Patents Examined by Stephen T Reed
  • Patent number: 11726602
    Abstract: Embodiments generally relate to a method for facilitating the cleaning of a touch screen display. The method comprises receiving data from the touch screen display, the data relating to at least one touch event recorded on the touch screen display within a predetermined time period; determining at least one touch metric based on the data; comparing the touch metric to a predetermined threshold value; in response to determining that the touch metric exceeds the predetermined threshold, sending a notification message to a staff computing device, the staff computing device being external to the touch screen display; and in response to receiving a response to the notification message, initiating a cleaning procedure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: Meld CX Pty Ltd
    Inventors: Stephen Borg, Clinton Capuzzi, Thor Turrecha
  • Patent number: 11720197
    Abstract: A detection method of a three-dimensional touch module includes: step S1, providing an input signal to a transmitting electrode layer; step S2, outputting a first output signal and transmitting the first output signal to a control module by a two-dimensional inputting assembly, and outputting a second output signal and transmitting the second output signal to the control module by a pressure sensing assembly; and step S3, determining, by the control module, a touch position according to the first output signal and a pressure value according to the second output signal. A three-dimensional touch module includes: a cover plate; a two-dimensional inputting assembly disposed under the cover plate and configured to output a first output signal; a pressure sensing assembly disposed under the cover plate and configured to output a second output signal; and a transmitting electrode layer disposed between the two-dimensional inputting assembly and the pressure sensing assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: TPK Touch Solutions (Xiamen) Inc.
    Inventors: Cai Jin Ye, Chih-Cheng Chuang, Lien-Hsin Lee, Tsai-Kuei Wei, Sun Po Lin, Ren-Hung Wang, Yu-Ting Chan, Tai-Shih Cheng, Yan Zhao
  • Patent number: 11720198
    Abstract: The disclosure provides an electronic device, including a display region, a non-display region and a control unit. The display region includes a screen. The non-display region includes a touch sensor, configured to continuously detect a swipe gesture to generate a first detection signal and a second detection signal. A sliding trajectory corresponding to the first detection signal has a first distance, and a sliding trajectory corresponding to the second detection signal has a second distance. The control unit has a first preset value and a second preset value, and is configured to: receive a setting instruction to make the touch sensor correspond to a touch signal on the screen; and generate the touch signal when determining that the first distance is greater than the first preset value, and a sum of the first distance and the second distance is greater than the second preset value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: ASUSTEK COMPUTER INC.
    Inventor: Chen-Yu Hsu
  • Patent number: 11703977
    Abstract: A control device comprising a control unit configured to control regular operation based on operation on a first switch detecting operation in two opposing directions and operation on a second switch detecting touch on an object, wherein the control unit performs control such that the regular operation based on operation on the second switch is not performed until a regular time set between first and second times passes after operation on the first switch is detected, wherein the first time is a time in which a cumulative occurrence rate at which unintended touch on the second switch by a user after operation on the first switch occurs becomes 100% in an experiment carried out in advance, and wherein the second time is a time in which an intended touch on the second switch by the user after operation on the first switch is first detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOKAI RIKA DENKI SEISAKUSHO
    Inventors: Fumiaki Hirose, Yasutaka Matsuda, Takeshi Ohnishi, Kunitoshi Noguchi, Shogo Yamaguchi, Takuma Fukuda
  • Patent number: 11703976
    Abstract: A touch sensor device includes a first panel, a second panel, and a drive-sense circuit (DSC). The first panel that includes first electrodes arranged in a first direction and second electrodes arranged in a second direction. The second panel includes third electrodes arranged in a third direction and fourth electrodes arranged in a fourth direction. The DSC is operably coupled via a single line to a coupling of a first electrode of the first electrodes and a first electrode of the third electrodes. The DSC is configured to provide the signal, which is generated based on a reference signal, via the single line to the coupling and simultaneously to sense the signal via the single line. The DSC generates a digital signal representative of the at least one electrical characteristic associated with the first electrode of the first electrodes and/or the first electrode of the third electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: SIGMASENSE, LLC.
    Inventor: Kevin Joseph Derichs
  • Patent number: 11698683
    Abstract: A distributed inflatable touch sensing system is provided. The distributed inflatable touch sensing system includes a sensing bladder array, the sensing bladder array having a plurality of bladders, passageways, and ports in fluid communication. The system further includes a pressure regulator in fluid communication with one of the plurality of ports for regulating a pressure in the sensing bladder array. The system further includes a plurality of sensors, each in fluid communication with one of the plurality of ports, for measuring the pressure in the sensing bladder array. The system further includes a processor in communication with the plurality of sensors. The processor is configured to determine which of the plurality of bladders has been depressed by a user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Wonhee Michael Kim, Paul W. Alexander, Diann Brei, Jonathan E. Luntz, Koray Benli, Laura Alejandra Giner Munoz, James Menno Nykamp
  • Patent number: 11693517
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a touch power management circuit and a touch driving system comprising the same, and more particularly, relates to a touch power management circuit to generate signals required for a touch driving by using voltage sources different in a pen touch driving period and a finger touch driving period in order to reduce power consumption of a display device and a touch driving system comprising the touch power management circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: LX SEMICON CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Seong Sik Yoon, Seong Wha Hong
  • Patent number: 11693520
    Abstract: A method for calibrating a touch sensor includes: at a calibration system during a calibration routine, applying a probe, at a target selection force, to a sequence of locations on a touch sensor surface of a touch sensor; at the touch sensor, capturing a sequence of touch images representing magnitudes of forces detected on the touch sensor surface during the calibration routine; fusing the sequence of touch images into a response map representing magnitudes of forces detected on the touch sensor surface by the touch sensor responsive to application of the target selection force on the touch sensor surface by the probe during the calibration routine; generating a force compensation map defining threshold forces for detecting selections at the target selection force on the touch sensor surface based on the response map.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: Sensel, Inc.
    Inventors: Tomer Daniel Moscovich, Scott Isaacson, Shuangming Li, Ilya Daniel Rosenberg, John Aaron Zarraga, Samuel Palomino
  • Patent number: 11687194
    Abstract: An operation detection device includes a detection unit to detect a physical quantity changing upon approach or contact of a detected object to or with an operation surface and to output detection information allowing for calculation of coordinates of an approach or contact position of the detected object, and a control unit to, when the physical quantity based on the detection information satisfies a predetermined condition, calculate and set first detected coordinates of the detected object as reference coordinates and does not perform coordinate update when coordinates calculated after the reference coordinates are included in a first region centered at the reference coordinates, and when coordinates calculated after the reference coordinates are outside the first region, set a second region narrower than the first region and perform the coordinate update, and when coordinates calculated after the updated coordinates are included in the second region, not to perform the coordinate update.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOKAI RIKA DENKI SEISAKUSHO
    Inventor: Syogo Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 11681406
    Abstract: A touch panel device includes: a touch panel; an elastic member that supports the touch panel; a plurality of depressing force sensors arranged at installation positions where depression or upward warps of the touch panel occur due to the application of depressing force; and processing circuitry to obtain touch coordinates; to obtain a plurality of detection values corresponding to the sensor signals; and to load a plurality of predetermined depressing force calculation modes from a storage storing a plurality of regions on the operation surface and the plurality of predetermined depressing force calculation modes corresponding to the plurality of regions, to select a depressing force calculation mode for a region corresponding to the touch coordinates from the plurality of depressing force calculation modes, and to calculate the depressing force by using the selected depressing force calculation mode and the plurality of detection values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kentaro Mori, Yuichi Sasaki, Akihito Yamamoto, Sohei Osawa
  • Patent number: 11681398
    Abstract: The present invention concerns a control system (1) for a micro-motor for dental or surgical use comprising a control box (10) provided with an adjustment knob (2), mounted in a way rotatable about a rotational axis (A-A). The adjustment knob (2) is made up of a control support (20) integral with an encoder (3) integrated in the said box (10), and a sterilizable button (21) coupled in a removable way to the said control support (20).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: BIEN-AIR HOLDING SA
    Inventors: Yvan Brasey, Corentin Zill, Davide Sarchi
  • Patent number: 11675462
    Abstract: A process includes receiving an associated input signal via a receiver electrode of a sensor array, the associated input signal indicative of an associated mutual capacitance of the receiver electrode; adding a balancing signal to the associated input signal to generate a balanced input signal at least partially responsive to a number of sensor nodes at the receiver electrode; generating a voltage signal indicative of the associated mutual capacitance of the receiver electrode at least partially responsive to a balanced input signal; and generating a digital value representative of the voltage signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: Atmel Corporation
    Inventors: Richard P. Collins, Samuel Daniel Brunet, Paul Heslop
  • Patent number: 11675426
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a measurement method in which, by predetermined illumination by means of a display device, in particular a holographic or autostereoscopic display device, with an intensity distribution of the illumination light in a plane of a light source image, a first location of an object, in particular an observer of the display device, is marked, and wherein the relative position of the first location in relation to a second location of the object is determined in a coordinate system of a camera.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: SEEREAL TECHNOLOGIES S.A.
    Inventor: Gerald Futterer
  • Patent number: 11669194
    Abstract: In some embodiments, a user interface displayed by a first electronic device is navigated with a first mode of navigation when touch input at a touch-sensitive surface of a second electronic device satisfies one or more criteria, and is navigated with a second mode of navigation when touch input at the touch-sensitive surface does not satisfy the one or more criteria.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher J. Sanders, Dennis S. Park, Neil P. Cormican
  • Patent number: 11662259
    Abstract: A baseline unit for use in a sensor system, the sensor system comprising N force sensors which output N sensor signals, respectively, where N?2, the baseline unit configured to: monitor measures of gradients of the respective sensor signals; and, in dependence upon the measures of the gradients, control a stored baseline setting to control how a baseline signal for at least one of said sensor signals is calculated using a baseline-calculation method, the baseline-calculation method configured by the currently-stored baseline setting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: Cirrus Logic, Inc.
    Inventors: Pablo Peso Parada, Tom Birchall, Hamid Sepehr, Filippo Rossi
  • Patent number: 11662840
    Abstract: An electronic pen includes a housing, a core body having a front end that protrudes from an opening in a side of the housing, and a coupling member housing one or more components of the electronic pen. The housing includes a first housing portion and a second housing portion separated in an axial direction of the housing. The first housing portion includes an opening arranged such that the front end of the core body protrudes outside while the first housing portion is electrically separated from the core body. A protrusion portion formed on an outer peripheral surface of the coupling member electrically separates the first and second housing portions. One side of the cylindrical coupling member in the axial direction with respect to the protrusion portion is fitted to the first housing portion, and another side in the axial direction is fitted to the second housing portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: Wacom Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Hashimoto, Shinya Aoki
  • Patent number: 11644922
    Abstract: A touch sensor device includes a first panel, a second panel, and a drive-sense circuit (DSC). The first panel that includes first electrodes arranged in a first direction and second electrodes arranged in a second direction. The second panel includes third electrodes arranged in a third direction and fourth electrodes arranged in a fourth direction. The DSC is operably coupled via a single line to a coupling of a first electrode of the first electrodes and a first electrode of the third electrodes. The DSC is configured to provide the signal, which is generated based on a reference signal, via the single line to the coupling and simultaneously to sense the signal via the single line. The DSC generates a digital signal representative of the at least one electrical characteristic associated with the first electrode of the first electrodes and/or the first electrode of the third electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: SIGMASENSE, LLC.
    Inventor: Kevin Joseph Derichs
  • Patent number: 11640216
    Abstract: A control device comprising a housing assembly, at least one button, and a controller. The housing assembly comprises a front surface including plurality of button zones each comprising a tactile switch and a plurality of touch sensors. The at least one button is adapted to attach to the housing assembly over at least one of the button zones such that a projection extending from a rear surface of the button is aligned with the tactile switch in the at least one of the button zones. The controller determines which button zone and which location of the button zone is actuated in response to receiving signals from at least one of the tactile switches and at least one of the touch sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2023
    Assignee: Crestron Electronics, Inc.
    Inventor: Benjamin M. Slivka
  • Patent number: 11640217
    Abstract: The present invention provides a touch sensitive processing method for detecting a liquid line when a touch panel half submerged in conductive liquid, wherein the touch panel comprises multiple parallel first electrodes and multiple parallel second electrodes, the touch sensitive processing method comprising: determining whether a liquid line piece group touches two sides of the touch panel if the liquid line piece group does exists; calculating two averaged values of sensing information with regard to two parts of the touch panel separated by the liquid line piece group if it touches two sides of the touch panel; determining a part of the touch panel having a larger averaged value is above the conductive liquid and another part of the touch panel is below the conductive liquid; and determining a liquid line according to a surface between the part above the conductive liquid and the liquid line piece group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2023
    Assignee: EGALAX_EMPIA TECHNOLOGY INC.
    Inventors: Shun-Lung Ho, Hsiao-Tsung Lee
  • Patent number: 11635820
    Abstract: The disclosed computer-implemented method may include determining, by at least one physical processor of a haptic device, driving signal data. The haptic device comprises a first haptic actuator exhibiting a first frequency response characteristic, and a second haptic actuator exhibiting a second frequency response characteristic different from the first frequency response characteristic. The processor may also generate first and second driving signals by applying first and second pre-processing functions to the driving signal data, respectively. The second pre-processing function is different from the first pre-processing function and the second driving signal is different from the first driving signal. The processor may also drive the first and second haptic actuators by supplying the first and second driving signals to the first and second haptic actuators, respectively. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: Meta Platforms Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Filipp Demenschonok, Gene R Obie