Object orientation detection with a digitizer

• US 9,864,441 B2
• Filed: 11/04/2015
• Issued: 01/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Geller, Ilan, Stern, Yuval, Kalmanovich, Alex
• Primary Examiner(s): Abdulselam, Abbas
• Application Number:
  US14/931,905
• Publication Number:
  US 20160054811A1
• Time in Patent Office: 797 Days
• Field of Search: 345179
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• 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 3/033 Pointing devices displaced or positioned by the user , e.g. mice, trackballs, pens or joysticks; Accessories therefor digitisers characterised by the transducing means G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/046 by electromagnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/20 Information technology specific aspects, e.g. CAD, simulation, modelling, system security

Abstract

A digitizer system includes a stylus comprising a plurality of transmitters for transmitting signals, wherein each of the plurality of transmitters are distanced from one another by a defined distance, a digitizer sensor operable for sensing signals transmitted by the plurality of transmitters, and circuitry associated with the digitizer sensor for tracking a projected location on the digitizer sensor of each of the plurality of transmitters based on the signals sensed, and for tracking a geometric relationship between the projected locations.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a housing extending along a longitudinal axis;

a tip configured to protrude from an end of the housing;

a first transmitter associated with the tip, wherein the first transmitter is configured to direct a first signal in a first direction wherein the first direction is aligned with the longitudinal axis, wherein the first signal is emitted as an electric field and wherein the electric field is generated by coupling an AC signal between the tip and a conductive element encompassing the tip; and

a second transmitter fixedly attached to the housing and displaced from the first transmitter, wherein the second transmitter is configured to direct a second signal at an angle with respect to the first direction, wherein the second signal is an AC signal and wherein the AC signal is configured to be sensed by conductive sensing lines of a digitizer sensor.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the angle is between 10-90 degrees.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first transmitter is configured to emit the first signal from a location along the longitudinal axis.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second transmitter is configured to emit the second signal from a location that is displaced from longitudinal axis.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first signal and the second signal are identical.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second signal is emitted as an electric field generated by coupling the AC signal between two conductive elements of the second transmitter.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the first signal and the second signal is emitted as an electric field, the electric field generated by coupling an AC signal between two conductive elements and wherein a first electric field generated by the first transmitter is distinct from a second electric field generated by the second transmitter.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the distinct electric fields are based on distinct geometries of the first and second transmitters.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the distinct electric fields are based on modulations imposed on at least one of the first and second AC signals.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising a signal generator configured to generate the first signal and the second signal, wherein each of the first signal and the second signal is an AC signal.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 comprising a battery configured to power generation of the first signal and the second signal.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first transmitter is configured to transmit the first signal simultaneously with transmission of the second signal with the second transmitter.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second transmitter is configured to transmit the second signal after the first transmitter transmits the first signal.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the first signal and the second signal are burst AC signals.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising a third transmitter configured to transmit a third signal, wherein the second transmitter and the third transmitter are positioned symmetrically with respect to the longitudinal axis.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is a stylus.

17. A stylus comprising:

a housing extending along a longitudinal axis;

a tip configured to protrude from an end of the housing;

a first transmitter associated with the tip, wherein the first transmitter is configured to generate a first electric field transmitted in a direction aligned with the longitudinal axis; and

a second transmitter fixedly attached to the housing and displaced from the first transmitter along the longitudinal axis, wherein the second transmitter is configured to direct a second electric field at a 10-90 degree angle from the direction at which the first electric field is directed, wherein the second electric field is an AC signal coupled between two conductive elements of the second transmitter.

18. The stylus of claim 17, comprising:

a signal generator configured to generate a first AC signal for generating the first electric field and a second AC signal for generating the second electric field, wherein at least one of the first and second signal is a modulated signal.

19. The stylus of claim 17, wherein each of the first electric field and the second electric field is generated with a burst AC signal and wherein the first electric field and the second electric field are generated consecutively.

20. An apparatus comprising:

a housing extending along a longitudinal axis;

a tip configured to protrude from an end of the housing;

a first transmitter associated with the tip, wherein the first transmitter is configured to direct a first signal in a first direction wherein the first direction is aligned with the longitudinal axis, wherein the first signal is emitted as an electric field and wherein the electric field is generated by coupling an AC signal between the tip and a conductive element encompassing the tip; and

a second transmitter fixedly attached to the housing and displaced from the first transmitter, wherein the second transmitter is configured to direct a second signal at an angle with respect to the first direction.