Patent ID: 6957923
Filing Date: 2005-10-25
Classification: B41J,B42C,B43K,G06F,H04N

Abstract:
1. A pen, including: a user interface for placing the pen into a select mode; a marking device operable to mark a visible path onto a surface in accordance with at least one current attribute value, a visible appearance of the marked path being electronically controllable on the basis of the at least one current attribute value; a memory for storing at least one set of the attribute values; and a switch for controlling the marking device, the switch being activated by sensing a compression force when a uses used the pen to mark a visible path on the surface; wherein, in the select mode, the pen is configured to: (a) determine, using the switch, that the user has used, the pen to mark a visible path; (b) for each of a plurality of sequential visible paths marked using the pen, selecting a different one of the attribute values from the memory and making it the current attribute value.