# US 12,223,125 B2 · Stylus and controller

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- Number: US 12,223,125 B2
- Document ID: US12223125B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/839,022
- Filed: 2022-06-13
- Published: 2022-09-29
- Granted: 2025-02-11
- Earliest claimed: 2016-10-06
- Assignees: Wacom Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Wacom Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Hideyuki Hara; Sadao Yamamoto; Shunya Saito
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12223125B2

## CPC

- G06F 3/03545: {Pens or stylus}
- G02F 1/13338: {Input devices, e.g. touch panels}
- G06F 3/0383: {Signal control means within the pointing device}
- G06F 3/0412: {Digitisers structurally integrated in a display}
- G06F 3/0414: {using force sensing means to determine a position}
- G06F 3/0416: {Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers}
- G06F 3/04162: {for exchanging data with external devices, e.g. smart pens, via the digitiser sensing hardware}
- G06F 3/04166: {Details of scanning methods, e.g. sampling time, grouping of sub areas or time sharing with display driving (Synchronisation with the driving of the display or the backlighting unit to avoid interferences generated internally G06F3/04184)}
- G06F 3/044: by capacitive means
- G06F 3/0441: {using active external devices, e.g. active pens, for receiving changes in electrical potential transmitted by the digitiser, e.g. tablet driving signals}
- G06F 3/0442: {using active external devices, e.g. active pens, for transmitting changes in electrical potential to be received by the digitiser}
- G06F 3/0446: {using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes}
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- G02F: OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS

## Abstract

A controller of an in-cell type liquid crystal display device is provided. The controller controls first and second electrodes that intersect each other, supplies a pixel driving voltage to the first electrodes during a pixel driving period, and detects a stylus position using the first and second electrodes during a stylus detection period different from the pixel driving period. The controller transmits, using the second electrodes, a command requesting a transmission of a downlink signal to the stylus. The controller detects, using the first and second electrodes, the downlink signal transmitted from the stylus in response to the command, and detects the stylus position based on the detected downlink signal.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for use with a sensor controller, wherein the sensor controller is coupled to an array of electrodes to perform a stylus detection operation, the method comprising:
prior to detecting a stylus, transmitting a command to the stylus a first number of times per one cycle via capacitive coupling formed between the array of electrodes and the stylus, wherein the command includes setting information to be used by the stylus to communicate with the sensor controller, and
after detecting the stylus, transmitting the command to the stylus a second number of times per one cycle via the capacitive coupling formed between the array of electrodes and the stylus, wherein the second number is less than the first number.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the cycle corresponds to a display operation cycle of a display device overlaid with the array of electrodes.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the setting information includes a communication protocol to be used by the stylus to communicate with the sensor controller.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the setting information includes type identification information that identifies a type of a display device overlaid with the array of electrodes.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein the type identification information indicates whether the stylus is to transmit a downlink signal in response to a defined synchronizing signal.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, comprising:
detecting the stylus by receiving a downlink signal transmitted from the stylus in response to one of the commands transmitted the first number of times per one cycle.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the command transmitted the second number of times per cycle indicates that the stylus has been detected.

### Claim 8

A sensor comprising:
an array of electrodes; and
a sensor controller coupled to the array of electrodes and configured to perform:
prior to detecting a stylus, transmitting a command to the stylus a first number of times per one cycle via capacitive coupling formed between the array of electrodes and the stylus, wherein the command includes setting information to be used by the stylus to communicate with the sensor controller, and
after detecting the stylus, transmitting the command to the stylus a second number of times per one cycle via the capacitive coupling formed between the array of electrodes and the stylus, wherein the second number is less than the first number.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The sensor of claim 8, wherein the cycle corresponds to a display operation cycle of a display device overlaid with the array of electrodes.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The sensor of claim 8, wherein the setting information includes a communication protocol to be used by the stylus to communicate with the sensor controller.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The sensor of claim 8, wherein the setting information includes type identification information that identifies a type of a display device overlaid with the array of electrodes.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The sensor of claim 11, wherein the type identification information indicates whether the stylus is to transmit a downlink signal in response to a defined synchronizing signal.

### Claim 13 (depends on 8)

The sensor of claim 8, wherein the sensor controller is configured to perform:
detecting the stylus by receiving a downlink signal transmitted from the stylus in response to one of the commands transmitted the first number of times per one cycle.

### Claim 14 (depends on 8)

The sensor of claim 8, wherein the command transmitted the second number of times per cycle indicates that the stylus has been detected.