Charging mechanism through a conductive stylus nozzle

• US 9,367,149 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2013
• Issued: 06/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adobe Inc.
• Original Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated (Adobe Inc.)
• Inventors: Dowd, Geoffrey, Lim, Way Chet, Ruitenbeek, Timothy Van
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, JENNIFER T
• Application Number:
  US13/856,070
• Publication Number:
  US 20140300586A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,168 Days
• Field of Search: 345/179, 178 1901- 1906
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/266 Arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under computer control, e.g. supply of power through the communication port, computer controlled power-strips
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus

Abstract

Input devices and methods for charging input devices are disclosed. A stylus input device has a tip configured to interact with a touch computing device and a body connected to the tip. The stylus has a nozzle housing between its body and tip, electrical components, and an internal rechargeable power source. The internal power source can store power received via a connection between an external power source and a conductive surface on the nozzle housing and supply power to the stylus'"'"' electrical components. A method for charging a stylus determines whether power is being received via an electrical connection between a conductive surface on a nozzle of the stylus and an external power source and then determines an amount of power stored in the stylus'"'"' battery. If the stylus is receiving power from the external power source and the battery is not fully charged, the method charges the rechargeable battery.

Claims

1. An input device comprising:

a tip configured to interact with a touch surface of a computing device, the tip being at an end of the input device;

a body connected to the tip by a coupling member;

a nozzle housing coupled to the body and encasing a portion of the coupling member between the tip and the body, the nozzle housing having a first conductive surface adjacent to the body, a second conductive surface adjacent to the tip and encasing a portion thereof, and a mechanical coupling groove configured to removably couple the first and second conductive surfaces to an external power source;

one or more electrical components; and

an internal rechargeable power source configured to;

store electrical power received via an electrical connection between the external power source and the first and second conductive surface and

supply power to the one or more electrical components.

2. The input device of claim 1, the nozzle housing further having:

a base insulator disposed between the body and the first conductive surface, the base insulator electrically, isolating the body from the first conductive surface; and

a tip insulator having a first portion disposed between the first conductive surface and the second conductive surface, the first portion of the tip insulator electrically isolating the first conductive surface from the second conductive surface, the second conductive surface further encasing a second portion of the tip insulator.

3. The input device of claim 1, the nozzle housing being tapered such that it is narrower at an end of the nozzle housing proximate to the tip than at another end of the nozzle housing proximate to the body.

4. The input device of claim 1, further comprising:

a body housing encasing the body, the internal rechargeable power source, and at least one of the one or more electrical components, the body housing having an opening adapted to receive the coupling member at an end of the body housing proximate to the nozzle housing.

5. The input device of claim 1, further comprising:

a conductive body housing encasing the body, the conductive body housing having an opening adapted to receive the coupling member at an end of the conductive body housing proximate to the nozzle housing, wherein the nozzle housing comprises a base insulator disposed between the conductive body housing and the first and second conductive surfaces, the base insulator electrically isolating the conductive body housing from the first and second conductive surfaces.

6. The input device of claim 1, further comprising:

a base insulator disposed between the body and the first and second conductive surfaces, the base insulator having;

an opening adapted to accept the coupling member; and

a hole separate from the opening, wherein the internal rechargeable power source is disposed in the body, the internal rechargeable power source having a positive terminal connected via one of the one or more electrical components to the first and second conductive surfaces via a wire or other electricity transmission means passing through the hole.

7. The input device of claim 1, wherein the internal rechargeable power source comprises a battery.

8. The input device of claim 1, wherein the internal rechargeable power source is a battery, and wherein the one or more electrical components further comprise:

a light emitting diode (LED); and

circuitry having logic encoded thereon, that when executed by a processor,

causes the processor to indicate a status via the LED, wherein the status is one or more of electrically connected to an external power source via the first and second conductive surfaces, receiving a charge via the first and second conductive surfaces, charging the internal rechargeable power source, the internal rechargeable power source is fully charged, the internal rechargeable power source is substantially, depleted, and not charging.

9. The input device of claim 1, wherein the internal rechargeable power source is a battery, and wherein the one or more electrical components further comprise:

a light emitting diode (LED); and

circuitry having logic encoded thereon, that when executed by a processor,

causes the processor to indicate a status of the internal rechargeable power source via the LED, wherein the status is indicated by at least two of;

solidly illuminating the LED;

pulsating the LED;

turning off the LED;

pulsating the LED a first predetermined number of times;

partially illuminating the LED; and

rapidly blinking the LED a second predetermined number of times different from the first predetermined number of times.

10. The input device of claim 1, wherein:

the input device is a pressure sensitive stylus;

the tip is a capacitive tip; and

the coupling member is a slide-able member connecting the tip to a pressure sensor in the body.

11. The input device of claim 1, further comprising:

an elongate body housing encasing the body and having an opening adapted to receive the coupling member at an end of the elongate body housing proximate to the nozzle housing, wherein the coupling member is a slide-able member connecting the tip to a pressure sensor in the body, and wherein the nozzle housing includes a cavity adapted to allow substantially free movement of the slide-able member.

12. The input device of claim 1, wherein the nozzle housing is substantially conical and tapered such that it is narrower at an end of the nozzle housing proximate to the tip than at another end of the nozzle housing proximate to the body, and wherein the nozzle housing is substantially the same diameter or width as the body at a location where the nozzle housing is coupled to the body.

13. The input device of claim 1, wherein the one or more electrical components comprise:

a wireless transceiver configured to communicate with the computing device; and

a non-transitory computer readable medium configured to store content, and wherein the wireless transceiver is configured to;

provide content from the computer readable medium to the computing device; and

store content received from the computing device in the computer readable medium.

14. The input device of claim 1, further comprising:

a metallic body housing encasing the body and the one or more electrical components, wherein the one or more electrical components comprise a microprocessor, a memory, and a circuit board.

15. The input device of claim 1, further comprising:

a nonconductive body housing encasing the body, the nonconductive body housing comprising one or more of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) plastic and silicone rubber materials.

16. A method for charging a rechargeable battery of a stylus including a tip and a body, the method comprising:

determining whether power is being received via an electrical connection between a first conductive surface of the stylus coupled to a first charging contact of an external power source, and a second conductive surface of the stylus coupled to a second charging contact of the external power source, wherein the first conductive surface is adjacent to the body of the stylus and the second conductive surface is adjacent to the tip of the stylus and encases at least a portion thereof, the electrical connection being established upon a mechanical coupling between a groove on the stylus and a protrusion within an opening of the external power source, the opening configured to receive at least the tip of the stylus;

determining an amount of power stored in the rechargeable battery; and

in response to determining that the stylus is receiving power from the external power source and that the rechargeable battery is not fully charged, charging the rechargeable battery from the external power source.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the charging the rechargeable battery of the stylus from the external power source comprises:

transferring power received via the electrical connection to circuitry of the stylus;

converting, by the circuitry, the transferred power; and

applying a current corresponding to the converted power to a positive terminal of the rechargeable battery.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

detecting that the electrical connection is established; and

in accordance with detecting that the electrical connection is established, determining a level of charge of the rechargeable battery of the stylus.

19. The method of claim 16, the stylus further including an indicator light and a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored thereon, instructions, that when executed by a processor, cause the processor to determine a status, wherein the status is one or more of charging the rechargeable battery, electrically connected to the external power source, receiving power from the external power source, the rechargeable battery is substantially depleted, the rechargeable battery is fully charged, and not charging, wherein the instructions comprise:

instructions for indicating the determined status by two or more of;

fully illuminating the indicator light;

pulsating the indicator light;

turning off the indicator light;

pulsating the indicator a first predetermined number of times;

partially illuminating the indicator light; and

pulsating the indicator light a second predetermined number of times different from the first predetermined number of times.

20. A stylus comprising:

a tip configured to interact with a touch surface of a computing device, the tip being at an end of the stylus;

a body;

a nozzle housing disposed between the tip and the body, the nozzle housing being coupled to the body and having;

a first conductive surface adjacent to the body

a base insulator disposed between the body and the first conductive surface, the base insulator electrically isolating the body from the first conductive surface

a second conductive surface adjacent to the tip and encasing a portion thereof

a tip insulator having a first portion disposed between the first conductive surface and the second conductive surface, the first portion of the tip insulator electrically isolating the first conductive surface from the second conductive surface, the second conductive surface further encasing a second portion of the tip insulator, and

a mechanical coupling groove configured to removably couple the first and second conductive surfaces to an external power source

one or more electrical components; and

an internal rechargeable power source configured to;

store electrical power received via an electrical connection to the external power source, the electrical connection being established when the first and second conductive surfaces are mechanically coupled to the external power source and

supply power to the one or more electrical components.