A method is provided for time control of data transmission from a first module to a further module. The cable television system includes a headend from which service \u201cinstances\u201d, or programs, are broadcast and a plurality of set top units for receiving the instances and selectively decrypting the instances for display to system subscribers. Handwriting-recognition is triggered for handwriting entered into a handwriting-recognition task area upon detecting that the user has lifted the pen off of the digitizer’s writing surface and that the pen has moved out of proximity from the handwriting-recognition task area.