Apparatus and method for performing data entry with light based touch screen displays
An apparatus and method for performing data entry with light based touch screen displays and that is capable of implementing the functions of inking, pressure sensitive data entries, the rate of descent and angle of entry of the pen or stylus, the ability to rotate objects, double-clicking objects, fast clicking, etc. The apparatus and method includes a touch screen and a stylus having a tip that compresses depending on the amount of force is applied to the stylus when placed in contact with the touch screen during a data entry operation. A processor is provided to generate a display on the touch screen that traces the movements of the stylus on the touch screen. To implement the inking function, the processor is configured to extrapolate the relative thickness of the display generated on the touch screen to be commensurate with the amount of compression of the tip caused by the amount of writing force applied to the stylus. The amount of compression of the tip also enables pressure sensitive data entries.
1 . An apparatus, comprising;
a touch screen;
a stylus having a tip that compresses depending on the amount of force that is applied to the stylus, the stylus further configured to make data entries to the touch screen display by contacting the tip to the touch screen display; and
a processor configured to generate a display on the touch screen that traces the movements of the stylus on the touch screen, the processor further configured to extrapolate the relative thickness of the display generated on the touch screen to be commensurate with the amount of compression of the tip caused by the amount of force applied to the stylus.
2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a lamina of light in the free space adjacent the touch screen.
3 . The apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising a light receive array positioned adjacent the lamina of light, the light receive array being configured to determine the location of an interrupt in the lamina of light when the stylus contacts the touch screen during a data entry operation.
4 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the light receive array is further configured to detect the width of the interrupt caused by the compression of the tip of the stylus contacting the touch screen.
5 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the light receive array further comprises a first light receive element to detect interrupts along a first axis and a second light receiving element to detect interrupts along a second axis.
6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a grid of light in the free space adjacent the touch screen.
7 . The apparatus of claim 6 , further comprising a light receive array positioned adjacent the grid of light, the light receive array being configured to determine the location of an interrupt in the grid of light when the stylus contacts the touch screen during a data entry operation.
8 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the light receive array is further configured to detect the width of the interrupt caused by the compression of the tip of the stylus contacting the touch screen.
9 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the light receive array further comprises a first light receive element to detect interrupts along a first axis and a second light receiving element to detect interrupts along a second axis.
10 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the tip of the stylus comprises but is not limited to one of the following: rubber or an elastic polymer.
11 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is implemented in one of the following: a microprocessor, a microcontroller, programmable logic, an application specific integrated circuit, or a combination thereof.
12 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to calculate the rate of descent of the stylus when the stylus is used to contact the touch screen during a data entry operation.
13 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine one of a plurality of different data inputs based on the amount of pressure exerted on the stylus exceeding a plurality of pressure thresholds respectively.
14 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of different data inputs comprise one or more of the following:
an input request for a pop-up description of an icon;
a single mouse click input; or
a double-mouse click input.
15 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the processor is further configured to calculate the angle of descent of the stylus when the stylus is used to contact the touch screen during a data entry operation.
16 . A method, comprising:
performing an inking function for a touch screen display by
detecting an amount of compression of a deformable tip of a stylus contacting a touch screen during a data entry operation;
extrapolating the thickness of lines to be created on the touch screen based on the detected amount of compression of the deformable tip; and
displaying the lines of the extrapolated thickness on the touch screen.
17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the detecting the amount of compression further comprises:
generating light in the free space adjacent the touch screen; and
detecting the width of the interrupt caused by the compression of the deformable tip when the writing stylus contacts the touch screen though the light.
18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the displaying the lines further comprises generating relatively thick, bold lines when the amount of compression is relatively large and generating relatively thin, faint lines when the amount of compression is relatively small.
19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the generating the light further comprising generating a lamina of light in the free space adjacent the touch screen.
20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the generating the light further comprising generating a grid of light in the free space adjacent the touch screen.
21 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising calculating the rate of descent when the stylus is placed in contact with the touch screen during a write operation.
22 . The method of claim 16 , further determining one of a plurality of different data inputs based on the amount of pressure exerted on the stylus exceeding a plurality of pressure thresholds respectively.
23 . The method of claim 22 , wherein the plurality of different data inputs comprise one or more of the following:
an input request for a pop-up description of an icon;
a single mouse click input; or
a double-mouse click input.
24 . The method of claim 16 , further calculating the angle of descent of the stylus when the stylus is used to contact the touch screen during a data entry operation.