Active pen

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A Wacom Bamboo Capture graphics tablet with supplied inductive pen. The crop marks on the surface indicate the active area, which measures 14.7x9.2 cm or 5.8x3.6 in. Wacom Bamboo Capture tablet and pen.jpg
A Wacom Bamboo Capture graphics tablet with supplied inductive pen. The crop marks on the surface indicate the active area, which measures 14.7×9.2 cm or 5.8×3.6 in.

An active pen (also referred to as active stylus) is an input device that includes electronic components and allows users to write directly onto the display of a computing device such as a smartphone, tablet computer or ultrabook. [1] The active pen marketplace has long been dominated by N-trig [2] and Wacom, [3] but newer firms Atmel [4] and Synaptics [5] also offer active pen designs.

Contents

An active pen is generally larger and has more features than a stylus. Digital pens typically contain internal electronics and have features such as touch sensitivity, input buttons, memory, writing data transmission capabilities, and electronic erasers. [6]

The main difference between an active pen and the input device known as a passive stylus or passive pen is that although the latter can also be used to write directly onto the screen, it does not include electronics and thus lacks all of the features that are unique for an active pen: touch sensitivity, input buttons, etc. [7] Active pen devices support most modern operating systems, including Google's Android and Microsoft Windows. [8]

Active pens carried out by manufacturers such as Wacom Pro Pen 2 [9] and Huion PW500/PW507 [10] can support 8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity and tilt recognition with accuracy. Tilt feature of the active pen helps create natural-looking pen, brush, and eraser strokes in applications that support tilt sensitivity. [11]

Use

Active Pen, natural pressure sensing ActivePenSensitivity1.jpg
Active Pen, natural pressure sensing

Active pens are typically used for note taking, on-screen drawing/painting and electronic document annotation, as well as accurate object selection and scrolling. [7] When used in conjunction with handwriting recognition software, the active pen's handwritten input can be converted to digital text, stored in a digital document, and edited in a text or drawing application.

Active and positional pens

The electronic components generate wireless signals that are picked up by a digitizer and transmitted to its dedicated controller, providing data on pen location, pressure and other functionalities. Additional features enabled by the active pen's electronics include palm rejection to prevent unintended touch inputs, and hover, which allows the computer to track the pen's location when it is held near, but not touching the screen. [12] Most active pens feature one or more function buttons (e.g. eraser and right-click) that can be used in the place of a mouse or keyboard.

Technology groups

N-trig Duosens Pen, inside view ActivePenComponents.jpg
N-trig Duosens Pen, inside view
A Wacom digital pen Wacom Pentable Pen.jpg
A Wacom digital pen
Active
Active pens, such as N-trig's DuoSense Pen, include electronic components whose signals are picked up by a mobile device's built-in digitizer and transmitted to its controller, providing data on pen location, pressure, button presses and other functionality.
Positional
Position-based digital pens use a facility to detect the location of the tip during writing. Some models can be found on graphics tablets made popular by Wacom, and on tablet computers using Wacom's Penabled technology.
Capacitive (multitouch compatible)
Capacitive pens multitouch compatible, generate a signal used by multitouch screen to detect the location of the tip during its movement while writing or drawing. They are compatible with most smartphones and tablets with capacitive-multitouch screen as iPhone, iPad, Samsung, LG, etc.

See also

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Graphics tablet</span> Computer input device

A graphics tablet is a computer input device that enables a user to hand draw or paint images, animations and graphics, with a special pen-like stylus, similar to the way a person draws pictures with a pencil and paper by hand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stylus</span> Writing utensil or small tool for marking or shaping

A stylus is a writing utensil or a small tool for some other form of marking or shaping, for example, in pottery. It can also be a computer accessory that is used to assist in navigating or providing more precision when using touchscreens. It usually refers to a narrow elongated staff, similar to a modern ballpoint pen. Many styluses are heavily curved to be held more easily. Another widely used writing tool is the stylus used by blind users in conjunction with the slate for punching out the dots in Braille.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Touchpad</span> Type of pointing device

A touchpad or trackpad is a type of pointing device. Its largest component is a tactile sensor: an electronic device with a flat surface, that detects the motion and position of a user's fingers, and translates them to 2D motion, to control a pointer in a graphical user interface on a computer screen. Touchpads are common on laptop computers, contrasted with desktop computers, where mice are more prevalent. Trackpads are sometimes used on desktops, where desk space is scarce. Because trackpads can be made small, they can be found on personal digital assistants (PDAs) and some portable media players. Wireless touchpads are also available, as detached accessories.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ArtRage</span> Bitmap graphics editor by Ambient Design Ltd.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wacom</span> Japanese company specializing in graphics tablets and related products

Wacom Co., Ltd. is a Japanese company headquartered in Kazo, Saitama, Japan, that specializes in manufacturing graphics tablets and related products. As of 2012 Wacom generated sales of approximately 40.7 billion yen with 785 employees. The company's shares are listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Digital pen</span> Input device

A digital pen is an input device which captures the handwriting or brush strokes of a user and converts handwritten analog information into digital data, enabling the data to be utilized in various applications. This type of pen is used in conjunction with a graphics tablet, tablet computer, smartphone or digital notebook.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tablet computer</span> Mobile computer with integrated display, circuitry and battery

A tablet computer, commonly shortened to tablet, is a mobile device, typically with a mobile operating system and touchscreen display processing circuitry, and a rechargeable battery in a single, thin and flat package. Tablets, being computers, have similar capabilities, but lack some input/output (I/O) abilities that others have. Modern tablets largely resemble modern smartphones, the only differences being that tablets are relatively larger than smartphones, with screens 7 inches (18 cm) or larger, measured diagonally, and may not support access to a cellular network. Unlike laptops, tablets usually run mobile operating systems, alongside smartphones.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Multi-touch</span> Touchscreen interactions using multiple fingers

In computing, multi-touch is technology that enables a surface to recognize the presence of more than one point of contact with the surface at the same time. The origins of multitouch began at CERN, MIT, University of Toronto, Carnegie Mellon University and Bell Labs in the 1970s. CERN started using multi-touch screens as early as 1976 for the controls of the Super Proton Synchrotron. Capacitive multi-touch displays were popularized by Apple's iPhone in 2007. Multi-touch may be used to implement additional functionality, such as pinch to zoom or to activate certain subroutines attached to predefined gestures using gesture recognition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pen computing</span> Uses a stylus and tablet/touchscreen

Pen computing refers to any computer user-interface using a pen or stylus and tablet, over input devices such as a keyboard or a mouse.

A text entry interface or text entry device is an interface that is used to enter text information in an electronic device. A commonly used device is a mechanical computer keyboard. Most laptop computers have an integrated mechanical keyboard, and desktop computers are usually operated primarily using a keyboard and mouse. Devices such as smartphones and tablets mean that interfaces such as virtual keyboards and voice recognition are becoming more popular as text entry systems.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Input device</span> Device that provides data and signals to a computer

In computing, an input device is a piece of equipment used to provide data and control signals to an information processing system, such as a computer or information appliance. Examples of input devices include keyboards, computer mice, scanners, cameras, joysticks, and microphones.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stylus (computing)</span> Pen-shaped instrument used as a human-computer interface

In computing, a stylus is a small pen-shaped instrument whose tip position on a computer monitor can be detected. It is used to draw, or make selections by tapping. While devices with touchscreens such as laptops, smartphones, game consoles, and graphics tablets can usually be operated with a fingertip, a stylus can provide more accurate and controllable input.

The history of tablet computers and the associated special operating software is an example of pen computing technology, and thus the development of tablets has deep historical roots. The first patent for a system that recognized handwritten characters by analyzing the handwriting motion was granted in 1914. The first publicly demonstrated system using a tablet and handwriting recognition instead of a keyboard for working with a modern digital computer dates to 1956.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Microsoft Tablet PC</span> Microsofts former line of tablets

Microsoft Tablet PC is a term coined by Microsoft for tablet computers conforming to hardware specifications, devised by Microsoft, and announced in 2001 for a pen-enabled personal computer and running a licensed copy of the Windows XP Tablet PC Edition operating system or a derivative thereof.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Samsung Galaxy Note (original)</span> Android smartphone by Samsung

The Samsung Galaxy Note is an Android smartphone produced by Samsung Electronics. It was unveiled at IFA Berlin 2011 and first released in Germany in late October 2011, with other countries following afterwards. The Galaxy Note was distinguished by its unusually large form factor—later referred to using the term "phablet"—which straddled the size of the average smartphone at the time, and that of a small tablet: it features a 5.3-inch display, and is bundled with a stylus branded as the "S Pen", which can be used to navigate the device's user interface, and write or draw in supported apps.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">S Pen</span> Line of stylus pens designed by Samsung Electronics

S Pen (Korean: S펜) is a wireless digital pen stylus designed and developed by Samsung Electronics featuring Wacom's digital pen technology. It is made for use with supported Galaxy mobile devices like smartphones and tablets, as well as selected Samsung Notebook, Galaxy Book, and Chromebook notebooks. It was first released with the Galaxy Note in 2011, becoming a core feature of the Note line of products. The S Pen supports features such as translating text by hovering the pen, and creating animated messages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Samsung Galaxy Note</span> Discontinued series of high-end Android phablets and smartphones

The Samsung Galaxy Note is a discontinued line of high-end flagship Android phablets and smartphones developed and marketed by Samsung Electronics. The line was primarily oriented towards pen computing; all Galaxy Note models shipped with a stylus pen, called the S Pen, and incorporate a pressure-sensitive Wacom digitizer. All Galaxy Note models also include software features that are oriented towards the stylus and the devices' large screens, such as note-taking, digital scrapbooking apps, tooltips, and split-screen multitasking. The line served as Samsung's flagship smartphone model, positioned above the Galaxy S series, and was part of the wider Samsung Galaxy series of Android computing devices.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Surface Pen</span> Digital pen made by Microsoft

The Surface Pen is an active stylus and digital pen developed by Microsoft for its series of Surface computing devices. It is designed to showcase the pen computing capabilities of Microsoft's Windows 8/8.1, Windows 10 and Windows 11 operating systems.

The Universal Stylus Initiative (USI) is a non-profit alliance of companies promoting a technical standard for interoperable active pen styluses on touchscreen devices such as phones, tablets, and computers.

References

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  2. Cooper, Andrew (September 12, 2013). "N-trig Release Teases that Fujitsu's Stylistic Q702 will Come with Active Pen Support". Engadget.com. Archived from the original on December 9, 2013. Retrieved February 28, 2014.
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  4. Takahashi, Dean (January 7, 2014). "New Sensors Could Lower the Cost of Touchscreen Pens – and Make Them as Good as Pen and Paper". VentureBeat.com. Archived from the original on February 28, 2014. Retrieved February 28, 2014.
  5. Gasior, Geoff (October 17, 2013). "Synaptics Intros Pressure-Sensitive Stylus Tech for Win8.1". techreport.com. Archived from the original on October 21, 2013. Retrieved February 28, 2014.
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  7. 1 2 Linenberger, Michael (October 16, 2013). "The Importance of an Active Digitizer Pen". MichaelLinenberger.com. Archived from the original on February 18, 2014. Retrieved January 6, 2014.
  8. "Android Getting Native Active Pen Support in Ice Cream Sandwich". GottaBeMobile.com. Notebooks.com Inc. October 21, 2011. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved January 6, 2014.
  9. Gartenberg, Chaim (2016-10-10). "Wacom's latest tablet PC has a pen with 8,192 levels of sensitivity". The Verge.
  10. "With Outstanding Technology, HUION Launches New Battery-free Pen Display KAMVAS Pro 13". Market Insiders. 2018-08-08.
  11. "What is Tilt?". Wacom. Archived from the original on 2018-11-08. Retrieved 2018-11-08.
  12. Bricklin, Dan (2009). Bricklin on Technology. Indianapolis, IN: Wiley Publishing. p. 283. ISBN   978-0-470-40237-5.