Patent ID: 7283127
Filing Date: 2007-10-16
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A passive stylus system for providing input to an electronic appliance, wherein the passive stylus utilizes a permanent magnet to provide passive stylus location information to a magnetic sensor system, said passive stylus system comprising: a passive stylus including at least one permanent magnet; a magnetic sensor system including a plurality of magnetic field sensors having circuitry that enables subtraction of the magnetic field of the passive stylus from the earth's relative magnetic field to thereby obtain vector information that is used to triangulate a location of the at least one permanent magnet disposed within the passive stylus relative to an area of operation, wherein the magnetic sensor system utilizes solid state magnetic sensor technology; and an electronic appliance for receiving input from the magnetic sensor system regarding the location of the at least one permanent magnet within the area of operation, wherein the input is interpreted to be alphanumerical text, cursor control, or graphical data.