Method of controlling styluses and related stylus control circuit

1 . A method for controlling a plurality of types of styluses, comprising:

outputting a first uplink signal corresponding to a first type of stylus among the plurality of types of styluses, to detect the first type of stylus;

outputting a second uplink signal corresponding to a second type of stylus among the plurality of types of styluses, to detect the second type of stylus;

receiving a setting signal; and

outputting only an uplink signal corresponding to one type among the plurality of types of styluses according to the setting signal after receiving the setting signal;

wherein the second type is different from the first type.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first uplink signal and the second uplink signal are output alternately in a series of time slots.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

outputting only the first uplink signal after a first stylus of the first type is detected; or

outputting only the second uplink signal after a second stylus of the second type is detected.

4 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising:

starting to communicate with the first stylus according to a first protocol of the first type of stylus after the first stylus is detected; or

starting to communicate with the second stylus according to a second protocol of the second type of stylus after the second stylus is detected.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

stopping outputting the first uplink signal when a second stylus of the second type is detected.

6 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

restarting to output the first uplink signal after not receiving a downlink signal of the second stylus for a specific period of time.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

outputting a third uplink signal corresponding to a third type of stylus among the plurality of types of styluses, to detect the third type of stylus;

wherein the third type is different from the first type and the second type.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the setting signal indicates the first type of stylus, and the method further comprises:

outputting only the first uplink signal corresponding to the first type of stylus after receiving the setting signal; and

after not receiving a downlink signal corresponding to the first type of stylus for a specific period of time, outputting the second uplink signal corresponding to the second type of stylus.

9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

outputting the first uplink signal and the second uplink signal alternately when a first stylus of the first type and a second stylus of the second type are detected.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first type of stylus comprises a first active stylus with a first protocol, and the second type of stylus comprises a second active stylus with a second protocol different from the first protocol.

11 . A stylus control circuit to control a plurality of types of styluses, the stylus control circuit being to:

output a first uplink signal corresponding to a first type of stylus among the plurality of types of styluses, to detect the first type of stylus;

output a second uplink signal corresponding to a second type of stylus among the plurality of types of styluses, to detect the second type of stylus;

receive a setting signal; and

output only an uplink signal corresponding to one type among the plurality of types of styluses according to the setting signal after receiving the setting signal;

wherein the second type is different from the first type.

12 . A method for controlling a plurality of types of styluses, comprising:

outputting a first uplink signal corresponding to a first type of stylus among the plurality of types of styluses;

detecting the first type of stylus by detecting a first downlink signal in response to the first uplink signal; and

detecting a second type of stylus among the plurality of types of styluses by detecting a second downlink signal corresponding to the second type of stylus without transmitting any uplink signal;

wherein the second type is different from the first type.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the steps of detecting the first type of stylus and detecting the second type of stylus comprise:

detecting the first downlink signal and the second downlink signal in a same time slot.

14 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the steps of detecting the first type of stylus and detecting the second type of stylus comprise:

detecting the first downlink signal and the second downlink signal alternately in a series of time slots.

15 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

starting to communicate with a first stylus of the first type according to a protocol of the first type of stylus after the first downlink signal is received.

16 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

starting to communicate with a second stylus of the second type according to a frequency of the second type of stylus after the second downlink signal is received.

17 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

stopping outputting the first uplink signal when a second stylus of the second type is detected.

18 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising:

restarting to output the first uplink signal after not receiving the second downlink signal for a specific period of time.

19 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

outputting a third uplink signal corresponding to a third type of stylus among the plurality of types of styluses; and

detecting the third type of stylus by detecting a third downlink signal in response to the third uplink signal;

wherein the third type is different from the first type and the second type.

20 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

detecting a fourth type of stylus among the plurality of types of styluses by detecting a fourth downlink signal corresponding to the fourth type of stylus;

wherein the fourth type is different from the first type and the second type.

21 . The method of claim 20 , wherein the steps of detecting the first type of stylus, detecting the second type of stylus, and detecting the fourth type of stylus comprise:

detecting the first downlink signal, the second downlink signal and the fourth downlink signal in a same time slot or different time slots.

22 . The method of claim 20 , wherein the second downlink signal is in a first frequency, and the fourth downlink signal is in a second frequency different from the first frequency.

23 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

detecting a touch signal and the second downlink signal in a same time slot.

24 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the first type of stylus comprises an active stylus with a first protocol, and the second type of stylus comprises a unidirectional stylus.

25 . A stylus control circuit to control a plurality of types of styluses, the stylus control circuit being to:

output a first uplink signal corresponding to a first type of stylus among the plurality of types of styluses;

detect the first type of stylus by detecting a first downlink signal in response to the first uplink signal; and

detect a second type of stylus among the plurality of types of styluses by detecting a second downlink signal corresponding to the second type of stylus without transmitting any uplink signal;

wherein the second type is different from the first type.

26 . A method for controlling a plurality of types of styluses, comprising:

detecting a first type of stylus among the plurality of types of styluses by detecting a first downlink signal corresponding to the first type of stylus; and

detecting a second type of stylus among the plurality of types of styluses by detecting a second downlink signal corresponding to the second type of stylus;

wherein the second type is different from the first type;

wherein at least one of the first type of stylus and the second type of stylus is a unidirectional stylus.

27 . The method of claim 26 , wherein the steps of detecting the first type of stylus and detecting the second type of stylus comprise:

detecting the first downlink signal and the second downlink signal in a same time slot or different time slots.

28 . The method of claim 26 , further comprising:

starting to communicate with a first stylus of the first type according to a first frequency of the first type of stylus after the first downlink signal is received; or

starting to communicate with a second stylus of the second type according to a second frequency of the second type of stylus after the second downlink signal is received.

29 . The method of claim 26 , further comprising:

outputting an uplink signal corresponding to a third type of stylus among the plurality of types of styluses; and

detecting the third type of stylus by detecting a third downlink signal in response to the uplink signal;

wherein the third type is different from the first type and the second type.

30 . The method of claim 29 , wherein the steps of detecting the first type of stylus, detecting the second type of stylus, and detecting the third type of stylus comprise:

detecting the first downlink signal, the second downlink signal and the third downlink signal in a same time slot or different time slots.

31 . The method of claim 26 , further comprising:

detecting a touch signal and at least one of the first downlink signal and the second downlink signal in a same time slot.

32 . The method of claim 26 , wherein the first downlink signal is in a first frequency, and the second downlink signal is in a second frequency different from the first frequency.

33 . The method of claim 26 , wherein the first type of stylus comprises a first unidirectional stylus, and the second type of stylus comprises a second unidirectional stylus.

34 . A stylus control circuit to control a plurality of types of styluses, the stylus control circuit being to:

detect a first type of stylus among the plurality of types of styluses by detecting a first downlink signal corresponding to the first type of stylus; and

detect a second type of stylus among the plurality of types of styluses by detecting a second downlink signal corresponding to the second type of stylus;

wherein the second type is different from the first type;

wherein at least one of the first type of stylus and the second type of stylus is a unidirectional stylus.