Input device, electronic device for receiving signal from input device, and control method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10372239-B2
Application number	US-201615189686-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 22, 2016
Priority date	Jun 26, 2015
Publication date	Aug 6, 2019
Grant date	Aug 6, 2019

Abstract

An input device and method for control based on input device tilt is provided. The input device includes a conductive tip formed at one end of the input device, a resonant circuit unit configured to generate a response signal corresponding to a signal entering through the conductive tip and output the response signal through the conductive tip, and a connection part formed between the conductive tip and a body of the input device to enclose a periphery of the conductive tip so as to have a part of the conductive tip exposed from one end of the input device. The connection part includes a metal member having a larger cross-section area than a cross-section area of the conductive tip and which affects signal intensity in response to input device tilt as detected by a touch screen of an electronic device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An input device comprising:
a conductive tip formed at one end of the input device;
a resonant circuit configured to:
generate a response signal corresponding to a signal received by the conductive tip, and
output the response signal through the conductive tip; and

a connection part formed between the conductive tip and a body of the input device to enclose a periphery of the conductive tip so as to have a part of the conductive tip exposed from one end of the input device,
wherein the conductive tip comprises a cylindrical shape and a cross-section area of which is uniform,
wherein the connection part comprises a metal member having a larger cross-section area than a cross-section area of the conductive tip, and
wherein the resonant circuit generates the response signal used to identify a tilt characteristic of the input device, based on a first electrode of an external device coupling with the conductive tip and a second electrode of the external device coupling with the metal member.

2. The input device of claim 1 , wherein the metal member has a conical shape such that the cross-section area of the metal member gradually increases from a point nearest the exposed conductive tip to a point nearest the body, along an axis of the member.

3. The input device of claim 1 , wherein the metal member comprises:
a conical part, a cross-section area of which gradually increases from a point nearest the exposed conductive tip to a point nearest the body, along an axis of the member; and
a cylindrical part, a cross-section area of which is uniform.

4. The input device of claim 1 ,
wherein the metal member has a conical shape such that the cross-section area of the metal member gradually increases from a point nearest the exposed conductive tip to a point nearest the body, along an axis of the member, and
wherein the connection part comprises a nonconductive member of a cylindrical shape, which is in contact with the metal member and a cross-section area of which is uniform.

5. The input device of claim 1 , wherein the body of the input device comprises:
a case formed of a conductive material; and
an insulator configured to insulate the connection part from the case.

6. The input device of claim 1 , wherein the conductive tip and the connection part are integrally formed.

7. The input device of claim 1 ,
wherein the connection part is fixed to the body of the input device, and
wherein the conductive tip passes through the connection part, and is configured to elastically move in and out of the connection part along an axis of the connection part.

8. An electronic device comprising:
a touch screen;
an electrode unit configured to receive a signal which is obtained from different areas of an input device based on the input device touching or approaching the touch screen; and
a processor configured to:
analyze, based on a first electrode of the electrode unit coupling with a conductive tip of the input device and a second electrode of the electrode unit coupling with a metal member of the input device, signals received through the electrode unit,
identify a tilt characteristic of the input device based on the analyzed signals, and
compensate an input point on the touch screen according to the tilt characteristic.

9. The electronic device of claim 8 ,
wherein, based on a tilt angle of the input device being within a predetermined allowable range, the processor is further configured to identify the input point based on a location of at least one electrode in which a greatest intensity of signal is received from among a plurality of electrodes, and
wherein, based on the tilt angle of the input device being outside of the predetermined allowable range, the processor is further configured to compensate the input point based on a point which is shifted from the identified input point in a direction opposite to a tilt direction of the input device.

10. The electronic device of claim 8 ,
wherein, based on the tilt angle of the input device being within a predetermined allowable range, the processor is further configured to perform a first control operation, and
wherein, based on the tilt angle of the input device being outside of the predetermined allowable range, the processor is further configured to perform a second control operation which is different from the first control operation.

11. The electronic device of claim 8 ,
wherein, based on the input device touching the touch screen and a touch location being changed, the processor is further configured to control the touch screen to display a writing trace continuously along the changed location, and
wherein the processor is further configured to change at least one of a function of the input device, a thickness, a brightness, a color, a chroma, a size, or a shape of the writing trace according to the tilt angle of the input device.

12. The electronic device of claim 8 ,
wherein, based on an object being displayed on the touch screen and the input device touching one point of the touch screen and being tilted, the processor is further configured to move the object according to the tilt direction and the tilt angle of the input device.

13. A control method of an electronic device, comprising:
receiving a signal which is obtained from different areas of an input device touching or approaching a touch screen of the electronic device;
analyzing, based on a first electrode of a electrode unit coupling with a conductive tip of the input device and a second electrode of the electrode unit coupling with a metal member of the input device, signals received through the electrode unit,
identifying a tilt characteristic of the input device; and
compensating an input point on the touch screen based on the tilt characteristic.

14. The control method of claim 13 , further comprising:
determining, based on a tilt angle of the input device being within a predetermined allowable range, the input point based on a location of at least one electrode in which a greatest intensity of signal is received from among a plurality of electrodes; and
compensating, based on the tilt angle of the input device being outside of the predetermined allowable range, the input point based on a point which is shifted from the identified input point in a direction opposite to a tilt direction of the input device.

15. The control method of claim 13 , further comprising:
performing, based on the tilt angle of the input device being within a predetermined allowable range, a first control operation; and
performing, based on the tilt angle of the input device being outside of the predetermined allowable range, a second control operation which is different from the first control operation.

16. The control method of claim 13 , further comprising:
displaying, based on the input device touching the touch screen and a touch location being changed, a writing trace continuously along the changed location; and
changing at least one of a thickness, a brightness, a color, a chroma, a size, or a shape of the writing trace according to the tilt angle of the input device.

17. The control method of claim 13 , further comprising, based on an object being displayed on the touch screen and the input device touching one point of the touch screen and being tilted, moving the object according to the tilt direction and the tilt angle of the input device.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Kang-Nam
• Park Sung-Soo
• Kang Byung-Hoon
• Lee Kang-Min

Classifications

• G06F3/038

  Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry · CPC title

• G06F3/03545 Primary

  Pens or stylus · CPC title

• G06F3/0416 Primary

  Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers · CPC title

• G06F3/044

  by capacitive means · CPC title

• G06F3/0446

  using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes · CPC title