Abstract:
Current handheld marking devices typically use hand movement to create marks on a surface. Marks, in this context, can be defined as an area on a surface having different physical properties from its surroundings. Such marks are created by the motion of a marking region that travels on a surface plane, creating a mark over time. Examples of such devices are: pens, brushes, markers, spray tools, and engraving instruments. 
     Marking devices carry motion from the brain, to the hand, through the device and onto the surface. A feedback loop is created from the brain to hands to a final mark on a surface. The mark is observed as it is created and loops back into the brain. This creative mark making loop is the process to generate a visual element or design on a surface. 
     Typically this loop is consistent across handheld marking devices.

Description:
SUMMARY 
       [0001]    A new type of marking loop can be created through the addition of a motion generated by a machine that uses algorithms to control its path through space. The present invention, in one broad form would combine the motion of a hand holding the device and the motion of such a machine. 
         [0002]    Since machine motion can be computer controlled, all aspects of the loop from the brain to the physical mark can be interwoven with these new dimensions of action and reaction. 
         [0003]    A simple example would be the hand driving macro large scale motion and a machine driving small scale micro machine motion. The hand could move in a simple arc, the machine motion could draw thousands of tiny circles. The resulting mark would be thousands of small circles flowing in a simple arc. 
         [0004]    A more sophisticated example would involve the reaction of the machine motion to the motion of the hand. As the hand accelerated quickly the machine motion could vibrate in a sine wave. As the hand slowed down it could dampen the machine motion and reveal exactly the motion of the hand. This would create a new type of marking loop where high velocity motion looks very different from slow strokes and puts the brain in the mindset of a new creative space, and a new kind of marking loop. 
         [0005]    The machine marking loop could have as its source input a variety of digital inputs. A simple example would be reaction to music and sound. The machine marking loop would shift into different motion patterns based on music. A more sophisticated loop could connect directly to the brain, the internet or an external form of digital communication such as a phone or tablet device where the external device functions as a digital path generator. In such a scenario the user could customize the machine motion to feed the marking device patterns to draw. 
         [0006]    Overall the integration of machine motion into mark making profoundly changes the character of the marks being created, and the feedback loop that occurs while making marks. 
         [0007]    The present invention, in one broad form, provides a robot arm as the motion generating machine. The robot arm sits at the end of a hand held device and moves the marking head. Such a robot arm could take many forms and variants, ranging from two-dimensional robotic components, articulated robots, SCARA robots, Delta robots and Cartesian coordinate robots. 
         [0008]    In this embodiment, the device is moved by the hand in a similar manner to a marker. The robot arm moves with the device and interweaves additional motion generated through digital inputs. The computer control system drives a wide variety of changes to both the mark and the marking loop. 
       BACKGROUND ART 
       [0009]    In the past, inventors have proposed adding electronics to a drawing device such as a pen. One category of such inventions is where electronics are added but do not affect the marking process. An example would be: U.S. Pat. No. 7,239,306 
         [0010]    Another category of marking device patents use the pen as a computer input device. The pen is not leaving a mark on the surface and is acting more like a virtual input. An example of such a patent is: U.S. Pat. No. 4,878,553 
         [0011]    Another category of marking device patents uses the pen as a recording device. The pen makes marks, but in a conventional marking loop and later moves the recording onto a computer such as: U.S. Pat. No. 5,434,371 
         [0012]    A final category of background art is patents that put an ink-jet printer on the head of a pen. An example of such a patent: U.S. Pat. No. 4,746,936. Such patents describe a device that doesn&#39;t combine machine motion; they only use ink-jet technology to add minor flourishes to the marks being put on a page. 
         [0013]    The present invention described in this patent is focused on extending the marking loop by combining machine motion. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0014]      FIGS. 1A-1B  show a diagram of a marking loop and a marking loop with machine motion 
           [0015]      FIG. 2  shows a perspective view of handheld marking device that mixes machine motion according to an embodiment of the invention. 
           [0016]      FIG. 3  shows the marking device from  FIG. 2  with the outer casing removed 
           [0017]      FIG. 4  shows the motor connection to the robot arm for the marking device from  FIG. 2   
           [0018]      FIG. 5  is a flowchart describing how machine motion could be blended into a handheld marking device. 
           [0019]      FIGS. 6A-6C  shows the robot arm from  FIG. 2  creating a mark by moving along a surface. 
           [0020]      FIGS. 7A-7C  shows the robot arm from  FIG. 2  moving perpendicular to the marking surface. 
           [0021]      FIGS. 8A-8C  shows the robot arm from  FIG. 2  in a range of tilted configurations 
           [0022]      FIG. 9  shows an embodiment of how a single arm from  FIG. 2  could be constructed with magnetic connections. 
           [0023]      FIG. 10  is a flow chart describing a process for taking input and creating a desired machine motion. 
           [0024]      FIG. 11  shows a diagram of the marking loop with machine motion and sensor feedbac 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0025]      FIG. 1A  shows a conventional marking loop when the brain  100  moves the hand  101  which creates the mark  103 . The brain observes the mark and the feedback loop cycles forward. 
         [0026]      FIG. 1B  shows the marking loop with the addition of machine motion. The brain  104  moves the hand  105 , which is in this case, is holding an embodiment of the invention with a handheld robot arm. An electronic control system  106 , in this case a chip drives the motion of motors and results in machine motion. The combined motion of the hand and machine creates the mark  107 . The brain observes the mark and the feedback loop cycles forward. 
         [0027]      FIG. 2  shows a handheld marking device that mixes machine motion according to an embodiment of the invention. The outer body of the device  200  in this embodiment is a tubular form that a hand can grip and move. In this embodiment, a robot arm  203  is located within the bottom section of the device. This embodiment of the robot arm consists of three sub-arms connected together at an end effector. The end effector is a connection that holds the marking region against the surface  204  and draws a mark. This end effector contains a nozzle that holds a marking object which generates the mark on the surface. Motion in the robot arm  203  could add a layer of machine motion on top of the handheld motion created by the motion of a hand gripping and moving the casing  200 . The marking region, in this embodiment, follows the combined motion of the hand and the machine motion. The marking region changes the physical properties of the surface by: depositing pigment (i.e., ink, lead, etc.) through surface friction, spraying, stamping, engraving, and many other marking forms. Once the mark is complete, the area of the mark on the surface is physically different than its surrounding areas. 
         [0028]    A LED light  201  communicates state feedback of the robot arm and machine motion tasks. For example, a single flash of light could signal to the user that a task like drawing a circle has been completed. The user can then decide to move their hand to a new drawing location. In addition, a joystick controller or slider  202  allows the user of the device to manipulate configurations and provides a further level of micro control over how the user interacts with the marking loop and machine motion mixing. For example, the joystick could be used to control mathematical transformations such as scale of the marking path or pattern. Alternatively, the joystick on the device could be used to cycle through stored mark making paths or patterns. In this embodiment, a computer controller sits within the casing and manages the transformation of the device from various forms of input into machine motion. 
         [0029]      FIG. 3  shows the marking device from  FIG. 2  with the casing removed. A plastic frame  300  could hold together the components of the device shown in this embodiment. Such components could include a mechanism driving the machine motion: a computer controller and motors  301 ,  302  &amp;  304 . The motion from the motors could transfer power to the robot arm  305  through various mechanisms. One such mechanism in this embodiment could be a simple pulley system with braided fishing line  304 . Other embodiments could be a belt pulley or a gear belt pulley. 
         [0030]      FIG. 4  shows an example connection of the motors and robot arm for the marking device from  FIG. 2 . The motors shown in  400 ,  401  &amp;  402  show an example of the transfer of power by a pulley system  403  to the robot arm  404  without casing or frame. 
         [0031]    The electronic control of the arms and motors in this embodiment is shown in  FIG. 5 . A control module  500  which in one example could be a piece of software drives an embedded computer  501 . The software could take user, environment, network and electronic input and use it to determine the position of the robot arm  404  at a given moment in time. Electronic input could take many forms. For example, input configurations can include: wireless, mobile, tablet, computer, or internet. The input information transmitted to the device, in this embodiment, is a language of commands that allows for programmatic control of all aspects and dimensions of the machine motion. These aspects include position, tilt, velocity, motion path, dynamics, kinematics, and adaptive behavior of the marking region in relation to the surface and user input. The computer  500  would then send instructions to the servo motors  502 , 503  &amp;  504  which would then transfer power to the sub-arms  505 , 506  &amp;  507 . This could position the robot arm at the right position and tilt in space. Over time this could affect the marking loop and add a layer of machine motion to the mark. 
         [0032]      FIG. 6  is a descriptive illustration of machine motion moving the marking region along a surface to create a mark. As the top of the sub-arms change rotation from  FIG. 6A  to  FIG. 6C  the marking region moves position. This position change over time creates a mark along the surface. 
         [0033]      FIG. 7  is a descriptive illustration of machine motion moving perpendicular to the marking surface. The motion shown from  FIGS. 7A to 7C  is a type of motion that will pull the pen away from the surface. Such motion allows the robot arm to stop drawing one mark, lift the marking region up, move to a new position, and lower the marking region onto the surface to start creating a new mark. The marking head is moved upward to towards the device frame. In this embodiment the frame has an angled recess so the marking head can pull upward into the body of the frame as shown in  FIG. 7C . 
         [0034]      FIG. 8  is a descriptive illustration of machine motion moving from a tilted position to a neutral position where the marking head is parallel the device casing. The motion shown from  FIGS. 8A to 8C  is a type of motion that pulls the pen away from the neutral position at an angled position. Such a motion is useful for changing the character of marks with a wide region such as marks made by a spray nozzle or brush. In addition, tilt allows the user to hold the device at an angle to the surface and have the device adapt. 
         [0035]      FIG. 9  shows an embodiment of how a sub-arm from  FIG. 2  could be constructed with magnetic connections. The top segment  900  of the sub-arm rotates as controlled by the mechanism described in  FIG. 3 . The end of the segment  900  is the casing for a ball and socket joint. In this embodiment, the sub-arm is constructed with two magnetic ball and socket joints. Each joint consists of two magnets. For example, the ball and socket joint holds a magnet  903  within a cup-like depression  902 . Magnet  901  attracts magnet  903  and holds it into place, while the cup-like depression  902  allows the magnet  903  to rotate around a single point. Because the segments are not rigidly connected, they are free to spin and automatically remove extra twisting rotations when reaching Cartesian goals. The joint consisting of magnets  904  and  906  with cup-like depression  905  is connected in a similar way as described above. 
         [0036]      FIG. 10  is a flow chart describing a process for taking input and creating a desired machine motion. In this embodiment, information determining the motion of the marking region can be of various types including preset paths or patterns  1001  or adaptive algorithms  1002 . These determine marking region position and rotation goals  1003 . With these goals as input, a solver module  1004  determines the corresponding motor rotations  1006  that arrive at that result. Components  1001 ,  1002 ,  1003 , and  1004  form the control module  1005 , which is a combination of hardware and software that determines the final machine motion. The control module could take various forms. These include a form that may be contained in the device, partially contained in the device, or controlled remotely. For example in one embodiment, the control module is on the device, but a remote system, such as a mobile phone or tablet, transmits control code and commands to the device through wireless means. The control module then drives the motor rotations  1006  which move the robot arms  1007  into the configuration that physically places the marking region at the desired position and rotation goal  1008 . 
         [0037]      FIG. 11  shows a diagram of the marking loop with machine motion and sensor feedback. The brain  1101  moves the hand  1102 , which is in this case, is holding an embodiment of the invention with a robot arm. An electronic control system  1103 , in this case a chip drives the motion of motors and results in machine motion. The combined motion of the hand and machine creates the mark  1104 . The brain observes the mark and the feedback loop cycles forward. Sensors  1005  can exist at each stage of the marking loop. Changes in the brain activity  1001  can be sensed and used as algorithmic input. For example, line drawn on a surface can be made to squiggle in response to a certain thought. Hand motions  1002  can be sensed, in one embodiment, as tilt and acceleration that allow for numerous adaptive algorithms including: kinematics, dynamics, stabilization, effects, tilt, perspective, and lighting and shading changes. Sensory input can also be from the control system  1103  which can connect to the vast array of information from sources such as the internet, mobile devices, etc. Types of input information could include: location, music, distance from objects, vision system, etc. The device can also receive sensory input from the marking surface and the mark itself through a sensor, such as a camera. The device can dynamically adapt and modify the mark path or pattern based on the exact reality of what is occurring on the surface. 
         [0038]    Although the invention has been described in the foregoing embodiments, it is understood that the present disclosure has been made only by way of example, and that numerous changes in the details of implementation of the invention can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Features of the disclosed embodiments can be combined and rearranged in various ways.