Method carried out by stylus, method carried out by dual stylus and dual controller, and dual stylus

Abstract

An active stylus includes an elongated body, an electrode provided at a tip end of the elongated body, an indicator, and a controller coupled to the electrode and the indicator. The controller is configured to operate, in a mutually exclusive manner, either in a first mode of operation to transmit a signal of a first system via the electrode and to receive an uplink signal transmitted from a sensor which detects, based on the signal of the first system, a position of the active stylus, or in a second mode of operation to transmit a signal of a second system via the electrode. The controller is configured to control the indicator responsive to a detection of the uplink signal.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An active stylus comprising:
 an elongated body,   an electrode provided at a tip end of the elongated body,   an indicator, and   a controller, which is coupled to the electrode and the indicator and which is configured to operate, in a mutually exclusive manner, either in a first mode of operation to transmit a signal of a first system via the electrode and to receive an uplink signal transmitted from a sensor which detects, based on the signal of the first system, a position of the active stylus, or in a second mode of operation to transmit a signal of a second system via the electrode,   wherein the controller is configured to control the indicator responsive to a detection of the uplink signal.   
     
     
         2 . The active stylus of  claim 1 , wherein
 the sensor transmits the uplink signal based on the signal of the first system transmitted from the active stylus, and   the controller, responsive to the detection of the uplink signal, controls the indicator to issue an indication corresponding to the first mode of operation.   
     
     
         3 . The active stylus of  claim 2 , wherein the controller controls the indicator responsive to a mode switch between the first mode of operation and the second mode of operation. 
     
     
         4 . The active stylus of  claim 3 , wherein the controller is configured to operate additionally in an unsettled mode of operation, which is different from the first mode of operation and from the second mode of operation, and the controller in the unsettled mode of operation controls the indicator to issue an indication, which is different from indications issued in the first mode of operation or in the second mode of operation. 
     
     
         5 . The active stylus of  claim 1 , wherein the controller controls the indicator responsive to a mode switch between the first mode of operation and the second mode of operation. 
     
     
         6 . The active stylus of  claim 5 , wherein the controller is configured to operate additionally in an unsettled mode of operation, which is different from the first mode of operation and from the second mode of operation, and the controller in the unsettled mode of operation controls the indicator to issue an indication, which is different from indications issued in the first mode of operation or in the second mode of operation. 
     
     
         7 . The active stylus of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to operate additionally in an unsettled mode of operation, which is different from the first mode of operation and from the second mode of operation, and the controller in the unsettled mode of operation controls the indicator to issue an indication, which is different from indications issued in the first mode of operation or in the second mode of operation. 
     
     
         8 . An active stylus, for use with a sensor controller, the active stylus comprising:
 an elongated body,   an electrode provided at a tip end of the elongated body, and   a controller, which is coupled to the electrode and which is configured to operate in a first mode of operation to transmit a signal of a first system via the electrode and to switch, responsive to an uplink signal transmitted from the sensor controller which detects the signal of the first system, to operate in a second mode of operation to transmit a signal of a second system.   
     
     
         9 . The active stylus of  claim 8 , wherein the signal of the first system includes information indicating that the active stylus is capable of operating in the second mode of operation.