Stylus having variable transmit signal strength, and sensor for detecting such stylus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10073548-B2
Application number	US-201615345943-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 8, 2016
Priority date	Nov 8, 2016
Publication date	Sep 11, 2018
Grant date	Sep 11, 2018

Abstract

Various embodiments provide detection of a stylus at a large distance from a surface of a device, such as a tablet, by increasing the stylus' transmitted signal strength. In addition, signal strength transmitted by the stylus is lowered when the stylus is close to the surface of the device to avoid saturating of a receiving circuit of the device and conserve power. The distance between the stylus and the surface of the device is determined by measuring the strength of a signal received by the stylus and/or a signal received by the device.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An active stylus, comprising:
a body including an electrode;
a signal generator coupled to the electrode to transmit a signal from the electrode; and
a gain controller configured to:
determine a height of the electrode relative to a surface of a sensor including a matrix of sensor lines extending in first and second directions different from each other;
set a transmit signal strength of the signal transmitted from the electrode to a first strength value when the height is determined to be a first height value, and to a second strength value when the height is determined to be a second height value, wherein the first strength value is lower than the second strength value and the first height value is lower than the second height value;
increase the transmit signal strength from the first strength value to the second strength value when the height exceeds a first threshold;
decrease the transmit signal strength from the second strength value to the first strength value when the height falls below a second threshold, wherein the first threshold is lower than the second threshold; and
maintain the transmit signal strength when the height is between the first threshold and the second threshold.

2. The active stylus of claim 1 , wherein the gain controller is configured to discretely vary the transmit signal strength in a step between the first strength value and the second strength value.

3. The active stylus of claim 1 , wherein the gain controller is configured to continuously vary the transmit signal strength between the first strength value and the second strength value corresponding to continuously varying heights of the active stylus.

4. The active stylus of claim 1 , wherein the height of the electrode is determined from one or both of a strength of a sensor signal received by the active stylus and a strength of a stylus signal received by the sensor.

5. The active stylus of claim 1 , wherein the gain controller is configured to determine the height of the electrode based on a sensor signal received by the active stylus.

6. The active stylus of claim 1 , wherein the gain controller is configured to determine the height of the electrode based on a height signal received by the active stylus, wherein the height signal indicates a height of the active stylus determined by a sensor controller coupled to the sensor based on a stylus signal received by the sensor.

7. The active stylus of claim 6 , wherein the electrode of the active stylus receives the height signal from the sensor.

8. The active stylus of claim 7 , wherein the electrode of the active stylus electrostatically receives the height signal from the sensor.

9. The active stylus of claim 7 , further comprising a receiver configured to receive the height signal from the sensor.

10. The active stylus of claim 9 , wherein the receiver is a Bluetooth® communicator.

11. The active stylus of claim 1 , wherein the body has an elongate shape and the electrode is provided at or near a tip of the elongate body.

12. A method for detecting a position of an active stylus, which includes an electrode, on a sensor which includes a matrix of sensor lines extending in first and second directions different from each other, the method comprising:
determining a height of the electrode relative to a surface of the sensor;
setting a transmit signal strength of a signal transmitted from the electrode of the active stylus to a first strength value when the height is determined to be a first height value, and to a second strength value when the height is determined to be a second height value, wherein the first strength value is lower than the second strength value and the first height value is lower than the second height value;
increasing the transmit signal strength from the first strength value to the second strength value when the height exceeds a first threshold;
decreasing the transmit signal strength from the second strength value to the first strength value when the height falls below a second threshold, wherein the first threshold is lower than the second threshold; and
maintaining the transmit signal strength when the height is between the first threshold and the second threshold.

13. The method of claim 12 , comprising discretely varying the transmit signal strength in a step between the first strength value and the second strength value.

14. The method of claim 12 , comprising continuously varying the transmit signal strength between the first strength value and the second strength value corresponding to continuously varying heights of the active stylus.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the height of the electrode is determined from one or both of a strength of a sensor signal received by the active stylus and a strength of a stylus signal received by the sensor.

16. The method of claim 12 , comprising determining the height of the electrode based on a sensor signal received by the active stylus.

17. The method of claim 12 , comprising determining the height of the electrode based on a height signal received by the active stylus, wherein the height signal indicates a height of the active stylus determined by a sensor controller coupled to the sensor based on a stylus signal received by the sensor.

Assignees

• Wacom Co Ltd

Inventors

• Fleck David Charles

Classifications

• G06F3/0383 Primary

  Signal control means within the pointing device · CPC title

• G06F3/03545 Primary

  Pens or stylus · CPC title

• G06F3/0416

  Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers · CPC title

• G06F2203/04108

  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 title

• G06F3/0441

  using active external devices, e.g. active pens, for receiving changes in electrical potential transmitted by the digitiser, e.g. tablet driving signals · CPC title