Patents by Inventor Alan Henry Kramer

Alan Henry Kramer has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Two dimensional solid state capacitive sensor array
    Patent number: 6839052
    Abstract: An apparatus for providing an output signal for selectively controlling movement of a visual pointer on a display screen is disclosed. A plurality of solid state capacitive sensor switches are arranged in a two-dimensional array. Each of the switches is actuable in response to the positioning of a finger of a user to an on/off state. A control unit responsive to the on/off state of each of the plurality of solid state capacitive sensors generates an output signal that selectively controls the movement of the visual pointer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2005
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics, Inc.
    Inventor: Alan Henry Kramer
  • Solid state capacitive switch
    Patent number: 6225711
    Abstract: A fingertip-operated solid state capacitance switch detects a capacity change that is induced by the physical contact of an ungrounded fingertip to an external dielectric surface of the solid state switch. The input and output of a solid state signal-inverting amplifier are respectively connected to two relatively large and ungrounded capacitor plates that are associated with, but electrically isolated from, the switch's external dielectric surface. An ungrounded fingertip forms a third capacitor plate on the switch's external surface. The solid state amplifier detects the presence of a fingertip on the switch's external surface by way of a change in capacitance within a compound, three plate, capacitor that includes the two ungrounded capacitor plates and the ungrounded fingertip that is resident on the switch's external surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2001
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Bhusan Gupta, Alan Henry Kramer
  • Solid state capacitive switch
    Patent number: 5973623
    Abstract: A fingertip-operated solid state capacitance switch detects a capacity change that is induced by the physical contact of an ungrounded fingertip to an external dielectric surface of the solid state switch. The input and output of a solid state signal-inverting amplifier are respectively connected to two relatively large and ungrounded capacitor plates that are associated with, but electrically isolated from, the switch's external dielectric surface. An ungrounded fingertip forms a third capacitor plate on the switch's external surface. The solid state amplifier detects the presence of a fingertip on the switch's external surface by way of a change in capacitance within a compound, three plate, capacitor that includes the two ungrounded capacitor plates and the ungrounded fingertip that is resident on the switch's external surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 26, 1999
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Bhusan Gupta, Alan Henry Kramer