Stylus for electronic devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12443298-B2
Application number	US-202418619023-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 27, 2024
Priority date	Sep 8, 2015
Publication date	Oct 14, 2025
Grant date	Oct 14, 2025

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 user input system comprising:
a stylus comprising a first electric field generator configured to transmit a first signal and a second electric field generator configured to transmit a second signal, the second electric field generator being offset from the first electric field generator, each of the first signal and the second signal being modulated to include stylus identity information; and
an electronic device comprising:
an input surface;
a sensor layer configured to detect the first signal and the second signal at the input surface;
a coordination engine configured to determine:
an identity of the stylus based on the stylus identity information; and
an orientation of the stylus relative to the electronic device based on a magnitude of the first signal at the input surface and a magnitude of the second signal at the input surface; and

a processing unit configured to, in response to an input corresponding to the first signal and the second signal from the stylus and at the input surface and based on the stylus identity information, determine whether to accept or reject the input.

2. The user input system of claim 1 , wherein the coordination engine is configured to detect a location and an angle of the stylus with respect to the input surface based on a detection of a first electric field generated by the first electric field generator and a second electric field generated by the second electric field generator.

3. The user input system of claim 1 , wherein:
each of the first signal and the second signal is modulated by the stylus; and
the coordination engine is further configured to demodulate each of the first signal and the second signal.

4. The user input system of claim 1 , wherein the stylus identity information of the stylus is different from additional stylus identity information of an additional stylus.

5. The user input system of claim 4 , wherein each of the stylus and the additional stylus are associated with different operations of the electronic device.

6. The user input system of claim 1 , wherein the processing unit is further configured to, based on the identity of the stylus, determine whether to permit or deny access to a functionality of the electronic device.

7. An electronic device comprising:
a display;
an input surface;
a sensor layer configured to detect, at the input surface, a first signal from a first electric field generator of a stylus and a second signal from a second electric field generator of the stylus;
a coordination engine configured to, based on the first signal and the second signal, determine:
an identity of the stylus; and
an orientation of the stylus relative to the electronic device; and

a processing unit configured to, in response to an input from the first electric field generator and the second electric field generator of the stylus and based on the identity of the stylus, determine whether to update an interface provided by the display.

8. The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein
the coordination engine is further configured to, based on the first signal and the second signal, determine a location and an angle of the stylus with respect to the input surface.

9. The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein:
each of the first signal and the second signal is modulated by the stylus; and
the coordination engine is further configured to demodulate each of the first signal and the second signal.

10. The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein determining whether to update the interface comprises determining, based on the identity of the stylus, whether to accept or reject the input.

11. The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein determining whether to update the interface comprises applying, based on the identity of the stylus, a stylus profile.

12. The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein determining whether to update the interface comprises determining, based on the identity of the stylus, whether to permit or deny access to a functionality of the electronic device.

13. The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein each of the first signal and the second signal indicates stylus identity information of the stylus that is different from additional stylus identity information of an additional stylus.

14. The electronic device of claim 13 , wherein each of the stylus and the additional stylus are associated with different operations of the electronic device.

15. A stylus comprising:
a first electric field generator configured to generate a first signal;
a second electric field generator, offset from the first electric field generator, configured to generate a second signal; and
a coordination engine configured to modulate the first signal and the second signal to provide:
stylus identity information that is different from additional stylus identity information of an additional stylus; and
orientation information for indicating to an electronic device an orientation of the stylus relative to the electronic device based on a magnitude of the first signal at an input surface and a magnitude of the second signal at the input surface.

16. The stylus of claim 15 , wherein the first electric field generator is axially separated from the second electric field generator along a length of the stylus.

17. The stylus of claim 15 , wherein the first electric field generator and the second electric field generator are located at a tip of the stylus.

18. The stylus of claim 17 , further comprising a force sensor configured to detect a force at the tip of the stylus, wherein the first signal or the second signal comprises force information.

19. The stylus of claim 18 , further comprising:
a housing; and
a translatable structure supporting the first electric field generator and the second electric field generator, wherein the force sensor is configured to detect movement of the translatable structure with respect to the housing.

20. The stylus of claim 15 , further comprising a battery, wherein the first signal or the second signal comprises battery capacity information.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

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

Classifications

• G06F2203/04107

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

• G06F2203/04105

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

• G06F3/0416

  Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers · CPC title

• G06F3/0414

  using force sensing means to determine a position · CPC title

• G06F3/04162

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