System and method for transmitting, receiving, and generating digital ink from triangulation data of a transponder-stylus

• US 20030071798A1
• Filed: 04/23/2002
• Published: 04/17/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Inmotion E-Pen Limited
• Original Assignee: Inmotion E-Pen Limited
• Inventors: Baron, Ehud, Korsenski, Victor
• Application Number:
  US10/131,725
• Publication Number:
  US 20030071798A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/179
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0433 in which the acoustic waves are either generated by a movable member and propagated within a surface layer or propagated within a surface layer and captured by a movable member
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/046 by electromagnetic means

Abstract

A system for generating digital ink from triangulation data of a stylus comprises an electromagnetic radiation source capable to emit electromagnetic pulses; a first and a second ultrasound detector separated from each other by a known distance; a timer coupled to the radiation source, the first detector, and the second detector, and capable to measure a first elapsed time between emission of an electromagnetic pulse from the radiation source and detection of an ultrasound wave at the first detector, and further capable to measure a second elapsed time between emission of the electromagnetic pulse from the radiation source and detection of an ultrasound wave at the second detector; and a triangulation engine coupled to the timer and the radiation source, the engine capable to instruct the source to emit a plurality of radiation pulses, to triangulate the position of an ultrasound transponder over time based on the first elapsed time, the second elapsed time and the known distance between detectors, and to generate characters based on the triangulation data.

Claims

1. A transponder, comprising:

a detector capable to detect a first type of energy; and

a generator coupled to the detector capable to send a wave of a second type of energy when the detector detects the first type of energy.

2. The transponder of claim 1, wherein the first type of energy includes electromagnetic radiation.

3. The transponder of claim 2, wherein the electromagnetic radiation includes light.

4. The transponder of claim 3, wherein the light has a frequency in the infrared spectrum.

5. The transponder of claim 2, wherein the electromagnetic radiation includes radiation in the spectrum of radio frequencies.

6. The transponder of claim 1, wherein the second type of energy is sound.

7. The transponder of claim 6, further comprising a light pipe coupled to the detector.

8. The transponder of claim 6, wherein the sound is ultrasound.

9. The transponder of claim 8, wherein the ultrasound has a frequency of between about 40 KHz and 100 KHz.

10. The transponder of claim 8, wherein the generator includes a piezoceramic crystal.

11. The transponder of claim 8, an impedance matching element coupled to the generator.

12. The transponder of claim 1, further comprising a switch coupled to the detector and generator, the switch capable to control operation of the detector.

13. The transponder of claim 12, wherein the switch is actuated by pressure.

14. The transponder of claim 12, wherein the switch is actuated by heat.

15. The transponder of claim 12, wherein the switch is actuated by tilt of the transponder.

16. The transponder of claim 1, wherein the transponder is disposed within a stylus.

17. A position sensing system, comprising:

an electromagnetic radiation source capable to emit electromagnetic pulses;

a first ultrasound detector;

a second ultrasound detector separated from the first ultrasound detector by a known distance;

a timer coupled to the radiation source, the first detector, and the second detector, the timer capable to measure a first elapsed time between emission of an electromagnetic pulse from the radiation source and detection of an ultrasound wave at the first detector, the timer further capable to measure a second elapsed time between emission of the electromagnetic pulse from the radiation source and detection of an ultrasound wave at the second detector; and

a triangulation engine coupled to the timer and the radiation source, the engine capable to instruct the source to emit an electromagnetic radiation pulse and to triangulate the position of an ultrasound transponder based on the first elapsed time, the second elapsed time and the known distance between detectors.

18. The position sensing system of claim 17, wherein the first and second ultrasound detectors detect ultrasound waves having a frequency of between about 40 KHz to 100 KHz.

19. The position sensing system of claim 17, wherein the electromagnetic pulses are infrared.

20. The position sensing system of claim 17, wherein the electromagnetic pulses are in radio frequency.

21. The position sensing system of claim 17, wherein the timer includes a first counter capable to measure the first elapsed time, and wherein the timer further includes a second counter capable to measure the second elapsed time.

22. The position sensing system of claim 17, further comprising a digital ink generation engine capable to display positions of the transponder over time.

23. The position sensing system of claim 17, further comprising a character generation engine capable to generate characters based on a series of triangulation data calculated by the triangulation engine.

24. The position sensing system of claim 17, wherein the timer has a clock rate of at least about 1 MHz.

25. The position sensing system of claim 17, wherein the triangulation engine is further capable to instruct the radiation source to emit a data mode electromagnetic pulse to the transponder.

26. The position sensing system of claim 25, wherein the triangulation engine is further capable to receive data stored in the transponder after sending the data mode pulse.

27. The position sensing system of claim 26, wherein the triangulation engine is further capable to verify the received data.

28. The position sensing system of claim 27, wherein the triangulation engine verifies the received data using a checksum algorithm.

29. A method, comprising:

(a) emitting an electromagnetic radiation pulse;

(b) detecting receipt of an ultrasound compression wave from a transponder at a first and a second location;

(c) determining a first elapsed time between emission of the pulse and detection of the wave at the first location;

(d) determining a second elapsed time between emission of the pulse and detection of the wave at the second location;

(e) triangulating the transponder based on the first elapsed time, the second elapsed time, and a known distance between the first and second locations.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the ultrasound compression wave has a frequency of between about 40 KHz to 100 KHz.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein electromagnetic radiation pulse is Infrared.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein electromagnetic radiation pulse includes radio frequency.

33. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

repeating (a)-(e) a plurality of times to generate a set of triangulation data; and

generating digital ink based on the set of triangulation data.

34. A position sensing system, comprising:

means for emitting an electromagnetic radiation pulse;

means for detecting receipt of an ultrasound compression wave from a transponder at a first and a second location;

means for determining a first elapsed time between emission of the pulse and detection of the wave at the first location;

means for determining a second elapsed time between emission of the pulse and detection of the wave at the second location;

means for triangulating the transponder based on the first elapsed time, the second elapsed time, and a known distance between the first and second locations.

35. A transponder, comprising:

an electromagnetic radiation detector;

an ultrasound generator coupled to the detector capable to send an ultrasound compression wave when the detector detects an electromagnetic pulse; and

a data mode detector coupled to the radiation detector and generator, the data mode detector capable to detect a signal to transmit data stored in the transponder, the data mode detector further capable to instruct the ultrasound generator to transmit the stored data.

36. The transponder of claim 35, further comprising a switch coupled to the detector and transducer, the switch capable to control operation of the detector.

37. The transponder of claim 36, wherein the switch is actuated by pressure.

38. The transponder of claim 36, wherein the switch is actuated by heat.

39. The transponder of claim 36, wherein the switch is actuated by tilt of the transponder.

40. The transponder of claim 35, wherein the transponder is disposed within a stylus.

41. The transponder of claim 35, wherein the electromagnetic radiation detector detects infrared radiation.

42. The transponder of claim 35, wherein the ultrasound compression wave has a frequency of between about 40 KHz and 100 KHz.

43. The transponder of claim 35, further comprising a light pipe coupled to the detector.

44. The transponder of claim 35, wherein the stored data is financial data that, when transmitted, enables a financial transaction.

45. The transponder of claim 35, wherein the stored data, when transmitted, is capable to enable a device.