Executing gestures with active stylus

1. A stylus comprising:

one or more electrodes;

one or more sensors in or on the stylus for detecting a stylus movement comprising a rotation of the stylus, one or more functionalities associated with the detected stylus movement defined based at least in part on:

user-configurable stylus settings associated with the stylus such that the one or more functionalities are initiated in response to a detection of the stylus movement according to the user-configurable stylus settings; and

one or more of:

a stylus orientation; and

a stylus location, the stylus location being independent of the location of a device; and

one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media embodying logic for wirelessly transmitting signals from the one or more electrodes to a touch sensor of the device.

2. The stylus of claim 1 , wherein the sensors comprise an accelerometer, a magnetometer, a global positioning system (GPS), or a gyroscope.

3. The stylus of claim 1 , wherein the detected stylus movement further comprises shaking of the stylus.

4. The stylus of claim 1 , wherein the detected stylus movement further comprises vibration of the stylus resulting from an object tapping the stylus or an object sliding along at least a portion of the surface of the stylus.

5. The stylus of claim 4 , wherein the portion of the surface is at least in part textured.

6. The stylus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more functionalities associated with the detected movement of the stylus are further based on one or more of the following:

data stored on the stylus; and

a specific order to a sequence of movements of the stylus.

7. The stylus of claim 6 , wherein at least one movement in the sequence of movements of the stylus comprises shaking, rotation, or vibration.

8. The stylus of claim 1 , wherein a functionality associated with the detected movement of the stylus comprises one or more of:

modifying content displayed on a display of the device;

authenticating the user of the stylus to the stylus or the device;

altering a power setting of the stylus or the device;

transferring data between the stylus and the device;

accessing menus or commands specific to data stored on the stylus or the device; and

accessing menus or commands specific to content displayed on the display of the device.

9. The stylus of claim 8 , wherein modifying content displayed on the display of the device comprises one or more of:

adding content displayed on the display of the device;

removing content displayed on the display of the device;

altering the characteristics of content displayed on the display of the device; and

moving content displayed on the display of the device.

10. The stylus of claim 1 , wherein the signals comprise information about the detected movement and the one or more functionalities.

11. The stylus of claim 1 , wherein the user-configurable settings are associated with the identity of a specific user of the stylus.

12. The stylus of claim 1 , wherein the stylus further comprises a global positioning system sensor for determining the stylus location.

13. A method comprising:

detecting, by one or more sensors in or on a stylus, vibration of the stylus resulting from an object sliding along at least a portion of a textured stylus surface, the stylus comprising one or more electrodes and one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media embodying logic for wirelessly transmitting signals from the one or more electrodes to a touch sensor of a device.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the sensors comprise an accelerometer.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the detected vibration of the stylus further results from a body tapping the stylus.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein a functionality associated with the detected vibration of the stylus is based on one or more of the following:

an orientation of the stylus;

a location of the stylus;

data stored on the stylus; and

a specific order to a sequence of movements of the stylus.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein at least one motion in the sequence of movements of the stylus comprises shaking, rotation, or vibration.

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein a functionality associated with the detected vibration of the stylus comprises one or more of:

modifying content displayed on a display of the device;

authenticating the user of the stylus to the stylus or the device;

altering a power setting of the stylus or the device;

transferring data between the stylus and the device;

accessing menus or commands specific to data stored on the stylus or the device; and

accessing menus or commands specific to content displayed on the display of the device.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein modifying content displayed on the display of the device comprises one or more of:

adding content displayed on the display of the device;

removing content displayed on the display of the device;

altering the characteristics of content displayed on the display of the device; and

moving content displayed on the display of the device.

20. The method of claim 13 , wherein the textured stylus surface has one or more ridges.

21. One or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media embodying logic operable when executed to:

receive detected movement of a stylus, the movement detected by one or more sensors in or on the stylus, the detected movement comprising a rotation of the stylus;

define one or more functionalities associated with the detected movement of the stylus based at least in part on:

user-configurable settings associated with the stylus such that the one or more functionalities are initiated in response to detecting the detected movement according to the user-configurable settings; and

one or more of:

a stylus orientation; and

a stylus location, the stylus location being independent of the location of a device; and

wirelessly transmit signals from one or more electrodes in or on a stylus to a touch sensor of the device.