Writing pen and recorder with built in position tracking device

• US 20040222976A1
• Filed: 11/15/2002
• Published: 11/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: David Darian Muresan, David Muresan
• Original Assignee: David Darian Muresan, David Muresan
• Inventors: Muresan, David, Muresan, David Darian
• Application Number:
  US10/294,627
• Publication Number:
  US 20040222976A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/179
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus

Abstract

A pen for hand-writing recording using an assembly of accelerometers. The accelerometers provide a three dimensional acceleration vector which together with a clock determines the position of the pen at all times. In addition, a sensor on the pen records when the pen is being pressed against a hard surface and it is only then that the pen records the movements of the pen and hence the hand-writing. The writing can be recorded by the pen for later download to a computer system, or the pen can be directly connected to a personal computer, thus providing a a true mouse-type pointing device that does not require any additional tables or touch-pads for two dimensional drawings.

Claims

1. A writing pen which records writing or sends writing information directly to a computer and comprising of

an outer case (3) containing a tracking device for locating the position of the pen'"'"'s tip in 3-D and in real time;

a writing switch which is opened when the pen is not writing and closed when the pen is writing;

a clock which is used in updating the pen'"'"'s tip location in 3-D, based on the information from the said tracking device;

memory for recording the pen'"'"'s tip location when the said writing switch is closed (23);

computer logic for transforming the said recorded tip position into writing;

computer interface for sending the writing information from the said pen to the host computer in real or non-real time;

an ink reservoir that allows for making marks on the paper;

the ink reservoir may have at the writing end a rolling ball used for writing or for tracing the pen'"'"'s location on the writing surface;

optionally, the said rolling ball having contact with three rollers that continuously update the ball'"'"'s position when the ball is rotating; and

the said rollers updating the pen'"'"'s tip position when the said writing switch in the said pen is closed.

3. A writing pen as claimed in claim 1 and using a tracking device, as claimed in claim 2, for locating the position of the pen'"'"'s tip in 3-D and in real time.

2. A point of interest tracking position device in three dimensions and comprising of

four or more accelerometers positioned such that their axes intersect in the said point of interest;

the said axes span the entire three dimensional subspace;

an algorithm for reading the magnitudes of accelerations of all the said accelerometers and selecting the three accelerometers with the three largest magnitudes;

using the information from the three said selected non-perpendicular accelerometers to determine the true three dimensional acceleration vector (18);

using the said true three dimensional acceleration vector together with a clock to determine the location of the said point of interest in three dimensions.