Universal pen with code sensor
First Claim
1. A pen including a marking device operative to mark a visible path onto a surface having coded data disposed thereon, the marking device being electronically controllable to change at least one attribute of the path, the pen including at least one sensor device capable of sensing at least some of the coded data when placed operatively relative to the surface, the pen being adapted to control the marking device at least partially with reference to at least some of the sensed coded data to modify at least one attribute of the path.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A pen has a marking device operative to mark a visible path onto a surface. The marking device is electronically controllable to change at least one of the attributes of the path. The attributes are constituted by the characteristics of the ink being deposited and can include the amount of ink deposited, the width of the line produced, and the color of the ink deposited. The pen also includes a user interface provided by one or more potentiometers or control buttons such that the user may modify the attributes. Additionally, the pen may include a display to indicate the selected attributes to the user and a sensing device for sensing coded data.
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Citations
40 Claims
- 1. A pen including a marking device operative to mark a visible path onto a surface having coded data disposed thereon, the marking device being electronically controllable to change at least one attribute of the path, the pen including at least one sensor device capable of sensing at least some of the coded data when placed operatively relative to the surface, the pen being adapted to control the marking device at least partially with reference to at least some of the sensed coded data to modify at least one attribute of the path.
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14. A pen comprising:
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(a) an electronically controllable marking device adapted to apply a mark to a surface, the marking device having at least one mark application attribute and being adapted to modify the at least one mark application attribute in response to receiving an attribute modification instruction;
(b) a sensor which, when placed operatively relative to a surface having coded data disposed thereon, is adapted to sense at least some of the coded data; and
(c) a processor adapted to;
(i) receive sensed coded data from the sensor;
(ii) generate indicating data using at least some of the sensed coded data, at least some of the indicating data being at least partially indicative of at least one mark application attribute; and
(iii) provide at least one attribute modification instruction, associated with the indicating data, to the marking device, thereby causing the marking device to modify the at least one mark application attribute. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A system comprising a pen and an external computer,
the pen comprising: -
(a) an electronically controllable marking device adapted to apply a mark to a surface, the marking device having at least one mark application attribute and being adapted to modify the at least one mark application attribute in response to receiving an attribute modification instruction;
(b) a sensor which, when placed operatively relative to a surface having coded data thereon, is adapted to sense at least some of the coded data;
(c) a pen communications transmitter and pen communications receiver adapted to facilitate communication between the pen and the external computer; and
(d) a pen processor adapted to;
(i) receive sensed coded data from the sensor;
(ii) generate indicating data using at least some of the sensed coded data, at least some of the indicating data being at least partially indicative of at least one mark application attribute;
(iii) provide the indicating data to the external computer via the pen communications transmitter;
(iv) receive attribute modification information, associated with the indicating data, from the external computer via the pen communications receiver;
(v) identify at least one attribute modification instruction at least partially associated with the attribute modification information; and
(vi) provide the at least one attribute modification instruction to the marking device, thereby causing the marking device to modify the at least one mark application attribute;
and the external computer being located outside the pen and comprising;
(a) a memory adapted to store attribute modification information;
(b) a computer communications transmitter and a computer communications receiver adapted to facilitate communication between the external computer and the pen; and
(c) a computer processor adapted to;
(i) receive indicating data from the pen via the computer communications receiver;
(ii) locate, in the memory, attribute modification information associated with the indicating data; and
(iii) provide the attribute modification information to the pen via the computer communications transmitter. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24)
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25. A method for controlling a pen, the pen comprising an electronically controllable marking device, a sensor and a processor,
wherein the method comprises the sensor performing the steps of: -
(i) sensing at least some coded data from a surface having coded data disposed thereon; and
(ii) providing the sensed coded data to the processor, the processor performing the steps of;
(i) receiving the sensed coded data from the sensor;
(ii) generating indicating data using at least some of the sensed coded data, at least some of the indicating data being at least partially indicative of at least one mark application attribute; and
(iii) providing at least one attribute modification instruction, at least partially associated with the indicating data, to the marking device, and the marking device performing the steps of;
(i) receiving the at least one attribute modification instruction from the processor; and
(ii) modifying at least one mark application attribute of the marking device in accordance with the attribute modification instruction. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A method for controlling a pen and an external computer, the pen comprising an electronically controllable marking device, a sensor, a pen communications transmitter, a pen communications receiver and a pen processor, and the external computer comprising a memory, a computer communications transmitter, a computer communications receiver and a computer processor,
wherein the method comprises the sensor performing the steps of: -
(i) sensing at least some coded data from a surface having coded data thereon; and
(ii) providing the sensed coded data to the pen processor, the pen processor performing the steps of;
(i) receiving the sensed coded data from the sensor;
(ii) generating the indicating data using at least some of the sensed coded data, at least some of the indicating data being at least partially indicative of at least one mark application attribute; and
(iii) providing the indicating data to the computer via the pen communications transmitter;
the computer processor performing the steps of;
(i) receiving the indicating data from the pen via the computer communications receiver;
(ii) locating, in the memory, attribute modification information associated with the indicating data; and
(iii) providing the attribute modification information to the pen via the computer communications transmitter, the pen processor performing the further steps of;
(i) receiving the attribute modification information from the computer via the pen communications receiver;
(ii) identifying at least one attribute modification instruction associated with the attribute modification information; and
(iii) providing the at least one attribute modification instruction to the marking device, and the marking device performing the steps of;
(i) receiving the at least one attribute modification instruction from the pen processor; and
(ii) modifying at least one mark application attribute of the marking device in accordance with the attribute modification instruction. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33)
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34. An attribute selection surface for use with a pen having an electronically controllable marking device and a sensor, the surface comprising a substrate having information disposed thereon, the information comprising:
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(a) human-readable attribute information indicative of at least one mark application attribute of the marking device of the pen; and
(b) coded data adapted to be sensed by the sensor of the pen, at least some of the coded data being at least partially indicative of;
(i) at least one mark application attribute of the marking device of the pen; and
(ii) a position on the attribute selection surface, wherein at least some of the coded data disposed within a particular area of the substrate is at least partially indicative of the same mark application attribute indicated by the human-readable attribute information disposed within that same area. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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Specification