Integrated Stylus Nib Electrodes for Accurate Tilt Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional stylus designs suffer from accuracy issues due to mechanical freedom between the tip and ring electrodes, leading to deformations and inaccurate positioning and tilt detection.

Innovation Solution

The integration of tip and ring electrodes in a single, molded nib portion allows for controlled gap and height, enabling precise positioning and tilt detection, with adaptable electrode sizes and shapes for various applications.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If tip and ring electrodes are separated in conventional stylus designs, then manufacturing flexibility is improved, but positioning accuracy and tilt detection precision deteriorate due to mechanical freedom and deformations

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing flexibilityVSAvoidpositioning accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the tip electrode and ring electrode into a single integrated nib portion made of insulating material. This combination eliminates the mechanical freedom and deformations that occur when electrodes are separate, thereby improving positioning accuracy and tilt detection precision while maintaining manufacturing flexibility through molding processes

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Adaptability or versatility

If tip and ring electrodes are separated in conventional stylus designs, then electrode size adjustment is simplified, but signal distribution consistency and positioning accuracy worsen due to mechanical deformations

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveelectrode size adjustmentVSAvoidsignal distribution consistency

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The integrated nib portion design allows both electrodes to be molded as a single unit, ensuring consistent signal distribution. The insulating material maintains fixed geometric relationships between electrodes, eliminating deformations that would otherwise compromise signal consistency, while still allowing different electrode sizes to be molded for various applications

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the physical state and properties of the nib portion by using insulating material that can be molded into specific shapes. This allows precise control of electrode geometry, size, and position parameters during manufacturing, ensuring consistent signal distribution while accommodating different electrode configurations for various applications

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Device complexity

If conventional stylus designs are used with separate electrodes, then structural simplicity is improved, but tilt detection accuracy and writing effect precision deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural simplicityVSAvoidtilt detection accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines tip and ring electrodes into a single molded nib portion, which maintains structural simplicity while eliminating the mechanical freedom between separate electrodes. This integration ensures that the relative positions and orientations of electrodes remain fixed, thereby improving tilt detection accuracy and writing effect precision without significantly increasing device complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP4025985B1Electronic stylus nib design and accuracy improvement

Publication Date: 2025.12.03 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC

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Figure 3~4
Figure 5(a)~6(c)

AI summary

A stylus comprising a housing and a nib portion configured to be attached to the housing and to extend out from the housing, wherein the nib portion comprises at a tip area an integrated conductive tip electrode and at least one integrated conductive ring electrode surrounding the tip electrode at least partially and electrically isolated from the tip electrode.