Pulse- or frame-based communication using active stylus

• US 8,933,899 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2012
• Issued: 01/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wacom Co Limited (Wacom)
• Original Assignee: Atmel Corporation (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Inventors: Bakken, Vemund Kval, Pant, Vivek, Yilmaz, Esat, Shahparnia, Shahrooz, Hanna, Sherif, Simmons, Martin John, Dubery, John Stanley, Sundara-Rajan, Kishore
• Primary Examiner(s): Haley, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): FRANK, EMILY J
• Application Number:
  US13/363,043
• Publication Number:
  US 20130106722A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,078 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0383 Signal control means within the pointing device
• 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 3/04164 Connections between sensors and controllers, e.g. routing lines between electrodes and connection pads
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0441 using active external devices, e.g. active pens, for receiving changes in electrical potential transmitted by the digitiser, e.g. tablet driving signals
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method includes receiving sensor data from one or more sensors in or on a stylus, the stylus including one or more electrodes and one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media embodying logic for wirelessly transmitting signals to a device through a touch sensor of the device. The method includes generating a carrier signal and modulating the carrier signal to communicate the sensor data and wirelessly transmitting from the stylus to the device the carrier signal as modulated through the touch sensor of the device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving sensor data from one or more sensors in or on a stylus, the stylus comprising one or more electrodes and one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media embodying logic for wirelessly transmitting signals to a device through a touch sensor of the device;

modulating a carrier signal to communicate the sensor data; and

wirelessly transmitting from the stylus to the device the carrier signal as modulated through the touch sensor of the device, the device being operable to obtain the sensor data by comparing the carrier signal as modulated to the carrier signal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the logic is operable to modulate the carrier signal to communicate the sensor data using:

amplitude modulation;

frequency modulation;

or

phase modulation.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the carrier signal is generated by either the stylus or a controller of the device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the carrier signal is modulated by either the stylus or a controller of the device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor data is analog.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor data is digital.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the carrier signal as modulated is transmitted in a single electric pulse.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the carrier signal as modulated is transmitted in a plurality of electric pulses.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the carrier signal is modulated by both the stylus and a controller of the device.

10. One or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media embodying logic that is operable when executed to:

receive sensor data from one or more sensors in or on a stylus, the stylus comprising one or more electrodes and the media;

modulate a carrier signal to communicate the sensor data; and

wirelessly transmit from the stylus to a device the carrier signal as modulated through a touch sensor of the device, the device being operable to obtain the sensor data by comparing the carrier signal as modulated to the carrier signal.

11. The media of claim 10, wherein the logic is operable when executed to modulate the carrier signal to communicate the sensor data using:

amplitude modulation;

frequency modulation;

or

phase modulation.

12. The media of claim 10, wherein the carrier signal is generated by either the stylus or a controller of the device.

13. The media of claim 10, wherein the carrier signal is modulated by either the stylus or a controller of the device.

14. The media of claim 10, wherein the sensor data is analog.

15. The media of claim 10, wherein the sensor data is digital.

16. The media of claim 10, wherein the carrier signal as modulated is transmitted in a single electric pulse.

17. The media of claim 10, wherein the carrier signal as modulated is transmitted in a plurality of electric pulses.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the carrier signal is modulated by both the stylus and a controller of the device.