Pattern of electrodes for a touch sensor
Granted: January 30, 2018
Patent Number:
9880674
In certain embodiments, a touch sensor includes first, second, and third electrode tracks. The first electrode track includes a first electrode, which has a first segment, a second segment connected to the first segment, and a third segment connected to the first segment. The second electrode track includes a second electrode, which includes a fourth segment, a fifth segment connected to the fourth segment, and a sixth segment connected to the fourth segment. A portion of the second…
Executing gestures with active stylus
Granted: January 30, 2018
Patent Number:
9880645
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.
Dynamic configuration of touch sensor electrode clusters
Granted: January 23, 2018
Patent Number:
9874980
An apparatus of one embodiment includes a sensor having a plurality of electrodes and a controller having a processor and a memory. The memory includes logic operable to configure the electrodes to form a first cluster pattern having a plurality of first clusters of two or more electrodes, apply voltage to each first cluster, and determine a plurality of first values associated with a capacitance of a first cluster. The logic is further operable to configure the electrodes to form a…
Integrated pixel display and touch sensor
Granted: January 23, 2018
Patent Number:
9874963
In one embodiment, an apparatus includes one or more display layers within a display stack, the one or more display layers include a plurality of crystals configured to adjust a polarization of light passing through the one or more display layers. The apparatus includes a reference voltage layer that provides the one or more display layers with a reference voltage. The apparatus includes a plurality of pixel-drive electrodes that adjust the polarization of the light passing through the…
Power management system for active stylus
Granted: January 23, 2018
Patent Number:
9874920
In one embodiment, a stylus includes 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 computer-readable non-transitory storage media of the stylus further embodies logic for allocating between the stylus and the device electric energy available at the stylus or the device based on one or more first criteria.
Dynamic clustering of touch sensor electrodes
Granted: January 16, 2018
Patent Number:
9870104
In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a sensor having a plurality of electrodes and a controller having a processor and a memory. The memory includes logic operable, when executed by the processor, to connect each electrode of a first subset of the plurality of electrodes, apply voltage to the first subset, and determine a first value associated with a capacitance of the first subset. Based at least on the first value, the logic is further operable to connect each electrode of a…
Touch panel deformation compensation
Granted: January 9, 2018
Patent Number:
9864463
In one embodiment, a method includes receiving, from a touch sensor of a device, one or more signals corresponding to touch or proximity inputs within a touch-sensitive area of the touch sensor. The touch sensor comprising one or more nodes. The method also includes applying an offset to one or more of the signals. The offset corresponding to a variation in a distance between a touch panel and a ground plane or display of the device. The method also includes determining whether a touch…
Serial device with configuration mode for changing device behavior
Granted: December 19, 2017
Patent Number:
9846672
Systems, methods, circuits, devices and computer-readable mediums for configuring serial devices are disclosed. In some implementations, a device comprises: an input for receiving first and second requests from a serial bus; a decoder coupled to the input and configured to determine if either of the first and second requests is a configuration mode request; a controller coupled to the decoder and configured to: in response to a determination that the first request is a configuration mode…
Stylus position system
Granted: December 12, 2017
Patent Number:
9841862
A system of one embodiment includes a touch-sensing device and a stylus. The touch sensing device includes an electrode array, which includes a plurality of electrode line pairs, and a controller. Each electrode line pair includes a first and second electrode line to send a first and second signal, respectively. The stylus includes a sensor to measure the first and second signals, a signal processor to determine position information, and a transmitter to send position information to the…
Electrode layout for touch screens
Granted: December 5, 2017
Patent Number:
9836167
A device includes a plurality of drive electrodes and a plurality of sense electrodes. The drive electrodes run generally in a first direction and have multiple projections along their length. The sense electrodes run generally in a second direction transverse to the drive electrodes. The sense electrodes have multiple projections interleaved with the multiple projections of the drive electrodes.
Tracing events in an autonomous event system
Granted: November 28, 2017
Patent Number:
9830245
Systems and methods for generating event trace records are described. One example system includes an event subsystem that receives signaling events generated by one or more associated peripheral devices. The system includes a trace module which is coupled to the event subsystem. The trace module receives the signaling events, samples the received signaling events, receives timestamps, and generates event trace records. Each event trace record includes the sampled signaling events and a…
Low-birefringence substrate for touch sensor
Granted: November 21, 2017
Patent Number:
9825104
In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a substrate including material having a low birefringence. One or more electrodes of a touch sensor are disposed on the substrate.
Memory system with encoding
Granted: November 21, 2017
Patent Number:
9824732
In an embodiment, a memory system comprises a memory array having memory cells. A decoder is coupled to the memory array and configured to decode input address signals to generate memory cell selection signals. An encoder is configured to generate encoded selection signals based on the memory cell selection signals. In another embodiment, a method comprises: receiving by the decoder of the memory system input address signals, generating, by the decoder, selection signals for selecting a…
Capacitive touch screen with noise suppression
Granted: November 21, 2017
Patent Number:
9823784
A capacitive touch sensor wherein the touch sensitive panel has drive electrodes arranged on the lower side of a substrate and sense electrodes arranged on the upper side. The drive electrodes are shaped and dimensioned to substantially entirely cover the touch sensitive area with individual drive electrodes being separated from each other by small gaps, the gaps being so small as to be practically invisible. The near blanket coverage by the drive electrodes also serves to screen out…
Instrumenting switch mode power supply to measure circuit power consumption
Granted: November 21, 2017
Patent Number:
9823734
A circuit includes a pulse generator coupled to a switch mode power supply. The switch mode power supply includes a switching component configured for transferring a charge to an energy storage component in response to pulses provided by the pulse generator. A pulse counter is coupled to the pulse generator or the switching component and configured to count pulses over a time period and thereby generate a pulse count. A converter coupled to the pulse counter is configured to generate a…
Charge measurement
Granted: November 21, 2017
Patent Number:
9823285
An apparatus comprises a comparator that includes a first input, a second input and an output. The comparator is configured for measuring a difference in voltage between a source coupled to the first input and another source coupled to the second input, and providing information associated with the measured difference at the output. The apparatus also comprises a controllable current source coupled to the first input of the comparator and configured for supplying or drawing current. The…
Interleaved scanning for capacitive touch sensors
Granted: November 14, 2017
Patent Number:
9817531
A touch sensing circuit includes: a plurality of sensor channels; a controller coupled to the plurality of sensor channels, the controller configured to: map the sensor channels to sensor nodes, the sensor nodes forming a plurality of interleaved lumped sensors, where at least two of the interleaved lumped sensors include a common sensor node; scan, during a scan period, the interleaved lumped sensors to detect one or more touch inputs; and responsive to detecting one or more touch…
Apparatus and technique for modular electronic display control
Granted: November 7, 2017
Patent Number:
9814109
The present invention discloses apparatus and techniques for modular backlighting control of a display. The display includes a number of strings of LEDs. The display is divided into several sections, and each section includes one or more strings of LEDs. A local controller is assigned to each section. The local controller receives feedback signals from the strings of LEDs in its sections and controls the drive voltages and drive currents of those strings. The local controllers…
Generating clock on demand
Granted: November 7, 2017
Patent Number:
9811111
A clock generation system for an integrated circuit (IC) chip (e.g., a microcontroller) is disclosed that allows digital blocks and other components in the IC chip to start and stop internal clocks dynamically on demand to reduce power consumption.
Fast scanning for mutual capacitance screens
Granted: October 31, 2017
Patent Number:
9804722
In one embodiment, an apparatus for detecting a touch. The apparatus includes a touch sensor that includes a first plurality of electrode lines and a second plurality of electrode lines. The apparatus also includes a touch sensor controller coupled to the touch sensor. The touch sensor controller is operable to apply a respective voltage pulse simultaneously to each of the first plurality of electrode lines, measure a respective signal at each of the second plurality of electrode lines,…
