A system, method, and computer program product for automatically providing a haptic stylus based interface for enhanced user interaction with touch screen devices are disclosed. The stylus communicates with the touch screen device to report stylus operating information from onboard sensors, and to receive application program instructions defining feedback and friction forces to be applied by onboard actuators. The applied feedback and friction forces may be independently controlled. Friction forces are provided via a rolling contact ball gripping mechanism that mimics varying physical engagement between the contact ball and a touch screen display surface by controlling the relative rotational freedom of the contact ball. Embodiments of the invention enable a haptic stylus to mimic three-dimensional interactions for gaming, object manipulation and sculpting, and non-contact proximity-based stylus operation scenarios.

Claims

20 · 4 independent · depth 4

20 granted claims

›1.independentA haptic stylus interface device, comprising:na stylus comprising a feedback force actuator configured to provide feedback forces, and having a surfac…+16

›2.↳ 1The device of claim 1 further comprising a sensor that measures operational data including at least one of position, orientation, velocity, accelerati…d2

›3.↳ 1The device of claim 1 further comprising a sensor that includes at least one of a gyroscope, an accelerometer, and a contact pressure sensor.d2

›4.↳ 1The device of claim 1 further comprising a feedback actuator that selectively produces the feedback forces oriented with respect to a housing in at le…d2+2

›5.↳ 1The device of claim 1 wherein the communications module further includes control circuitry that gathers the operational data for transmission, and rec…d2+1

›7.↳ 1The device of claim 1 wherein the information transfer is one of wired and wireless.d2

›8.↳ 1The device of claim 1 wherein the communications module is a Bluetooth module.d2

›9.↳ 1The device of claim 1 wherein the surface is the operating surface of a touch screen display.d2

›10.↳ 1The device of claim 1 wherein the contact ball gripping mechanism comprises a set of prongs holding the contact ball in a grip of variable firmness.d2

›11.↳ 1The device of claim 1 wherein the contact ball gripping mechanism selectively completely stops contact ball rotation.d2

›12.↳ 1The device of claim 1 wherein the device is configured for operation as a trackball.d2

›13.↳ 1The device of claim 1 wherein the device simulates the manipulation of objects depicted on a display.d2

›16.↳ 1The device of claim 1 further comprising:na feedback actuator that produces the feedback forces; anda braking pad that the feedback actuator presses a…d2

›17.↳ 1The device of claim 1 further comprising user input devices including at least one of a button, a wheel, a knob, and a sliding switch.d2

›18.independentA computer interface for providing interaction between a computer and a user, comprising:na computer; anda haptic stylus that communicates with the co…

›19.independentA method for providing interaction between a computer and a user, comprising:ntransferring information between a computer and a stylus having a contac…

›20.independentA computer program product comprising a machine-readable medium tangibly embodying non-transitory program instructions thereon that, when executed by …

Classifications

5 codes

IPC · International Patent Classification

Section G — Physics

G06F3/033

USPC · US Patent Classification

345/179715/701463/37345/167

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File wrapper

Pendency

2.8 y

1,005 days filing → grant

Office actions

non-final + final

Responses

2 RCE

Examiner

Jason Olson

art unit 2695 · TC 2600

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Citations: 41 back · 0 forward

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Priority chain

1 priority documents

›Priority documents — 1

Type	Document	Date
related publication	US 20120293463 A1	22 Nov 2012

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