Patents by Inventor Andrew M. Errington

Andrew M. Errington 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).

  • Publication number: 20140015751
    Abstract: A device and method include an enclosure having a top layer with an external touch surface and an oppositely disposed back surface, a flexible substrate including a first portion affixed to the back surface, a second portion separate from the first portion, and an intermediate portion between the first second portions. An array of capacitive sensors is configured to sense objects proximate the external surface. A processor mounted to the second portion is configured to obtain signals from the sensors, determine object motion proximate the external surface using the signals, cause scrolling in response the object moving along a first axis, cause continued scrolling in response to the object lifting with a substantially non-zero speed along the first axis, and to not cause continued scrolling in response the object lifting with a substantially zero speed along the first axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2013
    Publication date: January 16, 2014
    Applicant: SYNAPTICS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: David W. Gillespie, Shawn P. Day, Raymond A. Trent, JR., Scott J. Shaw, Andrew M. Errington
  • Publication number: 20140009397
    Abstract: A capacitive sensing device and method include a touch surface, a capacitive touch sensor coupled to the touch surface and configured to measure finger motion along the touch surface, and a processor in operative communication with the capacitive touch sensor. The processor is configured to generate a scrolling command in response to finger motion along the touch surface, cease the scrolling command without substantially continuing generating the scrolling command upon the finger lifting from the touch surface when the finger is stationary prior to lifting from the touch surface, and continue generating the scrolling command for a time after the finger lifting from the touch surface to emulate coasting responsive to finger motion prior the finger lifting.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2013
    Publication date: January 9, 2014
    Inventors: David W. Gillespie, Shawn P. Day, Raymond A. Trent, JR., Scott J. Shaw, Andrew M. Errington
  • Patent number: 8035616
    Abstract: A pointing device some or all of whose elements are made from capacitive sensors. Such elements may include a rotary motion detector which includes a rotating member and a plurality of fixed capacitive detecting members; a rolling ball with patterned conductive surface and a plurality of fixed capacitive detecting members; capacitive touch sensors or capacitive switches to serve as mouse buttons; and a scrolling wheel, knob, or touch surface built from capacitive sensors. The pointing device further includes a capacitance measuring circuit and processor to measure variations of capacitance on the various capacitive elements and to determine the movement of and other activations of the mouse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
    Inventors: Scott J. Shaw, Shawn P. Day, Raymond A. Trent, Jr., David W. Gillespie, Andrew M. Errington
  • Publication number: 20110001704
    Abstract: A pointing device some or all of whose elements are made from capacitive sensors. Such elements may include a rotary motion detector which includes a rotating member and a plurality of fixed capacitive detecting members; a rolling ball with patterned conductive surface and a plurality of fixed capacitive detecting members; capacitive touch sensors or capacitive switches to serve as mouse buttons; and a scrolling wheel, knob, or touch surface built from capacitive sensors. The pointing device further includes a capacitance measuring circuit and processor to measure variations of capacitance on the various capacitive elements and to determine the movement of and other activations of the mouse.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2010
    Publication date: January 6, 2011
    Applicant: SYNAPTICS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Scott J. Shaw, Shawn P. Day, Raymond A. Trent, JR., David W. Gillespie, Andrew M. Errington
  • Publication number: 20110001703
    Abstract: A pointing device some or all of whose elements are made from capacitive sensors. Such elements may include a rotary motion detector which includes a rotating member and a plurality of fixed capacitive detecting members; a rolling ball with patterned conductive surface and a plurality of fixed capacitive detecting members; capacitive touch sensors or capacitive switches to serve as mouse buttons; and a scrolling wheel, knob, or touch surface built from capacitive sensors. The pointing device further includes a capacitance measuring circuit and processor to measure variations of capacitance on the various capacitive elements and to determine the movement of and other activations of the mouse.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2010
    Publication date: January 6, 2011
    Applicant: SYNAPTICS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Scott J. Shaw, Shawn P. Day, Raymond A. Trent, JR., David W. Gillespie, Andrew M. Errington
  • Patent number: 7817135
    Abstract: A pointing device some or all of whose elements are made from capacitive sensors. Such elements may include a rotary motion detector which includes a rotating member and a plurality of fixed capacitive detecting members; a rolling ball with patterned conductive surface and a plurality of fixed capacitive detecting members; capacitive touch sensors or capacitive switches to serve as mouse buttons; and a scrolling wheel, knob, or touch surface built from capacitive sensors. The pointing device further includes a capacitance measuring circuit and processor to measure variations of capacitance on the various capacitive elements and to determine the movement of and other activations of the mouse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2010
    Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
    Inventors: Scott J. Shaw, Shawn P. Day, Raymond A. Trent, Jr., David W. Gillespie, Andrew M. Errington
  • Publication number: 20090184940
    Abstract: A low-cost x-y digitizing system for use in consumer electronic devices, such as portable digital assistants, mobile telephones, web browsers and the like. The digitizer includes a resonant stylus, an excitation winding for energizing the resonant stylus and a set of sensor windings for sensing the signal generated by the stylus, from which the x-y position of the stylus is determined. A novel stylus design is described together with novel digitizer windings and novel excitation and processing circuitry.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2009
    Publication date: July 23, 2009
    Applicant: Synaptics (UK) Limited
    Inventors: Christopher J. Silk, David T.E. Ely, Andrew M. Errington, Ian Collins, Geoffrey Foote, Julian Haines, Robert Bolender, Gareth J. McCaughan
  • Patent number: 7212189
    Abstract: A pointing device some or all of whose elements are made from capacitive sensors. Such elements may include a rotary motion detector which includes a rotating member and a plurality of fixed capacitive detecting members; a rolling ball with patterned conductive surface and a plurality of fixed capacitive detecting members; capacitive touch sensors or capacitive switches to serve as mouse buttons; and a scrolling wheel, knob, or touch surface built from capacitive sensors. The pointing device further includes a capacitance measuring circuit and processor to measure variations of capacitance on the various capacitive elements and to determine the movement of and other activations of the mouse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
    Inventors: Scott J. Shaw, Shawn P. Day, Raymond A. Trent, Jr., David W. Gillespie, Andrew M. Errington
  • Publication number: 20030156098
    Abstract: A pointing device some or all of whose elements are made from capacitive sensors. Such elements may include a rotary motion detector which includes a rotating member and a plurality of fixed capacitive detecting members; a rolling ball with patterned conductive surface and a plurality of fixed capacitive detecting members; capacitive touch sensors or capacitive switches to serve as mouse buttons; and a scrolling wheel, knob, or touch surface built from capacitive sensors. The pointing device further includes a capacitance measuring circuit and processor to measure variations of capacitance on the various capacitive elements and to determine the movement of and other activations of the mouse.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2003
    Publication date: August 21, 2003
    Applicant: Synaptics, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott J. Shaw, Shawn P. Day, Raymond A. Trent, David W. Gillespie, Andrew M. Errington
  • Patent number: 6587093
    Abstract: A pointing device some or all of whose elements are made from capacitive sensors. Such elements may include a rotary motion detector which includes a rotating member and a plurality of fixed capacitive detecting members; a rolling ball with patterned conductive surface and a plurality of fixed capacitive detecting members; capacitive touch sensors or capacitive switches to serve as mouse buttons; and a scrolling wheel, knob, or touch surface built from capacitive sensors. The pointing device further includes a capacitance measuring circuit and processor to measure variations of capacitance on the various capacitive elements and to determine the movement of and other activations of the mouse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2003
    Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
    Inventors: Scott J. Shaw, Shawn P. Day, Raymond A. Trent, Jr., David W. Gillespie, Andrew M. Errington
  • Publication number: 20020063688
    Abstract: A pointing device some or all of whose elements are made from capacitive sensors. Such elements may include a rotary motion detector which includes a rotating member and a plurality of fixed capacitive detecting members; a rolling ball with patterned conductive surface and a plurality of fixed capacitive detecting members; capacitive touch sensors or capacitive switches to serve as mouse buttons; and a scrolling wheel, knob, or touch surface built from capacitive sensors. The pointing device further includes a capacitance measuring circuit and processor to measure variations of capacitance on the various capacitive elements and to determine the movement of and other activations of the mouse.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2001
    Publication date: May 30, 2002
    Applicant: Synaptics Incorporated
    Inventors: Scott J. Shaw, Shawn P. Day, Raymond A. Trent, David W. Gillespie, Andrew M. Errington