Patent ID: 9116560
Filing Date: 2015-08-25
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A touch pen with haptic feedback, comprising: an elongate hollow pen body having a contact end and an opening defined in the contact end; a surface contact ball disposed in the contact end of the pen body, a portion of the contact ball protruding through the opening in the contact end, the surface contact ball being adapted for rolling contact with a touch-sensitive surface of a touch screen electronic device; a bearing ball disposed in the contact end of the pen body above the surface contact ball, the bearing ball bearing against the surface contact ball; an inverted cradle having a central hub and a plurality of arms extending from the hub, each of the arms having a distal end, each of the arms being flexibly attached to the hub; a plurality of haptic balls, each of the cradle arms having a corresponding one of the haptic balls mounted at the distal end, the hub, the arms, and the haptic balls defining a cone having an apex at the hub and an expandable and contractible base defined by the haptic balls; and a tension-adjusting plunger slidably mounted in the pen body, the plunger having a tip bearing against the central hub of the cradle; wherein pressure applied to the surface contact ball when the pen is applied to the touch-sensitive surface is translated into reciprocating movement of the bearing ball against the haptic balls, extending the haptic balls radially to expand the base of the cone and altering haptic feedback mediated by the pen body.