Stylus Patents (Class 345/179)
  • Patent number: 9772697
    Abstract: A device includes a tip, a sensor, memory and a circuit. The tip is sensitive to contact pressure. The sensor detects the contact pressure. Memory stores at least one pre-defined first threshold and a pre-defined second threshold on the contact pressure. The first threshold defines tip state as one of a pen-up and a pen-down. Pressures below the first threshold defines pen-up and pressures above the first threshold define pen-down. The second threshold is below the first threshold. The circuit transmits in a hover transmission mode based on detecting pressures below the second threshold, switches to an writing transmission mode based on detecting a pressure at or above the second threshold and terminates the writing transmission mode based on detecting the pen-up status for a first pre-defined period. The writing transmission mode frame rate is higher than a hover transmission mode frame rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Arie Gur, Amir Zyskind, Ilan Geller
  • Patent number: 9766727
    Abstract: A computer stylus may have an elongated body with a tip and an opposing end having components such as a connector and an antenna. Metal structures for the antenna may be supported using a molded plastic support with metal traces or may be formed using flexible printed circuits or other structures. Metal and plastic tubes may be used in forming the body of the stylus. A metal tube may have an opening in which an antenna is mounted. A plastic tube may serve as an outer housing for the stylus and may cover the metal tube and the opening in which the antenna is mounted. A transmission line such as a cable may be coupled to an antenna feed. The cable may pass through an opening in the metal tube and may be covered using a strip of conductive foam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Yi Jiang, Huan-Chu Huang, Mattia Pascolini, Qingxiang Li
  • Patent number: 9769342
    Abstract: Provided is an electric apparatus including a reception unit (for example, hardware key) for receiving an instruction relating to functions of the electric apparatus and having operation states of a power conserving state in which power required for performing the functions thereof is limited and a normal state in which the power is not limited, wherein the reception unit may receive an instruction indicating a return to the normal state in the power conserving state and receive an instruction which is to be originally received in the normal state. When the reception unit receives the instruction, signals at different levels are output depending on the operation state and based on the signal to be output, a return signal relating to the return to the normal state or an execution signal relating to the execution of a function corresponding to the instruction received by the receiving signal is output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tatsuaki Amemura
  • Patent number: 9766726
    Abstract: A portable device including a stylus unit, which is an input means for the portable device; a housing unit configured to accommodate the stylus unit; a sensor unit configured to sense a pulled out length of the stylus unit from the housing unit and a rotation angle of the stylus unit; and a processor configured to display a menu interface corresponding to the pulled out length of the stylus unit when the stylus unit is pulled out from the housing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Kunwoo Lee, Jin Kim, Jihoon Hong
  • Patent number: 9753584
    Abstract: A combination touch and transducer input system is provided, which facilitates user input into an electronic system with a finger and/or a transducer (e.g., a stylus). The system includes a transducer configured to generate an electric field, and a sensor including an array of electrodes and a controller. The transducer is configured to transmit digital data, such as pen pressure data and switch status data, to the sensor. For example, the transducer comprises electronic circuitry configured to encode the digital data in a signal for transmission to the sensor. The sensor controller is configured to operate both in a touch sensing mode and in a transducer sensing mode. During the touch sensing mode, the controller determines a position of a proximate object (e.g., a finger) by capacitively sensing the object with the array of electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: Wacom Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Oliver P. King-Smith, Bernardus H. Smit, Peyman Hadizad
  • Patent number: 9746934
    Abstract: Multi-dimensional gesture input to a computing device can be improved by providing a mechanism to lock or reduce the effects of motion in unintended directions. In one example, a user can navigate in two dimensions, then provide a selection action through motion in a third dimension. If a computing device analyzing the gesture is able to detect the selection action, the device can limit motion outside the corresponding third dimension in order to ensure that the proper selection action is performed. Various thresholds, values, or motions can be used to limit motion in one or more axes for any appropriate purpose as discussed herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: AMAZON TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Douglas Matthew Booms, Parag K. Garg, Jonathan D. Morrison
  • Patent number: 9746939
    Abstract: A mobile terminal including a projector configured to project image information; a capturing unit configured to recognize a writing motion on a paper medium and a writing of a specific symbol in an area selected by the writing motion; and a controller configured to execute a control command for the specific symbol in the selected area if the specific symbol matches a preset symbol, and control the projector to project image information corresponding to a result of the execution of the control command on the area with the written specific symbol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Sungmin Baek, Soungmin Im
  • Patent number: 9748322
    Abstract: There is provided a flexible display having a plurality of innovations configured to allow bending of a portion or portions to reduce apparent border size and/or utilize the side surface of an assembled flexible display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yunho Ki, SieHyug Choi, YoungMin Yu, Sungwoo Kim, YoonDong Cho, SeYeoul Kwon
  • Patent number: 9746944
    Abstract: A method includes generating a first signal type and a second signal type in a handheld device and transmitting both the first signal type and the second signal type in a transmission cycle of the handheld device. The first signal type and the second signal type are different in at least one of frequency or modulation and are defined to include a same information related to the handheld device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Arie Gur, Amir Zyskind, Ilan Geller
  • Patent number: 9740311
    Abstract: A stylus may include an electrode that is positioned on the body of the stylus. The stylus may further include a switch. Furthermore, the switch may be used to provide a capacitance that is coupled to the electrode positioned on the body of the stylus to decrease a resistance to an electrical current through the stylus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: Wacom Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ruslan Omelchuk, Mykhaylo Krekhovetskyy
  • Patent number: 9733700
    Abstract: A ring-type terminal including a main body having a finger insertion space; a wheel surrounding the main body and being movable and rotatable on the main body; a touchscreen; and a controller configured to sense a rotated position of the wheel on the main body, display control graphic images on the touchscreen for controlling a function in response to the rotated position of the wheel being at a first position on the main body, receive a gesture input corresponding to a touch input on the touch screen or a moving of a finger wearing the ring-type terminal, in response to the rotated position of the wheel being at a second position on the main body, and deactivate the touchscreen in response to the rotated position of the wheel being at a third position on the main body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Heewook Song, Dawoon Park
  • Patent number: 9727535
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method and system for authoring a presentation with electronic ink data. Specifically, embodiments disclosed herein provide for receiving touch input and identifying type object(s) of presentation data that correspond to the received touch input. A layout may then be identified, in certain embodiments, corresponding to the touch input. A presentation is then generated based on the received touch input, identified type objects, and identified layout. The presentation data is then displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Christopher Maloney, Onur Onder
  • Patent number: 9720592
    Abstract: In gesture reporting and replay, touch events are captured from an operating system of a client device for touch actions on a touchscreen. The touch events are interpreted as gestures. Any application events are captured from an application in response to the gestures. A given gesture and any given application event in response to the given gesture are compared against an expected application event. When there is a match, the given gesture is identified as a responsive gesture. When there is no match, the given gesture is identified as a non-responsive gesture. The gesture information for the given gesture, any application event in response to the given gesture, and a screen layout displayed on the touchscreen at the time of the given gesture are sent to a service. For the information received, the service replays the given gesture and generates a report.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Omar Hernandez, Vikas Madan, Sophia A. Simpson, Sukhbir Singh
  • Patent number: 9715273
    Abstract: A method to transition focus of a display corresponding to an object's motion tracked by a video camera or like device is disclosed. In one implementation, the display shows one or more windows or user interfaces on the display. The object's motion can be used to select one of the windows or user interfaces on the display and manipulate content presented in the window or user interface. In another implementations, the object's motion can manipulate a three-dimensional graphical icon in a three-dimensional display environment, for example, by rotating it. In another implementation, the method further tracks motion of a second object and shifts focus of the display corresponding to the motion of the second object. In another implementation, a second display may be added to mirror the focus transition corresponding to the object's motion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2017
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventor: Kevin H. Quennesson
  • Patent number: 9703401
    Abstract: A portable electronic device uses a miniaturization rechargeable capacitive stylus including a pen-shaped metal casing structure, a support structure, a circuit substrate, a sensor module, a pen head structure, an electrical connector structure, and a power supply component. The pen-shaped metal casing structure has a retaining convex portion. The electrical connector structure includes a carrier substrate positioned on the support structure and an electrical connector disposed on the carrier substrate, and the electrical connector has an electrical connection portion exposed from the pen-shaped metal casing structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: WALTOP INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yi-Chih Chang
  • Patent number: 9704446
    Abstract: An object is to reduce power consumption of a display device and to suppress deterioration of display quality. As a transistor provided for each pixel, a transistor including an oxide semiconductor layer is used. Note that off-state current of the transistor can be decreased when the oxide semiconductor layer is highly purified. Therefore, variation in the value of a data signal due to the off-state current of the transistor can be suppressed. That is, display deterioration (change) which occurs when writing frequency of the data signal to the pixel including the transistor is reduced (when a break period is lengthened) can be suppressed. In addition, flickers in display which generates when the frequency of an alternating-current driving signal supplied to a signal line in the break period is reduced can be suppressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Jun Koyama
  • Patent number: 9696882
    Abstract: An operation processing method and an operation processing device applied in an electronic apparatus include a display unit in which a first interactive interface having a first size is displayed. The method includes displaying a second interactive interface having a second size which is different from the first size and having a mapping relation with the first interactive interface in the display unit, detecting a first action executed by the user in the second interactive interface; and executing a first operation in the first interactive interface according to the first action. Thus, the first interactive interface can be mapped into the second interactive interface and the first operation that the user expects to execute in the first interactive interface can be implemented by the first action executed in the second interactive interface, so that the user can conveniently operate the electronic apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: LENOVO (BEIJING) CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Manjun Xiao, Xiaohui Xie, Zhigang Li, Rui Lu, Zhiwei Zeng
  • Patent number: 9684389
    Abstract: An apparatus, method, and computer program product are described that can receive a signal from a tangible object, where the signal includes an indication of an operation to be executed upon receipt of a user input applied by the tangible object, and that can determine the operation based on the indication. In this way, the user is not required to provide additional user input to define the particular operation that is desired. The apparatus may determine at least one recipient with whom data selected via a user input applied by the tangible object may be shared. The apparatus may further provide for the determination of an operation to be executed based on an identification of a selection of content and may provide for the association of the operation with the tangible object, such that subsequent user input applied via the tangible object causes execution of the operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy
    Inventors: David Dearman, Hiroshi Horii, Vivek Shrivastava
  • Patent number: 9684443
    Abstract: In response to receiving a first user action in relation to an object displayed on the rendered display, a collar is displayed on the rendered display around the object. The collar and the object can be made translucent. The collar can have the same shape as the object, but can be larger in size than the object. In response to receiving a second user action in relation to the collar, the object and the collar are moved on the rendered display in correspondence with the second user action, without finalizing a current location of the object on the rendered display after the second user action has been completed. In response to receiving a third user action, the current location of the object is finalized on the rendered display and the collar is removed from around the object on the rendered display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: David B. Lection, Mark E. Molander
  • Patent number: 9678584
    Abstract: Devices are described herein that include an electrode having a thickness to, among other things, facilitate tracking. For example, the thickness of an electrode that is included in a device may be configured to cause a midpoint of a projection of the electrode on a sensor matrix to track a point on the device (or on a portion thereof, such as the electrode) that is closest to the sensor matrix. In another example, the thickness may be configured to cause a location of the electrode that is detected by the sensor matrix to track a point on the device (or on a portion thereof, such as the electrode) that is closest to the sensor matrix.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventor: Justin A. Coppin
  • Patent number: 9671880
    Abstract: Provided is a display control device including a display control unit that performs control for displaying, on a screen, a pointer having a directed position a predetermined distance away from a position on the screen corresponding to an operation position of an operating object, depending on a variation in a position of the operating object detected in an operation area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Ikuo Yamano, Takuro Noda, Tomoya Narita, Hiroyuki Mizunuma, Kazuyuki Yamamoto, Takuo Ikeda
  • Patent number: 9665184
    Abstract: A position detector includes a position pointer having an AC signal generation circuit that is disposed in a housing and that transmits an AC signal, and a sensor that receives the AC signal. The position detector detects the position pointed to by the position pointer on the sensor. The position pointer includes at least three electrodes electrically isolated from each other, and a control circuit that controls so that the AC signal is selectively supplied to the electrodes, and so that identification information identifying the electrode to which the AC signal is selectively supplied is generated and transmitted to the sensor. The position detector further includes a position detection circuit that detects the position based on the AC signal, and an angular information calculation circuit that calculates the rotation angle and/or the tilt angle of the position pointer based on the AC signal and the identification information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: Wacom Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hideyuki Hara
  • Patent number: 9658720
    Abstract: A system comprising a sensing device and a capacitive sense array configured to detect a presence of a passive touch object and a stylus where the capacitive sense array receives a transmit signal from the stylus via capacitive coupling. The system further comprising a processing device configured to determine the stylus location on the capacitive sense array based on the transmit signal and to synchronize the stylus to the capacitive sense array. A system further comprises a demodulation block to extract additional data that is modulated into the transmit signal by the stylus. The demodulation block is configured to extract the additional data by amplitude shift keying. The additional data comprises at least one of an applied force value of the stylus tip, a button status data, a battery status data, or a stylus acceleration data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: PARADE TECHNOLOGIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Viktor Kremin, Roman Ogirko, Oleksandr Pirogov, Andriy Ryshtun, Darrin Vallis
  • Patent number: 9660477
    Abstract: Devices, methods, and systems for charging input devices. A charging unit includes a sleeve for receiving a stylus and a base. The charging unit receives electrical power from an external power source via an interface and transfers the power to the stylus via a connection between the base's charging contacts and conductive charging zones on a portion of the input device in the base. A method detects insertion of a stylus into a charging unit having an internal battery and an interface capable of receiving power from an external power source. The method determines if the unit is connected to a power source. If so, the stylus is charged by transferring the received energy via a connection between the unit's charging contacts and conductive charging zones of the stylus. If energy is not being received from the external power source, the method charges the stylus using the unit's internal battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated
    Inventors: Geoffrey Dowd, Sang Ik Lee
  • Patent number: 9658685
    Abstract: A three-dimensional input device, which comprises two optical measuring means as set at a predetermined interval from each other, and for measuring a three-dimensional position of an object to be measured at a real time based on a direction of an object to be measured as obtained individually by the two optical measuring means and the predetermined interval and also has a three-dimensional position detecting device which is capable of being mounted on a human body, and a control unit, wherein the control unit generates input information based on change and mode of change of three-dimensional position of the object to be measured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha TOPCON
    Inventors: Kazuki Osaragi, Fumio Ohtomo, Masayuki Momiuchi
  • Patent number: 9658458
    Abstract: Aspects of the present invention relate to methods and systems for a head-worn computer with a content display where the head-worn computer can be changed from an augmented reality system where there is relatively high see-through transmission through the display to a virtual reality system where there is no or relatively little see-through transmission through the display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: Osterhout Group, Inc.
    Inventor: Ralph F. Osterhout
  • Patent number: 9652058
    Abstract: A method may be executed by one or more active capacitive styluses and a sensor controller connected to sensor electrodes. The method includes: a discovery step, executed by the sensor controller, of repeatedly sending out a discovery packet for detecting any of the active capacitive styluses; a discovery response step, executed by a first active capacitive stylus among the one or more active capacitive styluses, by which the discovery packet is detected, of returning a response packet to the discovery packet; a configuration step, executed by the sensor controller, of transmitting a configuration packet including time slot designation information that designates a first time slot to the first active capacitive stylus; and a data transmission step, executed by the first active capacitive stylus, of transmitting operation state data indicative of an operation state of the first active capacitive stylus using the designated first time slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: Wacom Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Naoki Watanabe
  • Patent number: 9652448
    Abstract: Methods and electronic devices are provided for processing prediction candidates in connection with virtual keyboards and touch-sensitive displays. A display area of the touch-sensitive displays a virtual keyboard. Within the virtual keyboard is a plurality of keys, each of at least some of the keys corresponding to one or more different characters of a plurality of characters. The methods and devices may detect a selection of one or more of the keys. The methods and devices may generate one or more sets of characters based on the one or more characters corresponding to the selected key. The methods and devices may display the sets of characters within or substantially within the virtual keyboard. The methods and devices may detect a gesture associated with one of the displayed sets of characters, and, in response to detecting the gesture, remove the one of the displayed sets of characters from the virtual keyboard.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Jerome Pasquero, Gil Pinheiro, Donald Somerset McKenzie
  • Patent number: 9639208
    Abstract: A touch panel system (1) includes a touch panel (3) and a touch position detecting section (5) for detecting a touch position on the touch panel (3). The touch position detecting section (5) includes a touch start determining section (56) for (i) setting a determining region based on a touch start position candidate which is a touch position that has been detected relatively earliest and (ii) determining that touches have been started from the touch start position candidate in a case where the touches whose starting point is at the touch start position candidate have been successively detected within the determining region a predetermined number of times or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Manabu Yumoto, Shunsuke Nagasawa, Masayuki Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 9639744
    Abstract: The invention provides a robust method to control interactive media using gestures. A method to retrieve metadata information from a multimedia outlet device, wherein the method follows the steps: (1) extracting image hot spot areas in a current captured image using face detection, (2) detecting a human gesture directive in at least one image hot spot area using gesture recognition, (3) determining if the gesture directive matches a pre-assigned command to a rich interaction module, (4) sending a signal to a rich interaction module corresponding to the pre-assigned command detected, (5) extracting a media image hot spot area from electrical signals sent from the multimedia, (6) matching any detected human gestures in at least one image hot spot area using gesture recognition with a specific pixel on a device screen, and (7) retrieving information from metadata assigned to an area of pixels on the screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: THOMSON LICENSING
    Inventors: Ruiduo Yang, Ying Luo, Tao Zhang
  • Patent number: 9639179
    Abstract: An input device for computing devices that include touch screens. The input device includes an outer housing having an inner surface and an inner shaft. The inner shaft is at least partially received within the outer housing. A nib is operatively coupled to the inner shaft. Providing a first force to the nib causes the inner shaft to contact the inner surface of the outer housing at a first contact point along the outer housing, and providing a second force to the nib causes the inner shaft to contact the inner surface of the outer housing at a second contact point along the outer housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Joel S. Armstrong-Muntner
  • Patent number: 9639178
    Abstract: An optical stylus and host computing system is provided, as are methods related to the operation thereof. In particular, in an example embodiment, a method of operating the optical stylus is provided that includes determining when the optical stylus is in contact with a surface based on signals received by a processor from a pressure sensor of the optical stylus and capturing an image while the optical stylus is in contact with the surface using a camera of the optical stylus. The captured image is then transmitted to a host system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: David Amm, David I. Simon, Omar Sze Leung
  • Patent number: 9632600
    Abstract: Example embodiments relate to stylus. For example, a stylus includes a pressure sensor and a sensor holder in contact with the pressure sensor. The stylus also includes a first spring having a distal end and a proximal end. The distal end is in contact with the sensor holder. The stylus further includes a spring holder in contact with the proximal end. The stylus further includes a second spring in contact with the sensor holder to apply a preloading force to the pressure sensor. The entirety of the spring holder and a portion of the first spring are positioned within the second spring. The stylus further includes a tip portion in contact with the spring holder to compress the first spring in response to a compressing force applied to the tip portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Shan-Chih Chen, Wei Jen Chen
  • Patent number: 9632598
    Abstract: A stylus device is disclosed that is adapted to change its operating frequency to accommodate for a changing noise environment. In an aspect, the stylus may communicate with a computing device using a first frequency. However, when a different frequency having a better signal to noise ration than the first frequency is available, the computing device may send a message to the stylus device to switch to a second frequency. For example, the stylus device may receive a message from the computing device including an indication to communicate with the computing device on the second frequency. The stylus device may configure itself to operate at the second frequency and communicate with the computing device using the second frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: AMAZON TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventor: Kishore Sundara-Rajan
  • Patent number: 9626101
    Abstract: In an input device for inputting characters on a user interface by handwriting, the movement of an input unit, in particular a finger of a user, is detected and converted to an input pattern corresponding to the detected movement. The input pattern is compared with stored characters of a character set, and if the input pattern sufficiently matches one of the stored characters, the character is selected. During the input, the user receives acoustic feedback about the input process, such that the acoustic feedback signal is output in a constant manner outside a defined edge area of the user interface and is output in an incremental or continuous manner at a decreasing distance from the edge in a defined edge area of the user interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Nhu Nguyen Thien, Bernhard Schild
  • Patent number: 9626010
    Abstract: A touch pen is provided, which includes a case; a tip that is inserted to protrude from one end of the case; and a button that allows an acoustic absorbent to contact with or be detached from a portion of the tip for adjusting a natural frequency of the tip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd
    Inventor: Sungjin Yoon
  • Patent number: 9619056
    Abstract: Certain aspects of the present disclosure relate to a technique for determining a valid touch event on a touch sensitive device. At least two touch events are received from a touch interface. The at least two touch events are combined if a time difference between each of the at least two touch events is less than a time threshold and a proximity between each of the at least two touch events is less than a proximity threshold. A valid touch event is determined if a combined pressure indicator of a combined touch event is greater than a pressure threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: Open Invention Network LLC
    Inventors: Farid Khafizov, Margarita Khafizova
  • Patent number: 9614671
    Abstract: A user inputs a pattern consisting of a plurality of lines. The lines are classified by relative length, overall direction and degree of curvature. Where a line is started from a new position, the direction from the previous starting point is taken into account. The series of lines is then serialized into a key value, which may then be used to decrypt data stored on a device. This enables data to be securely stored since the key is supplied by the user at runtime and is not itself stored on the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: BARCLAYS BANK PLC
    Inventors: Andrew Whaley, George French, Jeremy Goldstone, Ian Sayers
  • Patent number: 9612670
    Abstract: A system and method for implementing an efficient and easy to user interface for a touch screen device. A cursor may be placed by a user using simple inputs. The device operates places the cursor coarsely and refines the cursor placement upon further input from the user. Text may be selected using a gripper associated with the cursor. The user interface allows text selection without occluding the text being selected with the user's finger or the gripper. For selecting text in a multi-line block of text, a dynamic safety zone is implemented to simplify text selection for the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Jeffrey J. Weir, Jennifer L. Anderson, Jennifer Wolfe, Gerrit H. Hofmeester, Jan-Kristian Markiewicz, Andrew R. Brauninger, Stuart J. Stuple, David Earl Washington, Matthew J. Kotler, Ryan Demopoulos, Amish Patel
  • Patent number: 9600088
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of displaying a pointer on an external device sharing an output video with a terminal, and an apparatus thereof. A method of controlling display of a pointer by a terminal so that the pointer is displayed on an external device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes transmitting an output video of the terminal to the external device, if a predetermined request exists; detecting a sensing value according to a input performed on a display area; generating a pointer displaying signal used for displaying a pointer at a position corresponding to a position where the detected sensing value is detected on the external device based on the detected sensing value; and transmitting the generated pointer displaying signal to the external device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jun-Hui Lee, Jin-Man Kim
  • Patent number: 9600095
    Abstract: A position indicator includes a columnar magnetic core provided within a cylindrical casing with an axial direction of the casing as a direction of a central axis of the magnetic core. A coil is wound so as to have the central axis of the columnar magnetic core as a center. A core body is provided so as to have a tip portion exposed to an outside from an opening formed on one end side in the axial direction of the cylindrical casing. The magnetic core has a flat cross-sectional shape, and has a tapered portion formed on a side of the tip portion of the core body in the direction of the central axis of the magnetic core, the tapered portion being tapered off toward the tip portion of the core body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Wacom Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshihiko Horie, Ryoji Kamiyama
  • Patent number: 9601042
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a low-power driving control method of light sensing touch panel, which comprises the following steps: measuring the ambient light field intensity of the light sensing touch panel, and outputting a light field signal; outputting an amplification signal adapting to a touch signal according to the intensity of the light field signal; amplifying the touch signal according to the amplification signal, and driving the light sensing touch panel. The present invention further discloses a light sensing touch panel. The light sensing touch panel and the low-power driving control method thereof according to the present invention can reduce the power consumption of the touch panel without affecting the touch sensitivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Shenzhen China Star Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd
    Inventor: Xiangyang Xu
  • Patent number: 9600093
    Abstract: A touch sensing system includes a pen including a resonant circuit embedded therein, XY electrodes including X electrodes and Y electrodes perpendicular to the X electrodes, an antenna surrounding the XY electrodes, and a first touch driving circuit which transmits a resonant inductive signal to the pen through electric coupling and to receive a resonance signal from the pen through the antenna.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: LG DISPLAY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Dongjo Park, Sojung Jung
  • Patent number: 9594441
    Abstract: A stylus includes a casing comprising an opening, a push rod disposed in the casing, a pen head fixed on an end of the push rod, a reflector coupled to the push rod, and a linkage mechanism disposed in the casing. At least a part of the pen head is exposed of the casing. An end of the linkage mechanism is fixed on the casing. The linkage mechanism connects reflector to the push rod, such that when the pen head is pushed into the casing, a moving distance of the reflector is greater than that of the pen head, and the reflector is exposed of the opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: Quanta Computer Inc.
    Inventors: Yun-Cheng Liu, Wan-Chi Lin, Tao-Feng Chen, Bo-Chun Hsu
  • Patent number: 9589482
    Abstract: Concepts and technologies are disclosed herein for bone conduction tags. According to one aspect of the concepts and technologies disclosed herein, a device can receive, via a transducer, a vibration signal from a body of a user. The vibration signal can be generated in response to the user interacting with a bone conduction tag. For example, the vibration signal can be generated in response to the user moving one or more fingers across the bone conduction tag. The device can analyze the vibration signal to determine an action that is to be performed. The device can perform the action or can instruct a further device to perform the action.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventors: Christopher Baldwin, Brian S. Amento
  • Patent number: 9588607
    Abstract: A method for recognizing touch information in an electronic device and an electronic device. The method includes, when a touch is detected, determining whether or not a touch input mode for the touch; determining a reference distance in consideration of the touch input mode; and determining an event type corresponding to the touch by comparing a change distance of a touch point related to the touch with the reference distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Sang-Heon Kim
  • Patent number: 9583061
    Abstract: An object is to reduce power consumption of a display device and to suppress deterioration of display quality. As a transistor provided for each pixel, a transistor including an oxide semiconductor layer is used. Note that off-state current of the transistor can be decreased when the oxide semiconductor layer is highly purified. Therefore, variation in the value of a data signal due to the off-state current of the transistor can be suppressed. That is, display deterioration (change) which occurs when writing frequency of the data signal to the pixel including the transistor is reduced (when a break period is lengthened) can be suppressed. In addition, flickers in display which generates when the frequency of an alternating-current driving signal supplied to a signal line in the break period is reduced can be suppressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Jun Koyama
  • Patent number: 9575573
    Abstract: A stylus may have an elongated body with opposing ends. Electronic equipment may have a touch sensor that receives electromagnetic signals from one or more electrodes. The stylus may have a touch sensor on the elongated body. The touch sensor on the body may have electrodes that gather touch input and optional force input when the fingers of a user touch the stylus. The touch input may include touch gestures in which a user's fingers move along the length of the stylus and may include rotational information indicative of how the stylus is being rotated between the user's fingers. The stylus may have a force sensor that monitors how firmly the stylus is being pressed against external surface and may have other input-output devices. The stylus may transition between operating modes based on signals from the force sensor and other input-output devices in the stylus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Ray L. Chang
  • Patent number: 9577712
    Abstract: A non-display signal encoding method cooperates with a matrix substrate including a plurality of electrodes. The electrodes cross each other and transmit a plurality of display signals and a plurality of non-display signals. The non-display signal encoding method comprises steps of: transmitting the non-display signals by at least one of the electrodes during a first time; and receiving by coupling at least a part of the non-display signals by at least an external object, wherein the non-display signals have at least three states, i.e. a first state, a second state, a third state or their any combination, and the first, second and third states are different from one another. A matrix substrate is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Inventor: Hsiung-Kuang Tsai
  • Patent number: 9569015
    Abstract: An electronic system, a touch stylus and a data transmission method between an electronic apparatus and a touch stylus are disclosed herein. The data transmission method, utilized between a first electronic device and a touch stylus, includes steps of: generating movement data according to displacement of the touch stylus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: HTC Corporation
    Inventors: Pi-Lin Lo, Yi-Cheng Li, Jui-Liang Chen, Yi-Fan Hsueh, Yen-Cheng Lin