Touch down detection with a stylus

• US 9,772,697 B2
• Filed: 01/04/2016
• Issued: 09/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Gur, Arie, Zyskind, Amir, Geller, Ilan
• Primary Examiner(s): Pardo, Thuy
• Application Number:
  US14/986,766
• Publication Number:
  US 20160195944A1
• Time in Patent Office: 631 Days
• Field of Search: 345156, 345173, 345174, 345179
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0383 Signal control means within the pointing device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04184 Synchronisation with the driving of the display or the backlighting unit to avoid interferences generated internally
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0441 using active external devices, e.g. active pens, for receiving changes in electrical potential transmitted by the digitiser, e.g. tablet driving signals
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0442 using active external devices, e.g. active pens, for transmitting changes in electrical potential to be received by the digitiser
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/046 by electromagnetic means

Abstract

A device includes a tip, a sensor, memory and a circuit. The tip is sensitive to contact pressure. The sensor detects the contact pressure. Memory stores at least one pre-defined first threshold and a pre-defined second threshold on the contact pressure. The first threshold defines tip state as one of a pen-up and a pen-down. Pressures below the first threshold defines pen-up and pressures above the first threshold define pen-down. The second threshold is below the first threshold. The circuit transmits in a hover transmission mode based on detecting pressures below the second threshold, switches to an writing transmission mode based on detecting a pressure at or above the second threshold and terminates the writing transmission mode based on detecting the pen-up status for a first pre-defined period. The writing transmission mode frame rate is higher than a hover transmission mode frame rate.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a tip that is sensitive to contact pressure;

a sensor configured to detect the contact pressure;

memory configured to store at least one pre-defined first threshold and a pre-defined second threshold on the contact pressure, wherein the first threshold defines tip state as one of a pen-up and a pen-down, wherein pressures below the first threshold defines pen-up and pressures above the first threshold define pen-down and the second threshold is below the first threshold;

a circuit configured to;

transmit in a hover transmission mode based on detecting pressures below the second threshold;

switch to an writing transmission mode based on detecting a pressure at or above the second threshold, wherein the writing transmission mode frame rate is higher than a hover transmission mode frame rate; and

terminate the writing transmission mode based on detecting the pen-up status for a first pre-defined period.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the circuit is configured to transmit the tip state and the pressure during the writing transmission mode.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the circuit is configured to transmit a time stamp indicating a switch between the pen-up and the pen-down.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the circuit is configured to transmit the pressure during the writing transmission mode and not to transmit pressure during the hover transmission mode.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the circuit is configured to switch to a synchronization transmission mode based on detecting the pen-up status for a second pre-defined period, the second pre-defined period being longer than the first pre-defined period, wherein the circuit is defined to transmit beacon signals at an accelerated rate during the synchronization transmission mode as compared to rate of transmitting beacon signals in the hover transmission mode.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the beacon signals transmitted during the synchronization transmission mode includes dummy beacon signals.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the beacon signals are encoded with information regarding timing of an actual beacon signal.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one pre-defined first threshold includes one threshold to define a switch between pen-up and pen-down and another threshold to define a switch between pen-down and pen-up.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the first pre-defined period is in the order of magnitude of 10 msec.

10. A method comprising:

detecting pressure applied on a tip of a stylus;

defining at least one first threshold configured to define tip state as one of a pen-up and pen-down, wherein pressures below the first threshold defines pen-up and pressures above the first threshold define pen-down;

defining a second threshold below the first threshold;

transmitting in a hover transmission mode based on detecting pressures below the second threshold;

switching to an writing transmission mode based on detecting a pressure at or above the second threshold, wherein the writing transmission mode frame rate is higher than a hover transmission mode frame rate; and

terminating the writing transmission mode based on detecting the pen-up status for a pre-defined period.

11. The method of claim 10, comprising reporting the tip state and reporting the pressure during the writing transmission mode.

12. The method of claim 10, comprising transmitting a time stamp indicating timing of a switch between the pen-up and the pen-down.

13. The method of claim 10, comprising transmitting the pressure during the writing transmission mode and not transmitting the pressure during the hover transmission mode.

14. The method of claim 10, comprising:

switching to a synchronization transmission mode based on detecting the pen-up status for a second pre-defined period, the second pre-defined period being longer than the first pre-defined period,

transmitting beacon signals at an accelerated rate during the synchronization transmission mode as compared to rate of transmitting beacon signals in the hover transmission mode, wherein the beacon signals are transmitted at a higher rate during the synchronization transmission mode as compared to transmission of the beacon signals in the hover transmission mode.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the beacon signals transmitted during the synchronization transmission mode includes dummy beacon signals.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the beacon signals are encoded with information regarding timing of an actual beacon signal.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one pre-defined first threshold includes one threshold to define a switch between pen-up and pen-down and another threshold to define a switch between pen-down and pen-up.

18. A method comprising:

detecting pen-up and pen-down events of a stylus;

detecting timing between a pen-up event and a previous pen-down event;

transmitting in a synchronization transmission mode based on detecting a pen-down event and based on the timing being above a defined threshold,

wherein the synchronization transmission mode is defined by transmission of both an actual beacon signal and at least one dummy beacon signal per frame, wherein the actual beacon signal is configured to be synchronized with a refresh cycle of a digitizer system and wherein the dummy beacon signal includes or is accompanied by information related to timing of the actual beacon signal.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the dummy beacon signal includes or is accompanied by information related to timing of the pen-down event.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the defined threshold is in the order of magnitude of seconds.