Patent Publication Number: US-2007109271-A1

Title: [a portable storage device with handwritten input device]

Description:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      The present invention relates to a portable storage device with handwritten input device, and more particularly to a portable storage device with handwritten input device, wherein the coordinates data and the displacement data of the input device can be saved into the storage device, and the execution program of the host end can read the coordinates data and the displacement data stored in the flash memory and can be further converted into the corresponding text or image files in order to enable the user to use anywhere.  
      2. Description of Related Art  
      Nowadays, most of the documents and files are digital, for example, fliers, reports, students&#39; assignment, companies documents and author&#39;s article. Computer plays an important role for editing the aforementioned documents and files. Regardless of the kind of documents or articles, text is very important for expressing the contents of the documents, so it remains unchanged whether or not the documents or articles are digitalized. Therefore, the method of inputting text is very important.  
      For inputting Chinese fonts, the easiest method for the learner is CHU-YIN input method, but the efficiency of inputting using CHU-YIN can be comparatively less because the user has to choose the right font among all the fonts having the same pronunciation. The user may also choose other input method, for example, CHAN-JAY, to input the Chinese font by separating the font piece by piece. However, the user has to practice the rule of keying Chinese font using chan-jay input method and also has to memorize the position of the keys. If the user is not really familiar with the rules and the position of the keys, the inputting efficiency may not be higher than that of chu-yin input method.  
      Therefore, some manufacturers developed handwriting input device to overcome the above defects, which does not require the user to be well-trained in inputting font using the aforementioned input methods. Accordingly, handwriting input device has become very popular. The handwriting input device, in the earlier stage, comprises a handwriting board connected to the computer; the user may use a pen or finger to write on the handwriting board. The software of the handwriting board or the computer converts the trace movement of the pen or the finger on the handwriting board into the corresponding text or image. This technology has been applied in PDA, notebook computer and cellular phone.  
      Nevertheless, pen is an essential item regardless of the improvement of the handwriting board. Besides, large size handwriting board is not suitable to carry. On the other hand, small size handwriting board is not convenient for inputting as the sensing area of the small size handwriting board is limited.  
      Additionally, the handwriting board has to be connected to the electronic devices such as computer, PDA, tablet computer or notebook computer in order to input texts or images. Now-a-days, PDA or tablet computer is equipped with input device that allows users to directly input text or image via the display panel using a pen and touch panel functions to operate like mouse and keyboard. However, PDA and tablet computer are expensive, large and heavy.  
      Accordingly, the conventional handwriting input device has the following disadvantages.  
      1. For conventional handwriting input device, a variety of handwriting boards in various size and shape has been developed for providing convenience to the user. However, the handwriting board has the disadvantages large space occupation and limited portability. Thus, it is inconvenient to users.  
      2. A transmission cable is required for connecting the handwriting input device to the host end, such as the computer, notebook computer or PDA, for calculating the position of the font and the trace of the pen or finger. Therefore, the conventional handwriting device cannot work without being connected to the host end.  
      Therefore, how to overcome the above defects of the conventional handwriting input device is important issue for the manufacturers in the field.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      Accordingly, in the view of the foregoing, the present inventor makes a detailed study of related art to evaluate and consider, and uses years of accumulated experience in this field, and through several experiments, to create a portable storage device with handwritten input device.  
      According to an aspect of the present invention, the storage device comprises a receiving module for receiving and transmitting coordinates data and displacement data from a transmission module of an input device to a microprocessor, and the microprocessor transmits the coordinates data and the displacement data to a flash memory for storage. When the microprocessor of the storage device is electrically connected to a host end via a data transmission interface, the coordinates data and the displacement data stored in the flash memory is transmitted to the host end, and an execution program of the host end analyzes and integrates the coordinates data and the displacement data into corresponding text or image files. Therefore, for inputting via the input device of the present invention, the input device need not be electrically connected to any electronic devices such as computer or PDA. Accordingly, the disadvantages of the prior art can be effectively resolved and portability is substantially enhanced so that the user may input and store data into the storage device at any location. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING  
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a portable storage device according to an embodiment of the present invention.  
       FIG. 2  is a flowchart of an operation procedure of inputting according to an embodiment of the present invention.  
       FIG. 3  is a flowchart of an operation procedure of connecting a host end to the storage device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAIL DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS  
      Referring to  FIG. 1 , a portable storage device  1  in accordance with the present invention is shown comprised of a storage device  11  and an input device  12 .  
      The storage device  111  comprises a data transmission interface  111  electrically connected to a microprocessor  112 . The microprocessor  112  is electrically connected to a receiving module  113  and a flash memory  114 .  
      The data transmission interface  111  may be IEEE1394 (Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers Standard Bus Interface), USB (Universal Serial Bus), SATA (Serial Advanced Technology Attachment), IDE (Integrated Device Electronics) or SCSI (Small Computer Standard Interface). The flash memory  114  may be AND, NAND, or NOR type. The receiving module  113  may be SPI (Serial Peripheral Interface) or UART (Universal Asynchronous Receiver/transmitter).  
      The input device  12  comprises a transmission module  121  for transmitting signals of coordinates data and displacement data and a touch device  122  for generating touch signals.  
      When a user wants to input by using the input device  12 , the touch device  122  is operated to generate a touch signal and then transmits the touch signal and a corresponding coordinates data of the touch signal in an orderly manner to the receiving module  113  and the microprocessor  112  of the storage device  11  via the transmission module  121 . The microprocessor  112 , after receiving the touch signal and the corresponding coordinates data of the touch signal, learns that the input device  12  is ready for inputting and transmits the corresponding coordinates data of the touch signal to the flash memory  114  for storage. At the same time, the user can start writing by using the input device  12  and the input device  12  starts to generate coordinates data and displacement data according to the user&#39;s inputted information and transmits the coordinates data and the displacement data to the receiving module  113  and the microprocessor  112  via the transmission module  121 , and then the microprocessor  112  transmits the coordinates and the displacement data to the flash memory  114  for storage.  
      The communication between the receiving module  113  of the storage device  11  and the transmission module  121  of the input device  12  can be implemented by wired or wireless transmission protocol. The wireless transmission protocol may be comprised of infrared, ZigBee or blue tooth.  
      Furthermore, the input device  12  can be a handwritten pen or any element that can be used for writing. The touch device  122  of the input device  12  can be buttons, a fine-adjustment switch or a pen point of the handwritten pen.  
      Hereinafter, the operation procedure of inputting according to an embodiment of the present invention is described with reference to  FIGS. 1 and 2  as follows.  
      At step  100 , the procedure starts.  
      At step  101 , the touch device  122  generates a touch signal corresponding to the user&#39;s handwriting, and the microprocessor  112  senses whether the input device  12  transmits the touch signal via the receiving module  113 , wherein when the input device  12  transmits the touch signal, the procedure proceeds to step  102 , otherwise the microprocessor  112  keeps sensing whether the input device  12  transmits the touch signal.  
      At step  102 , the microprocessor  112  continues to sense whether the receiving module  113  receives a starting or ending signal transmitted from the input device  12 , wherein when the receiving module  113  receives the starting signal, the procedure proceeds to step  103 , otherwise, the procedure returns to step  101 .  
      At step  103 , in response to the movement of the input device  12 , the transmission module  121  of the input device  12  transmits coordinates data and displacement data to the receiving module  113  of the storage device  11 , the procedure continues to the next step  104 .  
      At step  104 , the receiving module  113  of the storage device  11  transmits the coordinates data and the displacement data to the microprocessor  112 , the microprocessor  112  analyzes, processes or compresses the coordinates data and the displacement data and then stores into the flash memory  114 , the procedure proceeds to step  105 .  
      At step  105 , whether or not the input device  12  completes the operation is determined, if yes, the procedure proceeds to step  106 , otherwise the procedure returns to step  102 .  
      At step  106 , the procedure ends.  
      The above touch device  122  generates and transmits the touch signal together with the corresponding coordinates data of the touch signal to the microprocessor  112 . The microprocessor  112  initializes the storage device  11  for inputting while receiving the touch signal and uses the corresponding coordinates data of the touch signal as the coordinate data and the displacement data of the starting point for the user using the input device  12  to write. The touch device  122  starts to transmit the starting signal to the microprocessor  112  while the touch signal is being generated and the microprocessor  112  uses the starting signal as the coordinates data and the displacement data of the starting point.  
      The switch to generate the above starting or ending signal can be the touch device  122 , buttons, a fine adjustment switch or other similar type of switch.  
      Referring to  FIG. 1 , when the storage device  11  is electrically connected to a host end  2  via the data transmission interface  111 , an execution program  21  installed in the host end  2  can read the coordinates data and the displacement data stored in the flash memory  114  of the storage device  111  and then analyzes and integrates the coordinates data and the displacement data, such as the calculation of the coordinates, the calculation of the distance of the coordinate and the connection of the points of the coordinates, to convert into corresponding text or image files to enable the user to browse and edit. Furthermore, the user may also store the data to the flash memory  114  of the storage device  111  via the host end  2 .  
      Hereinafter, the operation procedure of connecting the host end with the storage device is described with reference to  FIGS. 1 and 3  as follows.  
      At step  201 , the storage device  11  is connected to the host end  2 .  
      At step  202 , the execution program  21  of the host end  2  reads the coordinates data and the displacement data stored in the flash memory  114 .  
      At step  203 , the execution program  21  calculates the coordinates data and the displacement data, and saves the calculation result in text, symbol or image files.  
      At step  204 , the data is analyzed and integrated into corresponding text or image files, and the text or the image files can completely restore the data of the original handwriting.  
      At step  205 , the procedure ends.  
      The host end  2  may be a computer, a notebook computer or a PDA (personal digital assistance).  
      Accordingly, the portable storage device of the present invention has at least the following advantages.  
      1. The user can write by using the input device  12  directly without using the handwritten board, and therefore the user need not carry any additional device.  
      2. The input device  12  of the present invention need not be electrically connected to the host end  2  and the user can write by using the input device  12  directly and store into the storage device  11 . Thus, the present invention provides a greater convenience to the user, in that, the storage device  11  of the present invention can be easily carried anywhere and information can be conveniently input and store in the storage device  11 . For example, the conference or business meeting information may be input and stored directly into the storage device  11  of the present invention and the user may need not use the conventional notepad, telephone book or agenda book.  
      3. The storage device  111  and the input device  12  of the present invention can transmit the signals wirelessly without the wire connection, and accordingly, the efficiency can be effectively promoted.  
      4. After the storage device  111  of the present invention is electrically connected to the host end  2 , the user can run the execution program  21  installed in the host end  2  to read the data stored in the flash memory  114  of the storage device  11 . The data may be further converted into the corresponding text or image files and may also store into the flash memory  114  of the storage device  111  through the host end  2 .  
      A prototype of portable storage device has been constructed with the features of  FIG. 1 ˜ 3 . The portable storage device functions smoothly to provide all of the features discussed earlier.  
      Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.