Touch pen, electronic device for recognizing the touch pen, and method of operating the electronic device

• US 9,395,862 B2
• Filed: 02/07/2014
• Issued: 07/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Jin
• Primary Examiner(s): Karimi, Pegeman
• Application Number:
  US14/175,775
• Publication Number:
  US 20140218338A1
• Time in Patent Office: 893 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/179
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 3/046 by electromagnetic means

Abstract

An electronic device includes an electromagnetic inductive type touch pen and a pen touch panel for recognizing the touch pen. The touch pen includes a hollow housing having a certain length, a coil body installed in the housing and including a coil wound a plurality of times and having a certain length, a magnetic body installed to be separated from the coil body with a certain interval and inducing the coil body to generate a certain resonance frequency, and a button unit installed to expose a part thereof to the outside of the housing and to be flowable and inducing a variance in the resonance frequency of the coil body by controlling an electric length of the coil wound around the coil body according to an operation of a user.

Claims

1. An electronic device including a touch pen, wherein the touch pen comprises:

a hollow housing;

a coil body disposed in an interior of the hollow housing and comprising a plurality of coil windings;

a magnetic body separated from the coil body; and

a button unit moveably connected to the coil windings and configured to adjust an electrical length of the coil windings, wherein the button unit comprises;

a sliding key button partially exposed to an exterior of the hollow housing and configured to slide in a longitudinal direction of the hollow housing; and

a movable terminal installed protruding from the sliding key button toward the coil body configured to be in contact with the coil windings.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein one end of the movable terminal changes the electrical length of the coil windings by changing a contact part with the coil windings according to a sliding operation of the sliding key button.

3. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein another end of the movable terminal is constantly, electrically connected to an end of the coil regardless of a movement of the sliding key button.

4. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein a capacitor is further disposed between the contact part and the end of the coil.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the sliding key button comprises:

an operation part exposed to the exterior of the hollow housing;

a guide rib extended from the operation part and configured to be disposed in the hollow housing and preventing a separation of the sliding key button;

a metallic movable terminal installed to be partially exposed from the inside of the operation part and controlled not to be separated from the operation part; and

a spring constantly pressing the movable terminal outward in the operation part.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising at least one spring installed in the hollow housing configured to allow the sliding key button to restore an original position after operation.

7. A touch pen comprising:

a hollow housing;

a coil body disposed in an interior of the hollow housing and comprising a plurality of coil windings;

a magnetic body separated from the coil body; and

a button unit moveably connected to the coil windings configured to adjust an electrical length of the coil windings, wherein the button unit comprises;

a sliding key button partially exposed to an exterior of the hollow housing and configured to slide in a longitudinal direction of the hollow housing; and

a moveable terminal installed protruding from the sliding key button toward the coil body configured to be in contact with the coil windings.

8. The touch pen of claim 7, wherein one end of the moveable terminal changes the electrical length of the coil windings by changing a contact part with the coil windings according to a sliding operation of the sliding key button.

9. A method of operating an electronic device comprising a touch pen, the method comprising:

identifying, when an input is performed by the touch pen, a frequency emitted from the touch pen, wherein the touch pen includes a moveable button unit partially exposed to an exterior of the touch pen and the touch pen is configured to change the frequency emitted from the touch pen by adjusting an electric length of coil windings around a coil body in the touch pen according to the movement of the button unit;

comparing the identified frequency with an output data table; and

outputting data corresponding to the frequency.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising, after the comparing with the output data table, displaying a preview window corresponding to the data.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the outputted data is a line having a certain thickness outputted by a transfer of the touch pen.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein data outputted in the preview window is displayed in a line thickness corresponding to a frequency currently inputted or a frequency just before being inputted.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein, the input performed by the touch pen comprises an input event sensed when the touch pen enters within a certain sensing distance before contact between the touch pen and a display surface of the electronic device.

14. The method of claim 9, comprising, after the outputting the data:

determining whether the frequency emitted by the touch pen has changed; and

outputting, when the frequency pen has changed, data changed corresponding to the changed frequency.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein, after the outputting the data, when an input of the touch pen is not recognized for a certain amount of time, the outputted data is changed into a default value.

16. An electronic device comprising:

an electromagnetic inductive touch pen comprising a moveable button unit partially exposed to an exterior of the touch pen;

a pen touch panel configured to detect a frequency emitted from the touch pen; and

at least one processor configured to sense a variance in the frequency of the touch pen and to output corresponding data according to a changed frequency and according to a movement of the button unit,

wherein the touch pen is configured to change the frequency emitted from the touch pen by adjusting an electric length of coil windings around a coil body in the touch pen according to the movement of the button unit.

17. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the processor is configured to output the corresponding data to a preview screen of a display unit before or simultaneously with outputting the corresponding data according to the changed frequency.