Active capacitive control stylus

• US 8,648,837 B1
• Filed: 07/09/2010
• Issued: 02/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: the united states of america as represented by the secretary of the navy
• Original Assignee: the united states of america as represented by the secretary of the navy
• Inventors: Tran, Nghia X., Phan, Hoa V., Bruch, Michael H., Fugate, Sunny J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lao, Lun-Yi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tryder, Gregory J
• Application Number:
  US12/833,687
• Time in Patent Office: 1,313 Days
• Field of Search: 345/175, 345179-183, 178 1801- 2004
• US Class Current: 345/179
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• 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 3/0442 using active external devices, e.g. active pens, for transmitting changes in electrical potential to be received by the digitiser

Abstract

A data transfer device comprising: a body; a tip coupled to the body, wherein the tip has a dielectric constant value suitable for interacting with a capacitive touch screen of a separate device; a control unit mounted to the body; and an electronic switch mounted to the body and operatively coupled to the control unit, wherein the switch is disposed to connect the tip to a ground source when the switch is in a closed configuration and to break the connection between the tip and the ground source when the switch is in an open configuration.

Claims

1. A data transfer device comprising:

a body;

a control unit mounted within the body;

a tip operatively coupled to the control unit, wherein the tip has a dielectric constant value substantially similar to that of a human finger, and wherein the tip is segmented into electrically isolated regions of substantially similar area, wherein each segment is operatively coupled to the control unit via a demultiplexing electronic switch, and wherein the tip is flexible such that a greater number of the segments may be brought into contact with the capacitive touch screen by applying pressure to the tip;

an input button mounted to the body and operatively coupled to the control unit;

a display mounted to the body and operatively coupled to the control unit; and

an electronic switch mounted to the body and operatively coupled to the control unit, wherein the switch is disposed to connect the tip to a ground source when the switch is in a closed configuration and to break the connection between the tip and the ground source when the switch is in an open configuration.

2. The data transfer device of claim 1, further comprising a wireless data transfer unit operatively coupled to the control unit such that the data transfer device is configured to communicate with other electronic devices.