Apple filings reveal heated, wireless stylus concepts for iPad and iPhone
Though Apple has thus far resisted the market for stylus devices, a freshly-filed pair of filings show the company continues to explore the space with concepts such as a "heated stylus" for more precise interaction and one that could be used to enter data on an iOS device without actually touching the device or requiring specialized paper.
The first of those filings discovered by AppleInsider, titled Stylus For Touch Sensitive Devices, depicts a stylus with a conductive tip that may be heated to create a more consistent interaction between the capacitive-sensors in an iPhone or iPad. Such a stylus would include a rechargeable battery which may be recharged through a docking station built into the iOS devices themselves.
In the filing, Apple engineer Douglas Weber noted that heating the stylus tip may be beneficial in offsetting any instability of capacitance due to aging of the stylus itself. He noted that the tip may be heated in a number of ways. For example, a battery powered heating element, a heat sink which transfers the heat from a user's hand to the tip, or through a fluid-based heating element.
Weber added that the heating element may be anything capable of providing a source of heat, such as a "wire made from materials such as a metal or metal alloy, metal bars or wires, wire insulated in steel or brass, ceramics with positive thermal coefficients," or "fluid stored in the same manner as ink is stored in a liquid-ink pen, for example, inside a plastic tube disposed within the body."
Meanwhile, a second filing for a "Communicating Stylus," describes a stylus that includes a position sensing device such as an accelerometer, a tip for writing, a wireless transmitter for sending position data, and a receiver. Apple engineer Aleksandar Pance, who is credited with the invention, said the combination of those components can allow the stylus to enter data into an iPad or iPhone without actually touching the device nor requiring any specialized paper.
"Rather, the stylus is able to enter data into the computing device, corresponding to images or text drawn draw on any surface," he wrote. "Additionally, the stylus can enter the data from a distance, such as from across the room, to the computing device."
This could allow a user to keep their iPhone stored in their pocket and still be able to use the stylus to enter text or drawings into the device. "This makes it easy, for example, in a classroom setting for a user to take handwritten notes and simultaneously create a digital version of those notes," Pance explains. "Additionally, in another embodiment, the stylus allows for the user to write on a whiteboard mounted on a wall and simultaneously display what he has written on a computing device."
While Apple has so far abstained from introducing a stylus for its iOS devices, instead requiring users to interact with the products solely through use of their god-given fingers, rumors have suggested that the company hasn't abandoned the idea completely and is currently looking into a stylus for the iPad in order to make further inroads into the educational market.
For example, one report from back in February of this year cited "a person who works at Apple on the iPad" as saying Apple continues to consider the idea because adding a stylus option to its tablet device may help the company "reach a wider number of children in school."
?It?s one of the barriers for school kids and college students to purchase an iPad where they want the ability to take notes by hand and draw in class," that person said.
Both of the filings revealed by the United States Patent and Trademark Office on Thursday were filed on January 6th, 2010, shortly before Apple unveiled the first-generation iPad.
The first of those filings discovered by AppleInsider, titled Stylus For Touch Sensitive Devices, depicts a stylus with a conductive tip that may be heated to create a more consistent interaction between the capacitive-sensors in an iPhone or iPad. Such a stylus would include a rechargeable battery which may be recharged through a docking station built into the iOS devices themselves.
In the filing, Apple engineer Douglas Weber noted that heating the stylus tip may be beneficial in offsetting any instability of capacitance due to aging of the stylus itself. He noted that the tip may be heated in a number of ways. For example, a battery powered heating element, a heat sink which transfers the heat from a user's hand to the tip, or through a fluid-based heating element.
Weber added that the heating element may be anything capable of providing a source of heat, such as a "wire made from materials such as a metal or metal alloy, metal bars or wires, wire insulated in steel or brass, ceramics with positive thermal coefficients," or "fluid stored in the same manner as ink is stored in a liquid-ink pen, for example, inside a plastic tube disposed within the body."
Meanwhile, a second filing for a "Communicating Stylus," describes a stylus that includes a position sensing device such as an accelerometer, a tip for writing, a wireless transmitter for sending position data, and a receiver. Apple engineer Aleksandar Pance, who is credited with the invention, said the combination of those components can allow the stylus to enter data into an iPad or iPhone without actually touching the device nor requiring any specialized paper.
"Rather, the stylus is able to enter data into the computing device, corresponding to images or text drawn draw on any surface," he wrote. "Additionally, the stylus can enter the data from a distance, such as from across the room, to the computing device."
This could allow a user to keep their iPhone stored in their pocket and still be able to use the stylus to enter text or drawings into the device. "This makes it easy, for example, in a classroom setting for a user to take handwritten notes and simultaneously create a digital version of those notes," Pance explains. "Additionally, in another embodiment, the stylus allows for the user to write on a whiteboard mounted on a wall and simultaneously display what he has written on a computing device."
While Apple has so far abstained from introducing a stylus for its iOS devices, instead requiring users to interact with the products solely through use of their god-given fingers, rumors have suggested that the company hasn't abandoned the idea completely and is currently looking into a stylus for the iPad in order to make further inroads into the educational market.
For example, one report from back in February of this year cited "a person who works at Apple on the iPad" as saying Apple continues to consider the idea because adding a stylus option to its tablet device may help the company "reach a wider number of children in school."
?It?s one of the barriers for school kids and college students to purchase an iPad where they want the ability to take notes by hand and draw in class," that person said.
Both of the filings revealed by the United States Patent and Trademark Office on Thursday were filed on January 6th, 2010, shortly before Apple unveiled the first-generation iPad.
Comments
Looks like someone's gonna blow it...
Before people start asking if this will be in the next iPad, it should be pointed out that Apple (and other companies) file many patents and the vast majority of them do not see the light of day as a finished product on a store shelf.
I know, but I always wanted a Logi-Pen, and if Apple were to make one that was actually good - I'd get a big case of the warm and tingleys.
"If you see a stylus, they blew it. In multitasking, if you see a task manager... they blew it."
- Steve Jobs
doesn't it follow that for him to say that he would have tried one?
"If you see a stylus, they blew it. In multitasking, if you see a task manager... they blew it."
- Steve Jobs
yeh yeh, but if you note the second patent isn't a stylus - it's a pen, with ink, that writes on paper - and then communicates back to the iDevice at some later time wirelessly. That's a totally different thing - it's not an added inconvenience to my interaction with my iDevice - it's an added convenience to my interaction with paper.
Though Apple has thus far resisted the market for stylus devices, a freshly-filed pair of filings show the company continues to explore the space with concepts such as a "heated stylus" for more precise interaction and one that could be used to enter data on an iOS device without actually touching the device or requiring specialized paper. ...
I hate to point out the obvious, but neither of these is actually a stylus in the sense of being a proper drawing stylus or different in any essential way from the cpacitive styluses we have now.
Capacitive styluses are "fake fingers" and work the same way as fingers with all of the inaccuracy, and all of the problems associated with using your finger on the display. A "real" drawing stylus needs to has pressure sensitivity, a variable stroke, and on an iOS device would have to be *non-capacitive*.
The second type of "communication" stylus has also been around for a while. I can't remember the product name but they were very popular a few years ago for notes. You draw on a piece of paper with a real pen, but all the positioning data is recorded as vector information and transmitted to a memory card.
These patents cover minor improvements to styluses that are already commonplace. This isn't Apple looking at inventing a proper stylus for the iPad or anything like that.
The second type of "communication" stylus has also been around for a while. I can't remember the product name but they were very popular a few years ago for notes. You draw on a piece of paper with a real pen, but all the positioning data is recorded as vector information and transmitted to a memory card.
The popular versions are all flawed. The LogiPen requires a seperate receiver affixed to the page to provide position data. The LiveScribe requires special paper. A genuine pen that has no extraneous requirement would be a huge improvement.
Next...
"If you see a stylus, they blew it.
- Steve Jobs
You forgot: "Until we do it."
Then it makes perfect sense.
These patents cover minor improvements to styluses that are already commonplace. This isn't Apple looking at inventing a proper stylus for the iPad or anything like that.
I love the ideas present in these patents. I could really see a lot of use for this especially if these new iPens can sync the info with the cloud somehow and the whole ecosystem of iPhones iPads and Macs have access to the information (notes).
But as you said "smart pens" and drawing stylus are nothing new.
My few attempts to use a stylus on my iPad resulted in issues where my palm resting on the iPad, as I draw, "marks" the drawing area. This is also true with the palm aware apps.
I use a box wave stylus for writing with the two best apps: notes plus and notetaker both these apps disable parts of the screen so that resting you palm on the screen do not enter marks
The reason a stlus works better than my finger is because I can achieve finer movements with my thumb and index finger wrapped around my stylus than I can with just my finger. It works just fine.I disagree about it not working with the palm aware apps. Which ones are you using?
As someone else said...................
"No thanks.
Next..."