Stylus for electronic devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11294479-B2
Application number	US-202117346017-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 11, 2021
Priority date	Sep 18, 2018
Publication date	Apr 5, 2022
Grant date	Apr 5, 2022

Abstract

Touch-based input devices, such as a stylus, can receive tactile input from a user. The tactile input functions can be performed by a touch sensor, such as a capacitive sensing device. A touch sensor can be integrated into a stylus in a low profile form. Wireless charging and magnetic coupling with a host device are also facilitated. The stylus can be provided with the above features in a small form factor that improves a user experience with the stylus.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A stylus comprising:
a housing;
a frame assembly within the housing and comprising:
a first frame; and
a second frame, wherein the first frame and the second frame are joined together to define a window there between;

a processing unit circuit board set at least partially within the first frame and at least partially overlapping the window; and
a capacitive touch sensor extending around the first frame and having multiple sensing elements distributed circumferentially and longitudinally along an inner surface of the housing.

2. The stylus of claim 1 , further comprising a wireless power receiver within the window and adjacent to the housing.

3. The stylus of claim 2 , wherein:
the window is a charging window; and
the stylus comprises:
a first stylus magnet within a first window of the first frame; and
a second stylus magnet within a second window of the second frame, wherein when the first and second stylus magnets are aligned with host magnets of a host device, the wireless power receiver is aligned with a wireless power transmitter of the host device.

4. The stylus of claim 1 , further comprising a battery pack within the second frame and operatively connected to the processing unit circuit board set.

5. The stylus of claim 4 , further comprising an antenna assembly comprising:
an antenna extending outside of the second frame;
a connector connected to the processing unit circuit board set; and
a transmission line connecting the antenna to the connector and extending between the second frame and the battery pack.

6. The stylus of claim 1 , wherein the housing has a longitudinal portion forming a substantially flat exterior surface extending along a length of the stylus.

7. The stylus of claim 1 , further comprising an elastic insert positioned radially between the first frame and the capacitive touch sensor and biases the capacitive touch sensor radially outwardly against the housing.

8. A stylus comprising:
a housing having a longitudinal portion forming a substantially flat exterior surface extending along a length of the stylus;
a wireless power receiver within the housing and adjacent to the longitudinal portion; and
a capacitive touch sensor comprising multiple sensing elements distributed circumferentially and longitudinally along an inner surface of the housing, wherein a portion of the capacitive touch sensor is positioned radially between the wireless power receiver and the longitudinal portion of the housing.

9. The stylus of claim 8 , further comprising a frame assembly comprises a first frame and a second frame, wherein the first frame and the second frame are joined together to define a charging window and to support the wireless power receiver within the charging window.

10. The stylus of claim 9 , further comprising multiple stylus magnets for magnetically coupling to host magnets of a host device, the stylus magnets being within the housing and adjacent to the longitudinal portion, wherein when the stylus magnets are aligned with the host magnets the wireless power receiver is aligned with a wireless power transmitter of the host device.

11. The stylus of claim 10 , wherein the multiple stylus magnets comprise a first magnet within the first frame and a second magnet within the second frame.

12. The stylus of claim 11 , wherein the capacitive touch sensor is positioned radially between the multiple stylus magnets and the longitudinal portion of the housing.

13. The stylus of claim 8 , further comprising an elastic insert biasing the capacitive touch sensor radially outwardly against the housing.

14. A stylus comprising:
a housing comprising a non-conductive material;
a frame assembly within the housing and comprising a metallic material having a window;
a processing unit circuit board set within the frame assembly; and
a capacitive touch sensor comprising:
a sensing region outside the frame assembly and having multiple sensing elements distributed circumferentially and longitudinally along an inner surface of the housing;
an interface region having electrical terminals operatively connecting the sensing elements to the processing unit circuit board set within the frame assembly; and
a connector region connecting the sensing region outside the frame assembly to the interface region within the frame assembly by extending through the window of the frame assembly.

15. The stylus of claim 14 , wherein the frame assembly comprises:
a first frame; and
a second frame, wherein the first frame and the second frame are joined together to define the window there between.

16. The stylus of claim 15 , further comprising a battery pack within the second frame and operatively connected to the processing unit circuit board set.

17. The stylus of claim 16 , further comprising an antenna assembly comprising:
an antenna extending outside of the second frame;
a connector connected to the processing unit circuit board set; and
a transmission line connecting the antenna to the connector and extending between the second frame and the battery pack.

18. The stylus of claim 15 , further comprising a wireless power receiver within the window and adjacent to the housing.

19. The stylus of claim 18 , further comprising:
a first stylus magnet within a first window of the first frame; and
a second stylus magnet within a second window of the second frame, wherein when the first and second stylus magnets are aligned with host magnets of a host device, the wireless power receiver is aligned with a wireless power transmitter of the host device.

20. The stylus of claim 14 , further comprising an elastic insert positioned radially between the frame assembly and the capacitive touch sensor and biasing the capacitive touch sensor radially outwardly against the housing.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Ruscher Joel N
• Brooks Ryan P
• Tsao Henry N
• Wong Wing-Shan

Classifications

• H02J2105/44

  Portable electronic devices · CPC title

• H02J7/70

  characterised by the mechanical construction · CPC title

• H02J50/10

  using inductive coupling · CPC title

• G06F3/0383

  Signal control means within the pointing device · CPC title

• G06F2203/04102

  Flexible digitiser, i.e. constructional details for allowing the whole digitising part of a device to be flexed or rolled like a sheet of paper · CPC title