Object orientation detection with a digitizer

• US 9,971,422 B2
• Filed: 11/05/2015
• Issued: 05/15/2018
• 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:
  US14/933,110
• Publication Number:
  US 20160062492A1
• Time in Patent Office: 922 Days
• 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. A digitizer controller comprising:

a circuit configured to;

sample outputs from a plurality of column sensor lines and from a plurality of row sensor lines of a digitizer sensor to detect a first signal emitted from a first transmitter and a second signal emitted from a second transmitter, wherein the first transmitter and the second transmitter are fixed on a stylus and wherein the first transmitter is displaced from the second transmitter by a pre-defined distance;

determine based on the outputs a first area on the digitizer sensor that received the first signal and a second area on the digitizer sensor that received the second signal;

select first coordinates within the first area;

select second coordinates within the second area;

determine distance along the digitizer sensor between the first coordinates and the second coordinates; and

determine angle of the stylus with respect to the digitizer sensor based on comparing the pre-defined distance to the distance determined along the digitizer sensor.

2. The digitizer controller of claim 1, wherein both the first signal and the second signal are detected from same outputs.

3. The digitizer controller of claim 1, wherein the first signal is detected from first outputs and the second signal is detected from second outputs, the second outputs sampled after the first outputs.

4. The digitizer controller of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first signal and the second signal is modulated with information.

5. The digitizer controller of claim 1, wherein the circuit is configured to determine the angle based on an arcsine of the distance determined along the digitizer sensor over the pre-defined distance.

6. The digitizer controller of claim 1, wherein the circuit is configured to determine angle of a projection of the stylus on the digitizer sensor with respect to one of the row and column direction based on comparing slope defined by the first coordinates and the second coordinates.

7. The digitizer controller of claim 1, wherein the first signal is transmitted from a tip of the stylus and wherein the circuit is configured to determine position of the tip based on the first coordinates.

8. The digitizer controller of claim 7, wherein the circuit is configured to distinguish between the first signal transmitted from the tip and the second signal.

9. The digitizer controller of claim 7, wherein the circuit is configured to recognize a gesture performed with the stylus based on both the position of the tip and the angle of the stylus with respect to the digitizer sensor.

10. The digitizer controller of claim 1, wherein the circuit is configured to track the angle of the stylus over time and to verify identify of a user manipulating the stylus to provide a signature based on the signature and the angle tracked.

11. The digitizer controller of claim 1, wherein the circuit is configured to detect from the outputs a third signal emitted from a third transmitter, the third transmitter fixed onto the stylus and displaced from the second transmitter in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the stylus by a second pre-defined distance, and wherein the circuit is configured to determine based on the outputs, third coordinates on the digitizer sensor at which the third signal is received.

12. The digitizer controller of claim 11, wherein the circuit is configured to track rotation of the stylus about the longitudinal axis based on comparing changes in distance between the second coordinate and the third coordinates over time.

13. The digitizer controller of claim 1, wherein the circuit is configured to determine based on the outputs first amplitudes in the first area and second amplitudes in the second area and to determine angle of the stylus with respect to the digitizer sensor based on comparing a feature of the first amplitudes with a feature of the second amplitudes.

14. The digitizer controller of claim 1, wherein circuit is configured to determine angle of the stylus with respect to the digitizer sensor based on comparing size of the first area to size of the second area.

15. A digitizer controller comprising:

a circuit configured to;

sample outputs from a plurality of column sensor lines and from a plurality of row sensor lines of a digitizer sensor to detect a first signal emitted from a first transmitter associated with a tip of a stylus and a second signal emitted from a second transmitter, wherein the first transmitter and the second transmitter are fixed on the stylus and wherein the first transmitter is displaced from the second transmitter by a pre-defined distance;

distinguish between the first signal emitted from the tip of the stylus and the second signal;

determine based on the outputs a first area on the digitizer sensor that received the first signal and a second area on the digitizer sensor that received the second signal;

select first coordinates within the first area;

select second coordinates within the second area;

determine distance along the digitizer sensor between the first coordinates and the second coordinates; and

determine angle of the stylus with respect to the digitizer sensor based on comparing the pre-defined distance to the distance determined along the digitizer sensor.

16. The digitizer controller of claim 15, wherein both the first signal and the second signal are detected from same outputs.

17. The digitizer controller of claim 15, wherein the first signal is detected from first outputs and the second signal is detected from second outputs, the second outputs sampled after the first outputs.

18. The digitizer controller of claim 15, wherein at least one of the first signal and the second signal is modulated with information.

19. The digitizer controller of claim 15, wherein the circuit is configured to detect from the outputs a third signal emitted from a third transmitter, the third transmitter fixed onto the stylus and displaced from the second transmitter in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the stylus by a second pre-defined distance, and wherein the circuit is configured to determine based on the outputs, third coordinates on the digitizer sensor at which the third signal is received.

20. The digitizer controller of claim 19, wherein the circuit is configured to track rotation of the stylus about the longitudinal axis based on comparing changes in distance between the second coordinate and the third coordinates over time.