Dynamic control of shield electrode connection of a stylus

• US 10,261,605 B2
• Filed: 01/09/2018
• Issued: 04/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wacom Co Limited (Wacom)
• Original Assignee: Wacom Co Limited (Wacom)
• Inventors: Kremin, Viktor, Ryshtun, Andriy, Wright, David G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ritchie, Darlene M
• Application Number:
  US15/866,033
• Publication Number:
  US 20180129316A1
• Time in Patent Office: 462 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04104 Multi-touch detection in digitiser, i.e. details about the simultaneous detection of a plurality of touching locations, e.g. multiple fingers or pen and finger
• 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 2203/04106 Multi-sensing digitiser, i.e. digitiser using at least two different sensing technologies simultaneously or alternatively, e.g. for detecting pen and finger, for saving power or for improving position detection
• 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 2203/04114 Touch screens adapted for alternating or simultaneous interaction with active pens and passive pointing devices like fingers or passive pens
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/033 Pointing devices displaced or positioned by the user , e.g. mice, trackballs, pens or joysticks; Accessories therefor digitisers characterised by the transducing means G06F3/041
• 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 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0414 using force sensing means to determine a position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04186 Touch location disambiguation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0442 using active external devices, e.g. active pens, for transmitting changes in electrical potential to be received by the digitiser
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes

Abstract

An elongated stylus is configured to be capacitively coupled with a sensor array providing a plurality of electrodes to indicate a position on the sensor array. The stylus includes a housing having an end in an elongated direction of the housing, a conductive tip disposed at least partially extended from the end of the housing, an electrode disposed around the conductive tip and configured to at least partially expose the conductive tip, and a signal transmit drive circuit configured to provide a signal. Control is performed to form an electrical connection between the electrode and a ground and an electrical connection between the electrode and the signal transmit drive circuit when the elongated stylus is activated for capacitive coupling with the sensor array.

Claims

1. An elongated stylus configured to be capacitively coupled with a sensor array that provides a plurality of electrodes and is controlled by a sensor controller, to indicate a position on the sensor array, the stylus comprising:

a housing having an end in an elongated direction of the housing;

a conductive tip disposed at least partially extended from the end of the housing;

a shield disposed around the conductive tip and at least partially exposing the conductive tip;

a signal transmit drive circuit configured to transmit a stylus signal to the sensor array; and

a stylus controller configured to control transmission of the stylus signal to the sensor array;

wherein the stylus controller, in operation, synchronizes transmission of the stylus signal to the sensor array via the conductive tip with a sensor signal transmitted from the sensor controller and electrically connects the shield disposed around the conductive tip to a ground electrically isolating the shield from the conductive tip while the stylus signal is transmitted to the sensor array.

2. The elongated stylus of claim 1, wherein the stylus controller performs control to electrically disconnect the shield from the ground.

3. The elongated stylus according to claim 1, wherein the stylus controller comprises a switching circuit configured to perform the control to electrically connect the shield to the ground.

4. The elongated stylus of claim 1, wherein the stylus controller, in operation, synchronizes the transmission of the stylus signal to the sensor array via the conductive tip with the sensor signal wirelessly transmitted from the sensor controller.

5. The elongated stylus of claim 4, wherein the wireless signal is used to determine operational timing of the elongated stylus.

6. An elongated stylus configured to be capacitively coupled with a sensor array that provides a plurality of electrodes and is controlled by a sensor controller, to indicate a position on the sensor array, the stylus comprising:

a housing having an end in an elongated direction of the housing;

a conductive tip disposed at least partially extended from the end of the housing;

a shield disposed around the conductive tip and at least partially exposing the conductive tip;

a signal transmit drive circuit configured to transmit a stylus signal to the sensor array; and

a stylus controller configured to control transmission of the stylus signal to the sensor array;

wherein the stylus controller, in operation, synchronizes transmission of the stylus signal to the sensor array via the conductive tip with a sensor signal transmitted from the sensor controller and electrically isolates the shield disposed around the conductive tip to which the signal from the signal transmit drive circuit is supplied by electrically connecting the shield disposed around the conductive tip to a ground while the stylus signal is transmitted to the sensor array.

7. The elongated stylus of claim 6, wherein the stylus controller, in operation, synchronizes transmission of the stylus signal to the sensor array via the conductive tip with the sensor signal wirelessly transmitted from the sensor controller.

8. The elongated stylus according to claim 6, wherein the controller comprises a switching circuit configured to electrically isolate the shield.

9. The elongated stylus of claim 6, wherein the shield is disposed within the housing.

10. The elongated stylus of claim 9, wherein the stylus controller electrically isolates the shield disposed around the conductive tip while the signal from the signal transmit drive circuit is supplied to the conductive tip.

11. An elongated stylus configured to be capacitively coupled with a sensor array that provides a plurality of electrodes and is controlled by a sensor controller, to indicate a position on the sensor array, the stylus comprising:

a housing having an end in an elongated direction of the housing;

a conductive tip disposed at least partially extended from the end of the housing;

a shield disposed around the conductive tip and at least partially exposing the conductive tip;

a signal transmit drive circuit configured to transmit a stylus signal to the sensor array; and

a stylus controller configured to control transmission of the stylus signal to the sensor array;

wherein the stylus controller, in operation, synchronizes transmission of the stylus signal to the sensor array via the conductive tip with a sensor signal transmitted from the sensor controller and selectively performs a first control in which the signal from the transmit drive circuit is not supplied to the shield while the signal from the transmit drive circuit is supplied to the conductive tip and a second control in which the signal from the transmit drive signal is supplied to at least the shield.

12. The elongated stylus according to claim 11, wherein in the second control the signal from the transmit drive signal is supplied to both of the shield and the conductive tip.

13. The elongated stylus according to claim 11, wherein the stylus controller comprises a switching circuit configured to selectively perform the first control and the second control.

14. An elongated stylus configured to be capacitively coupled with a sensor array that provides a plurality of electrodes to indicate a position on the sensor array, the stylus comprising:

a housing having an end in an elongated direction of the housing;

a conductive tip disposed at least partially extended from the end of the housing;

a shield disposed around the conductive tip and at least partially exposing the conductive tip;

a signal transmit drive circuit configured to transmit a stylus signal to the sensor array; and

a stylus controller configured to control transmission of the stylus signal to the sensor array;

wherein the stylus controller, in operation, synchronizes transmission of the stylus signal to the sensor array via the conductive tip with a sensor signal transmitted from the sensor controller and performs control of the shield in which the shield is electrically connected to a ground electrically isolating the shield from the conductive tip while the stylus signal is transmitted to the sensor array.

15. The elongated stylus according to claim 14, wherein the stylus controller comprises a switching circuit configured to perform the control of the shield.