System and method for locating on electronic documents items referenced in a physical document

A method for activating hyperlinks from one or a plurality of items referenced in a physical document to one or a plurality of points in electronic documents, the method comprising:

• (a) identifying a physical document;
• (b) identifying a page in the physical document;
• (c) determining the position of a point pressed on an opto-touch foil placed and aligned over or under the identified page, the opto-touch foil being pressed at a point corresponding to a selected hyperlinked item;
• (d) identifying the selected hyperlinked item by referring to a hyperlink table associated with the physical document, the hyperlink table comprising an indication of the position on the identified page of the physical document of each referenced hyperlinked item;
• (e) identifying and locating the electronic document associated with the selected hyperlinked item referring to the hyperlink table, the hyperlink table comprising for each hyperlinked item of each page of the document the identification and location of the electronic document associated with the hyperlinked item;
• (f) accessing and displaying the electronic document associated with the selected hyperlinked item;
• (g) identifying the position on the electronic document of each point hyperlinked with the selected hyperlinked item referring to the hyperlink table, the hyperlink table comprising for each hyperlinked item referenced in the physical document, the position of one or a plurality of points on the electronic document;
• and
• (h) designating the position on the displayed electronic document, of each point hyperlinked with the selected item.

A computer program product for use with a computer system capable of creating hyperlinks from hyperlinked items referenced in a physical document to an electronic document, the computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having embodied therein program code comprising:

• (a) program code for creating a hyperlink table for the physical document, the physical document having at least one page;
• (b) for each page of the physical document, program code for storing in the hyperlink table means for identifying a page and means for identifying at least one hyperlinked item defined on the page;
• (c) program code for determining the position of points pressed on an opto-touch foil aligned with the page of the physical document;
• the points corresponding to the positions of the hyperlinked items;
• (d) program code for storing in the hyperlink table the position of the points pressed, the hyperlink table comprising for each hyperlinked item, an indication of a position on the page;
• and
• (e) for each hyperlinked item defined on the page, program code for:
• (i) associating an electronic document;
• (ii) storing in the hyperlink table data identifying and locating the electronic document;
• (iii) associating one or a plurality of hyperlinked points located on the electronic document;
• and
• (iv) storing in the hyperlink table the position of each hyperlinked point on the electronic document.

A computer program product for use with a computer system capable of activating hyperlinks from one or a plurality of items referenced in a physical document to one or a plurality of points in electronic documents, the computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having embodied therein program code comprising:

• (a) program code for identifying a physical document;
• (b) program code for identifying a page in the physical document;
• (c) program code for determining the position of a point pressed on an opto-touch foil placed and aligned over or under the identified page, the opto-touch foil being pressed at a point corresponding to a selected hyperlinked item;
• (d) program code for identifying the selected hyperlinked item by referring to a hyperlink table associated with the physical document, the hyperlink table comprising an indication of the position on the identified page of the physical document of each referenced hyperlinked item;
• (e) program code for identifying and locating the electronic document associated with the selected hyperlinked item referring to the hyperlink table, the hyperlink table comprising for each hyperlinked item of each page of the document the identification and location of the electronic document associated with the hyperlinked item;
• (f) program code for accessing and displaying the electronic document associated with the selected hyperlinked item;
• (g) program code for identifying the position on the electronic document of each point hyperlinked with the selected hyperlinked item referring to the hyperlink table, the hyperlink table comprising for each hyperlinked item referenced in the physical document, the position of one or a plurality of points on the electronic document;
• and
• (h) program code for designating the position on the displayed electronic document, of each point hyperlinked with the selected item.