Wireless and contactless electronic input stylus having at least one button with optical scan and programmable pointer functionality

• US 7,646,379 B1
• Filed: 01/10/2005
• Issued: 01/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zebra Technologies Corporation
• Original Assignee: Motion Computing Incorporated (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Le, Tram Q., Drennan, Offie Lee, Lanni, Grace
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; My-Chau T
• Application Number:
  US11/032,369
• Time in Patent Office: 1,828 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/179, 178/18.01, 178 1803- 1807, 178 1901- 1903
• US Class Current: 345/177
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/043 using propagating acoustic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/046 by electromagnetic means

Abstract

A stylus input device, a stylus input device with display, and a method for entering input into a computer system are provided. The stylus is preferably used as a pointer that points to a particular region on an electronic display, and one or more buttons on the stylus can be used to scroll, modify or select that region. The buttons can be programmed in various ways to perform different functions, or one button can be programmed to perform a sequence of functions. The tip of the stylus need not contact the display surface to either render the stylus position or to select the region of the display shown by the stylus cursor. The input device and system thereby operates in a contactless and wireless environment to leave the display area unencumbered to viewers of the display screen, and to allow more than one stylus to concurrently operate upon the display. The tip of the stylus can also be configured to scan an image of optically contrasting information, such as a barcode, in a contactless and wireless environment.

Claims

1. A stylus input device, comprising:

a first transceiver configured near a tip of the stylus to transfer a signal across a wireless medium for determining a position of the stylus absent contact upon the tip;

a button mounted upon the stylus rearward from the tip and programmably configured to transmit a function across the wireless medium upon actuation of the button; and

a second transceiver configured near said tip of the stylus to transfer an optical signal upon an image and receive a second signal corresponding to a configuration of the image, wherein the second transceiver performs the acts of transferring and receiving without contacting the tip against a surface comprising the image.

2. The stylus as recited in claim 1, wherein the signal is selected from the group consisting of an acoustic signal, an electromagnetic signal, a magnetic signal, and an optical signal.

3. The stylus as recited in claim 1, wherein the function is selected from the group consisting of a right-click, a left-click, a double-click, a scroll up, a scroll down and a pointer identification.

4. The stylus as recited in claim 1, wherein the button is configured to transmit a series of functions across the wireless medium upon actuation of the button.

5. The stylus as recited in claim 1, further comprising a logic voltage value generator coupled to forward a sequence of logic 1 and logic 0 voltage values depending on the function transmitted or, alternatively, to a modulator coupled to modulate the signal depending on the function transmitted.

6. The stylus as recited in claim 1, wherein the function comprises a pointer identification number uniquely corresponding to the stylus.

7. The stylus as recited in claim 1, wherein the second transceiver comprises a light emitting diode and a photo detector.

8. A wireless input system, comprising:

an electronic display screen having a two-dimensional X and Y set of coordinates;

a stylus elevated a spaced distance above the display screen;

at least two transducers coupled to and arranged along the periphery of the display screen for transferring a signal between the stylus and the transducers without contacting the stylus to the display, wherein the signal is proportional to a position of the stylus relative to the X and Y set of coordinates;

at least one button on the stylus programmably configured, upon user actuation, to send a user-selected function to at least one of the transducers; and

a graphical user interface (GUI) window displayed upon the electronic display screen, wherein a user of the stylus interacts with the GUI window to programmably configure the at least one button with the user-selected function;

a graphical user interface (GUI) configured for displaying the GUI window on the electronic display, wherein the GUI window comprises a plurality functions available for programmably configuring the at least one button, and receiving instructions via the stylus for selecting one of the plurality functions displayed within the GUI window;

a programmable controller coupled for receiving the instructions from the GUI and for converting the instructions into a series of logic values; and

a memory device coupled for storing the series of logic values, so as to programmably configure the at least one button with the user-selected function.

9. The input system as recited in claim 8, wherein the signal is selected from the group consisting of an acoustic signal, an electromagnetic signal, a magnetic signal, and an optical signal.

10. The input system as recited in claim 8, wherein the function is selected from the group consisting of a right-click, a left-click, a double-click, a scroll up, a scroll down and a pointer identification.

11. The input system as recited in claim 8, wherein the stylus further comprises a logic voltage value generator coupled to forward a sequence of logic 1 and logic 0 voltage values depending on the function transmitted or, alternatively, a modulator coupled to modulate the signal depending on the function transmitted.

12. The input system as recited in claim 8, wherein the stylus further comprises:

a memory device; and

a programmable controller coupled to forward a series of logic values to the memory device upon receiving an instruction corresponding to each of the at least one button, whereupon subsequent actuation of the at least one button causes a lookup into the memory device for the corresponding series of logic values.

13. The input system as recited in claim 12, wherein the series of logic values are different from a series of values of the signal such that the signal, which connotes a position of the stylus, can be differentiated from the logic values which connote the function.

14. The input system as recited in claim 13, wherein the logic values are selected from the group consisting of phase modulated logic values, frequency modulated logic values, amplitude modulated logic values and delta sigma modulated logic values.

15. The input system as recited in claim 8, wherein the stylus further comprises a barcode reader coupled to an optical transceiver for displaying a product code upon the electronic display of a scanned barcode.

16. The input system as recited in claim 8, wherein the stylus further comprises a rechargeable capacitor power source adapted for slideable engagement into a power supply docking station.

17. The input system as recited in claim 8, wherein the function is selected by the user without contacting the stylus to the electronic display.