Patents by Inventor Douglas Steck

Douglas Steck 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).

  • Patent number: 11994761
    Abstract: An apparatus may include a touch sensor where the touch sensor has a first set of electrodes and a second set of electrodes that are electrically isolated from the first set of electrodes, a shield layer positioned adjacent to the touch sensor where the shield layer has a first section and a second section where the first section of the shield layer has a different electrical characteristic than the second section of the shield layer, and a ground feature incorporated into the touch sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2024
    Assignee: Cirque Corporation
    Inventors: Jon Bertrand, Paul Glad, Douglas Steck
  • Patent number: 11989362
    Abstract: A capacitance module may include at least one touch electrode on a first surface of the capacitance module; a first portion of an inductance coil deposited on a second surface of the capacitance module; and a second portion of the inductance coil deposited on a third surface of the capacitance module where the first portion of the inductance coil and the second portion of the inductance coil may be electrically connected and where the inductance coil may be positioned to interact with a magnet adjacent to the inductance coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2024
    Inventors: Paul Glad, Douglas Steck
  • Publication number: 20240152239
    Abstract: A capacitance module may include a first substrate having a first side and a second side opposite the first side, and a second substrate having a third side and a fourth side opposite the third side, the second side of the first substrate facing the third side of the second substrate. A first set of electrodes may be disposed on the second side of the substrate, and a second set of electrodes may be disposed on the second side of the substrate. The first set of electrodes and the second set of electrodes may be used to measure capacitance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2022
    Publication date: May 9, 2024
    Applicant: Cirque Corporation
    Inventors: Paul Glad, Douglas Steck
  • Publication number: 20240143079
    Abstract: An apparatus may include a substrate in a capacitance module, a first cavity in the substrate, a first housing in the cavity, a piezoelectric haptic actuator in the housing, and a dissipation opening defined in the housing that increases air flow from the first cavity to the outside of the apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2022
    Publication date: May 2, 2024
    Applicant: Cirque Corporation
    Inventors: Paul Glad, Douglas Steck
  • Publication number: 20240061533
    Abstract: An apparatus may include a stack of layers, the stack including a sensor layer containing a set of electrodes and a suction opening defined through the sensor layer, and a capacitance reference surface adjacent to the sensor layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2022
    Publication date: February 22, 2024
    Applicant: Cirque Corporation
    Inventors: Paul Glad, Douglas Steck
  • Patent number: 11899887
    Abstract: An apparatus may include a stack of layers, the stack including a sensor layer containing a set of electrodes and a suction opening defined through the sensor layer, and a capacitance reference surface adjacent to the sensor layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: Cirque Corporation
    Inventors: Paul Glad, Douglas Steck
  • Publication number: 20230288743
    Abstract: An apparatus may include a touch sensor where the touch sensor has a first set of electrodes and a second set of electrodes that are electrically isolated from the first set of electrodes, a shield layer positioned adjacent to the touch sensor where the shield layer has a first section and a second section where the first section of the shield layer has a different electrical characteristic than the second section of the shield layer, and a ground feature incorporated into the touch sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2023
    Publication date: September 14, 2023
    Applicant: Cirque Corporation
    Inventors: Jon Bertrand, Paul Glad, Douglas Steck
  • Publication number: 20230251516
    Abstract: An apparatus may include a touch sensor where the touch sensor has a first set of electrodes and a second set of electrodes that are electrically isolated from the first set of electrodes, a shield layer positioned adjacent to the touch sensor where the shield layer has a first section and a second section where the first section of the shield layer has a different electrical characteristic than the second section of the shield layer, and a ground feature incorporated into the touch sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2022
    Publication date: August 10, 2023
    Applicant: Cirque Corporation
    Inventors: Jon Bertrand, Paul Glad, Douglas Steck
  • Patent number: 11719971
    Abstract: An apparatus may include a touch sensor where the touch sensor has a first set of electrodes and a second set of electrodes that are electrically isolated from the first set of electrodes, a shield layer positioned adjacent to the touch sensor where the shield layer has a first section and a second section where the first section of the shield layer has a different electrical characteristic than the second section of the shield layer, and a ground feature incorporated into the touch sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: Cirque Corporation
    Inventors: Jon Bertrand, Paul Glad, Douglas Steck
  • Publication number: 20230236668
    Abstract: A capacitance module may include at least one capacitive sensor layer; an antenna connected to the capacitive sensor layer; and at least one haptic actuator connected to the capacitive sensor layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2022
    Publication date: July 27, 2023
    Applicant: Cirque Corporation
    Inventors: Paul Glad, Douglas Steck, Brian Monson
  • Patent number: 11620027
    Abstract: An apparatus may include a touch sensor where the touch sensor has a first set of electrodes and a second set of electrodes that are electrically isolated from the first set of electrodes, a shield layer positioned adjacent to the touch sensor, and the shield layer having a plurality of thermal expansion grooves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: Cirque Corporation
    Inventors: Jon Bertrand, Paul Glad, Douglas Steck
  • Patent number: 11003279
    Abstract: An apparatus may include a touch sensor, a touch region of the touch sensor that is free of sense electrodes, a first peripheral region of the touch sensor and a second peripheral region of the touch senor and the touch region is located between the first peripheral region and the second peripheral region, a first sense electrode is located in the first peripheral region, a second sense electrode is located in the second peripheral region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: Cirque Corporation
    Inventors: Brian Monson, Jon Alan Bertrand, Douglas Steck
  • Publication number: 20200240855
    Abstract: A deformable sensor may detect changes in capacitance due to relative motion of electrodes in the deformable sensor, or due to a proximate object. In some cases, a controller circuit may communicate with a motion interface system to alter motion of system components when a deformation or proximate object is sensed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2020
    Publication date: July 30, 2020
    Applicant: Cirque Corporation
    Inventors: JON BERTRAND, JARED BYTHEWAY, BRIAN MONSON, PATRICK SHERWOOD, DOUGLAS STECK
  • Publication number: 20200225801
    Abstract: An apparatus may include a touch sensor, a touch region of the touch sensor that is free of sense electrodes, a first peripheral region of the touch sensor and a second peripheral region of the touch senor and the touch region is located between the first peripheral region and the second peripheral region, a first sense electrode is located in the first peripheral region, a second sense electrode is located in the second peripheral region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2019
    Publication date: July 16, 2020
    Applicant: Cirque Corporation
    Inventors: Brian Monson, Jon Alan Bertrand, Douglas Steck
  • Patent number: 6989733
    Abstract: A new method and system for adapting standard home network protocol communication signals for communication between networked computation devices over the AC power line is provided. This invention provides improvements to the standard home network protocol required for use over the AC power line, including such features as encrypting, signal amplification and improved signal to noise ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2006
    Assignee: Phonex Broadbank Corp.
    Inventors: John M. Simonsen, Gordon E. Smith, W. Paul Willis, Daniel J. McGuire, Douglas A. Steck
  • Publication number: 20050175184
    Abstract: A network security system designed to provide per-packet encryption based on an encryption key identifier and an associated encryption key. Packets or groups of packets are encrypted based on information that relates to the packet such as service type, network number, and the like. This encryption criterion is associated with an encryption key and encryption key identifier. When a packet contains the certain criteria, the packet is encrypted using the encryption key. The packet is sent across the network using the encryption key identifier and the encrypted payload. The targeted nodes decrypt the packet using the reverse process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2004
    Publication date: August 11, 2005
    Applicant: Phonex Broadband Corporation
    Inventors: Douglas Grover, Douglas Steck, W. Willes, Thomas Rohlfing, Ronald Leahy
  • Publication number: 20020064218
    Abstract: A system for providing communications between a wide variety of communication devices using the AC power line within a building or facility without requiring dedicated hard wiring. This invention is designed specifically to accommodate such devices as gateways, PCs, telephone devices, RF equipment, home automation devices and audio-visual devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2001
    Publication date: May 30, 2002
    Applicant: Phonex Broadband Corporation
    Inventors: W. Paul Willes, Samuel C. Kingston, Ronald S. Leahy, Douglas A. Steck
  • Publication number: 20020031226
    Abstract: A new method and system for adapting standard home network protocol communication signals for communication between networked computation devices over the AC power line is provided. This invention provides improvements to the standard home network protocol required for use over the AC power line, including such features as encrypting, signal amplification and improved signal to noise ratio.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2001
    Publication date: March 14, 2002
    Applicant: Phonex Broadband Corporation
    Inventors: John M. Simonsen, Gordon E. Smith, W. Paul Willis, Daniel J. McGuire, Douglas A. Steck