Stylus for electronic devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11972068-B2
Application number	US-202318106935-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 7, 2023
Priority date	Sep 8, 2015
Publication date	Apr 30, 2024
Grant date	Apr 30, 2024

Abstract

A user input system including a stylus and an electronic device. A user may manipulate the stylus across an input surface of the electronic device and the movement may be detected using axially-aligned electric fields generated by the stylus. The stylus may also include a force-sensitive structure that can be used to estimate a force applied to the electronic device by the stylus.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A stylus comprising:
a control board;
a ring-field generator;
a ring signal line operatively connecting the ring-field generator to the control board, wherein a diameter of the ring-field generator is greater than a diameter of the ring signal line;
a tip-field generator;
a tip signal line extending through the ring-field generator and operatively connecting the tip-field generator to the control board, the tip signal line being electrically isolated from the ring signal line;
a ground ring, wherein the tip signal line extends through the ground ring; and
a ground signal line extending through the ring-field generator and disposed between the ring signal line and the tip signal line and operatively connecting the ground ring to the control board, the ground signal line being configured to provide electromagnetic shielding between the tip signal line and the ring signal line, wherein a diameter of the ground ring is greater than a diameter of the ground signal line.

2. The stylus of claim 1 , wherein the tip signal line further extends through the ground ring.

3. The stylus of claim 1 , wherein the ground signal line extends through the ring-field generator.

4. The stylus of claim 1 , further comprising: a dielectric material, the tip signal line and the ring signal line being disposed within the dielectric material.

5. The stylus of claim 4 , wherein the ring-field generator is disposed on an exterior surface of the dielectric material.

6. The stylus of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the ground signal line terminates in a ground signal contact forming a ring.

7. The stylus of claim 1 , further comprising an additional ground signal line disposed radially about the ring signal line and the tip signal line, the additional ground signal line configured to provide electromagnetic shielding to the ring signal line.

8. The stylus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a body comprising:
a barrel; and
a tip end defining an opening; and

a force sensor disposed within the body adjacent the tip end and coupled to the barrel.

9. The stylus of claim 8 , further comprising a tubular shield comprising:
a hollow portion extending toward the opening of the tip end and coupled to each of the control board, the ring-field generator, and the tip-field generator; and
a tray portion mechanically coupled to the force sensor.

10. A stylus comprising:
a control board;
a ring-field generator;
a ring signal line operatively connecting the ring-field generator to the control board;
a tip-field generator;
a tip signal line extending through the ring-field generator and operatively connecting the tip-field generator to the control board, the tip signal line being electrically isolated from the tip signal line;
a ground signal line disposed between the ring signal line and the tip signal line, the ground signal line being configured to provide electromagnetic shielding to the ring signal line; and
a dielectric material extending through the ring-field generator and separating the tip signal line from the ground signal line.

11. The stylus of claim 10 , wherein the tip signal line extends through the ring-field generator and the ground signal line.

12. The stylus of claim 10 , wherein the ring-field generator is disposed on an exterior surface of the dielectric material.

13. The stylus of claim 10 , wherein at least a portion of the ground signal line terminates in a ground signal contact forming a ring.

14. The stylus of claim 10 , further comprising:
a body comprising:
a barrel; and
a tip end defining an opening; and

a force sensor disposed within the body adjacent the tip end and coupled to the barrel.

15. The stylus of claim 14 , further comprising a tubular shield comprising:
a hollow portion extending toward the opening of the tip end and coupled to each of the control board, the ring-field generator, and the tip-field generator; and
a tray portion mechanically coupled to the force sensor.

16. A stylus comprising:
a body;
a control board within the body;
a ring-field generator operatively connected to the control board;
a ground ring operatively connected to the control board through the ring-field generator; and
a nosepiece removably coupled to the body and containing a tip-field generator wherein when the nosepiece is coupled to the body the tip-field generator is operatively connected to the control board through the ring-field generator and the ground ring, the ground ring is disposed between the tip-field generator and the ring-field generator, and the ground ring is configured to prevent capacitive coupling between the tip-field generator and the ring-field generator.

17. The stylus of claim 16 , wherein:
the ring-field generator is operatively connected to the control board by a ring signal line;
the tip-field generator is operatively connected to the control board by a tip signal line; and
the ground ring is operatively connected to the control board by a ground signal line.

18. The stylus of claim 17 , further comprising: a dielectric material, the tip signal line and the ring signal line being disposed within the dielectric material.

19. The stylus of claim 18 , wherein the ring-field generator is disposed on an exterior surface of the dielectric material.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Zimmerman Aidan N
• Wong Wingshan
• Armendariz Kevin
• Bohney Nathan
• Pasma Christopher
• Amini Mahmoud
• Baugh Brenton A
• Brooks Ryan P

Classifications

• G06F3/0383 Primary

  Signal control means within the pointing device · CPC title

• G06F3/03545 Primary

  Pens or stylus · CPC title

• G06F3/0414

  using force sensing means to determine a position · CPC title

• G06F3/0416

  Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers · CPC title

• G06F3/04162

  for exchanging data with external devices, e.g. smart pens, via the digitiser sensing hardware · CPC title