Electronic pen with automatically retractable nib

• US 20090315734A1
• Filed: 06/03/2009
• Published: 12/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Danisco USA Incorporated (International Flavors & Fragrances Incorporated), Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia, Lapstun, Paul, Underwood, Matthew John, Brice, Robert John, Szarka-Kovacs, Zsolt
• Application Number:
  US12/477,877
• Publication Number:
  US 20090315734A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/825
• 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 3/03545 Pens or stylus

Abstract

An electronic pen for interacting with a surface. The pen comprises a retractable cartridge having a nib, an automatic retraction mechanism for automatically retracting the cartridge, and a processor for controlling the automatic retraction mechanism. The processor is configured to automatically retract the cartridge in response to predetermined pen conditions.

Claims

1. An electronic pen for interacting with a surface, said pen comprising:

a retractable cartridge having a nib;

an automatic retraction mechanism for automatically retracting said cartridge such that said nib is retracted within a body of said pen; and

a first processor for controlling said automatic retraction mechanism,

wherein said first processor is configured to automatically retract said cartridge in response to one or more predetermined pen conditions.

2. The electronic pen of claim 1 comprising one or more input sensors for sensing said one or more pen conditions, said one or more input sensors providing one or more input signals to said first processor.

3. The electronic pen of claim 2, wherein said one or more input sensors are selected from the group consisting of:

a force sensor coupled to said cartridge, said force sensor sensing a nib force transmitted axially through said cartridge from said nib;

a nib switch coupled to said cartridge, said nib switch being actuated when a predetermined force is exerted on said nib; and

an image sensor for imaging at least some of a coded data pattern disposed on said surface, wherein said first processor and/or a second processor is configured for generating interaction data using one or more imaged portions of the coded data pattern.

4. The electronic pen of claim 3, wherein said first processor is configured to automatically retract said cartridge if said first processor determines any one of:

said nib force is greater than a predetermined threshold force

the surface is not coded with the coded data pattern;

a quality of the coded data pattern falls below a predetermined threshold;

a quality of the interaction data falls below a predetermined threshold;

a buffer for storing the interaction data is full;

a buffer for storing the interaction data has available memory which is lower than a predetermined threshold;

the pen is moved relative to the surface with a speed exceeding a predetermined threshold; and

the pen is tilted relative to the surface with a tilt exceeding a predetermined threshold.

5. The electronic pen of claim 1, wherein said one or more input sensors comprises at least one sensor selected from the group consisting of:

an accelerometer, a timer, an environmental temperature sensor, an environmental humidity sensor, a battery status sensor and a connectivity sensor.

6. The electronic pen of claim 5, wherein said first processor is configured to automatically retract said cartridge if said first processor determines any one of:

the pen is in freefall motion;

the pen experiences an impact shock;

a period of inactivity exceeds a predetermined threshold;

an environmental temperature exceeds a predetermined threshold;

an environmental humidity exceeds a predetermined threshold.

a battery capacity is lower than a predetermined threshold;

a connection to a remote computer system or network is broken.

7. The electronic pen of claim 1, wherein retraction of said cartridge configures the pen in a power-down state.

8. The electronic pen of claim 1, wherein a user-operable switch is coupled to said automatic retraction mechanism and/or said first processor.

9. The electronic pen of claim 1 comprising an extension mechanism for extending said cartridge, such that said nib protrudes from said body of said pen.

10. The electronic pen of claim 1, wherein extension of said cartridge configures said pen in a power-up state whereby said force sensor is responsive to detecting said nib force, said image sensor is responsive to imaging said coded data pattern and/or said processor is responsive to generating interaction data.

11. The electronic pen of claim 9, wherein said extension mechanism is disabled if said first processor determines that a nib disablement condition exists.

12. The electronic pen of claim 11, wherein said extension mechanism is an automatic extension mechanism for automatically extending said cartridge.

13. The electronic pen of claim 12, wherein said automatic retraction mechanism comprises said automatic extension mechanism.

14. The electronic pen of claim 13, wherein said retraction/extension mechanism is coupled to a user-operable switch, and wherein the effect of said switch depends on whether said cartridge is extended or retracted.

15. The electronic pen of claim 10, wherein said pen comprises a manual extension mechanism.

16. The electronic pen of claim 1, wherein said pen further comprises a manual retraction mechanism.

17. The electronic pen of claim 1, wherein said automatic retraction mechanism comprises a motor coupled to a cartridge retraction mechanism.

18. The electronic pen of claim 1, wherein said automatic retraction mechanism comprises a motor coupled to a force sensor assembly, wherein said force sensor assembly is coupled to said cartridge.

19. The electronic pen of claim 1, wherein said automatic retraction mechanism comprises an actuator configured for releasing a cartridge assembly from a catch, said cartridge assembly comprising said cartridge, wherein said cartridge assembly is biased towards a retracted position.

20. The electronic pen of claim 1, wherein said cartridge is selected from any one of:

an ink cartridge comprising an ink reservoir for supplying ink to said nib, wherein said nib is a marking nib; and

a stylus cartridge wherein said nib is a non-marking nib.