Stylus with attachment detection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12455639-B2
Application number	US-202418614558-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 22, 2024
Priority date	Sep 28, 2023
Publication date	Oct 28, 2025
Grant date	Oct 28, 2025

Abstract

An input device, such as a stylus, can be operated to determine one or more conditions and select an appropriate operating mode. For example, a stylus can be attached to a host device when not in active use by a user. Attachment can be securely and releasably achieved with magnetic coupling. In such a configuration, the stylus can detect the attachment based on the presence and modification of magnetic fields. Based on such detection, the stylus can select an operating mode that allows power to be conserved when it is determined that certain components of the stylus need not be actively operated.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A stylus comprising:
a housing;
a magnet assembly within the housing, the magnet assembly comprising a first permanent magnet, a second permanent magnet, and a magnetic shunt between the first permanent magnet and the second permanent magnet; and
a Hall effect sensor within the housing, positioned a distance away from the magnetic shunt, and axially aligned with the magnetic shunt such that the Hall effect sensor and the magnetic shunt share a same axial position along a longitudinal axis of the stylus, wherein the Hall effect sensor is closer to the magnetic shunt than to either of the first permanent magnet or the second permanent magnet.

2. The stylus of claim 1 , wherein the Hall effect sensor is arranged to detect a magnetic field having a component that is orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the stylus.

3. The stylus of claim 1 , further comprising a circuit board, wherein the Hall effect sensor is positioned on a side of the circuit board that faces away from the magnet assembly.

4. The stylus of claim 1 , wherein:
the first permanent magnet has a first magnetic polarity orientation; and
the second permanent magnet has a second magnetic polarity orientation, different than the first magnetic polarity orientation.

5. The stylus of claim 1 , wherein the first permanent magnet and the second permanent magnet comprise a hard magnetic material, and the magnetic shunt comprises a soft magnetic material.

6. The stylus of claim 1 , wherein:
the magnetic shunt is a first magnetic shunt;
the Hall effect sensor is a first Hall effect sensor;
the magnet assembly further comprises:
a third permanent magnet; and
a second magnetic shunt between the second permanent magnet and the third permanent magnet; and

the stylus further comprises a second Hall effect sensor that is within the housing, positioned a distance away from the second magnetic shunt, and axially aligned with the second magnetic shunt.

7. The stylus of claim 6 , wherein:
the first permanent magnet has a first magnetic polarity orientation;
the second permanent magnet has a second magnetic polarity orientation, different than the first magnetic polarity orientation; and
the third permanent magnet has a third magnetic polarity orientation that is the same as the first magnetic polarity orientation.

8. The stylus of claim 1 , wherein:
the magnet assembly is a first magnet assembly; and
the stylus further comprises a second magnet assembly within the housing and axially spaced apart from the first magnet assembly.

9. A stylus comprising:
an attachment sensor configured to detect when the stylus is attached to a host device;
an activity sensor configured to detect when the stylus is moved;
a communication interface configured to communicate with the host device; and
a controller configured to select one of multiple operating modes for operating the stylus, the operating modes comprising:
a low-power mode, in which the attachment sensor is actively operated, and the activity sensor and the communication interface are disabled;
a mid-power mode, in which the attachment sensor and the activity sensor are actively operated, and the communication interface is disabled; and
a high-power mode, in which the attachment sensor, the activity sensor, and the communication interface are actively operated.

10. The stylus of claim 9 , further comprising:
an input device configured to receive an input from a user;
a force sensor configured to detect a force between a tip of the stylus and a housing of the stylus; and
an electric field generator configured to generate an electric field at the tip of the stylus, wherein:
in each of the low-power mode and the mid-power mode, the input device, the force sensor, and the electric field generator are disabled; and
in the high-power mode, the input device, the force sensor, and the electric field generator are actively operated.

11. The stylus of claim 9 , wherein the attachment sensor comprises a Hall effect sensor.

12. The stylus of claim 9 , wherein the activity sensor comprises an inertial measurement unit.

13. The stylus of claim 9 , wherein the activity sensor comprises an input device of the stylus.

14. A stylus comprising:
an attachment sensor configured to detect when the stylus is attached to a host device;
an activity sensor configured to detect when the stylus is moved, the attachment sensor being configured to be either actively operated or disabled in response to an attachment detection by the attachment sensor; and
a communication interface configured to communicate with the host device, the communication interface being configured to be either actively operated in response to an activity detection by the activity sensor or disabled in response to the attachment detection by the attachment sensor.

15. The stylus of claim 14 , wherein:
the attachment sensor is configured to be actively operated when the stylus is attached to the host device and when the stylus is separated from the host device;
the attachment sensor is configured to be actively operated when the stylus is separated from the host device and disabled when the stylus is attached to the host device; and
the communication interface is configured to be actively operated when the stylus is moved and disabled when the stylus is attached to the host device.

16. The stylus of claim 14 , further comprising:
an input device configured to receive an input from a user;
a force sensor configured to detect a force between a tip of the stylus and a housing of the stylus; and
an electric field generator configured to generate an electric field at the tip of the stylus,
wherein each of the input device, the force sensor, and the electric field generator are configured to be either actively operated in response to the activity detection by the activity sensor or disabled in response to the attachment detection by the attachment sensor.

17. The stylus of claim 14 , wherein the attachment sensor comprises a Hall effect sensor.

18. The stylus of claim 14 , wherein the activity sensor comprises an inertial measurement unit.

19. The stylus of claim 14 , wherein the activity sensor comprises an input device of the stylus.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Ji Qigen
• Goldberg Jeremy
• Huynh Nicolas
• Liu Patrick
• Chou Stephanie
• Marrone Stephen J
• Dong Youqun

Classifications

• G06F3/0383

  Signal control means within the pointing device · CPC title

• G06F3/0346 Primary

  with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a three-dimensional [3D] space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors · CPC title

• G01R33/07

  Hall effect devices · CPC title

• G06F1/3206

  Monitoring of events, devices or parameters that trigger a change in power modality · CPC title

• G06F2200/1632

  Pen holder integrated in the computer · CPC title