Importance

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Abstract

A spreadsheet and a browser on a portable computer accept data from an input recognizer, including a non-cursive handwriting recognizer or a speech recognizer and communicate data directly with another computer or over the Internet using wireless media such as radio and infrared frequencies or over a landline. The computer is endowed with a plurality of built-in or snap-on expansion accessories to enhance the data capture capability as well as the ease of reading data from the limited screen of the present invention. These accessories include a camera, a scanner, a voice recorder or voice capture unit, and a remote large screen television. The camera and scanner allows visual data to be capture, the voice recorder allows the user to make quick verbal annotations into a solid state memory to minimize the main memory requirements, while the voice capture unit allows the voice to be captured into memory for subsequent transmission over the Internet or for voice recognition purposes. The spreadsheet or database receives data from the Internet or from the accessories and further can graph or manipulate the data entered into the spreadsheet as necessary. Furthermore, the database has a smart search engine interface which performs fuzzy search such that inexact queries can still result in matches. The smart search engine thus allows users to locate information even though the exact spelling or concept is not known. To minimize user's work in locating information to analyze, the spreadsheet and database can spawn and train an intelligent agent to capture data from a suitable remote source such as the Internet and transmit the data to the spreadsheet or browser for further analysis. Alternatively, the user can capture data directly by scanning or dictating the information into the spreadsheet or browser. In another aspect of the invention, a pan and zoom capability is provided to provide the user with an appropriately scaled view of the data for ease of reading. Alternatively, when the portable computer is within range of a larger display device such as an appropriately equipped television display or a personal computer with a larger display, the present invention's wireless link transmits the video information to the larger display to allow the user to view data the larger display unit. Similarly, the present invention provides a remote stereo receiver adapted to receive sound data stream from the portable computer and driving high quality speakers to support multimedia applications on the portable computer.

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First Claim