7.4

2) Using Pattern Sequences
In the event where a single location generates all the patterns and this output *can* be split into multiple logical zones, Pattern
Sequences can be used. A Pattern Sequence is basically a "tag" that is added after the pattern's identification (Pattern ID).
When a Pattern Sequence is used, each Pattern Sequence can re-use each of the 20,000 available patterns. "Zones", in this
case, could refer to a specific region within a city, or a whole city or a province, whatever fits your needs.
Pattern Sequences can be handled in 2 different ways: by attaching a Pattern Sequence to a specific pen, or by attaching it to a
specific PlanetPress Production process. Here is an example for each cases, using a typical situation of a shipping company
that uses PlanetPress Capture to simplify the archiving of the client's signature on a "Confirmation of Reception" slip.
a) Pen-Based Sequences: In this case, each pen is attributed a specific pattern sequence. When documents are printed,
they are set to attribute a pattern sequence to each document in relation to which pen it will be signed on. For example, the
shipping company may have decided to print each "route" using the route number as a pattern sequence, and each pen is
tagged (with a label) as being for use with a specific pattern sequence also. Each morning, as drivers are attributed a route,
they pick up the correct pen and stack of paper that belong to their route before leaving.
It's very important to note here that the Anoto Digital Pen has absolutely no concept of Pattern Sequences. When "attributing"
a sequence to a pen, this is fully on the PlanetPress Production side, in the Capture Database. This means that if a pen is mis-
labeled or someone picks up the wrong pen, this pen has absolutely no way to know that it is writing on the wrong paper. more
about this in the "Contamination" section below.
b) Process-Based Sequences: In this case, while documents are still printed and their route number attributed to their pat-
tern sequence, the pens do not have this distinction. However, the docking station where the pens are placed at the end of the
day are set to send the pen's data to a specific process which will only handle processing for that specific route number. In this
case, one physical computer (and, presumably, printer) is used for each route, and the driver must dock the pen in the proper
docking station which corresponds to his router number, at the end of the day.
As you may have figured out by now, we are still not actually printing more than 20,000 patterns. The only distinction here is
that we are re-using patterns in separate "zones" (or, well, sequences) and as long as pens and pages using capture patterns
are not exchanged between these zones, they act independently with their own 20,000 pattern limitation.
A small note on PlanetPressMobile:The mobile phone application, "PlanetPress Mobile", which uses bluetooth com-
munication to receive pen data and transmit it to PlanetPress Production, can still be used with both pattern sequence meth-
ods, as it is the equivalent of a docking station on the web. PlanetPress Mobile was added to PlanetPress Capture in version
7.4.
CONTAMINATION
The single but critical danger with any implementation that deals with PlanetPress Capture is "Contamination". Basically, con-
tamination happens when an Anoto Digital Pen writes on a "wrong" document or is docked in the wrong location. This can
happen any number of ways and in different situations, and can have devastating effects in some of those cases so please pay
special attention to this section.
First, contamination is not limited to implementations that extend their patterns through methods 1) and 2) above. Any time
that a pen writes on a "wrong" document, it is considered contamination. A simple example in a basic implementation would be
to print a document with a pattern on it, put this paper aside (or lose it on a desk somewhere) and forget about it. Assuming
proper processes were put in place, this document would eventually be closed by a manual or automatic procedure. However,
the physical document with the pattern still exists even if it is closed in regards to the PlanetPress Capture database. Con-
tamination would happen if a new document is printed with the same pattern, but somehow the "old" document re-surfaces
and someone writes ink on it and docks the pen. When this happens, neither the pen nor PlanetPress Production can under-
stand that the data does not belong on that document and will happily update the "current" document, possibly closing it.
Special Workflow Types