Electronically controllable pen comprising a force switch

• US 20050254874A1
• Filed: 07/21/2005
• Published: 11/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia, Lapstun, Paul, King, Tobin Allen
• Granted Patent: US 7,413,363 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 400/88
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 13/106 for the sheet output section
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17503 Ink cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17553 Outer structure
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/2114 Ejecting specialized liquids, e.g. transparent or processing liquids B41J2/211 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/36 for portability , i.e. hand-held printers or laptop printers B41J3/4075 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B42C 9/0081 applying adhesive to individual sheets for binding them together by fusing, welding B42C9/0093
• CPC Class Codes: B43K 23/008 Holders comprising finger grips B43K23/004, B43K23/012 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B43K 29/08 with measuring, computing or indicating devices
• CPC Class Codes: B43K 8/003 Pen barrels
• CPC Class Codes: B43K 8/006 using a spraying system, e.g. airbrushes
• CPC Class Codes: B43K 8/22 with electrically or magnetically activated writing-points
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0321 by optically sensing the absolute position with respect to a regularly patterned surface forming a passive digitiser, e.g. pen optically detecting position indicative tags printed on a paper sheet constructional details of pen-shaped pointing devices G06F3/03545, G06F3/03542, G06F3/037
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00204 with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00244 with a server, e.g. an internet server fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00358 Type of the scanned marks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00376 Means for identifying a mark sheet or area
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00567 Handling of original or reproduction media, e.g. cutting, separating, stacking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00968 by scanning marks on a sheet mark-sheet input means H04N1/00355; sensing record carriers G06K7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0461 part of the apparatus being used in common for reading and reproducing simultaneous scanning of the original picture and the reproduced picture with a common scanning device H04N1/207
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/047 : Detection, control or error compensation of scanning velocity or position H04N1/0402 and H04N1/17 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/107 : with manual scanning
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32101 : Display, printing, storage or transmission of additional information, e.g. ID code, date and time or title
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32128 : attached to the image data, e.g. file header, transmitted message header, information on the same page or in the same computer file as the image for information embedded in the image H04N1/32144
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32771 : in response to a request, e.g. for a particular document
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32778 : using a mark-sheet or machine-readable code request
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/04717 : on the scanned sheet, e.g. a reference sheet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3205 : of identification information, e.g. name or ID code H04N2201/3209 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3207 : of an address
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3226 : of identification information or the like, e.g. ID code, index, title, part of an image, reduced-size image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3242 : of processing required or performed, e.g. for reproduction or before recording H04N2201/3256 and subgroups take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3269 : of machine readable codes or marks, e.g. bar codes or glyphs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/327 : which are undetectable to the naked eye, e.g. embedded codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3271 : Printing or stamping
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3278 : Transmission

Abstract

A pen which includes a marking device, the pen being operative to mark a visible path onto a surface. The marking device is electronically controllable to change an attribute of the path, such as line width or color. The marking device is actuated in response to a compression force sensed by a switch.

Claims

1. A pen, including:

a marking device operable to mark a visible path onto a surface, the marking device being electronically controllable; and

a switch activated by sensing a compression force when a user uses the pen to mark a visible path on the surface;

wherein the pen is configured to determine, using the switch, that the user has used the pen to mark a visible path.

2. The pen of claim 1 further comprising a user interface for placing the pen in a select mode.

3. The pen of claim 1 further comprising a memory for storing at least one set of attribute values, the marking device being operable in accordance with an attribute value selected from the memory.

4. The pen of claim 2, wherein the user interface includes a display for displaying information relating to the current attribute value.

5. The pen of claim 3, wherein the memory also stores at least one user-defined attribute value.

6. The pen of claim 3, configured such that the current attribute value can also be selected by way of a user interface.

7. The pen of claim 1, further including at least one sensing device capable of sensing images or colors or both, the pen being configured to store in a memory one or more attribute values derived from the sensed images or colors.

8. The pen of claim 7, wherein the memory also stores at least one user-defined attribute value, at least one of which is derived from the sensed images or colors.

9. The pen of claim 7, wherein the sensing device is configured for sensing images including coded data relating to attributes.

10. The pen of claim 9, further including a decoder to decode the sensed coded data and to change at least one of the attribute values in the memory in response to the decoded data.

11. The pen of claim 1, further including a receiver for receiving commands from an external control source.

12. The pen of claim 1, including a position sensing device or a motion sensing device or both.

13. The pen of claim 1, further including a non-marking stylus nib.

14. The pen of claim 1, wherein the marking device is part of a user replaceable cartridge.

15. The pen of claim 1, wherein the marking device comprises an inkjet printhead.

16. The pen of claim 3, wherein the attribute values in the memory are selected from any one of the following:

line width;

line color; and

line style.