Patent Publication Number: US-2013243515-A1

Title: Hand-writing input system

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a divisional application of and claims the benefit of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/612,053 filed on Nov. 4, 2009, entitled “HAND-WRITING INPUT DEVICE AND HAND-WRITING INPUT SYSTEM”, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present disclosure relates to a hand-writing input system. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     With the development of information and communication technology, computers, mobile phones, personal digital assistants and other electronic devices are now widely used. Information input, such as characters input, is a must have function for such electronic devices. 
     Information input modes include a keyboard input, a voice input, a handwriting input, and many others. A typical handwriting input device includes a panel and a stylus. A number of resistors or capacitors are installed in the written panel and are arranged in an array. When the stylus touches the written panel, resistances/capacitances of some resistors/capacitors are changed. Thus, a position of the stylus on the written panel is sensed according to the change of the resistances/capacitances of the resistors/capacitors. A continuous movement of the stylus on the written panel can be sensed by continuously sensing the changes of the resistances/capacitances. Therefore, movement paths of the stylus are recorded, thus a hand-writing function is achieved. 
     However, in the above hand-writing input device, information can only be recorded and stored in a memory or storage. When the recorded/stored information needs to be converted into hard copy file, the information has to be printed from a printer. If the information in the memory or storage is deleted by accident, it is difficult to be retrieved. 
     Therefore, a system for hand-writing input are desirable to overcome the above-described shortcomings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Many aspects of the present embodiments can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present embodiments. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views. 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic, isometric view of a first embodiment of a hand-writing input system, which includes a hand-writing input device. 
         FIG. 2  is a sectional view of the hand-writing input device of the hand-writing input system in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic, sectional view of a second embodiment of a hand-writing input device. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a hand-writing input system  100  according to a first exemplary embodiment includes a hand-writing input device  12 , a written panel  14  and an image capture device  16 . 
     Referring also to  FIG. 2 , the hand-writing input device  12  includes a writing pen  122  and an infrared (IR) light source  124 . The writing pen  122  is a writing tool capable of leaving solid or liquid color-distinguishable material, such as ink, on a handwriting traces recording object, such as a paper or a written panel. The writing pen  122  can be a ballpoint pen, a fountain pen, and many others. In this embodiment, the writing pen  122  is a ballpoint pen. 
     The writing pen  122  includes a penholder  126  and an exchangeable ink refill  128 . The ink refill  128  includes an ink receiving tube  132  for receiving writing ink and a writing head  134  installed at one distal end of the ink receiving tube  132 . The writing head  134  is hollow and in communication of the ink receiving tube  132 . In use, the writing ink in the ink receiving tube  132  outflows from one distal end of the writing head  134  onto a paper or a written panel. 
     In this embodiment, the penholder  126  is stick-shaped and includes a writing end  142  and an opposite top end  144 . In particular, the penholder  126  has a hollow structure. The ink receiving tube  132  of the ink refill  128  is installed in the penholder  126 . The writing head  134  of the ink refill  128  is exposed out of one distal end of the penholder  126  for writing. 
     The IR light source  124  is fixed adjacent to the writing end  142  of the penholder  126 . In this embodiment, the IR light source  124  is exposed for emitting IR light to the image capture device  16 . Upon conditions where the writing end  142  is made of a light-pervious material, the IR light source  124  can also be embedded in the writing end  142 . The IR light source  124  can be an IR light emitting diode (LED). 
     The hand-writing input device  12  further includes a cell  148  installed in the top end  144  of the penholder  126 , and a switch button  150 . The cell  148  can be a button shaped cell. The IR light source  124  is electrically connected with the cell  148  via a lead group  146 . The lead group  146  includes two leads (not shown). One end of the two leads is electrically connected with two electrodes of the IR light source  124  respectively, and the other end of the two leads is electrically connected with two electrodes of the cell  148  respectively. The cell  148  is configured for providing electric energy to the IR light source  124 . It is to be understood that the cell  148  can also be installed at other positions of the penholder  126 , for example between the writing end  142  and the top end  144 . 
     The switch button  150  is set between the writing end  142  and the top end  144 . The switch button  150  is installed in and extends out of the outer surface of the penholder  126 . The IR light source  124  can be switched to an on or off state by pressing and releasing the switch button  150 . 
     The written panel  14  is a flat board for placement of a handwriting traces recording object. The handwriting traces recording object is configured for recording solid or liquid material outflowing from the writing head  134 . In illustrated embodiment, the handwriting traces recording object is writing paper  18  as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     The image capture device  16  is an IR sensing device for picking up IR light emitted from the IR light source  124 . An installing stick  160  is fixed on one edge of the written panel  14 . In this embodiment, the installing stick  160  is perpendicular to the written panel  14 . The image capture device  16  is installed on the installing stick  160 . A viewing field of the image capture device  16  covers the entire surface of the written panel  14 . The image capture device  16  can pick up images of light emitted from the IR light source  124  continuously with a certain frequency. Therefore, when the IR light source  124  is moved, the movement track of the IR light source  124  can be recorded. The information about movement track can then be transmitted to an output device with a display, such as a computer, a personal digital assistant and a mobile phone. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a hand-writing process using the hand-writing input system is described in detail as follows. 
     Firstly, the switch button  150  is pressed to turn on the IR light source  124 . The IR light source  124  is positioned facing towards the image capture device  16  so that the light emitted from the IR light source  124  can be picked up by the image capture device  16 . 
     Secondly, a user holds the hand-writing input device  12  and moves the hand-writing input device  12  on the writing paper  18  such that the writing head  134  contacts the writing paper  18  to leaves ink traces on the writing paper  18 . Simultaneously, the movement track of the hand-writing input device  12  is picked up by the image capture device  16  and transmitted to an output device (not shown), such as a computer. Because the IR light source  124  is positioned close to the writing head  134 , the movement track of the hand-writing input device  12  is generally identical to the ink traces shown on the writing paper  18 . 
     The written panel  14  of this embodiment can be omitted or replaced by other supports, as long as the ink traces can be left on the writing paper  18  by using the hand-writing input device  12 . 
     In this embodiment, the ink traces can be left on the writing paper  18  and movements track can also be recorded. Therefore, both of paper files and electronic files about the movement of the hand-writing input device  12  can be recorded. 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , a hand-writing input device  22  in accordance with a second exemplary embodiment is provided, differing from the hand-writing input device  12  only in that switching the on or off state of IR light source  124  is realized by pressing the writing head  134 . The distinguishing features in structure between the hand-writing input device  22  and the hand-writing input device  12  are described as follows. The hand-writing input device  22  further includes a spring member  222  fixed in the lens holder  124 . The spring member  222  is positioned between the distal end of the ink receiving tube  132  and the cell  148 . The spring member  222  contacts the distal end of the receiving tube  132  and is spaced from the cell  148 . The cell  148  has an anode  152  and a cathode  154  at an opposite side of the anode  152 . The cathode  154  is positioned facing towards the spring member  222 . One end of two leads  156  and  158  is electrically connected with two electrodes of the IR light source  124  respectively. The other end of the lead  156  is electrically connected with the anode  152 . The other end of the lead  158  is electrically connected with the spring member  222 . The spring member  222  is an electrical conductor. A material of the spring member  222  can be selected from the group consisting of copper, iron, aluminum etc. 
     The use of the hand-writing input device  22  is described as follows, with replacement of the hand-writing input device  12  of  FIG. 1  by the hand-writing  22 . When the writing head  134  is pressed on the writing paper  18  for writing, the ink receiving tube  132  generates a pressure to the spring member  222  because of the pressing of the writing head  134 . The spring member  222  bends and then contacts the cathode  154  of the cell  148  due to the pressure of the ink receiving tube  132 . At this time, the IR light source  124  and the cell  148  form an electric loop, thus the IR light source  124  emits IR light. When the writing head  134  withdraws from the writing paper  18 , the IR light source  124  switches to an off state. Therefore, when using the hand-writing input device  12  on the writing paper  18 , the image capture device  16  can pick up the movement track of the hand-writing input device  12 . When the writing head  134  is not in use to write on the writing paper  18 , the movement track of the hand-writing input device  12  cannot be recorded. Thus the ink traces on the writing paper  18  can generally correspond to images of the movement track of IR light source  124 . 
     It is to be understood that the above-described embodiment is intended to illustrate rather than limit the embodiments. Variations may be made to the embodiment without departing from the spirit of the disclosure as claimed. The above-described embodiments are intended to illustrate the scope of the disclosure and not to restrict the scope of the embodiments.