TOUCH SYSTEMS STYLUS AND METHODS

• US 20170131798A1
• Filed: 06/24/2015
• Published: 05/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Geaghan, Bernard O., Rebeschi, Thomas J., Cordeiro, Craig A.
• Granted Patent: US 10,437,358 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0384 Wireless input, i.e. hardware and software details of wireless interface arrangements for pointing devices
• 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 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0383 Signal control means within the pointing device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04162 for exchanging data with external devices, e.g. smart pens, via the digitiser sensing hardware
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04166 Details of scanning methods, e.g. sampling time, grouping of sub areas or time sharing with display driving Synchronisation with the driving of the display or the backlighting unit to avoid interferences generated internally G06F3/04184
• 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 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes

Abstract

A touch sensor can be used with a finger and/or a pen configured to provide a touch input to the touch sensor. Some implementations involve touch capacitive touch sensing, although many implementations are also applicable to other touch and pen technologies, such as resistive, surface acoustic wave, bending wave, touch force, electromagnetic (E-M).

Claims

1. A pen for use with a touch sensor, comprising:

a pen body comprising;

a first end configured to provide a touch input to the touch sensor and to operate in active mode; and

a second end configured to provide a touch input to the touch sensor and to operate in active or passive mode.

2. The pen of claim 1, further comprising a switch configured to switch the second end between active mode and passive mode.

3. A pen for use with a touch sensor, comprising:

a pen body comprising an electrically conductive emitter portion; and

pen circuitry comprising;

communication circuitry configured to provide a communication connection between the pen an external device and to receive a code through the communication connection; and

pen drive circuitry configured to generate pen drive signals that include the code, the pen drive signals emitted through the emitter portion of the pen body.

4. The pen of claim 3, wherein:

the pen body comprises an electrically conductive receiver portion that is electrically insulated and electrostatically shielded from the emitter portion; and

the pen drive circuitry comprises receiver circuitry configured to receive touch sensor drive signals from drive electrodes of the touch sensor,

wherein the pen drive circuitry generates the pen drive signals based on the touch sensor drive signals received from the drive electrodes.

5. The pen of claim 4, wherein the pen drive signals that include the code comprise at least one of:

pulses that are inverted with respect to the touch sensor drive signals; and

pulses that are neither phase additive nor phase subtractive with the touch sensor drive signals.

6. The pen of claim 4, wherein the pen drive signals that include the code comprise pulses that are out of phase with respect to the touch sensor drive signals.

7. The pen of claim 3, wherein the code is an identification code for the pen.

8. The pen of claim 3, wherein the pen circuitry is configured to transmit to the external device via the communication connection information associated with at least one of:

pen tilt angle;

pen barrel switch state;

pen tip switch state;

battery level;

globally unique identifier;

drive signal locked; and

received touch sensor drive signal magnitude.

9. The pen of claim 3, wherein the pen circuitry is configured to receive from the external device via the communication connection information associated with at least one of:

a number of touch sensor drive signal burst pulses;

a touch sensor drive signal frequency;

a command to enable or disable the pen drive signal;

a command to enable or disable tip switch gating of the pen drive signal;

the pen code;

a pen drive signal level; and

an identifier for the wireless connection between the pen and the touch sensor.

10. The pen of claim 3, wherein the pen circuitry is configured to emit the pen drive signals after the communication connection is established and the pen code is received.