A patent application published recently by the USPTO has revealed an unusual LG smart device shaped like a pen, which seems to have the ability to double as a smartphone or Bluetooth headset thanks to the inclusion of a microphone and an earpiece. What’s more is that the smart pen also seems to conceal a rollable display within its housing, which virtually adds tablet-like characteristics to the device. A secondary, smaller display appears to reside on the pen clip giving users quick access to app shortcuts and other bits of information, and the unit can also sync with smartphones and tablets for extended functionality.
One of the more interesting characteristics pertaining to LG’s smart pen lies in its ability to memorize what users write on any type of surface. Powered by a wide range of sensors including pressure sensors, a gyro, an e-compass and more, the smart pen seems to have the ability to record a user’s handwriting whenever he or she might be writing or doodling on a regular sheet of paper, or indeed any type of surface, unlike existing solutions such as Moleskin’s Pen+ Ellipse which require special paper. Users can then transcribe the stored text to a conventional smartphone or tablet by syncing them together, thus bridging the gap between the analog and digital worlds. The smart pen is also equipped with two displays, one located on the clip, and another larger panel that rolls inside the pen itself. The larger display seems to convert the smart pen into a tablet-like device when pulled out, but also appears to offer some functionality whenever it’s tucked inside the pen housing, as part of the display remains visible in the form of a thin stripe where information such as notifications and time can be shown. Also worth noting is that the pen itself can seemingly double as a smartphone, or at least an earpiece for a synced device akin to how the old Sony Xperia Z Ultra launched in 2013 was paired with a Bluetooth headset.
All in all, LG’s smart pen design seems to be quite an ambitious accessory for smartphone users, but as always, patent applications don’t always translate into actual, consumer-grade products. The patent at hand does offer a bit of insight into LG’s vision of the future and the OEM’s potential plans for flexible/rollable display technology, but at this moment in time, there’s no guarantee that the smart pen at hand will ever be put into production.
