Abstract:
A Stylus Having Variable Reflectivity and Method for Data Input Therewith is disclosed. The stylus has a reflective portion attached to it that will reflect incident light in response to user actuation. The system with which the stylus is configured to cooperate will receive reflected incident light and interpret it as a “mouse click” special data input. The user actuation can be provided in a variety of different fashions, depending upon the configuration of the particular stylus, including tip-touch-activated, as well as touching a pad disposed on the body of the stylus. The responsively reflective portion is locatable at the tip of the stylus or at other locations on the body of the stylus.

Description:
[0001]    This application is a continuation of non-provisional application Ser. No. 10/438,110, filed May 13, 2003, and provisional application Serial No. 60/441,269 filed Jan. 21, 2002, now pending. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0003]    This invention relates generally to input systems for computing devices and, more specifically, to a Stylus Having Variable Reflectivity and Method for Data Input Therewith.  
           [0004]    2. Description of Related Art  
           [0005]    The world of mobile computing has expanded dramatically with the evolution of notebook computers and personal digital assistance (PDA&#39;s) and their ability to now provide more functionality and information, and therefore productivity to users when they are away from their home or office. In fact, many users have replaced their desktop computers with notebook computers, having actually increased their available computing power in doing so. Although PDA&#39;s have also evolved, their input/output limitations (mainly due to display size constraints) have substantially limited their functionality. The strength of the PDA is its extremely compact and convenient size; the strength of the notebook is its power. The problem is that the power applications are coupled with ergonomic size constraints, making even the notebook computer too large to be truly convenient as a mobile device, while the I/O limitations of the PDA have prevented it from becoming a replacement for a PC or notebook computer.  
           [0006]    Several approaches to handheld, portable power computing have emerged, but all with significant tradeoffs to the user. Pans that record and later download what was written into software are small, but limited. Handheld projectors using LED sources can project simple, fixed images, but no motion or interaction. Projection eyewear is an alternative for military or hospital applications, but distractive and unproven in the mainstream.  
           [0007]    In the course of developing the versatile, powerful projection image computing device and system that is the subject of the parent patent application to the instant application, a variety of technical issues arose—one of which relates to the method for the user to interact with the projected image display. What is needed is a device and method of providing a user with intuitive and reliable interaction with a projected display and associated input subsystem so that the user can make inputs to the computing device without the need for a separate keyboard or other input device.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0008]    In light of the aforementioned problems associated with the prior devices and methods, it is an object of the present invention to provide a Stylus Having Variable Reflectivity and Method for Data Input Therewith. The stylus should have a reflective portion attached to it that will reflect incident light in response to user actuation. The system with which the stylus is configured to cooperate should receive reflected incident light and interpret it as a “mouse click” special data input. The user actuation should be provided in a variety of different fashions, depending upon the configuration of the particular stylus, including tip-touch-activated, as well as touching a pad disposed on the body of the stylus. The responsively reflective portion should be locatable at the tip of the stylus or at other locations on the body of the stylus.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]    The objects and features of the present invention, which are believed to be novel, are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The present invention, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages, may best be understood by reference to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, of which:  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a computing system and device having interactive projected display;  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 2 is a close-up perspective view of the device of FIG. 1;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 3 is a depiction of the functional components of the output portion of the device of FIGS.  1 - 2 ;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a reflective stylus of the present invention;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 5 is a perspective view depicting how the stylus of FIG. 4 interacts with the device of FIGS.  1 - 3 ;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 6 is a partial cutaway perspective view of the tip area of a tip-actuated embodiment of the stylus of the present invention; and  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a button-actuated stylus of the present invention.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0017]    The following description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the invention and sets forth the best modes contemplated by the inventors of carrying out their invention. Various modifications, however, will remain readily apparent to those skilled in the art, since the generic principles of the present invention have been defined herein specifically to provide a Stylus Having Variable Reflectivity and Method for Data Input Therewith.  
         [0018]    The present invention can best be understood by initial consideration of FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a computing system and device having interactive projected display. In this embodiment of the device  10 A, the computing device  18 A has a projection input/output system incorporated within it. The device  10 A here is a modified palm-sized PDA computing device  18 A. The device  10 A is configured to rest on a horizontal surface, such as the tabletop  22  shown, in an orientation that allows the projection display module  12  to project a display image  24  onto the surface  22 . As will be discussed further below, the input module  14  is positioned within the device  10 A such that it can view the projected display image  24  and receive input commands for operating the computing device  18 A by user interaction with the actual display image  24  itself. It should be appreciated that the display image  24  can be projected on a flat surface having any orientation, and that it is not limited to horizontally oriented surfaces.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 2 is a close-up perspective view of the device  10 A of FIG. 1. The device  10 A has a palm-sized housing  26  and a pair of retractable legs  28 A and  28 B. The legs  28  are designed to provide the desired cant to the device  10 A such that the projection display module  12  and input module  14  are aimed at the horizontal surface upon which the device  10 A is resting. These legs  28  can be retracted by simply folding them back into pockets formed in the housing  26  in order to provide a very smooth and condensed package for ease and comfort in carrying. Of course, this is only one example of a device and method of deploying the projected display module  12  and input module  14 . Many other concepts are possible, such as a swing arm, a flip-out hinged array, and a calibrated foot might be used with the device of the present invention.  
         [0020]    Although not shown here, essentially the rest of the computing device  18 A is identical to a conventional PDA, such that a user might also be able to interact with the conventional PDA in those circumstances where a projected display and associated input method are not desired.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 3 is a depiction of the functional components of the output portion of the device of FIGS.  1 - 2 . The input module  14  of this embodiment comprises a special position detector means, such as either a CMOS camera or a CCD camera that has the ability to observe the activity occurring within its view. In particular, the camera would determine where, in a spacial sense, the user has touched the displayed image; the input module  14  takes the observed position and delivers it to the I/O interface module for conversion into a format for use by the computing device as a pointer input. Use of a CMOS or CCD camera for visually conducting surveillance on the detection volume  36  enables the system to detect movement and position in three axes. The detection in three axes provides the system with both movement and position with substantial accuracy; as such, the user&#39;s desired input commands can be more reliably interpreted. Furthermore, the camera may be used to provide the projection display module with feedback in order to fine tune the displayed image based on actual detected image quality.  
         [0022]    In other versions, a position detector having less capability than those previously described may be employed, an example being 2-dimensional detection plus input from a modulated stylus or pointer, such as a device for detecting the location of the tip and/or orientation of a specialized stylus or pointer being used by the user to enter commands and other inputs. Having now reviewed a device that is suited to operate with the present invention, we shall turn to FIG. 4 to begin discussing it.  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a reflective stylus  40  of the present invention. This embodiment of the stylus  40  is defined by a body  42  having a distal end  44  and a tip  46 , and a clip  48  extending therefrom. Other shapes and sizes for the stylus  40  are conceived; this version is simply being presented in order to provide ease of understanding.  
         [0024]    By its name, it should be apparent that the stylus  40  includes a reflective aspect; the reflectivity of the device is operated and/or triggered by the user as a way to provide an input/interaction with the projected display device described above in FIGS.  1 - 3 . As will be discussed more fully below in connection with other drawing figures, the tip  46  (typically) will be able to selectively reflect incident light—the reflection of light is detectable by the projected display device, including it&#39;s spacial orientation related to the projected display, in order to provide what is interpreted as an input command to the software program operating within the projected display device. FIG. 5 provides additional specificity of this operability.  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 5 is a perspective view depicting how the reflective stylus  40  of FIG. 4 interacts with the device of FIGS.  1 - 3 . As discussed above, the projected display device has a projection display module  12  for displaying a projected display image  24  onto a substantially flat surface. The image  24  is, essentially, what would conventionally be displayed on a computer monitor, namely that display generated by the software program and/or operating system of the projected display device.  
         [0026]    The projected display image  24  is created by the projection display module  12  via incident light (controlled by the module  12 ) being projected towards the flat surface. The reflective stylus  40  of the present invention can be placed in the path of the incident light  48  and then actuated in such a way as to reflect a portion of the incident light  48 . The reflected light  50  is detectable by the spacial position detector means  34  (as discussed above), which sends the event data (i.e. the event is the detection of reflected light  50 ) to other components of the input module  14  for conversion into an input command to the software program running on the projected display device.  
         [0027]    The system may use the normal incident light  48  used for creating the projected display image  24  to generate its detectable reflected light  50  signal; this would be suitable in many cases. In other versions, the projection display module  12  may include a light component that is not visible to the human eye (and therefore does not effect the image  24  quality), such as infrared light. In fact, a dedicated infrared lamp or lamps may be used to create an incident light  48  signal solely for the purpose of interacting with the stylus  40 . The benefit of the invisible light approach is that there is little risk of interference or noise from accidental reflection of incident light (e.g. from a projection surface that is parallel to the detector  34 ), or the inadvertent receipt of light signals from a source other than the projection display module  12 .  
         [0028]    The spacial position detector means  34  is capable of determining the spacial position of the reflective portion of the stylus  40  and then providing this data to the input module  14  for conversion into a position that is relative/oriented to the projected display  24 . It should be apparent that this operation will provide functionality very similar to a conventional mouse or trackball (i.e. devices used to interface with conventional computer displays). As such, it would typically be the tip  46  that provides the controllable reflectivity, since it is this portion of the stylus that would intuitively be used by the user to interact with the display image  24 . Now turning to FIG. 6, we can continue to discuss the features of the present invention.  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 6 is a partial cutaway perspective view of the tip area of a tip-actuated embodiment  40 A of the stylus of the present invention.  
         [0030]    The stylus  40 A includes a tip  46  that is mechanically connected to the body  42  of the stylus  40 A, such that when it is touched or pressed onto a surface, it will move (slightly) in the direction of movement denoted by arrow Xm. When the tip  46  moves a specified distance upwardly (due to downward pressure on the body  42 ), the actuator means  54 A incorporated within the tip  46  and body  42  will cause the reflective portion  52  of the tip  46  to change from being non-reflective to being reflective. When the tip  46  (which is spring loaded to extend downwardly) is allowed to return to its normal non-depressed state, the actuator means  54 A will cause the reflective portion  52  to return to being non-reflective.  
         [0031]    In operation, then, when the user pushes down on the tip  46 , the incident light (see FIG. 5) will be reflected off of the reflective portion  52  of the tip  46 . The reflected light (see FIG. 5) will appear to the spacial position detector means (see FIG. 5) as emanating from the tip  46  at its current location (i.e. where the tip  46  has been pushed down). If the user slides the stylus  40 A while keeping the tip  46  in a depressed state, the spacial position detector means (see FIG. 5) will detect what is conventionally known as a “dragging” action from the “mouse.” It should be noted that because there is no actual light source within the stylus  40 A, there is no need for batteries to power the stylus  40 A.  
         [0032]    In an alternate design that is not depicted, the actuator means  54 A and reflective portion  52  could both be parts of an electronic circuit that electrically translates a depression of the tip  46  into the reflective portion  52  becoming reflective (and vice versa). If we now turn to FIG. 7, we can review another embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a button-actuated stylus embodiment  40 B. While the device  40  has been called a stylus throughout this disclosure, it is expected that the stylus could be incorporated into a writing implement such as a pen or pencil. Where there is a mechanical pencil or pen incorporated within the stylus  40 , it would not be feasible to make the reflectivity of the stylus  40  tip-activated as discussed above in connection with FIG. 6. For these combination implements, it may be more effective to have the actuator means  54 B be a button or touch-sensitive pad located elsewhere on the body  42 B of the stylus  40 . In this embodiment  40 B, the actuator means  54 B is a pad or button positioned below the tip of the clip  48 . The user activates the reflective portion  52  by pressing and releasing the clip  48  so that it&#39;s tip touches/depresses and is released from touching/depressing the actuator means  54 B. The actuator means  54 B here is a electronic circuit that electrically causes the reflective portion  52  (located at the tip  46 ) of the stylus  40 B to become reflective. In other designs, the actuator means  54 B may be provided in a different location (e.g. a depressable distal end  44 ), depending upon the overall design of the stylus  40 .  
         [0034]    Other versions may combine the functionality of the embodiments pictured in both FIGS. 6 and 7, for example, pressing the tip may actuate a reflective portion at the tip of the stylus, while pressing another pad/button may activate a reflective portion (or a light) located at another portion of the stylus  40 . In this manner, the input module of the projected display device may assign different functionality to the two different light sources.  
         [0035]    Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various adaptations and modifications of the just-described preferred embodiment can be configured without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Therefore, it is to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced other than as specifically described herein.