Today the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office officially granted Apple a patent that relates to a possible next-gen Apple Pencil that detects input devices and, more particularly, to mitigating the effects of noise when detecting input devices. In some examples, an electronic device detects a stylus and performs an operation in accordance with detected location(s) and/or movement of the stylus. For example, the electronic device displays simulated markings “drawn” using the stylus as a virtual pen, pencil, or other writing implement. Apple reveals that the virtual pen could be used with a foldable display (phone or tablet). 

In some situations, stylus data may include noise that causes the electronic device to inaccurately determine the location of the stylus. In these situations, noise can cause the electronic device to display simulated markings that do not correspond to the movement of the stylus made by the user.

In some examples, noise mitigation techniques can be used to reduce the errors in displaying simulated markings in response to stylus detection. For example, the electronic device can identify one or more outlier “points” the stylus moved through that are not in line with other detected “points” and correct (e.g., remove, change the location of) the outlier “points.”

Apple's patent FIG. 5 above illustrates an exemplary system including a stylus #520 and an electronic device #500 (iPad).  The stylus (e.g., a marking tool, smart pen, smart brush, wand, chisel, user-manipulated electronic input device, hand-held input device, and the like, or any other suitable accessory, such as a glove) may be configured to provide input to the electronic device (e.g., a tablet computer, laptop computer, desktop computer, and the like).

A user may manipulate the orientation and position of stylus relative to a surface of the touch-sensitive display of electronic device to convey information to electronic device, such as, but not limited to, writing, sketching, scrolling, gaming, selecting user interface elements, moving user interface elements, and so on.

In some examples, the surface of the touch-sensitive display of electronic device may be a multi-touch display screen. However, in some examples, the surface of the touch-sensitive display of electronic device may be a non-display surface of the touch-sensitive display, such as, but not limited to, a trackpad or drawing tablet.

The surface of the touch-sensitive display may be a foldable or flexible surface or display.

To review the full details of this invention, check out granted patent 12242695.