Stylus detection system having touch object detecting mode and stylus detecting mode

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12443293-B2
Application number	US-202418643746-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 23, 2024
Priority date	Jul 27, 2011
Publication date	Oct 14, 2025
Grant date	Oct 14, 2025

Abstract

A stylus detecting system includes a sense array including N number of first lines and M number of second lines crossing the N number of first lines; and a touch controller connected to the sense array and configured to: (i) in a touch object detecting mode, drive the N number of first lines as transmission (TX) lines with a finger sensing TX signal and measure reception (RX) signals on the M number of second lines as RX lines, and (ii) in a stylus detecting mode, measure a stylus TX signal transmitted by a stylus, on both the N number of first lines and the M number of second lines, using #number of multiple RX channels (#RX channels) to sense more than one line of the first and second lines at the same time, such that a complete stylus scan includes (N+M)/(#RX channels) number of scans.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A stylus detecting system, comprising:
a sense array including N number of first lines and M number of second lines crossing the N number of first lines; and
a touch controller connected to the sense array and configured to:
(i) in a touch object detecting mode, drive the N number of first lines as transmission (TX) lines with a finger sensing TX signal and measure reception (RX) signals on the M number of second lines as RX lines, and
(ii) in a stylus detecting mode, measure a stylus TX signal transmitted by a stylus, on both the N number of first lines and the M number of second lines, using #number of multiple RX channels (#RX channels) to sense more than one line of the N number of first lines and the M number of second lines at the same time, such that a complete stylus scan includes (N+M)/(#RX channels) number of scans.

2. The stylus detecting system according to claim 1 , wherein the touch controller is configured to:
(i) in the touch object detecting mode, sense the M number of second lines as RX lines using the #RX channels, such that a complete touch scan includes (N*M)/(#RX channels) number of scans.

3. The stylus detecting system according to claim 1 , wherein the touch controller is configured to:
(ii) in the stylus detecting mode, transmit synchronization or timing data to cause the stylus to transmit the stylus TX signal.

4. The stylus detecting system according to claim 3 , wherein the stylus TX signal transmitted by the stylus has a greater amplitude than the finger sensing TX signal.

5. The stylus detecting system according to claim 4 , wherein the stylus TX signal ranges approximately between 20V-50V.

6. The stylus detecting system according to claim 5 , wherein the finger sensing TX signal is less than 10V.

7. The stylus detecting system according to claim 6 , wherein the finger sensing TX signal is more than 5 V.

8. The stylus detecting system according to claim 3 , wherein the stylus TX signal is different in either frequency or phase from a TX signal from a TX drive circuit.

9. The stylus detecting system according to claim 3 , wherein the stylus TX signal has a higher frequency than the finger sensing TX signal.

10. The stylus detecting system according to claim 9 , wherein the stylus TX signal has at least double the upper frequency limit of the finger sensing TX signal.

11. The stylus detecting system according to claim 3 , wherein the stylus TX signal has a different code for code modulation than a code used in a TX signal from a TX drive circuit.

Assignees

• Wacom Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kremin Viktor
• Ryshtun Andriy
• Wright David G

Classifications

• G06F2203/04107

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

• G06F2203/04106

  Multi-sensing digitiser, i.e. digitiser using at least two different sensing technologies simultaneously or alternatively, e.g. for detecting pen and finger, for saving power or for improving position detection · CPC title

• G06F2203/04105

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

• G06F2203/04104

  Multi-touch detection in digitiser, i.e. details about the simultaneous detection of a plurality of touching locations, e.g. multiple fingers or pen and finger · CPC title

• G06F3/041

  Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means · CPC title