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).

  • Patent number: 8933905
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Louis W. Bokma, Joseph R. Fisher, Jr., Saket Vora
  • Patent number: 8890854
    Abstract: A method for calibrating a touch sensor panel including a plurality of touch electrodes is provided. The method includes determining, for each of the plurality of touch electrodes, a contribution in terms of capacitance to a total capacitance of the touch sensor panel; and allocating a fraction of a fixed period of time for measuring a capacitance of each of the plurality of electrodes based on the electrode's contribution to the total capacitance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew D. Tenuta, Louis W. Bokma
  • Publication number: 20140035856
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2013
    Publication date: February 6, 2014
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Louis W. BOKMA, Joseph R. FISHER, JR., Saket VORA
  • Patent number: 8581870
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Louis W. Bokma, Joseph R. Fisher, Jr., Saket Vora
  • Publication number: 20130151181
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2011
    Publication date: June 13, 2013
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Marco Sebastiani, Louis W. Bokma, Nima Parivar
  • Publication number: 20130141342
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2011
    Publication date: June 6, 2013
    Inventors: Louis W. BOKMA, Joseph R. Fisher, JR., Saket Vora
  • Patent number: 8248084
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Louis W. Bokma, Andrew C. Page, Dennis R. Seguine
  • Publication number: 20120050213
    Abstract: A touch sensing system is disclosed that can include a firmware module stored in memory and executed at run time to store values into a hardware register for configuring various parameters of capacitive sensing system to reduce quantization and scan noise, reduce interference with neighboring electronics, and avoid noise aggressors. In addition, a serial peripheral interface (SPI) can be employed to allow a host controller to access information about the performance of touch controller and send communications back to touch controller to make run-time changes to the parameters of touch controller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2010
    Publication date: March 1, 2012
    Inventor: Louis W. BOKMA
  • Publication number: 20120050229
    Abstract: A method for calibrating a touch sensor panel including a plurality of touch electrodes is provided. The method includes determining, for each of the plurality of touch electrodes, a contribution in terms of capacitance to a total capacitance of the touch sensor panel; and allocating a fraction of a fixed period of time for measuring a capacitance of each of the plurality of electrodes based on the electrode's contribution to the total capacitance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2010
    Publication date: March 1, 2012
    Inventors: Matthew D. TENUTA, Louis W. Bokma
  • Publication number: 20120043976
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2011
    Publication date: February 23, 2012
    Inventors: Louis W. Bokma, Andrew C. Page, Dennis R. Seguine
  • Patent number: 8040142
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Louis W. Bokma, Andrew C. Page, Dennis R. Seguine