Patents by Inventor Albert Lin
Albert Lin 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).
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Publication number: 20240134479Abstract: Touch sensor panel configurations for reducing wobble error for a stylus translating on a surface over and between electrodes of the touch sensor panel are disclosed. In some examples, electrodes with more linear signal profiles are correlated with lower wobble error. In some examples, diffusing elements formed of floating segments of conductive materials can diffuse signal from a stylus to a plurality of electrodes, thus, making the signal profiles associated with the electrodes more linear. In addition, diffusing elements can be configured to improve the optical uniformity of the touch sensor panel. In some examples, the diffusing elements can be formed on the same layer as floating dummy pixels and resemble a plurality of merged floating dummy pixels.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 19, 2023Publication date: April 25, 2024Inventors: Isaac CHAN, Prathit BUGNAIT, Albert LIN, Chun-Hao TUNG, Sunggu KANG, John Z. ZHONG
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Patent number: 11923653Abstract: In some implementations, an optical device for mounting in a flip-chip configuration includes a plurality of flip-chip bumps that are arranged in a pattern on the optical device, wherein the pattern is not aligned with a crystal cleavage plane associated with a substrate of the optical device. In some implementations, the optical device further includes a gap that separates a primary region of the optical device and a secondary region of the optical device, wherein at least one portion of a side of the gap is oriented at a non-zero angle to the crystal cleavage plane.Type: GrantFiled: March 4, 2021Date of Patent: March 5, 2024Assignee: Lumentum Operations LLCInventors: Albert Yuen, Mitchell Srimongkol, Joseph Lin
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Patent number: 11893183Abstract: Touch sensor panel configurations for reducing wobble error for a stylus translating on a surface over and between electrodes of the touch sensor panel are disclosed. In some examples, electrodes with more linear signal profiles are correlated with lower wobble error. In some examples, diffusing elements formed of floating segments of conductive materials can diffuse signal from a stylus to a plurality of electrodes, thus, making the signal profiles associated with the electrodes more linear. In addition, diffusing elements can be configured to improve the optical uniformity of the touch sensor panel. In some examples, the diffusing elements can be formed on the same layer as floating dummy pixels and resemble a plurality of merged floating dummy pixels.Type: GrantFiled: July 12, 2019Date of Patent: February 6, 2024Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Isaac Chan, Prathit Bugnait, Albert Lin, Chun-Hao Tung, Sunggu Kang, John Z. Zhong
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Patent number: 11733801Abstract: A touch sensor panel is disclosed. The touch sensor panel includes a first layer including a plurality of electrodes of a first type that are coupled to respective traces and are configured to operate as touch sensing electrodes during a first time period. The touch sensor panel also includes a second layer including a plurality of electrodes of a second type overlapping with the respective traces of the electrodes of the first type. The electrodes of the second type are configured to operate as guard electrodes for the respective traces of the electrodes of the first type during the first time period and operate as touch sensing electrodes during a second time period.Type: GrantFiled: September 28, 2018Date of Patent: August 22, 2023Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Brian H. Knabenshue, Albert Lin, Jason C. Hu, Christian M. Sauer, Martin Paul Grunthaner
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Patent number: 11275475Abstract: A compliant material, such as a conductive foam, is positioned in the dielectric or capacitive gap between drive and sense electrodes and/or other conductive elements of a capacitive and/or other force sensor, such as a TFT or other display element and a sensor assembly. The compliant material prevents damage by preventing and/or cushioning contact. The compliant material may be conductive. By being conductive and being positioned between the electrodes while still being separated from one or more of the electrodes, the compliant material also shortens the effective electrical distance between the electrodes. As a result, the force sensor may be more sensitive than would otherwise be possible while being less vulnerable to damage.Type: GrantFiled: January 5, 2021Date of Patent: March 15, 2022Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Daniel J. Bechstein, Collin R. Petty, Martin P. Grunthaner, Andrew W. Joyce, John R. Matthews, Pavan O. Gupta, Albert Lin
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Patent number: 11137858Abstract: Location-based swing compensation for touch sensor panels can improve touch sensing performance. Due to differences in impedance characteristics of touch nodes at different locations in a touch sensor panel (due to differences in routing to touch nodes and due to differences in impedance with respect to ground (loading effects) of touch nodes), touch nodes can have non-uniform bandwidth characteristics which can manifest as non-uniform signal and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) across the touch sensor panel. Additionally, the non-uniform signal can reduce the effectiveness of bootstrapping. Swing compensated stimulation signals can be applied to various touch nodes based on location and/or impedance characteristics of the various touch nodes. For example, the stimulation voltage can be increased for touch nodes with longer and/or thinner routing traces so that the signal at the touch node can be uniform with other touch nodes whose routing may be shorter and/or thicker.Type: GrantFiled: September 7, 2017Date of Patent: October 5, 2021Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Albert Lin, Shwetabh Verma, Sumant Ranganathan
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Publication number: 20210124460Abstract: A compliant material, such as a conductive foam, is positioned in the dielectric or capacitive gap between drive and sense electrodes and/or other conductive elements of a capacitive and/or other force sensor, such as a TFT or other display element and a sensor assembly. The compliant material prevents damage by preventing and/or cushioning contact. The compliant material may be conductive. By being conductive and being positioned between the electrodes while still being separated from one or more of the electrodes, the compliant material also shortens the effective electrical distance between the electrodes. As a result, the force sensor may be more sensitive than would otherwise be possible while being less vulnerable to damage.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 5, 2021Publication date: April 29, 2021Inventors: Daniel J. Bechstein, Collin R. Petty, Martin P. Grunthaner, Andrew W. Joyce, John R. Matthews, Pavan O. Gupta, Albert Lin
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Patent number: 10921943Abstract: A compliant material, such as a conductive foam, is positioned in the dielectric or capacitive gap between drive and sense electrodes and/or other conductive elements of a capacitive and/or other force sensor, such as a TFT or other display element and a sensor assembly. The compliant material prevents damage by preventing and/or cushioning contact. The compliant material may be conductive. By being conductive and being positioned between the electrodes while still being separated from one or more of the electrodes, the compliant material also shortens the effective electrical distance between the electrodes. As a result, the force sensor may be more sensitive than would otherwise be possible while being less vulnerable to damage.Type: GrantFiled: April 30, 2019Date of Patent: February 16, 2021Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Daniel J. Bechstein, Collin R. Petty, Martin P. Grunthaner, Andrew W. Joyce, John R. Matthews, Pavan O. Gupta, Albert Lin
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Patent number: 10866683Abstract: A device includes a housing defining part of an interior volume and an opening to the interior volume; a cover mounted to the housing to cover the opening and further define the interior volume; a display mounted within the interior volume and viewable through the cover; and a system in package (SiP) mounted within the interior volume. The SiP includes a self-capacitance sense pad adjacent a first surface of the SiP; a set of solder structures attached to a second surface of the SiP, the second surface opposite the first surface; and an IC coupled to the self-capacitance sense pad and configured to output, at one or more solder structures in the set of solder structures, a digital value related to a measured capacitance of the self-capacitance sense pad. The SiP is mounted within the interior volume with the first surface positioned closer to the cover than the second surface.Type: GrantFiled: August 23, 2019Date of Patent: December 15, 2020Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Pavan O. Gupta, Andrew W. Joyce, Benedict Drevniok, Mo Li, David S. Graff, Albert Lin, Julian K. Shutzberg, Hojjat Seyed Mousavi
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Publication number: 20200348795Abstract: A compliant material, such as a conductive foam, is positioned in the dielectric or capacitive gap between drive and sense electrodes and/or other conductive elements of a capacitive and/or other force sensor, such as a TFT or other display element and a sensor assembly. The compliant material prevents damage by preventing and/or cushioning contact. The compliant material may be conductive. By being conductive and being positioned between the electrodes while still being separated from one or more of the electrodes, the compliant material also shortens the effective electrical distance between the electrodes. As a result, the force sensor may be more sensitive than would otherwise be possible while being less vulnerable to damage.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 30, 2019Publication date: November 5, 2020Inventors: Daniel J. Bechstein, Collin R. Petty, Martin P. Grunthaner, Andrew W. Joyce, John R. Matthews, Pavan O. Gupta, Albert Lin
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Publication number: 20200064952Abstract: A device includes a housing defining part of an interior volume and an opening to the interior volume; a cover mounted to the housing to cover the opening and further define the interior volume; a display mounted within the interior volume and viewable through the cover; and a system in package (SiP) mounted within the interior volume. The SiP includes a self-capacitance sense pad adjacent a first surface of the SiP; a set of solder structures attached to a second surface of the SiP, the second surface opposite the first surface; and an IC coupled to the self-capacitance sense pad and configured to output, at one or more solder structures in the set of solder structures, a digital value related to a measured capacitance of the self-capacitance sense pad. The SiP is mounted within the interior volume with the first surface positioned closer to the cover than the second surface.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 23, 2019Publication date: February 27, 2020Inventors: Pavan O. Gupta, Andrew W. Joyce, Benedict Drevniok, Mo Li, David S. Graff, Albert Lin, Julian K. Shutzberg, Hojjat Seyed Mousavi
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Patent number: 10534481Abstract: High aspect ratio touch sensor panels are disclosed in which multiple row electrode blocks can be formed in a single row within an active area of the touch sensor panel, each row electrode block including a plurality of vertically adjacent row electrodes, or in some instances only one row electrode. In addition, each column electrode can be separated into multiple column electrode segments, each column electrode segment being vertically oriented and formed in a different column. The column electrode segments associated with any one column electrode can be spread out so that each of these column electrodes segments can be co-located and associated with a different row electrode block.Type: GrantFiled: August 4, 2016Date of Patent: January 14, 2020Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Massoud Badaye, Sudip Mondal, Sagar Rajiv Vaze, Albert Lin, Qian Zhao, Chun-Hao Tung, Sunggu Kang, John Z. Zhong
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Publication number: 20190339813Abstract: Touch sensor panel configurations for reducing wobble error for a stylus translating on a surface over and between electrodes of the touch sensor panel are disclosed. In some examples, electrodes with more linear signal profiles are correlated with lower wobble error. In some examples, diffusing elements formed of floating segments of conductive materials can diffuse signal from a stylus to a plurality of electrodes, thus, making the signal profiles associated with the electrodes more linear. In addition, diffusing elements can be configured to improve the optical uniformity of the touch sensor panel. In some examples, the diffusing elements can be formed on the same layer as floating dummy pixels and resemble a plurality of merged floating dummy pixels.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 12, 2019Publication date: November 7, 2019Inventors: Isaac CHAN, Prathit BUGNAIT, Albert LIN, Chun-Hao TUNG, Sunggu KANG, John Z. ZHONG
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Patent number: 10444918Abstract: Touch sensor configurations for reducing electrostatic discharge events in the border area of a touch sensor panel is disclosed. Touch sensors (e.g., electrodes formed on the cover material and/or the opaque mask) can be susceptible to certain events such as arcing and discharge/joule heating, which may negatively affect touch sensor performance. Examples of the disclosure can include increasing the trace width, spacing, and/or thickness in the border area relative to the trace width, spacing, and/or thickness in the visible/active area along one or more sides of the touch sensor panel. In some examples, touch electrodes can be located exclusively in the visible/active areas along one or more sides of the touch sensor panel, while dummy sections can be included in both the border and visible/active areas. Additionally or alternatively, one or more gaps between adjacent touch electrodes in the border area or serpentine routing can be included.Type: GrantFiled: August 30, 2017Date of Patent: October 15, 2019Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Wencong Zhu, Albert Lin, Alexander A. Penn, Ashray Vinayak Gogte, Chun-Hao Tung, Hao Zhang, Hui Zhou, John Z. Zhong, Steven P. Hotelling, Sudip Mondal, Sumant Ranganathan, Sunggu Kang, Ramachandran Chundru, Viswa B. Pilla
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Patent number: 10353516Abstract: Touch sensor panel configurations for reducing wobble error for a stylus translating on a surface over and between electrodes of the touch sensor panel are disclosed. In some examples, electrodes with more linear signal profiles are correlated with lower wobble error. In some examples, diffusing elements formed of floating segments of conductive materials can diffuse signal from a stylus to a plurality of electrodes, thus, making the signal profiles associated with the electrodes more linear. In addition, diffusing elements can be configured to improve the optical uniformity of the touch sensor panel. In some examples, the diffusing elements can be formed on the same layer as floating dummy pixels and resemble a plurality of merged floating dummy pixels.Type: GrantFiled: September 30, 2015Date of Patent: July 16, 2019Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Isaac Chan, Prathit Bugnait, Albert Lin, Chun-Hao Tung, Sunggu Kang, John Z. Zhong
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Patent number: 10310667Abstract: Electrode configurations for reducing wobble error for a stylus translating on a surface of a touch sensor panel is disclosed. Electrodes associated with a more linear signal profile can correlate to lower wobble error. In some examples, electrodes can be configured such that the signal profile associated with each electrode is spread to be wider, and thus, more linear. In some configurations, electrodes can include two or more bars extending along the length of the electrode with each bar electrically connected to one another at one or both ends. Bars can be of non-uniform width or spacing. Some configurations can include a “split bar,” which can divide a bar lengthwise in order to improve optical uniformity. In some examples, electrodes can include projections which can interleave with corresponding projections in adjacent electrodes.Type: GrantFiled: September 21, 2015Date of Patent: June 4, 2019Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Alexandre Gourevitch, Albert Lin, Isaac Chan, Martin Paul Grunthaner, Prathit Bugnait, Seyed Mohammad Navidpour, Sumant Ranganathan
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Patent number: 10289251Abstract: A touch controller is disclosed. In some examples, the touch controller can include sense circuitry configured to be coupled to a first touch pixel and a second touch pixel on a touch sensor panel. In some examples, the sense circuitry can be configured to drive and sense the first touch pixel during a first time period while coupling the second touch pixel to a reference voltage. In some examples, the sense circuitry can be configured to drive and sense the second touch pixel during a second time period while coupling the first touch pixel to the reference voltage. In some examples, the reference voltage can be a system ground of the touch controller. In some examples, the sense circuitry can be configured to drive and sense pluralities of touch pixels in a similar manner.Type: GrantFiled: June 27, 2014Date of Patent: May 14, 2019Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: David H. C. Shih, Albert Lin
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Publication number: 20190102010Abstract: A touch sensor panel is disclosed. The touch sensor panel includes a first layer including a plurality of electrodes of a first type that are coupled to respective traces and are configured to operate as touch sensing electrodes during a first time period. The touch sensor panel also includes a second layer including a plurality of electrodes of a second type overlapping with the respective traces of the electrodes of the first type. The electrodes of the second type are configured to operate as guard electrodes for the respective traces of the electrodes of the first type during the first time period and operate as touch sensing electrodes during a second time period.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 28, 2018Publication date: April 4, 2019Inventors: Brian H. KNABENSHUE, Albert LIN, Jason C. HU, Christian M. SAUER, Martin Paul GRUNTHANER
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Patent number: 10203783Abstract: A touch sensitive device that detects the occurrence of an electrostatic discharge event on the device by analyzing an acquired touch image for characteristics associated with the occurrence of an ESD event is provided. An acquired touch image is analyzed for characteristics that differentiate it from a touch image generated by a user input and are correlated with an expected touch image generated by an ESD event.Type: GrantFiled: June 11, 2015Date of Patent: February 12, 2019Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: David H. C. Shih, Albert Lin, Sean E. O'Connor, Ari Y. Benbasat, Wayne Carl Westerman
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Patent number: 10184864Abstract: A system for automating load conditions on a test specimen includes a test equipment assembly that includes one or more test components configured to apply load to the test specimen. The system includes a control system to actuate the load, and includes a controller that receives and transmits data to sensors and actuators operatively connected to the test equipment assembly. The system includes a data analyzer connected to the control system to transmit a loading sequence to the controller for actuating the test equipment assembly. The data analyzer receives and processes the data from the controller to determine whether the test specimen is within an acceptable stress range as the test equipment assembly performs the loading sequence, and transmits data to the controller to reduce the load on the test specimen if the acceptable stress range is exceeded.Type: GrantFiled: December 2, 2016Date of Patent: January 22, 2019Assignee: MECHANICAL TESTING SERVICES, LLCInventors: Brian E. Schwind, Daniel Purvis, Albert Lin