Sensing device with interchangeable nibs

• US 6,627,870 B1
• Filed: 10/20/2000
• Issued: 09/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Lapstun, Paul, Silverbrook, Kia
• Primary Examiner(s): Bruce, David V.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SONG, HOON K
• Application Number:
  US09/693,341
• Time in Patent Office: 1,075 Days
• Field of Search: 250/559.22, 250/221, 250/221.1, 178/19.01, 178/207, 382/313, 345/179, 345/180, 345/181, 345/182, 345/183, 345/184
• US Class Current: 250/221
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2003/0439 using geographical maps
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/186 Guessing games
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/241 Touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/532 using secure communication, e.g. by encryption, authentication
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/183 electric
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 13/106 for the sheet output section
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17503 Ink cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17513 Inner structure
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17553 Outer structure
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/2114 Ejecting transparent or white coloured liquids, e.g. processing liquids B41J2/211 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B42C 9/0081 applying adhesive to individual sheets for binding them together by fusing, welding B42C9/0093
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/362 received from an external device or application, e.g. PDA, mobile phone or calendar application
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3623 using a camera or code reader, e.g. for optical or magnetic codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/1423 the instrument generating sequences of position coordinates corresponding to handwriting preprocessing or recognising digital ink G06V30/32
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/007 using computer methods
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/106 using electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/02 with visual presentation of the material to be studied, e.g. using film strip
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00204 : with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00358 : Type of the scanned marks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00376 : Means for identifying a mark sheet or area
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00567 : Handling of original or reproduction media, e.g. cutting, separating, stacking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32101 : Display, printing, storage or transmission of additional information, e.g. ID code, date and time or title
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32122 : in a separate device, e.g. in a memory or on a display separate from image data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32128 : attached to the image data, e.g. file header, transmitted message header, information on the same page or in the same computer file as the image for information embedded in the image H04N1/32144
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32133 : on the same paper sheet, e.g. a facsimile page header
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32771 : in response to a request, e.g. for a particular document
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32778 : using a mark-sheet or machine-readable code request
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3205 : of identification information, e.g. name or ID code H04N2201/3209 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3207 : of an address
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3226 : of identification information or the like, e.g. ID code, index, title, part of an image, reduced-size image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3242 : of processing required or performed, e.g. for reproduction or before recording H04N2201/3256 and subgroups take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/327 : which are undetectable to the naked eye, e.g. embedded codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3271 : Printing or stamping
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3278 : Transmission

Abstract

A sensing device for use with a surface, the sensing device including a motion sensor configured to generate movement data indicative of movement of the sensing device relative to the surface, a nib for marking the surface, the nib having associated nib information indicative of at least one surface-marking characteristic of the nib, and a transmitter for transmitting the movement data together with the nib information to a computer system.

Claims

1. A sensing device for use with a surface, the sensing device including:

a motion sensor configured to generate movement data indicative of movement of the sensing device relative to the surface,

a nib for marking the surface, the nib having associated nib information indicative of at least one surface-marking characteristic of the nib, the surface-marking characteristic being selected from the group comprising;

a nib shape, a nib size, a line width, a color, and a texture, and

a transmitter for transmitting the movement data together with the nib information to a computer system.

2. A sensing device according to claim 1, wherein the sensing device includes a body portion and the nib is a separate component which is attachable to and detachable from the body portion.

3. A sensing device according to claim 1, wherein the sensing device includes an interrogating device for obtaining the nib information from the nib.

4. A sensing device according to claim 1, wherein the nib includes a storage device for storing the nib information.

5. A sensing device according to claim 1, wherein the sensing device includes a storage device for storing the nib information and the movement data.

6. A sensing device according to claim 2, wherein the body portion is in the shape of a pen and the nib is attachable to a longitudinal end portion of the pen.

7. A sensing device according to claim 1, further including a code sensor configured to generate location data indicative of a location of the sensing device relative to the surface, by sensing coded data disposed on the surface in the vicinity of the location, the coded data being indicative of at least one reference point of the surface, the motion sensor being configured to generate the movement data using the location data.

8. A sensing device according to claim 7, wherein the coded data includes a plurality of tags, each tag being indicative of a location of the tag on the surface.

9. A sensing device according to claim 1, further including a code sensor configured to generate, by sensing coded data disposed on the surface, identity data indicative of an identity of a region of the surface, the coded data being indicative of an identity of at least one region of the surface, the motion sensor being configured to include the identity data in the movement data.

10. A sensing device according to claim 9, wherein the coded data includes a plurality of tags, each tag being indicative of an identity of a region of the surface within which the tag lies.

11. A sensing device according to claim 1, further including at least one acceleration sensor configured to generate acceleration data indicative of acceleration of the sensing device as the sensing device moves relative to the surface, the motion sensor being configured to generate the movement data using the acceleration data.

12. A sensing device according to claim 11, wherein the acceleration sensor is configured to sense at least two substantially orthogonal components of acceleration.

13. A sensing device according to claim 1, further including an image sensor, the image sensor being configured to generate, by imaging the surface in the vicinity of the sensing device, image data, the motion sensor being configured to generate the movement data using the image data.

14. A sensing device according to claim 1, wherein the nib information includes nib style information which describes at least one surface-marking characteristic of the nib.

15. A sensing device according to claim 1, wherein the nib information includes a nib identifier, the computer system maintains nib style information which describes at least one surface-marking characteristic of the nib, and the nib style information is accessible using the nib identifier.

16. A sensing device according to claim 1, wherein the nib information is also indicative of a function associated with the nib.

17. A system for capturing a facsimile of a stroke made on a surface using a sensing device as claimed in claim 1, the system including the sensing device, and a computer system including a receiver configured to receive movement data and nib information from the sensing device, the computer system being configured to interpret the movement data and nib information as the facsimile of the stroke.

18. A system according to claim 17, further including a surface having coded data disposed upon the surface according to any one of claims 8 to 11.