Implement for optically inferring information from a planar jotting surface

• US 7,203,384 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2003
• Issued: 04/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electronic Scripting Products, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Electronic Scripting Products, Inc.
• Inventors: Carl, Stewart R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Do, Anh Hong
• Application Number:
  US10/640,942
• Publication Number:
  US 20040164972A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,336 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/175, 345/179, 382/116, 382/314, 382/186, 382/291, 382/188
• US Class Current: 382/314
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0325 using a plurality of light emitters or reflectors or a plurality of detectors forming a reference frame from which to derive the orientation of the object, e.g. by triangulation or on the basis of reference deformation in the picked up image
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03546 using a rotatable ball at the tip as position detecting member

Abstract

The present invention relates to a jotting implement that infers hand-jotted information from a jotting surface. The hand-jotted information is any information marked on the jotting surface as a result of writing, jotting, drawing, sketching or in any other manner of marking or depositing marks on the jotting surface. Hand-jotted information is also information traced on the jotting surface without leaving any markings thereon or otherwise produced by the motions executed by the jotting implement with respect to the jotting surface while in contact with the jotting surface. The jotting implement has a nib for jotting and an arrangement for determining when the nib is jotting on the jotting surface. Further, the implement has an optical unit for viewing the jotting surface. The implement also has a processing unit for receiving optical data of said jotting surface from the optical unit and determining from it the physical coordinates of the nib with respect to at least one corner of the jotting surface and at least one edge of the jotting surface and/or other landmarks or optically recognizable features on the jotting surface.

Claims

1. A jotting implement for inferring hand-jotted information from a jotting surface, said jotting implement comprising:

a) a nib for jotting;

b) a means for determining when said nib is jotting on said jotting surface;

c) an optical unit for viewing said jotting surface, said optical unit being indexed to said nib; and

d) a processing unit for receiving optical data of said jotting surface from said optical unit and for determining from said optical data physical coordinates of said nib with respect to at least one corner of said jotting surface and at least one edge of said jotting surface.

2. The jotting implement of claim 1, wherein said optical unit is an imaging unit for producing an image of said jotting surface.

3. The jotting implement of claim 2, wherein said imaging unit further comprises a photodetector array whereon said image of said jotting surface is projected.

4. The jotting implement of claim 3, wherein said processing unit further comprises an edge detection unit for detecting edges and corners of said jotting surface in said image.

5. The jotting implement of claim 3, further comprising an image transformation unit for applying at least one transformation to said image.

6. The jotting implement of claim 5, wherein said image transformation unit comprises an image deformation transformer based on a plane projection.

7. The jotting implement of claim 5, wherein said image transformation unit comprises an image deformation transformer based on a spherical projection.

8. The jotting implement of claim 5, wherein said image transformation unit comprises an image transformer for determining Euler angles of said jotting implement with respect to said jotting surface.

9. The jotting implement of claim 3, wherein said photodetector array is a CMOS photodetector array.

10. The jotting implement of claim 2, wherein said imaging unit produces a perspective projection of said jotting surface.

11. The jotting implement of claim 10, wherein at least one angle associated with an orientation of said jotting implement with respect to said jotting surface is determined from said perspective projection.

12. The jotting implement of claim 11, wherein said at least one angle comprises an inclination angle θ

and a polar angle φ

.

13. The jotting implement of claim 2, wherein said processing unit further comprises a ratio computation module for determining said physical coordinates from said image.

14. The jotting implement of claim 2, wherein said imaging unit comprises refractive imaging optics.

15. The jotting implement of claim 14, wherein said refractive imaging optics have a field of view substantially larger than an area of said jotting surface.

16. The jotting implement of claim 2, wherein said imaging unit comprises reflective imaging optics.

17. The jotting implement of claim 16, wherein said reflective imaging optics have a field of view substantially larger than an area of said jotting surface.

18. The jotting implement of claim 2, further comprising a frame control for imaging said jotting surface at a predetermined frame rate.

19. The jotting implement of claim 1, wherein said means for determining when said nib is jotting is selected from the group of strain gauges, mechanical pressure sensors, piezoelectric elements.

20. The jotting implement of claim 1, further comprising a means for communicating said physical coordinates with an external unit.

21. The jotting implement of claim 1, further comprising a means for initializing and recognizing said jotting surface.

22. The jotting implement of claim 1, wherein said optical unit is mounted on a distal end of said jotting implement.

23. A jotting implement for inferring information from a jotting surface, said jotting implement comprising:

a) a jotting end having a nib for jotting;

b) a means for determining when said nib is jotting on said jotting surface;

c) a distal end having an optical unit for viewing said jotting surface, said optical unit being indexed to said nib; and

d) a processing unit for receiving optical data of said jotting surface from said optical unit and for determining from said optical data physical coordinates of said nib with respect to at least two corners of said jotting surface.

24. A jotting implement for optically capturing handwritten information from a jotting surface, said jotting implement comprising:

a) a jotting end having a nib for jotting;

b) a means for determining when said nib is jotting on said jotting surface;

c) a distal end having an optical unit for viewing said jotting surface, said optical unit being indexed to said nib; and

d) a processing unit for receiving optical data of said jotting surface from said optical unit and for determining from said optical data physical coordinates of said nib with respect to at least two landmarks on said jotting surface.

25. The jotting implement of claim 24, wherein said at least two landmarks are markings created by a user on said jotting surface.

26. The jotting implement of claim 25, wherein said markings comprise hand-jotting of said user.

27. The jotting implement of claim 24, wherein said landmarks further comprise data about said jotting surface.

28. The jotting implement of claim 27, wherein said jotting surface comprises a sheet of paper and said data indicates a size of said sheet of paper.

29. A jotting implement for inferring hand-jotted information from a jotting surface, said jotting implement comprising:

a) a nib for jotting;

b) a means for determining when said nib is jotting on said jotting surface;

c) an optical unit for viewing said jotting surface, said optical unit being indexed to said nib; and

d) a processing unit for receiving optical data of said jotting surface from said optical unit and for determining from said optical data physical coordinates of said nib with respect to at least two corners of said jotting surface.