C Technologies Mobile Information Collector C-Pen User manual

USER’S GUIDE
English

First edition (March 2001).
This manual is published by C TechnologiesAB, without any warranty. Improvements
and changes to this manual necessitated by typographical errors, inaccuracies of
current information, or improvements to programs and/or equipment, may be made by
C Technologies AB at any time and without notice. Such changes will, however, be
incorporated into new editions of this manual including those on our web site
www.cpen.com.
All rights reserved
Copyright © C Technologies AB, 2001
Printed in Sweden and in the U.S.A.
PLEASE NOTE!
For instructions in other languages please consult our webpage
http://www.cpen.com.

Contents
INTRODUCTION TO ......................................................... 5
C-Pen Models................................................................................ 5
Your Personal Digital Assistant ...................................................... 7
Optimal Reading Conditions .......................................................... 8
User Documentation and Support .............................................. 10
Care and Safety ......................................................................... 10
PRESENTATION OF C-PEN ............................................. 12
Parts of C-Pen............................................................................. 12
Display Objects ............................................................................ 14
GETTING STARTED ....................................................... 17
Turning C-Pen On and Off .......................................................... 17
Battery ........................................................................................ 17
Navigating and Selecting ............................................................ 19
READING AND SAVING TEXT ...................................... 22
Reading Text ............................................................................... 22
Saving Text.................................................................................. 25
EDITING TEXT ............................................................... 26
Entering Edit Mode ..................................................................... 26
Edit Menu ................................................................................... 26
C Write ........................................................................................ 31
C Write Prototypes .....................................................................35
APPLICATIONS .............................................................. 39
Notes ........................................................................................... 41
C Dictionary ................................................................................. 45
Settings ...................................................................................... 54
Info .............................................................................................. 61
Storage ...................................................................................... 62
C Beam ....................................................................................... 64
C Direct ....................................................................................... 68
C Write (only available for latin characters)................................70
USING C-PEN WITH YOUR PC ....................................... 71
Installing C-Win Software ........................................................... 71
Connecting C-Pen to a PC by IR ................................................. 72
Connecting C-Pen to a PC by Cable ........................................... 73

4
Getting Help ................................................................................ 74
C-Pen Viewer.............................................................................. 74
Copy and paste in the PC Environment ...................................... 75
Installing and Removing Applications .......................................... 76
Transferring Files ......................................................................... 77
C Direct ....................................................................................... 78
C-Pen Edit ................................................................................... 78
Closing the Connection ............................................................... 79
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS ........................................ 80
WARRANTY ................................................................... 81
LIMITED WORLDWIDE WARRANTY ............................................. 83
Warranty Information ................................................................. 85
DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY .................................. 86
UL STATEMENT ............................................................. 87
C DICTIONARY COPYRIGHT NOTICE ............................. 88
INDEX ............................................................................ 90

5
INTRODUCTION TO
Congratulations - you have just bought a photographic
memory!C-PenisaMobile InformationCollectorthat reads,
remembers,processes and transfersprinted text toyourWin-
dows-equipped PC and PDA products. C-Pen is in essence
an electronic highlighter that saves the text you are mark-
ing. Carry it with you wherever you go!
Make it a habit to take your portable text collector with
you, and you are always ready to read and save text from
books, papers, brochures or business cards.You can easily
record price-lists, timetables, wine tips or witty quotes.You
don’t have to tear out pages any more.
With the portable dictionary you can translate and look up
words immediately without carrying around a printed
dictionary!
Your saved text files can later be transferred toyour PC. It is
also possible to use C-Pen to read text directly into a Win-
dows application in your PC.
C-Pen Models
In order to accommodate different needs, several C-Pen
models are available. They all have the basic features
C Read, C Write and Notes. The set of applications
depends on the model. C-Pen 600MX is equipped with
applications such as C Dictionary and Storage and has the
ability to read the Cyrillic alphabet. On the following pages
you will find a short description of C-Pen 600MX and its
applications.
Formore informationon C-Pen,please referto ourwebpage:
http://www.cpen.com.

6
C-Pen 600MX
C-Pen 600MX combines the reading function with transla-
tion ability, making it the perfect companion when travel-
ling or studying.
C-Pen600MX includes:
• C Read • C Direct • Info
• C Write • Notes • Storage
• C Beam • C Dictionary
C-Pen 600MX has the ability to read both the Latin and
the Cyrillic alphabet. It reads polish, hungarian, czech and
russian as well as the languages that other C-Pens read.
C-Pen 600MX offers communication by cable as well as
by IR.
It is powered by two alkaline AAA batteries (1.5 V type,
LR03). See further important instructions, Battery, p.17.
C-Pen 600MX has a Trigg button, that you press while
reading, and an ESC button. It is possible to exchange the
functions between these two buttons.
For more information on C-Pen 600MX, please refer to our
webpage: http://www.cpen.com.

7
Your Personal Digital Assistant
Powerful features
• CRead
Reads in text - the basic function of C-Pen. Move C-Pen
over the text, and the text will be captured by the pen,
where it can be saved as a file for later processing.
• CWrite (only theLatin alphabet)
Allows you to enter characters by writing with C-Pen as
if it were an ordinary pen. This is useful when editing
text, entering file names and looking up words in C Dic-
tionary
• CDirect
Enables you to transfer the scanned text directly from C-
Pen into your PC. The text will be placed at the cursor
position in any Windows program.
• C Beam
Transfers notes, contacts, calendar events and files be-
tween C-Pen and PDAs. C Beam supports the standard
infrared protocol IrOBEX. All devices and applications
using the IrOBEX protocol to its full extent are fully
compatible with C-Pen.
• C Dictionary
Enables your C-Pen to translate and/or look up words. C
Dictionary is very easy to use, simply slide your C-Pen
over the word you require translated and within less than
a second the result is displayed. Several language soft-
ware packages are available.

8
• Storage
Storage area in C-Pen, which can be used as a floppy
disc for files.
Optimal Reading Conditions
C-Pen uses Optical Character Recognition (OCR) to read
text. OCR is the process of turning an image of characters
into computer-readable text.
As C-Pen moves over the text, its internal light source illu-
minates the characters and a camera takes pictures of the
text. During OCR, C-Pen analyzes the pictures taken by its
camera and translates them into text characters.
The OCR quality will depend on the reading conditions.
The letters most commonly confused using OCR are:
e →cl→It→c
r+n→mi→lc→o
The following conditions affect the quality of character
recognition:
•Theprintquality of the text
High-quality printed text naturally gives maximum
OCR accuracy. With lower-quality print, e.g. faxes,
OCR accuracy may be poorer.You can calibrate the
C-Pen to optimize its performance under difficult
conditions; see Calibration, p. 56.
Pleasenote that C-Pen only recognizes machine-printed
characters such as laser-printed or typewritten text.
C-Pen does not recognize handwritten text.
!

9
•PositionandmovementofC-Pen
It is important how you hold and move C-Pen over the
printed text. Please see Reading text, p. 22 or read the
Quick Start folder to learn how to use
C-Pen correctly. It is crucial that you follow these
instructions in order to get the best results.
•The language of the text
Set the text language of the text you wish to read, to
get the most suitable OCR. See Text Language, p. 55.
•Deformedcharacters
Anything that is not a printed character, and any
character distorted by a mark or smudge on the paper
may be unrecognizable.
•Overlapping characters
Characters in the text should not overlap.
•Italicsandunderlinedtext
Italics are slightly difficult for C-Pen to read in some
fonts. Underlined text is also difficult for C-Pen to
read because the underline changes the shapes of the
descenders of the letters g, j, p, q and y.
•Text colors - text and surface
C-Pen cannot read some combinations of text colors
on colored surfaces, such as red or yellow text on a
white or red background.
Text that is highlighted by a traditional highlighter
marker can be read in some cases, depending on the
color and darkness of the ink.
•Small or large character sizes
The size of the characters should be 5–22 points.

10
User Documentation and Support
There are several sources of support for your C-Pen.
This User's Guide contains a description of C-Pen, its ap-
plications and instructions for reading and editing text and
saving files. The following applications are explained:
• C Read • C Direct • Storage
• C Write • C Beam • C Dictionary
• Notes • Info • Settings
You can also learn how to connect C-Pen to a PC.
The enclosed C-Pen CD contains the C-Win Software for
communication between C-Pen and your PC. It also con-
tains several help files:
• Help
• User's Guide in several different languages
• Troubleshooting, which helps you solve many
problems
On our web site, www.cpen.com, you can find Trouble-
shooting and the User’s Guide translated into several lan-
guages.Visit our web site, www.cpen.com, to get the latest
C-Pen news and free software upgrades.
Care and Safety
• Keep C-Pen away from direct sunlight, heat, moisture
and dust.
• Do not expose C-Pen to extreme temperature
variations.

11
• Make sure the camera opening is free from dust or any
other objects.
• Do not deliberately insert any object into the camera
opening.
• Clean C-Pen with a dry cloth. Do not use detergents or
other chemicals when cleaning C-Pen.
• C-Pen models that are powered by alkaline batteries,
require two 1.5VAAA batteries of type LR03. See
Battery,p. 17.
• Make backup copies of your C-Pen files regularly and
keep the copies in a safe place. Copies are made using
C-Win Software, see UsingC-Penwith your PC, p. 71.

12
PRESENTATION OF C-PEN
Parts of C-Pen
Description of the different parts:
1
2
4
5
53
7
8
3
8
1
6
7
4

13
1.On/OffandNav
Turns C-Pen on or off when pressed and held for more
than two seconds. This button is also used to scroll
through the menus and texts (push up or down) and to
select an item or an option (press briefly).
2. ESC
Closes menus. This is the button on the side of C-Pen.
The functions of Trigg and ESC can be exchanged to
suit your own preferences. See System Settings, p. 59.
3. Display
Used to display scanned text and for communication
between C-Pen and the user. The orientation of the text
on the display can be changed to suit left-handed users.
See SystemSettings, p. 59.
4. IR port
The infrared (IR) port is used for wireless data transfer
between C-Pen and a PC, mobile phone or PDA that is
equipped with an IR port.
5. Trigg
The Trigg button is to be pressed and held down while
reading text. The functions of Trigg and ESC can be
exchanged to suit your own preferences. See System
Settings, p. 59.
6. Cable Socket
The Cable Socket is where you plug in the cable that
connects C-Pen to your PC. The cable is used to com-
municate and transfer files to and from C-Pen to
your PC.

14
7. Battery Compartment
This is where you insert the batteries.
8. Camera Opening
The Camera Opening is not protected in any way.
This enhances C-Pen’s reading ability but it also
makes it important to see to that dust or other objects
do not enter the camera opening.
Display Objects
C-Pen uses the following display objects to communicate
with you:
• status field
• application icons
• menus
• check boxes
• dialog boxes
• edit fields
• dialog buttons
Status field
The area on the left side of the display is called the status
field. This field can display the current application, text
settings (Text Quality and Text Language) and C-Pen’s
battery power level. See also Settings, p. 54 and Battery,p.
17.

15
Application icons
The applications are represented by application icons on
themainscreen.The applicationsare described inthe chap-
ter Applications,p. 39.
Menus
Menus provide different options. A scroll bar indicates if
there are more menu items available above or below the
visible section.
Check boxes
Check boxes also provide different options. A check box
remains checked until you uncheck it or check another of
the alternative boxes in the list.
C-Pen main screen
Application icons
Menu items
Menu
Scroll bar
Text Language
Battery power level
Text Quality

16
Dialog boxes
A dialog box appears when you need to enter information or
givecommandsto C-Pen.Adialog box containsone ormore
objects such as edit fields or dialog buttons.
Edit fields
It is possible to enter and edit text in an edit field. An edit
field is recognized by its frame, see the figure above.
Dialog buttons
Dialog buttons are used in dialog boxes to give simple
instructions to C-Pen.
Common dialog buttons
Edit field
Dialog box
Dialog buttons
Checked box
Unchecked box

17
GETTING STARTED
Turning C-Pen On and Off
To turn C-Pen on and off, press the On/Off button until the
display is activated/deactivated. C-Pen turns off automati-
cally after 5 minutes of inactivity. To change the auto-
matic power-off time, see SystemSettings, p. 59.
Battery
Installing the batteries
1. Remove the battery cover from the back of C-Pen.
It is imperative to observe the polarity of the batteries.
The orientation of the plus and minus ends is shown
insidethe batterycompartment.
Press Nav to turn C-Pen on and off
Lift the cover here to open
!

18
2. Insert two alkalineAAA batteries (1.5V, type LR03).
3. Replace the battery cover.You should hear a “click”
when it locks in place.
Please do not dispose of batteries in a fire as there is a
dangerofexplosion. Please recycle the batteries!
Battery power level
The battery power level is shown by the battery indicator
at the bottom of the status field.
If the battery power level is getting low, the message “Bat-
tery low” will appear on the display. To avoid losing un-
saved information, save all material not previously saved
and then change the batteries.Turn C-Pen off before chang-
ing batteries. To change batteries, see Installing the bat-
teries p. 17.
If the battery power level is so low that the pen can no
longer function, you will get the message “Battery level
too low! Shutting down.” You must change the batteries to
be able to continue using C-Pen.
!
Text Language
Battery power level
Text Quality

19
Pleasenotethat information may be lost if you remove the
batteries without turning C-Pen off first. However, when
you turn C-Pen off properly, all information is saved in
the memory and it is safe to remove the batteries.
C-Pen is reset by removing the batteries from the battery
compartment. Do this when C-Pen has encountered
problems or has “frozen”.
Navigating and Selecting
Nav (the navigation control) is used for navigation and to
select an object.
Turn Nav up or down to navigate between
• menu items
• dialog buttons
• edit fields
• check boxes
• lines or characters in text
As you move between objects, they become highlighted
(inverted).
Pressing Nav briefly when an object is highlighted is re-
ferred to as selecting that object.
The result when selecting an object is explained for each
situation later in this manual. Below are some general re-
marks about selecting objects.
!

20
Menus
Selecting a menu item marked with a will display
further alternatives in a new menu.
Selecting EXIT or CANCEL will close the menu. Instead of
selecting EXIT or CANCEL, you can press ESC.
Dialog buttons
In a dialog box you can instruct C-Pen how to continue by
selecting a dialog button:
•OK
You accept a suggestion in a dialog box.
•YES
Your answer is “Yes” to a question in a dialog box.
•NO
Your answer is “No” to a question in a dialog box.
•CANCEL
The dialog box is closed and you return to your earlier
menu or screen. Instead of selecting CANCEL, you can
press ESC.
Edit fields
To be able to edit text in an edit field, you must first select
the field.
Menu item with
alternatives