US 9280220

A concise summary of US Patent 9,280,220 is as follows:

Title: Pulse- or frame-based communication using active stylus

Assignee: Wacom Co Ltd

Inventors:

• Shahrooz Shahparnia
• Vivek Pant
• Esat Yilmaz
• Vemund Kval Bakken
• Kishore Sundara-Rajan
• John Stanley Dubery
• Martin J. SIMMONS
• Sherif Hanna

Filing Date: January 9, 2015

Issue Date: March 8, 2016

Abstract:
In one embodiment, a method includes receiving sensor data from one or more sensors in or on a stylus, the stylus including one or more electrodes and one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media embodying logic for wirelessly transmitting signals to a device through a touch sensor of the device. The method includes generating a carrier signal and modulating the carrier signal to communicate the sensor data and wirelessly transmitting from the stylus to the device the carrier signal as modulated through the touch sensor of the device.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims:

Based on the provided patent text, there appears to be one independent method claim.

• Claim 1: This claim describes a method performed by an active stylus. The stylus first receives data from its internal sensors (e.g., pressure sensors, accelerometers). It then generates a carrier signal and modifies (modulates) this signal to embed the sensor data within it. Finally, the stylus wirelessly transmits this modified signal to a computing device (like a tablet or smartphone) through the device's own touch sensor. This allows the stylus to send information beyond just its position to the device.

Litigation and Administrative Proceedings:

A search of the United States Patent and Trademark Office's Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) records indicates that US Patent 9,280,220 was the subject of an Inter Partes Review (IPR) proceeding, case number IPR2025-01556. The status of this case is "Not Instituted - Procedural," which means the PTAB declined to initiate a trial to review the patent's validity based on a procedural issue with the petition.

A search of the dockets for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) for the year 2026 did not reveal any cases involving US Patent 9,280,220.

Uncertainty Note: While a reasonable search has been conducted, the absence of a CAFC docket entry for 2026 does not definitively rule out all possible appellate litigation, as cases can be filed or sealed in ways not immediately accessible through public search portals. The PTAB information is based on available public records.