Active pen system

• US 9,465,455 B2
• Filed: 12/26/2013
• Issued: 10/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Aurongzeb, Deeder M., Hood, Charles D. III
• Primary Examiner(s): Edwards, Carolyn R
• Application Number:
  US14/141,200
• Publication Number:
  US 20150185879A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,020 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-184
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3259 Power saving in cursor control device, e.g. mouse, joystick, trackball
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

An information handling system (IHS) input system includes an IHS having an IHS processor and an IHS display screen coupled to the IHS processor. A pen is configurable to provide an input to the IHS. The pen includes a power supply system, a pen tip, a pen processor coupled to the pen tip, a pen memory that includes instructions that, when executed by the pen processor, causes the pen processor to provide a wake engine, and a motion activated device that is coupled between the power supply system and the pen processor. The motion activated device is configured, in response to movement of the pen, to couple the power supply system to the pen processor such that the wake engine activates the pen tip to configure the pen tip to provide inputs to the IHS processor through the IHS display screen.

Claims

1. An active pen, comprising:

a pen chassis including a pen tip;

a power supply system housed in the pen chassis;

a memory system that is housed in the pen chassis and that includes instructions that, when executed by a processing system that is housed in the pen chassis and that is coupled to the pen tip, causes the processing system to provide a wake engine that is configured to activate the pen tip for a first predetermined time period in response to the pen tip engaging a display screen; and

a motion activated device that is coupled between the power supply system and the processing system, wherein the motion activated device is configured, in response to detecting a movement of the pen chassis when the pen tip is deactivated such that no power is drawn from the power supply system by the motion activated device, the pen tip, the memory system, and the processing system, to couple the power supply system to the processing system such that the wake engine activates the pen tip for a second predetermined time period that is shorter than the first predetermined time period so that a subsequent engagement of the pen tip and the display screen during the second predetermined time period provides an immediate input to the display screen while also extending the activation of the pen tip from the second predetermined time period to the first predetermined time period.

2. The active pen of claim 1, wherein the motion activated device includes an acceleration sensor.

3. The active pen of claim 2, wherein the wake engine is configured to determine an acceleration resulting from the movement of the pen chassis, and wherein the wake engine activates the pen tip for the second predetermined time period in response to the acceleration resulting from the movement of the pen chassis exceeding a predetermined acceleration threshold.

4. The active pen of claim 2, wherein the wake engine is configured to determine an axis of acceleration resulting from the movement of the pen chassis, and wherein the wake engine activates the pen tip for the second predetermined time period in response to the axis of acceleration resulting from the movement of the pen chassis being a predetermined axis.

5. The active pen of claim 1, wherein the first predetermined time period is approximately 60 seconds.

6. The active pen of claim 5, wherein the second predetermined time period is approximately 10 seconds.

7. The active pen of claim 1, wherein the wake engine is configured to deactivate the pen tip following at least one predetermined time period in which the pen tip is not detected engaging a display screen.

8. An information handling system (IHS) input system, comprising:

an IHS including;

an IHS processor; and

an IHS display screen coupled to the IHS processor;

a pen that is configurable to provide an input to the IHS, the pen including;

a power supply system;

a pen tip;

a pen processor coupled to the pen tip;

a pen memory that includes instructions that, when executed by the pen processor, causes the pen processor to provide a wake engine that is configured to activate the pen tip for a first predetermined time period in response to the pen tip engaging the IHS display screen; and

a motion activated device that is coupled between the power supply system and the pen processor, wherein the motion activated device is configured, in response to detecting a movement of the pen when the pen tip is deactivated such that no power is drawn from the power supply system by the motion activated device, the pen tip, the pen memory system, and the pen processor, to couple the power supply system to the pen processor such that the wake engine activates the pen tip for a second predetermined time period to configure the pen tip to provide inputs to the IHS processor through the IHS display screen, wherein the first predetermined time period is longer than the second predetermined time period so that a subsequent engagement of the pen tip and the display screen during the second predetermined time period provides an immediate input to the display screen while also extending the activation of the pen tip from the second predetermined time period to the first predetermined time period.

9. The IHS input system of claim 8, wherein the motion activated device includes an acceleration sensor.

10. The IHS input system of claim 9, wherein the wake engine is configured to determine an acceleration resulting from the movement of the pen, and wherein the wake engine activates the pen tip for the second predetermined time period in response to the acceleration resulting from the movement of the pen exceeding an predetermined acceleration threshold.

11. The IHS input system of claim 9, wherein the wake engine is configured to determine an axis of acceleration resulting from the movement of the pen, and wherein the wake engine activates the pen tip for the second predetermined time period in response to the axis of acceleration resulting from the movement of the pen being a predetermined axis.

12. The IHS input system of claim 8, wherein the first predetermined time period is approximately 60 seconds.

13. The IHS input system of claim 12, wherein the second predetermined time period is approximately 10 seconds.

14. The IHS input system of claim 8, wherein the wake engine is configured to deactivate the pen tip following at least one predetermined time period in which the pen tip is not detected engaging the IHS display screen.

15. A method for providing input to an IHS, comprising:

providing a pen including a power supply system, a pen tip, a wake engine that is coupled to the pen tip, and a motion activated device that is coupled between the power supply system and the wake engine;

deactivating the pen tip using the wake engine following at least one predetermined time period in which the pen tip is not detected engaging an IHS display screen on an IHS such that no power is drawn from the power supply system by the motion activated device, the pen tip, and the wake engine when the pen tip is deactivated;

coupling the power supply system to the wake engine using the motion activated device in response to detecting a movement of the pen when the pen tip is deactivated;

activating the pen tip for a first predetermined time period using the wake engine in response to coupling the power supply to the wake engine, wherein the activating of the pen tip configures the pen tip to provide an immediate input to the IHS through the IHS display screen when the pen tip is engaged with the display screen during the first predetermined time period; and

extending the activation of the pen tip from the first predetermined time period to the a second predetermined time period that is longer than the first predetermined time period using the wake engine in response to the pen tip engaging a display screen during the first predetermined time period.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the motion activated device includes an acceleration sensor.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the wake engine is configured to determine an acceleration resulting from the movement of the pen, and wherein the wake engine activates the pen tip for the first predetermined time period in response to the acceleration resulting from the movement of the pen exceeding an predetermined acceleration threshold.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the wake engine is configured to determine an axis of acceleration resulting from the movement of the pen, and wherein the wake engine activates the pen tip for the first predetermined time period in response to the axis of acceleration resulting from the movement of the pen being a predetermined axis.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the first predetermined time period is approximately 10 seconds.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the second predetermined time period is approximately 60 seconds.