Reduce stylus tip wobble when coupled to capacitive sensor

• US 9,465,456 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2014
• Issued: 10/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Pant, Vivek, Shahparnia, Shahrooz, Elias, John Greer
• Primary Examiner(s): Sternbane, Larry
• Application Number:
  US14/283,105
• Publication Number:
  US 20150338932A1
• Time in Patent Office: 875 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-176, 345/179
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0418 for error correction or compensation, e.g. based on parallax, calibration or alignment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

Algorithms can be used to reduce stylus tip wobble for a stylus translating on a surface over and between electrodes of a touch sensor panel. In some examples, a first position estimate can be calculated using a first position calculation method and a second position estimate can be calculated using a second position calculation method. The position of the stylus can be determined based on a weighted combination of the first and second position estimates. In some examples, the first position estimate can be calculated using an even-point centroid of signal contributions from an even number of electrodes of a touch sensor panel and the second position estimate can be calculated using an odd-point centroid of signal contributions from an odd number of electrodes. In some examples, the weighting can be assigned based on a ratio of the two largest amplitude signals and based on a ratio of the second and third largest amplitude signals.

Claims

1. A method for reducing wobble in a calculated position of a stylus, the method comprising:

determining a first position estimate along an axis of a touch sensor panel using a first position calculation;

determining a second position estimate along the axis of the touch sensor panel using a second position calculation;

calculating a ratio of a second largest amplitude signal and a third largest amplitude signal;

assigning weighting to the first and second calculated position estimates based on a proximity of the stylus to an electrode receiving a largest amplitude signal, wherein full weight is assigned to the first position estimate and zero weight is assigned to the second position estimate when the ratio of the second largest amplitude signal and the third largest amplitude signal is within a threshold value of unity;

determining the calculated position of the stylus based on a weighted combination of the first and second position estimates; and

updating a user interface according to the calculated position, wherein the user interface is displayed on a display device coupled to the touch sensor panel.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first position calculation is an odd-point centroid using signal measurements from an odd number of electrodes of the touch sensor panel.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second position calculation is an even-point centroid using signal measurements from an even number of electrodes of the touch sensor panel.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

assigning zero weight to the first position estimate and full weight to the second position estimate when the ratio of the second largest amplitude signal and the third largest amplitude signal is more than the threshold value from unity.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising correcting the calculated position of the stylus based on one or more values from a look-up-table (LUT).

6. A method for reducing wobble in a calculated position of a stylus comprising:

determining a first position estimate along an axis of a touch sensor panel using a first position calculation;

determining a second position estimate along the axis of the touch sensor panel using a second position calculation;

calculating a first ratio of a second largest amplitude signal and a third largest amplitude signal;

calculating a second ratio of a largest amplitude signal and the second largest amplitude signal;

determining the proximity of the stylus to an electrode receiving the largest amplitude signal based on at least one of the first or second ratios;

assigning weighting to the first and second calculated position estimates based on the determined proximity of the stylus to the electrode receiving the largest amplitude signal, wherein the first position estimate is weighted based on the ratio of the largest amplitude signal and the second largest amplitude signal;

determining the calculated position of the stylus based on a weighted combination of the first and second position estimates; and

updating a user interface according to the calculated position, wherein the user interface is displayed on a display device coupled to the touch sensor panel.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the second position estimate is weighted based on the ratio of the second largest amplitude signal and the third largest amplitude signal.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first and second positions estimates are further weighted based on one or more polynomial coefficients.

9. A system for improving accuracy in a stylus measurement, comprising:

a plurality of electrodes arranged along an axis of a touch sensor panel capable of receiving a plurality of signals;

a display device coupled to the touch sensor panel; and

one or more processors capable of;

determining a first position estimate along the axis of the touch sensor panel using a first position calculation;

determining a second position estimate along the axis of the touch sensor panel using a second position calculation;

calculating a ratio of a second largest amplitude signal and a third largest amplitude signal;

assigning weighting to the first and second calculated position estimates based on a proximity of the stylus to an electrode of the plurality of electrodes receiving a largest amplitude signal, wherein full weight is assigned to the first position estimate and zero weight is assigned to the second position estimate when the ratio of the second largest amplitude signal and the third largest amplitude signal is within a threshold value of unity;

determining the calculated position of the stylus based on a weighted combination of the first and second position estimates; and

updating a user interface according to the calculated position, wherein the user interface is displayed on the display device.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the first position calculation is an odd-point centroid using signal measurements from an odd number of electrodes of the touch sensor panel.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the second position calculation is an even-point centroid using signal measurements from an even number of electrodes of the touch sensor panel.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein assigning weighting to the first and second calculated position estimates further comprises:

assigning zero weight to the first position estimate and full weight to the second position estimate when the ratio of the second largest amplitude signal and the third largest amplitude signal is more than the threshold value from unity.

13. The system of claim 9, the one or more processors further capable of correcting the calculated position of the stylus based on one or more values from a look-up-table (LUT).

14. A system for improving accuracy in a stylus measurement, comprising:

a plurality of electrodes arranged along an axis of a touch sensor panel capable of receiving a plurality of signals;

a display device coupled to the touch sensor panel; and

one or more processors capable of;

determining a first position estimate along the axis of the touch sensor panel using a first position calculation;

determining a second position estimate along the axis of the touch sensor panel using a second position calculation;

calculating a first ratio of a second largest amplitude signal and a third largest amplitude signal;

calculating a second ratio of a largest amplitude signal and the second largest amplitude signal;

determining the proximity of the stylus to the electrode receiving the largest amplitude signal based on at least one of the first or second ratios;

assigning weighting to the first and second calculated position estimates based on the determined proximity of the stylus to the electrode receiving the largest amplitude signal, wherein the first position estimate is weighted based on the ratio of the largest amplitude signal and the second largest amplitude signal;

determining the calculated position of the stylus based on a weighted combination of the first and second position estimates; and

updating a user interface according to the calculated position, wherein the user interface is displayed on the display device.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the second position estimate is weighted based on the ratio of the second largest amplitude signal and the third largest amplitude signal.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the first and second positions estimates are further weighted based on one or more polynomial coefficients.

17. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium, the computer readable storage medium containing instructions that, when executed, perform a stylus position error correction method, the method comprising:

determining a first position estimate along an axis of a touch sensor panel using a first position calculation;

determining a second position estimate along the axis of the touch sensor panel using a second position calculation;

calculating a ratio of a second largest amplitude signal and a third largest amplitude signal;

assigning weighting to the first and second calculated position estimates based on a proximity of the stylus to an electrode receiving a largest amplitude signal, wherein full weight is assigned to the first position estimate and zero weight is assigned to the second position estimate when the ratio of the second largest amplitude signal and the third largest amplitude signal is within a threshold value of unity;

determining a calculated position of the stylus based on a weighted combination of the first and second position estimates; and

updating a user interface according to the calculated position, wherein the user interface is displayed on a display device coupled to the touch sensor panel.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the first position calculation is an odd-point centroid using signal measurements from an odd number of electrodes of the touch sensor panel and the second position calculation is an even-point centroid using signal measurements from an even number of electrodes of the touch sensor panel.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein assigning weighting to the first and second calculated position estimates comprises:

assigning zero weight to the first position estimate and full weight to the second position estimate when the ratio of the second largest amplitude signal and the third largest amplitude signal is more than a threshold value from unity.

20. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium, the computer readable storage medium containing instructions that, when executed, perform a stylus position error correction method, the method comprising:

determining a first position estimate along an axis of a touch sensor panel using a first position calculation;

determining a second position estimate along the axis of the touch sensor panel using a second position calculation;

calculating a first ratio of a second largest amplitude signal and a third largest amplitude signal;

calculating a second ratio of a largest amplitude signal and the second largest amplitude signal;

determining the proximity of the stylus to the electrode receiving the largest amplitude signal based on at least one of the first or second ratios;

assigning weighting to the first and second calculated position estimates based on the determined proximity of the stylus to the electrode receiving the largest amplitude signal, wherein the first position estimate is weighted based on the ratio of the largest amplitude signal and the second largest amplitude signal and the second position estimate is weighted based on the ratio of the second largest amplitude signal and the third largest amplitude signal;

determining the calculated position of the stylus based on a weighted combination of the first and second position estimates; and

updating a user interface according to the calculated position, wherein the user interface is displayed on a display device coupled to the touch sensor panel.