Wireless system and method for displaying the path traveled by a marker

• US 7,804,054 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2008
• Issued: 09/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bloomfield Science Museum Jerusalem
• Original Assignee: Powermat Ltd.
• Inventors: Morris, Michael, Greenwald, Oola, Ben-Shalom, Amir, Rofe, Arik
• Primary Examiner(s): Sohn; Seung C
• Application Number:
  US12/151,105
• Publication Number:
  US 20080272316A1
• Time in Patent Office: 879 Days
• Field of Search: 250/227.13, 250/492.1
• US Class Current: 250/227.13
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0428 by sensing at the edges of the touch surface the interruption of optical paths, e.g. an illumination plane, parallel to the touch surface which may be virtual sensing beam interruptions in a planar beam grid of an optical touch-screen G06F3/0421

Abstract

A low maintenance path tracing apparatus comprising at least one marker including an emitter of a tracer signal and a receiving medium for recording the path of the tracer signal. The apparatus further includes a power providing arrangement comprising a base unit which wirelessly provides power to the marker for powering the emitter.

Claims

1. A trajectory tracing system, configured to trace a trajectory traveled by at least one marker, said system comprising:

a. at least one remote marker unit configured to leave a recordable trace, said marker unit comprising an emitter configured to emit a tracer signal;

b. at least one receiving medium configured to receive said tracer signal and to record said recordable trace; and

c. at least one power providing arrangement comprising a base unit configured to provide power wirelessly to said emitter.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said emitter is configured to emit electromagnetic radiation.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein said emitter emits radiation selected from the group consisting of:

visible light, infrared, ultraviolet and radio waves.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said receiving medium comprises a photosensitive material.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein said photosensitive material is selected from the group consisting of:

photochromic materials, photoluminescent materials, phosphorescent materials, thermochromic materials and polarizing materials.

6. The system of claim 4 wherein said photosensitive material comprises a matrix of photosensitive electronic components selected from the group consisting of:

photodiodes, photovoltaic cells, photodetectors, photomultipliers and photoconductors.

7. The system of claim 4 wherein said photosensitive material comprises a reversible photosensitive material whose appearance returns to its original state after a time delay.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said base unit comprises a primary inductive coil and said remote marker unit comprises a secondary inductive coil configured to couple inductively with said primary inductive coil.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein said base unit comprises a light source and said remote marker comprises at least one photovoltaic cell.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein said base unit comprises a high energy radio transmitter and said remote marker comprises an antenna tuned to receive a signal from said high energy radio transmitter.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein said base unit of said power providing arrangement comprises a high energy ultrasonic transmitter and said remote marker comprises a piezoelectric device for receiving a signal from said high energy ultrasonic transmitter.

12. The system of claim 1 comprising an apparatus selected from a group consisting of a scientific demonstration apparatus, an exhibit in an interactive science center, a toy and a writing apparatus.

13. A remote marker unit comprising said emitter configured to receive power wirelessly from said base unit of the system of claim 1.

14. A base unit comprising said receiving medium of the system of claim 1.

15. A method for tracing the trajectory of a remote marker comprising:

a. providing a base unit for wirelessly providing power to said remote marker;

b. providing power to said remote marker;

c. emitting a tracer signal from said remote marker;

d. recording the position at which said tracer signal is received by a receiving medium; and

e. recording the path of said tracer signal.