Combined radio-frequency identification and touch input for a touch screen

• US 9,033,224 B2
• Filed: 11/19/2013
• Issued: 05/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Neonode, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Neonode, Inc.
• Inventors: Frjdh, Gunnar Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, THIEN MINH
• Application Number:
  US14/084,595
• Publication Number:
  US 20140078090A1
• Time in Patent Office: 546 Days
• Field of Search: 235/380, 235/375, 235/382, 235/472.01
• US Class Current: 235/380
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/35 communicating wirelessly
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/42 using separate channels for security data
• 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 2203/04106 Multi-sensing digitiser, i.e. digitiser using at least two different sensing technologies simultaneously or alternatively, e.g. for detecting pen and finger, for saving power or for improving position detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/033 Pointing devices displaced or positioned by the user , e.g. mice, trackballs, pens or joysticks; Accessories therefor digitisers characterised by the transducing means G06F3/041
• 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 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display

Abstract

A graphics tablet system including a housing, a touch screen in the housing for receiving touch input, and for displaying graphics corresponding to the received touch input, a plurality of styli for performing touch input, each stylus including an RFID chip storing one or more graphic attributes, and a visible indicator of the one or more graphic attributes, an RFID reader in the housing for reading the stored one or more graphic attributes from a stylus touching the touch screen, and a processor in the housing, connected to the touch screen and to the RFID reader, for rendering a drawing on the touch screen according to the motion of the stylus on the touch screen and according to one or more graphic attributes read by the RFID reader from the stylus, wherein the plurality of styli store different one or more graphic attributes.

Claims

1. A graphics tablet system comprising:

a housing;

a touch screen in said housing for receiving touch input, and for displaying graphics corresponding to the received touch input;

a plurality of styli for performing touch input, each stylus comprising;

an RFID chip storing one or more graphic attributes from among the group consisting of shapes and images; and

a visible indicator of the one or more graphic attributes;

an RFID reader in said housing for reading the stored one or more graphic attributes from a specific stylus touching said touch screen; and

a processor in said housing, connected to said touch screen and to said RFID reader, for rendering a drawing on said touch screen according to a location of the specific stylus on said touch screen and according to one or more graphic attributes read by said RFID reader from the specific stylus,

wherein said plurality of RFID chips store different one or more graphic attributes.

2. The graphics tablet system of claim 1, wherein said processor renders strokes in accordance with a motion of the specific stylus on said touch screen.

3. The graphics tablet system of claim 1, wherein said processor activates said RFID reader in response to an object touching said touch screen.

4. A method for a graphics tablet comprising:

detecting that a stylus is touching a touch screen, the stylus having an RFID chip;

in response to said detecting, reading one or more graphic attributes from the RFID chip included in the stylus, the attributes belonging to a group consisting of shapes and images; and

rendering a drawing according to a location of the stylus on the touch screen and according to the one or more graphic attributes read from the RFID chip.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said rendering renders strokes in accordance with a motion of the stylus on the touch screen.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising, in response to said detecting, activating an RFID reader situated inside the tablet to perform said reading.