Universal pen with position or motion sensing

Abstract

The present invention provides a pen which includes a marking device, the pen being operative to mark a visible path onto a surface, the marking device being electronically controllable to change an attribute of the path, the pen including a user interface whereby a user may modify the attribute, the pen including at least one sensing device for sensing images or colors or both.

1 . A pen including a marking device operative to mark a visible path onto a surface, the marking device being electronically controllable to change the value of at least one attribute of the path, the pen including at least one position sensing device or a motion sensing device or both and a controller operable to change the value of at least one attribute, the value derived from the position of the pen relative to the surface, the speed of the pen relative to the surface or both.  
     
     
         2 . The pen of  claim 1  including at least one sensing device for sensing images or colors or both and wherein the controller is operable to change the value of the at least one attribute, the value derived from the sensed images or colors.  
     
     
         3 . The pen of  claim 2  wherein the or at least one of a plurality of sensor devices is capable of sensing images including coded data relating to attributes.  
     
     
         4 . The pen of  claim 1  wherein the at least one sensing device is located adjacent the marking device.  
     
     
         5 . The pen of  claim 1  wherein the at least one sensing device is located at one end of the pen and the marking device is located at the other end of the pen.  
     
     
         6 . The pen of  claim 6  wherein the at least one sensing device is operable by pushing the at least one sensing device against a surface.  
     
     
         7 . The pen of  claim 1  wherein including a user interface whereby a user may change the value of the at least one attribute.  
     
     
         8 . The pen of  claim 7  wherein the user interface includes a display for displaying information relating to the value of the at least one attribute.  
     
     
         9 . The pen of  claim 7  wherein the user interface is operable to cycle through the stored sets of values of at least one attribute.  
     
     
         10 . The pen of  claim 1  wherein the user interface includes at least one device selected from the group comprising a slider, a control button, a slider and at least one other control button.  11 . The pen of  claim 1  further including a memory for storing at least one user defined set of value the at least one attribute.  
     
     
         12 . The pen of claim  11  wherein the stored sets of values of at least one attribute are cycled by sequentially displaying information on a display.  
     
     
         13 . The pen of  claim 1  wherein the at least one attribute includes marking or not marking.  
     
     
         14 . The pen of  claim 3  wherein the user defined set includes at least one value derived from an image or color sensed by the sensing device.