Active stylus and control circuit thereof

• US 9,965,056 B2
• Filed: 03/02/2016
• Issued: 05/08/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WeTransfer B.V. (Bending Spoons SpA)
• Original Assignee: FiftyThree, Inc. (Bending Spoons SpA)
• Inventors: Gordon, Gary, Randall, Ronald
• Primary Examiner(s): ABDIN, SHAHEDA A
• Application Number:
  US15/058,598
• Publication Number:
  US 20170255281A1
• Time in Patent Office: 797 Days
• 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 3/0442 using active external devices, e.g. active pens, for transmitting changes in electrical potential to be received by the digitiser

Abstract

The present disclosure provides systems and methods for receiving an input signal from a touch-sensitive interface via a first electrode associated with a tip of an active stylus. An input signal may be amplified via a control circuit that adjusts the gain of one or more amplifiers to compensate for changes in tip capacitance between the tip of the active stylus and the touch-sensitive interface. Changes in tip capacitance may be indirectly detected and compensated for by comparing the tip capacitance with that of a reference capacitor via a differential amplification circuit that includes one or more differential amplifiers.

Claims

1. A control circuit for an active stylus comprising:

a first electrode associated with the tip of an active stylus configured to receive an input signal from a touch-sensitive interface and support;

a capacitive bridge comprising at least three capacitors, including a first capacitor connecting the first electrode to a second capacitor and a reference capacitor connecting the second capacitor to a second electrode;

a transformer comprising a primary winding and a secondary winding, wherein the secondary winding connects a junction of the first capacitor and the second capacitor to the second electrode;

a first differential amplifier with a first input connected to the first electrode and a second input connected to a junction of the second capacitor and the reference capacitor;

a compensation amplifier configured to amplify a signal from the junction of the second capacitor and the reference capacitor; and

a second differential amplifier with a first input connected to an output of the first differential amplifier and a second input connected to an output of the compensation amplifier,

wherein the primary winding of the transformer connects the output of the second differential amplifier to the second electrode, and

wherein the gain of the compensation amplifier is dynamically adjusted based at least partially on a difference between a capacitance of the reference capacitor and a capacitance between the first electrode and the touch-sensitive interface.

2. The control circuit of claim 1, wherein the gain of the compensation amplifier is dynamically adjusted to substantially eliminate a drive signal produced by the control circuit,

wherein the drive signal corresponds to an amplified version of the input signal that is driven onto the first electrode to cause the touch-sensitive input to register a contact by a tip of the active stylus with the touch-sensitive interface.

3. The control circuit of claim 1, wherein the second electrode comprises a substantial portion of an outer housing of the active stylus.

4. The control circuit of claim 1, wherein the first electrode associated with the tip of the active stylus comprises at least two sub-electrodes.

5. The control circuit of claim 1, wherein the second electrode is a common or ground reference for the control circuit.

6. The control circuit of claim 1, wherein the gain of the compensation amplifier is dynamically adjusted based at least partially on the difference of (1) the capacitance of the reference capacitor and (2) the capacitance between the first electrode and the touch-sensitive interface in series with the capacitance between the second electrode and the touch-sensitive interface.

7. The control circuit of claim 1, further comprising an amplifier with a gain less than 0 between the output of the second differential amplifier and the primary winding of the transformer.

8. The control circuit of claim 7, further comprising a microcontroller configured to control the gain of the amplifier with the gain of less than 0.

9. The control circuit of claim 1, further comprising an amplifier with a gain greater than 0 between the output of the second differential amplifier and the primary winding of the transformer.

10. The control circuit of claim 1, wherein the first electrode is spaced sufficiently from the second electrode to attain a uniform electric field gradient proximate a contact point of the tip of the active stylus with the touch-sensitive interface.

11. The control circuit of claim 1, further comprising a microcontroller configured to control the gain of the compensation amplifier.

12. The control circuit of claim 11, further comprising at least one of a phase detector and an RF detector configured to detect the presence of a drive signal corresponding to an amplified version of the input signal.

13. An active stylus comprising:

an elongated body comprising an outer housing;

a tip for contacting a surface of a touch-sensitive device, wherein the tip is associated with a first electrode configured to receive an input signal from an electrode of the touch-sensitive device;

a second electrode; and

a control circuit configured to adjust a gain of at least one amplification stage based on a difference in (1) a capacitance of a fixed reference capacitor and (2) tip capacitance, the tip capacitance based at least in part on a capacitance of the first electrode relative to the touch-sensitive device, the control circuit further configured to amplify the input signal to produce a drive signal to be driven at the first electrode, the control circuit comprising;

a capacitive bridge comprising at least three capacitors, including a first capacitor connecting the first electrode to a second capacitor and a reference capacitor connecting the second capacitor to the second electrode;

a transformer comprising a primary winding and a secondary winding, wherein the secondary winding connects a junction of the first capacitor and the second capacitor to the second electrode; and

a drive signal feedback circuit comprising at least one differential amplification stage with one input connected to an output of a gain compensation stage for the drive signal, a gain of the gain compensation stage adjusted based on a difference in the capacitance of a fixed reference capacitor and the tip capacitance such that the drive signal is substantially removed from the output of the differential amplification stage.

14. The active stylus of claim 13, wherein the tip capacitance is based on the capacitance of the first electrode relative to the touch-sensitive device and the capacitance of the second electrode relative to the touch-sensitive device.

15. The active stylus of claim 13, wherein the gain of the at least one amplification stage is adjustable between −

1 and 1.

16. The active stylus of claim 13, wherein the gain of the at least one amplification stage is adjustable between 0 and −

1.

17. The active stylus of claim 13, wherein the tip comprises a dielectric element connected to the first electrode, where the dielectric element is configured to directly contact the surface of the touch-sensitive device.

18. The active stylus of claim 13, further comprising a microcontroller configured to control the gain of the gain compensation stage to substantially remove the drive signal from the output of the differential amplification stage.

19. The active stylus of claim 18, wherein the microcontroller utilizes inputs from at least one of a phase detector and an RF detector to determine the gain of the gain compensation stage that will result in the drive signal being substantially removed from the output of the differential amplification stage.

20. The active stylus of claim 13, wherein the drive signal feedback circuit comprises:

a first differential amplifier with a first input connected to the first electrode and a second input connected to a junction of the second capacitor and the reference capacitor;

a junction of the second capacitor and the reference capacitor providing the drive signal input to the gain compensation stage; and

a second differential amplifier with a first input connected to an output of the first differential amplifier and a second input connected to an output of the gain compensation stage,

wherein the primary winding of the transformer connects the output of the second differential amplifier to the second electrode.

21. The active stylus of claim 20, wherein the control circuit comprises an amplifier with a gain less than 0 between the output of the second differential amplifier and the primary winding of the transformer.

22. The active stylus of claim 20, wherein the gain of the at least one amplification stage is dynamically adjusted during operation to substantially eliminate a drive signal produced by the control circuit that is present on the first electrode.

23. The active stylus of claim 20, wherein the second electrode is a common or ground reference for the control circuit.

24. The active stylus of claim 20, wherein the second electrode comprises a substantial portion of the outer housing of the elongated body.