US 6,556,190 B2 · Coordinate input stylus

Abstract

A stylus for use in a coordinate input system (e.g. digitizer tablet system) includes a finger wheel. The degree of rotation of the finger wheel by the user determines the extent to which a chosen graphical parameter (e.g. line thickness, color, shading, gray scale, etc.) is varied. Thus, a user can easily vary the graphical parameter while drawing by merely rotating the finger wheel about its fixed rotational axis. Preferably, rotation of the wheel causes an intermediate gear wheel with teeth thereon to rotate which in turn causes a potentiometer to detect the degree of rotation of the finger wheel. In alternative embodiments of this invention, a touchpad for inputting finger position and/or finger pressure information may be provided on the side of the stylus instead of the finger wheel.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A cordless digitizer stylus for cooperation with a digitizer tablet system for inputting coordinate information, the stylus comprising:

a substantially elongate housing;
an associated transmitting and receiving circuit for permitting cordless communication with the digitizer tablet system;
and
a touch sensitive area carried by said housing including a touch sensitive surface which detects the location of a finger in the touch sensitive area, and wherein the touch sensitive area has no moving parts exposed for manipulation by a user, and wherein the touch sensitive area enables the user to adjust a graphical or control parameter of an image being drawn by varying the user's finger position in the touch sensitive area.

1 more element

A digitizer stylus for use in a digitizer coordinate input system, the stylus comprising:

a housing;
a printed circuit board including at least one substantially flat surface disposed inside of said housing, said printed circuit board having at least one chip mounted thereon and said one flat surface of said printed circuit board defining a plane;
a button disposed on a side of the stylus, said button being pressable inward along a button axis toward a longitudinal axis of the stylus in order to cause the stylus to output data indicative of a change in status of said button, and wherein said button axis and said longitudinal axis of the stylus are substantially perpendicular to one another;
and
wherein said button axis is substantially parallel to said plane of said printed circuit board;
first and second parallel support members extending inward from an inner wall of said housing, and third and fourth parallel support members extending inward from an opposite inner wall of said housing, and wherein said first and third support members are substantially coplanar with one another and are spaced from one another, and wherein each of said first, second, third and fourth support members defines a respective plane that is substantially perpendicular to said plane of said printed circuit board;
and
wherein a stationary platform operatively associated with said button is supported by said first, second third and fourth support members, and wherein said stationery platform is located below said button along said button axis and is positioned between said first and second support members and also is positioned between said third and fourth support members.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Coordinate input stylus

Life of this patent

Coordinate input stylus

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims18