Patent · US Expired

Digitizer stylus with pressure transducer

US4786764A · kind A · utility

51Cited by
4References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 20, 1987
Grant dateNov 22, 1988
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 20, 2007

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F3/03545
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A stylus switch is activated automatically when the tip of the stylus is pressed against a digitizer tablet with sufficient force. The pressure switch includes a transducer in the form of an ink layer having electrical resistance which varies as a function of the pressure applied thereon. Electrodes of conductive ink contact the ink layer of the transducer, providing a circuit element including a variable resistance. The current which flows between the two conductive ink electrodes varies as a function of the force with which the stylus tip is pressed against the data tablet, thus providing an analog output which can be detected as a function of pressure or which can be detected to determine when the pressing force exceeds a predetermined value. Processing of the data representing the coordinates of the stylus tip is enabled only when the tip is being pressed with at least a predetermined force, i.e. the amount of force applied by a stylus user during writing. The ink layers of the electrodes and transducer, as well as the stylus anode, are applied on a single piece of flexible plastic film which is wrapped around a central assembly and inside a coaxial barrel. A collapsible dome o…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.