Samsung was granted a utility patent earlier this month for a device that mirrors Apple's Magic Trackpad yet with added Samsung Pen support for drawing, writing and doubling as a mouse with just a single button mode switch. A patent pending equivalent was filed by Apple in July 2016.

Samsung's patent FIGS. 2A to 2B below illustrate a host and a pen-type input device according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 4 is a table illustrating functions of switches in character input mode and mouse mode during an input operation using a pen-type input device.

Samsung notes that in accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a pen-type input device for a host device, the input device including a first switch located on a pen tip, for inputting a character stroke in a character input mode and moving a mouse cursor in a mouse mode; a second switch for performing a mouse left-click operation in the mouse mode; and a third switch for switching an input mode of the pen-type input device.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for performing input on a host device using a pen-type input device, the method including determining the current input mode of a pen-type input device; when the input mode is a character input mode, moving a cursor according to location information of the pen-type input device and displaying a character stroke, while a first switch located on a pen tip of the pen-type input device is input; and when the input mode is a mouse mode, moving the cursor according to location information of the pen-type input device while the first switch is input, and maintaining the cursor while the first switch is not input.

Samsung filed for this patent back in July 2010, the very same month that Apple announced their new accessory device, Magic Trackpad.

About Making Comments on our Site: Patently Apple reserves the right to post, dismiss or edit any comments. Those using abusive language or negative behavior will result in being blacklisted on Disqus.