Communicating stylus

• US 8,922,530 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2010
• Issued: 12/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Pance, Aleksandar
• Primary Examiner(s): MARINELLI, PATRICK
• Application Number:
  US12/683,255
• Publication Number:
  US 20110164000A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,819 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-184, 345/104, 178 1801- 2004
• US Class Current: 345/179
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0384 Wireless input, i.e. hardware and software details of wireless interface arrangements for pointing devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry

Abstract

A stylus for writing on any type of surface, such as a piece of paper or a whiteboard and subsequently displaying the written images or text on a display of a digital computing device. The stylus may likewise be moved in three-dimensional space and corresponding images displayed on a display of a computing device. The stylus tracks its different positions while a user is writing or drawing and then either stores the data to be uploaded later or transmits the data simultaneously to a computing device. The computing device then displays the images and text drawn on the surface. The computing device may be located anywhere, as long as it is able to communicate with the stylus, and be able to display the written text or images.

Claims

1. A stylus comprising:

a body with a first end and a second end;

a tip located at a first end of the body;

one or more position sensors disposed on the body, wherein the position sensor is in communication with the tip; and

a transmitter operative to transmit position data generated by the one or more position sensors to a remote computing device, the position data including zero points established at four corners of a plane defined by the stylus in three-dimensional space for an initial location of the stylus;

wherein

the one or more position sensors are one or more accelerometers; and

the position data and a location of the remote computing device are used to;

triangulate a three-dimensional position of the stylus utilizing the zero points; and

map the four corners of the plane to four corners of a display.

2. The stylus of claim 1 wherein the transmitter operates intermittently.

3. The stylus of claim 1 further comprising a memory, wherein the memory is in communication with the position sensor.

4. The stylus of claim 1 further comprising a tube located within the body and connected to the tip, the tube holding an ink.

5. The stylus of claim 1 further comprising a power source, wherein the power source is in communication with the position sensors and the transmitter.

6. The stylus of claim 5 further comprising a switch, wherein the switch is in communication with the power source.

7. The stylus of claim 6 wherein the switch is a pressure sensor.

8. The stylus of claim 1, wherein the three-dimensional position of the stylus is used to determine a location of the stylus relative to the remote computing device.

9. The stylus of claim 1, wherein the plane is unknown to the remote computing device until it receives the zero points used to establish the four corners of the plane.

10. A method for capturing text written by a user, comprising:

actuating a stylus;

establishing zero points at four corners of a plane defined by the stylus in three-dimensional space for an initial location of the stylus;

detecting that the stylus is moving;

measuring the motion of the stylus in at least two dimensions;

creating first position data based at least on a motion of the stylus in at least two dimensions;

transmitting the position data to a remote computing device;

triangulating a three dimensional location of the stylus using the first position data, the zero points, and a location of the remote computing device; and

mapping the four corners of the plane to a display in communication with the remote computing device, wherein movement of the stylus in the plane is correlated to an output on the display.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first position data is a motion vector generated by an accelerometer.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the accelerometer is located in a tip of the stylus.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

creating second position data based at least on a motion of a back end of the stylus in at least two dimensions;

transmitting the second position data to the remote computing device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first and second position data are based on the motion of the stylus in three dimensions.

15. The method of claim 10,

wherein the zero points are established prior to detecting that the stylus is being moved.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the three-dimensional location of the stylus is determined at substantially any angle of the stylus relative to the remote computing device.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein establishing the zero points includes

activating an input to the stylus.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein activating an input comprises tapping the stylus at the four corners of the plane.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein activating the input comprises selecting a switch on the stylus at the four corners of the display.

21. The system of claim 12 wherein the position sensor is an accelerometer.

22. The system of claim 21, further comprising a magnetometer, wherein the magnetometer operates in conjunction with the accelerometer to provide position data.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the position data includes orientation data.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the processor employs the position data to determine a motion of the stylus.

20. A system for entering data, comprising:

a stylus comprising;

a body;

a tip;

at least one or more position sensors, wherein a first position sensor tracks the position of the tip and produces position data including zero points established at four corners of a plane defined by the stylus in three-dimensional space for an initial location of the stylus;

a transmitter, in communication with the position sensor, operative to transmit the position data; and

a power source in communication with the position sensor and the transmitter; and

a computing device comprising;

a receiver operative to receive the position data from the transmitter;

a processor in communication with the receiver, the processor operative to;

receive the position data and process it along with a location of the computing device to triangulate a three-dimensional position of the tip;

determine the four corners of the plane in three-dimensional space established by the stylus;

map the four corners of the plane in three-dimensional space to a display; and

the display in communication with the processor, and depicting graphics corresponding to a motion of the tip, wherein the depicted graphics are depicted in a location mapped to a location of the motion of the tip in the plane in three-dimensional space.

25. The system of claim 20 wherein the stylus further comprises a memory in communication with the position sensor, the power source and the transmitter.

26. The system of claim 20 further comprising a pressure sensor in communication with the power source and operative to activate the position sensor.