Stylus with touch sensor

• US 9,575,573 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2014
• Issued: 02/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Chang, Ray L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Davis, David D
• Application Number:
  US14/575,740
• Publication Number:
  US 20160179222A1
• Time in Patent Office: 796 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1694 the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0384 Wireless input, i.e. hardware and software details of wireless interface arrangements for pointing devices
• 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 3/0442 using active external devices, e.g. active pens, for transmitting changes in electrical potential to be received by the digitiser

Abstract

A stylus may have an elongated body with opposing ends. Electronic equipment may have a touch sensor that receives electromagnetic signals from one or more electrodes. The stylus may have a touch sensor on the elongated body. The touch sensor on the body may have electrodes that gather touch input and optional force input when the fingers of a user touch the stylus. The touch input may include touch gestures in which a user'"'"'s fingers move along the length of the stylus and may include rotational information indicative of how the stylus is being rotated between the user'"'"'s fingers. The stylus may have a force sensor that monitors how firmly the stylus is being pressed against external surface and may have other input-output devices. The stylus may transition between operating modes based on signals from the force sensor and other input-output devices in the stylus.

Claims

1. A stylus that controls electronic equipment that includes a touch sensor and a display, comprising:

a body with first and second opposing ends and a tip at the first end that supplies input to the touch sensor in the electronic equipment;

a touch sensor that extends along at least some of the body, wherein the body extends along a longitudinal axis and has a circumference, wherein the touch sensor on the body measures finger touch positions around the circumference, wherein the touch sensor includes a first set of electrodes that run parallel to the longitudinal axis and a second set of electrodes that extend around the circumference perpendicular to the first set of electrodes, wherein the first and second sets of electrodes are coupled to touch sensor circuitry in the body, wherein the second set of electrodes gather touch gestures involving finger movements along the longitudinal axis, wherein the first set of electrodes gather touch gestures involving finger movements along the circumference, and wherein the stylus is configured to rotate an image of an object on the display in response to the finger movements along the circumference; and

wireless circuitry that includes a radio-frequency transceiver and an antenna, wherein the wireless circuitry wirelessly transmits touch sensor input from the touch sensor on the body to the electronic equipment.

2. The stylus defined in claim 1 further comprising control circuitry that operates the stylus in a first mode in which the touch sensor on the body is enabled and a second mode in which the touch sensor on the body is disabled.

3. The stylus defined in claim 2 wherein the second set of electrodes measure finger touch positions along the longitudinal axis.

4. The stylus defined in claim 1, wherein each electrode in the second set of electrodes extends completely around the circumference.

5. The stylus defined in claim 4, wherein each electrode in the first set of electrodes has a length and a width, wherein the length is parallel to the longitudinal axis, wherein the width is parallel to the circumference, and wherein the length is longer than the width.

6. A stylus that provides input to electronic equipment, comprising:

an elongated body with first and second opposing ends;

an electrode at the first end that emits electromagnetic signals that are detected by a touch sensor in the electronic equipment;

a touch sensor that extends along at least some of the elongated body, wherein the elongated body extends along a longitudinal axis and has a circumference, wherein the touch sensor has an array of capacitive touch sensor electrodes that sense finger movements along the longitudinal axis and finger movements along the circumference, and wherein the finger movements along the circumference are indicative of how the stylus is being rotated; and

wireless circuitry that includes a radio-frequency transceiver and an antenna, wherein the wireless circuitry wirelessly transmits touch sensor input from the touch sensor on the elongated body to the electronic equipment.

7. The stylus defined in claim 6 further comprising a force sensor that measures force signals when the first end is pressed against the touch sensor in the electronic equipment.

8. The stylus defined in claim 7 further comprising control circuitry that, in response to the force signals, switches between a first mode in which the touch sensor on the body is inactive and a second mode in which the touch sensor on the body is active.

9. The stylus defined in claim 6 wherein the touch sensor comprises at least one force sensor.