Stylus sensitive device with stylus idle functionality

• US 9,632,594 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2013
• Issued: 04/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Barnes & Noble College Booksellers LLC (Barnes & Noble Education, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Barnes & Noble College Booksellers LLC (Barnes & Noble Education, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hicks, Kourtny M., Cueto, Gerald B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Kumar
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAM, VINH TANG
• Application Number:
  US13/793,277
• Publication Number:
  US 20140253464A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,506 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-184, 178 1801- 2004
• 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 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

Techniques are disclosed for performing functions in electronic devices by placing a device stylus in an idle position. The function may be, for example, activating a device idle mode, activating power saver or power-down mode, activating sleep mode, activating a screensaver, and/or locking the device. In some embodiments, an idle position may include setting the stylus in a horizontal position next to but not touching the device, setting the stylus in a stationary position relative to the computing device, or latching the stylus to the device or to a protective device case. In some embodiments, the stylus and/or device can detect the stylus'"'"' angle of inclination with respect to the device, thus detecting the nature of the stylus'"'"' resting. In other embodiments, when a magnetic stylus is latched to the device or device case, a magnetic sensor within the device may detect the stylus, thus activating a stylus idle mode.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

an electronic device having a display for displaying content to a user and a stylus detection surface for allowing user input via a stylus, the stylus including an elongated body portion having a main axis and a stylus tip on an end of the elongated body portion, wherein the stylus tip is for interacting with the stylus detection surface; and

a user interface operable on the electronic device and comprising a stylus idle mode configured to detect stylus position with respect to the electronic device and to perform;

a first idle function in response to the stylus being placed in a first idle position that includes the stylus resting next to but not touching the electronic device, wherein the first idle position includes the main axis of the elongated body portion of the stylus being substantially parallel to a plane defined by the display of the electronic device; and

a second idle function in response to the stylus being placed in a second idle position that includes the stylus being attached to the electronic device;

wherein the first idle function includes transitioning, after the stylus has been resting in the first idle position for at least a first threshold period of time, the electronic device from a first power consumption mode having a first power consumption rate to a second power consumption mode having a second power consumption rate less than the first power consumption rate, and

wherein the second idle function includes transitioning, after the stylus has been resting in the second idle position for at least a second threshold period of time, the electronic device to a third power consumption mode having a third power consumption rate less than both the first and second power consumption rates.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the stylus is configured to wirelessly communicate with the electronic device via the stylus detection surface.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the stylus idle mode is further configured to detect a stylus angle of inclination, and wherein the stylus placed in the first idle position comprises the stylus resting horizontally in the plane defined by the display of the electronic device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the stylus detection surface comprises at least one set of antenna coils configured to interact with a resonant circuit within the stylus and detect a stylus angle of inclination with respect to the stylus detection surface.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the stylus being placed in the second idle position comprises a magnetic stylus magnetically latched to the device or to a device case, and wherein a magnetic sensor within the device is configured to detect attachment of the magnetic stylus to the device or the device case.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the stylus idle mode is further configured to cease at least one of the first idle function and the second idle function in response to the stylus being removed from the first idle position and the second idle position, respectively.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein transitioning the electronic device to the second power consumption mode comprises at least one of activating a device idle mode, activating power saver mode, activating sleep mode, activating a screensaver, and locking the device.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the user interface is further configured to configure the stylus in real-time over a wireless communication link to the stylus.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the first idle function and the second idle function are user-configurable.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is further configured to provide at least one of an audio and/or visual notification associated with each of the first idle function and the second idle function.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is further configured to provide at least one of a function selection pop-up menu or a function confirmation pop-up menu associated with the stylus idle mode.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the electronic device is an eReader device or a tablet computer or a smartphone.

13. A mobile computing device comprising the system of claim 1.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the stylus being substantially parallel to the plane defined by the display of the electronic device comprises an angle of plus or minus 2 degrees.

15. A system, comprising:

a stylus that includes an elongated body portion having a main axis and a stylus tip on an end of the elongated body portion, wherein the stylus tip is for interacting with a stylus detection surface;

an electronic device having a display for displaying content to a user and having the stylus detection surface for allowing user input via the stylus; and

a user interface executable on the device and including a stylus idle mode, wherein the stylus idle mode is configured to perform;

a first idle function in response to the stylus resting in a first idle position next to but not touching the electronic device, wherein the first idle position includes the main axis of the elongated body portion of the stylus being substantially parallel to a plane defined by the display of the electronic device;

a second idle function in response to the stylus being placed in a second idle position that includes the stylus being attached to the electronic device;

wherein the first idle function includes transitioning, after the stylus has been resting in the first idle position for at least a first threshold period of time, the electronic device from a first power mode having a first power consumption rate to a second power mode having a second power consumption rate less than the first power consumption rate, the second power mode comprising at least one of a device idle mode, a screensaver, and a locked screen mode; and

wherein the second idle function includes transitioning, after the stylus has been resting in the second idle position for at least a second threshold period of time, the electronic device to a third power consumption mode having a third power consumption rate less than both the first and second power consumption rates, the third power consumption mode comprising one of a sleep mode and an off mode.

16. A non-transitory computer program product comprising a plurality of instructions encoded thereon and executable by a processor to facilitate operation of an electronic device according to a process, the process comprising:

determine an angle of inclination of a stylus with respect to a stylus detection surface of the electronic device, the angle of inclination determined by detecting an angle between a main axis of an elongated body portion of the stylus and a plane defined by the stylus detection surface;

perform a first idle function in response to the stylus being placed in a first idle position in which the angle of inclination of the stylus with respect to the stylus detection surface corresponds to the stylus resting proximate to, but not in contact with, the stylus detection surface that is substantially parallel to the stylus detection surface;

perform a second idle function in response to the stylus being placed in a second idle position that includes the stylus being attached to the electronic device;

wherein the first idle function includes transitioning the electronic device from a first power consumption mode having a first power consumption rate to a second power consumption mode having a second power consumption rate less than the first power consumption rate; and

wherein the second idle function includes transitioning the electronic device to a third power consumption mode having a third power consumption rate less than both the first and second power consumption rates.

17. The non-transitory computer program product of claim 16, wherein transitioning the electronic device to the second power consumption mode comprises at least one of activating a device idle mode, activating sleep mode, turning on a screensaver, and locking the device.

18. The non-transitory computer program product of claim 16, wherein the angle of inclination between the stylus and the stylus detection surface is determined by determining a location of a resonant circuit within the stylus.