Touch-based input for stylus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11340716-B2
Application number	US-201816029489-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 6, 2018
Priority date	Jul 6, 2018
Publication date	May 24, 2022
Grant date	May 24, 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. Tactile input can be received at the user's natural grip location. Furthermore, the stylus can effectively distinguish between tactile inputs from a user and disregard sustained tactile inputs that are provided while the user simply holds the stylus at the user's natural grip location.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A stylus comprising:
a support member;
an elastic insert positioned about the support member;
a flexible touch sensor positioned about the elastic insert; and
a housing extending continuously about the flexible touch sensor;
wherein the elastic insert is positioned radially between the support member and the flexible touch sensor and biases the flexible touch sensor radially outwardly against the housing.

2. The stylus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a controller;
a tip moveable with respect to the housing; and
a force sensor configured to indicate to the controller when a force is applied to the tip;
wherein the touch sensor comprises multiple sensing elements distributed circumferentially and longitudinally within the housing, wherein each of the sensing elements is configured to indicate to the controller when a user is contacting a corresponding portion of the housing.

3. The stylus of claim 2 , wherein each of the sensing elements is connected to a controller by multiple traces that extend in different directions along a substrate supporting a corresponding one of the sensing elements.

4. The stylus of claim 2 , wherein the touch sensor comprises a sensing region comprising:
a sensing layer comprising the sensing elements;
a substrate layer on a side of the sensing layer, the substrate layer comprising a substrate and multiple vias connecting to each of the sensing elements; and
a routing layer on a side of the substrate layer that is opposite the sensing layer.

5. The stylus of claim 4 , wherein the substrate layer is a first substrate layer and the sensing region further comprises:
a second substrate layer on a side of the routing layer that is opposite the first substrate layer; and
a shield layer electrically connected to ground.

6. The stylus of claim 5 , wherein the touch sensor further comprises an interface region comprising:
the sensing layer;
the substrate layer; and
the routing layer configured to operatively connect the touch sensor to a controller of the stylus.

7. The stylus of claim 6 , wherein the touch sensor further comprises a connector region between the sensing region and the interface region, and the shield layer is a first shield layer, the connector region comprising:
the sensing layer;
the substrate layer;
the routing layer;
the second substrate layer;
the first shield layer electrically connected to ground; and
a second shield layer over the sensing layer and electrically connected to ground.

8. The stylus of claim 1 , wherein:
the support member is a cylinder; and
the housing comprises inner and outer surfaces each having a curved portion and a flat portion extending along a longitudinal length of the housing.

9. The stylus of claim 1 , wherein the elastic insert comprises a foam body.

10. The stylus of claim 1 , wherein the elastic insert comprises a pressure-sensitive adhesive bonding the touch sensor to the support member.

11. A stylus comprising:
a support member;
a housing having a circumferentially continuous surface defining a grip region of the stylus;
a capacitive touch sensor comprising multiple sensing elements distributed circumferentially along an inner side of the circumferentially continuous surface of the housing at the grip region; and
an elastic insert positioned radially between the support member and the capacitive touch sensor, the elastic insert biasing the capacitive touch sensor radially outwardly against the inner side of the circumferentially continuous surface of the housing.

12. The stylus of claim 11 , wherein:
the support member is a cylinder; and
the circumferentially continuous surface of the housing comprises a curved portion and a flat portion extending along a longitudinal length of the housing.

13. The stylus of claim 11 , wherein the elastic insert comprises a foam body.

14. The stylus of claim 11 , wherein the elastic insert comprises a pressure-sensitive adhesive bonding the capacitive touch sensor to the support member.

15. A stylus comprising:
a support member;
a housing extending continuously about the support member and defining a grip region of the stylus;
a capacitive touch sensor comprising multiple sensing elements distributed circumferentially and longitudinally along an inner side of the housing at the grip region; and
an elastic insert positioned radially between the support member and the capacitive touch sensor, the elastic insert extending across each of the multiple sensing elements and biasing each of the multiple sensing elements radially outwardly against the inner side of the housing at the grip region.

16. The stylus of claim 15 , wherein:
the support member is a cylinder; and
the housing comprises a circumferentially continuous surface having a curved portion and a flat portion extending along a longitudinal length of the housing.

17. The stylus of claim 15 , wherein the elastic insert comprises a foam body.

18. The stylus of claim 15 , wherein the elastic insert comprises a pressure-sensitive adhesive bonding the capacitive touch sensor to the support member.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Marshall Blake R
• NASIRI MAHALATI Reza
• Low Wing Kong
• Bentov Izhar
• Asoka Kumar Shenoi Ashwin Kumar
• Tsao Henry N
• Datta Supratik
• Zuber Wesley W
• Venugopal Nandita
• Jain Karan S

Classifications

• G06F3/044 Primary

  by capacitive means · CPC title

• G06F2203/04105

  Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position · CPC title

• G06F3/0488

  using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures · CPC title

• G06F2203/04107

  Shielding in digitiser, i.e. guard or shielding arrangements, mostly for capacitive touchscreens, e.g. driven shields, driven grounds · CPC title

• G06F3/0383

  Signal control means within the pointing device · CPC title