Method and system for digital pen assembly

• US 8,248,389 B2
• Filed: 03/23/2006
• Issued: 08/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: EPOS Development Limited (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: Raif, Ran, Kedem, Noam, Kokarev, Michael, Gotman, Max, Altman, Nathan
• Primary Examiner(s): Lefkowitz, Sumati
• Assistant Examiner(s): HORNER, JONATHAN R
• Application Number:
  US11/884,894
• Publication Number:
  US 20080166048A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,343 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-163, 345/184, 200/51.R, 200/51.16, 200/61.74, 200/61.78, 200/519, 200/520, 200/529, 200530-532, 200/553
• US Class Current: 345/179
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04809 Textured surface identifying touch areas, e.g. overlay structure for a virtual keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/043 using propagating acoustic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

A digital pen comprising: an electric circuit, an acoustic transmitter, detached from the electric circuit, and configured to transmit acoustic signals, and a resilient holder, configured to mechanically press the electric circuit into electrical contact with the transmitter, so as to electrically connect the electric circuit and the transmitter.

Claims

1. A digital pen comprising:

an electric circuit;

an acoustic transmitter, detached from said electric circuit, and configured to transmit acoustic signals, said acoustic transmitter being an ultrasound transmitter and said acoustic signals being ultrasound signals; and

a resilient holder, configured to mechanically press said electric circuit into secured electrical contact with said transmitter upon application of mechanical pressure applied on said resilient holder to a pen body by a pen housing, said resilient holder comprising a base longitudinally extended along said pen, the resilient holder having elasticity to enable easy assembly by sliding the resilient holder into position, extensions rising perpendicularly from either side of said base to secure said resilient holder to said pen body, said acoustic transmitter comprising a cylindrical transmitter and a ribbon, said electrical circuit comprising a flexible PCB, the resilient holder comprising a U shaped cross section and being configured for confinement of a part of said flexible PCB and said ribbon within the pen housing.

2. The digital pen of claim 1, wherein said resilient holder is electrically conductive.

3. The digital pen of claim 1, wherein said extensions impart a U shape to said resilient holder.

4. The digital pen of claim 1, further comprising a housing configured to apply mechanical pressure on said resilient holder, thereby to bring about said electrical contact.

5. The digital pen of claim 4, wherein said housing comprises a changeable cover element.

6. The digital pen of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of infrared emitters, deployed on a plurality of positions on the digital pen, for emitting infrared light.

10. The digital pen according to claim 1, wherein

said acoustic transmitter is located in proximity to said pen tip;

and further comprising

a smooth contact switch, configured to smoothly actuate the digital pen upon transmission thereto of a writing pressure from said pen tip.

11. The digital pen of claim 10, wherein said smooth contact switch comprises:

a resilient element, mounted on a first side of an open electric circuit, and disconnected from a second side of said electric circuit, said resilient element being compressible into a position where said resilient element contacts said second side of said electric circuit, thereby closing said electric circuit, upon applying said writing pressure compressing said circuit closing element into said position.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said resilient element is being added a conductive additive, for making said resilient element electrically conductive.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said resilient element is made of an electrically conductive material.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said resilient element is glued to said electric circuit.

15. The digital pen of claim 10, wherein said writing pressure is lower than 25 grams.

16. The digital pen of claim 10, wherein said writing pressure compresses said resilient element along a distance of less than 0.1 mm.

17. The digital pen of claim 10, wherein said writing pressure on said smooth contact switch is generated upon the digital pen touching a surface.

18. The digital pen of claim 1, further comprising:

an elongated body terminating in a writing tip;

a writing element protruding from said writing tip;

said acoustic transmitter being deployed adjacent to said writing tip, configured to transmit an acoustic signal, and

a rotating cover, adjacently mounted to said writing tip, covering said writing element upon being rotated in one direction, and exposing said writing element upon being rotated in a direction opposite to said one direction.

19. The digital pen of claim 1, further comprising:

an elongated body terminating in a writing tip;

a writing element protruding from said writing tip,

said acoustic transmitter being deployed adjacent to said writing tip, configured to transmit an acoustic signal, and

an elongated housing covering said elongated body, said elongated body being movable inside said elongated housing for exposing and for covering said writing element.

20. The digital pen of claim 19, further comprising a spring urging said elongated body into a position where said writing element is covered by said elongated housing, and a means for securing said elongated body into a position where said writing element is exposed.

21. The digital pen of claim 1, comprising a second acoustic signal transmitter, each acoustic signal transmitter being configured to transmit an acoustic signal, and positioned respectively apart on the digital pen.

22. The digital pen of claim 1, further comprising:

an acoustic wave guide, positioned adjacent to said acoustic transmitter, said acoustic wave guide comprising a plurality of fins radiating outwardly in a direction away from said acoustic signal transmitter.

23. The digital pen of claim 22, wherein said fins are positioned so as to spatially divide the region about said signal transmitter into a plurality of directional sectors, so as to substantially isolate acoustic signals transmitted by said acoustic transmitter through one of said sectors from acoustic signals transmitted from said acoustic transmitter through remaining ones of said sectors.

40. The digital pen of claim 1, further comprising a digital sleeve, mountable on a writing instrument, the digital sleeve comprising said acoustic signal transmitter, and further comprising a writing sensor, connected to said acoustic transmitter, configured to detect a predefined movement of the writing instrument in relation to the digital sleeve and to actuate said acoustic signal transmitter upon said detection.

7. A resilient holder comprising a base and extensions arising perpendicularly therefore and configured for location of a first electrical circuit and a second electrical circuit thereon within the confines of a housing, and such as to bring about a secured electrical contact between said first and second electrical circuits due to said confinement within said housing, said electrical contact being upon application of mechanical pressure applied on said resilient holder to a pen body by said housing said resilient holder comprising a base longitudinally extended along said pen, the resilient holder having elasticity to enable easy assembly by sliding the resilient holder into position, extensions rising perpendicularly from either side of said base to secure said resilient holder to said pen body, said acoustic transmitter comprising a cylindrical transmitter and a ribbon, said electrical circuit comprising a flexible PCB, the resilient holder comprising a U shaped cross section and being configured for confinement of a part of said flexible PCB and said ribbon within the pen housing.

8. A digital pen comprising:

an acoustic transmitter, configured to transmit acoustic signals;

a resilient holder, configured to mechanically press said electric circuit into secured electrical contact with said transmitter upon application of mechanical pressure applied on said resilient holder to a pen body by a pen housing, said resilient holder comprising a base longitudinally extended along said pen, the resilient holder having elasticity to enable easy assembly by sliding the resilient holder into position, extensions rising perpendicularly from either side of said base to secure said resilient holder to said pen body, said acoustic transmitter comprising a cylindrical transmitter and a ribbon, said electrical circuit comprising a flexible PCB, the resilient holder comprising a U shaped cross section and being configured for confinement of a part of said flexible PCB and said ribbon within the pen housing; and

a switch assembly having two switching points for pressing said assembly to achieve first and second switching modes respectively, the assembly further having a third mode selectable upon said two switching points being pressed substantially simultaneously.

9. The digital pen of claim 8, wherein said switch assembly comprises a switching rod balanced about a fulcrum, wherein said fulcrum is resiliently configured to retain said switching rod at either one of a higher levered position and a lower received position and wherein said two switching points being pressed substantially simultaneously has the effect of lowering said lever into said received position.

24. A digital pen system comprising:

a digital pen having an electric circuit, an acoustic transmitter configured to transmit acoustic signals, detached from said electric circuit, and a resilient holder, configured to press said electric circuit into secured electrical contact with said transmitter upon applying a mechanical pressure to said resilient holder, so as to electrically connect said electric circuit and said transmitter, said resilient holder, being configured to bring about said electrical contact by mechanically pressing said electric circuit into electrical contact with said transmitter upon application of mechanical pressure applied on said resilient holder to a pen body by a pen housing, said resilient holder comprising a base longitudinally extended along said pen, the resilient holder having elasticity to enable easy assembly by sliding the resilient holder into position, extensions rising perpendicularly from either side of said base to secure said resilient holder to said pen body, said acoustic transmitter comprising a cylindrical transmitter and a ribbon, said electrical circuit comprising a flexible PCB, the resilient holder comprising a U shaped cross section and being configured for confinement of a part of said flexible PCB and said ribbon within the pen housing;

at least one receiving unit for receiving said acoustic signals from said digital pen; and

a processor, associated with said at least one receiving unit, configured to process said received acoustic signals for determining location of said digital pen.

25. The digital pen system of claim 24, wherein

said digital pen comprises an elongated body terminating in a writing tip, a writing element protruding from said writing tip, and wherein said acoustic signal transmitter is deployed adjacent to said writing tip;

said processor is further configured for determining presence of said digital pen in a predefined area, and to trigger a predefined functionality upon said determining presence;

the system further comprising a map unit, configured to graphically map said predefined area, so as to assist a user in positioning the digital pen in said predefined area.

30. The digital pen system of claim 24,

wherein said extraction comprises referencing a reference model comprising data pertaining to expected reference signals.

31. The digital pen system of claim 30, further comprising at least one attachment device, for removably attaching said receiving unit to another item.

32. The digital pen system of claim 24, wherein said processor is further configured to process said acoustic signal, for determining location of said digital pen.

33. The digital pen system of claim 32, wherein said housing comprises a changeable cover element.

26. A digital pen system comprising:

a digital pen having an acoustic transmitter, configured to transmit acoustic signals and a switch assembly having two switching points for pressing said assembly to achieve first and second switching modes respectively, said assembly further having a third mode selectable upon said two switching points being pressed substantially simultaneously, the digital pen further comprising a resilient holder, configured to press said electric circuit into secured electrical contact with said transmitter upon applying a mechanical pressure to said resilient holder, so as to electrically connect said electric circuit and said transmitter, said resilient holder, being configured to bring about said electrical contact by mechanically pressing said electric circuit into electrical contact with said transmitter upon application of mechanical pressure applied on said resilient holder to a pen body by a pen housing, said resilient holder comprising a base longitudinally extended along said pen, the resilient holder having elasticity to enable easy assembly by sliding the resilient holder into position, extensions rising perpendicularly from either side of said base to secure said resilient holder to said pen body, said acoustic transmitter comprising a cylindrical transmitter and a ribbon, said electrical circuit comprising a flexible PCB, the resilient holder comprising a U shaped cross section and being configured for confinement of a part of said flexible PCB and said ribbon within the pen housing;

at least one receiving unit, configured to receive said acoustic signals from said digital pen; and

a processor, associated with said at least one receiving unit, configured to process said received acoustic signals for determining location of said digital pen.

27. The digital pen system of claim 26, wherein said processor is further configured to detect said mode of said digital pen.

28. The digital pen system of claim 26, wherein said smooth contact switch comprises a second resilient element, mounted on a first side of an open electric circuit and disconnected from a second side of said electric circuit, said resilient element being compressible into a position where said resilient element contacts said second side of said electric circuit, thereby closing said electric circuit, upon applying a writing pressure compressing said resilient element into said position.

29. The digital pen system of claim 28, wherein said processor is further configured to detect said actuation of the digital pen.

34. The system of claim 26, wherein said smooth contact switchfurther comprises:

a second resilient element, mounted on a first side of an open electric circuit and disconnected from a second side of said electric circuit, said second resilient element being compressible into a position where said resilient element contacts said second side of said electric circuit, thereby closing said electric circuit, upon applying pressure compressing said resilient element into said position.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein said second resilient element comprises a conductive additive, for making said resilient element electrically conductive.

36. The system of claim 34, wherein said second resilient element comprises an electrically conductive material.

37. The system of claim 34, wherein said second resilient element is glued to said electric circuit.

38. The system of claim 34, wherein said pressure is lower than 25 grams.

39. The system of claim 34, wherein said pressure compresses said resilient element along a distance of less than 0.1 mm.