Electronic pen holding

• US 20060176288A1
• Filed: 01/06/2006
• Published: 08/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Candledragon, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Candledragon, Inc.
• Inventors: Schiller, Ilya, Goldman, Andrew M., Pittel, Arkady, Shleppi, Garry, Selitsky, Simon, Subach, Vladimir V., Stein, Mario A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,773,076 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/179
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3259 Power saving in cursor control device, e.g. mouse, joystick, trackball
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03542 Light pens for emitting or receiving light
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0386 for light pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0428 by sensing at the edges of the touch surface the interruption of optical paths, e.g. an illumination plane, parallel to the touch surface which may be virtual sensing beam interruptions in a planar beam grid of an optical touch-screen G06F3/0421
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

Motion of a writing instrument is tracked from sensors located in the vicinity. The signals generated from the sensors are processed and used in a wide variety of ways.

Claims

1. Apparatus comprising:

a writing instrument; and

a holder having a receptacle for receiving at least a portion of the writing instrument for storage of the writing instrument,

the writing instrument and the holder containing respective elements that enable wireless transmission of signals associated with motion of the writing instrument and tracking of the writing motion based on the signals.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the holder comprises a pen cap.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the holder includes a clip configured to attach the holder to a stack of pages or to a notebook.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the holder includes at least two light sensors and a processor that processes signals from the light sensors to determine a sequence of positions of the writing instrument.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the holder includes a receptacle for holding the writing instrument and enabling recharging of batteries in the writing instrument.

6. Apparatus comprising:

a holder for a writing instrument,

the holder having elements used in wireless transmission of signals associated with motion of a writing instrument in the vicinity of the holder,

the holder having a mechanism for attaching the holder to a writing substrate in an orientation that enables the elements to be used in conjunction with the wireless transmission.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 in which the clipping mechanism includes a switch to activate functions of a processor in the holder when the clipping mechanism is manipulated.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 in which one of the functions comprises a new page function.

9. A method comprising:

identifying locations on a writing surface that correspond to input elements to be entered into an electronic device, the writing surface being non-electronic and separate from the electronic device;

using a writing instrument to point to selected ones of the identified locations corresponding to input elements to be entered; and

sensing the locations at which the writing instrument is pointing and entering the corresponding data into the electronic device.

10. The method of claim 9 in which the writing surface includes a sheet of paper.

11. The method of claim 9 in which the input elements comprise characters of language.

12. The method of claim 9 in which the input elements comprise commands.

13. The method of claim 9 in which the input elements are printed on the writing surface.

14. A method comprising:

moving a writing instrument across a non-electronic writing surface to indicate a path; and

remotely sensing the path and generating signals for use in entering the path into an electronic device that is separate from the writing surface.

15. A method comprising:

indicating locations on a non-electronic surface that correspond to inputs to an electronic device; and

detecting the locations and inputting them into the electronic device.

16. Apparatus comprising:

a sensor configured to detect light from a moving writing instrument; and

a clip for clipping paper on which the writing instrument is to be moved to the sensor.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 in which the mechanism comprises part of a clipboard or a notebook.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 in which the clip includes a mechanism for enabling a user to cause the clip to grip or to release the paper.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 in in which the mechanism comprises an activation button and a spring.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 in which the mechanism includes a lever operated by the button.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 in which the lever is configured to rotate in response to the button.

22. The apparatus of claim 19 in which the button is configured to be pushed.

23. The apparatus of claim 19 in which the button is configured to be pulled.