An acoustic tablet, also known as a spark tablet, is a form of

graphics tablet A graphics tablet (also known as a digitizer, digital graphic tablet, pen tablet, drawing tablet, external drawing pad or digital art board) is a computer input device that enables a user to hand-draw images, animations and graphics, with a spec ...

that uses

sound In physics, sound is a vibration that propagates as an acoustic wave, through a transmission medium such as a gas, liquid or solid. In human physiology and psychology, sound is the ''reception'' of such waves and their ''perception'' by the ...

to locate the position of the

stylus A stylus (plural styli or styluses) 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 w ...

within the drawing area. The general functionality of acoustic tablets is based on a sound-emitting stylus and

microphone A microphone, colloquially called a mic or mike (), is a transducer that converts sound into an electrical signal. Microphones are used in many applications such as telephones, hearing aids, public address systems for concert halls and public ...

s that are used to record the sound. The current position of the stylus can be calculated according to the difference in the timing of the recorded sound. The sound can, for example, be a small

electrical discharge An electric discharge is the release and transmission of electricity in an applied electric field through a medium such as a gas (ie., an outgoing flow of electric current through a non-metal medium).American Geophysical Union, National Research C ...

that is emitted when the stylus is placed near the surface of the tablet. Acoustic tablets have a long technological history, as seen from this 1971 patent by Science Accessories Corporation. Acoustic tablets are a convenient way to make a digitizing tablet for a very large surface area, as in the products.

References

External links

Annotated bibliography of references to handwriting recognition and pen computing
{{DEFAULTSORT:Acoustic Tablet Pointing devices

See also

References

External links