Controller Arrangement For An Optical Sensing Pen

• US 20080204429A1
• Filed: 05/08/2008
• Published: 08/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia, Lapstun, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 8,022,943 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/179
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/014 Hand-worn input/output arrangements, e.g. data gloves
• 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: G06K 7/10554 Moving beam scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10623 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10693 for omnidirectional scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10722 Photodetector array or CCD scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10772 Moved readers, e.g. pen, wand
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0212 Chance discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0217 involving input on products or services in exchange for incentives or rewards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0236 Incentive or reward received by requiring registration or ID from user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0259 based on store location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/59 by controlling the amount of charge storable in the pixel, e.g. modification of the charge conversion ratio of the floating node capacitance
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/671 for non-uniformity detection or correction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/745 : Circuitry for generating timing or clock signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/75 : Circuitry for providing, modifying or processing image signals from the pixel array
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/767 : Horizontal readout lines, multiplexers or registers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/778 : comprising amplifiers shared between a plurality of pixels, i.e. at least one part of the amplifier must be on the sensor array itself
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 3/1568 : for disturbance correction or prevention within the image-sensor, e.g. biasing, blooming, smearing correction circuits H04N25/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/33 : Transforming infrared radiation cameras or camera modules for generating image signals from infrared radiation H04N23/20; circuitry of SSIS for transforming infrared radiation into image signals H04N25/20

Abstract

Provided is a controller arrangement for an optical sensing pen having a nib. The controller arrangement is configured to operatively sense location data by sensing location tags on a page of printed media, and to calculate an orientation of the pen and a nib-to-tag distance. The controller arrangement includes an infrared (IR) illumination LED and image sensor assembly configured to transmit IR light onto, and receive IR light reflected from, respectively, the page of printed media. The controller arrangement also includes a force sensing infrared LED and photodiode assembly configured to detect when the nib contacts the page so that the sensor assembly is only activated when the nib is in contact with said page, and an accelerometer configured to allow the controller to sense motion without reference to the location tags. The controller arrangement further includes a transceiver and antenna assembly, and a processor arranged in signal communication with, and configured to control, the sensor assembly, the photodiode assembly, the accelerometer and antenna assembly to operatively calculate the orientation of the pen and the nib-to-tag distance, and to transmit the location data to a computing system.

Claims

1. A controller arrangement for an optical sensing pen having a nib, the controller arrangement configured to operatively sense location data by sensing location tags on a page of printed media, and to calculate an orientation of the pen and a nib-to-tag distance, said controller arrangement comprising:

an infrared (IR) illumination LED and image sensor assembly configured to transmit IR light onto, and receive IR light reflected from, respectively, the page of printed media;

a force sensing infrared LED and photodiode assembly configured to detect when the nib contacts the page so that the sensor assembly is only activated when the nib is in contact with said page;

an accelerometer configured to allow the controller to sense motion without reference to the location tags;

a transceiver and antenna assembly; and

a processor arranged in signal communication with, and configured to control, the sensor assembly, the photodiode assembly, the accelerometer and antenna assembly to operatively calculate the orientation of the pen and the nib-to-tag distance, and to transmit the location data to a computing system.

2. The controller arrangement of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to encrypt the location data prior to transmission thereof to the computing system.

3. The controller arrangement of claim 1, having a buffer wherein the processor is configured to buffer the location data when the pen is out of transmission range of the computing system.

4. The controller arrangement of claim 1, having a tri-color status LED under control of the processor to indicate a status of the controller arrangement.

5. The controller arrangement of claim 1, having a bus via which an exchange of data between components of the controller arrangement occurs, and an analog-to-digital converter arranged to convert analog signals from the photodiode assembly to a digital signal.

6. The controller arrangement of claim 1, wherein the transceiver and antenna assembly includes a radio frequency (RF) circuit and RF resonators and inductors connected to an antenna.

7. The controller arrangement of claim 1, wherein the processor includes a medium-performance general-purpose RISC processor configured to operate at a frequency of approximately 40 MHz.