Stylus for electronic devices

• US 10,025,404 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2016
• Issued: 07/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Zimmerman, Aidan N., Wong, Wingshan, Armendariz, Kevin, Bohney, Nathan, Pasma, Christopher, Amini, Mahmoud, Baugh, Brenton A., Brooks, Ryan P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zheng, Xuemei
• Application Number:
  US15/259,861
• Publication Number:
  US 20170068341A1
• Time in Patent Office: 677 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04105 Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04107 Shielding in digitiser, i.e. guard or shielding arrangements, mostly for capacitive touchscreens, e.g. driven shields, driven grounds
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0383 Signal control means within the pointing device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0414 using force sensing means to determine a position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04162 for exchanging data with external devices, e.g. smart pens, via the digitiser sensing hardware

Abstract

A user input system including a stylus and an electronic device. A user may manipulate the stylus across an input surface of the electronic device and the movement may be detected using axially-aligned electric fields generated by the stylus. The stylus may also include a force-sensitive structure that can be used to estimate a force applied to the electronic device by the stylus.

Claims

1. A stylus comprising:

a body comprising;

a barrel;

a tip end defining an opening;

a nib positioned adjacent the opening of the tip end, the nib comprising a tip field generator;

a force sensor disposed within the body adjacent the tip end and coupled to the barrel;

a rigid signal conduit comprising;

a dielectric material;

a tip signal line disposed within the dielectric material and operatively connected to the tip field generator;

a ring signal line disposed within the dielectric material and isolated from the tip signal line;

a ring field generator disposed on an exterior surface of the dielectric material and operatively connected to the ring signal line;

a tubular shield comprising;

a hollow portion extending toward the opening of the tip end and mechanically coupled to the nib; and

a tray portion mechanically coupled to the force sensor.

2. The stylus of claim 1, further comprising a control board coupled to the tip signal line, the ring signal line, and the force sensor.

3. The stylus of claim 2, wherein the control board is coupled to the tray portion of the tubular shield.

4. The stylus of claim 2, wherein the control board is configured to:

apply a tip signal to the tip field generator via the tip signal line; and

apply a ring signal to the ring field generator via the ring signal line.

5. The stylus of claim 2, wherein the control board is configured to receive an electrical signal from the force sensor that corresponds to an amount of reactive force experienced by the force sensor.

6. The stylus of claim 2, wherein:

the control board is a secondary control board; and

the stylus further comprises a primary control board disposed within the barrel and mechanically coupled to the barrel.

7. The stylus of claim 6, wherein the primary control board comprises:

a first circuit board; and

a second circuit board folded over the first circuit board.

8. The stylus of claim 7, wherein the first circuit board and the second circuit board are separated by a standoff.

9. The stylus of claim 8, wherein the standoff is surface mounted to at least one of the first circuit board or the second circuit board.

10. The stylus of claim 6, wherein the primary control board comprises a wireless interface configured to wirelessly transact data with an electronic device.

11. A stylus comprising:

a body comprising a tapered end and defining a longitudinal axis;

a force-sensitive structure disposed within, and coupled to, the body adjacent to the tapered end, the force-sensitive structure configured to translate along the longitudinal axis;

a removable tip positioned adjacent to the tapered end and supported by the force-sensitive structure, the removable tip configured to translate along the longitudinal axis;

a first electric field generator within the removable tip configured to generate a first electric field modulated with a first modulation;

a second electric field generator within the body and aligned with the first electric field generator, the second electric field generator configured to generate a second electric field modulated with a second modulations;

a dielectric material;

a first signal line disposed within the dielectric material and operatively connected to the first electric field generator;

a second signal line disposed within the dielectric material and operatively connected to the second electric field generator; and

a tubular shield connecting the force-sensitive structure to the removable tip, the tubular shield surrounding the dielectric material.

12. The stylus of claim 11, wherein the first electric field generator is substantially angularly symmetric about the longitudinal axis.

13. The stylus of claim 12, wherein the second electric field generator is substantially angularly symmetric about the longitudinal axis.

14. The stylus of claim 13, wherein the second electric field envelops the first electric field.

15. The stylus of claim 11, wherein the first modulation is different from the second modulation.

16. The stylus of claim 11, wherein the force-sensitive structure comprises a force sensor configured to measure a force exerted by the removable tip on an object.

17. A stylus comprising:

a body comprising a tapered end and defining a longitudinal axis;

a force-sensitive structure disposed within, and coupled to, the body adjacent to the tapered end, the force-sensitive structure configured to translate along the longitudinal axis;

a removable tip positioned adjacent to the tapered end and supported by the force-sensitive structure, the removable tip configured to translate along the longitudinal axis;

a first electric field generator within the removable tip configured to generate a first electric field modulated with a first modulation; and

a second electric field generator within the body and aligned with the first electric field generator, the second electric field generator configured to generate a second electric field modulated with a second modulation, wherein the removable tip comprises a threaded section configured to rotatably engage with a corresponding threaded section associated with the force-sensitive structure.

18. An input system comprising:

an electronic device comprising;

an array of electric field sensors; and

a first wireless element; and

a stylus comprising;

a body defining a longitudinal axis and comprising a tip end;

a translatable structure coupled to the body adjacent to the tip end, the translatable structure configured to elastically translate along the longitudinal axis and comprising a force sensor;

a second wireless element in communication with the force sensor and the first wireless element;

a tip positioned adjacent to the tip end and supported by the translatable structure;

a first electric field generator within the tip configured to generate a first electric field;

a second electric field generator extending between the first electric field generator and the translatable structure and configured to generate a second electric field;

a first signal line operatively connected to the first electric field generator;

a second signal line operatively connected to the second electric field generator; and

a tubular shield connecting the translatable structure to the tip, the tubular shield surrounding the first signal line and the second signal line;

wherein the array of electric field sensors is configured to detect the first electric field and the second electric field.

19. The stylus of claim 18, wherein the electronic device comprises a display and the array of electric field sensors is distributed relative to the display.

20. The stylus of claim 18, wherein the second wireless element is configured to send a signal to the first wireless element, the signal corresponding to data generated by the force sensor.