Touch-based input for stylus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020012358-A1
Application number	US-201816029489-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 6, 2018
Priority date	Jul 6, 2018
Publication date	Jan 9, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

Touch-based input devices, such as a stylus, can receive tactile input from a user. The tactile input functions can be performed by a touch sensor, such as a capacitive sensing device. A touch sensor can be integrated into a stylus in a low profile form. Tactile input can be received at the user's natural grip location. Furthermore, the stylus can effectively distinguish between tactile inputs from a user and disregard sustained tactile inputs that are provided while the user simply holds the stylus at the user's natural grip location.

First claim

1 . A stylus comprising:
a support member; an elastic insert positioned about the support member; a flexible touch sensor positioned about the classic insert; and a housing positioned about the flexible touch sensor; wherein the elastic insert is positioned radially between the support member and the flexible touch sensor and biases the flexible touch sensor radially outwardly against the housing.

2 . The stylus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a controller; a tip moveable with respect to the housing; and a force sensor configured to indicate to the controller when a force is applied to the tip; wherein the touch sensor comprises multiple sensing elements distributed circumferentially and longitudinally within the housing, wherein each of the sensing elements is configured to indicate to the controller when a user is contacting a corresponding portion of the housing.

3 . The stylus of claim 2 , wherein each of the sensing elements is connected to a controller by multiple traces that extend in different directions along a substrate supporting the corresponding sensing element.

4 . The stylus of claim 2 , wherein the touch sensor comprises a sensing region comprising:
a sensing layer comprising the sensing elements; a substrate layer on a side of the sensing layer, the substrate layer comprising a substrate and multiple vias connecting to each of the sensing elements; and a routing layer on a side of the substrate layer that is opposite the sensing layer.

5 . The stylus of claim 4 , wherein the substrate layer is a first substrate layer and the sensing region further comprises:
a second substrate layer on a side of the routing layer that is opposite the first substrate layer; and a shield layer electrically connected to ground.

6 . The stylus of claim 5 , wherein the touch sensor further comprises an interface region comprising:
the sensing layer; the substrate layer; and the routing layer configured to operatively connect the touch sensor to a controller of the stylus.

7 . The stylus of claim 6 , wherein the touch sensor further comprises a connector region between the sensing region and the interlace region, and the shield layer is a first shield layer, the connector region comprising:
the sensing layer; the substrate layer; the routing layer; the second substrate layer; the first shield layer electrically connected to ground; and a second shield layer over the sensing layer and electrically connected to ground.

8 . The stylus of claim 1 , wherein:
the support member is a cylinder; and the housing comprises inner and outer surfaces each having a curved portion and a flat portion extending along a longitudinal length of the housing.

9 . The stylus of claim 1 , wherein the elastic insert comprises a foam body.

10 . The stylus of claim 1 , wherein the elastic insert comprises a pressure-sensitive adhesive bonding the touch sensor to the support member.

11 . A stylus comprising:
a housing defining a grip region of the stylus; and a capacitive touch sensor comprising multiple sensing elements distributed circumferentially and longitudinally along an inner surface of the housing at the grip region, wherein the capacitive touch sensor is configured to detect movement of a finger with respect to the grip region while the grip region is held by other fingers.

12 . The stylus of claim 11 , wherein the capacitive touch sensor is configured to detect a liftoff of the finger from the grip region and a return of the finger to the grip region while the grip region is held by the other fingers.

13 . The stylus of claim 11 , wherein the capacitive touch sensor is configured to detect movement of the finger along a longitudinal length of the grip region while the grip region is held by the other fingers.

14 . The stylus of claim 11 , wherein the capacitive touch sensor is configured to detect movement of the linger about a circumference of the grip region while the grip region is held by the other fingers.

15 . The stylus of claim 11 , wherein the capacitive touch sensor is a first capacitive touch sensor and the stylus further comprises:
a tip moveable with respect to the housing; and a second capacitive touch sensor spaced apart from the first capacitive touch sensor, wherein the first capacitive touch sensor is between the tip and the second capacitive touch sensor.

16 . A method of operating a touch sensor of a stylus, the method comprising:
detecting, with the touch sensor at a grip region of the stylus, that a user is holding the stylus at the grip region; setting a first input baseline based on detecting that the user is holding the stylus; detecting, with the touch sensor, that the user has lifted a finger from the grip region based on a first deviation from the first input baseline; setting a second input baseline based on detecting that the user has lifted the finger; detecting, with the touch sensor, feat the user has returned the finger to the grip region based on a second deviation from the second input baseline; and determining, based on the first deviation and the second deviation, a user input applied to the touch tensor.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein:
detecting that the user is holding the stylus comprises entering a grip mode of the stylus; and setting the first input baseline is based on a number of sensing elements of the touch sensor that detect contact by fingers of the user while in the grip mode.

18 . The method of claim 16 , wherein:
detecting that the user has lifted the finger from the grip region comprises entering a liftoff mode of the stylus; and selling the second input baseline is based on a number of sensing elements of the touch sensor that detect contact by fingers of the user while in the liftoff mode.

19 . The method of claim 16 , wherein detecting that the user has returned the finger to the grip region comprises entering a touchdown mode of the stylus.

20 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
detecting that the user is not holding the stylus; and entering an idle mode of the stylus, wherein, while the stylus is in the idle mode, the stylus rejects detections by the touch sensor as user inputs.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Marshall Blake R
• NASIRI MAHALATI Reza
• Low Wing Kong
• Bentov Izhar
• Asoka Kumar Shenoi Ashwin Kumar
• Tsao Henry N
• Datta Supratik
• Zuber Wesley W
• Venugopal Nandita
• Jain Karan S

Classifications

• G06F3/0488

  using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures · CPC title

• G06F3/03545 Primary

  Pens or stylus · CPC title

• G06F2203/04107

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

• G06F3/0383

  Signal control means within the pointing device · CPC title

• G06F3/044 Primary

  by capacitive means · CPC title