Pen apparatus, system, and method of assembly
First Claim
Patent Images
1. Pen apparatus for deriving position signals from an electrographic surface, comprising:
- an outer housing generally extending along a pen axis from a tip region to a cable support region;
a pick-up rod assembly within the outer housing slideably disposed along said pen axis, having a tip located at said housing tip region interactable with said surface and extending to a pen orientation switch assembly with a switch travel limiting surface and further extending to a spring engageable mount portion;
a cartridge enclosure mounted within said outer housing extending between said tip region and said cable support region, configured to support said pick-up rod assembly, having a switching cavity configured to receive said switch assembly and having a stop surface abuttably engageable with said travel limiting surface to limit the extent of movement of said pick-up rod assembly, said spring engageable mount portion extending rearwardly of said stop surface;
a spring within said cartridge enclosure having a forward end coupled with said spring engageable mount portion in forward spring biasing relationship therewith and extending along said pen axis to an anchoring end;
a signal treatment network within said cartridge enclosure having an input exhibiting a bias voltage electrically coupled with said pick-up rod assembly and having a pen position signal output at said cable support region; and
a pen orientation detector network within said cartridge enclosure responsive to the condition of said switch assembly to provide outputs at said cable support region corresponding with the pen-down interaction or pen-up non-interaction of said pick-up rod assembly with said electrographic surface.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Pen apparatus, system and method of assembly wherein a pick-up rod assembly performs in conjunction with a normally closed switch to define a pen-up tip switch condition. Coordinate signal information is provided from the pick-up rod assembly to an amplification network carried by an elongate printed circuit board. A biased signal forming a component of the a.c. amplification network is additionally used in conjunction with a comparator and the noted normally closed switch to provide pen-up and pen-down orientation data to a host system.
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Citations
49 Claims
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1. Pen apparatus for deriving position signals from an electrographic surface, comprising:
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an outer housing generally extending along a pen axis from a tip region to a cable support region; a pick-up rod assembly within the outer housing slideably disposed along said pen axis, having a tip located at said housing tip region interactable with said surface and extending to a pen orientation switch assembly with a switch travel limiting surface and further extending to a spring engageable mount portion; a cartridge enclosure mounted within said outer housing extending between said tip region and said cable support region, configured to support said pick-up rod assembly, having a switching cavity configured to receive said switch assembly and having a stop surface abuttably engageable with said travel limiting surface to limit the extent of movement of said pick-up rod assembly, said spring engageable mount portion extending rearwardly of said stop surface; a spring within said cartridge enclosure having a forward end coupled with said spring engageable mount portion in forward spring biasing relationship therewith and extending along said pen axis to an anchoring end; a signal treatment network within said cartridge enclosure having an input exhibiting a bias voltage electrically coupled with said pick-up rod assembly and having a pen position signal output at said cable support region; and a pen orientation detector network within said cartridge enclosure responsive to the condition of said switch assembly to provide outputs at said cable support region corresponding with the pen-down interaction or pen-up non-interaction of said pick-up rod assembly with said electrographic surface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. Pen apparatus for deriving position signals from an electrographic surface, comprising:
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an outer housing generally extending along a pen axis from a tip region to a cable support region; a pick-up rod assembly within said housing slideably disposed along said pen axis, having a tip located at said housing tip region, interactable with said surface having a pen-down orientation when in contacting adjacency with said surface and a pen-up orientation when spaced from said surface, and extending to a pen orientation switching portion with a travel limiting surface and having a mount portion; a cartridge enclosure mounted within said outer housing extending between said tip region and said cable support region, configured to support said pick-up rod assembly, having a switching cavity configured to receive said switching portion and having a stop surface abuttably engageable with said travel limiting surface to limit the extent of movement of said pick-up rod assembly, said mount portion extending rearwardly of said stop surface; a spring within said cartridge enclosure having a forward end coupled with said mount portion in forward spring biasing relationship therewith to normally provide said pen-up orientation; a signal treatment network within said cartridge enclosure having an input electrically coupled with said pick-up rod assembly and having a pen position signal output at said cable support region; a pen orientation detector network within said cartridge enclosure responsive to a switch input to provide detector outputs corresponding with said pen-down and pen-up orientations; and a transition contact member configured with a contact portion to define a switch with said pick-up assembly switch portion deriving said switch input. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. Pen apparatus for collecting position signals from an electrographic surface, comprising:
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an outer generally cylindrical polymeric outer housing extending along a pen axis from a tip region having a mouth to a cable support region; a generally cylindrical polymeric cartridge enclosure slideably insertable within said outer housing from said cable support region, having a forward region with a containment cavity with a rearward stop surface, an intermediate region, and a rearward, cable engagement region; a generally cylindrical electrostatic shield having a sleeve portion slideably insertable over said cartridge enclosure, extending at least over said forward region, containment cavity and intermediate region and configured with a necked-down portion extending from said cartridge enclosure forward region to adjacency with said outer housing mouth; a pick-up rod assembly having a tip outwardly adjacent said mouth, extending rearwardly through said shield necked-down portion to slideable engagement with said cartridge enclosure forward region and having a switching portion within said containment cavity with a travel limiting surface abuttable with said stop surface to limit the slideable movement of said pick-up assembly and slideably extending through said stop surface to a mount portion; an elongate printed circuit board mechanically engaged with said cartridge enclosure generally at said intermediate region, having oppositely opposed surfaces extending from a forward edge spaced from said containment cavity to a rearward edge adjacent said cable engagement region; a signal treatment network mounted upon said circuit board, having an input adjacent said forward edge and an output electrically coupled with a terminal array adjacent said rearward edge; a pen orientation detector network mounted upon said circuit board, having an input generally adjacent said forward edge and an output electrically coupled with said terminal assembly; an electrically conductive helical spring fixed to and extending axially forwardly from said circuit board adjacent said forward edge providing electrical communication with said signal treatment network input and in mechanical forward biasing and electrical communication with said pick-up rod assembly mount portion; and a multi-lead cable assembly mechanically engaged with said cartridge enclosure at said cable engagement region and having leads electrically coupled with said terminal array. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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41. The method for making a pen apparatus for collecting position signals from an electrographic surface, comprising the steps:
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(a) providing a generally cylindrical polymeric outer housing extending, along a pen axis, from a tip region having a mouth, to a cable support region; (b) providing a pair of generally half cylindrical polymeric cartridge enclosure components which when abuttably mated to define a cartridge enclosure are slideably insertable within said outer housing in symmetrical disposition about said pen axis and define a forward region with a containment cavity, an intermediate region and rearward cable engagement region, said containment cavity having a rearward stop surface with a passage extending therethrough alignable with said pen axis; (c) providing an elongate circuit board having oppositely disposed surfaces designated upper surface and lower surface extending between a forward end and a rearward end, said upper surface supporting a signal treatment network having an input junction at said forward end locatable at said, pen axis and an output extending to a terminal array adjacent said rearward end, said upper surface further supporting a pen orientation network having an input at an electrical contact pad generally adjacent said forward end at said lower surface locatable at said pen axis and having an output extending to said terminal array; (d) providing a pick-up rod assembly extending from a tip to a mount portion and having a switching component located forwardly of said mount portion at a location for positioning at said containment cavity; (e) providing a cable assembly with an array of leads corresponding with said terminal array; (f) electrically coupling said cable assembly array of leads with said circuit board terminal array; (g) providing an electrically conductive helical spring; (h) coupling said helical spring to said circuit board supported signal treatment network input junction at said forward end in a manner wherein the spring extends forwardly for general alignability with said pen axis to a forward connection portion; (i) coupling said pick-up rod assembly mount portion to said spring forward connection portion in a manner wherein the pick-up rod assembly extends forwardly for general alignability with said pen axis, said pick-up rod assembly, spring, circuit board and cable assembly defining a sub-assembly generally locatable about said pen axis; (j) providing a transition contact member with a contact portion and an integrally formed resilient extension; (k) inserting the transition contact member within one cartridge enclosure component in a manner wherein said contact portion is locatable within said containment cavity and said resilient extension is extensible through said stop surface passage to extend rearwardly; (l) inserting said sub-assembly upon said one cartridge enclosure component; (m) positioning the other cartridge component over the one cartridge component to define said cartridge enclosure; (n) providing a generally cylindrical electrostatic shield assembly having a sleeve portion and a forwardly extensible necked-down portion; (o) inserting the cartridge enclosure within said shield assembly sleeve portion; (p) providing a polymeric pen tip; (q) inserting the pen tip over the shield assembly necked-down portion in a manner internally engaging the pick-up rod assembly tip to define a pen interior; (r) testing the pen interior; and (s) when the pen interior passes the testing step, then inserting the pen interior into the outer housing. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47)
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48. An electrographic system, comprising:
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an electrographic surface switchable with a coordinate defining sequence of a.c. voltage waveforms exhibiting excitation peak-to-peak amplitudes. pen apparatus having an outer housing hand graspable by a user, a pick-up rod assembly within the outer housing having a tip contactable with said surface to collect pen position coordinate signals, and a signal treatment network including an operational amplifier enabled by connection with system ground and circuit supply power, responsive to said pen position coordinate signals to provide a pen position output to a cable having a shield at system ground when the system is in a pen mode and at an a.c. shield signal condition emulating said a.c. waveforms to provide a zero coupling capacitance differential upon contact of said cable with said surface when said system is in a touch mode, and a filter configured to filter the ground input to circuit supply power to isolate the operational amplifier from said a.c. shield signal condition; and a control system coupled with said electrographic surface and said cable, providing said electrographic excitation, said system ground, circuit supply power, deriving said touch mode applying said a.c. shield signal condition to said cable shield while responding to coordinate defining conditions at said electrographic surface, and during said pen mode applying system ground to said cable shield and responding to said pen position output. - View Dependent Claims (49)
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Specification