| 摘要 |
A system for inputting and communicating information via a network includes: a position indicia reading stylus that collects position information from a product having position defining indicia printed thereon, the position information representing the position of the stylus on the product, and a network infrastructure for communicating a signal that represents, or is derived from, the collected position information to a network node that performs a technological process based on the signal. Funds for supporting the network node are derived from a licensing arrangement associated with at least one of the product having position defining indicia and the stylus. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the network node is a technological service provider who has a proprietary interest in stylus/digital paper technology and who establishes a licensing arrangement with at least manufacturers/suppliers of digital paper and/or stylus units. Costs associated with the technological service are pre-paid by the end user, such that the technological service provider does not later charge a periodic or use based fee to the end user. In this way, the end user is not subjected to potentially confusing and inconvenient fee and billing arrangements associated with stylus/digital paper based services. |
