Computer stylus with antenna

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9766727-B2
Application number	US-201514792516-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 6, 2015
Priority date	Jul 6, 2015
Publication date	Sep 19, 2017
Grant date	Sep 19, 2017

Abstract

A computer stylus may have an elongated body with a tip and an opposing end having components such as a connector and an antenna. Metal structures for the antenna may be supported using a molded plastic support with metal traces or may be formed using flexible printed circuits or other structures. Metal and plastic tubes may be used in forming the body of the stylus. A metal tube may have an opening in which an antenna is mounted. A plastic tube may serve as an outer housing for the stylus and may cover the metal tube and the opening in which the antenna is mounted. A transmission line such as a cable may be coupled to an antenna feed. The cable may pass through an opening in the metal tube and may be covered using a strip of conductive foam.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer stylus, comprising:
an elongated body having a tip and an opposing end coupled by a shaft that extends along a longitudinal axis and that has a circumference;
an antenna that wraps around at least part of the circumference; and
a connector at the opposing end that has a plurality of contact pads, wherein the antenna is located between the connector and the tip, the shaft includes a metal tube that extends from the tip to the antenna, and the shaft includes a plastic outer tube that covers the antenna and that extends from the tip to the opposing end.

2. The computer stylus defined in claim 1 wherein the antenna comprises a flexible printed circuit wrapped around a plastic tube.

3. The computer stylus defined in claim 1 wherein the antenna comprises a metal antenna resonating element trace on a plastic support structure.

4. The computer stylus defined in claim 3 further comprising a metal tube that forms at least part of the shaft.

5. The computer stylus defined in claim 4 wherein the antenna has a metal trace that is shorted to the metal tube by conductive adhesive.

6. The computer stylus defined in claim 5 further comprising a coaxial cable, wherein the metal tube has an opening through which the coaxial cable passes.

7. The computer stylus defined in claim 6 wherein the antenna has a feed and wherein the coaxial cable is coupled to the feed.

8. The computer stylus defined in claim 7 further comprising a strip of conductive foam that covers at least part of the coaxial cable.

9. The computer stylus defined in claim 1 wherein the antenna comprises a ring antenna having a metal antenna resonating element that wraps entirely around the circumference.

10. A computer stylus, comprising:
an elongated body having a tip and an opposing end coupled by a shaft that extends along a longitudinal axis; and
an antenna at the opposing end that is formed from metal traces on a dome-shaped plastic support.

11. The computer stylus defined in claim 10 wherein the antenna includes a magnet.

12. The computer stylus defined in claim 11 wherein the antenna comprises an inverted-F antenna.

13. The computer stylus defined in claim 12 wherein the antenna comprises an antenna ground trace and an antenna resonating element trace coupled by a return path trace.

14. The computer stylus defined in claim 13 wherein the antenna resonating element trace is electrically coupled to the magnet and antenna currents pass through the magnet.

15. The computer stylus defined in claim 14 further comprising:
an antenna feed coupled to the antenna resonating element trace and the antenna ground trace; and
a metal tube that forms at least part of the shaft, wherein the metal tube is shorted to the antenna ground trace.

16. The computer stylus defined in claim 15 further comprising a screw that is shorted to the antenna ground trace and a coaxial cable that is coupled to the antenna feed.

17. The computer stylus defined in claim 10 , wherein the antenna comprises an antenna ground trace and an antenna resonating element trace coupled by a return path trace.

18. A computer stylus, comprising:
an elongated body having a tip and an opposing end coupled by a shaft that extends along a longitudinal axis and that has a circumference;
a connector at the opposing end that has a plurality of connector contact pads;
electrical components in the shaft that are coupled to the connector by a signal path; and
an antenna in the shaft between the electrical components and the connector, wherein the shaft includes a metal tube with an opening in which the antenna is mounted and includes a plastic outer tube that covers the metal tube and that covers the antenna in the opening.

19. The computer stylus defined in claim 18 wherein the antenna comprises an inverted-F antenna having a resonating element arm, a ground that is coupled to the metal tube by conductive adhesive, and a return path that extends between the resonating element arm and the ground.

20. The computer stylus defined in claim 19 wherein the antenna comprises a feed, the computer stylus further comprising a coaxial cable coupled to the feed.

21. The computer stylus defined in claim 20 wherein the metal tube has an additional opening and wherein the coaxial cable passes through the additional opening.

22. The computer stylus defined in claim 21 further comprising a strip of conductive foam that covers at least some of the coaxial cable.

23. The computer stylus defined in claim 22 further comprising a removable cap that covers the connector.

24. The computer stylus defined in claim 23 further comprising an inner plastic tube that supports the antenna in the opening, wherein the antenna comprises metal traces on the inner plastic tube.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Jiang Yi
• Huang Huan-Chu
• Pascolini Mattia
• Li Qingxiang

Classifications

• G06F3/03545 Primary

  Pens or stylus · CPC title

• G06F3/033

  Pointing devices displaced or positioned by the user {, e.g. mice, trackballs, pens or joysticks}; Accessories therefor (digitisers characterised by the transducing means G06F3/041) · CPC title