Input writing device

• US 6,985,138 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2003
• Issued: 01/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Charlier, Michael L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lao, Lun-Yi
• Application Number:
  US10/651,576
• Publication Number:
  US 20050057534A1
• Time in Patent Office: 865 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-183, 463 37- 38, 178/18.01, 178/18.02, 178/18.09, 178/18.11, 178/19.01, 178/19.05
• US Class Current: 345/179
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0312 for tracking the rotation of a spherical or circular member, e.g. optical rotary encoders used in mice or trackballs using a tracking ball or in mouse scroll wheels tracking relative movement in co-operation with a regularly or irregularly patterned surface, e.g. as in optical mice G06F3/0317; constructional details of scroll or thumb-wheels G06F3/0362; optical rotary encoders G01D5/3473
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0317 in co-operation with a patterned surface, e.g. absolute position or relative movement detection for an optical mouse or pen positioned with respect to a coded surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/042 by opto-electronic means

Abstract

A writing stylus (100) having a motion sensor (204) for sensing the movement of at least one end 110 of the stylus relative to an adjacent surface is described. The stylus has an elongated housing (104) and a cap (102). The motion sensor generates signals corresponding to the relative motion of the surface to the sensor. The cap is removeably carried on at least one portion of the housing which also has the motion sensor. The cap comprises a light passage (118) adapted to allow the motion sensor to sense the translation of the surface adjacent to the cap, through the cap. In a first input mode the motion sensor is used for sensing manual hand writing motion. In a second mode, when the cap is carried on the housing and is placed over at least the motion sensor, the motion sensor senses the motion of a surface adjacent to the cap such as a users finger. In this mode, the stylus functions a multiple axis input device such as a thumbwheel.

Claims

1. An input device comprising:

an elongated housing;

a cap removably carried on said housing;

a surface motion sensor carried in said housing and adapted to sense motion of one end of said housing relative to a surface when said cap is removed; and

wherein said cap is adapted to enclose at least a portion of said housing when said cap is carried thereon and enables manual activation of the motion sensor through the cap carried on said housing to at least partially cover said motion sensor adapted to sense motion through a transparent portion of said cap when said cap is coupled to said housing.

2. The device of claim 1, further including a projecting member extending from said one end of said housing to contact the surface, said projecting member being exposed when the cap is removed and enclosed by the cap when the cap is carried on said end of said elongated housing.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein the projecting member is a writing element.

4. The device according to claim 3, wherein the writing element is lead.

5. The device of claim 2, wherein said projecting member is connected to a pressures sensitive switch.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein said cap actuates said pressure sensitive switch when said cap is carried on said one end of said elongated housing.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein said cap includes a button,

wherein said button has a light passage aligned with said motion sensor and wherein said button is coupled to said cap by a resilient member, and

wherein said button is movably engagable with said projecting element and operable to activate said pressure sensitive switch.

8. The device of claim 5, wherein said motion sensor includes an optical detector, said cap having at least a portion passing light to said optical detector.

9. The device of claim 8, said cap covering said projecting member and said surface motion sensor.

10. The device of claim 2, wherein the surface motion sensor includes a ball for contacting the writing surface when the cap is removed and said cap includes a hole providing access to said ball in the finger mode.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein said input mode switch, switches between a surface writing input mode and a finger input mode.

12. The device of claim 1, a writing implement housing capable of enclosing electronic circuitry, said writing implement housing having a stylus end, and a stylus extending from said stylus end.

13. The device of claim 1, further including a mode selector switch carried on said housing.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the mode selector switch is responsive to said cap being carried on one of said ends of said elongated housing.

15. The device of claim 13, wherein said device is responsive to said mode selection switch to operate in a writing input mode when said cap is removed, and

a finger input mode when said cap is carried on said elongated housing.

16. The device of claim 13, wherein the mode selector switch is response to said cap being carried on said one end of said elongated housing.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein said surface motion detector comprises:

a laser diode;

laser light detectors; and

optics adapted to focus laser light.

18. The device of claim 16, further comprising:

a input mode switch coupled to said housing;

a cap switch portion adapted to selectively engage said input mode switch of said housing.

19. The device according to claim 13, wherein said mode selector switch is selectively engaged by said cap.

20. The device according to claim 19, wherein the cap includes an actuator to engage the mode selector switch when the cap is carried on said elongated housing.

21. The device of claim 20, wherein said motion is along a first axis or a second axis or a combination thereof.

22. The device of claim 20, wherein said surface is a users thumb.

23. An optical stylus comprising:

a housing;

a motion sensor disposed in said housing; and

a cap adapted to be detachably carried on first and second ends of said housing,

said cap including a light passage to align with said motion sensor when said cap is positioned on said first end of said housing, and

said light passage to enable manual activation of the motion sensor through the cap.

24. The optical stylus of claim 23, further including a writing element carried in said housing.

25. The optical stylus of claim 23, wherein said cap is coupled to said housing such that said light passage is a predetermined distance from said motion sensor when said cap is carried on said first end of said housing.

26. The optical stylus of claim 23, wherein the cap includes a button, wherein said button has a light passage aligned with said motion sensor and wherein said button is coupled to said cap by a resilient member.

27. A method in a virtual pen device having an interferometer motion sensor and a pen cap, comprising the steps of:

placing a cap having a transparent portion over a laser interferometer portion of said pen;

selecting a finger input mode;

sensing the motion of a surface in at least a first axis and a second axis; and

sending motion signals in response to sensing said motion of said surface to control operations on a terminal device.

28. The method of claim 27,

sensing the motion of said surface in a third axis relative to the cap,

selecting a function in response to said sensing of said motion in said third axis relative to said cap.

29. The method of claim 27, sensing the motion of said cap relative to said virtual pen with a pressure sensitive switch, and

activating a function in response to sensing said motion of said cap.

30. The method of claim 27,

sensing the contact of a button coupled to said cap with a pressure sensitive switch, and

activating a function in response to sensing said contact.