US Patent 10061411 Dual-function switch for stylus tail eraser

The systems, methods, and techniques described herein provide for an improved stylus incorporating a dual-function switch as part of the tail eraser mechanism. A conductive resilient body, when compressed, deforms to contact one or more pairs of electrodes on a printed circuit board, thus creating electrical continuity between the electrodes. A first force causes electrical continuity between a first pair of electrodes which may initiate a first mode of the stylus, such as erase mode. A second force, greater than the first force, causes electrical continuity between a second pair of electrodes which may initiate a second mode of the stylus, such as causing a microcontroller unit to issue a command to a computing device to launch one or more applications or services.