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Localizing an electrostatic stylus within a capacitive touch sensor

  • US 9,176,630 B2
  • Filed: 08/30/2010
  • Issued: 11/03/2015
  • Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2010
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A method for using an active stylus to enable determination of a two-dimensional position of the active stylus relative to a capacitive touch sensor, wherein the capacitive touch sensor has a two-dimensional matrix of conductors configured as a first array of conductors arranged in rows and a second array of conductors arranged in columns, and wherein the active stylus has an electrode and active components, the method comprising:

  • receiving a first signal in the active stylus from at least one of the columns in the matrix;

    measuring a signal strength of each first signal received from the columns;

    using the measured signal strengths to calculate a first position of the active stylus along a first axis of the matrix of the capacitive touch sensor at the active stylus, wherein the active stylus is configured to determine the first position along the first axis of the matrix based on the received first signal;

    transmitting the calculated first position of the active stylus along the first axis of the matrix of the capacitive touch sensor in a timeslot allocated for transmitting the calculated first position from the active stylus;

    transmitting a second signal from the electrode of the active stylus to at least one of the rows of the matrix to indicate the second position of the active stylus along a second axis of the matrix, wherein the capacitive touch sensor is configured to determine the second position along the second axis of the matrix based on the received second signal, and wherein the capacitive touch sensor is configured to process the transmitted first position and the determined second position to determine the two-dimensional position of the active stylus relative to the capacitive touch sensor,wherein the electrode is located within the active stylus and is configured to electrostatically couple with the capacitive touch sensor, andwherein the electrode of the active stylus is configured to both receive and transmit signals.

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