Device for a digital writing instrument

Abstract

The invention concerns device for a digital writing instrument the device comprising a substrate with a transparent or translucent layer and a pattern layer on the transparent layer. The pattern comprising an active area made with photoluminescent material and an inactive area made with non photoluminescent material. The photoluminescent material comprises a successive alternate of a first layer and a second layer generating photoluminescent structure at the interface of said first layer and said second layer, the pattern layer comprises a series of N points distributed in a plan (X,Y), either said N-points define the active area whereas the inactive area is defined by the area between said N points. The N-points defines the inactive area whereas the active area is defined by the area between said N points. The invention also relates to a method for determining a position, a method for manufacturing, a system and a stylus.

Claims

1. A device for a digital writing instrument, the device comprising a substrate with a transparent or translucent layer and a pattern layer on the transparent or translucent layer, the pattern layer comprising an active area made with photoluminescent material and an inactive area made with non photoluminescent material, said active area being distinct from said inactive area, said photoluminescent material being transparent under visible light and capable of emitting in near infra-red (NIR) or visible radiation upon exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light radiation, wherein said photoluminescent material of said active area comprises a stack of layers, said stack comprising successive alternate first and second layers generating photoluminescent structures at the interface of said first layers and said second layers, in that the photoluminescent material and the non-photoluminescent material are made with a stack of layers with layers having the same composition, the photoluminescent stack being treated to provide a non-photoluminescent stack, and in that the pattern layer comprises a series of N points distributed in a plan (X,Y), N being superior to 2, either said N-points define the active area and the inactive area is defined by the area between said N points, or said N-points defines the inactive area and the active area is defined by the area between said N points.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein said first layer has a thickness between 1 nm and 20 nm and said second layer has a thickness between 1 nm and 7 nm.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein said second layer has a thickness between 1 nm and 50 nm.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the stack comprises at least two first layers and two second layers, the stack having a thickness inferior to 2 μm.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the first layer comprises a metal oxide or a metal nitride, the second layer comprises a metal oxide or a metal nitride, or both the first layer and the second layer comprise a metal oxide or a metal nitride.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the first layer, the second layer, or both the first layer and the second layer comprise(s) an alloy, a metal oxide alloy ABOx, or a metal nitride oxide alloy A′B′Nx, with A, A′, B and B′ being a metal element.

7. The device according to claim 5, wherein the metal oxide comprises SiOx, ZnO, or an alloy of said metal oxide.

8. The device according to claim 5, wherein the metal nitride comprises AIN, GaN, InN, or an alloy of said metal nitride.

9. The device according to claim 1, wherein the stack further comprises at least one third layer between the first layer and the second layer, between two first layers, or between two second layers.

10. The device according to claim 9, wherein said third layer comprises a metal sulphide, ZnS, CdS, or an alloy of said metal sulfide.

11. The device according to claim 8, wherein said third layer comprises a cadmium telluride, cadmium selenide, or an alloy of cadmium telluride and cadmium selenide.

12. The device according to claim 8, wherein said third layer comprises a metal arsenide, AlAs, GaAs, or an alloy of said metal arsenide.

13. The device according to claim 1, wherein the pattern layer has a thickness between 10 nm and 2 mm.

14. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device further comprises a filtering layer on the pattern layer for filtering any undesired light emitted by the transparent or translucent layer.

15. The device of claim 1, wherein the second layer is thicker than the first layer.

16. The device of claim 1, wherein the first layer and the second layer comprise different materials.

17. The device of claim 1, wherein (i) the first layer comprises silicon dioxide and the second layer comprise zinc oxide, (ii) the first layer comprises silicon dioxide and the second layer comprise aluminium nitride, (iii) the first layer comprises ZnSiOx and the second layer comprise aluminium nitride, or (iv) the first layer comprises ZnSiOx and the second layer comprise aluminium gallium nitride.

18. The device of claim 1, wherein the stack comprises a third layer and a fourth layer, the first, second, third, and fourth layers disposed in repeated sequence in the stack, wherein the first layer comprises silicon dioxide, the second layer comprise zinc oxide, the third layer comprises aluminium nitride, and the fourth layer comprises zinc oxide.

19. The device of claim 1, wherein the stack comprises a third layer a fourth layer, a fifth layer, and a sixth layer, the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth layers disposed in repeated sequence in the stack, wherein the first layer comprises silicon dioxide, the second layer comprise zinc oxide, the third layer comprises aluminium nitride, the fourth layer comprises gallium nitride, the fifth layer comprises aluminium nitride, and the sixth layer comprises zinc oxide.

20. The device of claim 1, wherein the photoluminescent structures are quantum structures.

21. The device according to claim 1, wherein the photoluminescent material and the non photoluminescent material are made with a stack of layers with layers having the same composition, and wherein the quantum structures present within the non photoluminescent stack have relatively diminished photoluminescent characteristics compared to the quantum structures present within the photoluminescent stack.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention will be better understood with the aid of the description of an embodiment given by way of example and illustrated by the figures, in which:

(2) FIGS. 1a and 1b show two devices according to the invention;

(3) FIGS. 2a and 2b show two devices according to the invention;

(4) FIGS. 3a and 3b show two devices according to the invention;

(5) FIG. 4 shows a system according to the invention;

(6) FIG. 5 shows an encoded surface of a device according to the invention;

(7) FIG. 6 shows an encoded surface of a device according to the invention;

(8) FIG. 7 represents a stylus according to the invention;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF POSSIBLE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

(9) Examples of the claimed invention is described below together with FIGS. 1 to 7, but the invention is not limited to these examples.

(10) FIGS. 1a, 1b, 2a and 2b, 3a and 3b illustrate embodiments of the device according the invention. FIGS. 1, 2 are section view of the device and only represent a portion of the device.

(11) The devices 100,200,300,400,900,1000 comprise a pattern layer 101,201,301,401,901,1001 and a transparent layer 102,202,302,402,902,1002. The transparent layer 102,202,302,402,902,1002 is made of amorphous glass. The pattern layer 101,201,301,401,901,1001 comprises a stack 103,203,303,403,903,1003 whose composition varies between the devices 100,200,300,400,900,1000.

(12) The stack 103 of the device 100 represented in FIG. 1a comprises SiO.sub.2 as a first layer 104 and ZnO as a second layer 105. In this embodiment, the first layer is 8 nm thick and the second layer is 5 nm thick.

(13) The stack 203 of the device 200 represented in FIG. 1b comprises SiO.sub.2 as a first layer 204 and AlN as a second layer 205. In this embodiment, the first layer is 8 nm thick and the second layer is 3 nm thick.

(14) The stack 303 of the device 300 represented in FIG. 2a comprises SiO.sub.2 as a first layer 304 and ZnO as a second layer 305. The stack 303 further comprises AlN as a third layer 306, said third layer AlN being comprised between two second layer ZnO 305. In this embodiment, the first layer is 8 nm thick, the second layer is 5 nm thick, the third layer is 3 nm thick.

(15) The stack 403 of the device 400 represented in FIG. 2b comprises ZnSiOx which is an alloy as a first layer 404 and AlN as a second layer 405. In this embodiment, the first layer is 15 nm thick and the second layer is 3 nm thick.

(16) The stack 903 of the device 900 represented in FIG. 3a comprises SiO.sub.2 as a first layer 904 and ZnO as a second layer 905. The stack 903 further comprises AlN and GaN as a third layer 906, the layer of GaN being between two layers of AlN. In this embodiment, the first layer is 5 nm thick, the second layer is 7 nm thick, the third layers are 3 nm thick.

(17) The stack 1003 of the device 1000 represented in FIG. 3b comprises ZnSiOx which is an alloy as a first layer 1004 and AGaIN as a second layer 1005. In this embodiment, the first layer is 12 nm thick and the second layer is 5 nm thick.

(18) When the stack comprises one third layer or several third layers, alloy formation can occur between said third layer and the first layer or the second layer. The formation of alloy depends on (i) the composition of the third layer and the first or second layer, (ii) the geometry of said stack and (iii) the process conditions. For instance, in FIGS. 2a and 2b, alloy formation between SiO.sub.x and ZnO can be favorized, while chances for alloy formation between ZnO and AlN can be limited a. Reciprocally In FIG. 3a, one could expect an alloy formation between SiO.sub.x and ZnO on one hand, and on the other hand between AlN and GaN.

(19) The invention is not limited to the illustrated device 100,200,300,400. For instance, the stack can comprise binary system (i.e. system with a first layer and a second layer) comprising Al.sub.2O.sub.3/ZnO, ZnO/SiO.sub.2, ZnO/GaN, AlN/SiO.sub.2, ZnS/SiO.sub.2, AlN/ZnS, AlN/ZnSe, GaN/SiC; or ternary system (with a first layer, a second layer and a third layer) comprising Al.sub.2O.sub.3/ZnO/SiO.sub.2, ZnO/AlN/SiO.sub.2, ZnO/GaN/SiO.sub.2, AlN/GaN/SiO.sub.2, InN/AlN/ZnO, InN/GaN/ZnO.

(20) Typically, the stack can comprise layers combination of II-VI and/or II-V.

(21) The device illustrated on FIG. 2a is manufactured by PVD with the following parameters:

(22) Temperature range: 200-300° C.

(23) Atmosphere 1: gas mixture Oxygen/Argon ranged from 15/85 to 30/70

(24) Atmosphere 2: gas mixture Nitrogen/Argon ranged from 25/75 to 40/60

(25) Process pressure range: 5×10.sup.5-10.sup.4 bar

(26) number of pairs of first and second layers: 20 to 50

(27) Process duration: mostly depends on the PVD system design and thus, varies from one reactor to another, for instance within the hour range (2 h˜5 h)

(28) FIG. 4 represents a system 500 according to the present invention. The system 500 comprises a device 501 according to the invention, for instance a device illustrated in FIG. 1a,b or 2a,b. The device 501 covers a display 502, in this embodiment a TV display. The device 501 comprises a pattern layer 503 and a transparent layer 504.

(29) FIG. 4b illustrates a portion 505 of the device 501, said portion being divided in surface unit 506.

(30) Each surface unit 506 comprises a serie of N-points as represented in FIG. 4c. The surface unit 506 represented in FIG. 3c comprises nine points, said N-points encoding one position on the pattern layer 503, and thus on the device 501. In the present embodiment, the points 507 are cylindrical shaped points, with a diameter of 50 μm. The pattern layer 503 further comprises an area between the points 507. If the points are made with photoluminescent material and define the active area, the inactive area is defined by the area between the points, as represented in FIG. 5. If the points are made with non photoluminescent material and define the inactive area, the active area is defined by the area between the points that is made with photoluminescent material as represented in FIG. 6.

(31) The system further comprises a stylus 510, said stylus comprises a UV module 511 for emitting UV radiation toward the pattern layer 503. The stylus 510 further comprises an IR module 512 for receiving NIR or visible light emitted from the pattern layer 503 upon UV radiation.

(32) FIG. 5 is a partial view of the pattern layer 503 of FIG. 3 showing 6 surface units 606. Each surface unit 606 of FIG. 5 comprises a specific distribution of N-points 607, N being equal to ten points in the present embodiment. In one embodiment, the point 607 are made with photoluminescent material, thereby defining the active area 608 with photoluminescent properties. The inactive area is defined by the area between the points, said inactive area 609 being made with non photoluminescent material. In another embodiment, the points 607 are made with non photoluminescent material, thereby defining the inactive area 608. The area between the points being made with photoluminescent material with photoluminescent properties.

(33) The distinguishing feature between the surface units 606 is the distribution of the points 607 on the surface unit 606. In other words, each surface unit 606 has a specific distribution of points 607 that encode a unique position on the pattern layer 503. When the stylus is facing one surface unit 606, the motif of the NIR radiation received by the IR module will depends on the distribution of the points. Thus, it is be possible to determine the position of the stylus 510 on the pattern layer 503 by processing the NIR radiation received by said IR module 512.

(34) Alternatively, the surface unit 506 can be encoded with two dimensions codes like QR code, as represented in FIG. 6. The points are replaced by two dimensions elements 707 distributed on the surface unit 706, each two dimensions element 707 being made either with photoluminescent material or non photoluminescent. The surface unit 506 further comprising area between the two dimensions element 707 that can be made either with photoluminescent material to define the active area 708 if the two dimensions element 707 are made with non photoluminescent material (inactive area 709) or with non photoluminescent material defining the inactive area 709 if the two dimensions element 707 are made with photoluminescent material (active area 708). To determine the position of the stylus, the process described for surface unit with point of FIG. 5 also applies to two dimensions element: upon UV radiation, each surface unit 706 emit a specific IR radiation motif encoding a unique position.

(35) FIG. 7 represent a stylus 800 according to the invention designed for being used with a device according to the present invention. The stylus 800 comprises an UV module 801 that is controlled by a UV activator 802 that triggers the UV radiation of the module 801 when said detector 801 detects the surface of the device. In the present embodiment, the UV module emits at 365 nm, said radiation being guided via an optical fiber 804.

(36) The stylus 800 further comprises an IR sensor or module 803 to treat the NIR radiation emitted by the surface of the device upon UV radiation. The NIR radiation are transmitted to processing means designed for treating the signal. The processing means comprises notably a circuit board 805.

(37) The stylus 800 further comprises a battery 806, in particular a rechargeable battery. The processing means can be coupled to transmission means, for instance Bluetooth connection means 807 to export the data to an external processor (not represented in figures).

(38) The stylus 800 also comprises a filter 808 for filtering (i) parasitic emission from the substrate onto which the pattern layer is processed, for instance mineral glass; (ii) parasitic emission from the UV source of the stylus and reflected by the substrate onto which the pattern layer is processed.

NUMÉROS DE RÉFÉRENCE EMPLOYÉS SUR LES FIGURES

(39) 100 Device according the invention

(40) 101 Pattern layer

(41) 102 Transparent layer

(42) 103 Stack

(43) 104 First layer

(44) 105 Second layer

(45) 200 Device according to the invention

(46) 201 Pattern layer

(47) 202 Transparent layer

(48) 203 Stack

(49) 204 First layer

(50) 205 Second layer

(51) 300 Device according to the invention

(52) 301 Pattern layer

(53) 302 Transparent layer

(54) 303 Stack

(55) 304 First layer

(56) 305 Second layer

(57) 306 Third layer

(58) 400 Device according to the invention

(59) 401 Pattern layer

(60) 402 Transparent layer

(61) 403 Stack

(62) 404 First layer

(63) 405 Second layer

(64) 500 System according to the invention

(65) 501 Device

(66) 502 display

(67) 503 Pattern layer

(68) 504 Transparent layer

(69) 505 Portion of the pattern layer

(70) 506 Surface unit

(71) 507 Point

(72) 508 Photoluminescent material

(73) 509 Non photoluminescent material

(74) 510 Stylus

(75) 511 UV module

(76) 512 IR module

(77) 600 Device according to the invention

(78) 606 Surface unit

(79) 607 Points

(80) 608 Active area

(81) 609 Inactive area

(82) 700 Device according to the invention

(83) 706 Surface unit

(84) 707 Two dimensions element

(85) 708 Active area

(86) 709 Inactive area

(87) 800 Stylus according to the present invention

(88) 801 UV module

(89) 802 UV activator

(90) 803 IR sensor

(91) 804 Optic fiber

(92) 805 Circuit board

(93) 806 Battery

(94) 807 Bluetooth connection means

(95) 808 Optical filter

(96) 900 Device according to the invention

(97) 901 Pattern layer

(98) 902 Transparent layer

(99) 903 Stack

(100) 904 First layer

(101) 905 Second layer

(102) 906 Third layer

(103) 1000 Device according to the invention

(104) 1001 Pattern layer

(105) 1002 Transparent layer

(106) 1003 Stack

(107) 1004 First layer

(108) 1005 Second layer