Method and System for Digital Pen Assembly

• US 20080166048A1
• Filed: 03/23/2006
• Published: 07/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Epos Technologies Limited Trident Chambers
• Inventors: Raif, Ran, Kedem, Noam, Altman, Nathany, Gotman, Max, Kokarev, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,248,389 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/187
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04809 Textured surface identifying touch areas, e.g. overlay structure for a virtual keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/043 using propagating acoustic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

A digital pen comprising: an electric circuit, an acoustic transmitter, detached from the electric circuit, and configured to transmit acoustic signals, and a resilient holder, configured to mechanically press the electric circuit into electrical contact with the transmitter, so as to electrically connect the electric circuit and the transmitter.

Claims

1. A digital pen comprising:

an electric circuit;

an acoustic transmitter, detached from said electric circuit, and configured to transmit acoustic signals; and

a resilient holder, configured to mechanically press said electric circuit into electrical contact with said transmitter, so as to electrically connect said electric circuit and said transmitter.

2. The digital pen of claim 1, wherein said resilient holder further comprises:

a base and extensions arising perpendicularly therefrom and configured for location of a first electrical circuit and a second electrical circuit thereon within the confines of a housing, and such as to bring about an electrical contact between said first and second electrical circuits due to said confinement within said housing.

3. The digital pen of claim 1, wherein said transmitter is an ultrasound transducer.

4. The digital pen of claim 1, wherein said resilient holder is electrically conductive.

5. The digital pen of claim 2, wherein said extensions impart a U shape to said resilient holder.

6. The digital pen of claim 1, further comprising a housing configured to apply mechanical pressure on said resilient holder, thereby to bring about said electrical contact.

7. The digital pen of claim 6, wherein said housing comprises a changeable cover element.

8. The digital pen of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of infrared emitters, deployed on a plurality of positions on the digital pen, for emitting infrared light.

9. A resilient holder comprising a base and extensions arising perpendicularly therefore and configured for location of a first electrical circuit and a second electrical circuit thereon within the confines of a housing, and such as to bring about an electrical contact between said first and second electrical circuits due to said confinement within said housing.

10. A digital pen comprising:

an acoustic transmitter, configured to transmit acoustic signals; and

a switch assembly having two switching points for pressing said assembly to achieve first and second switching modes respectively, the assembly further having a third mode selectable upon said two switching points being pressed substantially simultaneously.

11. The digital pen of claim 10, wherein said switch assembly comprises a switching rod balanced about a fulcrum, wherein said fulcrum is resiliently configured to retain said switching rod at either one of a higher levered position and a lower received position and wherein said two switching points being pressed substantially simultaneously has the effect of lowering said lever into said received position.

12. A digital pen comprising:

a pen tip,

an acoustic transmitter, configured to transmit acoustic signals, and located in proximity to said pen tip; and

a smooth contact switch, configured to smoothly actuate the digital pen upon transmission thereto of a writing pressure from said pen tip.

13. The digital pen of claim 12, wherein said smooth contact switch comprises:

a resilient element, mounted on a first side of an open electric circuit, and disconnected from a second side of said electric circuit, said resilient element being compressible into a position where said resilient element contacts said second side of said electric circuit, thereby closing said electric circuit, upon applying said writing pressure compressing said circuit closing element into said position.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said resilient element is being added a conductive additive, for making said resilient element electrically conductive.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said resilient element is made of an electrically conductive material.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said resilient element is glued to said electric circuit.

17. The digital pen of claim 12, wherein said writing pressure is lower than 25 grams.

18. The digital pen of claim 12, wherein said writing pressure compresses said Resilient element along a distance of less than 0.1 mm.

19. The digital pen of claim 12, wherein said writing pressure on said smooth contact switch is generated upon the digital pen touching a surface.

20. A digital pen comprising:

an elongated body terminating in a writing tip;

a writing element protruding from said writing tip;

an acoustic transmitter, deployed adjacent to said writing tip, configured to transmit an acoustic signal, and

a rotating cover, adjacently mounted to said writing tip, covering said writing element upon being rotated in one direction, and exposing said writing element upon being rotated in a direction opposite to said one direction.

21. A digital pen comprising:

an elongated body terminating in a writing tip;

a writing element protruding from said writing tip,

an acoustic transmitter deployed adjacent to said writing tip, configured to transmit an acoustic signal, and

an elongated housing covering said elongated body, said elongated body being movable inside said elongated housing for exposing and for covering said writing element.

22. The digital pen of claim 21, further comprising a spring urging said elongated body into a position where said writing element is covered by said elongated housing, and a means for securing said elongated body into a position where said writing element is exposed.

23. A digital pen comprising two acoustic signal transmitters, each acoustic signal transmitter being configured to transmit an acoustic signal, and positioned respectively apart on the digital pen.

24. A digital pen, comprising:

an acoustic signal transmitter, configured to transmit acoustic signals; and

an acoustic wave guide, positioned adjacent to said acoustic transmitter, said acoustic wave guide comprising a plurality of fins radiating outwardly in a direction away from said acoustic signal transmitter.

25. The digital pen of claim 24, wherein said fins are positioned so as to spatially divide the region about said signal transmitter into a plurality of directional sectors, so as to substantially isolate acoustic signals transmitted by said acoustic transmitter through one of said sectors from acoustic signals transmitted from said acoustic transmitter through remaining ones of said sectors.

26. A receiving unit for receiving an acoustic signal from a digital pen, comprising:

at least two ultrasound receivers, for receiving ultrasound signals from the digital pen; and

an electric circuit connected to said ultrasound receivers, and configured to extract ultrasound signals received by said ultrasound receivers, said extraction comprises referencing a reference model comprising data pertaining to expected reference signals.

27. The receiving unit of claim 26, wherein said ultrasound receivers are at least one of the group consisting of electret microphones and MEMS microphones.

28. The receiving unit of claim 26, further comprising at least one attachment device, for removably attaching the receiving unit to another item.

29. The receiving unit of claim 26, wherein said at least two ultrasound receivers are positioned less than 65 mm apart from each other.

30. The receiving unit of claim 26, wherein said receiving unit further comprises a housing, configured to house said ultrasound receiver and having a changeable cover element.

31. A digital pen system, comprising:

a digital pen having an elongated body terminating in a writing tip, a writing element protruding from said writing tip, and an acoustic signal transmitter deployed adjacent to said writing tip and configured to transmit an acoustic signal;

at least one receiving unit for receiving said acoustic signal from said digital pen; and

a processor, associated with said at least one receiving unit, configured to process said received acoustic signal, for determining presence of said digital pen in a predefined area, and to trigger a predefined functionality upon said determining presence; and

a map, configured to graphically map said predefined area, so as to assist a user in positioning the digital pen in said predefined area.

32. A digital pen system comprising:

a digital pen having an electric circuit, an acoustic transmitter configured to transmit acoustic signals, detached from said electric circuit, and a resilient holder, configured to press said electric circuit into contact with said transmitter upon applying a mechanical pressure to said resilient holder, so as to electrically connect said electric circuit and said transmitter;

at least one receiving unit for receiving said acoustic signals from said digital pen; and

a processor, associated with said at least one receiving unit, configured to process said received acoustic signals for determining location of said digital pen.

33. A digital pen system comprising:

a digital pen having an acoustic transmitter, configured to transmit acoustic signals and a switch assembly having two switching points for pressing said assembly to achieve first and second switching modes respectively, said assembly further having a third mode selectable upon said two switching points being pressed substantially simultaneously

at least one receiving unit, configured to receive said acoustic signals from said digital pen; and

a processor, associated with said at least one receiving unit, configured to process said received acoustic signals for determining location of said digital pen.

34. The digital pen system of claim 33, wherein said processor is further configured to detect said mode of said digital pen.

35. A digital pen system comprising:

a digital pen having an acoustic transmitter, configured to transmit acoustic signals, and a smooth contact switch configured to actuate the digital pen upon applying a pressure on said smooth contact switch;

at least one receiving unit, configured to receive said acoustic signals from said digital pen; and

a processor, associated with said at least one receiving unit, configured to process said received acoustic signals, for determining location of said digital pen, said smooth contact switch comprises a resilient element, mounted on a first side of an open electric circuit and disconnected from a second side of said electric circuit, said resilient element being compressible into a position where said resilient element contacts said second side of said electric circuit, thereby closing said electric circuit, upon applying a writing pressure compressing said resilient element into said position.

36. The digital pen system of claim 35, wherein said processor is further configured to detect said actuation of the digital pen.

37. A digital pen system comprising:

a digital pen having an acoustic transmitter, configured to transmit acoustic signals;

at least one receiving unit, said receiving unit having at least two ultrasound receivers, configured to receive an ultrasound signal from said digital pen; and

a processor, associated with said at least one receiving unit, configured to process said ultrasound signals, for extracting location of said digital pen, said extraction comprises referencing a reference model comprising data pertaining to expected reference signals.

38. The digital pen system of claim 37, further comprising at least one attachment device, for removably attaching said receiving unit to another item.

39. A digital pen system comprising:

a digital pen having an acoustic transmitter, configured to transmit acoustic signals;

at least one receiving unit, said receiving unit having a housing, and at least two acoustic signal receivers positioned inside said housing, less than 60 mm apart from each other, and configured to receive an acoustic signal from said digital pen; and

a processor, associated with said at least one receiving unit, configured to process said acoustic signal, for determining location of said digital pen.

40. The digital pen system of claim 39, wherein said housing comprises a changeable cover element.

41. A smooth contact switch, comprising:

a resilient element, mounted on a first side of an open electric circuit and disconnected from a second side of said electric circuit, said resilient element being compressible into a position where said resilient element contacts said second side of said electric circuit, thereby closing said electric circuit, upon applying pressure compressing said resilient element into said position.

42. The smooth contact switch of claim 41, wherein said resilient element comprises a conductive additive, for making said resilient element electrically conductive.

43. The smooth contact switch of claim 41, wherein said resilient element comprises an electrically conductive material.

44. The smooth contact switch of claim 41, wherein said resilient element is glued to said electric circuit.

45. The smooth contact switch of claim 41, wherein said pressure is lower than 25 grams.

46. The smooth contact switch of claim 41, wherein said pressure compresses said resilient element along a distance of less than 0.1 mm.

47. A digital sleeve, mountable on a writing instrument, the digital sleeve comprising:

an acoustic signal transmitter, configured to transmit an acoustic signal;

a writing sensor, connected to said acoustic transmitter, configured to detect a predefined movement of the writing instrument in relation to the digital sleeve and to actuate said acoustic signal transmitter upon said detection.