Electronic portable pen apparatus and method

• US 6,577,299 B1
• Filed: 08/18/1999
• Issued: 06/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Candledragon, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Digital Ink Incorporated
• Inventors: Pittel, Arkady, Schiller, Illya
• Primary Examiner(s): Saras, Steven
• Assistant Examiner(s): AWAD, AMR A
• Application Number:
  US09/376,837
• Time in Patent Office: 1,392 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173-179, 345/158, 341/22, 178/18.01, 178/18.02, 178/18.03, 178/18.04, 178/18.05, 178/18.06, 178/18.07, 178/18.09, 178/18.1, 178/19-1-
• US Class Current: 345/179
• 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 3/0428 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/043 using propagating acoustic waves

Abstract

A wireless pen apparatus for producing signals representative of writing by a user, including: a wireless pen; a removable cap on the pen; and, when the cap is removed from the pen and placed at a reference position, communicating wave energy between at least one location on the pen and at least one location on the cap for determining the position of the at least one location on the pen with respect to the reference position of the cap, and for producing signals that depend on the determined position of the at least one location on the pen.

Claims

1. A wireless pen apparatus for producing signals representative of writing by a user of the pen apparatus, comprising:

a wireless pen;

a removable cap on said pen; and

means, operable when said cap is removed from said pen and placed at a reference position, for communicating wave energy between at least one location on the pen and at least one location on the cap for determining the position of said at least one location on the pen with respect to the reference position of the cap, and for producing signals that depend on the determined position of said at least one location on the pen.

2. Apparatus as defined by claim 1, wherein said reference position is an arbitrary position with respect to a writing surface.

3. Apparatus as defined by claim 1, wherein said reference position is a stationary position with respect to paper on which said pen is to write.

4. Apparatus as defined by claim 3, wherein said cap includes a clip for attaching said cap to an edge of said paper.

5. Apparatus as defined by claim 1, wherein said at least one location on said cap comprises first and second spaced apart locations on said cap.

6. Apparatus as defined by claim 5, wherein said cap is expandable to increase the distance between said first and second locations.

7. Apparatus as defined by claim 6, wherein said cap comprises a pair of elongated members hinged at one end, said members forming a tubular structure when said hinge is closed and forming an expanded structure when said hinge is opened.

8. Apparatus as defined by claim 7, wherein said first and second locations are at about the respective other ends of said elongated members.

9. Apparatus as defined by claim 5, wherein said at least one location on said cap comprises first and second spaced apart locations on said cap, and wherein said optical radiation is transmitted from said at least one location on the pen, and wherein said cap has first and second optical sensor arrays at said first and second locations, respectively.

10. Apparatus as defined by claim 9, wherein said cap includes means coupled with said first and second optical sensor arrays for determining the angle of arrival of optical radiation at each of said optical sensor arrays, and for generating signals representative thereof.

11. Apparatus as defined by claim 10, further comprising means in said cap for storing said signals representative of angles of arrival.

12. Apparatus as defined by claim 1, wherein said wave energy is optical radiation.

13. Apparatus as defined by claim 12, wherein said pen is mountable in a telephone.

14. Apparatus as defined by claim 1, wherein said wave energy is acoustic energy.

15. Apparatus as defined by claim 14, wherein said acoustic energy is ultrasonic energy transmitted from said at least one location on the pen, and wherein said cap has first and second ultrasonic transducers at said first and second locations, respectively.

16. Apparatus as defined by claim 15, wherein said cap includes means coupled with said first and second transducers for determining distance between said at least one location on the pen and each of said first and second locations, and for generating signals representative thereof.

17. Apparatus as defined by claim 16, further comprising means in said cap for storing said signals representative of the respective distances.

18. Apparatus as defined by claim 17, wherein said means for determining the respective distances is operative to determine elapsed time between the ultrasonic energy transmission and the arrival of said ultrasonic energy at each of said first and second locations, and wherein said elapsed time is initiated by optical radiation signalling from said pen.

19. Apparatus as defined by claim 1, wherein said wave energy comprises both optical radiation and acoustic energy, and further comprising means in said cap for determining the distance between said at least one location on the pen and said at least one location on the cap using said acoustic energy, and means in said cap for determining an angle of arrival using said optical radiation.

20. Apparatus as defined by claim 1, wherein said pen includes a pressure sensor for determining when writing is occurring, and means coupled with said pressure sensor for enabling an active operational mode of said pen apparatus.

21. Apparatus as defined by claim 1, wherein each of said pen and cap includes a respective battery.

22. Apparatus as defined by claim 1, wherein said pen is mountable in a telephone.