Electronic paintbrush and color palette

• US 5,420,607 A
• Filed: 04/06/1994
• Issued: 05/30/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Robert F. Miller, Steven M. Blonstein
• Original Assignee: Robert F. Miller, Steven M. Blonstein
• Inventors: Miller, Robert F., Blonstein, Steven M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Weldon, Ulysses
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHOW, DOON Y
• Application Number:
  US08/224,088
• Time in Patent Office: 419 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/173, 345/179, 345/180, 345/87, 345/88, 345/150, 345/151, 345/158, 178/18, 178/19
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03542 Light pens for emitting or receiving light
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/037 using the raster scan of a cathode-ray tube [CRT] for detecting the position of the member, e.g. light pens cooperating with CRT monitors
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/001 Texturing; Colouring; Generation of texture or colour inpainting G06T5/77

Abstract

An electronic paintbrush and electronic palette which allow a user to generate images on a CRT screen in a manner which imitates traditional painting with paints on a canvas. The electronic brush has fiber optic bristles which channel light from a CRT screen to optical detectors. A microprocessor in the brush utilizes pulses generated by the incidence of the raster scan on photodiodes to determine the position of the brush, the pressure of the brush against the CRT screen, and its angular orientation about the longitudinal axis of the brush. The microprocessor utilizes color information generated by a CCD array to determine the area of contact of the brush with color swatches on the palette, and the angle between the longitudinal axis of the brush and the normal vector to the CRT screen. In an alternate embodiment the palette is also displayed on the CRT screen.

Claims

1. An apparatus with which a user manipulates an initial image displayed on an electronic image-display screen to generate a modified image, comprising:

(a) an elongated handle, said handle having a brush end, a back end, and a longitudinal axis extending through said brush end and said back end;

(b) a first brush head attached at said brush end of said handle;

(c) a number of flexible optic fiber bristles protruding therefrom in a direction away from said handle, said optic fiber bristles having a handle end proximal said handle and a working end opposite said handle end, said optic fiber bristles channeling light from said working end to said handle end;

(d) a plurality of transforming means for transforming said channeled light to electrical signals, said transforming means being located near said handle end of said optic fiber bristles; and

(e) means for processing said electrical signals, said processing means including location determining means for determining a location of said optic fiber bristles on said screen when said bristles are in contact with a contact area of said screen, and angular orientation determining means for determining an angular orientation of said handle about said longitudinal axis when said optic fiber bristles are in contact with said contact area.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said processing means further includes tilt measuring means for measuring a tilt angle between said longitudinal axis and a normal vector to the image-display screen.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said tilt measuring means includes an intensity determining means for determining the intensity of said channeled light.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein one of said transformation means includes a charge-coupled device.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 further including a means for determining the color of said channeled light.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said transforming means comprises a charge-coupled device.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 further including three arrays of color filters located adjacent said charge-coupled device.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the brightness of regions of the initial image vary in time, said location determining means using the brightness variations at a region within said contact area to determine said location of said optic fiber bristles, said angular orientation determining means using the brightness variations at two regions within said contact area to determine said angular orientation.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said processing means further includes a pressure determining means for determining a pressure with which said optic fiber bristles are pressed against the screen by measuring a change in intensity of said channeled light corresponding to bending of said optic fiber bristles.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said pressure determining means uses said brightness variations at two regions within said contact area to determine said pressure.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said pressure determining means uses said brightness variations at three regions within said contact area to determine said pressure.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said pressure determining means measures time delays between brightness variations within said contact area, an increase in said time delays correlating with an increase in said pressure.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said three regions are located at the corners of an asymmetrical triangle.

14. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said screen emits light and said pressure determining means comprises a means for comparing the intensity of said emitted light within said contact area with the intensity of said channeled light.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 further including a second brush head, said second brush head having a plurality of optic fiber bristles for channeling light from a working end to a handle end of said optic fiber bristles, and an attachment mechanism for removably securing the handle end of one of said brush heads to said handle.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said attachment mechanism includes a means for determining which of said brush heads is attached to said handle.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising optical means for focusing said channeled light onto said plurality of transforming means.

18. The apparatus of claim 1 further including a host processor interfaced to said image-display screen, and wireless means for communication of information between said handle and said host computer.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 further including a means for data compression of said information.

20. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a palette having a plurality of swatches of color, means for assigning the color of a particular swatch to a group of said optic fiber bristles when said group of said optic fiber bristles are in contact with said particular swatch, and means for transferring said assigned color to the image when said group of said optic fiber bristles is in contact with said contact area of the screen to produce a resultant image.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 further including a switch on said handle for user control of the activation of said transferring means and said assigning means.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 further including a means for clearing said assigned colors from said group of said optic fiber bristles.

23. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein said transferring means includes a means for mixing ,colors so that the color of said resultant image within said contact area is a combination of said assigned colors and the colors of said initial image within said contact area.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein said means for mixing includes a means for adjusting the contribution of said assigned colors to said resultant color.

25. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein said palette is displayed on said image-display screen.

26. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein said palette is displaceable from said image-display screen.

27. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein said palette includes a thumb hole for easy gripping.

28. The apparatus of claim 20 further comprising a memory means for storing said palette colors.

29. The apparatus of claim 28 wherein said memory means is comprised of non-volatile memory chips, whereby said palette colors are stored in the event of a power failure.

30. The apparatus of claim 20 further including a means for clearing said palette colors.

31. The apparatus of claim 20 further including adjusting means for adjusting said palette colors.

32. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein said adjusting means includes hue control means for controlling the hue of said palette colors and intensity control means for controlling the intensity of said palette colors.

33. The apparatus of claim 1 further including a battery stored in said handle.

34. The apparatus of claim 20 further including means for selection of said palette colors.

35. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first brush head includes a first brush head mount and said handle includes a handle mount, said first brush head mount being removably engageable with said handle mount.

36. The apparatus of claim 35 further including a second brush head having a number of flexible optic fiber bristles protruding therefrom for channeling light from a working end to a handle end of said bristles, said handle end of said optic fiber bristles being adjacent said handle, said working end of said optic fiber bristles being opposite said handle end, and said second brush head including a second brush head mount being removably engageable with said handle mount.

37. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each of said optic fiber bristles has a cross-sectional area, and a product of said cross-sectional area and said number of optic fiber bristles is much greater than an area of a pixel on said screen.

40. The apparatus of claim 35 wherein said optic fiber bristles are flexible and protrude from said brush head.

41. The apparatus of claim 40 wherein each of said optic fiber bristles has a cross-sectional area, and a product of said cross-sectional area and said number of optic fiber bristles is much greater than an area of a pixel on said screen.

38. An apparatus with which a user manipulates an initial image displayed on an electronic image-display screen having a normal vector to generate a modified image, said apparatus comprising:

(a) an elongated handle, said handle having a brush end, a grip end, and a longitudinal axis;

(b) a brush head located at said brush end of said handle, said brush head having a number of optic fiber bristles for channeling light from a working end to a handle end of said optic fiber bristles, said handle end of said optic fiber bristles being adjacent said handle and said working end of said optic fiber bristles being opposite said handle end;

(c) a first plurality of transforming means for transforming time variations in brightness of said channeled light through said optic fiber bristles to first electrical signals, said transforming means being located near said handle end of said Optic fiber bristles;

(d) first means for processing said first electrical signals, said first processing means including location determining means for determining a location of said optic fiber bristles on said screen when said optic fiber bristles are in contact with a contact area of said screen, said location determining means using said time variations in brightness at a region within said contact area to determine said location, said location determining means including means for determining an angular orientation of said handle about said longitudinal axis when said optic fiber bristles are in contact with said contact area, said angular orientation determining means using said time variations in brightness at two regions within said contact area to determine said angular orientation;

(e) a second plurality of transforming means for transforming said channeled light to second electrical signals, said transforming means being located near said handle end of said optic fiber bristles; and

(f) second means for processing said second electrical signals, said second processing means including means for determining a tilt angle of said longitudinal axis of said handle with said normal vector, said initial image having a first intensity at said contact area at a given time, said second processing means comparing a second intensity of said channeled light at said given time and said intensity of said initial image at said contact area at said given time in order to determine said tilt angle.

39. The apparatus of claim 38 wherein said first plurality of transforming means comprises photodiodes and said second plurality of transforming means comprises charge-coupled devices.