The Digital Pen
How much data can the pen hold before it needs to be docked?
A pen can hold approximately 100 - 150 pages of typically populated documents or 50 fully populated 8.5 x 11 pages.
How do you know if the pen memory is full?
The pen will vibrate and display a flashing red light when it is full and needs to be docked.
How long will the pen’s battery last?
The battery life is 3 hours of continuous writing. The charge will last well over a month if the pen is kept capped during storage.
How long does the pen take to charge?
It takes approximately 2 hour to completely recharge a pen.
How does the pen capture your handwriting?
A pressure sensor turns on the camera inside the pen when the ink cartridge makes contact with the paper. While active, the camera takes 50 images per second at an extremely high resolution. It actually does not film the handwriting but rather the dots on the paper.
How durable is the pen?
The pen is designed to take a fall from four feet. It is very durable, and withstands harsh elements working in outdoor environments. In most cases the pen can be dropped without problems.
Can the digital pen be sterilized?
The pen cannot be immersed in water. Wiping the outside of the pen with an alcohol pad or disinfectant gel is common. However, testing is recommended in the actual environment in which it will be used.
Is water damage a concern in environments that are wet or humid?
The pen is not marine-proof. If it is immersed in water it will not work. However, the only fragile item that is exposed on the pen is the camera lens thus moisture in the air should not affect the pen. The camera lens may need to be cleaned periodically. We recommend testing in the actual environment to be certain.
How much usage can you get out of an ink cartridge?
Literally, the pen will write for 1200 linear meters, or 47,244 inches. This equates to about 540 documents based on a typical business document, which at 5 documents per work day results in the usage of only 2.5 cartridges per year. Each pen is shipped with one cartridge in the pen and five extra cartridges, providing a multi-year supply.
Does the pen work without ink, i.e.; does the pen function by simply moving over the special paper or does the ink serve that purpose?
The camera in the pen reads the unique dot pattern. The camera captures the coordinates of the dots as the person writes. The ink that is written is for the person who is writing to see what they have done and does not affect what is captured by the pen.
Does the pen have the ability to adapt over time to the writing technique and style of the various pen users?
While we have not added the capability for the handwriting interpretation software to learn a person's writing, the system can accept additional entries to the database of interpretations. Also, over time, if a person verifies their own data, they learn to adjust their writing slightly so the interpretation will improve.
In the event a transmission is interrupted, is the data lost or does it remain on the pen until a subsequent transmission is successful?
If a transmission is interrupted during the docking of the pen the strokes remain on the pen until they are resent.
Does the pen retain the data or is it automatically erased upon a successful transmission?
The data in the pen is not erased until after the strokes are successfully removed from the pen. At that time a message is sent to the pen to delete the strokes on the pen.
