Executing gestures with active stylus
Granted: October 20, 2015
Patent Number:
9164603
In one embodiment, a stylus has one or more sensors that detect the movement of the stylus, such as an accelerometer, a gyroscope, or a magnetometer. The stylus wirelessly transmits signals to a device based on the movement of the stylus.
Active stylus with surface-modification materials
Granted: October 20, 2015
Patent Number:
9164598
In one embodiment, a stylus has one or more electrodes and one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media embodying logic for transmitting signals wirelessly to a device through a touch-sensor of the device. The stylus also has an electronic circuit operable to provide an input that changes a property of one or more materials located on the body of the stylus or on the stylus tip.
Capacitive measurement circuit for a touch sensor device
Granted: October 20, 2015
Patent Number:
9164136
In one embodiment, a method for determining the location of a touch on a touch sensor includes receiving input signals in response to a touch proximate to a location on the touch sensor. Each input signal may have a total capacitance that includes a first capacitance associated with the touch and a second capacitance that is parasitic capacitance. The parasitic capacitance of one or more of the input signals may be adjusted to result in the second capacitance of each of the input signals…
Channel tracking in an orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing system
Granted: October 13, 2015
Patent Number:
9160587
A receiver determines phase and frequency information from data signals that carry information from a transmitter to a receiver, instead of or in addition to, information from control signals. In a specific embodiment, the information is obtained from data signals modulated as a binary phase-shift keying (“BPSK”) waveform by demodulation. Other phase-shift keyings might be used instead. Encoded information might be recovered in received OFDM packets by receiving OFDM subcarriers…
Method and system for mechanical coupling of flexible printed circuit to a sensor
Granted: October 13, 2015
Patent Number:
9160332
In one embodiment, a system includes a touch sensor comprising a set of electrodes and a set of one or more connection pads electrically coupled to the set of electrodes. The system also includes a circuit electrically coupled to the one or more connection pads such that signals may be communicated from the set of one or more connection pads to the circuit. The system further includes the circuit mechanically coupled to the touch sensor via friction welding.
Capacitive and inductive sensing
Granted: October 13, 2015
Patent Number:
9160331
In one embodiment, a method includes in an inductive-sensing mode, by a controller, applying an alternating-current (AC) signal on a first electrode of a capacitive touch sensor. The capacitive touch sensor is configured to operate in the inductive-sensing mode and a capacitive-sensing mode. The method also includes sensing a signal indicative of a magnetic field on the first electrode. The signal is due at least in part to a magnetic field generated by the object and the magnetic field…
Electrical connection for active-stylus electrode
Granted: October 6, 2015
Patent Number:
9152254
In one embodiment, an active stylus includes one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media embodying logic for wirelessly communicating with a device through a touch sensor of the device. The active stylus also includes an electrode for wirelessly receiving or transmitting signals through the touch sensor of the device to enable the communication, wherein the electrode is disposed at or near a tip of the active stylus. The active stylus further includes a conductive element…
Touch sensor with conductive lines having portions with different widths
Granted: October 6, 2015
Patent Number:
9154127
In one embodiment, a touch sensor includes a first mesh of conductive material. The first mesh includes a plurality of conductive lines. A first one of the conductive lines has a first portion and a second portion. The first portion is wider than the second portion. The first portion defines a first portion of a first outer edge of an electrode.
Connecting multiple slave devices to a single master controller in bus system
Granted: October 6, 2015
Patent Number:
9152598
A device comprising: a bus master, including a bi-directional data and clock lines, configured to produce a select signal output for enabling data transmission on the bi-directional data line to first/second different data busses supporting multiple slave devices configured to receive/transmit data over a respective data bus and to receive a clock signal from the bus master from the clock line; and a de-multiplexer including an input, first and second outputs and a control input, the…
Position detection of an object within proximity of a touch sensor
Granted: October 6, 2015
Patent Number:
9152285
In one embodiment, a method includes applying a drive signal to a first electrode of a sensor to generate an electric field extending at least in part from the first electrode toward a second electrode of the sensor. The electric field includes a first portion and a second portion, and the first portion extends farther away from a plane of the first electrode than the second portion. The method also includes shunting the second portion of the electric field away from the second electrode…
Low power capacitive touch detector
Granted: October 6, 2015
Patent Number:
9151789
A low power capacitive detector is disclosed. The detector includes a mechanism to measure and detect touch on capacitive sensors. The detector uses signal processing to suppress noise and increase sensitivity. The detector does not require dedicated analog circuitry, making it easy to adopt in a microcontroller system. The detector can be scaled to a larger number of capacitive sensors without noticeable increase in silicon cost.
Average current control for a switched power converter
Granted: September 29, 2015
Patent Number:
9148925
A circuit for controlling a switch in a power converter in which peak current is regulated to achieve a specified average current through a load. The circuit can include a first input to receive a voltage corresponding to a pre-specified target average current through the load, and a second input to receive a voltage corresponding to a voltage across a sensing resistor immediately after the switch turns ON. The circuit generates a threshold value that is approximately equal to twice the…
Automating digital display
Granted: September 29, 2015
Patent Number:
9146887
A device comprises a central processing unit (CPU), a display controller configured for controlling a digital display and a memory configured for storing data corresponding to the digital display. The device includes a direct memory access (DMA) controller configured for autonomously transferring the data from the memory directly to the display controller without CPU intervention.
Selecting memory cells using source lines
Granted: September 22, 2015
Patent Number:
9142306
A memory device comprises memory cells arranged in rows and columns, and source lines associated with memory sections, each of which includes a plurality of memory cells. Source terminals of transistors included in the memory cells in a first memory section are physically coupled to a first source line that is distinct from other source lines associated with other memory sections on a same row of the memory device as the first memory section. Gate terminals of transistors included in…
Multiple electrode touch sensitive device
Granted: September 22, 2015
Patent Number:
9141227
Two different sets of electrodes in a touch sensitive device are formed to produce an electric field gradient from one end of the electrodes to the other end when opposite ends of the electrodes are driven with different voltages. A signal measuring cycle is performed by alternately driving the ends of one set of electrodes, while using the other set of electrodes to receive signals. The roles of the sets of electrodes are then reversed, such that the set that that was driven is now used…
Current mirror self-capacitance measurement
Granted: September 15, 2015
Patent Number:
9134871
In one embodiment, a method includes applying a first current to a capacitance of a touch sensor. The application of the first current to the capacitance for a first amount of time modifies the voltage at the capacitance from the reference voltage level to a first pre-determined voltage level. The method also includes applying a second current to an integration capacitor. The second current is proportional to the first current. The application of the second current to the integration…
Hybrid capacitive touch system design and method
Granted: September 8, 2015
Patent Number:
9128577
In one embodiment, a system includes first lines of conductive material and a touch sensor comprising second and third lines of conductive material inside and outside the touch sensor. The first lines of conductive material are outside the touch sensor and disposed between second lines of conductive material outside the touch sensor and the third lines of conductive material outside the touch sensor. The system further includes logic that is configured when executed to apply a ground…
Chained differential sensing for touch sensors
Granted: September 8, 2015
Patent Number:
9128554
In one embodiment, a method includes measuring two or more output signals, calculating a plurality of reconstructed values, and determining a position of an object relative to a touch sensor based at least on the plurality of reconstructed values. Each output signal is associated with one of two or more differential integrators. Each differential integrator includes first and second inputs connected to respective electrode tracks of the touch sensor and an output configured to generate…
Gesture recognition
Granted: September 1, 2015
Patent Number:
9122947
A state machine gesture recognition algorithm for interpreting streams of coordinates received from a touch sensor. The gesture recognition code can be written in a high level language such as C and then compiled and embedded in a microcontroller chip, or CPU chip as desired. The gesture recognition code can be loaded into the same chip that interprets the touch signals from the touch sensor and generates the time series data, e.g. a microcontroller, or other programmable logic device…
Uniform-density coplanar touch sensor
Granted: August 25, 2015
Patent Number:
9116586
In one embodiment, an apparatus includes one or more drive electrodes and one or more sense electrodes of a touch sensor. Each drive electrode and each sense electrode includes a number of first and second conductive regions made of a conductive mesh of lines of conductive material. The first conductive regions have a first mesh density. The second conductive regions have a second mesh density. The first mesh density is greater than the second mesh density. The apparatus also includes…
