Patents by Inventor R. H. Ritchie

R. H. Ritchie 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: 7265686
    Abstract: A touch sensors with improved topological equivalence between an equipotential space and a Cartesian space to which the equipotential space will be mapped. The touch sensor comprises a substrate with a touch region, and a set of electrodes that are electrically coupled to the touch region. The touch sensor further comprises a plurality of resistive band segments that frames the touch region. The electrodes are located between the resistive band segments. Each resistive band segment has a resistivity that is intermediate between the resistivity of the electrodes and the resistivity of the touch region, thereby providing a transition between the low resistivity electrodes and the high resistivity touch region, and improving the topological equivalence within the corners of the touch region. At least one of the band segments has a non-uniform linear resistance to provide further improvement to the topological equivalence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2007
    Assignee: Tyco Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: G. Samuel Hurst, R. H. Ritchie, Robert J. Warmack, Donald W. Bouldin, Joel C. Kent
  • Publication number: 20050012644
    Abstract: The present inventions are directed to touch sensors with improved topological equivalence between an equipotential space and a Cartesian space to which the equipotential space will be mapped. The touch sensor comprises a substrate with a touch region, and a set of electrodes that are electrically coupled to the touch region. The touch sensor further comprises a plurality of resistive band segments that frames the touch region. The electrodes are located between the resistive band segments. Each resistive band segment has a resistivity that is intermediate between the resistivity of the electrodes and the resistivity of the touch region, thereby providing a transition between the low resistivity electrodes and the high resistivity touch region, and improving the topological equivalence within the corners of the touch region. At least one of the band segments has a non-uniform linear resistance to provide further improvement to the topological equivalence.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2003
    Publication date: January 20, 2005
    Inventors: G. Hurst, R.H. Ritchie, Robert Warmack, Donald Bouldin, Joel Kent