Abstract: A mobile platform includes one or more haptic feedback elements that are positioned in regions of the mobile platform that are proximate to a facial region of a user while the user holds the mobile platform to an ear. By way of example, the haptic feedback elements may be electric force elements that overlay a display or vibrating or thermal elements. The mobile platform is capable of determining a current location and receiving a desired location, which may be, e.g., a location provided by the user, a location with superior signal strength or of another mobile platform. The mobile platform determines directions from the present location to the current location and translates the direction in to control signals. Haptic signals are produced to the facial region of the user by the haptic feedback elements in response to the control signals, thereby providing the directions to the user.

Abstract: Flexible connectors that can be mated into specially designed electronic receptacles are described. In some embodiments, additional connections on the connector can make contact with the receptacle. However, the additional connections are also provided in a manner wherein if the connector is plugged into a legacy, conventional receptacle, the additional connectors become disengaged and slide away from, back from, or inside the jack so that the connector can still be used on legacy devices.

Abstract: A microphone circuit includes a microphone configured to generate a microphone signal. The microphone circuit also includes a processor configured to perform sound detection based on the microphone signal and to determine whether to enable a component based on the sound detection. For example, the processor may be a digital signal processor (DSP) of the microphone circuit and the component may be external to the microphone circuit, such as a coder/decoder (CODEC), another DSP, and/or an application processor.

Abstract: A computing device includes a touch screen display with a plurality of force sensors, each of which provides a signal in response to contact with the touch screen display. Using force signals from the plurality of force sensors, a characteristic of the contact is determined, such as the magnitude of the force, the centroid of force and the shear force. The characteristic of the contact is used to select a command which is processed to control the computing device. For example, the command may be related to manipulating data displayed on the touch screen display, e.g., by adjusting the scroll speed or the quantity of data selected in response to the magnitude of force, or related to an operation of an application on the computing device, such as selecting different focal ranges, producing an alarm, or adjusting the volume of a speaker in response to the magnitude of force.

Abstract: Implementations disclosed herein provide systems and methods for improved processing of touch sensor data with improved scalability and reduced standby power. Touch-related algorithms may be partitioned between the touch screen controller and the application processor or host such that the system can function with low standby power and low interface bandwidth while providing a scalable solution for enhanced user experience. In some aspects, a small digital processing engine and memory remains in the analog front end (AFE) of the touch screen controller to perform imagine forming algorithms that are mostly related to noise reduction and filtering schemes.

Abstract: Systems and methods for host-augmented touch-sensing are disclosed. The energy-efficiency of a touch sensitive device may be improved by dynamically adjusting the scanning sensitivity of the touch sensor based on host-augmented environmental information such as temperature, pressure, position, orientation, humidity, force, or battery charging mode.

Abstract: Systems and methods for context-based touch-sensing and processing are disclosed. The energy-efficiency of a touch sensitive device may be improved by dynamically adjusting the function of the touch sensitive surface in real-time based on contextual information such as expected QoS, expected user input in defined regions-of-interest of the touch sensitive surface, and usage modalities of the touch sensitive device.

Abstract: Implementations disclosed herein provide systems and methods for improved processing of touch sensor data with improved scalability and reduced standby power. Touch-related algorithms may be partitioned between the touch screen controller and the application processor or host such that the system can function with low standby power and low interface bandwidth while providing a scalable solution for enhanced user experience. In some aspects, a small digital processing engine and memory remains in the analog front end (AFE) of the touch screen controller to perform imagine forming algorithms that are mostly related to noise reduction and filtering schemes.

Abstract: A method of operation of an ultrasonic sensor array includes receiving a receiver bias voltage at a receiver bias electrode of the ultrasonic sensor array to bias piezoelectric sensor elements of the ultrasonic sensor array. The method further includes receiving a transmitter control signal at the ultrasonic sensor array to cause an ultrasonic transmitter of the ultrasonic sensor array to generate an ultrasonic wave. The method further includes generating data samples based on a reflection of the ultrasonic wave. The receiver bias voltage and the transmitter control signal are received from an integrated circuit that is coupled to the ultrasonic sensor array.

Abstract: An apparatus includes an integrated circuit configured to be operatively coupled to a sensor array that is configured to generate an ultrasonic wave. The integrated circuit includes a transmitter circuit configured to provide a first signal to the sensor array. The integrated circuit further includes a receiver circuit configured to receive a second signal from the sensor array in response to providing the first signal. The sensor array includes an ultrasonic transmitter configured to generate the ultrasonic wave in response to the first signal and a piezoelectric receiver layer configured to detect a reflection of the ultrasonic wave.

Abstract: Flexible connectors that can be mated into specially designed electronic receptacles are described. In some embodiments, additional connections on the connector can make contact with the receptacle. However, the additional connections are also provided in a manner wherein if the connector is plugged into a legacy, conventional receptacle, the additional connectors become disengaged and slide away from, back from, or inside the jack so that the connector can still be used on legacy devices.

Abstract: A wideband voice electro-acoustic apparatus for a wireless telephone, including a mouthpiece for a wireless telephone. The mouthpiece has a wideband voice frequency response/passband in the frequency range of 200 Hz to 7000 Hz. The apparatus also includes an earpiece for a wireless telephone. The earpiece has a wideband voice passband in the frequency range of 200 Hz to 7000 Hz. The wideband voice electro-acoustic apparatus improves the voice quality of wireless voice band communication over that available using a conventional wireless telephone having an electro-acoustic passband smaller than 200 Hz to 7000 Hz.

Abstract: An electronic device for controlling noise is described. The electronic device includes a force sensor for detecting a force on the electronic device. The electronic device also includes noise control circuitry for generating a noise control signal based on a noise signal and the force. Another electronic device for controlling noise is also described. The electronic device includes a speaker that outputs a runtime ultrasound signal, an error microphone that receives a runtime ultrasound channel signal and noise control circuitry coupled to the speaker and to the error microphone. The noise control circuitry determines at least one calibration parameter and determines a runtime channel response based on the runtime ultrasound channel signal. The noise control circuitry also determines a runtime placement based on the runtime channel response and the at least one calibration parameter and determines at least one runtime active noise control parameter based on the runtime placement.

Abstract: A mobile platform includes one or more haptic feedback elements that are positioned in regions of the mobile platform that are proximate to a facial region of a user while the user holds the mobile platform to an ear. By way of example, the haptic feedback elements may be electric force elements that overlay a display or vibrating or thermal elements. The mobile platform is capable of determining a current location and receiving a desired location, which may be, e.g., a location provided by the user, a location with superior signal strength or of another mobile platform. The mobile platform determines directions from the present location to the current location and translates the direction in to control signals. Haptic signals are produced to the facial region of the user by the haptic feedback elements in response to the control signals, thereby providing the directions to the user.

Abstract: A computing device includes a touch screen display with a plurality of force sensors, each of which provides a signal in response to contact with the touch screen display. Using force signals from the plurality of force sensors, a characteristic of the contact is determined, such as the magnitude of the force, the centroid of force and the shear force. The characteristic of the contact is used to select a command which is processed to control the computing device. For example, the command may be related to manipulating data displayed on the touch screen display, e.g., by adjusting the scroll speed or the quantity of data selected in response to the magnitude of force, or related to an operation of an application on the computing device, such as selecting different focal ranges, producing an alarm, or adjusting the volume of a speaker in response to the magnitude of force.

Abstract: A conductive multi-touch touch-sensitive panel includes two intersecting but electrically isolated arrays of linear conductors which can be brought into electrical contact by touching the panel. A display element may be positioned beneath the two arrays of linear conductors to provide a touchscreen panel. A touch to a cover plate or member causes one or more linear conductors in one array to contact one or more linear conductors in the other array. The location of a touch to the panel can be detected by individually or sequentially applying an electrical signal, such as a voltage or current, to each linear conductor in one array while sensing voltage or current on each of the linear conductors in the other array.

Abstract: In a disclosed embodiment, a mobile unit includes a codec, a vocoder, and an audio decoder. The vocoder and the audio decoder provide respective outputs to an audio mux. A stereo/mono control unit receives an audio mux input from the audio mux. A control output generated by the stereo/mono control unit is coupled to a number of components in a receive audio processing path of the codec. By disabling at least one of the components in, for example, the right channel of the receive audio processing path of the codec, the control output of the stereo/mono control unit results in significant power savings. Such disabling can occur, for example, when the audio mux input received by the stereo/mono control unit contains voice signals, as opposed to music signals.

Abstract: An on-chip detection circuit automatically detects when an external switch has been activated. When the device is initialized, the detection circuit measures the operating current and coverts the information into an analog voltage. The analog voltage is then processed through an on-chip analog-to-digital converter and the digitized result is stored as a reference value. To sense the open and close action of the off-chip mechanical switch, the device then takes a sample of the operating current periodically, digitizes this information and compares the sampled value to the reference value. A change in value larger than some predetermined level indicates the external switch has been activated.

Abstract: A wireless communication device (100) may include a receiver (110), a memory (104), a digital-to-analog converter (128), an audio playback system (124) and other features. A dynamic range controller (130) selectively generates control signals to adjust, at least in part, the operational dynamic range of the digital-to-analog converter (128) for digital signals received by the receiver (110) or stored in the memory (104). The selection of dynamic range is based on identifying a characteristic. In one embodiment, the control signals are used to selectively operate the digital-to-analog converter (128) at a particular dynamic range based on a sampling rate of a received digital audio signal.

Abstract: A wideband voice electro-acoustic apparatus for a wireless telephone, including a mouthpiece for a wireless telephone. The mouthpiece has a wideband voice frequency response/passband in the frequency range of 200 Hz to 7000 Hz. The apparatus also includes an earpiece for a wireless telephone. The earpiece has a wideband voice passband in the frequency range of 200 Hz to 7000 Hz. The wideband voice electro-acoustic apparatus improves the voice quality of wireless voice band communication over that available using a conventional wireless telephone having an electro-acoustic passband smaller than 200 Hz to 7000 Hz.