Input device, method, and system for electronic device

• US 10,228,774 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2015
• Issued: 03/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Younggyun, Park, Dooyong, Lee, Jaehak, Seo, Eunjung, Kim, Minho, Choi, Gyucheol
• Primary Examiner(s): Yodichkas, Aneeta
• Application Number:
  US14/674,773
• Publication Number:
  US 20150286298A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,442 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/046 by electromagnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

An input method of an electronic device using an input device including a drawing unit is provided. The input method includes acquiring drawing unit related information, confirming an attribute of the drawing unit based on the acquired drawing unit-related information, receiving a drawing input by an input device, to which the drawing unit is attached, using a touch panel of the electronic device, and outputting a drawing expression through the display of the electronic device in response to an attribute of the drawing unit and a drawing pattern of the drawing input.

Claims

1. An input device for use with an electronic device, the input device comprising:

an elongated body with a first end and a second end; and

an elongated drawing body with a first end and a second end, an entirety of the second end of the elongated drawing body being inserted into the first end of the elongated body, the first end of the elongated drawing body including a tip, and an entire portion of the elongated drawing body inserted into the first end of the elongated body being cylindrical,

wherein the second end of the inserted elongated drawing body is frictionally retained by the elongated body,

wherein the tip includes a shoulder having a diameter larger than a diameter of a hole in the first end of the elongated body through which the elongated drawing body is inserted,

wherein the elongated drawing body corresponds to a drawing attribute communicated from the input device to the electronic device upon the input device approaching the electronic device within a predetermined distance prior to the input device physically contacting the electronic device,

wherein the drawing attribute is used by the electronic device to apply a drawing style associated with the drawing attribute to an input by the input device to the electronic device, and

wherein the elongated drawing body is one of a plurality of drawing bodies each having a different drawing attribute associated therewith.

2. The input device of claim 1, wherein the elongated body includes a circuit configured to detect attribute information of the elongated drawing body associated with the drawing attribute.

3. The input device of claim 2, wherein the circuit is further configured to communicate to the electronic device the detected attribute information.

4. The input device of claim 2, wherein the circuit is further configured to determine the drawing attribute based on the detected attribute information.

5. The input device of claim 4, wherein the circuit is further configured to communicate to the electronic device the determined drawing attribute.

6. The input device of claim 1, wherein the elongated drawing body includes a circuit configured to communicate to the electronic device attribute information of the elongated drawing body.

7. The input device of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of drawing bodies have a different type of tip, each type of tip corresponding to a respective drawing attribute associated therewith.

8. The input device of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of drawing bodies have different attribute information associated therewith that is one of detectable by the elongated body or able to be communicated to the electronic device.

9. The input device of claim 1, wherein the elongated body is configured to only have one elongated drawing body at a time inserted therein.

10. The input device of claim 1, wherein the input device provides input to the electronic device based on a user applied contact of the tip to a detection surface of a display of the electronic device.

11. A method of using an input device with an electronic device, the input device including an elongated body with a first end and a second end, and an elongated drawing body with a first end including a tip and a second end, the method comprising:

inserting an entirety of the second end of the elongated drawing body into the first end of the elongated body, an entire portion of the elongated drawing body inserted into the first end of the elongated body being cylindrical;

frictionally retaining, by the elongated body, the second end of the inserted elongated drawing body; and

providing, by the input device, an input to the electronic device,

wherein the tip includes a shoulder having a diameter larger than a diameter of a hole in the first end of the elongated body through which the elongated drawing body is inserted,

wherein the elongated drawing body corresponds to a drawing attribute communicated from the input device to the electronic device upon the input device approaching the electronic device within a predetermined distance prior to the input device physically contacting the electronic device,

wherein the drawing attribute is used by the electronic device to apply a drawing style associated with the drawing attribute to the input by the input device to the electronic device, and

wherein the elongated drawing body is one of a plurality of drawing bodies each having a different drawing attribute associated therewith.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

detecting, by a circuit included in the elongated body, attribute information of the elongated drawing body associated with the drawing attribute.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

communicating, by the circuit included in the elongated body, the detected attribute information to the electronic device.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining, by the circuit included in the elongated body, the drawing attribute based on the detected attribute information.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

communicating, by the circuit included in the elongated body, the determined drawing attribute to the electronic device.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

communicating, by a circuit included in the elongated drawing body, attribute information of the elongated drawing body to the electronic device.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of drawing bodies have a different type of tip, each type of tip corresponding to a respective drawing attribute associated therewith.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of drawing bodies have different attribute information associated therewith that is one of detectable by the elongated body or able to be communicated to the electronic device.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the elongated body is configured to only have one elongated drawing body at a time inserted therein.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the input to the electronic device is applied based on a user applied contact of the tip to a detection surface of a display of the electronic device.