Smart closure unit for a writing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10057548-B2
Application number	US-201614995524-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 14, 2016
Priority date	Nov 30, 2015
Publication date	Aug 21, 2018
Grant date	Aug 21, 2018

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a smart closure unit for a writing apparatus. The closure unit comprises a diaphragm film, a camera and a control unit. The diaphragm film comes in contact with writing nib of the writing apparatus when the writing apparatus is closed by the closure unit. The camera captures an image of the diaphragm film when the writing nib of the writing apparatus is in contact with the diaphragm film. The control unit compares the captured image received from the camera with one or more predefined images, wherein each of the predefined images is associated with an ink intensity value. The ink intensity value indicates percentage of ink present in the writing apparatus. The control unit further detects the ink intensity value corresponding to the matched predefined image. Furthermore, a user interface in the closure unit displays one or more information related to the writing apparatus.

First claim

We claim:

1. A closure unit for a writing apparatus, the closure unit comprising:
a diaphragm film, wherein the diaphragm film comes in contact with writing nib of the writing apparatus when the writing apparatus is closed by the closure unit;
a camera to capture an image of the diaphragm film when the writing nib of the writing apparatus is in contact with the diaphragm film;
a control unit configured to:
compare the captured image received from the camera with one or more predefined images, wherein each of the one or more predefined images is associated with an ink intensity value, wherein the ink intensity value indicates percentage of ink present in the writing apparatus; and
detect the ink intensity value corresponding to the matched predefined image; and

a user interface to display one or more information including the ink intensity value.

2. The closure unit as claimed in claim 1 further comprises a motion detection system, wherein the motion detection system is configured to:
detect movement of the closure unit, along with the writing apparatus, from a resting position; and
transmit an activation signal to activate the camera and the control unit upon detecting movement of the closure unit.

3. The closure unit as claimed in claim 1 comprises a motorized ink erasing arrangement for erasing traces of the writing ink, formed on the diaphragm film, when the closure unit is removed from the writing apparatus.

4. The closure unit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the control unit provides a notification to at least one of users and maintenance personnel of the writing apparatus when the ink intensity value in the writing apparatus is less than a preconfigured value.

5. The closure unit as claimed in claim 1 comprises one or more communication interfaces to communicate with one or more computing devices associated with at least one of the users and the maintenance personnel of the writing apparatus.

6. The closure unit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the one or more information comprises at least one of percentage of the ink intensity value of the writing ink in the writing apparatus, percentage of battery remaining in the closure unit, color of the writing ink in the writing apparatus, location of the writing apparatus, model information of the writing apparatus and estimated writing time of the writing apparatus.

7. The closure unit as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the control unit determines writing time of the writing apparatus based on the ink intensity value of the writing ink in the writing apparatus.

8. The closure unit as claimed in claim 1 further comprises a physical port for performing at least one of charging the battery in the closure unit and configuring the closure unit with one or more configuration information related to the writing apparatus.

9. The closure unit as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the one or more configuration information comprises at least one of location of the writing apparatus, model information of the writing apparatus and color of the writing ink in the writing apparatus.

10. The closure unit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the control unit is further configured to determine the percentage of battery remaining in the closure unit and the ink intensity value of the writing ink in the writing apparatus at one or more predetermined time intervals.

11. The closure unit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the diaphragm film, the camera and the control unit are detachable from the closure unit.

12. The closure unit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the diaphragm film is made up of at least one of a translucent material and a transparent material.

13. The closure unit as claimed in claim 1 further comprises at least one of a display with touch screen interface and one or more selection buttons for providing the one or more information to at least one of the users and the maintenance personnel of the writing apparatus.

14. A method for determining ink intensity value in a writing apparatus when the writing apparatus is closed by a closure unit, the method comprising:
capturing, by a camera in the closure unit, an image of a diaphragm film when a writing nib of the writing apparatus is in contact with the diaphragm film;
comparing, by a control unit configured in the closure unit, the captured image received from the camera with one or more predefined images, wherein each of the one or more predefined images is associated with an ink intensity value, wherein the ink intensity value indicates percentage of ink present in the writing apparatus;
detecting, by the control unit, the ink intensity value corresponding to the matched predefined image; and
displaying, by a user interface in the closure unit, one or more information including the ink intensity value.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14 , wherein determining the ink intensity value in the writing apparatus further comprises:
detecting, by a motion detection system in the closure unit, movement of the closure unit, along with the writing apparatus, from a resting position; and
transmitting, by the motion detection system, an activation signal to activate the camera and the control unit upon detecting movement of the closure unit.

16. The method as claimed in claim 14 , wherein traces of the writing ink, formed on the diaphragm film, is erased by a motorized ink erasing arrangement in the control unit when the closure unit is separated from the writing apparatus.

17. The method as claimed in claim 14 further comprises providing a notification to at least one of users and maintenance personnel of the writing apparatus when the ink intensity value in the writing apparatus is less than a preconfigured value.

18. The method as claimed in claim 14 , wherein one or more communication interfaces in the closure unit communicate with one or more computing devices associated with at least one of the users and the maintenance personnel of the writing apparatus.

19. The method as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the one or more information comprises at least one of percentage of the ink intensity value of the writing ink in the writing apparatus, percentage of battery remaining in the closure unit, color of the writing ink in the writing apparatus, location of the writing apparatus, model information of the writing apparatus, and estimated writing time of the writing apparatus.

20. The method as claimed in claim 14 further comprises determining the percentage of battery remaining in the closure unit and the ink intensity value of the writing ink in the writing apparatus at one or more predetermined time intervals.

21. The method as claimed in claim 14 further comprises providing the one or more information to at least one of the users and the maintenance personnel of the writing apparatus by at least one of a display with touchscreen interface and one or more selection buttons.

Assignees

• Wipro Ltd

Inventors

• Kumar Vijay
• Ninan Thomas Chittakattu

Classifications

• G01M99/00 Primary

  Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass · CPC title

• H04N7/183 Primary

  for receiving images from a single remote source · CPC title

• B43K23/12

  for pens {(caps co-operating with retractable nibs B43K5/165)} · CPC title

• G06T7/20

  Analysis of motion (motion estimation for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals H04N19/43, H04N19/51) · CPC title

• B43K29/08

  with measuring, computing or indicating devices · CPC title