Collapsible detector assembly

• US 6,124,847 A
• Filed: 03/22/1999
• Issued: 09/26/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mimio LLC (Boxlight Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Virtual RS Corp.
• Inventors: Verminski, Matthew D., Chery, Yonald, Moyne, William P., Kelley, Andrew III
• Primary Examiner(s): LAO, LUNYI
• Application Number:
  US09/274,267
• Time in Patent Office: 554 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173-183, 345/104, 178/18.01-18.11, 178/19.01-19.07
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0418 for error correction or compensation, e.g. based on parallax, calibration or alignment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/043 using propagating acoustic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0433 in which the acoustic waves are either generated by a movable member and propagated within a surface layer or propagated within a surface layer and captured by a movable member

Abstract

A detector assembly comprising: a first signal receiver for receiving position signals transmitted from a stylus of a transcription system; a second signal receiver for receiving the position signals transmitted from the stylus; and a member coupling the first and second signal receivers, the coupling member being capable of adopting two or more configurations where a distance between the first and second signal receivers changes in at least two of the configurations.

Claims

1. A detector assembly for removeably positioning over a writing surface, the detector assembly comprising:

a first signal receiver for receiving position signals transmitted from a stylus of a transcription system;

a second signal receiver for receiving the position signals transmitted from the stylus;

a member coupling the first and second signal receivers, the coupling member being capable of adopting two or more configurations where a distance between the first and second signal receivers changes in at least two of the configurations; and

one or more signal shielding elements, each signal shielding element positioned and oriented relative to one of the signal receivers to reflect position signals transmitted by the stylus away from the signal receiver when the stylus is positioned outside a predetermined region.

2. The detector assembly according to claim 1, wherein the coupling member is capable of telescopic expansion and contraction.

3. The detector assembly according to claim 1, wherein the coupling member includes a hinge by which the signal receivers can be angularly moved relative to each other.

4. The detector assembly according to claim 1, wherein the coupling member includes at least two hinges between the first and second signal receivers.

5. The detector assembly according to claim 1, wherein the coupling member include first and second sub-members which may be detached from each other.

6. The detector assembly according to claim 1, wherein the coupling member holds the first and second signal receivers a predetermined distance apart from each other when the detector assembly adopts at least one of the configurations.

7. The detector assembly according to claim 1, wherein the coupling member includes a locking mechanism for releasibly locking the detector assembly in at least one of the configurations.

8. The detector assembly according to claim 7, wherein the locking assembly holds the first and second signal receivers a predetermined distance apart from each other.

9. The detector assembly according to claim 1, wherein a hardware unit which receives signals from the first and second signal receivers is removeably coupleable to the detector assembly.

10. The detector assembly according to claim 1, wherein the first and second signal receivers are removably attachable to the coupling member.

11. The detector assembly according to claim 1, wherein the first and second signal receivers are ultrasound signal receivers, the detector assembly further including at least one signal focussing element having a stationary reflecting surface which is positioned and oriented relative to at least one of the ultrasound signal receivers to reflect ultrasound position signals transmitted from the stylus onto the signal receiver.

12. The detector assembly according to claim 11, wherein at least a portion of the reflecting surface has a curved shape.

13. The detector assembly according to claim 12, wherein at least a portion of the reflecting surface has a parabolic shape.

14. The detector assembly according to claim 13, wherein the signal receiver which the reflecting surface directs position signals toward is positioned adjacent a focus of the parabolic shaped portion of the reflecting surface.

15. The detector assembly according to claim 1, wherein the detector assembly is capable of adopting a first configuration where the first and second signal receivers are separated from each other and a configuration where the first and second signal receivers are positioned adjacent each other.

16. The detector assembly according to claim 1, wherein the detector assembly is capable of adopting a first configuration where the first and second signal receivers are a first distance apart and a second configuration where the first and second signal receivers are a second distance apart that is less than 75% of the first distance.

17. The detector assembly according to claim 1, wherein the detector assembly is capable of adopting a first configuration where the first and second signal receivers are a first distance apart and a second configuration where the first and second signal receivers are a second distance apart that is less than about 50% of the first distance.

18. The detector assembly according to claim 1, wherein the detector assembly is capable of adopting a first configuration having a first lateral footprint and second configuration having a second lateral footprint that is less than 75% of the first lateral footprint.

19. The detector assembly according to claim 1, wherein the detector assembly is capable of adopting a first configuration having a first lateral footprint and second configuration having a second lateral footprint that is less than about 50% of the first lateral footprint.

20. The detector assembly according to claim 1, wherein the detector assembly is capable of adopting a first configuration having a first lateral footprint and second configuration having a second lateral footprint that is between about 5% and 75% of the first lateral footprint.

21. The detector assembly according to claim 1, wherein the detector assembly is capable of being operated under battery power.

22. The detector assembly according to claim 1, wherein the detector assembly is capable of being operated under battery power from a laptop computer.

23. The detector assembly according to claim 1, wherein the detector assembly is capable of being operated under battery power having a voltage between 1.5 and 24 volts.

24. The detector assembly according to claim 1, wherein the detector assembly is capable of being operated under battery power having a voltage between 1.5 and 12 volts.

25. The detector assembly according to claim 1, wherein the member is a wire.

26. The detector assembly according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the signal shielding elements are shaped and oriented relative to the signal receiver to reflect position signals transmitted by the stylus away from the signal receiver when the stylus is positioned adjacent the writing surface outside of an angular range of about 70 to 110 degrees extending outward from the detector parallel to the writing surface.

27. The detector assembly according to claim 26, wherein the angular range is about 90 degrees.

28. The detector according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the signal shielding elements are shaped and oriented relative to the signal receiver to reflect position signals transmitted by the stylus away from the signal receiver when the stylus is positioned adjacent the writing surface outside of an angular range of about 160 to 200 degrees extending outward from the detector parallel to the writing surface.

29. The detector assembly according to claim 28, wherein the angular range is about 180 degrees.

30. The detector assembly according to claim 1, wherein the first and second signal receivers are ultrasound signal receivers.

31. A detector assembly for removeably positioning over a writing surface, the detector assembly comprising:

a first ultrasound signal point receiver for receiving ultrasound position signals transmitted through the air from a stylus of a transcription system;

a second ultrasound signal point receiver for receiving the ultrasound position signals transmitted through the air from the stylus;

a member coupling the first and second signal receivers, the coupling member being capable of adopting two or more configurations where a distance between the first and second signal receivers changes in at least two of the configurations; and

one or more signal focussing elements, each signal focussing element having a stationary reflecting surface which is positioned and oriented adjacent to one of the ultrasound signal receivers to reflect the ultrasound position signals transmitted from the stylus onto the signal receiver.

32. The detector assembly according to claim 31, wherein at least a portion of the reflecting surface has a curved shape.

33. The detector assembly according to claim 32, wherein at least a portion of the reflecting surface has a parabolic shape.

34. The detector assembly according to claim 33, wherein the signal receiver which the reflecting surface directs position signals toward is positioned adjacent a focus of the parabolic shaped portion of the reflecting surface.

35. The detector assembly according to claim 31, wherein the coupling member is a wire.

36. The detector assembly according to claim 31, wherein the coupling member is capable of telescopic expansion and contraction.

37. The detector assembly according to claim 31, wherein the coupling member includes a hinge by which the signal receivers can be angularly moved relative to each other.

38. The detector assembly according to claim 31, wherein the coupling member includes at least two hinges between the first and second signal receivers.

39. The detector assembly according to claim 31, wherein the coupling member include first and second sub-members which may be detached from each other.

40. The detector assembly according to claim 31, wherein the coupling member holds the first and second signal receivers a predetermined distance apart from each other when the detector assembly adopts at least one of the configurations.

41. The detector assembly according to claim 31, wherein the coupling member includes a locking mechanism for releasibly locking the detector assembly in at least one of the configurations.

42. The detector assembly according to claim 41, wherein the locking assembly holds the first and second signal receivers a predetermined distance apart from each other.

43. The detector assembly according to claim 31, wherein a hardware unit which receives signals from the first and second signal receivers is removeably coupleable to the detector assembly.

44. The detector assembly according to claim 31, wherein the first and second signal receivers are removably attachable to the coupling member.

45. The detector assembly according to claim 31, wherein the detector assembly is capable of adopting a first configuration where the first and second signal receivers are separated from each other and a configuration where the first and second signal receivers are positioned adjacent each other.

46. The detector assembly according to claim 31, wherein the detector assembly is capable of adopting a first configuration where the first and second signal receivers are a first distance apart and a second configuration where the first and second signal receivers are a second distance apart that is less than 75% of the first distance.

47. The detector assembly according to claim 31, wherein the detector assembly is capable of adopting a first configuration where the first and second signal receivers are a first distance apart and a second configuration where the first and second signal receivers are a second distance apart that is less than about 50% of the first distance.

48. The detector assembly according to claim 31, wherein the detector assembly is capable of adopting a first configuration having a first lateral footprint and second configuration having a second lateral footprint that is less than 75% of the first lateral footprint.

49. The detector assembly according to claim 31, wherein the detector assembly is capable of adopting a first configuration having a first lateral footprint and second configuration having a second lateral footprint that is less than about 50% of the first lateral footprint.

50. The detector assembly according to claim 31, wherein the detector assembly is capable of adopting a first configuration having a first lateral footprint and second configuration having a second lateral footprint that is between about 5% and 75% of the first lateral footprint.