IDENTIFIABLE STYLUS

• US 20120327040A1
• Filed: 06/22/2011
• Published: 12/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Harley, Jonah A., SIMON, David I.
• Application Number:
  US13/166,699
• Publication Number:
  US 20120327040A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/179
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• 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

Abstract

A stylus is disclosed. The stylus includes a shaft; a conductive tip at a distal end of the shaft; and control circuitry coupled to the conductive tip and configured to generate a modulated signal at the conductive tip to identify the stylus. The stylus can also include a switch coupled between the conductive tip and the shaft. The control circuitry can be further configured to control the switch to modulate a conductive path between the conductive tip and the shaft to generate the modulated signal.

Claims

1. A stylus comprising;

a shaft;

a conductive tip at a distal end of the shaft; and

control circuitry coupled to the conductive tip and configured to generate a modulated signal at the conductive tip to identify the stylus.

2. The stylus of claim 1, further comprising:

a switch coupled between the conductive tip and the shaft;

wherein the control circuitry is further configured to control the switch to modulate a conductive path between the conductive tip and the shaft to generate the modulated signal.

3. The stylus of claim 1, further comprising an accelerometer coupled to the control circuitry and configured to detect movement of the stylus, the control circuitry further configured to initiate or terminate the modulated signal in response to a detected existence or absence of stylus movement.

4. The stylus of claim 1, wherein the shaft includes a touch sensor coupled to the control circuitry for detecting contact by a user, the control circuitry further configured to initiate or terminate the modulated signal in response to a detected existence or absence of user contact.

5. The stylus of claim 1, further comprising a pressure sensor coupled to the control circuitry and configured to sense force generated from a contact between the stylus and a surface, the control circuitry further configured to initiate or terminate the modulated signal in response to a detected existence of absence of force.

6. The stylus of claim 1, further comprising a pushbutton switch coupled to the control circuitry, the control circuitry further configured to initiate or terminate the modulated signal in response to a detected activation or deactivation of the pushbutton switch.

7. The stylus of claim 1, the control circuitry further configured for encoding data reflecting a condition of the stylus into the modulated signal, the condition being one of tilt, barrel roll, pressure sensed on the conductive tip, and whether the stylus is in contact with or hovering over the touch panel.

8. The stylus of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry comprises an RLC circuit.

9. The stylus of claim 8, further comprising a pressure sensor, wherein the RLC circuit is initiated by the pressure sensor.

10. The stylus of claim 8, wherein the modulated signal has a frequency based on an oscillating signature of the RLC circuit.

11. The stylus of claim 1, the control circuitry further configured for generating the modulated signal at a particular frequency to identify a type of the stylus.

12. The stylus of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is configured to extend and retract the conductive tip from within the shaft at a predetermined frequency to generate the modulated signal when the conductive tip makes contact with a surface.

13. The stylus of claim 12, wherein the control circuitry comprises an electronically operated switch to drive the conductive tip.

14. A method for generating a signature for identifying an object on a touch panel, comprising:

modulating a tip of the object, the tip located on the object for contacting the touch panel;

wherein the modulation identifies the object as being other than a finger.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein modulating the tip comprises repeatedly switching the tip between a grounded and an ungrounded state.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein modulating the tip comprises repeatedly extending and retracting the tip with respect to the object.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the modulation identifies a type of the object.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising initiating or terminating the modulation depending on a detected existence or absence of object movement.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising initiating or terminating the modulation depending on a detected existence or absence of a touch or force on the object.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising initiating or terminating the modulation depending on a physical condition of the object, the physical condition being one of tilt, barrel roll, pressure sensed at the tip, and whether the tip is in contact with or hovering over the touch panel.

21. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer-readable program instructions executable to perform a method for generating a signature for identifying an object on a touch panel, the method comprising:

modulating a tip of the object, the tip located on the object for contacting the touch panel;

wherein the modulation identifies the object as being other than a finger.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein modulating the tip comprises repeatedly switching the tip between a grounded and an ungrounded state.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein modulating the tip comprises repeatedly extending and retracting the tip with respect to the object.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein the modulation identifies a type of the object.

25. A method for identifying a touch object on a touch panel, comprising:

detecting a modulated touch signal from the touch object; and

determining whether the modulated touch signal has a frequency above a predetermined value.