Patent ID: 7969587

Claim:
An electronic pen for interacting with a substrate having coded data disposed thereon, the pen comprising: an infrared light source for illuminating an area of the substrate; an image sensor for sensing at least some of the coded data illuminated in said area when the pen is used to interact with the substrate; a cartridge having a nib for contacting said substrate; a retraction mechanism for slidably moving said cartridge between a retracted position wherein said nib is retracted within a body of said pen and an extended position wherein said nib protrudes from said body; a force sensor cooperating with said retraction mechanism, said force sensor being configured to sense a force applied to said substrate by said nib when said nib is in said extended position; and a processor configured to generate, using at least some of the sensed coded data, indicating data indicative of the interaction with the substrate, wherein said image sensor is configured to sense said coded data only when said force sensor detects that said nib is in contact with said substrate.