Patents by Inventor Martin P. Grunthaner
Martin P. Grunthaner 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: 10162444Abstract: A force-sensitive device for electronic device. The force inputs may be detected by measuring changes in capacitance, as measured by surface flex of a device having a flexible touchable surface, causing flex at a compressible gap within the device. A capacitive sensor responsive to changes in distance across the compressible gap. The sensor can be positioned above or below, or within, a display element, and above or below, or within, a backlight unit. The device can respond to bending, twisting, or other deformation, to adjust those zero force measurements. The device can use measure of surface flux that appear at positions on the surface not directly the subject of applied force, such as when the user presses on a part of the frame or a surface without capacitive sensors.Type: GrantFiled: December 16, 2015Date of Patent: December 25, 2018Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Charley T. Ogata, Martin P. Grunthaner, Michael B. Wittenberg, Peter W. Richards, Romain A. Teil, Steven P. Hotelling
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Patent number: 10139959Abstract: A method of calibrating a force sensor that includes an input surface and an array of sensing elements. The input has a number of test locations and is deformable under applied force. The force sensor is mounted in a predetermined test orientation. For each test location of the plurality of test locations on the input surface of the force sensor a predetermined test force to the test location. An element calibration value is measured for each sensing element of the array of sensing elements of the force sensor. An (x, y) deformation map of the input surface of the force sensor corresponding to the application of the predetermined test force to the test location is determined based on the measured element calibration values.Type: GrantFiled: November 26, 2013Date of Patent: November 27, 2018Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Christopher J. Butler, Martin P. Grunthaner, Peter W. Richards, Romain A. Teil, Sinan Filiz
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Patent number: 10120478Abstract: Systems for detecting an amount and/or location of a force applied to a device using a piezoelectric film are provided. One example system can include a transparent piezoelectric film for generating an electric charge in response to a deformation of the film. Electrodes positioned on opposite surfaces of the piezoelectric film can be used to detect the generated electric charge and determine an amount and/or location of force applied to the film based on the generated electric charge. In another embodiment, the system can include a capacitive touch sensor for determining a location of a touch event on the device.Type: GrantFiled: October 28, 2014Date of Patent: November 6, 2018Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Sinan Filiz, Brian Q. Huppi, Christopher J. Butler, Martin P. Grunthaner, Shahrooz Shahparnia, Sunggu Kang, Kai Wang
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Publication number: 20180275811Abstract: A device configured to sense a touch on a surface of the device. The device includes a cover and a force-sensing structure disposed below the cover. The force-sensing structure may be positioned below a display and used in combination with other force-sensing elements to estimate the force of a touch on the cover of a device.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 24, 2018Publication date: September 27, 2018Inventors: Sinan Filiz, Martin P. Grunthaner, John Stephen Smith, Charley T. Ogata, Christian M. Sauer, Shin John Choi, Christopher J. Butler, Steven J. Martisauskas
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Patent number: 10048789Abstract: A device configured to sense a touch on a surface of the device. The device includes a cover and a force-sensing structure disposed below the cover. The force-sensing structure may be positioned below a display and used in combination with other force-sensing elements to estimate the force of a touch on the cover of a device.Type: GrantFiled: June 1, 2015Date of Patent: August 14, 2018Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Sinan Filiz, Martin P. Grunthaner, John Stephen Smith, Charley T. Ogata, Christian M. Sauer, Shin John Choi, Christopher J. Butler, Steven J. Martisauskas
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Patent number: 10013118Abstract: An input/output device for a computing device including one or more touch sensors and one or more force sensors. The touch sensors sense data including one or more locations at which a contact or near-contact occurs. The force sensor sense data including a measure of an amount of force presented at the one or more locations at which a contact occurs. The touch sensors and the force sensors responsive to signals occurring in response to whether the signals are in response to contact or in response to an amount of force. The input/output device also includes one or more circuits coupled to the touch sensors and to the force sensors, and capable of combining information from both sensors.Type: GrantFiled: August 18, 2017Date of Patent: July 3, 2018Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Brian Q. Huppi, Martin P. Grunthaner, John G. Elias, Sinan Filiz, Steven P. Hotelling
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Patent number: 10007343Abstract: An input device can be integrated within an electronic device and/or operably connected to an electronic device through a wired or wireless connection. The input device can include one or more force sensors positioned below a cover element of the input device or an input surface of the electronic device. The input device can include other components and/or functionality, such as a biometric sensor and/or a switch element.Type: GrantFiled: March 31, 2016Date of Patent: June 26, 2018Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Sora Kim, Martin P. Grunthaner, Rui Jin, Michael B. Wittenberg, MIchael K. McCord, Henric Larsson, Giovanni Gozzini, Lucy Browning, Scott A. Myers
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Patent number: 9983716Abstract: An electronic device may have a housing in which components such as a display are mounted. A strain gauge may be mounted on a layer of the display such as a cover layer or may be mounted on a portion of the housing or other support structure. The layer of material on which the strain gauge is mounted may be configured to flex in response to pressure applied by a finger of a user. The strain gauge may serve as a button for the electronic device or may form part of other input circuitry. A differential amplifier and analog-to-digital converter circuit may be used to gather and process strain gauge signals. The strain gauge may be formed form variable resistor structures that make up part of a bridge circuit that is coupled to the differential amplifier. The bridge circuit may be configured to reduce the impact of capacitively coupled noise.Type: GrantFiled: October 2, 2017Date of Patent: May 29, 2018Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Bingrui Yang, Martin P. Grunthaner, Steven P. Hotelling
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Publication number: 20180121006Abstract: An electronic device that senses home button inputs through ultrasonic force sensing. The electronic device may correlate that amount of force that a user applies to the home button with a specific home button command. In certain embodiments, the system may combine the force of touch information with other information that is sensed for a particular touch to correlate the touch input with a greater number of home button commands. A home button embodiment discussed herein may include a home button image that is displayed on a touch sensitive panel. In other embodiments, a home button may be located outside of the boundaries of a touch sensitive panel.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 2, 2018Publication date: May 3, 2018Inventors: Brian Q. Huppi, Martin P. Grunthaner, John G. Elias, Sinan Filiz, Steven P. Hotelling
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Patent number: 9891759Abstract: Detecting force and touch using FTIR and capacitive location. FTIR determines applied force by the user's finger within infrared transmit lines on a touch device. A pattern of such lines determine optical coupling with the touch device. Capacitive sensing can determine (A) where the finger actually touches, so the touch device more accurately infers applied force; (B) whether finger touches shadow each other; (C) as a baseline for applied force; or (D) whether attenuated reflection is due to a current optical coupling, or is due to an earlier optical coupling, such as a smudge on the cover glass. If there is attenuated reflection without actual touching, the touch device can reset a baseline for applied force for the area in which that smudge remains. Infrared transmitters and receivers are positioned where they are not visible to a user, such as below a frame or mask for the cover glass.Type: GrantFiled: September 28, 2012Date of Patent: February 13, 2018Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Martin P. Grunthaner, Peter W. Richards, Romain A. Teil, Steven P. Hotelling
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Patent number: 9891738Abstract: An electronic device that senses home button inputs through ultrasonic force sensing. The electronic device may correlate that amount of force that a user applies to the home button with a specific home button command. In certain embodiments, the system may combine the force of touch information with other information that is sensed for a particular touch to correlate the touch input with a greater number of home button commands. A home button embodiment discussed herein may include a home button image that is displayed on a touch sensitive panel. In other embodiments, a home button may be located outside of the boundaries of a touch sensitive panel.Type: GrantFiled: June 17, 2015Date of Patent: February 13, 2018Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Brian Q. Huppi, Martin P. Grunthaner, John G. Elias, Sinan Filiz, Steven P. Hotelling
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Publication number: 20180024687Abstract: An electronic device may have a housing in which components such as a display are mounted. A strain gauge may be mounted on a layer of the display such as a cover layer or may be mounted on a portion of the housing or other support structure. The layer of material on which the strain gauge is mounted may be configured to flex in response to pressure applied by a finger of a user. The strain gauge may serve as a button for the electronic device or may form part of other input circuitry. A differential amplifier and analog-to-digital converter circuit may be used to gather and process strain gauge signals. The strain gauge may be formed form variable resistor structures that make up part of a bridge circuit that is coupled to the differential amplifier. The bridge circuit may be configured to reduce the impact of capacitively coupled noise.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 2, 2017Publication date: January 25, 2018Inventors: Bingrui Yang, Martin P. Grunthaner, Steven P. Hotelling
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Publication number: 20170344143Abstract: An input/output device for a computing device including one or more touch sensors and one or more force sensors. The touch sensors sense data including one or more locations at which a contact or near-contact occurs. The force sensor sense data including a measure of an amount of force presented at the one or more locations at which a contact occurs. The touch sensors and the force sensors responsive to signals occurring in response to whether the signals are in response to contact or in response to an amount of force. The input/output device also includes one or more circuits coupled to the touch sensors and to the force sensors, and capable of combining information from both sensors.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 18, 2017Publication date: November 30, 2017Inventors: Brian Q. Huppi, Martin P. Grunthaner, John G. Elias, Sinan Filiz, Steven P. Hotelling
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Publication number: 20170300161Abstract: An optical force sensor that may compensate for environmental effects, including, for example, variations in temperature of the device or the surroundings. In some examples, two force-sensitive layers are separated by a compliant layer. The relative electrical response of the two force-sensitive layers may be used to compute an estimate of the force of a touch that reduces the effect of variations in temperature. In some examples, piezoelectric films having anisotropic strain properties are used to reduce the effects of temperature.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 26, 2017Publication date: October 19, 2017Inventors: Sinan Filiz, James E. Pedder, Charley T. Ogata, John Stephen Smith, Dhaval Chandrakant Patel, Shin John Choi, Brian Q. Huppi, Christopher J. Butler, Martin P. Grunthaner
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Patent number: 9791958Abstract: An electronic device may have a housing in which components such as a display are mounted. A strain gauge may be mounted on a layer of the display such as a cover layer or may be mounted on a portion of the housing or other support structure. The layer of material on which the strain gauge is mounted may be configured to flex in response to pressure applied by a finger of a user. The strain gauge may serve as a button for the electronic device or may form part of other input circuitry. A differential amplifier and analog-to-digital converter circuit may be used to gather and process strain gauge signals. The strain gauge may be formed form variable resistor structures that make up part of a bridge circuit that is coupled to the differential amplifier. The bridge circuit may be configured to reduce the impact of capacitively coupled noise.Type: GrantFiled: January 10, 2017Date of Patent: October 17, 2017Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Bingrui Yang, Martin P. Grunthaner, Steven P. Hotelling
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Publication number: 20170285746Abstract: An input device can be integrated within an electronic device and/or operably connected to an electronic device through a wired or wireless connection. The input device can include one or more force sensors positioned below a cover element of the input device or an input surface of the electronic device. The input device can include other components and/or functionality, such as a biometric sensor and/or a switch element.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 31, 2016Publication date: October 5, 2017Inventors: Sora Kim, Martin P. Grunthaner, Rui Jin, Michael B. Wittenberg, Michael K. McCord, Henric Larsson, Giovanni Gozzini, Lucy Browning, Scott A. Myers
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Patent number: 9772721Abstract: An input/output device for a computing device including one or more touch sensors and one or more force sensors. The touch sensors sense data including one or more locations at which a contact or near-contact occurs. The force sensor sense data including a measure of an amount of force presented at the one or more locations at which a contact occurs. The touch sensors and the force sensors responsive to signals occurring in response to whether the signals are in response to contact or in response to an amount of force. The input/output device also includes one or more circuits coupled to the touch sensors and to the force sensors, and capable of combining information from both sensors.Type: GrantFiled: June 4, 2015Date of Patent: September 26, 2017Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Brian Q. Huppi, Martin P. Grunthaner, John G. Elias, Sinan Filiz, Steven P. Hotelling
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Publication number: 20170269757Abstract: An optically transparent force sensor, which may be used as input to an electronic device. The optically transparent force sensor may be configured to compensate for variations in temperature using two or more force-sensitive components that are formed from materials having different temperature- and strain-dependent responses.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 26, 2017Publication date: September 21, 2017Inventors: Sinan Filiz, James E. Pedder, Charley T. Ogata, John Stephen Smith, Dhaval Chandrakant Patel, Shin John Choi, Brian Q. Huppi, Christopher J. Butler, Martin P. Grunthaner
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Patent number: 9729685Abstract: Accurate and reliable techniques for determining information of an accessory device in relation to an electronic device are described.Type: GrantFiled: September 28, 2011Date of Patent: August 8, 2017Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Jonathan P. Ive, Duncan R. Kerr, Matthew D. Rohrbach, Steve P. Hotelling, Christopher T. Mullens, Martin P. Grunthaner, Michael A. Cretella, Jr.
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Patent number: 9690413Abstract: An optically transparent force sensor that may compensate for environmental effects, including, for example, variations in temperature of the device or the surroundings. In some examples, two force-sensitive layers are separated by a compliant layer. The relative electrical response of the two force-sensitive layers may be used to compute an estimate of the force of a touch that reduces the effect of variations in temperature. In some examples, piezoelectric films having anisotropic strain properties are used to reduce the effects of temperature.Type: GrantFiled: June 3, 2015Date of Patent: June 27, 2017Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Sinan Filiz, James E. Pedder, Charley T. Ogata, John Stephen Smith, Dhaval Chandrakant Patel, Shin John Choi, Brian Q. Huppi, Christopher J. Butler, Martin P. Grunthaner