Force-sensitive input device

• US 9,639,179 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2012
• Issued: 05/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Armstrong-Muntner, Joel S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Nicholas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Adediran, Abdul-Samad A
• Application Number:
  US13/620,044
• Publication Number:
  US 20140078070A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,691 Days
• Field of Search: 178 18, 178 1806, 178 1904, 324686, 340706, 345174, 345179, 401103
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0441 using active external devices, e.g. active pens, for receiving changes in electrical potential transmitted by the digitiser, e.g. tablet driving signals
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0445 using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer
• 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

Abstract

An input device for computing devices that include touch screens. The input device includes an outer housing having an inner surface and an inner shaft. The inner shaft is at least partially received within the outer housing. A nib is operatively coupled to the inner shaft. Providing a first force to the nib causes the inner shaft to contact the inner surface of the outer housing at a first contact point along the outer housing, and providing a second force to the nib causes the inner shaft to contact the inner surface of the outer housing at a second contact point along the outer housing.

Claims

1. An input device for computing devices comprising:

an outer housing having an inner surface that provides a variable resistance;

an inner shaft at least partially received within the outer housing;

a nib operatively coupled to the inner shaft;

wherein

providing a first force to the nib causes the inner shaft to contact the inner surface at a first contact point along the outer housing;

providing a second force to the nib causes the inner shaft to contact the inner surface of the outer housing at a second contact point along the outer housing, wherein the first and second contact points are at different locations along a length of the outer housing, and wherein the input device generates a first electrical signal in response to the inner shaft contacting the inner surface of the outer housing at the first contact point and generates a second electrical signal in response to the inner shaft contacting the inner surface of the outer housing at the second contact point, and

a circuit that measures the first and second forces provided to the nib by measuring capacitance discharges across the variable resistance of the inner surface when the inner shaft contacts the inner surface at the first and second contact points.

2. The input device of claim 1, wherein the inner shaft comprises an outer surface, and the outer surface of the inner shaft contacts the inner surface of the outer housing responsive to the first and second forces.

3. The input device of claim 1, wherein the outer surface of the inner shaft selectively forms an electrical connection at the first and second contact points of the outer housing.

4. The input device of claim 1, wherein the first force causes the inner shaft to bend at a first bend point along the inner shaft, the first bend point being coupled to the first contact point responsive to the first force.

5. The input device of claim 1, wherein the inner shaft comprises a conductive element, and wherein the input device further comprises a substantially constant voltage source coupled to a first portion of the inner surface.

6. The input device of claim 5, wherein a second portion of the inner surface is coupled to a reference voltage node.

7. The input device of claim 1, wherein the inner surface is a resistive element that provides the variable resistance.

8. The input device of claim 7, wherein the variable resistance of the inner surface increases along the length of the outer housing.

9. An apparatus comprising:

an inner shaft having first and second opposing ends and including an electrically conductive portion at the first end, wherein the inner shaft extends between the first and second opposing ends along a longitudinal axis;

a nib operatively coupled to the second end of the inner shaft and configured to bias the inner shaft in a biasing direction within a rigid housing; and

a plurality of parallel conductive disks attached to the inner shaft along the longitudinal axis between the electrically conductive portion and the nib, wherein each of the conductive disks makes electrical contact with an inner surface of the rigid housing at a respective location of the rigid housing along the longitudinal axis, wherein the biasing direction is orthogonal to the longitudinal axis.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein at least a portion of the inner shaft is flexible.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the nib is configured to bias the flexible inner shaft responsive to a first force such that a first one of the plurality of parallel conductive disks makes electrical contact with the inner surface at a first location along the longitudinal axis, and wherein the nib is further configured to bias the flexible inner shaft responsive to a second force greater than the first force such that a second one of the plurality of parallel conductive disks makes electrical contact with the inner surface at a second location along the longitudinal axis.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the inner shaft comprises an outer surface, and the outer surface comprises the electrically conductive portion.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the inner shaft comprises a depth plunger.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein a plurality of resistances are coupled between the plurality of parallel conductive disks.

15. A stylus for providing an input to a touch interface of a computing device, comprising:

an elongated body;

a nib operably coupled to the elongated body; and

an inner shaft operably coupled to the nib and at least partially received within the elongated body, wherein the inner shaft comprises an insulator and a conductive disc that contacts an inner surface of the elongated body;

wherein

movement of the nib causes a portion of the inner shaft interposed between the nib and the insulator to bend towards and make direct electrical contact with the inner surface of the elongated body and causes the conductive disc to slide along and make direct electrical contact with the inner surface of the elongated body.

16. The stylus of claim 15, wherein the stylus is configured to provide a signal indicative of a location of the direct electrical contact between the portion of the inner shaft and inner surface of the elongated body.

17. The stylus of claim 15, wherein the movement of the nib is radial movement relative to the elongated body.

18. The stylus of claim 15, wherein the nib is electrically coupled to an outer surface of the elongated body and the stylus is configured for use with a capacitive touch interface.

19. A method for operating an input device for a computing device, comprising:

determining first and second contact positions at which an inner shaft makes direct electrical contact with an outer housing having an inner surface that provides a variable resistance, the first and second contact positions varying responsive to a force provided to the nib such that the inner shaft makes direct electrical contact with the inner surface at the first contact position in response to a first force and the inner shaft makes direct electrical contact with the inner surface at the second contact position in response to a second force that is different than the first force;

with a circuit in the input device, measuring the first and second forces provided to the nib by measuring capacitance discharges across the variable resistance of the inner surface when the inner shaft contacts the inner surface at the first and second contact positions; and

providing a first output signal responsive to the first contact position and providing a second output signal responsive to the second contact position.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the first output signal provided responsive to the first contact position increases in magnitude as the force applied to the nib increases.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising transmitting the first output signal to the computing device.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the first contact position of the inner shaft with the inner surface is determined by voltage dividing a voltage applied to the inner surface through a wiper, the wiper comprising the inner shaft.

23. The method of claim 19, further comprising determining an orientation of the input device relative to the computing device and transmitting the orientation to the computing device.