Stylus and docking station with joystick function

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017192538-A1
Application number	US-201614987866-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 5, 2016
Priority date	Jan 5, 2016
Publication date	Jul 6, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A stylus placed in a docking station is used as a joystick by setting up a self-capacitance or mutual capacitance between the stylus and the docking port and measuring changes in that mutual capacitance as the stylus is moved by the user. The mutual capacitance is set up using electrodes and/or the housing of the stylus and the changes may be measured either from the stylus or from the docking station.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system comprising:
a stylus; a docking station comprising a docking port configured to receive the stylus; at least one first electrode within the docking port; and a circuit configured to: detect changes in capacitive coupling between the stylus and the first electrode; and determine the presence of movement of the stylus in the docking station.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the docking station comprises a resilient lining within the docking port, the resilient lining being deformable upon rotation, depression or tilting of the stylus within the docking port.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the capacitive coupling is measured between a housing of the stylus and the first electrode.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the capacitive coupling is measured between the first electrode and at least one second electrode mounted on a housing of the stylus.

5 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the second electrode comprises a plurality of strips extending along a longitudinal dimension of the stylus over a length selected to include a part of the stylus that is within the recess when the stylus is docked in the docking station.

6 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the stylus has a tip end tapering towards a tip and a blunt end, and wherein the second electrode comprises a ring extending radially around the stylus at the tip end.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the stylus has grounded electrodes and changes in capacitive coupling are measured at the docking station.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the docking station has grounded electrodes and changes in capacitive coupling are measured at the stylus.

9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the stylus and the docking station both have active electrodes.

10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first electrode comprises a plurality of strips extending parallel with a longitudinal dimension of the docked stylus, the second electrode extending over a length of the docking port opposing the first electrode.

11 . The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second electrodes comprises a triangular shape having a width changing with angle around a circumferential direction, located opposite a rectangular electrode, such that rotation of the stylus causes a change in coupling capacitance therebetween, thereby to provide a measurable change in capacitance upon rotation of the stylus.

12 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second electrodes comprises oppositely facing ring-shaped electrodes with constant width, such that tilting of the stylus causes a change in distance therebetween, thereby to provide a measurable change in capacitance upon tilting of the stylus.

13 . The system of claim 1 , wherein one of the first and second electrodes comprises a ring-shaped electrode located opposite a vertically oriented triangle, such that depression of the stylus causes a change in coupling capacitance therebetween, thereby to provide a measurable capacitance upon depression of the stylus.

14 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the resilient layer comprises an insulating layer to insulate the at least one first electrode from the stylus.

15 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the insulating layer comprises an elastic layer.

16 . An apparatus comprising:
a docking port configured to receive a stylus; at least one electrode within the docking port, the at least one electrode configured to capacitively couple with the stylus while the stylus is docked in the docking station; and a flexible layer lining the docking port to allow the stylus to be tilted and depressed when inside to provide joystick movements, wherein the tilting and depression give rise to measurable changes in the capacitive coupling.

17 . A stylus comprising:
a housing constructed to provide capacitive coupling with an electrode in a docking station, wherein changes in the capacitive coupling are measurable based on rotation, tilt or depression of the stylus in the docking station.

18 . A method of providing joystick-type interaction between a user and a computing device, comprising:
allowing a user to move a stylus when docked within a docking port of the docking station; measuring changes in mutual capacitance between the stylus and the docking station detected during the moving; using the measurements to provide inputs to a user interface of the computing device.

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Barel Eliyahu

Classifications

• G06F3/038

  Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry · CPC title

• G06F3/0338

  with detection of limited linear or angular displacement of an operating part of the device from a neutral position, e.g. isotonic or isometric joysticks · CPC title

• G06F1/1632

  External expansion units, e.g. docking stations · CPC title

• G06F2200/1632

  Pen holder integrated in the computer · CPC title

• G06F3/03545 Primary

  Pens or stylus · CPC title