SENSING DEVICE WITH MODE CHANGES VIA NIB SWITCH

• US 20080134101A1
• Filed: 01/17/2008
• Published: 06/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Newman, Andrew Timothy Robert
• Granted Patent: US 7,971,784 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/856
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0337 Status LEDs integrated in the mouse to provide visual feedback to the user about the status of the input device, the PC, or the user
• 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 3/033 Pointing devices displaced or positioned by the user , e.g. mice, trackballs, pens or joysticks; Accessories therefor digitisers characterised by the transducing means G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus

Abstract

A sensing device for enabling a user to interact with a computer system, said sensing device being operable in a plurality of modes including a cursor control mode and a substrate-interaction mode, said sensing device comprising: a nib; a nib switch cooperating with said nib, said nib switch being actuated when a predetermined force is exerted on said nib, said nib switch being configured to effect a mode change between said cursor control mode and said substrate-interaction mode; an optical sensor for sensing coded data printed on a substrate when operating in at least said substrate-interaction mode, said coded data being indicative of a region identity associated with the substrate and of a plurality of locations on the substrate; a processor for generating; cursor control data in said cursor control mode, said cursor control data being generated using a motion sensor; and interaction data in said substrate-interaction mode, said interaction data being generated using the sensed coded data, said interaction data being indicative of the region identity and of at least one position of the sensing device relative to the substrate; and communication means for communicating said cursor control data or said interaction data to a computer system, wherein the cursor control data initiates a cursor control response in said computer system and the interaction data initiates a substrate interaction response in said computer system.

Claims

1. A sensing device for enabling a user to interact with a computer system, said sensing device being operable in a plurality of modes including a cursor control mode and a substrate-interaction mode, said sensing device comprising:

a nib;

a nib switch cooperating with said nib, said nib switch being actuated when a predetermined force is exerted on said nib, said nib switch being configured to effect a mode change between said cursor control mode and said substrate-interaction mode;

an optical sensor for sensing coded data printed on a substrate when operating in at least said substrate-interaction mode, said coded data being indicative of a region identity associated with the substrate and of a plurality of locations on the substrate;

a processor for generating;

cursor control data in said cursor control mode, said cursor control data being generated using a motion sensor; and

interaction data in said substrate-interaction mode, said interaction data being generated using the sensed coded data, said interaction data being indicative of the region identity and of at least one position of the sensing device relative to the substrate; and

communication means for communicating said cursor control data or said interaction data to a computer system,

wherein the cursor control data initiates a cursor control response in said computer system and the interaction data initiates a substrate interaction response in said computer system.

2. The sensing device of claim 1, wherein said nib switch indicates a pen-up or a pen-down state of said sensing device.

3. The sensing device of claim 2, wherein said pen-up state configures said sensing device in said cursor control mode, and said pen-down state configures said sensing device in said substrate-interaction mode.

4. The sensing device of claim 3, wherein said nib is biased towards said pen-up state.

5. The sensing device of claim 1, wherein said nib switch comprises a force sensor, and wherein a threshold sensed force indicates a pen-down state.

6. The sensing device of claim 1, wherein the substrate-interaction mode is any one of:

a hyperlinking mode;

a searching mode;

a content-extraction mode; and

a handwriting mode.

7. The sensing device of claim 1, wherein said motion sensor is configured to generate relative motion data indicative of relative position changes of the sensing device.

8. The sensing device of claim 1, wherein said motion sensor comprises said optical sensor and said processor configured to generate motion data, said cursor control data comprising said motion data.

9. The sensing device of claim 8, wherein, in said cursor control mode, said processor is configured to generate relative motion data using sensed coded data, said relative motion data being indicative of relative position changes of the sensing device.

10. The sensing device of claim 1, wherein said motion sensor comprises said optical sensor and said processor, and wherein said cursor control data comprises said interaction data and an indication for said computer system to interpret positions of said sensing device as cursor movement.

11. The sensing device of claim 1, further comprising at least one button for effecting further functionality in either said cursor control mode or said substrate-interaction mode.

12. The sensing device of claim 10 wherein, in said cursor control mode, the at least one button emulates at least one corresponding mouse button.

13. The sensing device of claim 12, wherein said cursor control data comprises mouse button data.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one button is a momentary finger switch on said sensing device.

15. A system for enabling a user to interact with a computer system, said system comprising:

a printed substrate, said substrate comprising user information and coded data indicative of a region identity associated with the substrate and of a plurality of locations on the substrate; and

a sensing device operable in a plurality of modes, said plurality including a cursor control mode and a substrate-interaction mode, said sensing device comprising;

interaction mode, said sensing device comprising;

a nib;

a nib switch cooperating with said nib, said nib switch being actuated when a predetermined force is exerted on said nib, said nib switch being configured to effect a mode change between said cursor control mode and said substrate-interaction mode;

an optical sensor for sensing at least some of the coded data when the sensing device is operatively positioned or moved relative to the substrate in at least said substrate-interaction mode;

a processor for generating;

cursor control data in said cursor control mode, said cursor control data being generated using a motion sensor; and

interaction data in said substrate-interaction mode, said interaction data being generated using the sensed coded data, said interaction data being indicative of the region identity and of at least one position of the sensing device relative to the substrate; and

communication means for communicating said cursor control data or said interaction data to a computer system,

wherein the cursor control data initiates a cursor control response in said computer system and the interaction data initiates a substrate interaction response in said computer system.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising said computer system.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein said computer system is configured to:

receive the interaction data or an encoded form thereof,

identify a page description corresponding to the printed substrate using the region identity;

determine a user request using the retrieved page description and the at least one position of the sensing device; and

initiate a response based on the user request.

18. The system of claim 15, further comprising a display device for displaying the response to the user.

19. A method of enabling a user to interact with a computer system via a printed substrate, said substrate comprising user information and coded data indicative of a region identity associated with the substrate and of a plurality of locations on the substrate, said method comprising the steps of:

pushing said sensing device into said substrate;

actuating a nib switch cooperating with said nib;

effecting a mode change in said sensing device from a cursor control mode to a substrate-interaction mode;

optically sensing at least some of the coded data;

generating interaction data using the sensed coded data, said interaction data being indicative of the region identity and of at least one position of the sensing device relative to the substrate; and

communicating said interaction data to a computer system, thereby initiating a substrate interaction response in said computer system.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising the steps of:

releasing said sensing device at least partially from said substrate;

de-actuating the nib switch;

effecting a mode change in said sensing device from said substrate-interaction mode to said cursor control mode;

moving said sensing device relative to said substrate;

generating cursor control data using a motion sensor; and

communicating said cursor control data to said computer system, thereby initiating a cursor control response in said computer system.