Computer Stylus With Antenna

• US 20170010697A1
• Filed: 07/06/2015
• Published: 01/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Jiang, Yi, Huang, Huan-Chu, Pascolini, Mattia, Li, Qingxiang
• Granted Patent: US 9,766,727 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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

Abstract

A computer stylus may have an elongated body with a tip and an opposing end having components such as a connector and an antenna. Metal structures for the antenna may be supported using a molded plastic support with metal traces or may be formed using flexible printed circuits or other structures. Metal and plastic tubes may be used in forming the body of the stylus. A metal tube may have an opening in which an antenna is mounted. A plastic tube may serve as an outer housing for the stylus and may cover the metal tube and the opening in which the antenna is mounted. A transmission line such as a cable may be coupled to an antenna feed. The cable may pass through an opening in the metal tube and may be covered using a strip of conductive foam.

Claims

1. A computer stylus, comprising:

an elongated body having a tip and an opposing end coupled by a shaft that extends along a longitudinal axis and that has a circumference; and

an antenna that wraps around at least part of the circumference.

2. The computer stylus defined in claim 1 further comprising a connector at the opposing end that has a plurality of contact pads, wherein the antenna is located on the shaft between the connector and the tip.

3. The computer stylus defined in claim 2 wherein the antenna comprises a flexible printed circuit wrapped around a plastic tube.

4. The computer stylus defined in claim 2 wherein the metal antenna resonating element is a metal antenna resonating element trace on a plastic support structure.

5. The computer stylus defined in claim 4 further comprising a metal tube that forms at least part of the shaft.

6. The computer stylus defined in claim 5 wherein the antenna has a metal trace that is shorted to the metal tube by conductive adhesive.

7. The computer stylus defined in claim 6 further comprising a coaxial cable, wherein the metal tube has an opening through which the coaxial cable passes.

8. The computer stylus defined in claim 7 wherein the antenna has a feed and wherein the coaxial cable is coupled to the feed.

9. The computer stylus defined in claim 8 further comprising a strip of conductive foam that covers at least part of the coaxial cable.

10. The computer stylus defined in claim 1 wherein the antenna comprises a ring antenna having a metal antenna resonating element that wraps entirely around the circumference.

11. A computer stylus, comprising:

an elongated body having a tip and an opposing end coupled by a shaft that extends along a longitudinal axis; and

an antenna at the opposing end that is formed from metal traces on a dome-shaped plastic support.

12. The computer stylus defined in claim 11 wherein the antenna includes a magnet.

13. The computer stylus defined in claim 12 wherein the antenna comprises an inverted-F antenna.

14. The computer stylus defined in claim 13 wherein the antenna comprises an antenna ground trace and an antenna resonating element trace coupled by a return path trace.

15. The computer stylus defined in claim 14 wherein the antenna resonating element trace is electrically coupled to the magnet so that antenna currents pass through the magnet.

16. The computer stylus defined in claim 15 further comprising:

an antenna feed coupled to the antenna resonating element trace and the antenna ground trace; and

a metal tube that forms at least part of the shaft, wherein the metal tube is shorted to the antenna ground trace.

17. The computer stylus defined in claim 16 further comprising a screw that is shorted to the antenna ground trace and a coaxial cable that is coupled to the antenna feed.

18. A computer stylus, comprising:

an elongated body having a tip and an opposing end coupled by a shaft that extends along a longitudinal axis and that has a circumference;

a connector at the opposing end that has a plurality of connector contact pads;

electrical components in the shaft that are coupled to the connector by a signal path; and

an antenna in the shaft between the electrical components and the connector, wherein the shaft includes a metal tube with an opening in which the antenna is mounted and includes a plastic outer tube that covers the metal tube and that covers the antenna in the opening.

19. The computer stylus defined in claim 18 wherein the antenna comprises an inverted-F antenna having a resonating element arm, a ground that is coupled to the metal tube by conductive adhesive, and a return path that extends between the resonating element arm and the ground.

20. The computer stylus defined in claim 19 wherein the antenna comprises a feed, the computer stylus further comprising a coaxial cable coupled to the feed.

21. The computer stylus defined in claim 20 wherein the metal tube has an additional opening and wherein the coaxial cable passes through the additional opening.

22. The computer stylus defined in claim 21 further comprising a strip of conductive foam that covers at least some of the coaxial cable.

23. The computer stylus defined in claim 22 further comprising a removable cap that covers the connector.

24. The computer stylus defined in claim 23 further comprising an inner plastic tube that supports the antenna in the opening.

25. The computer stylus defined in claim 24 wherein the antenna comprises metal traces on the inner plastic tube.