Durable digital writing and sketching instrument
A hand-holdable, durable digital writing and sketching device or assembly having rugged construction that houses an on-board camera with a view through an optical window of a writing surface brought in view by a user moving the device. The device is rugged, sealed, and is capable of withstanding dropping, water submersion, abrasive incursions, and resistance to chemical and fungal degradation. The optical window and optic channel to the camera is protected by a durable and replaceable light-transmitting shield that provides a sealed barrier to the environmental elements harmful to the functioning of the device. The writing and sketching device oscillates between a stowed and a deployed state. The deployed state includes the camera being in view the writing surface and the stowed state includes the camera being either masked from viewing the writing surface or aimed internally from viewing the writing surface. Other versions of the digital writing and sketching device include replaceable styli and pens that are removable and interchangeable with a sealed chamber in the device. The stylus point or pen ends are substantially in view of the on-board device camera. Signal transmissions communicated from the digital writing and sketching device convey pressures experienced by the inserted stylus or pens and are represented in proportion to a microprocessor based display that conveys changing field of view experienced by the on-board camera.
1. A digital writing device comprising:
a pen section having a writing portion and a cap engagement portion with a plurality of cap engagement members, the writing portion having an ink distribution device and an optics channel configured to transmit light toward a digitally-enabled writing surface, the cap engagement portion having a camera in optical communication with the optics channel for receiving light from the writing surface through the optics channel;
a cap section engageable with the pen section, the cap section having a circuit receiving portion with electronic circuitry for receiving signals from the camera for processing information from the pen section, the cap section further having a pen engagement portion with a plurality of pen engagement members complementarily configured to releasably engage the cap engagement members of the pen section; and
a sealing mechanism coupled to at least one of the pen or cap sections and engageable with the other of the pen or cap sections, the sealing mechanism configured to substantially prevent liquids and particulates from entering the cap section,
wherein the cap engagement members and the pen engagement members are sealably engageable when the pen section is in a writing configuration and sealably engageable when in a stowed configuration, the writing configuration having the ink distribution device facing away from the circuit receiving portion and the stowed configuration having the ink distribution device facing toward the circuit receiving portion.
2. The digital writing device of claim 1 , wherein the digitally-enabled writing surface includes a pattern of printed dots.
3. The digital writing device of claim 1 , wherein the camera includes a charge coupled device for receiving light from the digitally-enabled writing surface.
4. The digital writing device of claim 1 , further comprising an o-ring secured to the pen section and receivable in a slot provided in the cap section for sealably engaging the pen section with the cap section.
5. The digital writing device of claim 1 , wherein the cap engagement members and the pen engagement members are in electrical communication to activate the digital writing device when in the writing configuration and deactivate the digital writing device when in the stowed configuration.
6. A digital pen comprising:
a pen section having a writing portion and a cap engagement portion, the writing portion having an ink distribution device and an optics channel configured to transmit light toward a digitally-enabled writing surface, the cap engagement portion having a camera in optical communication with the optics channel for receiving light from the writing surface through the optics channel;
a cap section engageable with the pen section, the cap section having a circuit receiving portion with electronic circuitry for receiving signals from the camera for processing information from the pen section; and
a sealing mechanism coupled to at least one of the pen or cap sections and engageable with the other of the pen or cap sections, the sealing mechanism configured to prevent a liquid from entering the cap section during an immersion event,
wherein the pen section is reversibly engageable with the cap section to be in one of a writing configuration and a stowed configuration, the writing configuration having the ink distribution device facing away from the circuit receiving portion and the stowed configuration having the ink distribution device facing toward the circuit receiving portion.
7. The digital computer pen of claim 6 , wherein the pen section further includes a light-transmitting shield.
8. The digital pen of claim 6 , wherein the pen section and the cap section are made from durable materials.
9. The digital pen of claim 6 , wherein an exterior surface of the cap section is at least partially covered with a grippable material.