Abstract: A method includes receiving (S1), from a touch panel (1), force values (23) corresponding to a plurality of piezoelectric sensors (5,6, 7), Each piezoelectric sensor corresponds to a physical location (xm, yn) on the touch panel. The method also includes receiving (S2) one or more user touch locations corresponding to user touches, The method also includes excluding (S5) all force values (23) corresponding to physical locations within a distance of a user touch location, and setting the remaining force values (23) as valid force values (S5). The method also includes interpolating and/or extrapolating (S6), based on the valid force values, one or more reconstructed force values (25) corresponding to same physical locations (xm, yn) as the respective excluded force values (23).

Abstract: A method includes receiving (S1), from a touch panel (1), force values (23) corresponding to a plurality of piezoelectric sensors (5,6, 7), Each piezoelectric sensor corresponds to a physical location (xm, yn) on the touch panel. The method also includes receiving (S2) one or more user touch locations corresponding to user touches, The method also includes excluding (S5) all force values (23) corresponding to physical locations within a distance of a user touch location, and setting the remaining force values (23) as valid force values (S5). The method also includes interpolating and/or extrapolating (S6), based on the valid force values, one or more reconstructed force values (25) corresponding to same physical locations (xm, yn) as the respective excluded force values (23).

Abstract: A method includes receiving (S1), from a touch panel (1), force values (23) corresponding to a plurality of piezoelectric sensors (5,6, 7). Each piezoelectric sensor corresponds to a physical location (xm, yn) on the touch panel. The method also includes receiving (S2) an identification of which, if any, of the force values (23) are influenced by coupling to external electric fields. The method also includes, in response to one or more force values (23) being identified as influenced by coupling to external electric fields (S3), setting the corresponding force values (23) as excluded force values (S5), and setting the remaining force values (23) as valid force values (S5). The method also includes interpolating and/or extrapolating (S6), based on the valid force values, one or more reconstructed force values (25) corresponding to same physical locations (xm, yn) as the respective excluded force values (23).

Abstract: A method includes receiving (S1), from a touch panel (1), force values (23) corresponding to a plurality of piezoelectric sensors (5,6, 7). Each piezoelectric sensor corresponds to a physical location (xm, yn) on the touch panel. The method also includes receiving (S2) an identification of which, if any, of the force values (23) are influenced by coupling to external electric fields. The method also includes, in response to one or more force values (23) being identified as influenced by coupling to external electric fields (S3), setting the corresponding force values (23) as excluded force values (S5), and setting the remaining force values (23) as valid force values (S5). The method also includes interpolating and/or extrapolating (S6), based on the valid force values, one or more reconstructed force values (25) corresponding to same physical locations (xm, yn) as the respective excluded force values (23).

Abstract: A method of processing signals from a touch panel for combined capacitive and force sensing includes receiving, from the touch panel, pressure signals from a plurality of piezoelectric sensors and capacitance signals from a plurality of capacitive touch sensors. The method also includes determining, based on the capacitance signals, a user interaction period during which a user interaction with the touch panel occurs. The method also includes generating processed pressure signals based on the received pressure signals. The method also includes measuring a force applied to each of the plurality of piezoelectric sensors by the user interaction during the user interaction period by conditionally integrating the corresponding processed pressure signals according to a state register corresponding to the user interaction. The state register takes one of two or more values. Each user interaction is initialised in a first state value.

Abstract: The invention generally relates to power converters, and more particularly to a communications method for controlling at least one power switching device of a power converter, a communications system for a power converter, and a power converter comprising the communications system.

Abstract: We describe a system for controlling very large numbers of power semiconductor switching devices (132) to switch in synchronization. The devices are high power devices, for example carrying hundreds of amps and/or voltages of the order of kilovolts. In outline the system comprises a coordinating control system (110, 120), which communicates with a plurality of switching device controllers (130) to control the devices into a plurality of states including a fully-off state, a saturated-on state, and at least one intermediate state between the fully-off and saturated-on states, synchronizing the devices in the at least one intermediate state during switching.

Abstract: Switching data is communicated in a power semiconductor switching device control system having a coordinating control system and a switching device controllers each coupled to the coordinating control system and each configured to control a respective power semiconductor switching device. Switching control data is formatted as one or more switching control data packets whose switching control data comprises data for controlling switching of the power semiconductor switching devices. The switching control data packets are sent from the coordinating control system to the switching device controllers. State data is detected, provided, and then formatted to represent states of the power semiconductor switching devices controlled in combination by the switching control data packets into acknowledgment data packets from the power semiconductor switching devices. The acknowledgment data packets are sent from the switching device controllers to the coordinating control system.

Abstract: The invention generally relates to power converters, and more particularly to a communications method for controlling at least one power switching device of a power converter, a communications system for a power converter, and a power converter comprising the communications system.

Abstract: We describe a fault-tolerant power semiconductor switching device control system (100), the control system comprising: a coordinating control system (110); and a plurality of switching device controllers (120) each coupled to said coordinating control system and each configured to control a respective power semiconductor switching device (130); wherein said coordinating control system is configured to send real time switching control data to said switching device controllers to control switching of said power semiconductor switching devices, and to receive real time acknowledgement data from said switching device controllers; wherein a said switching device controller is configured to receive said real time switching control data from said coordinating control system, to control a said power semiconductor switching device responsive to said real time switching control data, and to provide said real time acknowledgement data confirming said switching device control to said coordinating control system; and wher

Abstract: We describe techniques suitable for communicating switching data in a control system controlling, for example, kilovolts at hundreds of amps. The system comprises a central controller (110) coupled to sub-controllers (120) and thence to a plurality of switching device controllers (SDs,130), preferably in a tree-structure, each SD controlling a power semiconductor switching device such as an IGBT. The method includes formatting switching control data as one or more switching control data packets comprising data for controlling switching of a combination of the devices, sending these from the central controller to the switching device controllers, at the SDs formatting state data representing states of the switching devices controlled in combination into a plurality of acknowledgement data packets, and sending these back to the central controller. The techniques may be employed for controlling the synchronised switching of potentially, tens, hundreds or thousands of power semiconductor switching devices.

Abstract: We describe a fault-tolerant power semiconductor switching device control system (100), the control system comprising: a coordinating control system (110); and a plurality of switching device controllers (120) each coupled to said coordinating control system and each configured to control a respective power semiconductor switching device (130); wherein said coordinating control system is configured to send real time switching control data to said switching device controllers to control switching of said power semiconductor switching devices, and to receive real time acknowledgement data from said switching device controllers; wherein a said switching device controller is configured to receive said real time switching control data from said coordinating control system, to control a said power semiconductor switching device responsive to said real time switching control data, and to provide said real time acknowledgement data confirming said switching device control to said coordinating control system; and wher

Abstract: We describe a system for controlling very large numbers of power semiconductor switching devices (132) to switch in synchronisation. The devices are high power devices, for example carrying hundreds of amps and/or voltages of the order of kilovolts. In outline the system comprises a coordinating control system (110, 120), which communicates with a plurality of switching device controllers (130) to control the devices into a plurality of states including a fully-off state, a saturated-on state, and at least one intermediate state between the fully-off and saturated-on states, synchronising the devices in the at least one intermediate state during switching.