Systems and related methods involving stylus tactile feel

• US 9,075,438 B2
• Filed: 07/18/2012
• Issued: 07/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Original Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Inventors: Wenger, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, JENNIFER T
• Application Number:
  US13/551,822
• Publication Number:
  US 20140022217A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,084 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345173-179, 178/18.01, 178/19.01, 178/20.01, 178/19.03
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers

Abstract

Systems and methods involving stylus tactile feel are provided. In this regard, a representative system includes: a stylus operative to affect an input to an electronic device via interaction with a working surface thereof, the stylus being further operative to interact with the working surface such that electrostatic charges exhibited between the working surface and the stylus simulate friction force exhibited by the surface to be simulated and an instrument to be simulated, the instrument being represented by the stylus.

Claims

1. A system for providing stylus tactile feel of a simulated surface using an electronic device, the electronic device having a touchscreen and a transparent layer overlying the touchscreen to provide a working surface, the transparent layer having a conductive grid, the system comprising:

an active stylus operative to independently generate a first time-varying charge to interact with the conductive grid of the electronic device, the conductive grid exhibiting a second time-varying charge,

the stylus being further operative to interact with the working surface above the touchscreen such that electrostatic force generated between the first time-varying charge on the stylus and the second time-varying charge on the conductive grid simulates friction force between the surface to be simulated and an instrument to be simulated, the instrument being represented by the stylus.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the stylus is operative to generate the first time-varying charge of a time varying charge profile, having amplitude and frequency characteristics, for simulating the friction force responsive to the stylus being moved relative to the working surface.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the stylus is operative to:

store information corresponding to multiple charge profiles, each of which corresponds to a friction profile associated with a different surface to be simulated; and

enable selection from among the multiple charge profiles such that the surface to be simulated or the instrument to be simulated is user selectable.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the stylus is operative to selectively exhibit a change in polarity.

5. A system for providing stylus tactile feel of a simulated surface, the system comprising:

an electronic device having a touchscreen and a transparent layer overlying the touchscreen to provide a working surface, the transparent layer having a conductive grid; and

an active stylus operative to independently generate a first time-varying charge to interact with the conductive grid, the conductive grid having a second time-varying charge, the stylus being further operative to interact with the working surface such that electrostatic force generated between the first charge on the stylus and the second time-varying charge on the conductive grid simulates friction force between the surface to be simulated and an instrument to be simulated, the instrument being represented by the stylus.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the stylus is operative to exhibit a charge that is opposite in polarity to a charge exhibited by the working surface of the electronic device.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the electronic device has a force control system operative to apply the second time-varying charge to the conductive grid for interacting with the stylus for simulating the friction force exhibited by the surface to be simulated.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein:

the electronic device has a grid control system; and

the grid control system is operative to disable the touchscreen responsive to proximity of the stylus, and enable the touchscreen to function as the conductive grid for simulating the friction force exhibited by the surface to be simulated.

9. A method for providing stylus tactile feel comprising:

independently generating, by an active stylus, a first time-varying charge to interact with a second time-varying charge of a conductive grid of an electronic device effective at a working surface of the electronic device, the conductive grid being in an overlying relationship with a touchscreen of the electronic device; and

interacting, by the active stylus, with the working surface such that electrostatic force generated between the first time-varying charge and the second time-varying charge simulates friction force, corresponding to an instrument to be simulated and a surface to be simulated, between the active stylus and the working surface.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein:

the second time-varying charge of the conductive grid exhibits a charge profile effective at the working surface of the electronic device; and

the first time-varying charge exhibited by the stylus is opposite in polarity to that of the charge profile such that interaction of the first time-varying charge of the stylus and the charge profile provides a tactile feel to a user of the stylus as the stylus is moved relative to the working surface.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the charge profile is provided of varying intensity along the working surface.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the charge profile selectively exhibits a change in polarity.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the charge profile is provided by:

storing information corresponding to multiple charge profiles, each of which corresponds to a friction profile associated with a different surface and instrument combination to be simulated; and

providing one of the multiple charge profiles corresponding to the combination to be simulated by the working surface and the stylus.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein providing one of the multiple charge profiles comprises enabling a user of the electronic device to select at least one of the surface to be simulated or the instrument to be simulated.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising disabling a touchscreen sensor array of the electronic device.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising applying the charge profile to the touchscreen sensor array.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein disabling the touchscreen sensor array is performed responsive to detecting a proximity of the stylus to the working surface.