Abstract:
An apparatus and method provide a writing device including a button pressed by a user, wherein the button engages a mechanism used to move a writing tip between stowed and operative positions. A counter receives at least one indication each time the button is pressed by a user. A display on the writing device indicates a count kept by the counter.

Description:
FIELD 
   Embodiments of the inventive subject matter relate generally to writing devices, and more particularly, to a writing device including a counting mechanism. 
   BACKGROUND 
   Ball point pens and similar devices are used daily by hundreds of millions of people, including a large population of school aged children and young adults. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIGS. 1A ,  1 B and  1 C illustrate several embodiments of a writing device according to example embodiments of the inventive subject matter disclosed herein; and 
       FIG. 2  is a block diagram according to one example embodiment of the inventive subject matter disclosed herein. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   In the following detailed description, reference is made to specific examples by way of drawings and illustrations. These examples are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the inventive subject matter, and serve to illustrate how the inventive subject matter may be applied to various purposes or embodiments. Other embodiments are included within the inventive subject matter, as logical, mechanical, electrical, and other changes may be made to the example embodiments described herein. Features or limitations of various embodiments described herein, however essential to the example embodiments in which they are incorporated, do not limit the inventive subject matter as a whole, and any reference to the invention, its elements, operation, and application are not limiting as a whole, but serve only to define these example embodiments. The following detailed description does not, therefore, limit embodiments of the invention, which are defined only by the appended claims. 
   Referring now to  FIGS. 1A ,  1 B,  1 C and  2 , there is illustrated a first embodiment of a writing device  100 , for example a ball point pen, according to one example embodiment of the inventive subject matter. As shown in  FIG. 1C , the internal components of the writing device  100  include an ink stylus  110  with a writing tip  115 , a spring  120 , a button  130  and a latch or locking mechanism  140  positioned somewhere in housing  150 . In operation, according to one example embodiment, the device  100  acts like a common ball point pen in that the user presses the button  130  to cause the tip  115  to either protrude outwardly from the pen housing  150  and lock into a position where the pen can be used for writing, or by pushing the button  130  again, unlock the ink stylus from its writing position and retract it back into the pen housing  150  in a stowed position. According to one example embodiment, each time the button  130  is depressed, the pen may make a “clicking” sound. In addition, the writing device further includes a contact switch  160  that is closed each time the button  130  is depressed. Switch  160  in turn provides an electrical input to an integrated circuit device  170  mounted in the housing  150 . Integrated circuit device  170  drives a display  180  and also receives an input from one or two (or more) buttons  190  and has a power source  195 , typically a battery, but also possibly a photocell, all mounted in or on the housing  150 . Display  180 , for example a LCD or LED display or any other type of display, is positioned so as to be viewable from an aperture  200  in the housing  150 . Further, buttons  190  are also accessible through one or more apertures in the housing  150 . 
   According to one embodiment, the writing device  100  with two displays, as shown in  FIG. 1B , may have one “Reset Button” (one of buttons  190 ) whose only function would be to reset the reset-able counter  220  to zero. The perpetual counter display  230  would not be affected and would continue to record the total number of times the button  130  is depressed by the user (for example resulting in a clicking sound each time) since the device  100  was made or otherwise initialized, for example by holding down one of buttons  190  for a desired period of time. The reset-able counter would be reset by the Reset Button by pressing it or by pressing it and holding it a predetermined amount of time, or by other means of using the button. 
   The single display device  100  illustrated in  FIG. 1A  has two buttons (accomplished with buttons  190 ), for example a “Function Button” and a “Reset Button”. The Function Button allows the user to switch between different “counter” and “optional” functions such as: 
   1. Perpetual counter—this function counts/displays the total number of times the button  130  was depressed since the pen was purchased (starting at “0” times the button  130  was depressed) 
   2. Reset counter—this function counts/displays each click, but can be reset to “0” by pressing the “Reset” button 
   3. Time—this optional function could display the time; when in the “Time” mode, the reset button would reset the hour and minutes. 
   4. Date—this optional function could display the date; when in the “Date” mode, the reset button would reset the day, month and year. 
   5. Timer—this optional function would allow the user to measure elapsed time; when in the “Timer” mode, the reset button would set the timer back to “0” with the first click, start the timer with a second click, stop the timer with a third click; the next time the button  130  is depressed would set the Timer back to “0”, starting the sequence over again. 
   Referring now to  FIG. 2 , there is shown a simplified block diagram of a circuit  300  for the writing device  100  according to one example embodiment of the inventive subject matter. Circuit  300  includes at least one input  310  from the switch  160  that is fed to a first counter  320  and a second counter  330 . A reset input  340  is received from one of the buttons  190 , and is fed to the first counter  320  to reset it to zero. A first count signal  350  provides a count to use to drive at least one portion of the display  180 , for example with the reset-able count of depressions of button  130 , and a second count signal  360  provides a count to drive at least one other portion of the display  180 , or the same portion at a different time, to show the cumulative count of depressions of the button  130 . 
   Each of the embodiments described herein are contemplated as falling within the inventive subject matter, which is set forth in the following claims.