By Jae-won Kim

Digi-Pen is a new-concept communication solution that Connectrix developed, based on Connectrix's Digi-Ink technology, for sharing visual information. Digi-Pen transfers or shares information, which is difficult to display with traditional communication methods, with minimal amount of data transmission required. In order to explain Digi-Pen, we first have to understand what Digi-Ink technology is.

Digi-Ink

Digi-Ink is a group of coordinated data drawn from the pen traces made on a touch-screen. It displays a character written or a picture drawn by a user like an image file, so it can enables diverse displays that can not be portrayed with simple text. There is a significant difference between regular image files and Connectrix's Digi-Ink in terms of data storage. Whereas any regular image file saves all pixel information and displays the image by rearranging it, Digi-Ink only stores the coordinates and the order of the pen trajectory. Therefore, the data size is substantially smaller than that of an image file.

The principle of Digi-Ink was released in the early 90s, and it has been mainly used for memo-writing solutions. However, with the recent adventages of wireless PDAs, Digi-Ink is coming up as a new solution for mobile communication. Its small data requirement facilitates application in relatively slow wireless networks, and its pen writing mechanism is satisfactory for the wireless device environment. Moreover, it features easy editing in stroke units, active data displays and easy links to voice and video mail.

Connectrix utilized this Digi-Ink technology in wireless PDAs and PCs, as well as existing services including chatting and e-mail. With these advantages, Digi-Ink is providing new business models for wireless service providers who are looking for new core services to wireless Internet users. And Digi-Pen now provides Connectrix Messenger, Chatting, and Mail features:

• Connectrix Ink Messenger

  Connectrix Ink Messenger synchronizes messages between PC and PDA. It provides Digi-Ink editing for creating Digi-Ink messages (editing in stroke units), as well as providing general text messages. It also has animation capability which draws the received Digi-Ink message in the order that it was created. Its compatible devices are PDA, SmartPhone, PC, and Internet Phone.

  
  

          

  Connectrix Ink Messenger (PDA)

  
  
  

  

  Connectrix Ink Messenger (PC)

  
  
  

• Connectrix Ink Chatting

  Connectrix Ink Chatting allows chatting (1:1 and multiple chatting sessions) between similar or different types of devices: PC-to-PC, Mobile-to-Mobile, PC-to-Mobile, etc. It provides Digi-Ink editing for creating Digi-Ink messages, as well as supporting Text, Voice, Video chatting + Digi-Ink Chatting. All these Text, Digi-Ink, Voice, and Video chatting can be used simultaneously in a chatting session. Above all, Connectrix Ink Chatting’s the significance is that it has 30 times greater compression than regular images (very little data traffic required).

  
  

  

  Connectrix Ink Chatting (PDA to PDA)

  
  
  

  

  Connectrix Ink Chatting (PDA to PC)

  
  
  

  

  Connectrix Ink Chatting (PDA to Phone)

  
  

• Connectrix Ink Mail

  All of Connectrix Ink Mail's functions are provided in general text-based mail services which can also be linked to voice and video mail. As with other Ink Messenger and Chatting systems, Ink Mail provides Digi-Ink editing for creating Digi-Ink Mail (editing in storke units), and its animation capability draws the received Digi-Ink message in the order that it was created. However, in case recipient's mail service doesn't support Digi-Ink format, the Digi-Ink document is converted into an image.

With Connectrix Digi-Pen's services distinguished from other companies traditional PDA solutions, it will enrich PDA data services among different types of devices (PDAs, cellular phones, PCs, eBooks, etc).