Stylus with control ring user interface

• US 8,803,850 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2012
• Issued: 08/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Griffin, Jason Tyler, Sharp, Tracy Christina, Rodrigues Siqueira, Mario Duarte
• Primary Examiner(s): Beck, Alexander S
• Assistant Examiner(s): CASTIAUX, BRENT D
• Application Number:
  US13/524,176
• Publication Number:
  US 20130335380A1
• Time in Patent Office: 788 Days
• US Class Current: 345/179
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus

Abstract

Control rings are mounted on a stylus body. A controller within the stylus body generates a control signal dependent upon the control rings. The control signal is transmitted to a host electronic device where information contained in the control signal is used to control properties of a drawing tool in a computer drawing application.

Claims

1. A method for enabling selection of the attributes of a computerized drawing tool of a drawing application executed on a host electronic device, comprising:

in response to operation of a first control ring on a stylus, generating a first signal representative of an angular position of the first control ring, where the first control ring comprises a multi-position selection switch having a plurality of angular positions, each angular position associated with a property of the computerized drawing tool property;

in response to operation of a second control ring on the stylus, generating a second signal representative of a property value;

multiplexing the first and second signals to form a control signal comprising;

a header;

an identifier dependent upon the first signal and comprising a numerical representation of the angular position of the first control ring; and

a property value dependent upon the second signal and comprising a numerical representation of the property value; and

transmitting the control signal from a transmitter of the stylus to enable selection, on the host electronic device, of a computerized drawing tool for which a property associated with the identifier has a value indicated by the property value.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the

identifier dependent upon the first signal comprises a tool identifier and a property identifier.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the first control ring comprises a color ring, the method further comprising:

determining the drawing tool color from the angular position of the color ring relative to the stylus.

4. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the second control ring comprises a capacitive ring, the method further comprising:

sensing the capacitance of the capacitive ring; and

determining a drawing tool property value of the drawing tool property from the capacitance of the capacitive ring.

5. A method in accordance with claim 4, wherein sensing the capacitance of the capacitive ring comprises:

sensing a touch position on the capacitive ring.

6. A method in accordance with claim 5, wherein sensing the capacitance of the capacitive ring comprises:

sensing touch motion on the capacitive ring.

7. A system comprising:

a host electronic device comprising a processor, a display screen and a receiver, the host electronic device operable to execute a program of instructions of a drawing application; and

a stylus comprising a body, a first control ring, a second control ring and a transmitter, where the first control ring selects a property of a drawing tool in the drawing application and the second control ring selects the value of the selected property in the drawing application;

the stylus operable to transmit a control signal from the transmitter of the stylus in response to operation of the first and second control rings of the stylus, and

the host electronic device operable to receive the control signal and to control the drawing tool in accordance with the control signal such that a property of the drawing tool selected by the first control ring of the stylus has the value selected by the second control ring of the stylus,

wherein the control signal comprises;

a header;

an identifier comprising a numerical representation of an angular position of the first control ring; and

a property value comprising a numerical representation of the property value selected by the second control ring.

8. A system in accordance with claim 7, wherein the first control ring comprises a color ring that is operable to select a color component dependent upon the angular position of the color ring relative to the body of the stylus, wherein the second control ring is operable to select a value of the color component selected by the color ring, and wherein the host electronic device is operable to set a drawing tool color dependent upon the selected value of the selected color component.

9. A system in accordance with claim 7, wherein a control ring of the first and second control rings comprises a capacitive ring, and wherein the control signal is dependent upon a touch position on the capacitive ring.

10. A system in accordance with claim 7, wherein a control of the first and second control rings comprises a capacitive ring, and wherein the control signal is dependent upon a touch motion on the capacitive ring.

11. A system in accordance with claim 7, wherein the host electronic device is further operable to provide a user interface operable to customize the response of the host electronic device to the control signal received from the stylus.

12. A stylus comprising:

a body;

a first control ring mounted on the body, the first control ring comprising a multi-position switch having a plurality of angular positions, each angular position associated with a property of a drawing tool of a computer drawing application;

a second control ring mounted on the body, the second control ring operable to select a value of the property associated with an angular position of the first control ring;

a controller, operable to generate a control signal responsive to operation of the first and second control rings; and

a transmitter operable to transmit the control signal, the control signal containing information to enable selection of a drawing tool for which the selected property has the selected property value in the computer drawing application

wherein the control signal comprises;

a header;

an identifier comprising a numerical representation of an angular position of the first control ring; and

a property value comprising a numerical representation of the property value selected by the second control ring.

13. A stylus in accordance with claim 12, wherein the first control ring comprises a color ring that is rotatable about the stylus body to select a color component, wherein the second control ring is operable to select a value of the selected color component and wherein the control signal controls the color of the drawing tool in the computer drawing application.

14. A stylus in accordance with claim 13, wherein the color ring is colored to indicate the color of the drawing tool in the computer drawing application.

15. A stylus in accordance with claim 13, wherein the color ring is colored by one or more colors from the groups of colors consisting of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet and black.

16. A stylus in accordance with claim 12, wherein a control of the first and second control rings comprises a capacitive ring, and wherein the control signal is dependent upon a touch position on the capacitive ring.

17. A stylus in accordance with claim 12, wherein a control of the first and second control rings comprises a capacitive ring, and wherein the control signal is dependent upon a touch motion on the capacitive ring.

18. A stylus in accordance with claim 12, wherein the first control ring is operable to select between a color property of the drawing tool in the computer drawing application and a line thickness property of the drawing tool, and wherein the second control ring controls the drawing tool line width when the line thickness property is selected.

19. A stylus in accordance with claim 12, wherein the transmitter comprises a radio frequency transmitter operable under a protocol selected from the group of protocols consisting of a Bluetooth protocol, a WiFi protocol and a near field communication protocol.

20. A stylus in accordance with claim 12, further comprising:

at least one third control ring mounted on the body;

wherein the controller is operable to generate a control signal dependent upon the first and second control rings and dependent upon the at least one third control ring.

21. A stylus in accordance with claim 12, wherein the second control ring comprises a substantially continuous control that is operable to select a value for the selected property type.