Input device having extendable nib

• US 9,690,394 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2012
• Issued: 06/27/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Armstrong-Muntner, Joel S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Nicholas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Adediran, Abdul-Samad A
• Application Number:
  US13/620,177
• Publication Number:
  US 20140078109A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,747 Days
• Field of Search: 178 1806, 178 1903, 178 1801, 345173, 345179, 345156, 382314, 401 35, 401195, 401198, 33 182
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03542 Light pens for emitting or receiving light
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus

Abstract

An input device for computing devices that include touch screens. The input device includes a body, a nib or tip movably coupled to the body, and an actuator operably connected to the body and the nib. The actuator moves the nib from a first position to a second position, and in the first position the input device provides a first input to the computing device and in the second position the input device provides a second input to the computing device.

Claims

1. An input device for producing output on computing devices comprising:

a body;

a nib movably coupled to the body, wherein the nib comprises a plurality of strands; and

an actuator operably connected to the body and the nib;

wherein

the actuator moves the nib from a first position to a second position, wherein at least one characteristic of the output produced by the input device changes according to whether the nib is in the first position or the second position, and wherein the at least one characteristic is selected from the group consisting of different colors, thickness, and shapes that are not only a change in thickness; and

in the first position each of the plurality of strands in the nib has a first length extending from the body such that the input device provides a first input to the computing device and in the second position each of the plurality of strands in the nib has a second length extending from the body such that the input device provides a second input to the computing device.

2. The input device of claim 1, wherein the nib is a conductive material.

3. The input device of claim 2, wherein the nib is a flexible material and in the second position the nib bends when the user exerts a force on the body.

4. The input device of claim 1, wherein the nib is Mylar.

5. The input device of claim 1, wherein in the first position the strands have a first spacing distance relative to each other, and in the second position the strands have a second spacing distance relative to each other.

6. The input device of claim 1, wherein the actuator is a slide that traverses along a length of the body.

7. The input device of claim 1, wherein the actuator is a rotatable member that rotates relative to the body.

8. The input device of claim 1, wherein the actuator is a compressible button.

9. The input device of claim 1, further comprising a sensor, wherein the sensor is configured to determine a position of the nib relative to the body.

10. The input device of claim 1, further comprising an optical element, wherein the optical element is configured to transfer an optical signal through the nib to the computing device.

11. A stylus for providing an input to a touch interface of a computing device to produce an output on the computing device, comprising:

an elongated body;

a nib movably connected to the body;

an actuator operably connected to the nib and the body, wherein

the actuator varies of the nib that is exposed outside of the elongated body, wherein at least one characteristic of the output produced by the stylus changes according to the amount of the nib that is exposed outside of the elongated body, and wherein the at least one characteristic is selected from the group consisting of different colors, thickness, and shapes that are not only a change in thickness; and

wherein when the actuator is in a first position, a first amount of the nib is exposed outside of the elongated body to interact with the touch interface to provide a first input to the computing device, and wherein when the actuator is in a second position, a second amount of the nib is exposed outside of the elongated body to interact with the touch interface to provide a second input to the computing device.

12. The stylus of claim 11, wherein the nib comprises a plurality of strands.

13. The stylus of claim 12, wherein in a first position the plurality of strands are spaced adjacent one another and in a second position the plurality of strands are spaced apart from one another by a spacing distance.

14. The stylus of claim 13, wherein the stylus further comprises a light source, wherein the light source is in optical communication with the touch interface through at least one strand of plurality of strands.

15. The stylus of claim 14, wherein the plurality of strands are optical fibers.

16. The stylus of claim 11, wherein the actuator is a rotatable member, and in a first position the nib has a first extension length and in a second position the nib has a second extension length.

17. The stylus of claim 11, wherein as the actuator varies the amount of the nib exposed outside of the elongated body, a conductive surface of the nib interacting with the touch interface varies correspondingly.

18. The stylus of claim 11 wherein the first amount is a first surface area of the nib exposed outside of the elongated body and the second amount is a second surface area of the nib exposed outside of the elongated body.