active region perimeters allow light 1506 from the document 200 to pass through both transparent foils 1501 and 1502 to the reader, so that the surface of the physical document is fully visible except for underneath the thin luminous lines delimiting active regions.

[0036] Referring again to FIG. 2, the ELDT 201 may communicate with the user workstation 203 over an infrared link, a serial wired connection or any other communication means (e.g. by means of a wireless connection operating in the globally available 2.4 Ghz band of the “Bluetooth” specification, as promoted by the “Bluetooth Special Interest Group” and documented on the Official Bluetooth Website. This connection, wired or wireless, is represented by the reference number 204.

[0037] Known transparent digitizing tablets are produced, for example, by Calcomp corporation and Wacom Technology Company. One example of a transparent digitizing tablety that can be used for ELDT 201 is WACOM PL Series, LCD pen tablet systems.

[0038] The transparent electro-luminescent display 1202 may include a substrate having an array formed by a plurality of transparent scanning lines, transparent data lines crossing said scanning lines, and electroluminescent (EL) elements (pixels) on the intersections of the scanning and data lines. The lines are used to determine the position of an applied stylus. Those transparent lines and contacts are made by a transparent conductive material, e.g., indium tin oxide (ITO). When integrated on top of a display surface, a transparent digitizing tablet is actually a layer that has a mesh of transparent wire sensors running through it. This mesh may look like moiree patterns on the top of the display. These thin wires, when acted upon by a moving stylus, report the sequence of contact points. The movement of a pencil-like stylus over a tablet surface re-creates the drawing on a computer screen.

[0039] With today's technology, this passive-matrix, light-emitting display may be made of an array of TOLED's (Transparent Organic Light Emitting Devices) of the types used to create vision area displays on windshields, cockpits, helmets and eyeglasses. In its most basic form, a TOLED is a monolithic, solid-state device consisting of a series of “small molecule” organic thin films sandwiched between two transparent, conductive layers. When a voltage is applied across the device, it emits light. This light emission is based upon a luminescence phenomenon wherein electrons and holes are injected and migrate from the contacts toward the organic heterojunction under the applied electric field. When these carriers meet, they form excitons (electron-hole pairs) that recombine radiatively to emit light. As a result, TOLEDs are bright, self-emitting displays that can be directed to emit from either or both surfaces. This is possible because, in addition to having transparent contacts, the organic materials are also transparent over their own emission spectrum and throughout most of the visible spectrum.

[0040] TOLED displays are today manufactured with standard silicon semiconductors. Since TOLEDs are thin-film, solid-state devices, they are very thin, lightweight and durable, ideal for portable applications, like the present invention. TOLEDs can be bottom, top, or both bottom and top emitting. Also, TOLEDs technology has attractive advantages regarding, transparency (TOLED displays can be nearly as clear as the glass or substrate they are on and when built between glass plates, TOLEDs are>85% transparent when turned off), energy efficiency (for longer battery life), full viewing angle, bright and high contrast light emission, fast response time, and environmental robustness. Thus, TOLEDs are well suited for manufacturing the light-emitting, electro-luminescent, display component, used jointly with the transparent digitizing tablet for the present invention. One example of light emitting foil technology that may be used is that of the TOLEDs manufactured by UNIVERSAL DISPLAY CORPORATION.

[0041] Pen like stylus 202 is a type commonly used as input devices for data processing and storage systems in place of conventional keyboards and mouse devices. The stylus 202 is used in combination with the digitizing tablet 1201 component of the ELDT 201 incorporating a resistive or capacitive digitizer or sheet material. As such, information can be input by writing with the stylus on the ELDT device. The electro-luminescent 1202 component of the ELDT displays the instantaneous position and path of movement of the stylus. In this way, the ELDT device displays the pattern, e.g. a written message, sketch or signature traced thereon. In the present invention, a human uses the stylus 202 to draw active regions via the ELDT. Subsequently, a human uses the stylus 202 to select a portion of document content seen through the transparent ELDT device 201. If that portion is within an active region, then the ELDT notifies the workstation 203 of the selection. One example of stylus 202 is a known wireless, pressure sensitive Wacom UltraPen (tm of Wacom Technology Company) stulus.

[0042] The user workstation 203 can be a handheld device, such as a PDA or a cell phone, a personal computer, a network computer, an Internet appliance or a wireless IP enabled device, connected to the ELDT 201. The user workstation 203 can be stand-alone or connected to a network (e.g. the Internet). User workstation 203 includes a wired, wireless or other connection 204 for connecting to the ELDT device 201 to transfer the information necessary to create active regions of physical documents, or to receive through a network and store active regions of a plurality of physical documents. The user workstation receives the coordinates of the points selected by the user with the stylus on the physical document 200 to select active regions detected by the ELDT device 201.

[0043] The components and operation of an embodiment of the present invention are now described with reference to FIG. 18. A pulse driving circuit 1803 alternately transmits driving pulses to X-axis and Y-axis directions of the digitizing tablet 1201 for sensing the present position of the stylus 202. The position of stylus 202 is detected by capacitive coupling sensed in the digitizing tablet 1201. The stylus 202 senses a position signal in a potential distribution on the digitizing tablet 1201 using capacitive coupling and provides the position signal to the position sensing circuit 1806. The position sensing circuit 1806 receives the present X-axis and Y-axis coordinate data of the stylus and converts the coordinate data into digitized position data. The microcontroller 1807 controls the pulse driving circuit 1803 and also transfers data of the position detected from the position sensing circuit 1806 to the user workstation 203. Upon reception of the position data from position sensing circuit 1806, the microcontroller 1807 analyses the position data to calculate the present position of the stylus 202 and updates the user workstation 203 accordingly.

[0044] The user workstation 203 controls the EL display driving circuit 1804, while the EL display driving circuit 1804 provides X-axis and Y-axis coordinates driving signals to the electro-luminescent display 1202 so that it can display the pixel on which the stylus is placed. Alternatively, during monitoring of active regions previously defined, X-axis and Y-axis coordinates of the points (pixels) defining active regions geometric data, are fetched from referenced physical page data on Active Regions Table 1812 and are loaded on the Page Regions graphics memory 1811 (a graphics buffer for all regions defined to be active on a document's page). The EL display driving circuit 1804 retrieves from Page Regions graphics memory 1811 the coordinates of those pixels of the active regions to be draw and transforms those coordinates to driving signals sent to the electro-luminescent display 1202.

[0045] FIG. 16 illustrates the steps for creating active regions (imagemaps) on portions of physical documents and associating hyperlinks from the active regions to multimedia information or services. In step 1601, a user selects a physical document and identifies it to the user workstation 203. The physical document comprises one or multiple pages. In response to the selection of the physical document, a document management program within user workstation 203 initiates an Active Regions Table associated with the physical document (step 1602). The document management program records in the Active Regions Table an identification of the selected physical document (step 1603). Next, a user selects a page of the physical document and identifies the page to the document management program (step 1604). The document management program then records the page in the Active Regions Table for this document (step 1605). Next, the user identifies to the document management program names of portions of the page which will correspond to active regions subsequently identified by the user. (step 1606).

[0046] The following steps 1607-1611 are performed for each active region defined by the user. The document management program assigns and stores an identifier of the active region in the Active Regions Table (step 1607). Next, the user places and aligns a transparent ELDT device over the selected page of the physical document (step 1608). Next, the user draws with the stylus the contour of the active region over a transparent ELDT device or otherwise defines the outline of the active region by specifying the junction points of the polygon or shape and size of the circle (step 1609). The active region is defined in terms of rectangles, circles or polygons. Next, the document management program receives from the ELDT device and stores in the Active Regions Table geometric coordinates of the outline of the active region (step 1610). Next, the user specifies to the document management program one or more hyperlinks for each of the active regions defined by the user (step 1611) and the document management program stores this information in the Active Region Table.

[0047] FIG. 3 illustrates the foregoing process in more detail. The user opens on the user workstation 203 an Active Regions Table 304 for the selected document 200 and enters via the keyboard or mouse codes or names for identifying the document. For example, the user types in corresponding fields in the Active Regions Table 304, the physical document reference number or ISBN (e.g., “071104”) 305, the document title (e.g., “Atlas of Asia”) 306; the publisher's name (e.g., “Ceo World Ltd.”) and the internet address 307 of the publisher Web server. It should be noted that active regions can defined by both final users (e.g. readers) as well as editors or publishers of the physical documents. In the former case, the Active Regions Table may be stored on the user's workstation. In the latter case, the publisher may create the Active Regions Table for a published document and store it on a publisher's Web server for distribution to final users. From those publisher's servers, final users (i.e., readers) can select and download the Active Regions Tables of published documents to the user's workstations.

[0048] The URL 306 of the Publisher Server and the document reference number 307, used to identify the document and locate the electronic document copy through the Web, must be printed or attached at a predefined reserved place on the physical document 201 (e.g., on the front cover, back cover or first page). For each selection made by the user from a physical document 201 a new entry must be created on the Selections Table 305.

[0049] FIG. 4 shows how the user (the publisher or the editor) while browsing or composing a physical document (e.g., an “Atlas of Asia”) 200 finds on a page (e.g. “Page 133”) portions of printed content (e.g., cities and islands on “Hong Kong” map) representing interesting topics, to which he or she would like to associate links to related multimedia information or services. As represented in this figure, to create active regions from selected portions of this page, the user first identifies in the Active Regions Table 304 the selected page of physical document 200 by typing 405 the Page Number (e.g., page “133”) on the user workstation 203. The selected Page Number is recorded on the Active Regions Table 304, associated to the selected document identification.

[0050] After entering on the user workstation 203 the number of the selected page, the following is done with the transparent ELDT device 201 to define active regions on this page. The user places the ELDT device 201 over the page and aligns 406 the ELDT device 201 with the borders of the page by some conventional means (e.g., by adjusting the upper left corner of the ELDT device with the upper left corner of the page). The user can still see the contents of the selected document's page through transparent ELDT device.

[0051] FIG. 5 illustrates how to create active regions on a page 407 of a physical document after transparent ELDT device 201 is placed and aligned over the physical page. The user draws/traces by means of stylus 202 active regions over the transparent ELDT device. The shapes of the active regions are predefined, menu selectable geometric forms, such as circles, rectangles or polygons. They are draw or located by the user to enclose the portions of document content which the user wants to become selectable (i.e., active, selectable, or “clickable”). FIG. 5 illustrates how the user chooses to define active regions comprising rectangles (e.g., R0) and polygons (e.g., R1) enclosing selected geographic regions represented on a map (e.g., on “Hong Kong” physical map). In the example shown in this figure, this operation can be done for each active region, by the user selecting the options “RECTANGULAR REGION”, or “POLYGONAL REGION” on the user workstation. Then, the user, keeping the transparent ELDT device 201 aligned over the selected page 407, draws or specifies by means of the stylus 202 the selected region (e.g., R0) by marking the corners (e.g., “A”, “B”, “C”, “D”), defining the contour around it (or, as is the case of a rectangular region, by marking two points, i.e., the upper left corner “A”, and the lower right corner “D”). Coordinates of the vertices (e.g., “A”, “B”, “C”, “D”) of the region (e.g., R0) are sensed by the ELDT device 201 and are transmitted to the user workstation 203 where they are recorded on a new entry created on the Active Regions Table 304 for the new active region. This new active region entry is associated with the selected document and page identification. Geometric parameters defining rectangular, polygonal or circular regions are stored on the Active Regions Table 304. Internally, a pointer is created from the entry corresponding to the active region being defined and the geometry shape parameters and coordinates received from the ELDT device determining the shape and location of said active region on the physical page (e.g. Rectangular region R0 would be defined as RECTANGLE: (Xa,Ya),(Xd,Yd); where (Xa, Ya) are the coordinates of the upper left corner “A”, and (Xd, Yd) are the coordinates of lower right corner “D” of this rectangular region. As active regions are being drawn by the user, they are highlighted by the transparent ELDT device, while the user views the page of the physical document placed underneath. In one other embodiment of the present invention, the active regions can be created by software by processing active regions already created by an electronic mapping of the printed document page.

[0052] Active regions can be nested so that one can be included in another, or even overlap, so that multiple regions can share common portions of document content.

[0053] FIG. 6 illustrates how the user associates one or a plurality of hyperlinks to active regions which have been created. For each active region (e.g., R0, R1) that the user draws with the stylus over the ELDT device 201 and the selected physical page 407 the user assigns on the corresponding active region entry 601 created on the Active Regions Table 304 on the user workstation 203, an active region name (e.g., “Hong Kong”, “Hong Kong Island”) 602 and one or a plurality of hyperlinks (comprising hyperlinks names, and URLs) 603. The hyperlinks link to hypermedia information or services to be accessed, or textual comments or data related to the regions to be displayed, when the user selects the corresponding active regions. For each active region (e.g., R0, R1) 601 on the Active Regions Table 304 internally there is a pointer to the geometric parameters and coordinates (e.g., RECTANGLE:(Xa,Ya),(Xd,Yd)) 604 specifying the shape and location of said active region on the physical page.

[0054] FIG. 7 shows an example of the information on the Active Regions Table 304 corresponding to the active regions (e.g., R0: “Hong Kong”, R1: “Hong Kong Island”, R2: “Aberdeen”, R3: “New Territories”) created on a page (e.g. “Page 133”) of a physical document (e.g., an “Atlas of Asia”). A plurality of hyperlinks have been associated with each active region. Thus, the user can access different multimedia information or services from each active region.

[0055] FIG. 8 illustrates the relationship between active regions (e.g., R0, R1, R2, R3) defined on a page of a physical document and the associated reference and hyperlink information on the Active Regions Table. This figure illustrates also another principle of the present invention. When the user selects a point 800 on a physical document, the hyperlink data (stored on the Active Regions Table) of all active regions enclosing the selected point (e.g., R2, R1, R0) is displayed to the user on the user workstation 203. In the example illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 10, there are three outlines R0, R1 and R2 which surround/encompass the touch point 800. So, when the user touches point 800, the hyperlinks for all three active regions R0, R1 and R2 are displayed on the user workstation. Then, the user can select any or all of these hyperlinks to see the corresponding web pages on user workstation 203.

[0056] FIG. 17 illustrates the steps and programming by which a user can use the present invention to obtain more information about a topic in a physical document, after the active regions were defined as described above with reference to FIG. 15. A user selects and identifies to the user workstation 203 a physical document (step 1701). The physical document comprises one or a plurality of pages. A user selects a page of the physical document (step 1702) for which the user would like additional information. Then, the user places and aligns a transparent ELDT device over the selected page (step 1703). The ELDT device is connected to the workstation 203. Next, the user identifies the selected page to the user workstation (step 1704). The page comprises one or a plurality of active regions defined earlier. The document management program within workstation 203, based on the page's Active Regions Table identifies active regions within the identified page (step 1705) and directs the ELDT to display their geometric outlines. Next, the user selects an active region using the stylus (step 1706). Next, the ELDT determines the position of the stylus on said transparent ELDT device and conveys the touch position coordinates to the document management program (step 1707). Next, the document management program, by reference to the Active Regions Table, identifies the active region (or plurality of active regions that encompass the touch point) corresponding to the stylus position on said transparent ELDT device (step 1708). Next, by reference to the Active Regions Table, the document management program identifies hyperlinks defined for the active region (or plurality of active regions that encompass the touch point) (step 1709). As explained above, the Active Regions Table includes for each active region, an identification of the respective hyperlinks and the location of associated hyperlinked information or service. Next, the user selects one of the hyperlinks corresponding to selected active region (or plurality of selected active regions) (step 1710). In response, the workstation 203 accesses the information or service associated with the selected hyperlink (step 1711).

[0057] FIG. 9 further illustrates the foregoing steps of FIG. 17. While flipping through the pages or reading the document, the user finds on a certain page (e.g. “Page 133”) 906 one or several items for which he or she would like to receive further information or access to some services. As was discussed herein before, by means of the present invention, the active regions of a physical document may be created by the final user (e.g., by the same reader), or alternatively, by the editor or publisher of said physical document. In the first case, because the Active Regions Table of the document has been created by the user, it should already be stored and immediately accessible by the user from the same user's workstation. In the second case, because the Active Regions Table has been created by the document publisher, usually it will be stored on a publisher's Web server for distribution to final users. In this second case, using the URL 306 of the Publisher Server and the document reference number 307, the final user (i.e., the reader) can access and download from the publisher server to the user workstations the Active Regions Table of the received document. As stated above, the URL 306 of the Publisher Server and the document reference number 307, used to identify the document and locate and retrieve through the Web the associated Active Regions Table, is printed or attached at a predefined reserved place on the physical document 200 (e.g., on the front cover, back cover or first page). In any case, in the following discussion it is assumed that the Active Regions Table of the selected physical document is already stored on the user workstation, or is accessible through a network (e.g., through the internet network) from the user workstation.

[0058] To access the Active Regions Table 304 of the selected physical document 200, by means of any user interface (keyboard, mouse, voice recognition software and microphone, . . . ) or any other reading means (e.g., barcode reader . . . ), the user enters codes or names for identifying the document. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 9, the user identifies the document by typing on the user workstation the physical document reference number or ISBN (e.g., “071104”) 905. If an Active Regions Table 304 has been defined for this document number, it is accessed and displayed by the user workstation. FIG. 9 also illustrates how, once the Active Regions Table 304 is accessed and displayed by the user workstation 203, the user identifies the selected page of physical document by typing the Page Number (e.g., page “133”) 906.

[0059] FIG. 10 shows how, once the user has identified to the system the selected page (e.g. “Page 133”) 906 of physical document 200, the geometric data 604 of all active regions defined on this page is retrieved from the Active Regions Table 304 of the selected document. By means of an ELDT device driver, the user workstation controls the display of the active regions (e.g., R0, R1, R2, R3, R4), which are displayed highlighted by the ELDT device 201. This same figure shows how, by placing and aligning the transparent ELDT device over the physical page, the relationship of the active regions illuminated by the ELDT device and the content of physical page content becomes immediately apparent for the user.

[0060] FIG. 11 illustrates how the user identifies an interesting item (e.g., “Aberdeen”) on the physical page 407, and checks that this item is contained within an active region (e.g., R2), illuminated by the ELDT device 201. To select the item, the user, keeping aligned the transparent ELDT device 201 over the physical page, points with the stylus to a point 1103 on the ELDT device 201 over its position on the physical page. The coordinates of the point pointed by the user with the stylus, are sensed by the ELDT device 201 and are transmitted to the user workstation 203.

[0061] FIG. 12 illustrates how, when the user selects with the stylus an item 1200 on a physical page 407, the coordinates of the point sensed by the ELDT 201 are transmitted to the user workstation 203. From those coordinates, by means of interior point algorithms widely known by those skilled on the art, using geometric data 604 of the active regions (e.g., R0, R1, R2, R3, R4) stored on the Active Regions Table 304, corresponding to the selected physical page 407, the active regions that enclose the point selected by the user are identified (e.g., R2, R1, R0), and the information corresponding to those “selected” active regions 1200 is extracted from the Active Regions Table and displayed by the user workstation. This figure shows how, associated with a single point selected by the user on the physical page, a plurality of active regions and a plurality of hyperlinks associated with each region may be presented to the user on user workstation 203.

[0062] FIG. 13 illustrates how from the list of active regions (e.g., R2, R1, R0) encompassing the selected point, and the descriptive hyperlinks related to those active regions, the user selects and triggers a hyperlink 1301 (e.g., “Aberdeen & Stanley Guide”, defined on active region R2) to access related multimedia information or service from the Web. The destination address or URL associated with the selected hyperlink 1304 is identified from the corresponding entry in the Active Regions Table and is sent from the user workstation 203 through the internet 1303 to the corresponding Web server 1302.

[0063] FIG. 14 illustrates how the requested multimedia information or service 1401, (e.g., HTML file named “efrkgsou.htm”) related with the item selected by the user on the physical page 407, is received from Web server 1302, being finally played or displayed to the user on the user workstation 203.

[0064] There are alternative embodiments to the methods for selecting and accessing active regions on a physical document. On a first alternative embodiment, only active regions (if any) comprising the point pointed by the user with the stylus over the physical document are illuminated by transparent-ELDT device. This alternative embodiment of the disclosed method has the advantage of focussing the attention of the user exclusively to the domain (i.e., to the content portion) related with the topic of interest that has been selected by the user, and introduces a minimum interference with the visibility of the document page through transparent ELDT device.

[0065] In another embodiment of the present invention, both visualization modes can be provided as options to the user. In a first mode, all active regions defined on the selected page can be simultaneously displayed to the user, so that the user can identify all printed items for which additional information could be accessible. In the second mode, only the selected active regions will be displayed to the user.

[0066] In another embodiment of the present invention, instead of using an ELDT device and a stylus for selecting and accessing multimedia information or services from active regions defined on physical documents, the user may alternatively prefer to use an opto-touch foil, and select illuminated active regions by touching with the finger over the opto-touch foil, instead of using a stylus.

[0067] Furthermore, if active regions illuminated by the ELDT device (or even by an opto-foil), can be seen by transparency through the physical page, the user can choose alternatively the transparent digitizing tablet or opto-foil to be placed under, instead of over, the physical document page.

[0068] Several possible applications of the present invention are described below. Each of these applications uses the same previously described method and system.

[0069] For example, a customer receives complex computer equipment, with an installation manual comprising drawings and schematics of parts and subassemblies of the equipment. With the transparent ELDT device over any one of these schematics, the user can immediately see certain parts of the complex schematic illuminated as active regions. These illuminated parts are identified as hyperlinks items and can be used for accessing additional information on a remote Web server or on a local computer. When the customer points to one of those illuminated regions, multimedia instructions showing how the part needs to be installed or serviced are displayed. It is not necessary to look through printed manuals to obtain this information. No complex navigation is required. A single printed copy of a general view of the equipment is sufficient to navigate with the system according to the present invention. The customer need only press with the stylus on the desired illuminated region on the surface of the installation manual.

[0070] A subscriber reading a newspaper or magazine, may be interested in seeing computer multimedia or TV video information associated with the articles he or she reads. While reading the sports pages (e.g., on the New York Times), key events can be instantly recalled and played on demand (e.g., the opening ceremony of Athens Olympic Games, the last images of the “Tour de France”, the last tennis match on Wimbledon, etc.) simply by touching highlighted regions encompassing titles, news or editorial sections printed on newspaper pages.

[0071] A user flipping through the paper pages and glancing printed figures and text on a newspaper written in a foreign language (such as the Japanese language edited sample of “Asahi Shimbun”, shown in FIG. 1), may select a section of the newspaper content (e.g., an article), and receive from the newspaper publisher server the selected content translated to the user's native language (e.g., to receive the selected article translated to English).

[0072] Today, many free-toll calls originate from people reading advertisements in newspapers or magazines or in direct mail ads. According to the present invention, people can instantly access multimedia presentations of advertised products or services simply by pointing to the highlighted ads that have drawn their attention.

[0073] Extensive reading is easier to do from paper, but animated video explanations and demonstrations are much more effective for some purposes. The two features can be tied together by creating active regions on selected items printed in a textbook. These hyperlinked active regions can, for example, link textbook pictures, paragraphs or sections, to live discussion groups with other students or to live interactions with professors and tutors.

[0074] What has been described is merely illustrative of the application of the principles of the present invention. Other arrangements and methods can be implemented by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.