Patents by Inventor Louis W. Bokma
Louis W. Bokma 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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Patent number: 11036318Abstract: An electronic device is disclosed. In some examples, the electronic device comprises a rotatable mechanical input mechanism. In some examples, the electronic device comprises sense electrode positioned proximate to the mechanical input mechanism. In some examples, the electronic device comprises a capacitive sense circuit comprising drive circuity operatively coupled to the mechanical input mechanism and configured for driving a drive signal onto the mechanical input mechanism. In some examples, the electronic device comprises a capacitive sense circuit comprising sense circuitry operatively coupled to the sense electrode and configured to measure an amount of coupling between the rotatable mechanical input mechanism and the sense electrode. In some examples, the electronic device comprises a housing, wherein the sense electrode is included in a gasket for connecting a display to the housing.Type: GrantFiled: September 23, 2016Date of Patent: June 15, 2021Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Louis W. Bokma, Prashanth Holenarsipur, Yuta Kuboyama, Mengshu Huang
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Patent number: 10942605Abstract: A computer-implemented method is disclosed. The method includes: receiving a first signal from a first sensor of the device, the first signal indicative of a grounding condition of the device; setting one or more touch detection thresholds based on the grounding condition; receiving a touch signal from a touch sensor of the device, the touch signal indicative of a touch by an object; and determining whether one or more parameters of the touch signal exceeds the one or more touch detection thresholds.Type: GrantFiled: November 21, 2018Date of Patent: March 9, 2021Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Louis W. Bokma, Sean E. O'Connor
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Publication number: 20190272060Abstract: A touch-sensitive depressible button with multiple depression thresholds is provided. When the button is depressed to a first depression threshold, the touch sensor can be switched from a low-power, non-sensing state to a sensing state. When the button is depressed to a second depression threshold, the touch sensor can sense the touch context and input can be generated based on the depression and the touch context. In this way, the touch-sensitive depressible button with multiple depression thresholds can facilitate timely switching of the touch sensor to a sensing state.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 17, 2019Publication date: September 5, 2019Inventors: Louis W. BOKMA, Joseph R. FISHER, JR., Saket VORA
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Patent number: 10296136Abstract: A touch-sensitive depressible button with multiple depression thresholds is provided. When the button is depressed to a first depression threshold, the touch sensor can be switched from a low-power, non-sensing state to a sensing state. When the button is depressed to a second depression threshold, the touch sensor can sense the touch context and input can be generated based on the depression and the touch context. In this way, the touch-sensitive depressible button with multiple depression thresholds can facilitate timely switching of the touch sensor to a sensing state.Type: GrantFiled: February 15, 2018Date of Patent: May 21, 2019Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Louis W. Bokma, Joseph R. Fisher, Jr., Saket Vora
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Publication number: 20190095036Abstract: A computer-implemented method is disclosed. The method includes: receiving a first signal from a first sensor of the device, the first signal indicative of a grounding condition of the device; setting one or more touch detection thresholds based on the grounding condition; receiving a touch signal from a touch sensor of the device, the touch signal indicative of a touch by an object; and determining whether one or more parameters of the touch signal exceeds the one or more touch detection thresholds.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 21, 2018Publication date: March 28, 2019Inventors: Louis W. BOKMA, Sean E. O'CONNOR
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Patent number: 10203803Abstract: Touch scan modes for touch sensitive devices during device charge is disclosed. To prevent adverse effects to the touch sensor panel due to inductive noise while the device is charging, the touch controller can switch to a touch scan mode (i.e., power charging touch mode) that can cancel or reduce noise from the touch scan or touch image. Power charging touch modes can include low noise frequency selection, increased number of touch samples employed to calculate an average, and simultaneous sampling. In some examples, a power charging touch mode can be different from a normal touch scan mode (i.e., a touch scan mode when the device is not charging). With the one or more power charging touch modes, false touch readings, erroneous touch location identification, and/or undetected touches can be eliminated or reduced.Type: GrantFiled: September 2, 2014Date of Patent: February 12, 2019Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Wesley W. Zuber, David H. C. Shih, Louis W. Bokma
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Patent number: 10152162Abstract: A computer-implemented method is disclosed. The method includes: receiving a first signal from a first sensor of the device, the first signal indicative of a grounding condition of the device; setting one or more touch detection thresholds based on the grounding condition; receiving a touch signal from a touch sensor of the device, the touch signal indicative of a touch by an object; and determining whether one or more parameters of the touch signal exceeds the one or more touch detection thresholds.Type: GrantFiled: September 18, 2015Date of Patent: December 11, 2018Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Louis W. Bokma, Sean E. O'Connor
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Patent number: 10095345Abstract: A low power can for device wake up and unlock is disclosed. The low power scan can include one or more algorithms used to detect a sequence and/or one or more gestures to wake up a processor and unlock the device for user interaction. A sequence and/or one or more gestures can be determined by a microcontroller and/or by a separate hardware component. The microcontroller can send a notification or a wake signal to the processor and/or switch the device from an idle to an active state. By detecting a sequence and one or more gestures in the microcontroller before powering on or waking up the processor, the amount of power consumed can be reduced and the battery life extended.Type: GrantFiled: May 30, 2014Date of Patent: October 9, 2018Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Louis W. Bokma, Sean Erik O'Connor
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Publication number: 20180173364Abstract: A touch-sensitive depressible button with multiple depression thresholds is provided. When the button is depressed to a first depression threshold, the touch sensor can be switched from a low-power, non-sensing state to a sensing state. When the button is depressed to a second depression threshold, the touch sensor can sense the touch context and input can be generated based on the depression and the touch context. In this way, the touch-sensitive depressible button with multiple depression thresholds can facilitate timely switching of the touch sensor to a sensing state.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 15, 2018Publication date: June 21, 2018Inventors: Louis W. BOKMA, Joseph R. FISHER, Jr., Saket VORA
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Patent number: 9904410Abstract: A touch-sensitive depressible button with multiple depression thresholds is provided. When the button is depressed to a first depression threshold, the touch sensor can be switched from a low-power, non-sensing state to a sensing state. When the button is depressed to a second depression threshold, the touch sensor can sense the touch context and input can be generated based on the depression and the touch context. In this way, the touch-sensitive depressible button with multiple depression thresholds can facilitate timely switching of the touch sensor to a sensing state.Type: GrantFiled: July 11, 2016Date of Patent: February 27, 2018Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Louis W. Bokma, Joseph R. Fisher, Jr., Saket Vora
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Publication number: 20170090599Abstract: An electronic device is disclosed. In some examples, the electronic device comprises a rotatable mechanical input mechanism. In some examples, the electronic device comprises sense electrode positioned proximate to the mechanical input mechanism. In some examples, the electronic device comprises a capacitive sense circuit comprising drive circuity operatively coupled to the mechanical input mechanism and configured for driving a drive signal onto the mechanical input mechanism. In some examples, the electronic device comprises a capacitive sense circuit comprising sense circuitry operatively coupled to the sense electrode and configured to measure an amount of coupling between the rotatable mechanical input mechanism and the sense electrode. In some examples, the electronic device comprises a housing, wherein the sense electrode is included in a gasket for connecting a display to the housing.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 23, 2016Publication date: March 30, 2017Inventors: Yuta KUBOYAMA, Louis W. BOKMA, Erik DE JONG, Christopher M. DODSON, Colin M. ELY, Prashanth HOLENARSIPUR, Mengshu HUANG, Serhan O. ISIKMAN, Brian R. LAND, Anant RAI, Albert WANG, Michael B. WITTENBERG
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Publication number: 20170024078Abstract: A technique for recognizing and rejecting false activation events related to a capacitance sense interface includes measuring a capacitance value of a capacitance sensor within the capacitance sense interface to generate a measured capacitance value. The measured capacitance value is analyzed to determine a baseline capacitance value for the capacitance sensor. The baseline capacitance value may be updated based at least in part upon a weighted moving average of the measured capacitance value. The measured capacitance value may also be analyzed to determine whether the capacitance sensor was activated during a startup phase and to adjust the baseline capacitance value in response to determining that the capacitance sensor was activated during the startup phase.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 3, 2016Publication date: January 26, 2017Inventors: Louis W. Bokma, Andrew C. Page, Dennis R. Seguine
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Patent number: 9494627Abstract: A technique for recognizing and rejecting false activation events related to a capacitance sense interface includes measuring a capacitance value of a capacitance sense element. The measured capacitance value is analyzed to determine a baseline capacitance value for the capacitance sensor. The capacitance sense interface monitors a rate of change of the measured capacitance values and rejects an activation of the capacitance sense element as a non-touch event when the rate of change of the measured capacitance values have a magnitude greater than a threshold level, indicative of a maximum rate of change of a touch event.Type: GrantFiled: August 21, 2012Date of Patent: November 15, 2016Assignee: MONTEREY RESEARCH, LLCInventors: Louis W. Bokma, Andrew C. Page, Dennis R. Seguine
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Publication number: 20160320906Abstract: A touch-sensitive depressible button with multiple depression thresholds is provided. When the button is depressed to a first depression threshold, the touch sensor can be switched from a low-power, non-sensing state to a sensing state. When the button is depressed to a second depression threshold, the touch sensor can sense the touch context and input can be generated based on the depression and the touch context. In this way, the touch-sensitive depressible button with multiple depression thresholds can facilitate timely switching of the touch sensor to a sensing state.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 11, 2016Publication date: November 3, 2016Inventors: Louis W. BOKMA, Joseph R. FISHER, JR., Saket VORA
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Patent number: 9407098Abstract: Some embodiments provide a system that determines a battery chemistry for a battery in a peripheral device. During operation, the system determines a first voltage of the battery at a first time and a second voltage of the battery at a second time. The first voltage and the second voltage are then compared to one or more predetermined battery usage profiles to determine the battery chemistry.Type: GrantFiled: December 12, 2011Date of Patent: August 2, 2016Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Marco Sebastiani, Louis W. Bokma, Nima Parivar
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Patent number: 9400581Abstract: A touch-sensitive depressible button with multiple depression thresholds is provided. When the button is depressed to a first depression threshold, the touch sensor can be switched from a low-power, non-sensing state to a sensing state. When the button is depressed to a second depression threshold, the touch sensor can sense the touch context and input can be generated based on the depression and the touch context. In this way, the touch-sensitive depressible button with multiple depression thresholds can facilitate timely switching of the touch sensor to a sensing state.Type: GrantFiled: December 9, 2014Date of Patent: July 26, 2016Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Louis W. Bokma, Joseph R. Fisher, Jr., Saket Vora
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Publication number: 20160178704Abstract: Some embodiments provide a system that determines a battery chemistry for a battery in a peripheral device. During operation, the system determines a first voltage of the battery at a first time and a second voltage of the battery at a second time. The first voltage and the second voltage are then compared to one or more predetermined battery usage profiles to determine the battery chemistry. The remaining life of the battery is determined using the battery chemistry.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 29, 2016Publication date: June 23, 2016Inventors: Marco Sebastiani, Louis W. Bokma, Nima Parivar
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Publication number: 20160062494Abstract: Touch scan modes for touch sensitive devices during device charge is disclosed. To prevent adverse effects to the touch sensor panel due to inductive noise while the device is charging, the touch controller can switch to a touch scan mode (i.e., power charging touch mode) that can cancel or reduce noise from the touch scan or touch image. Power charging touch modes can include low noise frequency selection, increased number of touch samples employed to calculate an average, and simultaneous sampling. In some examples, a power charging touch mode can be different from a normal touch scan mode (i.e., a touch scan mode when the device is not charging). With the one or more power charging touch modes, false touch readings, erroneous touch location identification, and/or undetected touches can be eliminated or reduced.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 2, 2014Publication date: March 3, 2016Inventors: Wesley W. ZUBER, David H.C. SHIH, Louis W. BOKMA
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Publication number: 20150346895Abstract: A low power can for device wake up and unlock is disclosed. The low power scan can include one or more algorithms used to detect a sequence and/or one or more gestures to wake up a processor and unlock the device for user interaction. A sequence and/or one or more gestures can be determined by a microcontroller and/or by a separate hardware component. The microcontroller can send a notification or a wake signal to the processor and/or switch the device from an idle to an active state. By detecting a sequence and one or more gestures in the microcontroller before powering on or waking up the processor, the amount of power consumed can be reduced and the battery life extended.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 30, 2014Publication date: December 3, 2015Applicant: Apple Inc.Inventors: Louis W. BOKMA, Sean Erik O'CONNOR
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Publication number: 20150091867Abstract: A touch-sensitive depressible button with multiple depression thresholds is provided. When the button is depressed to a first depression threshold, the touch sensor can be switched from a low-power, non-sensing state to a sensing state. When the button is depressed to a second depression threshold, the touch sensor can sense the touch context and input can be generated based on the depression and the touch context. In this way, the touch-sensitive depressible button with multiple depression thresholds can facilitate timely switching of the touch sensor to a sensing state.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 9, 2014Publication date: April 2, 2015Inventors: Louis W. BOKMA, Joseph R. FISHER, JR., Saket VORA