Data transfer from active stylus

• US 9,389,701 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2012
• Issued: 07/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wacom Co Limited (Wacom)
• Original Assignee: Atmel Corporation (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Inventors: Logan, John, Bakken, Vemund Kval, Sundara-Rajan, Kishore, Yilmaz, Esat
• Primary Examiner(s): Pardo, Thuy
• Application Number:
  US13/364,803
• Publication Number:
  US 20130106725A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,622 Days
• Field of Search: 345/179, 345/173, 345/174, 345/175, 178 1901- 1907
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• 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 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• 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 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method includes accessing, by a stylus, data associated with a particular user of the stylus, the data associated with the particular user being stored in a memory of the stylus; and by the stylus, wirelessly transmitting the data to a device in response to the stylus contacting a touch sensor of the device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

accessing, by a stylus, data associated with a particular user of the stylus, the data associated with the particular user being stored in a memory of the stylus; and

wirelessly transmitting, by the stylus, the data to a device through a capacitive interaction between the stylus and one or more electrodes of a touch sensor of the device in response to the stylus contacting the touch sensor, wherein the transmission of the data by the stylus is synchronized with a signal received from the device, wherein wirelessly transmitting, by the stylus, the data is initiated in response to a force, measured by a force sensor of the stylus, applied to a tip of the stylus being above a predetermined threshold level.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising capturing the data associated with the particular user through a sensor of the stylus.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the data associated with the particular user comprise movements of the particular user captured through the sensor of the stylus.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the sensor comprises an accelerometer;

the data associated with the particular user comprises movement of the particular user captured through the accelerometer.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising capturing an authentication procedure performed using the stylus.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the authentication procedure comprises a movement of the stylus by the particular user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the signal received from the device comprises a predetermined bit sequence, the transmission of the data by the stylus being synchronized with the predetermined bit sequence, the predetermined bit sequence transmitted by at least one of the one or more electrodes through the capacitive interaction with the touch sensor of the device.

8. A device comprising:

a stylus; and

a computer-readable non-transitory storage medium coupled to the stylus and embodying logic configured when executed by one or more processors to cause the one or more processors to;

access, by the stylus, first data associated with a particular user, the first data associated with the particular user being stored in a memory of the stylus and comprising movements of the particular user captured by the stylus through a sensor of the stylus, the movements corresponding to a gesture performed outside a detection range of the touch sensor of the device;

authenticate, by the stylus, the particular user of the stylus based on the gesture performed outside the detection range of the touch sensor of the device; and

wirelessly transmit, by the stylus, based on authenticating the particular user by the stylus, second data to a device through a capacitive interaction between the stylus and Fone or more electrodes of a touch sensor of the device in response to the stylus contacting the touch sensor, wherein the transmission of the second data is synchronized with a signal received from the device.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the logic is further configured to cause the one or more processors to capture the first and second data associated with the particular user through the sensor of the stylus.

10. The device of claim 8, wherein:

the sensor comprises an accelerometer;

the first data associated with the particular user comprises movement of the particular user captured through the accelerometer.

11. The device of claim 8, wherein the signal received from the device is received from at least one of the one or more electrodes through the capacitive interaction with the touch sensor, the transmission of the second data being synchronized with the signal received from the at least one of the one or more electrodes through the capacitive interaction with the touch sensor.

12. The device of claim 8, wherein the signal received from the device comprises a predetermined bit sequence, the transmission of the second data by the stylus being synchronized with the predetermined bit sequence, the predetermined bit sequence transmitted by at least one of the one or more electrodes through the capacitive interaction with the touch sensor of the device.

13. The device of claim 8, wherein:

the first data further reflects a grip of the particular user on the stylus, the grip captured by one or more sensors of the stylus; and

authenticating, by the stylus, the particular user of the stylus is further based on the grip of the particular user on the stylus.

14. A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium embodying logic configured when executed by one or more processors to cause the one or more processors to:

access, by a stylus, first data associated with a particular user, the first data associated with the particular user being stored in a memory of the stylus and comprising movements of the particular user captured by the stylus through a sensor of the stylus, the movements corresponding to a gesture performed outside a detection range of the touch sensor of the device;

authenticate, by the stylus, the particular user of the stylus based on the gesture performed outside the detection range of the touch sensor of the device; and

wirelessly transmit, by the stylus, based on authenticating the particular user by the stylus, second data to a device through a capacitive interaction between the stylus and one or more electrodes of a touch sensor of the device in response to the stylus contacting the touch sensor, wherein the transmission of the second data is synchronized with a signal received from the device.

15. The medium of claim 14, wherein the logic is further configured to cause the one or more processors to capture the first and second data associated with the particular user through the sensor of the stylus.

16. The medium of claim 14, wherein contacting the touch sensor comprises contacting a tip of the stylus to the touch sensor with a pre-determined amount of force.

17. The medium of claim 14, wherein:

the sensor comprises an accelerometer;

the first data associated with the particular user comprises movement of the particular user captured through the accelerometer.

18. The medium of claim 14, wherein the signal received from the device is received from at least one of the one or more electrodes through the capacitive interaction with the touch sensor, the transmission of the second data being synchronized with the signal received from the at least one of the one or more electrodes through the capacitive interaction with the touch sensor.

19. The medium of claim 14, wherein the signal received from the device comprises a predetermined bit sequence, the transmission of the second data by the stylus being synchronized with the predetermined bit sequence, the predetermined bit sequence transmitted by at least one of the one or more electrodes through the capacitive interaction with the touch sensor of the device.

20. The medium of claim 14, wherein:

the first data further reflects a grip of the particular user on the stylus, the grip captured by one or more sensors of the stylus; and

authenticating, by the stylus, the particular user of the stylus is further based on the grip of the particular user on the stylus.