Localizing an electrostatic stylus within a capacitive touch sensor
First Claim
1. A method for using an active stylus to enable determination of a two-dimensional position of the active stylus relative to a capacitive touch sensor, wherein the capacitive touch sensor has a two-dimensional matrix of conductors configured as a first array of conductors arranged in rows and a second array of conductors arranged in columns, and wherein the active stylus has an electrode and active components, the method comprising:
- receiving a first signal in the active stylus from at least one of the columns in the matrix;
measuring a signal strength of each first signal received from the columns;
using the measured signal strengths to calculate a first position of the active stylus along a first axis of the matrix of the capacitive touch sensor at the active stylus, wherein the active stylus is configured to determine the first position along the first axis of the matrix based on the received first signal;
transmitting the calculated first position of the active stylus along the first axis of the matrix of the capacitive touch sensor in a timeslot allocated for transmitting the calculated first position from the active stylus;
transmitting a second signal from the electrode of the active stylus to at least one of the rows of the matrix to indicate the second position of the active stylus along a second axis of the matrix, wherein the capacitive touch sensor is configured to determine the second position along the second axis of the matrix based on the received second signal, and wherein the capacitive touch sensor is configured to process the transmitted first position and the determined second position to determine the two-dimensional position of the active stylus relative to the capacitive touch sensor,wherein the electrode is located within the active stylus and is configured to electrostatically couple with the capacitive touch sensor, andwherein the electrode of the active stylus is configured to both receive and transmit signals.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Methods, systems, and apparatus relate to capacitive touch sensors with a fine-pointed, active stylus. The active stylus is configured to receive a signal from the capacitive touch sensor for synchronizing a time base of the stylus with the capacitive touch sensor. The active stylus is configured to receive a signal from a matrix of the capacitive touch sensor to measure a first position along one axis, and transmit a signal from the single electrode of the stylus to the matrix to indicate a second position of the stylus along another axis of the matrix. The stylus can transmit the received signal to report the first position of the stylus.
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Citations
37 Claims
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1. A method for using an active stylus to enable determination of a two-dimensional position of the active stylus relative to a capacitive touch sensor, wherein the capacitive touch sensor has a two-dimensional matrix of conductors configured as a first array of conductors arranged in rows and a second array of conductors arranged in columns, and wherein the active stylus has an electrode and active components, the method comprising:
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receiving a first signal in the active stylus from at least one of the columns in the matrix; measuring a signal strength of each first signal received from the columns; using the measured signal strengths to calculate a first position of the active stylus along a first axis of the matrix of the capacitive touch sensor at the active stylus, wherein the active stylus is configured to determine the first position along the first axis of the matrix based on the received first signal; transmitting the calculated first position of the active stylus along the first axis of the matrix of the capacitive touch sensor in a timeslot allocated for transmitting the calculated first position from the active stylus; transmitting a second signal from the electrode of the active stylus to at least one of the rows of the matrix to indicate the second position of the active stylus along a second axis of the matrix, wherein the capacitive touch sensor is configured to determine the second position along the second axis of the matrix based on the received second signal, and wherein the capacitive touch sensor is configured to process the transmitted first position and the determined second position to determine the two-dimensional position of the active stylus relative to the capacitive touch sensor, wherein the electrode is located within the active stylus and is configured to electrostatically couple with the capacitive touch sensor, and wherein the electrode of the active stylus is configured to both receive and transmit signals. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A method for using a capacitive touch sensor to enable determination of a two-dimensional position of an active stylus with respect to the capacitive touch sensor, where the capacitive touch sensor has a two-dimensional matrix of conductors configured as a first array of conductors arranged in rows and a second array of conductors arranged in columns, and where the active stylus has an electrode and active components, the method comprising:
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transmitting a first signal from at least one of the columns in the matrix to the active stylus for indicating a first position of the active stylus along a first axis of the matrix of the capacitive touch sensor, wherein the active stylus is configured to determine the first position along the first axis of the matrix based on the transmitted first signal, and wherein the active stylus is configured to communicate the determined first position back to the capacitive touch sensor in a predetermined timeslot allocated for communicating the first position; receiving a second signal from the electrode of the active stylus at one or more of the rows of the matrix to indicate a second position of the active stylus along a second axis of the matrix, wherein the capacitive touch sensor is configured to determine the second position along the second axis of the matrix based on the received second signal, and wherein the capacitive touch sensor is further configured to process the communicated first position in the predetermined timeslot and the determined second position to determine the two-dimensional position of the active stylus, and wherein the capacitive touch sensor is configured to electrostatically couple with the electrode located within the active stylus. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A capacitive touch sensor configured to enable determination of a two-dimensional position of an active stylus with respect to the capacitive touch sensor, where the active stylus has an electrode and active components, the capacitive touch sensor comprising:
- a two-dimensional matrix of conductors configured to include;
a first array of conductors arranged in rows; a second array of conductors arranged in columns; transmitters coupled to the second array of conductors, the transmitters being configured to transmit a first signal from at least one of the columns in the matrix to the active stylus while the active stylus operates in a receive mode, the transmitted first signal processed at the active stylus to determine a first position of the active stylus along a first axis of the matrix of the capacitive touch sensor, wherein the active stylus is configured to determine and communicate to the capacitive touch sensor the first position along the first axis of the matrix in a timeslot allocated for communication of the first position that is determined based on the transmitted first signal; and receivers coupled to the first array of conductors, the receivers being configured to receive a second signal from the electrode of the active stylus at one or more of the rows of the matrix while the active stylus operates in a transmit mode, the second signal received indicating a second position of the active stylus along a second axis of the matrix, wherein; the capacitive touch sensor is configured to determine the second position along the second axis of the matrix based on the received second signal, the capacitive touch sensor is configured to process the first position communicated in the timeslot allocated for communication of the first position and the second position to determine a two-dimensional position of the active stylus relative to the capacitive touch sensor, and the capacitive touch sensor is configured to electrostatically couple with the electrode located within the active stylus.
- a two-dimensional matrix of conductors configured to include;
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37. A capacitive touch sensor configured to enable determination of a two-dimensional position of an active stylus with respect to the capacitive touch sensor, where the active stylus has an electrode and active components, the capacitive touch sensor comprising:
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a two-dimensional matrix of conductors configured to include; a first array of conductors arranged in rows; a second array of conductors arranged in columns; and means for transmitting a first signal from at least one of the columns in the matrix to the active stylus while the active stylus operates in a receive mode to indicate a first position of the active stylus along a first axis of the matrix of the capacitive touch sensor, and receiving a second signal from the electrode of the active stylus at one or more of the rows of the matrix while the active stylus operates in a transmit mode to indicate a second position of the active stylus along a second axis of the matrix, wherein; the active stylus is configured to determine the first position along the first axis of the matrix based on the received first signal and to communicate the first position to the capacitive touch sensor through an auxiliary channel comprising at least one of a wireless communication channel, an ultrasonic channel, and an optical channel, the capacitive touch sensor is configured to determine the second position along the second axis of the matrix based on the received second signal and to receive the first position communicated through the auxiliary channel, wherein the capacitive touch sensor is configured to process the first position received through the auxiliary channel and the determined second position to determine the two-dimensional position of the active stylus, and the capacitive touch sensor is configured to electrostatically couple with the electrode located within the active stylus.
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Specification