Digital pen adapter shells

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021181867-A1
Application number	US-201716076102-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 10, 2017
Priority date	Apr 10, 2017
Publication date	Jun 17, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

In some examples, a digital pen adapter shell includes a shell housing providing an inner chamber to removably receive an outer body of a digital pen, where the outer body of the digital pen for gripping by a user when the digital pen is used by the user outside the shell housing. The digital pen adapter shell further incudes a retainer inside the shell housing to engage the body of the digital pen, and an opening, at an end portion of the shell housing, through which a writing tip of the digital pen is to pass.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A digital pen adapter shell comprising:
a shell housing providing an inner chamber to removably receive an outer body of a digital pen, the outer body of the digital pen for gripping by a user when the digital pen is used by the user outside the shell housing; a retainer inside the shell housing to engage the body of the digital pen; and an opening, at an end portion of the shell housing, through which a writing tip of the digital pen is to pass.

2 . The digital pen adapter shell of claim of claim 1 , further comprising:
an indicator to provide a type indication of a writing style for the digital pen.

3 . The digital pen adapter shell of claim 2 , wherein the type indication controls a characteristic of a marking made in response to the writing tip of the digital pen interacting with a writing surface.

4 . The digital pen adapter shell of claim 2 , wherein the characteristic controlled by the type indication is selected from among a thickness of the marking, a darkness of the marking, and a color of the marking.

5 . The digital pen adapter shell of claim 2 , wherein the indicator is detectable by the digital pen after insertion into the inner chamber of the shell housing.

6 . The digital pen adapter shell of claim 2 , wherein the indicator comprises a communication transceiver to transmit, to a computer, the type indication.

7 . The digital pen adapter shell of claim 1 , further comprising a power charger to charge a battery of the digital pen once the digital pen is positioned inside the shell housing.

8 . The digital pen adapter shell of claim 1 , further comprising a control button activator arranged on the shell housing, the control button activator to operatively engage a control button of the digital pen once the digital pen is inserted into the inner chamber of the shell housing.

9 . A digital pen comprising:
an outer body; a writing tip; and a controller to:
detect insertion of the digital pen into an adapter shell, and
determine a type of the adapter shell based on an indicator of the adapter shell.

10 . The digital pen of claim 9 , further comprising:
a communication transceiver inside the outer body, wherein the controller is to transmit, to a computer using the communication transceiver, a writing style indication in response to the determined type of the adapter shell based on the indicator of the adapter shell.

11 . The digital pen of claim 9 , wherein the adapter shell is a first adapter shell, and the controller is to:
determine a first type of the adapter shell based on the indicator of the first adapter shell, transmit, to a computer, a first writing style indication in response to the determined first type of the first adapter shell, detect insertion of the digital pen into a second adapter shell, determine a second type of the second adapter shell based on an indicator of the second adapter shell, and transmit, to the computer, a second writing style indication in response to the determined second type of the second adapter shell.

12 . The digital pen of claim 11 , wherein the first writing style indication is to cause a marking made in response to the writing tip of the digital pen interacting with a writing surface to have a first characteristic, and the second writing style indication is to cause a marking made in response to the writing tip of the digital pen interacting with the writing surface to have a second characteristic different from the first characteristic.

13 . The digital pen of claim 11 , wherein the first adapter shell has a form factor that differs from a form factor of the second adapter shell.

14 . A method of forming a digital pen adapter shell, comprising:
providing a shell housing defining an inner chamber to removably receive an outer body of a digital pen, the outer body of the digital pen for gripping by a user when the digital pen is used by the user outside the shell housing; arranging a retainer inside the shell housing to engage the body of the digital pen; providing an opening, at an end portion of the shell housing, through which a writing tip of the digital pen is to pass; and providing an indicator to indicate a writing style for the digital pen, the indicated writing style controlling a characteristic of a marking made in response to the writing tip of the digital pen interacting with a writing surface.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the inner chamber of the shell housing is to receive a first portion of the digital pen, while a second portion of the digital pen is exposed and outside the shell housing.

Assignees

• Hewlett Packard Development Co

Inventors

• Stancil Charles J

Classifications

• G06F3/0393

  Accessories for touch pads or touch screens, e.g. mechanical guides added to touch screens for drawing straight lines, hard keys overlaying touch screens or touch pads · CPC title

• G06F3/04883

  for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text · CPC title

• G06F3/0383

  Signal control means within the pointing device · CPC title

• G06F3/03545 Primary

  Pens or stylus · CPC title