Abstract: An autonomous input device which enables the user to capture and store handwritten text and graphics in a precisely controllable manner for subsequent transmission to a computer in a computer readable format. This input device may look and feel like an ordinary writing pen and can function as a writing instrument while it captures that which is written with it. Further, this pen input device has the capability of sensing the absolute location of the pen tip, as opposed to other input devices such as computer mice, which sense relative locations only.