Wireless stylus with grip force expression capability

1. An apparatus for use with an electronic device having a display screen, the apparatus comprising:

a body;

a microcontroller;

a force sensor carried by the body;

a grip covering at least a portion of the force sensor, the force sensor to generate force data in response to a user applying a force to the grip when the body is spaced apart from the display screen;

one or more motion sensors;

a wireless transmitter; and

an antenna,

the microcontroller to transmit the force data from the force sensor and motion data from the one or more motion sensors via the wireless transmitter and the antenna and, when the body is spaced apart from the display screen, to cause a first stroke having a first stroke property to be displayed on the display screen in response to the force data corresponding to a first force level and to cause a second stroke having a second stroke property to be displayed on the display screen in response to the force data corresponding to a second force level, the first stroke property different than the second stroke property.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the body includes a stylus tip.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the grip is accessible to one or more fingers of the user when the user is holding the body.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more motion sensors include one or more of an accelerometer and a gyro sensor.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the force sensor includes a force sensing resistor.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is to concurrently generate the force data and the motion data.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the body is cylindrical.

8. At least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising data representing sequences of instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

track motion of a stylus relative to a display screen of an electronic device in response to motion data received from the stylus when the stylus is spaced apart from the display screen;

determine a force level of a grip of a user holding the stylus based on force data received from the stylus when the stylus is spaced apart from the display screen;

cause a line or a shape to be displayed on the display screen in response to the tracking of the motion of the stylus;

cause the line or the shape to have a first characteristic when the force level corresponds to a first force level; and

cause the line or the shape to have a second characteristic when the force level corresponds to a second force level, the first characteristic different than the second characteristic.

9. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the instructions, when executed, are to cause the one or more processors to detect a first operational state of the stylus when the force level exceeds a force operation threshold, the first operational state corresponding to a writing mode of the stylus.

10. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein the instructions, when executed, are to cause the one or more processors to detect a second operational state of the stylus when the force level is below the force operation threshold, the second operation state corresponding to a non-writing mode of the stylus.

11. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein the instructions, when executed, are to cause the one or more processors to detect the second operation state when the force level is below the force operation threshold for a threshold duration of time.

12. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the first characteristic is one of a width of the line or the shape or a darkness of the line or the shape.

13. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the instructions, when executed, are to cause the one or more processors to recognize a gesture based at least in part on the motion data.

14. A system comprising:

a wireless stylus; and

a processor configured to:

track motion of the wireless stylus relative to a display screen of an electronic device in response to motion data received from the wireless stylus when the wireless stylus is spaced apart from the display screen;

determine a force level of a grip of a user holding the wireless stylus based on force data received from the wireless stylus when the wireless stylus is spaced apart from the display screen;

cause a line or a shape to be displayed on the display screen based on the motion of the wireless stylus;

cause the line or the shape to have a first characteristic when the force level corresponds to a first force level; and

cause the line or the shape to have a second characteristic when the force level corresponds to a second force level, the first characteristic different than the second characteristic.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the processor is configured to detect a first operational state of the wireless stylus when the force level exceeds a force operation threshold, the first operational state corresponding to a writing mode of the wireless stylus.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the processor is further to detect a second operational state of the wireless stylus when the force level is below the force operation threshold, the second operational state corresponding to a non-writing mode of the wireless stylus.

17. The system of claim 14 , wherein the first characteristic is one of a width of the line or the shape or a darkness of the line or the shape.

18. The system of claim 14 , wherein the wireless stylus includes one or more of an accelerometer and a gyro sensor.

19. The system of claim 14 , wherein the wireless stylus includes a force sensing resistor.

20. The system of claim 14 , wherein the wireless stylus is to concurrently generate the force data and the motion data.