Electronic pen device

• US 6,188,392 B1
• Filed: 06/30/1997
• Issued: 02/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Vannier, David S., OʼConnor, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe, Richard A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Henry N.
• Application Number:
  US08/884,922
• Time in Patent Office: 1,324 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/179, 178/18.01, 178/18.03, 178/19.01, 178/19.03, 178/19.04
• US Class Current: 345/179
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0383 Signal control means within the pointing device
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/12 Details of acquisition arrangements; Constructional details thereof

Abstract

A marking device is provided. The marking device (MD) includes an elongated housing that has a tip configured to contact a surface. The MD also includes a pressure sensor disposed within the housing. The pressure sensor is coupled to the tip and is configured to detect when the tip contacts the surface. The MD further includes first and second acceleration sensors disposed within the housing and adjacent the tip of the MD. The first and second acceleration sensors are configured to sense acceleration of the tip in first and second directions. Responsive to the sensing of acceleration, first and second acceleration sensors generate a signal indicative of acceleration in first and second directions. The MD also includes a conversion device configured to receive first and second signals and convert first and second signals into at least one computer readable signal.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising:

a processor;

an Input/Output (I/O) interface coupled to the processor;

a docking device coupled to the I/O interface; and

a marking device disposed adjacent to the docking device, the marking device including,

a housing having a tip and a longitudinal axis;

a controller coupled to the housing;

a pressure sensor having an enable signal, wherein the enable signal is a result of a process that includes determining whether the tip is in contact with a surface, the surface having a normal axis, wherein an inclination between the normal axis and the longitudinal axis is defined by an angle alpha, the pressure sensor coupled to the controller;

a first acceleration sensor coupled to the controller and disposed adjacent to the tip at a position that is perpendicular to the surface when angle alpha is defined by a predetermined angle value within the range of thirty five degrees to fifty degrees;

a second acceleration sensor coupled to the controller and disposed adjacent to the tip at a position that is orthogonal to the first acceleration sensor and perpendicular to the surface when the angle alpha is the predetermined angle value;

a first support member coupled between the first acceleration sensor and the housing; and

a second support member coupled between the second acceleration sensor and the housing,

wherein each acceleration sensor is free to move with respect to its respective support member so as maintain the position that is perpendicular to the surface as angle alpha is changed by a user of the pen device.

2. The computer system of claim 1, the first acceleration sensor coupled to the controller through the analog-to-digital converter and the second acceleration sensor coupled to the controller through the analog-to-digital converter.

3. The computer system of claim 2, the controller having an output that includes a computer readable signal.

4. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the pressure sensor is at least one of a microswitch and an electric pressure transducer.

5. An electronic pen device, comprising:

a housing having a tip and a longitudinal axis;

a controller coupled to the housing;

means for sensing whether the tip is in contact with a surface, the surface having a normal axis, wherein an inclination between the normal axis and the longitudinal axis is defined by an angle alpha, the means for sensing coupled to the controller;

a first acceleration sensor coupled to the controller and disposed adjacent to the tip at a position that is perpendicular to the surface when angle alpha is defined by a predetermined angle value within the range of thirty five degrees to fifty degrees;

a second acceleration sensor coupled to the controller and disposed adjacent to the tip at a position that is orthogonal to the first acceleration sensor and perpendicular to the surface when the angle alpha is the predetermined angle value;

a first support member coupled between the first acceleration sensor and the housing; and

a second support member coupled between the second acceleration sensor and the housing,

wherein each acceleration sensor is free to move with respect to its respective support member so as maintain the position that is perpendicular to the surface as angle alpha is changed by a user of the pen device.

6. The electronic pen device of claim 5, wherein the means for sensing is a pressure sensor.

7. The electronic pen device of claim 6, wherein the pressure sensor is at least one of a microswitch and an electric pressure transducer.

8. The electronic pen device of claim 6, the pressure sensor coupled directly to the controller, the device further comprising:

a signal conditioner coupled to the first acceleration sensor and the second acceleration sensor;

an analog-to-digital converter coupled to the pressure sensor and coupled between the controller and the signal conditioner,

a memory coupled to the controller;

an input/output interface coupled to the controller; and

a battery coupled to the pressure sensor, the first acceleration sensor, and the second acceleration sensor.

9. The electronic pen device of claim 8, the signal conditioner including a high pass filter and a low pass filter, wherein the controller is one of a microcontroller and a microprocessor, and wherein the input/output interface is a wireless communication interface.

10. The electronic pen device of claim 5, the device further comprising:

a first support member coupled between the first acceleration sensor and the housing; and

a second support member coupled between the second acceleration sensor and the housing,

wherein the first support member is a rigid support member and the second support member is a rigid support member.

11. The electronic pen device of claim 5, the controller having an output that includes a computer readable signal, the housing having an external surface, wherein at least one of the first acceleration sensor and the second acceleration sensor physically extends beyond the external surface of the housing.

13. The electronic pen device of claim 10, wherein the conversion device is an analog-to-digital converter.

14. The electronic pen device of claim 13, wherein the means for sensing the direction and distance of movement is a first acceleration sensor disposed on a structure that is separate from a second acceleration sensor.

15. The electronic pen device of claim 14, the housing further having a longitudinal axis, the surface having a normal axis, wherein an inclination between the normal axis and the longitudinal axis is defined by an angle alpha,

wherein the first acceleration sensor is disposed adjacent to the tip at a position that is perpendicular to the surface when angle alpha is defined by a predetermined angle value within the range of thirty five degrees to fifty degrees, and

wherein the second acceleration sensor is disposed adjacent to the tip at a position that is orthogonal to the first acceleration sensor and perpendicular to the surface when the angle alpha is the predetermined angle value.

16. The electronic pen device of claim 13, the pressure sensor having an enable signal, wherein the enable signal is an analog signal that is a result of a process that includes contacting the tip with the surface.

12. An electronic pen device, comprising:

a housing having a tip;

a conversion device coupled to the housing;

a controller coupled to the conversion device;

a pressure sensor coupled directly between the tip and the controller to enable the controller when at least one of contact and pressure is detected and coupled between the tip and the conversion device;

a means for sensing the direction and distance of movement of the tip over a surface, the means for sensing the direction and distance of movement coupled to the conversion device;

a first support member coupled between the means for sensing and the housing; and

a second support member coupled between the means for sensing and the housing,

wherein each acceleration sensor is free to move with respect to its respective support member so as maintain the position that is perpendicular to the surface as angle alpha is changed by a user of the pen device.