UNTETHERED STYLUS EMPLOYING SEPARATE COMMUNICATION AND POWER CHANNELS

• US 20080150918A1
• Filed: 12/20/2006
• Published: 06/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Libbey, Albert H., Hagen, Kathy L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,134,542 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/179
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/046 by electromagnetic means

Abstract

An untethered stylus is configured to cooperate with a location sensor that generates a magnetic field. The stylus include a housing having a tip and a shield. Circuitry, including a power circuit, is provided in the housing. An antenna arrangement provided at the housing includes multiple coil resonant circuits each tuned to a different frequency of the magnetic field. A first coil resonant circuit energizes the power circuit in response to the magnetic field, which provides DC power to the circuitry. One or more other coil resonant circuits are coupled between the tip and shield of the housing to define separate channels for communicatively coupling the stylus tip and the location sensor. An information signal communicated between the stylus tip and the location sensor is substantially unperturbed during provision of DC power by the first coil resonant circuit.

Claims

1. An untethered stylus configured to cooperate with a location sensor, the location sensor configured to generate a magnetic field comprising a plurality of frequencies and communicatively couple to the stylus, the stylus comprising:

a housing comprising a tip and a shield;

circuitry provided in the housing and comprising a power circuit; and

an antenna arrangement comprising;

a plurality of coil resonant circuits each tuned to a different frequency of the magnetic field;

a first coil resonant circuit of the plurality of coil resonant circuits coupled to the power circuit and configured to energize the power circuit in response to the magnetic field, the power circuit configured to provide DC power to the circuitry when energized; and

one or more other coil resonant circuits of the plurality of coil resonant circuits coupled between the tip and shield of the housing to define separate channels for communicatively coupling the stylus tip and the location sensor, wherein an information signal communicated between the stylus tip and the location sensor is substantially unperturbed during provision of DC power by the first coil resonant circuit.

2. The stylus of claim 1, wherein a first channel of the separate channels is configured to communicate a stylus position signal, and a second channel of the separate channels is configured to communicate a stylus status signal.

3. The stylus of claim 1, wherein a first channel of the separate channels is configured to communicate a stylus position signal, and a second plurality of the separate channels is configured to communicate a plurality of stylus status signals.

4. The stylus of claim 3, wherein the plurality of stylus status signals comprises signals representative of a user-initiateable function, a mouse function, a stylus pressure measurement or a stylus tip switch function.

5. The stylus of claim 1, wherein a first channel of the separate channels is configured to communicate both a stylus position signal and a stylus status signal.

6. The stylus of claim 1, wherein one or more of the coil resonant circuits are configured to capacitively couple to the location sensor.

7. The stylus of claim 1, wherein one or more of the coil resonant circuits are configured to magnetically couple to the location sensor.

8. The stylus of claim 1, wherein two or more of the coil resonant circuits are coupled in series between the tip and shield of the housing.

9. The stylus of claim 1, wherein two or more of the coil resonant circuits are coupled in parallel via coupling circuitry between the tip and shield of the housing.

10. The stylus of claim 1, wherein the power circuit comprises an AC-to-DC voltage converter.

11. The stylus of claim 1, wherein the antenna arrangement comprises inductive coils of the plurality of coil resonant circuits respectively disposed about a ferrite rod in a spaced relationship.

12. The stylus of claim 1, wherein each of the inductive coils is coupled in parallel to a respective capacitor.

13. A method implemented in an untethered stylus for use with a location sensor configured to generate a magnetic drive signal comprising a plurality of frequencies, the method comprising:

receiving the drive signal at the stylus;

generating an AC voltage by each of a plurality of coil resonant circuits of the stylus in response to the magnetic drive signal, each of the plurality of coil resonant circuits tuned to a different frequency of the magnetic drive signal;

converting the AC voltage of a first coil resonant circuit of the plurality of coil resonant circuits to a DC voltage for powering circuitry of the stylus; and

generating one or more channels for effecting communication between the stylus and the location sensor using one or more of the plurality of coil resonant circuits other than the first coil resonant circuit.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein stylus position information is communicated between the stylus and the location sensor using the one or more channels.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein stylus status information is communicated between the stylus and the location sensor using the one or more channels.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein stylus position and stylus status information is communicated between the stylus and the location sensor using the one or more channels.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein generating the one or more channels comprises generating two or more channels for effecting communication between the stylus and the location sensor.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein stylus position information is communicated between the stylus and the location sensor using a first channel of the two or more channels, and stylus status information is communicated between the stylus and the location sensor using a second channel of the two or more channels.

19. The method of claim 13, comprising modulating a stylus signal and communicating the modulated stylus signal between the stylus and the location sensor using the one or more channels.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the generated one or more channels capacitively couples the stylus and the location sensor.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein the generated one or more channels magnetically couples the stylus and the location sensor.

22. The method of claim 13, comprising communicating one or more stylus status signals between the stylus and the location sensor via the one or more channels, the one or more stylus status signals comprising one or more of a signal representative of a user-initiateable function, a mouse function, a stylus pressure measurement or a stylus tip switch function.