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Claims  |
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I claim:
1. A keyless electronic calculating pen, comprising:
a writing implement shaped in the form of a pen;
a writing refill disposed within said writing implement and supported
within said writing implement by a ball joint such that a first end of
said writing refill is freely movable in response to application of
pressure to a second end of said writing refill during a writing
operation;
a calculation and display circuit disposed within said writing implement;
and
switch means located within said writing implement for sensing movement of
said first end of said writing refill and transmitting a binary digital
signal to said calculation and display circuit in response to sensed
movement, whereby movement of said writing implement in a first direction
during writing causes said switch means to transmit a first binary signal
to said circuit, and movement of said writing implement in a second
direction during writing causes said switch means to transmit a second
binary signal to said circuit.
2. A keyless electronic calculating pen according to claim 1, wherein said
writing implement comprises:
a tubular barrel including a forward section in which said calculating and
display circuit is housed, a middle section having a display window, and a
rearward section in which a power source for said circuit is housed;
a conical head portion attached to said forward section of said tubular
barrel, said writing refill being supported within said conical head
portion; and
a detachable cap connected to said rearward section of said tubular barrel,
said cap functioning as a switch for connecting the power source to said
calculating and display circuit.
3. A keyless electronic calculating pen according to claim 1, wherein said
second end of said writing refill protrudes through said conical head
portion, further wherein said conical head portion includes an elastic
ring surrounding said writing refill and located near said first end of
said writing refill, said elastic ring maintaining said first end in a
neutral position when no pressure is applied to said second end of said
writing refill.
4. A keyless electronic calculating pen according to claim 1, wherein said
switch means includes a pair of microswitches disposed at a right angle
with respect to each other and a spacer means for maintaining said
microswitches in predetermined positions, said microswitches being
actuated by said first end of said writing refill upon movement thereof.
5. A keyless electronic calculating pen according to claim 1, wherein said
calculating and display circuit comprises:
a signal transfer circuit including an input circuit for receiving the
signals transmitted by said switch means, a sequencer and a comparator for
processing said received signals to determine the binary states of the
received signals, a storage means for successively storing the states of
received signals, and a decoder for decoding the stored information; and
a calculation circuit including a calculating section for receiving and
processing the decoded information, a timer for controlling the receipt of
information by said calculating section; a display actuated by said
calculating section; and a power source for driving said calculating and
display circuit.
6. A keyless electronic calculating pen according to claim 1, further
including an orientation mark located on the exterior of said writing
implement for indicating proper positioning of said calculating pen during
writing. |
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Claims |
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Description |
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FIELD OF INVENTION
The present invention relates to a keyless electronic calculating pen and
more particularly to an implementation constitutes a combination of a
writing pen and an electronic calculator. Signals generated by the pen tip
through writing on any surface of any writable medium following designated
strokes of numerals and calculating symbols are input to the calculator to
perform calculating and displaying functions. Besides, the written record
can be kept for checking and future reference.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
Electronic calculators are very popular today. Miniaturization in dimension
has become possible since the development and application of IC, LSI and
LCD and the manufacturing cost is greatly reduced. It is well known that
key panel operation is indispensible during use of an ordinary electronic
calculator, and in order to record during calculation, paper and pen are
necessary accessories which sometimes are not available at hand. For
larger size desk top type calculators, a paper roll for printing of the
record is often provided, and some super-thin size calculators are
therefore incorporated with a small pad of paper and a minipen as a
pocket-book set for convenience. A commodity so called a calcu-pen has
been marketed in the form of an aggregated key-operated calculator and
pen. However, independent operations for note taking and calculation are
required. More recently, a calculator has been disclosed with an
electronic pen connected to the calculator by a conductive lead, instead
of conventional key operation, and the pen is used to carryout the
calculation. Yet drawbacks remain to be improved upon, since the said
electronic pen has to be used with a specifically designed plate or with
the aid of certain mediums and the numerals and calculation records can
only individually or temporarily appear and can not be kept wholly and
permanently.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
Therefore, the main object of the present invention is to provide a keyless
calculating pen, by writing with the pen tip on any writable surface such
as a piece of paper or board through designated strokes of numerals and
calculating symbols to effect the functions of calculating and displaying
without key panel operation, and the written record can be kept for
checking and future reference.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a keyless electronic
calculating pen comprising a portable combination of a pen and an
electronic calculator. A clip is provided to facilitate carrying the
implement in a pocket.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a keyless
electronic calculating pen, and since only displaying facility is required
without a key panel, simplicity and good appearance are assured, and hence
a low cost.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a keyless
electronic calculating pen, in which a signal is generated by pressing of
a pen tip against any writable surface of any material with precoded
stokes as an input into the calculator to perform the functions of
calculating and displaying.
Further objects and features will become apparent from the following
detailed descriptions to be taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings
.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing showing an embodiment of the general
appearance of the keyless electronic calculating pen of the present
invention;
FIG. 2 is an operating block diagram showing inner circuitry of the present
invention;
FIG. 3 is an embodiment of the circuitry of transferring section for the
input signal of the pen tip;
FIG. 4 is a partial cutaway front view showing the signal input section of
the pen tip;
FIG. 5 is a partial sectional top view showing the signal input section of
the pen tip; and
FIG. 6 is an example showing a coding relationship between
numerals/calculating symbols and designated strokes.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS:
Now referring to FIG. 1, the appearance of the electronic calculating pen
of the present invention is substantially the same as that of an ordinary
ball point pen comprising a tubular barrel 1, a conical head 2 wherein a
refill 3 is retained. A displaying window 4 is disposed near the central
surface of the barrel to display the numerals being calculated and the
result of calculation 41. Within the barrel 1, circuit means 5 of signal
input transfering, calculating, and displaying are contained. A cell
chamber 6 is provided at the rear part of the barrel 1 to hold a dry cell
7. A cap 8 also functions as a switch for the power source and is disposed
at the rear end of barrel 1. The cap 8 is detachable freely from the
barrel 1 to facilitate replacement of a dry cell and is capable of being
rotated a small angle clockwise or counterclockwise to actuate the power
source. A clip 9 is provided near the rear end of barrel 1 to facilitate
carrying in a pocket.
In the block diagram of FIG. 2, signal input transfering section 51 and
calculating section 52 are respectively denoted by dotted line blocks.
Calculating section 52 is of a conventional type which usually receives a
signal input by operating a plurality of prearranged keys which actuate
the circuit thereby effecting calculating and displaying. Yet in the
present invention, the keys are eliminated, and precoded strokes of the
pen tip against a writing surface are used to actuate two signal switches
to produce electric signals and for transfer to the calculating and
displaying circuit to effect calculating and displaying. In other words,
the transfering section 51 of the present invention is a substitute for
conventional key panel. Through designated strokes of the pen tip against
any writable surface, signal so generated is transfered to the output from
the transfering section 51 and input into the calculating section 52 after
comparing, memorizing, and decoding processes, to simulate a conventional
key panel operation.
Input section 5A of the signal transfering section 51 serves to generate
electric signals through stroke operation of the pen tip against a
writable surface of any material. Details of the designation or coding of
the strokes for numerals or calculating symbols will be explained later.
Referring also to FIG. 3, through actuated of a pair of micro-switches
51a-51b, a signal of zero ("0") or one ("1") is generated to the input to
an comparator 5B and a sequencer 5C for designating a signal "1" or "0",
and the signal is thereby counted. After being buffered by Buffer 5D, the
signals are input to a Temporary storage composed of an SCR circuit. Once
the last digit code of the preset number of digits (four in the present
example) is output from the sequencer 5C, temporary storage 5E reaches a
balance and outputs the 4 digit code a to decoder 5F, and after decoding
therein, a circuit corresponding to a conventional key panel operation is
actuated. In other words, sixteen (16) sets of four (4) digit codes of a
binary system representing the numerals 0 to 9 and calculating symbols +,
-, .times., .div., = and E (for eliminating) are able to be transfered to
the input to the calculating section 5G with the aid of a timer 5H. A
power source 5J and the displaying section 5K are the same as in a
conventional calculator, and are not described in further detail.
FIG. 3 depicts a circuit of signal input transfering section 51, and
numerals corresponding those used in the block diagram in FIG. 2 are used
here to represent the same parts as aforementioned. Since the circuitry is
known to those skilled in the art, it therefore warrents no further detail
here. The circuit of calculating section 52 also known.
To summarize, the feature of the present invention is to combine a signal
input transfering section 51 and calculating section 52 so that it is
possible to transfer input signals generated through strokes of a pen tip
against any writable surface without specifying the material of the said
surface, and no key panel operation or other code reader are required to
effect calculation. The abovesaid circuit which can be composed with an
IC, LSI, etc. of small volume to reduce the size of construction is also
familiar to those skilled in the art.
FIGS. 4 and 5 depict an embodiment of the structure of a pen tip which
serves as a signal input. Pen head 2 located at the front end of barrel 1
is connected with thread means. Through central opening 21 of head 2, a
ball pen refill 3 is inserted in a ball joint 23 retained in a support 22
to enable a universal movement thereabout. Tip 31 of refill 3 sticks out
of the head 2 with the rear end 32 inserted through a circular ring 25 of
elastic material such as rubber which is seated in a circular support 24
threaded to the rear end of head 2. The rear end 32 of refill 3 is free to
swing in directions caused by the pressing of tip 31 with a designated
stroke. With the ball joint 23 a as fulcrum, the rear end 32 of refill 3
is capable of swinging against the elastic ring support 25 toward any
direction such as shown by the dotted lines in FIG. 4.
A pair of micro-switches 51a, 51b are disposed a at right angle and
separated by a spacer 26 such as shown in FIG. 5. The said pair of
switches 51a, 51b serve the purpose as illustrated in input section 5A of
FIG. 3 to generate the signal "0" or "1" through the swinging of rear end
32 of refill 3 to close respectively switch 51a or 51b upon up-down stroke
or left-right stroke of the pen tip 31. A mark 11 is disposed at the
boundary between pen head and the front end of barrel 1 (FIG. 1) to give
correct orientation of pen-holding so that the desired effect of a
designated stroke is assured without going astray. During writing, rear
end 32 of refill 3 swings to selectively touch switch 51a or 51b, and upon
releasing of writing pressure, rear end 32 resumes a neutral position with
the aid of the restoring nature of the elastic ring 25.
Since the purpose of calculation of the present invention is fulfilled by
the designated stroke of numerals and symbols through pen tip 31 to effect
actuation of switches 51a, 51b to output a signal "0" or "1" to
transfering section 51 thereby to transfer the same as an input signal
into the calculating section 52, it is therefore important to define
writing strokes for each numeral or symbol. A four-digit code is adopted
in the embodiment of the present invention, wherein each up-down stroke
gives a "1" signal and each left-right stroke a "0" signal. The assigned
code and strokes for each numeral and symbol are shown in FIG. 6 which
should be followed strictly but are not difficult to learn. Of course this
system may be redefined as any soft ware in programming.
The main feature of the present invention is to effect calculating and
displaying through direct writing. No specific surface of writing is
required, and it is so convenient and of great interest. It may stimulate
the learning interest of children, and therefore it may function as an
educational toy, and yet it has practical value to effect calculation. The
said implement can also be used as an ordinary pen by just switching off
the power source through turning of the cap 8.
The above embodiment is given only for illustration purpose and not by way
of limitation, and modifications will become evident to those skilled in
the art which will fall within the scope of the attached claims.
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Description |
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