Method and system for digital pen assembly

• US 9,632,627 B2
• Filed: 01/05/2011
• Issued: 04/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Raif, Ran, Kedem, Noam, Kokarev, Michael, Gotman, Max, Altman, Nathan
• Primary Examiner(s): HORNER, JONATHAN R
• Application Number:
  US12/984,617
• Publication Number:
  US 20110096042A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,302 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-163, 345184, 200 51 R, 200 5116, 200 61- 74, 200 6178, 200519, 200520, 200529, 200530-532, 200553
• 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 a skeleton and a removable skin: the skeleton holding together in fixed relationship: an electric circuit; an acoustic transmitter, detached from said electric circuit, and configured to transmit acoustic signals; and a resilient holder, configured to mechanically press said electric circuit into electrical contact with said transmitter, so as to electrically connect said electric circuit and said transmitter; and the removable skin comprising a housing fitting over said skeleton.

Claims

1. A digital pen comprising a skeleton and a housing:

the skeleton holding together in fixed relationship;

an electric circuit;

an acoustic transducer, detached from said electric circuit, and configured to transmit acoustic signals; and

a resilient holder configured to mechanically press said electric circuit into electrical contact with said acoustic transducer;

wherein;

the housing fitting over said skeleton, said fixed relationship between said electrical circuit and said acoustic transducer being retained by said skeleton;

said resilient holder has elasticity to enable easy assembly of said digital pen by sliding said resilient holder into position; and

said resilient holder comprises a base and extensions, said base being pushed by elastic lugs and said extensions securing said resilient holder to said skeleton.

2. The digital pen of claim 1, wherein said skeleton further holds writing components.

3. The digital pen of claim 1, wherein:

the housing comprises a removable skin; and

said removable skin further comprises a mechanical interface for connection to said skeleton.

4. The digital pen of claim 3, wherein said mechanical interface comprises at least one snap lock.

5. The digital pen of claim 1, wherein said housing comprises a battery holder.

6. The digital pen of claim 1, further comprising a removable skin;

wherein

said removable skin is connected over said skeleton between a battery support chassis at a first end of said digital pen, and a pen tip, at a second end of said digital pen.

7. The digital pen of claim 6, wherein said removable skin is connected to the battery support chassis and the pen tip, utilizing snap locks.

8. The digital pen of claim 1, having an upper end and a lower end, said lower end comprising a pen tip, wherein:

the housing comprises a removable skin; and

said removable skin comprises an upper changeable cover element at said upper end, connected to a non-removable cover element at said lower end.

9. The digital pen of claim 1, being a retractable pen wherein said housing is operable to cover and uncover a writing element at a tip of the digital pen.

10. The digital pen of claim 1, wherein said resilient holder further comprises:

a base and extensions arising perpendicularly therefrom and configured for location of a first electrical circuit and a second electrical circuit thereon within confines of said housing, and such as to bring about an electrical contact between said first and second electrical circuits due to confinement within said housing.

11. The digital pen of claim 1, wherein said acoustic transducer is an ultrasound transducer.

12. The digital pen of claim 10, wherein said resilient holder is electrically conductive.

13. The digital pen of claim 10, wherein said extensions impart a U shape to said resilient holder.

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

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

a removable skin; and

a switch assembly mounted on said skeleton having a first switching point and a second switching point accessible through said removable skin for pressing said switch assembly to achieve first and second switching modes respectively, the switch assembly further having a third mode selectable upon said first and second switching points both being pressed substantially simultaneously.

16. The digital pen of claim 15, 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 first and second switching points both being pressed substantially simultaneously has an effect of lowering said switching rod into said lower received position.

17. The digital pen of claim 15, wherein a resilient element of said switch assembly is glued to an open electric circuit.

20. The digital pen of claim 1, further comprising a second acoustic transducer located within said skeleton, said second acoustic transducer being configured to transmit an acoustic signal, and being positioned apart from said acoustic transducer on the digital pen.

21. The digital pen of claim 1, further comprising an acoustic wave guide, positioned adjacent to said acoustic transducer within said skeleton, said acoustic wave guide comprising a plurality of fins radiating outwardly in a direction away from said acoustic transducer.

25. The digital pen of claim 1, wherein:

said acoustic transducer comprises a ribbon; and

said resilient holder comprises a leaf spring for applying pressure to said ribbon to electrically connect said ribbon to said electrical circuit.

26. The digital pen of claim 1, further comprising a removable skin covering substantially all of said skeleton.

18. A digital pen comprising:

an elongated skeleton body supporting a writing tip at a first end and a second end distal to the first end;

a writing element protruding from said writing tip,

an acoustic transducer deployed adjacent to said writing tip, configured to transmit an acoustic signal and held in place by said elongated skeleton body,

a resilient holder configured to mechanically press said acoustic transducer into electrical contact with an electric circuit; and

an elongated housing substantially covering said elongated skeleton body from said first end to said second end, said elongated skeleton body being movable inside said elongated housing for exposing and for covering said writing element, said elongated skeleton body configured to hold said writing tip and said acoustic transducer in respective positions irrespective of moving or removal of said elongated housing;

wherein;

said resilient holder has elasticity to enable easy assembly of said digital pen by sliding said resilient holder into position; and

said resilient holder comprises a base and extensions, said base being pushed by elastic lugs and said extensions securing said resilient holder to said elongated skeleton body.

19. The digital pen of claim 18, further comprising a spring urging said elongated skeleton body into a position where said writing element is covered by said elongated housing, and a means for securing said elongated skeleton body into a position where said writing element is exposed.

22. A digital pen system, comprising:

a digital pen comprising a skeleton and a housing;

wherein;

the skeleton holds together in fixed relationship an electric circuit, an acoustic transducer, and a resilient holder;

the acoustic transducer is detached from said electric circuit;

the acoustic transducer is configured to transmit acoustic signals;

the resilient holder is configured to mechanically press said electric circuit into electrical contact with said acoustic transducer;

said resilient holder has elasticity to enable easy assembly of said digital pen by sliding said resilient holder into position; and

said resilient holder comprises a base and extensions, said base being pushed by elastic lugs and said extensions securing said resilient holder to said skeleton;

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

a processor, associated with said at least one receiving unit, configured to process said received acoustic signal, for determining presence of said digital pen in a predefined area, and to trigger a predefined functionality upon said determining of said presence; and

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

23. The digital pen system of claim 22, wherein said at least one receiving unit comprises a receiving unit housing, and said receiving unit housing comprises a changeable cover element.

24. A method of manufacturing differentiated digital pens comprising:

preparing identical elongated skeletons;

inserting within a plurality of said elongated skeletons respectively;

an electric circuit;

an acoustic transducer, detached from said electric circuit, and configured to transmit acoustic signals; and

a resilient holder configured to mechanically press said electric circuit into electrical contact with said acoustic transducer;

said elongated skeletons retaining a fixed relationship between respective acoustic transducers and electric circuits;

preparing a plurality of housings having removable skins of respectively different appearance, feel or texture, for said elongated skeletons; and

selecting one of said housings from said plurality for respective ones of said elongated skeletons; and

fixing said selected housing onto said respective elongated skeleton, said fixed relationship between a respective electronic circuit and a respective acoustic transducer being retained irrespective of said fixing of said selected housing, thereby to provide a range of differentiated digital pens from said elongated skeletons;

wherein;

said resilient holder has elasticity to enable easy insertion of said resilient holder into said respective elongated skeleton;

said resilient holder comprises a base and extensions; and

said method further comprises pushing said base using elastic lugs and securing said resilient holder to a body of a respective one of said differentiated digital pens using said extensions.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein said selected housing covers substantially all of said respective elongated skeleton.