Patent ID: 7692639

Claim:
A method of interacting with a computing device via one or more inking instruments to generate digital ink, the computing device having a light emitting device and a light sensing device, the method comprising the steps of: emitting first light at a first wavelength from the light emitting device to a tip portion of an inking instrument, the tip portion comprising a first material that reflects the first light at the first wavelength and at an intensity within a first range of intensities; and receiving user inputs from the inking instrument, the step of receiving user inputs comprising: receiving, at the light sensing device, reflected first light reflected from the tip portion of the inking instrument; receiving, at the light sensing device, second light that is generated by the inking instrument and that is emitted from the inking instrument with one or more characteristics that enable the computing device to identify the inking instrument; and the computing device identifying the inking instrument based on the one or more characteristics of the second light generated by and emitted from the inking instrument, and further based on an evaluation that the reflected first light reflected from the tip portion of the inking instrument is at the first wavelength and within the first range of intensities.