Writing implements
AssigneeBIC Violex Single Member S.A.
InventorIon-Ioannis Antonakis
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A writing implement configured to emit light for altering the appearance of a substrate including at least one photochromic material, wherein the writing implement includes: an elongate body portion enabling a user to grip the writing implement, wherein the body portion comprises a proximal end and a distal end; a first light source configured to emit light from the proximal end, wherein the emitted light comprises at least a first colour component within a first wavelength range, wherein the first wavelength range at least partially corresponds to a deactivation spectrum of a first photochromic material of the substrate; and a controller configured to receive input from a user, and to generate signals for controlling the first light source based on the received user input.
Claims18
A writing implement configured to emit light for altering the appearance of a substrate comprising at least one photochromic material, wherein the writing implement comprises:
- an elongate body portion enabling a user to grip the writing implement, wherein the body portion comprises a proximal end and a distal end;
- a first light source configured to emit light from the proximal end, wherein the emitted light comprises at least a first colour component within a first wavelength range, wherein the first wavelength range comprises a spectral maximum within one of the ranges:
- 400 nm-425 nm, 425 nm-475 nm, 475 nm-525 nm, 525 nm-560 nm, 560 nm-590 nm, 590 nm-625 nm, or 625 nm-700 nm;
- a controller configured to receive input from a user, and to generate signals for controlling the first light source based on the received user input;
- a user-actuatable colour selector configured to receive a colour setting command from a user of the writing implement, and to provide the colour setting command to the controller;
- and
- a first modem, configured to enable the controller to communicate with a second modem,
- wherein the controller is configured to interrogate, via the first modem, to an electronic subsystem of a writing medium comprising a substrate, and to receive from the electronic subsystem of the writing medium designation data describing at least a first photochromic material comprised within the substrate of the writing medium, and
- wherein the controller is configured to compute the required intensity setting for at least the first colour component emitted by the first light source based on the received writing medium designation data.
A method for using a writing implement configured to emit light to alter the appearance of a substrate comprising at least one photochromic material, comprising:
- receiving, from a user-actuatable colour selector of the writing implement, a colour setting command from a user of the writing implement;
- providing the colour setting command to a controller of the writing implement;
- computing a required setting for at least a first colour component to be emitted by the first light source of the writing implement;
- controlling the first light source to emit light comprising at least the computed first colour component, wherein the first colour component is within a first wavelength range, that at least partially corresponds to a deactivation spectrum of a first photochromic material of a substrate of a proximate writing medium;
- disposing the proximal end of the writing implement relative to the proximate writing medium to expose the substrate of the proximate writing medium comprising at least the first photochromic material to the light generated by the first light source;
- communicating, via controller, with a second modem through a first modem;
- and
- interrogating, via the first modem, to an electronic subsystem of a writing medium comprising a substrate, and to receive from the electronic subsystem of the writing medium designation data describing at least a first photochromic material comprised within the substrate of the writing medium, and wherein the controller is configured to compute the required intensity setting for at least the first colour component emitted by the first light source based on the received writing medium designation data.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.