# US 2017/0255282 A1 · Soft touch detection of a stylus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2017/0255282 A1 - Document ID: US20170255282A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/062,127 - Filed: 2016-03-06 - Published: 2017-09-07 - Earliest claimed: 2016-03-06 - Assignees: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC - Applicants: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC - Inventors: Amil WINEBRAND; Michael ORLOVSKY; Dmitry BIRENBERG - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170255282A1 ## CPC - G06F 3/03545: {Pens or stylus} - 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 3/041661: {using detection at multiple resolutions, e.g. coarse and fine scanning; using detection within a limited area, e.g. object tracking window} - 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 2203/04104: Multi-touch detection in digitiser, i.e. details about the simultaneous detection of a plurality of touching locations, e.g. multiple fingers or pen and finger - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract A method includes detecting a signal emitted by a stylus with a digitizer sensor, determining coordinates of the stylus, identifying a hover operational mode based on input received by the stylus, detecting a capacitive effect of a tip of the stylus on the digitizer sensor and reporting a touch operational mode of the stylus based on the capacitive effect detected. The capacitive effect of the tip of the stylus on the digitizer sensor is based on mutual capacitive detection and is performed in a defined area around the coordinates determined. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: detecting a signal emitted by a stylus with a digitizer sensor; determining coordinates of the stylus based on detecting the signal emitted; determining that the stylus is identifying a hover operational mode; detecting a capacitive effect of a tip of the stylus on the digitizer sensor based on mutual capacitive detection, wherein the detecting is performed in a defined area around the coordinates determined; and reporting a touch operational mode of the stylus based on the capacitive effect. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the hover operational mode is identified based on output from a sensor embedded in the stylus. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the hover operation mode of the stylus is based on the stylus sensing less than 15 gm force on the tip. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, comprising detecting a touch operational mode with 0 to 15 gm force on the tip of the stylus based on the capacitive effect detected. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, comprising: detecting a second signal emitted by the stylus, wherein the second signal includes pressure information; identifying a touch operational mode of the stylus based on the pressure information; and reporting a touch operational mode of the stylus at the coordinates determined based on identifying the touch operational mode. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, comprising disabling the mutual capacitive detection of the tip based on the pressure information indicating the touch operational mode. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the second signal is detected by the digitizer sensor or a wireless communication module associated with a host computing device. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein an application running on a host computing device selectively enables identifying the touch operation mode based on mutual capacitive detection of the tip. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, comprising: detecting a heat map at least in the defined area, wherein the heat map maps output at each junction included in at least the defined area; applying a maximum likelihood cost criteria to determine probability that the capacitive effect can be detected in the defined area, wherein the maximum likelihood cost criteria is based on a pre-defined response function relating output from a junction of the digitizer sensor to location of the tip from that junction; detecting the capacitive effect based on the probability being above a defined threshold. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the capacitive effect of the tip is only performed in the defined area. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, comprising inking based on reporting the touch operational mode of the stylus. ### Claim 12 A device comprising: a display; a digitizer sensor associated with a sensing surface; a circuit associated with the digitizer sensor and configured to: detect a signal emitted by a stylus with the digitizer sensor; determine coordinates of the stylus based on detecting the signal emitted; determine that the stylus is identifying a hover operational mode; detect a capacitive effect of a tip of the stylus on the digitizer sensor based on mutual capacitive detection, wherein the detecting is performed in a defined area around the coordinates determined; and report a touch operational mode of the stylus based on the capacitive effect; and a controller configured to display ink on the display based on the report of the touch operational mode. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The device of claim 12, wherein identifying the hover operational mode is identified based on output from a sensor embedded in the stylus. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The device of claim 12, wherein the circuit is configured to detect a touch operational mode with 0 to 15 gm force on the tip of the stylus based on the capacitive effect detected. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The device of claim 12, wherein the circuit is configured to configured to: detect a second signal emitted by the stylus, wherein the second signal includes pressure information; identify a touch operational mode of the stylus based on the pressure information; and report a touch operational mode of the stylus at the coordinates determined based on identifying the touch operational mode. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The device of claim 15, wherein the circuit is configured to disable the mutual capacitive detection of the tip based on the pressure information indicating the touch operational mode. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The device of claim 15, comprising wireless communication module, wherein the second signal is detected by the wireless communication module. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) The device of claim 12, wherein the circuit is configured to: detect a heat map at least in the defined area, wherein the heat map maps output at each junction included in at least the defined area; apply a maximum likelihood cost criteria to determine probability that the capacitive effect can be detected in the defined area, wherein the maximum likelihood cost criteria is based on a pre-defined response function relating output from a junction of the digitizer sensor to location of the tip from that junction; and detect the capacitive effect based on the probability being above a defined threshold. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The device of claim 18, wherein the circuit is configured to report a hover operational mode of the stylus at the coordinates determined based on the probability being below the defined threshold. ### Claim 20 A method comprising: detecting a signal emitted by a stylus with a digitizer sensor; determining coordinates of the stylus based on detecting the signal emitted; determining that the stylus is identifying a hover operational mode; detecting a capacitive effect of a tip of the stylus on the digitizer sensor based on mutual capacitive detection, wherein the detecting is performed in a defined area around the coordinates determined; reporting a touch operational mode of the stylus based on the capacitive effect; detecting a second signal emitted by the stylus; determining that the stylus is identifying a touch operational mode; disabling detecting of the capacitive effect of the tip based on determining that the stylus is identifying a touch operational mode; and reporting a touch operational mode of the stylus.