INTELLIGENT STYLUS

• US 20120331546A1
• Filed: 06/22/2011
• Published: 12/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Simon, David I., Harley, Jonah A., Mucignat, Andrea, Land, Brian Richards, Mullens, Christopher Tenzin, Hotelling, Steven Porter, FALKENBURG, David R.
• Granted Patent: US 9,329,703 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/36 by graphic or iconic representation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/83 input devices, e.g. keyboards, mice or controllers thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04105 Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04108 Touchless 2D- digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface without distance measurement in the Z direction
• 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 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/001 Texturing; Colouring; Generation of texture or colour inpainting G06T5/77

Abstract

An intelligent stylus is disclosed. The stylus can provide a stylus condition in addition to a touch input. The stylus architecture can include multiple sensors to sense information indicative of the stylus condition, a microcontroller to determine the stylus condition based on the sensed information, and a transmitter to transmit the determined condition to a corresponding touch sensitive device so as to cause some action based on the condition.

Claims

1. An input device comprising:

a first sensor configured to detect a contact or a proximity of the device to an object;

a second sensor configured to detect at least one of a motion or an orientation of the device;

a controller configured to determine a condition of the device based on the detected contact or the detected proximity and at least one of the detected motion or the detected orientation of the device; and

a transmitter configured to transmit the determined condition so as to cause an action based thereon.

2. The device of claim 1, comprising:

a third sensor configured to detect a force applied by the device,

wherein the controller is configured to determine the condition of the device based on the detected force.

3. The device of claim 1, comprising:

a third sensor configured to detect a hand position on the device,

wherein the controller is configured to determine the condition of the device based on the detected hand position.

4. The device of claim 1, comprising:

a third sensor configured to detect a rotation of a portion of the device,

wherein the controller is configured to determine the condition of the device based on the detected rotation.

5. The device of claim 1, comprising:

a third sensor configured to detect a button push at the device,

wherein the controller is configured to determine the condition of the device based on the detected button push.

6. The device of claim 1, comprising:

a third sensor configured to detect contact with a removable cap for encapsulating a distal end of the device,

wherein the controller is configured to determine the condition of the device based on the detected contact.

7. The device of claim 1, comprising:

a third sensor configured to detect a contact or a proximity of the device to the object,

wherein the first sensor detects contact or proximity of a first end of the device to the object and the third sensor detects contact or proximity of an opposite end of the device to the object,

wherein the controller is configured to determine the condition of the device based the detected contact or the detected proximity of the end closest to the object.

8. The input device of claim 1, comprising:

a switch coupled to the sensors and the controller,

wherein the switch is configured to receive a signal from the controller so as to select which of the sensors to transmit a detection parameter to the controller.

9. A method for detecting a condition of an input device, comprising:

providing measurements from selected ones of multiple sensors of the device;

determining a condition of the device from the provided measurements of the selected sensors; and

causing an action based on the determined condition.

10. The method of claim 9, comprising:

providing a touch input from the device,

wherein causing the action is based on the touch input and the determined condition.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein determining a condition of the device comprises:

determining an orientation of the device including determining which end of the device is oriented downward, the downward orientation causing a writing action or an erasing action according to the determined end.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein determining a condition of the device comprises:

determining a force applied to a surface, the applied force causing a change in line thickness displayed by a second device associated with the device.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein determining a condition of the device comprises:

determining authentication for the device, the authentication including at least one of authentication of a user of the device or authentication of a second device associated with the device, the authentication causing an acceptance or a denial of a touch input of the device.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein determining a condition of the device comprises:

determining current usage of the device including determining whether the device is stationary, the determined usage causing the device to power up or down.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein determining a condition of the device comprises:

determining motion cadence of the device, the determined cadence causing the device to verify a signature made by the device.

16. An input device comprising:

a replaceable tip having an identification code associated therewith;

multiple sensors configured to detect multiple parameters of the device;

a controller configured to identify the tip based on the identification code and to select from the detected parameters; and

a transmitter configured to transmit the tip identification and information associated with the selected parameters so as to cause an action based thereon.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the replaceable tip comprises a camera for capturing an image, the controller is configured to receive the captured image, and the transmitter is configured to transmit information associated with the captured image so as to cause the action.

18. The device of claim 16, wherein the replaceable tip comprises a light source to emit light, the controller is configured to receive a parameter indicative of the emitted light, and the transmitter is configured to transmit information associated with the parameter indicative of the emitted light so as to cause the action.

19. The device of claim 16, wherein the replaceable tip comprises a brush and multiple brush bristle sensors to detect at least one of force applied by or deflection of the brush bristles, the controller is configured to receive at least one parameter indicative of at least one of the detected force or the detected deflection, and the transmitter is configured to transmit information associated with the at least one parameter indicative of at least one of the detected force or the detected deflection so as to cause the action.

20. The device of claim 16, wherein the replaceable tip comprises a color sensor to detect a color at a proximate surface, the controller is configured to receive a parameter indicative of the detected color, and the transmitter is configured to transmit information associated with the parameter indicative of the detected color so as to cause the action.

21. The device of claim 16, wherein the replaceable tip comprises a lead tip, the controller is configured to receive motion parameters of the device, the motion parameters corresponding to a writing motion of the lead tip on a writable surface, and the transmitter is configured to transmit information associated with the motion parameters so as to cause the action.

22. A system comprising:

at least one sensor associated with an input device, the at least one sensor configured to measure a first parameter indicative of a condition of the input device;

at least another sensor associated with a touch sensing device, the at least another sensor configured to measure a second parameter indicative of the condition of the input device; and

a processor associated with the touch sensing device, the processor configured to correlate the first and second parameter measurements so as to confirm the condition of the input device.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the input device is a stylus.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the input device is at least one of a scanner, a camera, an ultrasound device, or a reader.

25. The system of claim 22, wherein the touch sensing device is at least one of a mobile telephone, a media player, or a personal computer.

26. A method for detecting a condition of an input device at a second device, comprising:

providing at least one measurement from the input device;

providing a measurement from a sensor at the second device corresponding to the at least one measurement from the input device;

correlating the input device measurement with the sensor measurement;

determining a condition of the input device based on the correlated measurements; and

performing an action at the second device based on the determined condition.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein correlating the input device measurement with the sensor measurement comprises:

comparing the input device measurement with the sensor measurement; and

determining closeness between the input device measurement and the sensor measurement.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein determining a condition of the input device comprises:

at least one of determining whether an end of the input device proximate to the second device is a writing end or an erasing end, determining that the input device is applying pressure to the second device, determining an orientation of the input device relative to the second device, determining a hand position of a user holding the input device, determining an input mode change of the input device, determining a request by the input device for a display color change at the second device, determining an identification of a user of the input device, determining a valid signature of a user signing with the input device, determining an authentication of a user of the input device, determining an authentication of the input device with the second device, determining whether a cap is on or off the input device, determining that the input device is brushing the second device, determining whether the input device is asleep or awake, or determining whether to store input device data.