Touch stylus capable of detecting pressure on a tip and related optical-mechanical system

• US 9,430,058 B2
• Filed: 10/26/2012
• Issued: 08/30/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wistron Corporation
• Original Assignee: Wistron Corporation
• Inventors: Wang, Kuo-Hsing, Chin, Pei-Chen, Su, Pin-Hsien, Wu, Wen-Chin, Kao, Yi-Sheng
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Chanh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shen, Yuzhen
• Application Number:
  US13/661,054
• Publication Number:
  US 20130257812A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,404 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/175, 345/179
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0354 with detection of 2D relative movements between the device, or an operating part thereof, and a plane or surface, e.g. 2D mice, trackballs, pens or pucks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03542 Light pens for emitting or receiving light
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/042 by opto-electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/043 using propagating acoustic waves

Abstract

A touch stylus capable of detecting pressure on its tip is disclosed in the present disclosure. The touch stylus includes a body, a tip, and a pressure sensing module disposed between the body and the tip for detecting a pressure on the tip. The pressure sensing module includes a lighting unit, a pressure sensing unit connected to the tip, and a controller electrically connected to the lighting unit and the pressure sensing unit. The pressure sensing unit detects a movement of the tip relative to the body, and generates a corresponding electrical signal. The controller receives the electrical signal to drive the lighting unit for generating a corresponding optical signal. A scintillating frequency of the optical signal and a value of the electrical signal are in direct proportion, and an optical detector can transform the optical signal into the pressure on the tip.

Claims

1. A touch stylus capable of detecting pressure on its tip, the touch stylus comprising:

a body;

a tip movably disposed on an end of the body; and

a pressure sensing module disposed between the body and the tip for detecting the pressure on the tip, the pressure sensing module comprising;

a lighting unit;

a pressure sensing unit connected to the tip and comprising a signal emitter, a signal receiver and a retractable isolation structure, a press-based signal generated from the signal emitter being transmitted through the retractable isolation structure to be received by the signal receiver in a direction substantially parallel to a retracting direction of the retractable isolation structure, and a value of a movement between the tip and the body being acquired according to time difference between receiving the press-based signal by the signal receiver and outputting the press-based signal by the signal emitter, so as to generate a corresponding electrical signal; and

a controller electrically connected to the lighting unit and the pressure sensing unit for receiving the electrical signal, so as to drive the lighting unit to generate a corresponding optical signal, a scintillating frequency of the optical signal and a value of the electrical signal being in direct proportion, and the controller being adapted to activate the lighting unit by the electrical signal varied with the compressed variation of the retractable isolation structure since the pressure sensing unit detects the movement of the tip and further to accordingly increase the scintillating frequency since the movement is increased;

wherein the optical signal is transmitted to an optical detector disposed on a panel, and the optical detector transforms the scintillating frequency of the optical signal into the pressure on the tip.

2. The touch stylus of claim 1, wherein the lighting unit is an infrared light emitting diode.

3. The touch stylus of claim 1, wherein the pressure sensing unit is an optical detection set, the optical detection set comprises an optical emitter, an optical receiver and the retractable isolation structure.

4. The touch stylus of claim 3, wherein the optical emitter and the optical receiver are respectively disposed on two ends of the retractable isolation structure.

5. The touch stylus of claim 3, wherein the optical receiver receives a light intensity signal emitted from the optical emitter, and transforms the light intensity signal into the electrical signal corresponding to the movement.

6. The touch stylus of claim 1, wherein the pressure sensing unit is a sonic detection set, the sonic detection set comprises a sonic emitter, a sonic receiver, a compressive component and the retractable isolation structure, the sonic emitter and the sonic receiver are respectively disposed on two ends of the retractable isolation structure, the compressive component is disposed inside the retractable isolation structure, the sonic receiver receives a sound intensity signal emitted from the sonic emitter, and transforms the sound intensity signal into the electrical signal corresponding to the movement.

7. The touch stylus of claim 1, wherein the scintillating frequency of the optical signal and the pressure on the tip are in direct proportion.

8. An optical-mechanical system utilizing a touch stylus to detect pressure on its tip, the optical-mechanical system comprising:

a panel;

at least one optical detector disposed on a corner of the panel, and

a touch stylus for painting a line on the panel, the optical detector detecting parameters generated by the touch stylus to display a pattern on the panel, the pattern corresponding to a track of the line and the pressure on its tip, the touch stylus comprising;

a body;

a tip movably disposed on an end of the body; and

a pressure sensing module disposed between the body and the tip for detecting the pressure on the tip, the pressure sensing module comprising;

a lighting unit;

a pressure sensing unit connected to the tip and comprising a signal emitter, a signal receiver and a retractable isolation structure, a press-based signal generated from the signal emitter being transmitted through the retractable isolation structure to be received by the signal receiver in a direction substantially parallel to a retracting direction of the retractable isolation structure, and a value of a movement between the tip and the body being acquired according to time difference between receiving the press-based signal by the signal receiver and outputting the press-based signal by the signal emitter, so as to generate a corresponding electrical signal; and

a controller electrically connected to the lighting unit and the pressure sensing unit for receiving the electrical signal, so as to drive the lighting unit to generate a corresponding optical signal, a scintillating frequency of the optical signal and a value of the electrical signal being in direct proportion, and the controller being adapted to activate the lighting unit by the electrical signal varied with the compressed variation of the retractable isolation structure since the pressure sensing unit detects the movement of the tip and further to accordingly increase the scintillating frequency since the movement is increased;

wherein the optical detector receives the optical signal, and transforms the scintillating frequency of the optical signal into the pressure on the tip.

9. The optical-mechanical system of claim 8, wherein the lighting unit is an infrared light emitting diode.

10. The optical-mechanical system of claim 8, wherein the pressure sensing unit is an optical detection set, the optical detection set comprises an optical emitter, an optical receiver and the retractable isolation structure, the optical emitter and the optical receiver are respectively disposed on two ends of the retractable isolation structure, the optical receiver receives a light intensity signal emitted from the optical emitter, and transforms the light intensity signal into the electrical signal corresponding to the movement.

11. The optical-mechanical system of claim 8, wherein the pressure sensing unit is a sonic detection set, the sonic detection set comprises a sonic emitter, a sonic receiver, a compressive component and the retractable isolation structure, the sonic emitter and the sonic receiver are respectively disposed on two ends of the retractable isolation structure, the compressive component is disposed inside the retractable isolation structure, the sonic receiver receives a sound intensity signal emitted from the sonic emitter, and transforms the sound intensity signal into the electrical signal corresponding to the movement.

12. The optical-mechanical system of claim 8, wherein the optical detector further analyzes code information or linear information modulated in the scintillating frequency of the optical signal.

13. The optical-mechanical system of claim 8, wherein an image capturing frequency of the optical detector is divided into a plurality of intervals, the optical detector reads the scintillating frequency of the optical signal during each frequency interval in sequence, and transforms the scintillating frequency of the optical signal into the pressure on the tip.

14. The optical-mechanical system of claim 8, wherein the scintillating frequency of the optical signal and the pressure on the tip are in direct proportion.