Patent Application
20150029163
Embodiments described herein relate generally to styluses, and more particularly, to styluses having a deformable tip.
Producing text and/or drawings by hand onto a medium such as paper or canvas is well known. Some utensils used to produce the text and/or drawings on the medium can be associated with specific characteristics. For example, drawing with the tip of a sharpened lead pencil can produce a relatively thin line on the medium, while holding the pencil at an angle and drawing with the side of the sharpened lead pencil can produce a relatively thick line on the medium. Moreover, the pressure that is applied to the medium by the writing surface of the utensil (e.g., as applied by the user of the utensil) can also be associated with specific characteristics. For example, the darkness of a line can be increased as the pressure applied on the medium by the writing surface of the utensil increases.
The advent of electronic devices such as personal computers (PCs), smart phones, and tablet PCs has produced a shift towards digital art and/or writing. In some instances, a user of the electronic device can interact with interfaces such as, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, a touch screen (either with a stylus or finger) to produce text or a drawing. Such interfaces, however, often lack the haptic sensations and/or the desired effects as one might expect from a utensil on a medium (e.g., paper or canvas). For example, in some instances, the pressure exerted on a touch screen by a stylus may not change the darkness of a line.
Thus, a need exists for improved apparatus such as a stylus that more closely replicates the user experience of producing text and/or drawing by hand onto a medium such as paper or canvas.
Apparatus and methods for a stylus having a deformable tip are described herein. In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a stylus having a body portion and a tip portion. The body portion defines a first cross-sectional area and is configured to be engaged by a user. The tip portion is coupled to an end of the body portion and includes first end and a second end. The first end is disposed adjacent to the body portion and has the first cross-sectional area. The second end defines a second cross-sectional area different from the first cross-sectional area. The tip portion is formed from a flexible material that elastically deforms when placed in contact with a touch sensitive display to define an engagement surface that is input to the touch sensitive display. The engagement surface has a first size when the tip portion is placed in contact with the touch sensitive display and the stylus is in a first configuration and a second size different from the first size when the tip portion is placed in contact with the touch sensitive display and the stylus is in a second configuration.
Embodiments for a stylus having a deformable tip are described herein. In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a stylus having a body portion and a tip portion. The body portion defines a first cross-sectional area and is configured to be engaged by a user. The tip portion is coupled to an end of the body portion and includes first end and a second end. The first end is disposed adjacent to the body portion and has the first cross-sectional area. The second end defines a second cross-sectional area different from the first cross-sectional area. The tip portion is formed from a flexible material that elastically deforms when placed in contact with a touch sensitive display to define an engagement surface that is input to the touch sensitive display. The engagement surface has a first size when the tip portion is placed in contact with the touch sensitive display and the stylus is in a first configuration and a second size different from the first size when the tip portion is placed in contact with the touch sensitive display and the stylus is in a second configuration.
In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a stylus having a body portion configured to be engaged by a user and a tip portion coupled to an end of the body portion. The body portion has a first cross-sectional shape. The first cross-sectional shape has a thickness and a width different from the thickness. The tip portion has a first end having the first cross-sectional shape and a second end having a second cross-sectional shape. The second cross-sectional shape having a size smaller than a size of the first cross-sectional shape. The tip portion includes a first surface and a second surface extending between the first end and the second end. The first surface is associated with the thickness while the second surface is associated with the width. The tip portion is formed from a flexible material configured to elastically deform when placed in contact with a touch sensitive display to define an engagement surface that is input to the touch sensitive display. The engagement surface has a first size when the first surface of the tip portion is placed in contact with the touch sensitive display and a second size different from the first size when the second surface of the tip portion is placed in contact with the touch sensitive display.
In some embodiments, a method includes deforming a tip portion of a stylus a first amount such that a first engagement surface of the tip portion is in contact with a touch sensitive display and that is input to the touch sensitive display. The first amount of deformation is associated with the stylus in a first configuration and the first engagement surface has a first size associated with the stylus in the first configuration. The method includes deforming the tip portion of the stylus a second amount such that a second engagement surface of the tip portion is in contact with the touch sensitive display and that is input to the touch sensitive display. The second amount of deformation is associated with the stylus in a second configuration different from the first configuration. The second engagement surface has a second size different from the first size and associated with the stylus in the second configuration.
In some embodiments, a stylus includes a tip portion and a body portion. The tip portion has an engagement surface that is substantially deformable. The body portion of the stylus is configured to be engaged to orient the stylus to selectively place the engagement surface of the tip portion in contact with a touch screen of an electronic device.
As used in this specification, the singular forms “a,” “an” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, the term “an engagement surface” is intended to mean a single surface or multiple surfaces unless explicitly expressed otherwise.
As used herein, the terms “about” and “approximately” generally mean plus or minus 10% of the value stated. For example, about 0.5 would include 0.45 and 0.55, about 10 would include 9 to 11, about 1000 would include 900 to 1100.
As used herein, the term “stiffness” is related to an object's resistance to deflection, deformation, and/or displacement that is produced by an applied force, and is generally understood to be the opposite of the object's “flexibility.” For example, a wall with greater stiffness is more resistant to deflection, deformation and/or displacement when exposed to a force than a wall having a lower stiffness. Similarly stated, an object having a higher stiffness can be characterized as being more rigid than an object having a lower stiffness. Stiffness can be characterized in terms of the amount of force applied to the object and the resulting distance through which a first portion of the object deflects, deforms, and/or displaces with respect to a second portion of the object. When characterizing the stiffness of an object, the deflected distance may be measured as the deflection of a portion of the object different from the portion of the object to which the force is directly applied. Said another way, in some objects, the point of deflection is distinct from the point where force is applied.
Stiffness (and therefore, flexibility) is an extensive property of the object being described, and thus is dependent upon the material from which the object is formed as well as certain physical characteristics of the object (e.g., cross-sectional shape, length, boundary conditions, etc.). For example, the stiffness of an object can be increased or decreased by selectively including in the object a material having a desired modulus of elasticity, flexural modulus and/or hardness. The modulus of elasticity is an intensive property of (i.e., is intrinsic to) the constituent material and describes an object's tendency to elastically (i.e., non-permanently) deform in response to an applied force. A material having a high modulus of elasticity will not deflect as much as a material having a low modulus of elasticity in the presence of an equally applied stress. Thus, the stiffness of the object can be decreased, for example, by introducing into the object and/or constructing the object of a material having a relatively low modulus of elasticity.
Similarly, a material's hardness is an intensive property of the constituent material and describes the measure of how resistant the material is to various kinds of permanent shape change when a force is applied. In discussing the hardness and the subsequent effect on the stiffness of an object, the Shore durometer scale is often used. There are several scales for durometers two of which are commonly used in describing plastics, polymers, elastomers, and/or rubbers, namely, type A and type D, where type A is generally used for softer materials and type D is generally used for harder materials. The Shore durometer of a material is denoted by a number between 0 and 100, with higher numbers indicating a harder material, followed by the type of scale. For instance, a first material can be measured as having a Shore durometer of 40 Shore A and a second material can be measured as having a Shore durometer of 60 Shore D. Therefore, according to the Shore durometer scale, the second material is harder and thus, more stiff than the first material.
The stylus 10 can be formed from any suitable material or combination of materials. For example, in some embodiments, the body portion 11 and the tip portion 13 can be monolithically formed from a conductive flexible material such as, for example, conductive silicone or other conductive rubber. In other embodiments, the body portion 11 and the tip portion 13 can be independently formed and coupled together during manufacturing. For example, in some embodiments, the body portion 11 can be formed from a relatively stiff and/or relatively hard plastic and the tip portion 13 can be formed from a substantially flexible conductive silicone that is over-molded about a section of the body portion 11. As such, the body portion 11 can form a substantially rigid substrate about which at least a portion of the tip portion 13 can be disposed. In other embodiments, a stylus can include a tip portion formed from a substantially flexible conductive silicone and/or other conductive elastomeric material that is at least partially disposed within and coupled to a body portion (e.g., the body portion is at least partially hollow).
The tip portion 13 is configured to be placed in contact with a touch screen of an electronic device (also referred to herein as “touch sensitive display” or simply “touch screen”) to define at least a portion of an electric circuit. For example, as described above the tip portion 13 can be formed from a conductive silicone or the like that can complete an electric circuit when placed in contact with a touch screen. In some embodiments, the stylus 10 can be, for example, an active device. In such embodiments, the tip portion 13 can be operably coupled to a switch, a sensor or sensors (e.g., used as a switch), and/or the like configured to selectively close an electric circuit coupled thereto when the tip portion 13 is deformed (e.g., from being placed in contact with a touch screen). In other embodiments, a stylus can be, for example, a passive device that can include a metal rod or the like that is in physical and/or electrical contact with a tip portion.
As described above, in some instances, the touch screen or touch sensitive display can be a capacitive touch screen (e.g., a mutual capacitance touch screen or an absolute capacitance touch screen). Such a capacitive touch screens can be formed from a base insulator (e.g., glass) coated with a transparent conductor (e.g., indium tin oxide (ITO) or the like). Thus, when the conductive tip portion 13 of the stylus 10 is placed in contact with the touch screen, the electric circuit defined therebetween results in a distortion of an electrostatic field associated with the conductor of the touch screen. This distortion can, in turn, be measured as a change in capacitance associated with the conductor of the touch screen. More particularly, when the tip portion 13 of the stylus 10 is placed in contact with a mutual capacitance touch screen, the distortion of the electrostatic field alters a mutual coupling between one or more rows of electrodes and one or more columns of electrodes, which in turn, can be scanned to determine a change in capacitance therebetween. When the tip portion 13 of the stylus 10 is placed in contact with an absolute capacitance touch screen, the electric circuit defined therebetween can, for example, increase a load at a sensor and/or can increase a parasitic capacitance to a ground, which can be scanned to determine a change in capacitance. Thus, based on the change in capacitance of a portion of the touch screen, the electronic device can perform one or more actions, which can be, for example, graphically represented on the touch screen.
The tip portion 13 includes and/or can form an engagement surface 14. As described above, the tip portion 13 is formed from a substantially flexible conductive material such as silicone and/or rubber. As such, the tip portion 13 can have a hardness that is sufficiently small to allow the tip portion 13 to deform when placed in contact with a touch screen. In some embodiments, the tip portion 13 can be, for example, substantially hollow with a wall thickness that facilitates an elastic deformation of the tip portion 13. More specifically, when the tip portion 13 is placed in contact with the touch screen, the engagement surface 14 can be, for example, the deformed surface of the tip potion 13 that is placed in contact with the touch screen. Therefore, the size and/or shape of the engagement surface 14 can be based at least in part on the angle at which the stylus 10 is held relative to the touch screen, the amount of force applied to the stylus 10 (e.g., the amount of pressure applied by the tip portion 13 on the touch screen), the shape of the tip portion 13, the orientation of the stylus 10 relative to a user's hand, and/or the like. For example, in some embodiments, the stylus 10 can be substantially rectangular having a width that is larger than its thickness. In this manner, the engagement surface 14 formed when the width of the stylus 10 is aligned with a width of the touch screen can be substantially larger than when the thickness of the stylus 10 is aligned with the width of the touch screen. Moreover, in some instances, changing the size and/or shape of the engagement surface 14 can be operable in changing a capacitance of a corresponding portion of the touch screen (as described above) and thus, the electronic device can perform an action based on, for example, an arrangement of the engagement surface 14, as described in further detail herein.
In some instances, the tip portion 13 can be placed in contact with a touch screen with a substantially constant pressure and can be moved through a range of angles to change the size and/or shape of the engagement surface 14. For example, in some instances, the stylus 10 can be disposed substantially perpendicular to the touch screen to define a relatively small engagement surface 14 and can be tilted relative to the touch screen to define a larger engagement surface 14. In other words, when the tip portion 13 is placed in contact with the touch screen at a substantially constant pressure, the size of the engagement surface 14 can be increased by tilting the stylus 10 away from 90 degrees relative to the touch screen (e.g., transitioning the stylus 10 from a first configuration associated with a first size of the engagement surface 14 to a second configuration associated with a second size of the engagement surface greater than the first size). In some instances, the stylus 10 can be moved through a range of angles between, for example, 10 degrees and 170 degrees relative to a touch screen while maintaining the tip portion 13 in contact therewith. In other embodiments, the stylus 10 can be disposed at an angle that is smaller than 10 degrees or larger than 170 degrees while maintaining the tip portion 13 in contact with the touch screen. As such, the size of the engagement surface 14 is changed as the angle is brought toward the lower bound or the upper bound of the range of angles relative to the touch screen.
In other instances, the tip portion 13 can be placed in contact with the touch screen and held at a substantially constant angle relative to the touch screen and with a substantially constant orientation relative to a user's hand, and the user can increase a pressure between the tip portion 13 and the touch screen to increase the engagement surface 14. For example, as the pressure is increased, the deformation of the tip portion 13 is increased, thereby increasing the size of the engagement surface 14. In other words, an increase in the pressure can transition the stylus from a first configuration associated with the first size of the engagement surface 14 to a second configuration associated with a second size of the engagement surface 14. In some instances, an amount of deformation of the tip portion 13 can be proportional to a range of pressures exerted by the engagement surface 14 on the touch screen. For example, in some embodiments, a tip portion can be configured to register contact and/or the walls of the tip portion can be configured to deform when a pressure between the engagement surface and the touch screen is in the range of about 0.1 pounds per square inch (PSI) and 10 PSI. In other embodiments, a tip portion can be configured to register and/or to deform at a pressure that is less than 0.1 PSI. In still other embodiment, a tip portion can be configured to register and/or to deform at a pressure that is greater than 10 PSI.
In some instances, the electronic device can be configured to display a spot and/or line on the touch screen with a size or weight that substantially corresponds to the size of the engagement surface 14 (i.e., as a result of the completion of the electric circuit when the tip portion 13 is placed in contact with the touch screen). As such, the spot and/or line weight represented on the touch screen of the electronic device can be increased and/or decreased by changing the angle at which the stylus 10 is held relative to the touch screen, increasing or decreasing, respectively, the amount of force applied to the stylus 10, and or changing the orientation of the stylus 10 relative to the touch screen (e.g., aligning a width of the stylus 10 with the width of a touch screen or aligning a thickness of the stylus 10 with the width of the touch screen). In some embodiments, the electronic device can be configured to determine the angle of the stylus 10 relative to the touch screen based at least in part of the size and shape of the engagement surface 14 and the pressure applied by the engagement surface 14 on the touch screen.
The stylus 20 includes a body portion 21, a tip portion 23, and an end portion 27. The stylus 20 can be any suitable shape, size, or configuration. For example, in some embodiments, the body portion 21 of the stylus 20 can be a substantially elongate portion disposed between the tip portion 23 and the end portion 27. The body portion 21 can have a cross-sectional shape that is substantially polygonal (e.g., rectangular, pentagonal, hexagonal, etc.). In some embodiments, the body portion 21 can have substantially rounded corners that can, for example, enhance the ergonomics of the stylus 20. As shown in
As described above with reference to the stylus 10 of
In other embodiments, a stylus can include a tip portion and/or an end portion formed from a substantially flexible conductive silicone and/or other conductive elastomeric material that is at least partially disposed within and coupled to a body portion (e.g., the body portion is at least partially hollow). In such embodiments, a section of the tip portion and/or a section of the end portion can be coupled to and/or at least temporarily maintained within the body portion via a press fit, a snap fit, a friction fit, a threaded coupling, and/or an adhesive. For example, in some embodiments, the tip portion can include a set of threads that can form a threaded coupling with a set of threads defined by an inner surface of the body portion. In this manner, a stylus can include a body portion that can be coupled to various tip portions and/or end portions having, for example, different sizes, shapes, and/or configurations.
As shown in
In some embodiments, each surface of the tip portion 23 can extend from the body portion 21 at a substantially similar angle. In other embodiments, the surfaces of the tip portion 23 can extend from the body portion 21 at an angle that is substantially proportional and/or that relates to either the thickness T of the stylus 20 or the width W of the stylus 20. For example, as shown in
The tip portion 23 and the body portion 21 can form an intersection that can be, for example, non-linear. More specifically, as shown in
As described above, the tip portion 23 is configured to be placed in contact with a touch screen of an electronic device to define at least a portion of an electric circuit. In some embodiments, the stylus 20 can be, for example, an active device. In such embodiments, the tip portion 23 can be operably coupled to a switch, a sensor or sensors (e.g., used as a switch), and/or the like configured to selectively close an electric circuit coupled thereto when the tip portion 23 is deformed (e.g., from being placed in contact with a touch screen). In other embodiments, a stylus can include a switch that can be, for example, a push button or the like that can be depressed by the thumb or finger of a user. In such embodiments, when a tip portion is placed in contact with the touch screen, the push button (e.g., the switch) can be depressed to complete the electric circuit. In still other embodiments, a stylus can be, for example, a passive device that can include a conducting member such as, for example, a metal rod, plate, and/or surface that can be placed in physical and/or electrical contact with a tip potion. By way of example, the tip portion can be placed in contact with the touch screen such that a surface of the tip portion deforms. The deformation of the surface of the tip portion can be such that an inner surface of the tip portion is brought into physical and/or electrical contact with the conducting member, thereby completing an electric circuit. Moreover, when the tip portion 23 of the stylus 20 is placed in contact with the touch screen (e.g., a capacitance touch screen), the tip portion 23 can distort an electrostatic field of a conductive portion of the touch screen, which in turn, can be scanned to determine a change in capacitance, as described in detail above. Thus, based on the change in capacitance of a portion of the touch screen, the electronic device can perform one or more actions, which can be, for example, graphically represented on the touch screen.
As described above, the tip portion 23 is formed from a substantially flexible conductive material such as silicone and/or any other suitable elastomeric material. The tip portion 23 can have a hardness that is sufficiently small to allow the tip portion 23 to deform when placed in contact with a touch screen. For example, in some embodiments, the tip portion 23 can have a durometer (e.g., hardness) between about 50 Shore A and about 70 Shore A. In other embodiments, the tip portion 23 can have a durometer that is less than 50 Shore A. In still other embodiments, the tip portion 23 can have a durometer that is greater than 70 Shore A. In some embodiments, the tip portion 23 can be, for example, substantially hollow with a wall thickness that facilitates an elastic deformation (i.e., non-permanent deformation) of the tip portion 23. For example, in some embodiments, the tip portion 23 can have a wall thickness between about 0.25 millimeters and about 1.00 millimeter. In other embodiments, the tip portion 23 can have a wall thickness that is less than 0.25 millimeters. In yet other embodiments, the tip portion 23 can have a wall thickness that is greater than 1.00 millimeter. As such, the combination of wall thickness of the tip portion 23 and the durometer of the material used to form the tip portion 23 can collectively determine the stiffness of the tip portion 23. In some embodiments, the wall thickness of the tip portion can be varied. For example, a stylus can include a tip portion with a wall thickness that increases as the tip portion extends from a body portion. Similarly stated, in some embodiments, the rounded end of a tip portion can have a greater wall thickness than a wall thickness of the tip portion at a position adjacent to the body portion. In other embodiments, a wall thickness of a side of a tip portion that relates to a width of a stylus can be different from a wall thickness of a side of the tip portion that relates to a thickness of a stylus, or vice versa.
The tip portion 23 includes and/or can form an engagement surface 24. More specifically, when the tip portion 23 is placed in contact with the touch screen, the engagement surface 24 can be, for example, the deformed surface of the tip potion 23 that is placed in contact with the touch screen. Therefore, the size and/or shape of the engagement surface 24 can be based at least in part on the angle at which the stylus 20 is held relative to the touch screen, the amount of force applied to the stylus 20 (e.g., the amount of pressure applied by the tip portion 23 on the touch screen), the shape of the tip portion 23, the orientation of the stylus 20 relative to a user's hand, and/or the like. For example, as shown in
In other instances, a constant force can be applied to the stylus 20 and the angle of the stylus 20 relative to the surface S can be changed. For example, when the tip portion 23 is in contact with the surface S and the stylus 20 is at a non-normal angle relative to the surface S, the engagement surface 24 is formed on a side of the tip portion 23 rather than at the end, as shown in
While the engagement surface 24 is described in the above example as being formed with a substantially constant force applied to the stylus 20, in other embodiments, the arrangement of the wall thickness of the tip portion 23 can be such that size of the engagement surface 24 increases as the stylus 20 is angled relative to the touch screen regardless of a decrease in the force applied to the stylus 20. For example, as described above, in some embodiments, a stylus can include a tip portion that has a wall thickness that is varied. In such embodiments, the wall thickness of the tip portion can be substantially thicker at the rounded end than at a position adjacent to a body portion of the stylus. As such, the stiffness of the tip portion can decrease from a first value at or around the rounded tip to a second value at or around the body portion. Thus, a smaller amount of force applied to the stylus when the stylus is disposed at an angle relative to the touch screen can result in a larger size of an engagement surface (
Although the stylus 20 is shown in
In some instances, an electronic device can be configured to display a spot and/or line on a touch screen with a size or weight that substantially corresponds to the size of the engagement surface 24 (i.e., as a result of the completion of the electric circuit when the tip portion 23 is placed in contact with the touch screen). For example, when the tip portion 23 of the stylus 20 is placed in contact with the touch screen, the electronic device can be configured to determine (e.g., at a processor included therein) the relative position of the engagement surface 24, the pressure applied by the engagement surface 24 on the touch screen, the area of the engagement surface 24, the angle of the stylus 20 relative to the touch screen, and/or any other relevant information. Therefore, based at least in part on the determined information, the electronic device can be configured to send a signal to the touch screen indicative of an instruction to display a dot or line having a size or weight that corresponds to the engagement surface 24.
In some instances, the spot and/or line weight represented on the touch screen of the electronic device can be increased and/or decreased by changing the angle at which the stylus 20 is held relative to the touch screen, increasing or decreasing, respectively, the amount of force applied to the stylus 20, and or changing the orientation of the stylus 20 relative to the touch screen (e.g., aligning a width of the stylus 20 with the width of a touch screen or aligning a thickness of the stylus 20 with the width of the touch screen). For example, the electronic device can be configured to display a relative thin line when the tip portion 23 of the stylus 20 is placed in contact with the touch screen and the stylus 20 is held substantially perpendicular to the touch screen, as shown in
Referring now to
In use, a user can manipulate the stylus 20 to place the end portion 27 in contact with a touch screen of an electronic device and the electronic device can, in turn, be configured to determine the relative location of the end portion 27. In some instances, based at least in part on a size and/or shape of an engagement surface (not shown in
Although not shown in
While various embodiments have been particularly shown and described above, it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example only, and not limitation. For example, while the stylus 20 is particularly described above with reference to
Where schematics and/or embodiments described above indicate certain components arranged in certain orientations or positions, the arrangement of components may be modified.
Although various embodiments have been described as having particular features and/or combinations of components, other embodiments are possible having a combination of any features and/or components from any of embodiments as discussed above. For example, any of the embodiments described herein can include an end portion that is substantially similar in form and function as the end portion 27 of the stylus 20 described above with reference to
Where methods described above indicate certain events occurring in certain order, the ordering of certain events may be modified. Additionally, certain of the events may be performed concurrently in a parallel process when possible, as well as performed sequentially as described above.
Some embodiments described herein relate to a computer storage product with a non-transitory computer-readable medium (also can be referred to as a non-transitory processor-readable medium) having instructions or computer code thereon for performing various computer-implemented operations. The computer-readable medium (or processor-readable medium) is non-transitory in the sense that it does not include transitory propagating signals per se (e.g., a propagating electromagnetic wave carrying information on a transmission medium such as space or a cable). The media and computer code (also can be referred to as code) may be those designed and constructed for the specific purpose or purposes. Examples of non-transitory computer-readable media include, but are not limited to, magnetic storage media such as hard disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tape; optical storage media such as Compact Disc/Digital Video Discs (CD/DVDs), Compact Disc-Read Only Memories (CD-ROMs), and holographic devices; magneto-optical storage media such as optical disks; carrier wave signal processing modules; and hardware devices that are specially configured to store and execute program code, such as Application-Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), Programmable Logic Devices (PLDs), Read-Only Memory (ROM) and Random-Access Memory (RAM) devices. Other embodiments described herein relate to a computer program product, which can include, for example, the instructions and/or computer code discussed herein.
Some embodiments and/or methods described herein can be performed by software (executed on hardware), hardware, or a combination thereof. Hardware modules may include, for example, a general-purpose processor, a field programmable gate array (FPGA), and/or an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). Software modules (executed on hardware) can be expressed in a variety of software languages (e.g., computer code), including C, C++, Java™, Ruby, Visual Basic™, and/or other object-oriented, procedural, or other programming language and development tools. Examples of computer code include, but are not limited to, micro-code or micro-instructions, machine instructions, such as produced by a compiler, code used to produce a web service, and files containing higher-level instructions that are executed by a computer using an interpreter. For example, embodiments may be implemented using imperative programming languages (e.g., C, Fortran, etc.), functional programming languages (Haskell, Erlang, etc.), logical programming languages (e.g., Prolog), object-oriented programming languages (e.g., Java, C++, etc.) or other suitable programming languages and/or development tools. Additional examples of computer code include, but are not limited to, control signals, encrypted code, and compressed code.
This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. Nos. 61/857,812 entitled, “Stylus Having a Deformable Tip and Methods of Using the Same,” filed Jul. 24, 2013, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. This application is also related to co-pending U.S. Patent Application having Attorney Docket No. FIFT-008/02US 317784-2028, filed on the same date, and entitled “Methods and Apparatus for Implementing Dual Tip Functionality in a Stylus Device,” and U.S. Patent Application having Attorney Docket No. FIFT-009/O1US 317784-2030, filed on the same date, and entitled “Methods and Apparatus for Providing Universal Stylus Device with Multiple Functionalities,” each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61857812 | Jul 2013 | US |
