Intelligent stylus

• US 9,329,703 B2
• Filed: 06/22/2011
• Issued: 05/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Falkenburg, David R., Simon, David I., Harley, Jonah A., Mucignat, Andrea, Land, Brian Richards, Mullens, Christopher Tenzin, Hotelling, Steven Porter
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Jr., Kenneth B
• Application Number:
  US13/166,711
• Publication Number:
  US 20120331546A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,777 Days
• Field of Search: 345/179, 726/16, 702/50
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 input device to an object;

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

a third sensor configured to detect a hand position on a surface of the input device, wherein the third sensor is a touch sensor and the touch sensor encircles the input device at a portion corresponding to a handled position of the input device;

a controller capable of determining a plurality of conditions of the input device, the plurality of conditions including at least a first condition of the input device based on the combination of the detected contact or the detected proximity and at least one of the detected motion or the detected orientation of the input device, and a second condition of the input device based on the detected hand position on the surface of the input device; and

a transmitter configured to transmit the plurality of determined conditions so as to cause an action based thereon.

2. The input device of claim 1, comprising:

a fourth sensor configured to detect a force applied by the input device,

wherein the controller is further capable of determining at least one of the plurality of conditions of the input device based on the detected force.

3. The input device of claim 1, comprising:

a fourth sensor configured to detect a rotation of a portion of the input device,

wherein the controller is further capable of determining at least one of the plurality of conditions of the input device based on the detected rotation.

4. The input device of claim 1, comprising:

a fourth sensor configured to detect a button push at the input device,

wherein the controller is further capable of determining at least one of the plurality of conditions of the input device based on the detected button push.

5. The input device of claim 1, comprising:

a fourth sensor configured to detect contact between the input device and a removable cap for encapsulating a distal end of the input device,

wherein the controller is capable of determining at least one of the plurality of conditions of the input device based on the detected contact.

6. The input device of claim 1, comprising:

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

wherein the first sensor is located at a distal end of the input device and the fourth sensor is located at a proximal end of the input device, wherein the controller is further capable of determining at least one of the plurality of conditions of the input device based on the first or fourth sensor.

7. The input device of claim 1, comprising:

a switch coupled to the sensors and the controller,

wherein the switch is capable of receiving a signal from the controller so as to enable transmission of one or more detection parameters from the sensor to the controller.

8. The method for detecting a condition of an input device, the method comprising:

determining an orientation of the input device based on measurement from one or more of a plurality of sensors of the input device, the determined orientation measuring an angle of the input device; and

causing a writing action or erasing action to be performed based on the measured angle.

9. An input device comprising:

a replaceable tip having an identification code associated therewith;

multiple sensors configured to detect multiple parameters of the input device;

a controller capable of identifying the tip based on the identification code and selecting from the detected parameters; and

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

10. The input device of claim 9, wherein the replaceable tip comprises a camera capable of capturing an image, the controller is capable of receiving the captured image, and the transmitter is capable of transmitting information associated with the captured image so as to cause the action.

11. The input device of claim 9, wherein the replaceable tip comprises a light source capable of emitting light, the controller is capable of receiving a parameter indicative of the emitted light, and the transmitter is capable of transmitting information associated with the parameter indicative of the emitted light so as to cause the action.

12. The input device of claim 9, 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 capable of receiving at least one parameter indicative of at least one of the detected force or the detected deflection, and the transmitter is capable of transmitting 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.

13. The input device of claim 9, wherein the replaceable tip comprises a color sensor to detect a color at a proximate surface, the controller is capable of receiving a parameter indicative of the detected color, and the transmitter is capable of transmitting information associated with the parameter indicative of the detected color so as to cause the action.

14. The input device of claim 9, wherein the replaceable tip comprises a lead tip, the controller is capable of receiving motion parameters of the input device, the motion parameters corresponding to a writing motion of the lead tip on a writable surface, and the transmitter is capable of transmitting information associated with the motion parameters so as to cause the action.

15. 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 capable of correlating the first and second parameter measurements so as to confirm the condition of the input device, wherein correlating the first and second parameter measurements so as to confirm the condition of the input device includes comparing the first and second parameter measurements and confirming the condition of the input device when the first and second parameter measurements are sufficiently close.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the input device is a stylus.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the input device is at least one of a scanner, a camera, an ultrasound device, or a reader.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the touch sensing device is at least one of a mobile telephone, a media player, or a personal computer.

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

receiving at the second device at least one measurement from the input device;

correlating the input device measurement with a sensor measurement from a sensor at the second device corresponding to the at least one measurement from the input device by comparing the input device measurement with the sensor measurement; and

determining closeness between the input device measurement and 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.

20. The method of claim 19, 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.