Fast multi-touch stylus and sensor

• US 9,804,721 B2
• Filed: 01/12/2016
• Issued: 10/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tactual Labs Co.
• Original Assignee: Tactual Labs Co.
• Inventors: Leigh, Darren
• Primary Examiner(s): HALEY, JOSEPH R
• Application Number:
  US14/993,868
• Publication Number:
  US 20160124553A1
• Time in Patent Office: 658 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04104 Multi-touch detection in digitiser, i.e. details about the simultaneous detection of a plurality of touching locations, e.g. multiple fingers or pen and finger
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04106 Multi-sensing digitiser, i.e. digitiser using at least two different sensing technologies simultaneously or alternatively, e.g. for detecting pen and finger, for saving power or for improving position detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04109 FTIR in optical digitiser, i.e. touch detection by frustrating the total internal reflection within an optical waveguide due to changes of optical properties or deformation at the touch location
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03542 Light pens for emitting or receiving light
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04166 Details of scanning methods, e.g. sampling time, grouping of sub areas or time sharing with display driving Synchronisation with the driving of the display or the backlighting unit to avoid interferences generated internally G06F3/04184
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04182 Filtering of noise external to the device and not generated by digitiser components
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04186 Touch location disambiguation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen
• 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 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes

Abstract

A stylus and touch sensitive device are disclosed. The stylus includes a stylus transmitter for transmitting a stylus signal. The touch sensitive device includes row conductors, each of which is associated with a row transmitter and a row receiver. The row transmitter is adapted to simultaneously transmit row signals, each on its associated row conductor, each of the row signals being orthogonal to each other of the plurality of row signals transmitted on each other of the row conductors. The row receiver is adapted to detect the stylus signal. Column conductors are provided, each associated with a column receiver that is adapted to detect the presence of each of the row signals transmitted by the row transmitter and the stylus signal.

Claims

1. A stylus and touch sensitive device comprising:

a. the stylus comprising three stylus transmitters, each stylus transmitter adapted to transmit a unique stylus signal orthogonal from the other unique stylus signals;

b. the touch sensitive device comprising

i. a plurality of row conductors, each of the plurality of row conductors associated with a row receiver, the row receiver being adapted to receive a row signal;

ii. a plurality of column conductors, each of the plurality of column conductors associated with a column receiver, the column receiver being adapted to receive a column signal;

iii. the path of each of the row conductors crossing the path of each of the column conductors; and

iv. processor adapted to determine a strength for each of the unique stylus signals in received column signals and row signals and determine a locational position of the stylus with respect to the touch sensitive device based upon the determined strengths.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the three stylus transmitters are each adapted to simultaneously transmit a unique stylus signal orthogonal from the other unique stylus signals.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the processor is further adapted to determine a rotational orientation of the stylus with respect to the touch sensitive device based upon the determined strengths.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the processor is further adapted to determine an angular position of the stylus with respect to the touch sensitive device based upon the determined strengths.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, the stylus further comprising at least one additional stylus transmitter, each of the at least one additional stylus transmitters adapted to transmit a unique additional stylus signal orthogonal to each other unique additional stylus signal and each unique stylus signals.

6. A touch sensitive device adapted to determine the location and orientation of a stylus, the touch sensitive device having a plurality of row conductors and a plurality of column conductors, the path of each of the row conductors crossing the path of each of the column conductors, each of the plurality of row conductors and each of the plurality of column conductors being associated with a receiver adapted to receive a signal present on its associated row or column conductor, the the stylus comprising three stylus transmitters, each stylus transmitter adapted to transmit a unique stylus signal orthogonal from the other unique stylus signals, the touch sensitive device comprising:

processor adapted to;

a. determine a strength for each unique stylus signals in a signal received by each receiver; and

b. determine a position and orientation of the stylus with respect to the touch sensitive device based upon the determined strengths.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein each of the unique stylus signals are frequency orthogonal to one another.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the position and orientation of the stylus includes a cartesian position, a rotational orientation and an angular position.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the position and orientation of the stylus includes a cartesian position, a rotational orientation and an angular position.

10. A method of determining the position and orientation of a stylus with respect to a capacitive sensor, the stylus comprising three stylus transmitters, each adapted to transmit a unique stylus signal orthogonal from the other unique stylus signals, the method comprising:

a. receiving signals from the capacitive sensor;

b. determining a strength for each unique stylus signals in the received signals; and

c. determining a position and orientation of a stylus with respect to the capacitive sensor based upon the determined strengths.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the capacitive sensor has rows and columns, and wherein the step of receiving signals from the capacitive sensor comprises receiving signals from each of the rows and columns of the capacitive sensor.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein

each unique stylus signals is frequency orthogonal with each of the other unique stylus signals and each unique stylus signals is spaced from each other unique stylus signals by a spacing (Δ

f), and

the step of receiving occurs during a measurement period (T) that is at least the reciprocal of the spacing (Δ

f).

13. The method of claim 12, wherein step of determining a strength includes using a frequency analysis technique.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the frequency analysis technique is a Fourier transform.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the frequency analysis technique is an FFT.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein step of determining a strength includes using a filter bank.