INVENTION DISCLOSURE FORM (IDF)
This form is a formal record of the disclosure of your invention. The information you supply in this form
will be used to assess the potential for obtaining patent (or other) protection for your invention so it is
important to be accurate and succinct, avoiding as much technical jargon as possible. If patenting is
appropriate, the information will be used to form the basis of detailed discussions with a patent attorney.
Please attach any information that may be of assistance.
Please return this form to
1. Brief Working Title of Invention
Ballpoint pen type input device for computers
2. Please indicate exactly where and when the invention was first conceived
Date:
04/08/1998
Place: Rondevoo Technologies LLC
3. Description of invention
3.1. Introduction
What is the market / field / disease / of invention. Size of market.
General Wide Market (Same as that of a stylus or a pen), especially students
3.2. What problem does it solve?
What is the clinical / end-user / market demand? Why is the invention required? What is wrong /
what are the limitations, with the current tools / therapies / diagnostics / devices etc? Who will use it
and when?
It helps store manually created data for archive and retrieval purposes in its original format. For
example, notes kept in an inventor’s notebook can be input into a computer system in the inventor’s
handwriting, further authenticating the electronically stored version of that information. It has a great
profit potential due to the huge market size and good turnover every year due to new students
constantly being matriculated.
3.3. Summary
What is it? How and why does it work/what does it look like? Describe in layman’s terms and use
sketches, drawings, flow diagrams, and chemical equations as needed to help understanding by others.
Attach photographs, drawings, sketches or any other descriptive material.
It’s an ordinary ball point pen but with a sensor system that enables it to record what is being written
on a physical paper which is then forwarded to a computer to create a digital copy of what’s being
written. It operates on a battery and the data transmission is completely wireless making the device
very portable.
3.4. Do similar inventions exist? What is the closest existing prior art that you can identify?
Of yours? Of others? Attach evidence if possible.
Stylus probes in combination with touchscreen technology.
https://patents.google.com/patent/JP2000122808A/en?inventor=Takeshi+Kuribayashi&sort=new&pag
e=10
3.5. What is novel about the invention? Why is your invention different?
Differentiate your invention from the prior art (publications, patents, products).
What are the limitations with existing technologies? What are the technical / clinical problems it will
uniquely solve? What are the commercial problems it overcomes? What advantages does your
innovation provide that makes it better than the existing solutions? How does your invention differ?
It combines the simplicity of a standard ball point pen with the features of a stylus all without needing
a touchscreen to write on. Using a stylus on a touchscreen does not give the same feeling as that of a
ballpoint pen while writing with a ball point pen has the limitations of being written on paper.
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3.6. Has the invention been tested or used in practice?
What data do you currently have to support the invention? If you have any practical results, please
summarise them.
-There is no practical data to be provided3.7. Extensions of the idea
What extensions to the idea can you foresee that you consider may work but are untried and beyond
the scope of the invention described above? eg: other material combinations that might achieve
similar results, alternative applications of the idea, other topologies etc.
It could potentially be attached with a small microphone which can be used to record quick memos.
4. Information on the intellectual property
(A) PUBLIC DISCLOSURES
4.1. Has the invention or any part of it been disclosed in a publication, an
abstract, a presentation or any other form of public disclosure? If yes, please
attach a copy and write the date of the disclosure on the material.
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No
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4.2. Is there a draft manuscript detailing the invention? If yes, please attach a
copy.
Yes
As shown in a cutaway, longitudinal view, a typical ballpoint pen housing 10 is
adapted for housing the pen/input device of the subject invention.
The pen barrel 12 houses the pen/input device of the subject invention, as will be
described. A removable cap 14 is adapted for housing an independent power
supply such as a dry cell battery unit 18. Where desired, the cap or barrel may
also include a standard pocket clip 16. Other power supplies, such as, by way of
example, a rechargeable system or a solar cell could also be used. The pen/input
device includes a typical ballpoint pen cartridge with a rolling ball pen “point” 22.
Sensors 24 and 28 are housed in the barrel 12 for monitoring the movement of the
ball 22. Wires 26 and 30 are connected to sensors 24 and 28, respectively, for
carrying the sensed motion signals to a transmitter 32 which transmits the motion
signals to a remote receiver via a low frequency radio signal through integrated
antenna 34. The transmitter/sensor system is connected to the internal power
supply 18 via a coupling system such as, by way of example, the wires 36, 38.
The power supply connectors can be any of the well-known contact system
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standard and known to those who are skilled in the art. For example, a standard
flashlight connector system can be readily adapted to the present invention.
In the embodiment of FIG. 1, where video sensors 24 and 28 are utilized, the tip of
the barrel 12 includes a transparent window 40 through which the
sensors 24 and 28 can monitor the movements of the ball and the orientation of
the pen relative to the transfer media, such as paper, not shown. This assures that
the position of the pen relative to the paper is known both during a pen stroke and
when the pen is lifted and moved to another portion of the paper. As best shown
in FIG. 2, all motions of the pen can be defined by standard “x” and “y”
coordinates. This permits any alphanumeric or graphic data to be defined by a
point-to-point “x” and “y” position of the ball 22 to the paper or other media. By
monitoring the position of the ball relative of a defined origin point, the “x” and “y”
position data can be transmitted via the transmitter 32 to a remote computer and
accurately reproduced in electronic form.
In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the video sensors 24 and 28 “watch” and
transmit the pen movements relative to the paper. For example,
the sensor 28 monitors the orientation (rotation) of the pen relative to the origin
and the sensor 24 monitors the angle and distance of the pen relative to the origin
in order to define the “x” and “y” coordinate of each point representing the
alphanumeric or graphic input. By using an orientation sensor, the style of stroke
may be monitored as well as the “x” and “y” position. Thus, if a calligraphic (flat)
point were used instead of the ball, both the “thin” and “thick” line strokes can be
monitored by sensing the orientation (rotation) of the point about the center axis of
the pen.
An alternative sensor system is shown in FIG. 3. As there shown, a stiff wire
unit 50 is housed within the cartridge 20 and is located along the central axis of
the pen. A friction contact surface 52 is positioned above and in contact with the
ball 22, with sufficient clearance to permit ink to flow around the surface 52 and
onto the ball. Sensors 54 and 56 are positioned around the perimeter of the
wire 50 and monitor deflection of the wire to determine movement of the ball in an
“x” and “y” coordinate system. Sensor 58 monitors surface speed of the ball 22 to
determine actual coordinate position at any point during a stroke, via the positive
contact system as indicated by contact surface 60. This permits accurate
representation of the pen position by combining the “x” and “y” deflection with the
speed of movement. The sensor 58 may also monitor ball pressure (or “z” axis
deflection) in order to capture the boldness of the stroke.
A sensor system based on the mouse principal is shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. This
system utilizes sensors that are in direct contact with the rolling ball 22. In this
configuration, the “x” sensor is a pressure or deflection sensor having a positive
contact surface 61 and a diametrically opposite negative contact surface 60.
The sensor monitors the deflection of the ball in the “x” direction. The
“y” sensor 62 operates in a similar manner with the positive contact 63 and the
negative contact 62 measuring pressure or deflection in the “y” direction. The
actual deflection is monitored on a calibrated index or reference
system 65 provided in each sensor 60 and 62 and the resulting vectors give
accurate “x,” “y” directional coordinates for the pen motion.
The speed sensor 70 is shown in FIG. 5 and may be positioned anywhere on the
ball 22. Preferably the speed sensor will be positioned on the central axis of the
ball 22 so that it can also be used as a pressure (“z” axis deflection) sensor, to
indicate boldness of stroke. The ball 72 provided in the sensor 70 monitors
surface speed of the ball 22 and when combined with the deflection signals of
sensors 60 and 62 provides an accurate signal representing direction and length
of each pen stroke. In the preferred embodiment, the origin point of the pen is the
first point input and all additional strokes are measured from that point. Other
origin or orientation points may be defined in the wellknown manner.
FIG. 6 is an embodiment incorporating the same principals as the embodiment of
FIGS. 4 and 5, with a modified sensor construction. As in FIG. 5, the
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“x” sensor 80 measures “x” deflection of the contact surface 88, the
“y” sensor 82 measures “y” deflection of the contact surface 88 and the
“z” sensor monitors both speed and pressure.
The subject invention provides a useful, portable device for inputting manually
generated data into a computer system. Where desired the wireless transmitter
could be replaced with a hardwired transmitting system to reduce costs. While
certain features and embodiments of invention have been described in detail
herein, it will be understood that the invention includes all modifications and
enhancements within the scope and spirit of the following claims.
Anticipated date of submission / disclosure: 04/01/1999
4.3. If yes to 4.2, has this been submitted to a journal or publisher? Please
provide details of the publisher, dates of submission and whether or not the
manuscript has been accepted for publication.
Journal name:
Submission date:
Outcome:
No
(B) MATERIALS
4.4. Have you supplied any material relating to the invention to anyone outside
your research group? Please include researchers within your organisation as
well as those at other organisations.
The research is non-existent as it’s merely an idea
No
If yes, was the material transferred under a Material Transfer Agreement
(MTA)?
No
If appropriate, please supply MTA reference number(s).
4.5. Did you use any materials supplied by other researchers to make your
invention?
No
No
If yes, were the materials supplied under an MTA?
If appropriate, please supply MTA reference number(s).
(C) RESEARCH TOOLS
4.6. In developing the invention have you made use of any research tools (such
as: software design environments; gene editing platforms; image analysis
tools (eg GFP) etc.) that are restricted to research use only or otherwise may
restrict the commercial exploitation of their outputs?
No
If yes, were the research tools supplied to you under an MTA or other
agreement?
No
If appropriate, please supply MTA reference number(s).
(D) COMMERCIAL INTEREST
4.7. Are you aware of any companies that might be interested in this invention?
Yes
If yes, please list names.
Microsoft, Apple
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5. Funding sources1
Please list all sources of funding that have contributed to the invention.
What funding source was used to support the project leading to the creation of this invention? Please
provide details of the source (funding body), Principal Investigator and the specific grant(s) applicable.
Funding
Institute
Award
Type
Sponsor’s
Award No
Title
University
Grant
Number
Contract
Period
NA
6. Inventors (insert additional tables if required)
It is a legal requirement to identify correctly the inventors named on a patent filing. An inventor needs
to have either conceived the idea or contributed to its development in the sense that without their
contribution the invention would not have been devised. A person should not be named as an inventor
if they simply followed the instructions of others or performed known techniques. If their role was to
perform experiments to prove that the idea works then they must have had to devise new techniques
for their contribution to be inventive.
Name:
Adam A. Monroe
Title:
Nationality2:
United States of America
Employer (whether, or
not, UoD):
Rondevoo Technologies LLC
Status:
Contractor
Work Address:
308 Negra Arroyo Lane, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 87104
Work Phone:
605148369
Work Email:
Rondevoo.monroe@hotmail.com
Personal Email3:
monroeadam@yahoo.com
Description of Inventive
Contribution4
Sole Contributor
% Inventive
Contribution5
100
Name:
NA
Dr.
Title:
Nationality:
Employer (whether, or
not, UoD):
Status:
Employee / Contractor / Consultant
Work Address:
1
To comply with funder reporting requirements
Nationality is required by patenting authorities
3
Alternative contact detail for patent offices
4
Where more than one person is named as an inventor or non-inventive contributor, provide a brief description of what each
person contributed towards the conception and the development of the invention
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PI
Work Phone:
Work Email:
Personal Email:
Description of Inventive
Contribution
% Inventive
Contribution:
eg: 40
Name:
NA
Title:
Nationality:
Employer (whether, or
not, UoD):
Status:
Employee / Contractor / Consultant
Work Address:
Work Phone:
Work Email:
Personal Email:
Description of Inventive
Contribution
% Inventive
Contribution:
eg: 40
Named inventor who will act as the principal contact person
Dr. Adam A. Monroe
7. Non-inventor contributions (insert additional tables if required)
Non-inventive contributors may have contributed considerable time and skill to an invention and may
be deserving of a share of any net revenue if the project is commercially successful. Please list any
person who should be recognised for their contribution but does not fall within the definition of
inventor.
Name:
NA
Title:
Employer (whether, or
not, UoD):
Status:
Employee / Contractor / Consultant
Work Address:
Work Phone:
Work Email:
Personal Email:
Description of
Contribution
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% of Aggregate
Inventive Contribution to
be received:
eg: 40
Donated by Which
Inventors:
Name:
NA
Title:
Employer (whether, or
not, UoD):
Status:
Employee / Contractor / Consultant
Work Address:
Work Phone:
Work Email:
Personal Email:
Description of
Contribution
% of Aggregate
Inventive Contribution to
be received:
eg: 40
Donated by Which
Inventors:
8. Inventors’ signatures
Signing confirms that to the best of your knowledge the information provided in this form is
accurate and complete. It also confirms your agreement with the % revenue shares stated in
Sections 6 & 7.
Print Name
Signature
Date
Print Name
Signature
Date
Print Name
Signature
Date
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