Stylus input device utilizing a permanent magnet

• US 20050083316A1
• Filed: 06/30/2004
• Published: 04/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Benjamin Gyori, Daniel Lee, Michael Harney, Paul Glad, Richard Woolley, Taylor Brian
• Original Assignee: Benjamin Gyori, Daniel Lee, Michael Harney, Paul Glad, Richard Woolley, Taylor Brian
• Inventors: Brian, Taylor, Woolley, Richard, Harney, Michael, Lee, Daniel, Gyori, Benjamin, Glad, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 7,283,127 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/179
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0354 with detection of 2D relative movements between the device, or an operating part thereof, and a plane or surface, e.g. 2D mice, trackballs, pens or pucks
• 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 3/046 by electromagnetic means

Abstract

A stylus that operates utilizing magnetic fields, wherein a permanent magnet is disposed within a passive stylus that is detectable by a plurality of magnetic sensors that remove the magnetic field of the stylus from the earth'"'"'s relative magnetic field to thereby obtain vectors that are used in a triangulation equation to determine the location of the stylus in two or three dimensions, depending upon the number of magnetic sensors that are used, wherein one set of magnetic sensors can be used as a reference for earth'"'"'s magnetic field, and wherein each of the magnetic sensors includes a polarizing coil to change direction of sensitivity, a null coil and a flipping coil.

Claims

1. A passive stylus system for providing input to an electronic appliance, wherein the passive stylus utilizes a permanent magnet to provide location information to a magnetic sensor system, said passive stylus comprising:

a passive stylus including at least one permanent magnet;

a magnetic sensor system for detecting a location of the at least one permanent magnet disposed within the passive stylus, wherein the magnetic sensor system further comprises a plurality of magnetic sensors that are capable of (1) detecting the at least one permanent magnet, (2) determining a location of the at least one permanent magnet relative to a reference point, and (3) transmitting the location of the at least one permanent magnet; and

a display system, wherein the display system utilizes the location of the at least one permanent magnet to display data on the display system that represents movement of the passive stylus within a field of operation.