US 2017/0364167 A1 · AUTONOMOUS HAPTIC STYLUS

Abstract

An autonomous haptic stylus provides tactile feedback to a user writing or drawing on a smooth, uniform, touch-sensitive, glass display screen of a tablet, laptop computer, credit card point of sale device, or other device allowing a user to write or draw thereon. The stylus has an electrostatic detection sensor or a force/pressure sensor, which allows the stylus to detect certain characteristics of the display screen and to autonomously determine the position and/or velocity of the stylus on the display screen based on those characteristics. The position and/or velocity can be used to tailor the tactile feedback to the user. A display screen digitizer that provides driving signals for the row and column electrodes of a touch-sensitive display screen can be modified to transmit row and column information over the electrodes to allow a stylus to determine its position.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A stylus for use with a display screen which is touch-sensitive, the stylus comprising:

a sensor to provide a sensor signal, the sensor being at an end of the stylus which is adapted to be placed into contact with the display screen;
an actuator, within the stylus and responsive to a control signal, to vibrate the stylus;
a memory, within the stylus, containing operating instructions;
a processor, within the stylus and connected to the memory, to execute the operating instructions, to:
receive the sensor signal;
process the sensor signal to determine a velocity of the stylus across the display screen;
and
provide the control signal based upon the velocity;
and
a power supply, within the stylus, to provide operating power to at least the processor.

7 more elements

A display screen digitizer for a display screen which is touch-sensitive, the display screen comprising a plurality of row electrodes and a plurality of column electrodes, the display screen digitizer comprising:

a transmitter to provide a first signal;
a modulator to modulate the first signal;
a receiver responsive to a second signal to provide a touch detection signal;
a multiplexer/demultiplexer to operate in a first mode to provide the first signal from the transmitter to a row electrode and provide the second signal from a column electrode to the receiver, or to operate in a second mode to provide the first signal from the transmitter to a column electrode and provide the second signal from a row electrode to the receiver;
and
a controller to selectably cause the multiplexer/demultiplexer to operate in the first mode or the second mode, to selectably cause the modulator to modulate the first signal, and responsive to the touch detection signal to identify a location on the display screen where a stylus is touching the display screen.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Autonomous haptic stylus

Life of this patent

Autonomous haptic stylus

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20