Universal pen with code sensor

• US 6,474,888 B1
• Filed: 10/20/2000
• Issued: 11/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Lapstun, Paul, Silverbrook, Kia, King, Tobin Allen
• Primary Examiner(s): Huson, Gregory L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Prunner, Kathleen J.
• Application Number:
  US09/693,216
• Time in Patent Office: 746 Days
• Field of Search: 401/28, 401/44-47, 401/194, 401/195, 178/18, 178/23.R, 178/79, 345/179, 382/3
• US Class Current: 401/45
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 13/106 for the sheet output section
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17503 Ink cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17553 Outer structure
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/2114 Ejecting transparent or white coloured liquids, e.g. processing liquids B41J2/211 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/36 for portability , i.e. hand-held printers or laptop printers B41J3/4075 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B42C 9/0081 applying adhesive to individual sheets for binding them together by fusing, welding B42C9/0093
• CPC Class Codes: B43K 23/008 Holders comprising finger grips B43K23/004, B43K23/012 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B43K 29/08 with measuring, computing or indicating devices
• CPC Class Codes: B43K 8/003 Pen barrels
• CPC Class Codes: B43K 8/006 using a spraying system, e.g. airbrushes
• CPC Class Codes: B43K 8/22 with electrically or magnetically activated writing-points
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00204 with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00244 with a server, e.g. an internet server fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00358 Type of the scanned marks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00376 Means for identifying a mark sheet or area
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00567 Handling of original or reproduction media, e.g. cutting, separating, stacking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00968 by scanning marks on a sheet mark-sheet input means H04N1/00355; sensing record carriers G06K7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0461 part of the apparatus being used in common for reading and reproducing simultaneous scanning of the original picture and the reproduced picture with a common scanning device H04N1/207
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/047 : Detection, control or error compensation of scanning velocity or position H04N1/0402 and H04N1/17 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/107 : with manual scanning
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32101 : Display, printing, storage or transmission of additional information, e.g. ID code, date and time or title
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32128 : attached to the image data, e.g. file header, transmitted message header, information on the same page or in the same computer file as the image for information embedded in the image H04N1/32144
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32771 : in response to a request, e.g. for a particular document
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32778 : using a mark-sheet or machine-readable code request
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/04717 : on the scanned sheet, e.g. a reference sheet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3205 : of identification information, e.g. name or ID code H04N2201/3209 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3207 : of an address
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3226 : of identification information or the like, e.g. ID code, index, title, part of an image, reduced-size image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3242 : of processing required or performed, e.g. for reproduction or before recording H04N2201/3256 and subgroups take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3269 : of machine readable codes or marks, e.g. bar codes or glyphs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/327 : which are undetectable to the naked eye, e.g. embedded codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3271 : Printing or stamping
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3278 : Transmission

Abstract

A pen has a marking device operative to mark a visible path onto a surface. The marking device is electronically controllable to change at least one of the attributes of the path. The attributes are constituted by the characteristics of the ink being deposited and can include the amount of ink deposited, the width of the line produced, and the color of the ink deposited. The pen also includes a user interface provided by one or more potentiometers or control buttons such that the user may modify the attributes. Additionally, the pen may include a display to indicate the selected attributes to the user and a sensing device for sensing coded data.

Claims

1. A pen including a marking device operative to mark a visible path onto a surface, the marking device being electronically controllable to change at least one attribute of the path, the pen including a user interface whereby a user may modify the at least one attribute, and at least one sensor device capable of sensing images including coded data.

2. The pen of claim 1 further including a decoder to decode the coded data and to change the at least one attribute in response to the decoded data.

3. The pen of claim 1 including a receiver for receiving commands from an external control source, the at least one attribute being changed in response to said received commands.

4. The pen of claim 1 further including a memory for storing different sets of attribute values.

5. The pen of claim 1 further including a receiver for receiving at least one attribute from an external control source.

6. The pen of claim 5 wherein a memory stores at least one user defined set of the at least one attribute.

7. The pen of claim 1 further including a transmitter for transmitting sensed image data, coded data or decoded data to an external control source.

8. The pen of claim 7 wherein, in use, the pen transmits the sensed image data, the coded data or the decoded data to the external control source together with the value or values of the at least one attribute of the path at the location of a sensed image.

9. The pen of claim 1 wherein the user interface includes at least one slider or at least one control button or at least one slider and at least one control button.

10. The pen of claim 1 wherein the user interface includes a display for displaying information relating to the at least one attribute.

11. The pen of claim 1 wherein the at least one sensing device is capable of sensing images or colors or both and modifying the at least one attribute based on the sensed images or colors.

12. The pen of claim 1 including a position sensing device or a motion sensing device or both and the at least one attribute is dependant on the relative position of the pen, the relative speed of the pen or both.

13. The pen of claim 12 wherein the position or speed of the pen is derived from a sensed position of images.

14. The pen of claim 12 wherein the position or speed of the pen is derived from data encoded in sensed images.