Force sensor apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10048778-B2
Application number	US-201615169408-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 31, 2016
Priority date	May 31, 2016
Publication date	Aug 14, 2018
Grant date	Aug 14, 2018

Abstract

The described technology provides a force sensor apparatus. An elastic pad may be disposed between two force sensors with a force applicator extending at least partially into the elastic pad. When a force is applied to a force applicator, the force applicator transmits the force to one or both of the force sensors via the elastic pad. In an implementation, the force sensors may be resistive sensors. Since resistive sensors may experience thermal drift due to changes in environmental temperature conditions, the differential resistance between the two resistive sensors allows a temperature-independent measurement of the applied force.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A stylus comprising:
a stylus body having a tip disposed at a first end and a long center axis extending through the tip and through an end of the stylus body opposite the tip;
a first force sensor and a second force sensor disposed inside the stylus body; and
a tip holder shaft operatively connected to the tip and slidably connected to the stylus body, at least a portion of the tip holder shaft configured to concurrently apply along the long center axis a first force to the first force sensor and a second different force to the second force sensor, the first force sensor and the second force sensor being stacked at different positions along and intersecting the long center axis of the stylus body.

2. The stylus of claim 1 , further comprising a first elastic pad and a second elastic pad, both elastic pads being aligned along the long center axis within the stylus body, the tip holder shaft extending at least partially into the first elastic pad, the first elastic pad and the second elastic pad being disposed between the first force sensor and the second force sensor.

3. The stylus of claim 2 , wherein at least one pad of the first elastic pad and the second elastic pad exerts a nonzero force on the first force sensor and the second force sensor when there is no force applied to the tip.

4. The stylus of claim 2 , wherein the first elastic pad and the second elastic pad are electrically conductive.

5. The stylus of claim 4 , wherein an electrical resistance of the first elastic pad and the second elastic pad varies based on a magnitude of an applied force.

6. The stylus of claim 1 , wherein a hover mode is activated when a difference between the first force measured at the first force sensor and the second different force measured at the second force sensor is less than a threshold force.

7. The stylus of claim 1 , wherein an ink mode is activated when a difference between the first force measured at the first force sensor and the second different force measured at the second force sensor exceeds a threshold force.

8. The stylus of claim 1 , wherein the first force sensor and the second force sensor are resistive sensors.

9. The stylus of claim 1 , wherein the first force sensor and the second force sensor are stacked along the long center axis of the stylus body.

10. The stylus of claim 1 , wherein the first force sensor and the second force sensor overlap along the long center axis of the stylus body.

11. A force sensor apparatus comprising:
a force applicator disposed at a first end of a stylus body, the stylus body having a long center axis extending through the force applicator and through a second opposite end of the stylus body opposite the first end of the stylus body; and
a first force sensor and a second force sensor disposed inside the stylus body and stacked at different positions along and intersecting the long center axis of the stylus body, the force applicator being configured to concurrently apply a first force to the first force sensor and a second different force to the second force sensor.

12. The force sensor apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising a first elastic pad and a second elastic pad, both elastic pads being aligned along the long center axis within the stylus body, the force applicator extending at least partially into the first elastic pad, the first elastic pad and the second elastic pad being disposed between the first force sensor and the second force sensor.

13. The force sensor apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the force applicator is slidably connected to the stylus body.

14. The force sensor apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the stylus body includes a tip and at least one pad of the first elastic pad and the second elastic pad exerts a nonzero force on the first force sensor and the second force sensor when there is no force applied to the tip.

15. The force sensor apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the first elastic pad and the second elastic pad are electrically conductive.

16. The force sensor apparatus of claim 15 , wherein an electrical resistance of the first elastic pad and the second elastic pad varies based on an applied force.

17. The force sensor apparatus of claim 12 , wherein at least one of the first elastic pad and the second elastic pad is formed at least partially of silicon.

18. A method comprising:
applying a force to a tip of a stylus body, the tip operatively connected to a tip holder shaft disposed inside and slidably coupled to the stylus body, the tip holder shaft configured to concurrently apply a first force to a first force sensor and a second different force to a second force sensor, each of the first force sensor and the second force sensor being stacked at different positions along and intersecting a long center axis of the stylus body, the intersected long center axis extending through the tip and through an end of the stylus body opposite the tip; and
determining an amount of the force applied to the tip by measuring a difference between the first force measured at the first force sensor and the second different force measured at the second force sensor.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein aligning a first elastic pad and a second elastic pad along the long center axis within the stylus body and disposed between the first force sensor and the second force sensor.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the first force sensor and the second force sensor are resistive sensors.

21. The method of claim 18 , further comprising activating an ink mode of the stylus body when a difference between the first force measured at the first force sensor and the second different force measured at the second force sensor exceeds a threshold force.

22. The method of claim 18 , further comprising activating a hover mode of the stylus body when a difference between the first force measured at the first force sensor and the second different force measured at the second force sensor is less than a threshold force.

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Mishalov Vadim
• Peretz Ahia

Classifications

• G06F3/03545 Primary

  Pens or stylus · CPC title

• G01L1/20

  by measuring variations in ohmic resistance of solid materials or of electrically-conductive fluids (of piezo-resistive materials G01L1/18); by making use of electrokinetic cells, i.e. liquid-containing cells wherein an electrical potential is produced or varied upon the application of stress · CPC title

• G06F3/033

  Pointing devices displaced or positioned by the user {, e.g. mice, trackballs, pens or joysticks}; Accessories therefor (digitisers characterised by the transducing means G06F3/041) · CPC title

• G01L5/18

  for measuring ratios of force · CPC title

• G01L5/0038

  applying a pushing force · CPC title