US20260140593
2026-05-21
Physics
G06F3/0425
The patent describes an advanced optical stylus system that works in tandem with an optical sensing system to accurately determine various parameters such as target or touch location, centroid, hover distance, tilt angle, azimuth, and sometimes the orientation and rotation of the stylus. This system enhances the functionality of styluses in touch-sensitive devices by providing more precise input methods. By incorporating light illuminator and detector angular filters, the system minimizes false detections caused by unintended light reflections or refractions.
The optical sensing system is integrated into electronic devices with touch screens, which can include light-emitting diodes or organic light-emitting diodes (LEDs/OLEDs). These components are capable of both display and touch/proximity sensing operations. The system can operate in various modes, such as DC photoconduction for detecting unmodulated light from a stylus or AC photoconduction for detecting modulated light from multiple styluses. Additionally, an optical reflective touch mode can detect objects by analyzing modulated light reflected off them.
The system employs angular filters to manage light passing through the touch screen’s detection surface. These filters help in reducing false detections by blocking light that might otherwise reflect or refract incorrectly, such as from water droplets. By processing the filtered light, the system can accurately determine the hover distance and tilt angle of a stylus, enhancing the precision of stylus tracking and other related operations.
Different types of styluses can be used with this system, including passive styluses with reflective surfaces and semi-active styluses with amplitude sensors. These styluses reflect light with consistent profiles or patterns, enabling the system to determine their location, hover distance, and tilt angle accurately. Active styluses with light emitters and detectors can generate and receive light, allowing for analysis of spectral distributions to determine stylus position.
The optical stylus system offers enhanced input modes, such as detecting stylus rotation, which can be particularly beneficial in applications like digital drawing. This capability allows users to control line texture, thickness, or color dynamically. Overall, the system provides improved accuracy and functionality for stylus-based interactions on touch-sensitive devices, enhancing user experience and expanding the range of possible applications.