# US 2021/0240325 A1 · Power efficient stylus for an electronic device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0240325 A1 - Document ID: US20210240325A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/262,741 - Filed: 2019-07-24 - Published: 2021-08-05 - Earliest claimed: 2018-07-24 - Assignees: Shapirten Laboratories LLC - Applicants: Shapirten Laboratories LLC - Inventors: John S. SMITH - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210240325A1 ## CPC - G06F 3/03546: {using a rotatable ball at the tip as position detecting member} - 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 3/044: 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) ## Abstract Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for enabling a power efficient stylus for an electronic device are provided. ## Claims ### Claim at position 1 -42. (canceled) ### Claim 43 A method for detecting an accessory on an input surface of an input component of an electronic device that comprises a matrix of a plurality of transmit electrodes and a plurality of receive electrodes, the method comprising: transmitting, in a transmit pattern according to a multi-stim matrix, a transmit signal on each transmit electrode of at least a subset of the plurality of transmit electrodes; sensing a receive signal on each receive electrode of at least a subset of the plurality of receive electrodes; extracting, from each sensed receive signal, data indicative of a non-linear aspect of the transmit signal; and estimating a position of the accessory on the input surface based on the extracted data. ### Claim 44 (depends on 43) The method of claim 43, wherein the non-linear aspect comprises a third harmonic. ### Claim 45 (depends on 43) The method of claim 43, wherein the non-linear aspect comprises a second harmonic. ### Claim 46 (depends on 45) The method of claim 45, wherein the transmit signal comprises a sinusoidal waveform. ### Claim 47 (depends on 45) The method of claim 45, wherein the transmit signal comprises a waveform with negligible second harmonic. ### Claim 48 (depends on 45) The method of claim 45, wherein the fundamental frequency of the transmit signal is 200 kHz. ### Claim 49 (depends on 43) The method of claim 43, wherein the non-linear aspect comprises non-linear distortion. ### Claim 50 (depends on 43) The method of claim 43, wherein the non-linear aspect comprises asymmetric distortion. ### Claim 51 (depends on 43) The method of claim 43, further comprising estimating an amount of force applied by the accessory on the input surface based on the extracted data. ### Claim 52 (depends on 43) The method of claim 43, further comprising: estimating an amount of force applied by the accessory on the input surface based on a phase angle between the extracted data and the transmit signal. ### Claim 53 (depends on 43) The method of claim 43, wherein the extracting comprises demodulating, from each sensed receive signal, data indicative of the non-linear aspect of the transmit signal. ### Claim 54 (depends on 43) The method of claim 43, wherein the estimating comprises comparing the extracted data to an output of a mathematical model. ### Claim 55 (depends on 43) The method of claim 43, further comprising: after the estimating, defining another subset of the plurality of transmit electrodes based on the estimated position; transmitting another transmit signal on each transmit electrode of the defined other subset of the plurality of transmit electrodes; sensing another receive signal on each receive electrode of at least another subset of the plurality of receive electrodes; extracting, from each other sensed receive signal, other data indicative of the non-linear aspect of the other transmit signal; and estimating another position of the accessory on the input surface based on the extracted other data. ### Claim 56 (depends on 43) The method of claim 43, further comprising: extracting, from each sensed receive signal, other data indicative of another non-linear aspect of the transmit signal; and estimating a position of another accessory on the input surface based on the extracted other data. ### Claim 57 An electronic device comprising: an input component comprising: an input surface; and a matrix underneath the input surface comprising: a plurality of transmit electrodes; and a plurality of receive electrodes; and processing circuitry configured to: transmit, according to a multi-stim matrix, a transmit signal on each transmit electrode of at least a subset of the plurality of transmit electrodes; sense a receive signal on each receive electrode of at least a subset of the plurality of receive electrodes; extract, from each sensed receive signal, data indicative of a non-linear aspect of the transmit signal; and estimate a position of an accessory on the input surface based on the extracted data. ### Claim 58 (depends on 57) The electronic device of claim 57, wherein the non-linear aspect is a second harmonic. ### Claim 59 An electronic device input component comprising: an input surface; a plurality of electrodes; and processing circuitry configured to: provide a transmit waveform on each electrode of at least a subset of the plurality of electrodes; detect a receive waveform on each electrode of at least another subset of the plurality of electrodes; extract, from each detected receive waveform, data indicative of asymmetric distortion of the transmit waveform; and determine a location of an accessory on the input surface based on the extracted data. ### Claim 60 (depends on 59) The electronic device of claim 59, wherein the asymmetric distortion comprises a second harmonic. ### Claim 61 (depends on 57) The electronic device of claim 57, wherein transmitting the transmit signal on each transmit electrode of at least the subset of the plurality of transmit electrodes comprises transmitting transmit signals, each with one of two alternated phases according to the multi-stim matrix, on transmit electrodes of at least the subset of the plurality of transmit electrodes. ### Claim 62 (depends on 57) The electronic device of claim 57, wherein the processing circuitry if further configured to compare the extracted data to output from a mathematical model, and wherein estimating the position of the accessory on the input surface is based on the comparison of the extracted data to the output from the mathematical model. ### Claim 63 (depends on 57) The electronic device of claim 57, wherein the processing circuitry is further: configured to: identify, using the extracted data, a best fit model output set from a plurality of model output sets generated by a model, wherein estimating the position of the accessory on the input surface is based on the identified best fit model output set. ### Claim at position 23 -68. (canceled) ### Claim 69 (depends on 43) The method of claim 43, wherein the multi-stim matrix comprises an invertible Hadamard matrix. ### Claim 70 (depends on 43) The method of claim 43, wherein the estimating comprises comparing the extracted data to an output of a mathematical model. ### Claim 71 (depends on 70) The method of claim 70, wherein the model is based on a circuit simulator model of the electronic device. ### Claim 72 (depends on 70) The method of claim 70, wherein the model is based on a physics model that physically diagrams the interaction between the accessory and the electronic device to calculate expected location of stylus to expected location of capacitance. ### Claim 73 (depends on 72) The method of claim 72, wherein the model is based on a circuit simulator model of the electronic device. ### Claim 74 (depends on 70) The method of claim 70, wherein the output of the mathematical model comprises a phase angle output. ### Claim 75 (depends on 43) The method of claim 43, further comprising estimating an amount of force applied by the accessory on the input surface based on a phase angle between the extracted data and the transmit signal. ### Claim 76 (depends on 75) The method of claim 75, wherein each estimating comprises comparing the extracted data to an output of a mathematical model. ### Claim 77 (depends on 43) The method of claim 43, wherein the transmit signal comprises a trapezoid shaped signal.