Stylus input device utilizing a permanent magnet
First Claim
1. A passive stylus system for providing input to an electronic appliance, wherein the passive stylus utilizes a permanent magnet to provide passive stylus location information to a magnetic sensor system, said passive stylus system comprising:
- a passive stylus including at least one permanent magnet;
a magnetic sensor system including a plurality of magnetic field sensors having circuitry that enables subtraction of the magnetic field of the passive stylus from the earth'"'"'s relative magnetic field to thereby obtain vector information that is used to triangulate a location of the at least one permanent magnet disposed within the passive stylus relative to an area of operation, wherein the magnetic sensor system utilizes solid state magnetic sensor technology; and
an electronic appliance for receiving input from the magnetic sensor system regarding the location of the at least one permanent magnet within the area of operation, wherein the input is interpreted to be alphanumerical text, cursor control, or graphical data.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A stylus that operates utilizing magnetic fields, wherein a permanent magnet is disposed within a passive stylus that is detectable by a plurality of magnetic sensors that remove the magnetic field of the stylus from the earth'"'"'s relative magnetic field to thereby obtain vectors that are used in a triangulation equation to determine the location of the stylus in two or three dimensions, depending upon the number of magnetic sensors that are used, wherein one set of magnetic sensors can be used as a reference for earth'"'"'s magnetic field, and wherein each of the magnetic sensors includes a polarizing coil to change direction of sensitivity, a null coil and a flipping coil.
55 Citations
27 Claims
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1. A passive stylus system for providing input to an electronic appliance, wherein the passive stylus utilizes a permanent magnet to provide passive stylus location information to a magnetic sensor system, said passive stylus system comprising:
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a passive stylus including at least one permanent magnet; a magnetic sensor system including a plurality of magnetic field sensors having circuitry that enables subtraction of the magnetic field of the passive stylus from the earth'"'"'s relative magnetic field to thereby obtain vector information that is used to triangulate a location of the at least one permanent magnet disposed within the passive stylus relative to an area of operation, wherein the magnetic sensor system utilizes solid state magnetic sensor technology; and an electronic appliance for receiving input from the magnetic sensor system regarding the location of the at least one permanent magnet within the area of operation, wherein the input is interpreted to be alphanumerical text, cursor control, or graphical data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A passive stylus system for providing input to an electronic appliance, wherein the passive stylus utilizes a permanent magnet to provide passive stylus location information to a magnetic sensor system, said passive stylus system comprising:
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a passive stylus including at least one permanent magnet; a plurality of magnetic field sensor pairs having circuitry that enables subtraction of the magnetic field of the passive stylus from the earth'"'"'s relative magnetic field to thereby obtain vector information that is used to triangulate a location of the at least one permanent magnet disposed within the passive stylus, relative to an area of operation; an electronic appliance for receiving input from the magnetic sensor system regarding the location of the at least one permanent magnet within the area of operation, wherein the input is interpreted to be alphanumerical text, cursor control, or graphical data; and a display screen for displaying information, including the input from the passive stylus. - View Dependent Claims (16)
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17. A method for providing input to an electronic appliance utilizing a passive stylus system that incorporates a permanent magnet, said method comprising the steps of:
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(1) providing a passive stylus having at least one permanent magnet disposed therein, and a magnetic sensor system having a plurality of magnetic field sensor pairs; (2) determining a plurality of positions of the at least one permanent magnet by subtracting the magnetic field of the passive stylus from the earth'"'"'s relative magnetic field and then obtaining vector information that is used to triangulate the positions of the at least one permanent magnet; (3) determining the plurality of positions of the at least one permanent magnet relative to a reference point; and (4) transmitting the positions of the at least one permanent magnet in the passive stylus, wherein the plurality of positions are interpreted to be alphanumerical text, cursor control, or graphical data. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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Specification