PREPROCESSING FOR NONLINEAR STYLUS PROFILES

• US 20170068330A1
• Filed: 12/09/2015
• Published: 03/09/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2015
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: NAVIDPOUR, Seyed Mohammad, SHAH, Apexit, WESTERMAN, Wayne Carl
• Application Number:
  US14/964,514
• Publication Number:
  US 20170068330A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04182 Filtering of noise external to the device and not generated by digitiser components
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04184 Synchronisation with the driving of the display or the backlighting unit to avoid interferences generated internally
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0441 using active external devices, e.g. active pens, for receiving changes in electrical potential transmitted by the digitiser, e.g. tablet driving signals
• 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 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• 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

Pre-processing can be applied to raw signal measurements resulting from stimulation from an input device, such as an active stylus, having a non-linear signal profile. The pre-processing can include a non-linear transformation, which can linearize the signal profile and thereby reduce wobble resulting from location detection algorithms. The transformation can be selected based on the signal profile for the stylus and the ideal profile for the location detection algorithms. In some examples, the transformation can be applied to linearize the entire signal profile, but in other examples, the non-linear transformation can be applied only to specific regions of the signal profile. The pre-processing can also discard raw signal measurements that are at least a threshold distance from the peak signal measurement or raw signal measurements below a threshold signal level. Pre-processing raw signal measurements before detecting location can reduce wobble across a range of stimulation frequencies and stylus orientations.

Claims

1. A method for reducing wobble, the method comprising:

receiving raw signal measurements from a plurality of touch sensors stimulated by a powered input device, wherein a raw signal profile corresponding to the raw signal measurements has a non-linear profile;

pre-processing the raw signal measurements to generate modified signal measurements, wherein a modified signal profile corresponding to the modified signal measurements is at least partially linearized compared with the raw signal profile; and

estimating a location of the powered input device based on the modified signal measurements.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein pre-processing the raw signal measurements to generate the modified signal measurements comprises applying a one-to-one non-linear transform to the raw signal measurements.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein pre-processing the raw signal measurements to generate the modified signal measurements comprises applying the one-to-one, non-linear transform to linearize a defined range of the raw signal profile.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein pre-processing the raw signal measurements to generate the modified signal measurements comprises discarding signal measurements more than a threshold distance from a peak signal measurement.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein pre-processing the raw signal measurements to generate the modified signal measurements comprises narrowing or widening the raw signal profile.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adjusting the estimated location based on one or more values from a look-up-table (LUT).

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the LUT is selected based on one or more of a detected stimulation frequency and a detected orientation of the powered input device.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the one or more values from the LUT are scaled based on one or more of a detected stimulation frequency and a detected orientation of the powered input device.

9. A system for reducing wobble, the system comprising:

one or more processors capable of;

receiving raw signal measurements from a plurality of touch sensors stimulated by a powered input device, wherein a raw signal profile corresponding to the raw signal measurements has a non-linear profile;

pre-processing the raw signal measurements to generate modified signal measurements, wherein a modified signal profile corresponding to the modified signal measurements is at least partially linearized compared with the raw signal profile; and

estimating a location of the powered input device based on the modified signal measurements.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein pre-processing the raw signal measurements to generate the modified signal measurements comprises applying a one-to-one, non-linear transform to the raw signal measurements.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein pre-processing the raw signal measurements to generate the modified signal measurements comprises applying the one-to-one, non-linear transform to linearize a defined range of the raw signal profile.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein pre-processing the raw signal measurements to generate the modified signal measurements comprises discarding signal measurements more than a threshold distance from a peak signal measurement.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein pre-processing the raw signal measurements to generate the modified signal measurements comprises narrowing or widening the raw signal profile.

14. The system of claim 9, the one or more processors further capable of:

adjusting the estimated location based on one or more values from a look-up-table (LUT).

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the LUT is selected based on one or more of a detected stimulation frequency and a detected orientation of the powered input device.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the one or more values from the LUT are scaled based on one or more of a detected stimulation frequency and a detected orientation of the powered input device.

17. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium, the computer readable storage medium containing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, perform a method for reducing wobble, the method comprising:

receiving raw signal measurements from a plurality of touch sensors stimulated by a powered input device, wherein a raw signal profile corresponding to the raw signal measurements has a non-linear profile;

pre-processing the raw signal measurements to generate modified signal measurements, wherein a modified signal profile corresponding to the modified signal measurements is at least partially linearized compared with the raw signal profile; and

estimating a location of the powered input device based on the modified signal measurements.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein pre-processing the raw signal measurements to generate the modified signal measurements comprises applying a one-to-one, non-linear transform to the raw signal measurements.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein pre-processing the raw signal measurements to generate the modified signal measurements comprises applying the one-to-one, non-linear transform to linearize a defined range of the raw signal profile.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein pre-processing the raw signal measurements to generate the modified signal measurements comprises discarding signal measurements more than a threshold distance from a peak signal measurement.

21. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein pre-processing the raw signal measurements to generate the modified signal measurements comprises narrowing or widening the raw signal profile.

22. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17,

the instructions perform the method further comprising:

adjusting the estimated location based on one or more values from a look-up-table (LUT).

23. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 22, wherein the LUT is selected based on one or more of a detected stimulation frequency and a detected orientation of the powered input device.

24. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 22, wherein the one or more values from the LUT are scaled based on one or more of a detected stimulation frequency and a detected orientation of the powered input device.