Abstract:
A stylus device for capacitive-based touch screens may include a hook or other attachment device that allows the stylus to attach to a user&#39;s glove, or another piece of a garment to reduce the likelihood of the stylus being lost. Such a stylus may be easily accessed by the user to provide input on a capacitive-based touch screen without removing the glove or other garment, such that work disruptions by the capacitive-based touch screen are reduced or minimized. For example, the stylus may have a hook sized to attach to a glove finger, in which the stylus can be quickly accessed with a twist of the wrist and then allowed to hang from the glove when the stylus is not in use, such as when a worker is operating equipment.

Description:
FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     The instant disclosure relates to capacitive styluses for electronic devices. More specifically, portions of this disclosure relate to improving accessibility of capacitive styluses in working environments. 
     BACKGROUND 
     As electronic devices increase in availability and decrease in price, electronic devices have found an increasing number of applications where workflows can be improved. For example, medical personnel have begun carrying electronic devices and using them to log medicines, treatments, conditions, etc. By electronically documenting information, treatment protocols are much easier to enforce and patient outcomes are improved. Likewise, workers in commercial and industrial environments have also begun carrying electronic devices. The devices can be used to log conditions of and maintenance performed on various equipment, and thus efficiency improved and downtime of equipment reduced by enforcing compliance with maintenance protocols. 
     Electronic devices have improved in receiving input from users, such as medical personnel and maintenance personnel. Initially, electronic devices included keyboards for receiving input from users. Keyboard are cumbersome input devices because they restrict input to characters and numbers. Further, keyboards take up significant space on an electronic device because fifty or more discrete keys must be fit in a small amount of space. These keys then become so small that they are difficult for an operator to enter input without making errors and needing to backspace and re-enter input. Later, electronic devices began incorporating touch screens that allowed users to enter input by tapping on the display screen of the electronic device. Early touch screens implemented resistive touch screens, in which the touch screen registers user input by detecting changes in resistance in the vicinity of the user&#39;s finger in a layer near the screen. Although the details of operation of such a resistance-based touch screen are unnecessary to describe, it can be noted that resistance-based touch screen work with any object that makes contact with the screen, including user fingers when gloves are being worn and conventional writing implements such as pens and pencils. This is one benefit of resistance-based touch screens, however accuracy and resolution are limited with these screens. 
     Recently, touch screens are transitioning from the resistance-based touch screens to capacitive-based touch screens. These touch screens detect changes in capacitance in layers across the display screen to detect user input. Again the details of operation of such a capacitance-based touch screen are unnecessary to describe, but it can be noted that capacitive-based touch screens can only detect user input when conductive items contact the touch screen. Thus, although human fingers are conductive enough to activate the touch screen, when gloves are worn over the fingers a user is no longer able to interact with the capacitive-based touch screen. Many people work in environments in which gloves are necessary. For example, some users work outdoors in cold climates where gloves are necessary to protect fingers from the elements. As another example, some users work in industrial environments involving high voltages or other hazards where gloves are necessary to protect fingers from these hazards. 
     Styluses are sold that provide users with the ability to interact with capacitive-based touch screens. Many such styluses are made in the shape of pencils and pens to provide a natural writing experience for the user. However, these styluses are frequently lost because they are difficult to keep track of, particularly in busy working environments and industrial environments. 
     SUMMARY 
     A stylus device for capacitive-based touch screens may include a hook or other attachment device that allows the stylus to attach to a user&#39;s glove, or another piece of a garment to reduce the likelihood of the stylus being lost. Such a stylus may be easily accessed by the user to provide input on a capacitive-based touch screen without removing the glove or other garment, such that work disruptions by the capacitive-based touch screen are reduced or minimized. In one embodiment, the stylus is designed with a hook sized to attach to a glove finger, in which the stylus can be quickly accessed with a twist of the wrist and then allowed to hang from the glove when the stylus is not in use, such as when a worker is operating equipment. The device enables the user to reach or touch a much larger area of screen than would be possible with their thumb alone and without the aid of their other hand, such that the user can employ their other hand for other operations, such as to operate another tool or to hold a railing for support. The stylus device may be made of conductive materials and designed so as to create adequate surface contact around the thumb outside the protective material to allow the capacitive stylus to work while user is wearing a glove. Although stylus tips for capacitive-based touch screens are described throughout the application, the stylus tip may also be configured for use with resistive-based touch screens or other touch screens. 
     According to one embodiment, an apparatus may include a capacitive tip, a handle coupled to the capacitive tip, and/or a clip coupled to the handle, wherein the clip is configured to open based on force applied to the handle and return to a closed state upon removal of the applied force to the handle to open the clip. 
     According to another embodiment, an apparatus may include means for writing on a capacitive-based touch screen and/or means for attaching the writing means to a garment. 
     The foregoing has outlined rather broadly certain features and technical advantages of embodiments of the present invention in order that the detailed description that follows may be better understood. Additional features and advantages will be described hereinafter that form the subject of the claims of the invention. It should be appreciated by those having ordinary skill in the art that the conception and specific embodiment disclosed may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for carrying out the same or similar purposes. It should also be realized by those having ordinary skill in the art that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. Additional features will be better understood from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying figures. It is to be expressly understood, however, that each of the figures is provided for the purpose of illustration and description only and is not intended to limit the present invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       For a more complete understanding of the disclosed system and methods, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a stylus with clip according to one embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a side view of a stylus with clip according to one embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  is an end view of a stylus with clip showing the capacitive tip according to one embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 4  is a top view of a stylus with clip according to one embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 5  is an illustration showing a stylus with clip attached to a glove finger and in use on a capacitive-based touch screen according to one embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 6  is an illustration showing a stylus with clip in use in an environment requiring a worker to wear gloves according to one embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 7  is a side view of a stylus with clip according to another embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 8  is a side view of a stylus with clip according to a further embodiment of the disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In one embodiment, a stylus with clip may include a reverse-action clip that remains closed without any applied force and opens with applied force. Such a reverse-action clip may be advantageous in a working environment because the clip, once attached to a glove finger, remains attached to the glove finger until force is intentionally applied to the clip to remove the stylus from the glove finger. Thus, the stylus is not easily dropped or otherwise lost. Such a stylus with clip is shown in the various view of  FIG. 1 ,  FIG. 2 ,  FIG. 3 ,  FIG. 4 , and  FIG. 5 . 
     Although a particular clip is shown and sized to fit a glove finger, other clips or attachment mechanisms may be employed with the stylus or sized to fit other garments, such as a shirt sleeve or belt.  FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a stylus with clip according to one embodiment of the disclosure;  FIG. 2  is a side view of a stylus with clip according to one embodiment of the disclosure;  FIG. 3  is an end view of a stylus with clip showing the capacitive tip according to one embodiment of the disclosure; and  FIG. 4  is a top view of a stylus with clip according to one embodiment of the disclosure. In one embodiment, an apparatus  100  shown in  FIGS. 1-4  may have a length of approximately 1.5 inches to 3 inches, and a tip and extension portion may have a length of approximately 0.25 to 1 inch. 
     An apparatus  100  may have three sections: a first section  110  for a stylus tip, a second section  120  for a handle, and a third section  130  for an attachment mechanism, such as a clip. The first section  110  may include a capacitive-compatible tip  112  attached at a distal end of an extension  114 . The capacitive-compatible tip  112  may include a material that is sufficiently conductive to operate a capacitive-based touch screen, either in one or more layers of the tip  112  or as part of a composite material in the tip  112 . For example, the tip  112  may include a conductive rubber tip. As other examples, the tip  112  may include a metal base or a conductive plastic. The extension  114  may be sized to allow easy operation of a capacitive-based touch screen when the apparatus  100  is attached to a finger glove. The second section  120  may include two handles  122  and  124 . In one embodiment, the handles  122  and  124  may be a single piece and include a grip on the handles  122  and  124  illustrated on handle  122  and grip  122 A. The grip  122 A may include ribbings that improve handling of the apparatus  100 , which may be particularly useful when a user is wearing thick gloves that reduce accessibility. The handles  122  and  124  may be part of pieces that extend into the third section  130  as clip portions  132  and  134 . The clip portions  132  and  134  meet at a distal end of the apparatus  100  from the capacitive-compatible tip  112 . At that distal end is a contact point  136 . The contact point  136  and/or clip portions  132  and  134  may include interlocking teeth, ribbings, and/or other features that improve attachment of the apparatus  100  to glove fingers or other garments. 
     Operation of the apparatus  100  is performed by gripping the handles  122  and  124 . When force is applied to the handles  122  and  124  to squeeze together the handles  122  and  124 , a sliding segment  122 B of the handle  122  moves through an opening  124 A in the handle  124  along the length of the groove  124 . At the same time, space between the clip portions  132  and  134  is increased and the third portion  130  is opened to allow attachment of the apparatus  100  to a garment, such as a glove finger. When force applied to the handles  122  and  124  is reduced, the handles  122  and  124  expand and the clip portions  132  and  134  close to attach the apparatus  100  to the garment. 
     The apparatus  100  of  FIG. 1  is shown in use in  FIG. 5 .  FIG. 5  is an illustration showing a stylus with clip attached to a glove finger and in use on a capacitive-based touch screen according to one embodiment of the disclosure. The stylus  100  may attach to glove finger  502  and remain attached until removed by a user applying force to the handles. A user may move glove finger  502  to make specific contact of the stylus tip to a capacitive-based touch screen to provide user input to a mobile device. Movement of the finger in the glove may be translated to movement of the stylus tip through the apparatus  100  when attached to the glove finger  502 . 
     A stylus with clip as shown in the embodiment of  FIG. 1 ,  FIG. 2 ,  FIG. 3 ,  FIG. 4 , and  FIG. 5  may be used in work environments where workers do not have easy access to the mobile device, such as due to accessibility issues from wearing thick gloves. Such gloves may be worn, for example, by those in the electrical, environmental, chemical, or other fields.  FIG. 6  is an illustration showing a stylus with clip in use in an environment requiring a worker to wear gloves according to one embodiment of the disclosure. 
     The attachment mechanism for a stylus with clip may differ from that shown in the embodiment of  FIGS. 1-5 . For example, instead of an open end  136  for attaching the apparatus  100  to a glove finger, a closed end may be used to allow a glove finger to be inserted through a ring of the stylus as shown in  FIG. 7 .  FIG. 7  is a side view of a stylus with clip according to another embodiment of the disclosure. An apparatus  700  may include a first portion  710 , a second portion  720 , and a third portion  730 . The first portion  710  may include a capacitive-compatible tip  712  attached at a distal end of an extension  714 . The second portion  720  may include handles  722  and  724 . The third portion  730  may include a first segment  732  and a second segment  734 . The segments  734  and  732  extend to end portions  736  and  738 , respectively. The segments  732  and  734  of the third portion  730  may form a closed ring that can expand or contract in diameter by applying force to end portions  736  and  738 . When a pinching force is applied to end portions  736  and  738  to push the end portions  736  and  738  towards each other, the ring formed by segments  732  and  734  expands, after which the ring may be placed over a glove finger. As the applied force is decreased on end portions  736  and  738 , the space between the segments  732  and  734  contracts to attach the apparatus  700  to the inserted glove finger. Other portions of the apparatus  700  may be similar to the apparatus  100  of  FIGS. 1-5 . 
     As another example of a configuration for the apparatus,  FIG. 8  illustrates a stylus with clip with a different actuating mechanism.  FIG. 8  is a side view of a stylus with clip according to a further embodiment of the disclosure. An apparatus  800  includes a different sliding configuration for actuation of clip portions  832  and  834  of third section  830 . In particular, handles  822  and  824  of second section  820  each reduce in size to about half of their largest width in portion  820 A of second section  820 . The two halves of the handles  822  and  824  slide along each other, although not necessarily in contact, when force is applied to handles  822  and  824  to open the clip portions  832  and  834 . The apparatus  800  also includes tip  814  and extension  812 . The tip  814  may be a capacitive-compatible tip, but may also be resistive-compatible just as the above embodiments may also be resistive-compatible. 
     Although the present disclosure and certain representative advantages have been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and alterations can be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims. Moreover, the scope of the present application is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments of the process, machine, manufacture, composition of matter, means, methods and steps described in the specification. As one of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate from the present disclosure, processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps, presently existing or later to be developed that perform substantially the same function or achieve substantially the same result as the corresponding embodiments described herein may be utilized. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to include within their scope such processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps.