Disabling stylus to prevent worn tip performance degradation and screen damage

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017249028-A1
Application number	US-201615057058-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 29, 2016
Priority date	Feb 29, 2016
Publication date	Aug 31, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A level of wear of a stylus tip can be estimated and in accordance with a determination that the level of wear of the stylus tip exceeds a threshold, the stylus input functionality of an electronic device can be disabled. The threshold can be set such that the stylus can be disabled before the stylus sensing performance degrades to a degree perceptible to a human and/or before exposing internal portions of the stylus that can scratch a touch screen. Additionally or alternatively, a notification can be provided to indicate to a user that the stylus tip should be replaced. In some examples, the estimated level of wear can also be used to provide warning notifications. Stylus tip wear can be estimated, for example, based on a detected total signal strength or based on an estimated total distance traversed by the stylus tip across a surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system comprising:
a touch sensor panel; and a processor coupled to the touch sensor panel and capable of:
tracking a parameter representative of an amount of tip wear of a tip portion of an active stylus, the parameter updated based on an input received at the touch sensor panel from the active stylus;
in accordance with a determination that the parameter does not exceed a first threshold, performing an action associated with the input from the active stylus; and
in accordance with a determination that the parameter exceeds the first threshold, rejecting the input from the active stylus.

2 . The system of claim 1 , the processor further capable of:
in accordance with the determination that the parameter exceeds the first threshold, displaying a notification to replace the tip portion of the active stylus.

3 . The system of claim 1 , the processor further capable of:
in accordance with a determination that the parameter does not exceed the first threshold and that the parameter exceeds a second threshold, displaying a warning notification.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the parameter is a measure of a total signal strength of the input from the active stylus detected at one or more electrodes of the touch sensor panel.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the parameter is based on a history of measurements of a total signal strength of inputs from the active stylus detected at one or more electrodes of the touch sensor panel.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the parameter is a measure of an estimated distance traversed by the tip portion of the active stylus across the touch sensor panel.

7 . A method comprising:
tracking a parameter representative of an amount of tip wear of a tip portion of an active stylus, the parameter updated based on an input received from the active stylus; in accordance with a determination that the parameter does not exceed a first threshold, performing an action associated with the input from the active stylus; and in accordance with a determination that the parameter exceeds the first threshold, rejecting the input from the active stylus.

8 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
in accordance with the determination that the parameter exceeds the first threshold, displaying a notification to replace the tip portion of the active stylus.

9 . The method of claim 7 further comprising:
in accordance with a determination that the parameter does not exceed the first threshold and that the parameter exceeds a second threshold, displaying a warning notification.

10 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the parameter is a measure of a total signal strength of the input from the active stylus detected at one or more electrodes.

11 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the parameter is based on a history of measurements of a total signal strength of inputs from the active stylus detected at one or more electrodes.

12 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the parameter is a measure of an estimated distance traversed by the tip portion of the active stylus across a touch sensitive surface.

13 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions, which when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:
track a parameter representative of an amount of tip wear of a tip portion of an active stylus, the parameter updated based on an input received from the active stylus; in accordance with a determination that the parameter does not exceed a first threshold, perform an action associated with the input from the active stylus; and in accordance with a determination that the parameter exceeds the first threshold, reject the input from the active stylus.

14 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to:
in accordance with the determination that the parameter exceeds the first threshold, display a notification to replace the tip portion of the active stylus.

15 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to:
in accordance with a determination that the parameter does not exceed the first threshold and that the parameter exceeds a second threshold, display a warning notification.

16 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the parameter is a measure of a total signal strength of the input from the active stylus detected at one or more electrodes.

17 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the parameter is based on a history of measurements of a total signal strength of inputs from the active stylus detected at one or more electrodes.

18 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the parameter is a measure of an estimated distance traversed by the tip portion of the active stylus across a touch sensitive surface.

19 . An electronic device for use with a stylus comprising:
a touch screen; and a processor coupled to the touch screen and capable of:
estimating a level of wear of a stylus tip; and
in accordance with a determination that the level of wear of the stylus tip exceeds a first threshold, disabling stylus input functionality of the electronic device.

20 . The electronic device of claim 19 , the processor further capable of:
in accordance with a determination that the level of wear of the stylus tip exceeds the first threshold, displaying on the touch screen a notification including instructions to replace the stylus or stylus tip.

21 . The electronic device of claim 19 , the processor further capable of:
in accordance with a determination that the level of wear of the stylus tip does not exceed the first threshold and that the level of wear of the stylus tip exceeds a second threshold, displaying on the touch screen a notification including a warning regarding the level of wear.

22 . The electronic device of claim 19 , the processor further capable of:
in accordance with a determination that the level of wear of the stylus tip does not exceed the first threshold, enabling the stylus input functionality of the electronic device.

23 . The electronic device of claim 19 , wherein estimating the level of wear of the stylus tip comprises measuring an average total signal strength of inputs from the stylus tip detected on the touch screen.

24 . The electronic device of claim 19 , wherein estimating the level of wear of the stylus tip comprises estimating a total distance traversed by the stylus tip across the touch screen.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Marshall Blake R
• Shah Apexit
• Benbasat Ari Y
• Tan Li-Quan
• Bhandari Priyanka
• NASIRI MAHALATI Reza
• Bolton Sarah M

Classifications

• G06F3/0416

  Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers · CPC title

• G06F3/14

  Digital output to display device {; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units} · CPC title

• G06F3/03545 Primary

  Pens or stylus · CPC title

• G06F3/0441

  using active external devices, e.g. active pens, for receiving changes in electrical potential transmitted by the digitiser, e.g. tablet driving signals · CPC title

• G06F3/0418

  for error correction or compensation, e.g. based on parallax, calibration or alignment · CPC title