Electro-optic slate for direct entry and display and/or storage of hand-entered textual and graphic information
First Claim
1. A portable interactive electronic device for performing at least one of the functions of writing and graphics, comprising:
- input pen means configured to be held in the hand of a user;
non-mechanical, non-emissive display means comprising a plurality of display elements including display electrode means for operating electro-optic material located between the display electrode means, the display means being operable in two modes, including a first mode in which the display electrode means is activated to excite the electro-optic material therebetween for displaying textual and/or graphical information and a second mode in which the display electrode means is electrically coupled with the input pen means manipulated by the user proximate the display means along a path to form information in one of the forms of text characters and graphics;
means for applying a display drive signal to the display electrode means in the first mode and for applying a relatively high-frequency signal to the display electrode means in the second mode;
pen sense control means associated with the display means and responsive to electrical coupling of the display electrode means with the input pen means in the second mode for producing position signals corresponding to positions of the input pen means with respect to the display means as the user manipulates the input pen means along the path; and
display control means connected to the pen sense control means and display means and responsive to the position signals for energizing selected display electrode means of the display elements to display at least one of the text characters and graphics corresponding to the path followed by the input pen means;
whereby information in one of the forms of text characters and graphics is hand-entered by the user directly onto the display means.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A portable interactive electro-optic data input/output, processing, storage, and display device responsive to hand printed text and hand drawn graphics. The device preferably comprises a combined flat panel display and input pen sensing surface constructed from non-mechanical, non-emissive display elements, such as liquid crystal display elements. The device also comprises an input pen for manual entry of hand printed text and hand drawn graphics, as well as commands, directly onto the display surface for providing an electronic writing and drawing slate. The display elements themselves are preferably utilized as input pen sense locations. The flat panel display and input pen sensing surface is constructed so that there is no display distortion when the input pen is in contact with the surface. Rapid input pen sensing is provided for accommodating natural pen movement on a high resolution, large area display. A character recognition method is also associated with the device for automatic and computationally efficient on-line recognition of hand printed text characters, while accommodating a natural printing style. Hand printed text characters are recognized and preferably stored in a compact and standardized format, such as ASCII, for later display, processing, or output to external equipment, such as a printer, plotter, or computer. Graphics can also be entered and stored for later display, processing, or output to an external device, and graphics can be interspersed with text, if desired. Also, text and graphics can preferably be input to the device from external information processing equipment for display and/or processing.
308 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A portable interactive electronic device for performing at least one of the functions of writing and graphics, comprising:
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input pen means configured to be held in the hand of a user; non-mechanical, non-emissive display means comprising a plurality of display elements including display electrode means for operating electro-optic material located between the display electrode means, the display means being operable in two modes, including a first mode in which the display electrode means is activated to excite the electro-optic material therebetween for displaying textual and/or graphical information and a second mode in which the display electrode means is electrically coupled with the input pen means manipulated by the user proximate the display means along a path to form information in one of the forms of text characters and graphics; means for applying a display drive signal to the display electrode means in the first mode and for applying a relatively high-frequency signal to the display electrode means in the second mode; pen sense control means associated with the display means and responsive to electrical coupling of the display electrode means with the input pen means in the second mode for producing position signals corresponding to positions of the input pen means with respect to the display means as the user manipulates the input pen means along the path; and display control means connected to the pen sense control means and display means and responsive to the position signals for energizing selected display electrode means of the display elements to display at least one of the text characters and graphics corresponding to the path followed by the input pen means; whereby information in one of the forms of text characters and graphics is hand-entered by the user directly onto the display means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 20)
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4. A portable interactive electronic device for performing at least one of the functions of writing and graphics, comprising:
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input pen means configured to be held in the hand of a user; non-mechanical, non-emissive display means comprising a plurality of display elements including display electrode means for operating electro-optic material located between the display electrode means, the display means being operable in two modes, including a first mode in which the display electrode means is activated to excite the electro-optic material therebetween for displaying textual and/or graphical information and a second mode in which the display electrode means is electrically coupled with the input pen means manipulated by the user proximate the display means along a path to form information in one of the forms of text characters and graphics; means for applying a display drive signal to the display means in the first mode and for applying a relatively high-frequency signal to the display means in the second mode; pen sense control means associated with the display means and responsive to electrical coupling of the display electrode means with the input pen means in the second mode for producing position signals corresponding to positions of the input pen means with respect to the display means as the user manipulates the input pen means along the path; and display control means connected to the pen sense control means and display means and responsive to the position signals for energizing selected display electrode means of the display elements to display at least one of the text characters and graphics corresponding to the path followed by the input pen means; whereby information in one of the forms of text characters and graphics is hand-entered by the user directly onto the display means; wherein the display means comprises; an upper substrate consisting of a translucent material, the upper substrate having an exterior surface and an interior surface, the input pen means being configured to the manipulated by the user proximate the upper substrate; a lower substrate spaced from the upper substrate, the lower substrate having an exterior surface and an interior surface; a plurality of first electrodes and a plurality of second electrodes disposed on one of the upper and lower substrates; display electronics comprising gating transistors and capacitors associated with the transistors, the gating transistors and capacitors being connected to the first and second electrodes; and a backplane disposed on the other of the upper and lower substrates, so as to provide an active matrix addressed display; and electro-optic material within an interstitial region between the upper and lower substrates; and
whereinthe pen sense control means is connected to the backplane and the input pen means and responsive to electrical coupling of the backplane with the input pen means in the second mode for producing position signals correlated to positions of the input pen means with respect to the display means as the user manipulates the input pen means; and
whereinthe display control means is connected to the first and second electrodes and responsive to the position signals in the first mode for energizing the electro-optic material to display at least one of the text characters and graphics corresponding to the path followed by the input pen means.
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14. A portable interactive electronic device for performing at least one of the functions of writing and graphics, comprising:
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input pen means configured to be held in the hand of a user; non-mechanical, non-emissive display means comprising a plurality of display elements including display electrode means for operating electro-optic material located between the display electrode means, the display means being operable in two modes, including a first mode in which the display electrode means is activated to excite the electro-optic material therebetween for displaying textual and/or graphical information and a second mode in which the display electrode means is electrically coupled with the input pen means manipulated by the user proximate the display means along a path to form information in one of the forms of text characters and graphics; pen sense control means associated with the display means and responsive to electrical coupling of the display electrode means with the input pen means for producing position signals corresponding to positions of the input pen means with respect to the display means as the user manipulates the input pen means along the path; and display control means connected to the pen sense control means and display means and responsive to the position signals for energizing selected display electrode means of the display elements to display at least one of the text characters and graphics corresponding to the path followed by the input pen means; whereby information in one of the forms of text characters and graphics is hand-entered by the user directly onto the display means; wherein the display means comprises; an upper substrate consisting of a translucent material, the upper substrate having an exterior surface and an interior surface, the input pen means being configured to be manipulated by the user proximate the upper substrate; a lower substrate spaced from the upper substrate, the lower substrate having an exterior surface and an interior surface; a plurality of first electrodes, each of the first electrodes having a plurality of notches; a plurality of second electrodes, the second electrodes intersecting the first electrodes; and electro-optic material within an interstitial region between the upper and lower electrodes; and
whereinthe pen sense control means is connected to the second electrodes and the input pen means and responsive to electrical coupling of the second electrodes with the input pen means through the notches for producing position signals correlated to positions of the input pen means with respect to crosspoints corresponding to intersections of the first and second electrodes as the user manipulates the input pen means; and
whereinthe display control means is connected to the first and second electrodes and responsive to the position signals for energizing the electro-optic material in the vicinity of corresponding crosspoints. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification