Magnetic ink encoding pen

• US 7,197,174 B1
• Filed: 09/15/1999
• Issued: 03/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Koizumi, David H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bella; Matthew C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lu; Tom Y.
• Application Number:
  US09/396,407
• Time in Patent Office: 2,750 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 382/135, 382/181, 382/139, 382/188, 382/311, 382/207, 382/320, 382115-123, 382/314, 235/449, 235/474, 235/379, 345/745, 345/179, 345/182, 345/183, 178/19.01, 178/19.05, 401/194, 250/221
• US Class Current: 382/139
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/224 of printed characters having additional code marks or containing code marks
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/2253 Recognition of characters printed with magnetic ink G06V30/2247 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/30 Writer recognition; Reading and verifying signatures
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/00 Recording by magnetisation or demagnetisation of a record carrier; Reproducing by magnetic means; Record carriers therefor G11B11/00 and G11B13/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/00808 magnetic cards

Abstract

In one embodiment, an information signal is stored in magnetic ink. In another embodiment, a magnetic ink encoding stylus includes a magnetic ink write head. In a further embodiment, a computer system includes a magnetic ink encoding stylus coupled to a computer via an external bus.

Claims

1. A magnetic ink encoding stylus, comprising:

a penpoint to apply magnetic ink to a surface; and

a magnetic ink write head, coupled above the penpoint relative to the surface and to apply a varying magnetic flux to the magnetic ink from a reservoir as it is applied by the penpoint to the surface, said write head including a magnetic coil surrounding a magnetically permeable core such that said reservoir passes through said core and said magnetic coil is to apply the varying magnetic flux to the magnetic ink to store information in said magnetic ink as it is applied to the surface.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the magnetic coil is a wire coil.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the magnetic ink write head includes a plurality of magnetic pole faces.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a signal generator coupled to the magnetic ink write head.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the signal generator includes an analog timing signal generator.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the signal generator includes a digital signal generator.

7. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a pressure sensor coupled to the signal generator.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising encoding electronics coupled to the magnetic ink write head.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a direction sensor coupled to the encoding electronics.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a port adapted to be coupled to an external computer bus, said port coupled to the magnetic ink write head.

11. A magnetic ink encoding stylus, comprising:

a penpoint to apply magnetic ink from a reservoir to a surface; and

a magnetic ink write head, coupled to the penpoint and adapted to apply a varying magnetic flux to the magnetic ink as it is applied by the penpoint to the surface wherein the magnetic ink write head includes;

a magnetic field generator coupled above the penpoint relative to the surface, said magnetic field generator including a magnetic coil surrounding a magnetically permeable core such that said reservoir passes through said core and said magnetic coil is to apply the varying magnetic flux to the magnetic ink to store information in said magnetic ink as it is applied to the surface, and

a magnetic shield coupled over said magnetic field generator.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a magnetic field director.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the magnetic field director includes an iron core element.

14. A computer system, comprising:

a computer, including

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor; and

an external bus coupled to the processor; and

a magnetic ink encoding stylus, including

a penpoint to apply magnetic ink from a reservoir to a surface;

a magnetic ink write head coupled above the penpoint relative to the surface and to apply a varying magnetic flux to the magnetic ink as it is applied by the penpoint to the surface, said write head including a magnetic coil surrounding a magnetically permeable core such that said reservoir passes through said core and said magnetic coil is to apply the varying magnetic flux to the magnetic ink to store information in said magnetic ink as it is applied to the surface; and

a port coupled to the magnetic ink write head and to the external bus.

15. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the magnetic ink encoding stylus includes a signal generator.

16. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the magnetic ink encoding stylus includes encoding electronics.

17. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the computer includes:

a graphics tablet coupled to the processor; and

a handwriting recognition application coupled to the processor.

18. A method of storing information, comprising:

applying magnetic ink on a surface through a reservoir and a pen point of stylus; and

applying a varying magnetic flux to the magnetic ink via a magnetic coil surrounding a magnetically permeable core such that said reservoir passes through said core and applying the varying magnetic flux to the magnetic ink is to store information in said magnetic ink as it is applied to the surface.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the information is digital information signal.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the information is security data.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein applying a varying magnetic flux to the applied magnetic ink includes:

generating a varying magnetic field corresponding to an information signal, the varying magnetic field intersecting the applied magnetic ink.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

responsive to sensing stylus pressure, generating the information signal.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the information signal is a timing signal.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the information signal is received from a computer.