Handwriting capture device

A handwriting capture device comprising:

• housing having a top surface;
• a pressure sensitive digitizer, mounted within the top surface, have upper and lower sheets electrically coupled at a plurality of dots by pressure from handwriting, the digitizer having a near separation distance between dots of about 0.16 to 0.2 inches, and being sensitive to a predetermined minimum writing force of no more than about 10 to 15 grams from an ordinary writing instrument applied to a paper receipt over the digitizer;
• means affixed to the digitizer of frictionally holding the receipt in place, including a layer of urethane rubber;
• a guide for aligning an edge of the paper receipt;
• means coupled to the digitizer and mounted within the housing for processing signature information;
• means located externally on the top surface for holding an externally provided receipt in place over the digitizer on the top surface and for guarding the digitizer from finger contact including a transparent frame member, a window within the frame member over the digitizer, and a rib member mounted across the frame member, said holding and guarding means being operative to hold the receipt in place on the top surface of the housing during transfer of the device between a point-of-service operator and a customer;
• and
• means coupled to the digitizer for sensing the presence of the receipt and for activating data capture by the digitizer when the receipt is positioned under the holding and guarding means.

A method for capturing handwriting without immediate feedback from an electronic display comprising the steps of:

• providing retaining means for holding an externally provided record member in a predetermined position on a digitizer;
• inserting the record member between the retaining means and the digitizer;
• applying a writing to the digitizer through the record member;
• and
• processing a signal representing the writing from the digitizer.

A handwriting capture device comprising:

• a housing having a top surface;
• a digitizer, mounted within the top surface;
• a clamp for holding a record member in a predetermined position on the top surface, including an inverted L-shaped member mounted on the top surface of the housing having an inner horizontal surface and an inner vertical surface, a protrusion extending downwardly from the inner horizontal surface, and a receptacle corresponding to the shape of the protrusion within the top surface of the housing;
• and
• means coupled to the digitizer for processing written information.

A handwriting capture device comprising:

• a housing having a top surface;
• a digitizer, mounted within the top surface;
• a clamp for holding a record member in a predetermined position on the top surface, including an inverted L-shaped member mounted on the top surface of the housing having an inner horizontal surface and an inner vertical surface, a hemispherical protrusion extending downwardly from the inner horizontal surface, and a hemispherical receptacle corresponding to the shape of the protrusion within the top surface of the housing;
• and
• means coupled to the digitizer for processing written information.

A handwriting capture device comprising:

• a housing having a top surface;
• a digitizer, mounted within the top surface;
• a clamp for holding a record member in a predetermined position on the top surface, including a frame member, a window within the frame member and over the digitizer, and an upwardly flared portion at one end of the clamp for facilitating insertion of the record member into the clamp;
• and
• means coupled to the digitizer for processing written information.