IP Library Granted Patent US 9,658,704
Granted Patent B2
US 9,658,704 · App. 14/860,320 · Granted May 23, 2017

Devices and methods for manipulating user interfaces with a stylus

Inventors: Jeffrey Traer Bernstein (San Francisco, CA); Linda L. Dong (Altadena, CA); Mark K. Hauenstein (San Francisco, CA); Julian Missig (Redwood City, CA)
Assignee: APPLE INC.
G06F3/03545G06F3/017
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,658,704
App. No.
14/860,320
Granted
May 23, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

An electronic device with a touch-sensitive display and one or more sensors to detect signals from a stylus associated with the device: detects a positional state of the stylus, the positional state of the stylus corresponding to a distance, a tilt, and/or an orientation of the stylus relative to the touch-sensitive display; determines a location on the touch-sensitive display that corresponds to the detected positional state of the stylus; displays, in accordance with the positional state of the stylus, an indication on the touch-sensitive display of the determined location prior to the stylus touching the touch-sensitive display; detects a change in the distance, the tilt, and/or the orientation of the stylus, prior to the stylus touching the touch-sensitive display; and in response to detecting the change, updates the displayed indication on the touch-sensitive display.

Claims (78)

1. A method, comprising:

at an electronic device with a touch-sensitive display, the device including one or more sensors to detect signals from a stylus associated with the device, the stylus including a representative portion:

detecting a positional state of the stylus, wherein the positional state of the stylus corresponds to

a distance of the stylus relative to the touch-sensitive display,

a tilt of the stylus relative to the touch-sensitive display, and/or

an orientation of the stylus relative to the touch-sensitive display;

determining a location on the touch-sensitive display that corresponds to the detected positional state of the stylus;

displaying, in accordance with the positional state of the stylus, an indication on the touch-sensitive display of the determined location prior to the stylus touching the touch-sensitive display;

detecting a change in the distance, the tilt, and/or the orientation of the stylus, prior to the stylus touching the touch-sensitive display; and,

in response to detecting the change, updating the displayed indication on the touch-sensitive display;

wherein:

the indication is displaced by a first distance, in a direction parallel to a plane of the touch-sensitive display, on the touch-sensitive display, relative to an orthogonal projection of the tip of the stylus, on the touch-sensitive display, when the stylus has a first tilt and the indication is displaced by a second distance, in a direction parallel to the plane of the touch-sensitive display, distinct from the first distance, on the touch-sensitive display, relative to the orthogonal projection of the tip of the stylus, on the touch-sensitive display, when the stylus has a second tilt, distinct from the first tilt; and

a distance between the orthogonal projection of the tip of the stylus, on the touch-sensitive display, and the indication does not exceed a predefined maximum distance, in a direction parallel to the plane of the touch-sensitive display.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the indication is displayed with a first color when the stylus is a first distance away from the touch-sensitive display and the indication is displayed with a second color, distinct from the first color, when the stylus is a second distance away from the touch-sensitive display, distinct from the first distance.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein, when the stylus is in physical contact with a surface of the touch-sensitive display, the distance of the stylus away from the touch-sensitive display is calculated to be greater than zero.

4. The method of claim 1 , including:

in accordance with a determination that the stylus is in physical contact with a surface of the touch-sensitive display:

displaying, in accordance with the positional state, a mark on the touch-sensitive display; and

ceasing to display the indication on the touch-sensitive display.

5. The method of claim 1 , including:

in accordance with a determination that a representative portion of the stylus is in physical contact with a surface of the touch-sensitive display:

displaying, in accordance with the positional state, the indication on the touch-sensitive display, wherein a position of the indication on the touch-sensitive display is constrained so that a distance, in a direction parallel to a plane of the touch-sensitive display, between the indication and the representative portion of the stylus does not exceed a predefined maximum distance.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein displaying the indication on the touch-sensitive display includes determining a color for the indication in accordance with a background color of the touch-sensitive display at the determined location.

7. The method of claim 1 , including:

in response to detecting that the stylus is in physical contact with a surface of the touch-sensitive display, changing the indication smoothly from a first state to a second state.

8. An electronic device, comprising:

a touch-sensitive display;

one or more sensors to detect signals from a stylus associated with the device;

one or more processors;

memory; and

one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs are stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for:

detecting a positional state of the stylus, wherein the positional state of the stylus corresponds to

a distance of the stylus relative to the touch-sensitive display,

a tilt of the stylus relative to the touch-sensitive display, and/or

an orientation of the stylus relative to the touch-sensitive display;

determining a location on the touch-sensitive display that corresponds to the detected positional state of the stylus;

displaying, in accordance with the positional state of the stylus, an indication on the touch-sensitive display of the determined location prior to the stylus touching the touch-sensitive display;

detecting a change in the distance, the tilt, and/or the orientation of the stylus, prior to the stylus touching the touch-sensitive display; and,

in response to detecting the change, updating the displayed indication on the touch-sensitive display;

wherein:

the indication is displaced by a first distance, in a direction parallel to a plane of the touch-sensitive display, on the touch-sensitive display, relative to an orthogonal projection of the tip of the stylus, on the touch-sensitive display, when the stylus has a first tilt and the indication is displaced by a second distance, in a direction parallel to the plane of the touch-sensitive display, distinct from the first distance, on the touch-sensitive display, relative to the orthogonal projection of the tip of the stylus, on the touch-sensitive display, when the stylus has a second tilt, distinct from the first tilt; and

a distance between the orthogonal projection of the tip of the stylus, on the touch-sensitive display, and the indication does not exceed a predefined maximum distance, in a direction parallel to the plane of the touch-sensitive display.

9. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the indication is displayed with a first color when the stylus is a first distance away from the touch-sensitive display and the indication is displayed with a second color, distinct from the first color, when the stylus is a second distance away from the touch-sensitive display, distinct from the first distance.

10. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein, when the stylus is in physical contact with a surface of the touch-sensitive display, the distance of the stylus away from the touch-sensitive display is calculated to be greater than zero.

11. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the one or more programs further include instructions for:

in accordance with a determination that the stylus is in physical contact with a surface of the touch-sensitive display:

displaying, in accordance with the positional state, a mark on the touch-sensitive display; and

ceasing to display the indication on the touch-sensitive display.

12. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the one or more programs further include instructions for:

in accordance with a determination that a representative portion of the stylus is in physical contact with a surface of the touch-sensitive display:

displaying, in accordance with the positional state, the indication on the touch-sensitive display, wherein a position of the indication on the touch-sensitive display is constrained so that a distance, in a direction parallel to a plane of the touch-sensitive display, between the indication and the representative portion of the stylus does not exceed a predefined maximum distance.

13. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein displaying the indication on the touch-sensitive display includes determining a color for the indication in accordance with a background color of the touch-sensitive display at the determined location.

14. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the one or more programs further include instructions for:

in response to detecting that the stylus is in physical contact with a surface of the touch-sensitive display, changing the indication smoothly from a first state to a second state.

15. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which when executed by an electronic device with a touch-sensitive display and one or more sensors to detect signals from a stylus associated with the device, cause the device to:

detect a positional state of the stylus, wherein the positional state of the stylus corresponds to

a distance of the stylus relative to the touch-sensitive display,

a tilt of the stylus relative to the touch-sensitive display, and/or

an orientation of the stylus relative to the touch-sensitive display;

determine a location on the touch-sensitive display that corresponds to the detected positional state of the stylus;

display, in accordance with the positional state of the stylus, an indication on the touch-sensitive display of the determined location prior to the stylus touching the touch-sensitive display;

detect a change in the distance, the tilt, and/or the orientation of the stylus, prior to the stylus touching the touch-sensitive display; and,

in response to detecting the change, update the displayed indication on the touch-sensitive display;

wherein:

the indication is displaced by a first distance, in a direction parallel to a plane of the touch-sensitive display, on the touch-sensitive display, relative to an orthogonal projection of the tip of the stylus, on the touch-sensitive display, when the stylus has a first tilt and the indication is displaced by a second distance, in a direction parallel to the plane of the touch-sensitive display, distinct from the first distance, on the touch-sensitive display, relative to the orthogonal projection of the tip of the stylus, on the touch-sensitive display, when the stylus has a second tilt, distinct from the first tilt; and

a distance between the orthogonal projection of the tip of the stylus, on the touch-sensitive display, and the indication does not exceed a predefined maximum distance, in a direction parallel to the plane of the touch-sensitive display.

16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the indication is displayed with a first color when the stylus is a first distance away from the touch-sensitive display and the indication is displayed with a second color, distinct from the first color, when the stylus is a second distance away from the touch-sensitive display, distinct from the first distance.

17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein, when the stylus is in physical contact with a surface of the touch-sensitive display, the distance of the stylus away from the touch-sensitive display is calculated to be greater than zero.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the one or more programs include instructions, which when executed by the electronic device, cause the electronic device to:

in accordance with a determination that the stylus is in physical contact with a surface of the touch-sensitive display:

display, in accordance with the positional state, a mark on the touch-sensitive display; and

cease to display the indication on the touch-sensitive display.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the one or more programs include instructions, which when executed by the electronic device, cause the electronic device to:

in accordance with a determination that a representative portion of the stylus is in physical contact with a surface of the touch-sensitive display:

display, in accordance with the positional state, the indication on the touch-sensitive display, wherein a position of the indication on the touch-sensitive display is constrained so that a distance, in a direction parallel to a plane of the touch-sensitive display, between the indication and the representative portion of the stylus does not exceed a predefined maximum distance.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein displaying the indication on the touch-sensitive display includes determining a color for the indication in accordance with a background color of the touch-sensitive display at the determined location.

21. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the one or more programs include instructions, which when executed by the electronic device, cause the electronic device to:

in response to detecting that the stylus is in physical contact with a surface of the touch-sensitive display, change the indication smoothly from a first state to a second state.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 26, 2016
From: BERNSTEIN, JEFFREY TRAER; DONG, LINDA L.; HAUENSTEIN, MARK K.; MISSIG, JULIAN
To: APPLE INC.
Reel/Frame 038383/0022 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62173916 · Jun 10, 2015
Related Publication 20160364025A1 · Dec 15, 2016