Abstract: A handheld inkjet printer is disclosed. The printer has a housing, a printhead fixedly mounted in the housing, and a capping device mounted external to the housing. The capping device has an arm, a capping leg extending transversely from the arm and an elastomeric pad affixed to the capping leg and in capping engagement with the printhead. The arm has a resilient portion deformable towards the housing upon receipt of a force. The housing defines a fulcrum with the arm and the leg being positioned on opposite sides of the fulcrum. Deformation of the arm towards the housing causes displacement of the capping leg, which in turn causes the elastomeric pad to move out of capping engagement with the printhead.

Abstract: A test module for performing a genetic diagnostic assay, the test module having an outer casing dimensioned for hand-held portability, the outer casing having a receptacle for a biological sample containing target nucleic acid sequences, an array of chambers containing probes for hybridization with the target nucleic acid sequences to form probe-target hybrids, a flow-path extending from the inlet to the probes, and, a reagent reservoir containing a reagent for addition to the sample in the flow-path upstream of the probes, wherein, each of the chambers contains less than 270 picograms of probe and the reagent reservoir has a volume less than 1000,000,000 cubic microns.

Abstract: An electronic pen for interacting with a surface. The pen comprises a cartridge having a nib for contacting the surface, a capacitive force sensor cooperating with said cartridge for sensing a nib force transmitted axially through the cartridge, and a processor configured to generate force data indicative of a force detected by the force sensor. The capacitive force sensor comprises: a spring having an integral conductive moving plate resiliently biased towards a reference position, a conductive fixed plate and a dielectric separating said plates.

Abstract: A print medium configured to be printed on by a pagewidth printhead in a print direction. The print medium includes: a laminar substrate defining first and second opposite faces; a data track containing first information encoded in accordance with a linear encoding scheme, the data track extending in a linear read direction across a portion of the first face of the print medium, the read direction being oriented at between 45 and 135 degrees with respect to the print direction; and a plurality of contiguous tags tiled across the laminar substrate. Each of the tags identifies second information and a two-dimensional coordinate position on the laminar substrate. Each of the tags is encoded in accordance with a second encoding scheme distinct from the linear encoding scheme. The information is indicative of the second information.

Abstract: An electronic pen comprises a retractable cartridge, a retraction mechanism for extending and retracting the cartridge, a button for actuating the retraction mechanism, a sensing arrangement for sensing a configuration of the pen, and a processor cooperating with the sensing arrangement. The processor is adapted to configure a state of the pen in response to input signals from the sensing arrangement. The sensing arrangement comprises a button sensor coupled to the button, which senses actuation of the button and a cartridge sensor for sensing whether the cartridge is extended or retracted.

Abstract: A method of printing comprising the steps of: (i) operatively positioning a swipe printer relative to a surface and swiping the printer across the surface; (ii) printing, during the swipe, successive parts of a position-coding pattern onto the surface; (iii) printing, during the swipe, successive parts of a graphic image onto the surface, the position-coding pattern and the graphic image being superimposed; (iv) imaging, during the swipe, portions of the surface on which the printhead has printed the parts of the position-coding pattern; (v) determining, during the swipe, absolute positions of the printhead using imaged parts of the position-coding pattern; and (vi) using the absolute positions to control, during the swipe, printing of the position-coding pattern and the graphic image.

Abstract: A system for modifying a classification scheme for classifying hand-written characters. The system includes a memory storing the classification scheme containing a plurality of user dependent allographs, each allograph representing a respective style of a respective letter; and a processor configured for: receiving data representing a handwritten character; selecting an allograph representing the handwritten character; modifying the allograph in accordance with the selection; and storing a modified classification scheme which includes the modified allograph.

Abstract: A method is disclosed of determining a coordinate value with respect to patterns printed on a document. Each pattern represents a sequence, with each sequence consisting of a repeating codeword of a cyclic position code. The pattern is sensed, and from each sensed pattern a respective sub-sequence of symbols is obtained. Each of the sub-sequences is then mapped to a respective mapped codeword of the cyclic position code. An offset between each mapped codeword and the codeword is determined, and a difference is derived between pairs of offsets. The coordinate value is derived by interpreting one of the differences as a marker separating the coordinate value from an adjacent coordinate value, and the remaining differences as digits of the coordinate value.

Abstract: A method of interacting with printed content using a handheld display device. The method includes the steps of: imaging an area of a printed substrate and generating image data using an image sensor; determining interaction data using the image data, retrieving display data using an identified page description, the display data corresponding to the printed content; displaying, on an opaque touch-sensitive display screen of the handheld display device, display information based on the display data; and interacting with the display information via the opaque touch-sensitive display screen. The opaque touch-sensitive display screen has real-time virtual transparency through the screen to the printed content from a user's perspective to provide a virtual window to the printed content.

Abstract: A method of displaying hyperlinked information using a handheld display device. The method includes the steps of: imaging an area of a printed substrate and generating image data using an image sensor; determining interaction data using the image data; retrieving display data using an identified page description, the display data including a hyperlink associated with the printed content; displaying, on an opaque touch-sensitive display screen of the handheld display device, display information based on the display data and including the hyperlink; interacting with the displayed hyperlink; retrieving hyperlinked information; and displaying the hyperlinked information. The opaque touch-sensitive display screen has real-time virtual transparency through the screen to the printed content from a user's perspective to provide a virtual window to the printed content.

Abstract: A controller arrangement for an optical sensing pen having a nib, the controller arrangement configured to operatively sense location data by sensing location tags on a page of printed media, and to calculate a nib-to-tag distance indicative of the location data. The controller arrangement includes an infrared (IR) illumination LED and image sensor assembly configured to transmit IR light onto, and receive IR light reflected from, respectively, the page of printed media. The arrangement also includes a force sensing infrared LED and photodiode assembly configured to detect when the nib contacts the page so that the sensor assembly is only activated when the nib is in contact with said page.

Abstract: A method of revealing hidden content associated with printed content using a handheld display device. The method includes the steps of: imaging an area of a printed substrate and generating image data using an image sensor; determining interaction data using the image data; retrieving display data using an identified page description, the display data including the hidden content associated with the printed content; displaying, on an opaque touch-sensitive display screen of the handheld display device, display information based on the display data and including the hidden content. The opaque display screen has real-time virtual transparency through the screen to the printed content from a user's perspective to provide a virtual window to the printed content. The opaque display screen additionally displays the hidden content in real-time as if it were printed on the printed substrate.

Abstract: A method of controlling audio playback using a handheld display device having a touch-sensitive screen and a transceiver for sending and receiving digital information. The method comprises the steps of: imaging an area of a printed substrate and generating image data using an optical sensor, the printed substrate containing printed content associated with audio; determining interaction data using the image data, the interaction data identifying a substrate identity; retrieving audio data associated with said printed content; displaying, on the touch-sensitive screen, display information identifying the audio together with a static element for controlling audio playback; and controlling audio playback by interacting with the static element via the touch-sensitive screen.

Abstract: A method of performing an action is disclosed. The method starts by sensing a print medium to obtain data encoded on a surface of the print medium. The data encodes at least a print media identifier. The print medium has a representation of a document printed thereon. The print media identifier is determined from the data and a digital copy of the document corresponding to the representation is retrieved. The digital copy is associated with the print media identifier and includes one or more hyperlinks. The digital copy of the document is displayed and a selection of one of the hyperlinks is received from a user. A predefined action designated by the selected hyperlink is then performed.

Abstract: There is provided an object comprising: a first identifier identifying a unique object identity; a second identifier identifying a first digital signature for the identity; and a mask for masking at least one of the first identifier and the second identifier. The masked identifier is readable only when said mask has been removed.

Abstract: A method of initiating a requested action in a computer system via a printed substrate. The substrate has human-readable information and machine-readable coded data printed thereon. The coded data is indicative of a substrate identity and of a plurality of locations on the substrate. The method comprises the steps of: (a) interacting with the substrate using an optically imaging sensing device; (b) imaging the coded data; (c) generating indicating data in the sensing device using the imaged coded data, the indicating data identifying the substrate identity and a position of the sensing device relative to the substrate; and communicating the indicating data to the computer system so that the computer system can initiate the requested action. The coded data is printed with an ink comprising an IR-absorbing naphthalocyanine dye.

Abstract: A method of compressing a sequence of strokes input at an input device of a processing system is provided in which each stroke input at the input device is represented as a series of digital words representing x and y co-ordinates, and a co-ordinate is expressed as an offset from a preceding co-ordinate by combining a residual error value and an estimate calculated from the previous m co-ordinates using the formula: a ~ n = ? i = 1 m ? c i ? ? n - i where ci are coefficients selected to model characteristics of the input strokes, and ? represents either an x or a y co-ordinate.

Abstract: A printer includes an elongate support case defining a docking bay and having a personal computer interface connector protruding from a first end thereof; a print media cartridge configured to dock in the docking bay in a releasable manner; a page-width printhead assembly mounted across a second end of the support case opposite the first end, the page-width printhead assembly including a static ink ejection printhead for ejecting ink upon print media supplied from the print media cartridge; and a series of ink channel reservoirs including one reservoir for each color printed by the ink ejection printhead. The reservoirs are formed around the ink ejection printhead with feed channels progressively reducing in size to feed the printhead.

Abstract: A system for providing information to a user via a printed substrate. The system includes the printed substrate, an optically imaging pen device and a display device. The optically imaging pen device is configured for reading coded data from the substrate; generating interaction data using the coded data; and sending the interaction data to a computer system. Receipt of the interaction data by the computer system causes the computer system to: identify and retrieve a page description corresponding to the printed substrate; generate a query expression including one or more search terms; form a request using the query expression; and send the request to the display device.

Abstract: A substrate having a first coding pattern disposed on a surface thereof. The first coding pattern comprises: a plurality of target elements defining a target grid, the target grid comprising a plurality of cells, wherein neighboring cells share target elements; a plurality of data elements contained in each cell; and a plurality of tags. Each tag is defined by a first set of contiguous cells. Each tag comprises respective tag data encoded by a respective set of the data elements. Each cell comprises one or more registration symbols encoded by a respective set of said data elements. Each of the registration symbols identifies the cell as being contained in the first set, and thereby contained in the first coding pattern.