Patents by Inventor Tetsuo Tanemura

Tetsuo Tanemura 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: 11726653
    Abstract: A method for displaying aerial images includes detecting a capacitive response of a non-contact gesture made by a user proximate to a touch sensing enabled display screen, and in response to detecting the non-contact gesture, displaying one or more images in a three-dimensional (3D) space proximate to the display screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
    Inventors: Tetsuo Tanemura, Xueyong Yang, Atsushi Shikata, Takashi Imai, Atsushi Maruyama
  • Patent number: 11693511
    Abstract: A semiconductor device comprises driver circuitry, an analog-digital (AD) converter, and processing circuitry. The driver circuitry is configured to supply a drive signal to a sensor array in a sensing frame comprising 2N bursts, N being an integer of two or more. The mixer circuitry is configured to modulate a plurality of carrier waves with a plurality of sensing signals corresponding to capacitances of a plurality of sensing electrodes of the sensor array, respectively, to output a plurality of mixer outputs. A number of the plurality of sensing electrodes is 2N?1 or 2N. The AD converter is configured to perform AD conversion on a sum signal of the plurality of mixer outputs. The processing circuitry is configured to detect an object based on the output of the AD converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
    Inventors: Xueyong Yang, Tetsuo Tanemura, Nobukazu Tanaka, Takayuki Noto
  • Patent number: 11656712
    Abstract: An example a method of detecting a force applied to a side of an input device including sensor electrodes, the method including: detecting first capacitive responses corresponding to a first plurality of sensor electrodes disposed near the side of the input device; detecting second capacitive responses corresponding to a second plurality of sensor electrodes disposed near a center of the input device; and determining a magnitude of the force applied to the side of the input device based on at least one of: a number of the second capacitive responses satisfying a first threshold; or magnitudes of the second capacitive responses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
    Inventors: Tetsuo Tanemura, Shunsuke Araki
  • Patent number: 11520423
    Abstract: Embodiments described herein include an input device and associated processing system for sensing force applied by input objects. The input device comprises a display device comprising a plurality of layers formed as a display stack, the display stack including a top surface. The input device further comprises one or more strain gauges disposed within the display stack and configured to detect force applied to the top surface, and a processing system configured to perform display updating using the display device and to perform force sensing using the one or more strain gauges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
    Inventors: Joseph Kurth Reynolds, Tom Vandermeijden, Tetsuo Tanemura
  • Patent number: 11334199
    Abstract: A capacitive sensing device has a first plurality of sensor electrodes, and a second plurality of sensor electrodes overlapping the first plurality of sensor electrodes. A first sensor electrode of the second plurality of electrodes overlaps a first subset of the first plurality of electrodes and comprises apertures disposed according to first codes. The first codes comprise first and second coefficients and along one of the first plurality of sensor electrodes. Each aperture may correspond to one of the first coefficients. The capacitive sensing device further comprises a processing system coupled to the first and second plurality of sensor electrodes. The processing system may be configured to receive resulting signals with the second plurality of sensor electrodes to determine positional information for an input object within a sensing region of the capacitive sensing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
    Inventors: Tetsuo Tanemura, Petr Shepelev
  • Publication number: 20220113811
    Abstract: A method for displaying aerial images includes detecting a capacitive response of a non-contact gesture made by a user proximate to a touch sensing enabled display screen, and in response to detecting the non-contact gesture, displaying one or more images in a three-dimensional (3D) space proximate to the display screen.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2021
    Publication date: April 14, 2022
    Inventors: Tetsuo Tanemura, Xueyong Yang, Atsushi Shikata, Takashi Imai, Atsushi Maruyama
  • Patent number: 11256413
    Abstract: A method for displaying aerial images includes detecting a capacitive response of a non-contact gesture made by a user proximate to a touch sensing enabled display screen, and in response to detecting the non-contact gesture, displaying one or more images in a three-dimensional (3D) space proximate to the display screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
    Inventors: Tetsuo Tanemura, Xueyong Yang, Atsushi Shikata, Takashi Imai, Atsushi Maruyama
  • Publication number: 20210389841
    Abstract: A semiconductor device comprises driver circuitry, an analog-digital (AD) converter, and processing circuitry. The driver circuitry is configured to supply a drive signal to a sensor array in a sensing frame comprising 2N bursts, N being an integer of two or more. The mixer circuitry is configured to modulate a plurality of carrier waves with a plurality of sensing signals corresponding to capacitances of a plurality of sensing electrodes of the sensor array, respectively, to output a plurality of mixer outputs. A number of the plurality of sensing electrodes is 2N?1 or 2N. The AD converter is configured to perform AD conversion on a sum signal of the plurality of mixer outputs. The processing circuitry is configured to detect an object based on the output of the AD converter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2021
    Publication date: December 16, 2021
    Inventors: Xueyong Yang, Tetsuo Tanemura, Nobukazu Tanaka, Takayuki Noto
  • Patent number: 11199458
    Abstract: A force sensing device includes a first force sensor and a second force sensor. The first force sensor is configured to output a first force resulting signal and includes a first strain gauge coupled to a first voltage source and a first trace. The first force sensor further includes a second strain gauge coupled to a second voltage source and the first trace. The second force sensor is configured to output a second force resulting signal having a polarity opposite that of the first force resulting signal. The second force sensor includes a first strain gauge coupled to the second voltage source and a second trace, and a second strain gauge coupled to the first voltage source and the second trace.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
    Inventors: Tetsuo Tanemura, David Sobel
  • Patent number: 11157106
    Abstract: A system and method for input sensing comprises a display device having at least one piezoresistive sensing transistor. During a first period, a first resulting signal is received with a first data line by driving a first piezoresistive sensing transistor of a first subpixel of the display device with a first select signal. The first resulting signal corresponds to a change in resistance of the first piezoresistive sensing transistor. Further, at least one of force information and positional information associated with an input object may be determined at least partially based on the change in resistance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
    Inventors: Tetsuo Tanemura, Seiki Takahashi, Joseph Kurth Reynolds, Petr Shepelev
  • Patent number: 11137856
    Abstract: A sensing device comprises sensor electrodes arranged in an array of rows and columns, and vias. A first vias is arranged in a first direction, and corresponds to a first column of sensor electrodes adjacent to a first side edge of the sensing device. A second via is arranged in a second direction different than the first direction, and corresponds to a second column of the sensor electrodes adjacent to a second side edge of the sensing device. Each of the sensor electrodes is configured to be coupled to a routing trace through one of the vias. In a first row of the plurality of sensor electrodes, a two vias are different distances from the first side edge and in a second row of the plurality of sensor electrodes, two vias are different distances from the second side edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
    Inventors: Petr Shepelev, Tetsuo Tanemura, HaThanh Nguyen, Takayuki Noto, Hiroshi Takeyama, Takeshi Hashimoto, Tsuyoshi Kuroiwa, Arnulf Graf
  • Patent number: 11126303
    Abstract: A semiconductor device comprises driver circuitry, an analog-digital (AD) converter, and processing circuitry. The driver circuitry is configured to supply a drive signal to a sensor array in a sensing frame comprising 2N bursts, N being an integer of two or more. The mixer circuitry is configured to modulate a plurality of carrier waves with a plurality of sensing signals corresponding to capacitances of a plurality of sensing electrodes of the sensor array, respectively, to output a plurality of mixer outputs. A number of the plurality of sensing electrodes is 2N?1 or 2N. The AD converter is configured to perform AD conversion on a sum signal of the plurality of mixer outputs. The processing circuitry is configured to detect an object based on the output of the AD converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
    Inventors: Xueyong Yang, Tetsuo Tanemura, Nobukazu Tanaka, Takayuki Noto
  • Publication number: 20210247896
    Abstract: A method for displaying aerial images includes detecting a capacitive response of a non-contact gesture made by a user proximate to a touch sensing enabled display screen, and in response to detecting the non-contact gesture, displaying one or more images in a three-dimensional (3D) space proximate to the display screen.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2020
    Publication date: August 12, 2021
    Inventors: Tetsuo TANEMURA, Xueyong YANG, Atsushi SHIKATA, Takashi IMAI, Atsushi MARUYAMA
  • Publication number: 20210141474
    Abstract: A capacitive sensing device has a first plurality of sensor electrodes, and a second plurality of sensor electrodes overlapping the first plurality of sensor electrodes. A first sensor electrode of the second plurality of electrodes overlaps a first subset of the first plurality of electrodes and comprises apertures disposed according to first codes. The first codes comprise first and second coefficients and along one of the first plurality of sensor electrodes. Each aperture may correspond to one of the first coefficients. The capacitive sensing device further comprises a processing system coupled to the first and second plurality of sensor electrodes. The processing system may be configured to receive resulting signals with the second plurality of sensor electrodes to determine positional information for an input object within a sensing region of the capacitive sensing device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2021
    Publication date: May 13, 2021
    Inventors: Tetsuo Tanemura, Petr Shepelev
  • Patent number: 10976876
    Abstract: An input device includes a plurality of sensor electrodes and a conductive guide. The sensor electrodes may be configured to sense an electric field within a sensing region. A first portion of the conductive guide may be configured to contact an input object outside the sensing region. A second portion of the conductive guide may be configured to interact with the electric field. The input device may include a processing system couple to the plurality of sensor electrodes to evaluate the electric field from the plurality of sensor electrodes and determine whether an input object is in contact with the first portion of the conductive guide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: SYNAPTICS INCORPORATED
    Inventor: Tetsuo Tanemura
  • Publication number: 20210096034
    Abstract: A force sensing device comprises a first force sensor and a second force sensor. The first force sensor is configured to output a first force resulting signal and comprises a first strain gauge coupled to a first voltage source and a first trace. The first force sensor further comprises a second strain gauge coupled to a second voltage source and the first trace. The second force sensor is configured to output a second force resulting signal having a polarity opposite that of the first force resulting signal. The second force sensor comprises a first strain gauge coupled to the second voltage source and a second trace, and a second strain gauge coupled to the first voltage source and the second trace.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2020
    Publication date: April 1, 2021
    Inventors: Tetsuo TANEMURA, David SOBEL
  • Patent number: 10949034
    Abstract: A method of performing a scan of a sensor array is disclosed, as well as an associated processing system and input device. The sensor array comprises a plurality of sensor electrodes in a single layer. A plurality of routing traces is arranged in the single layer. The method comprises, for each sensor electrode of the plurality of sensor electrodes, acquiring, during a first period, an absolute capacitive measurement for the sensor electrode. The method further comprises, for each bordering sensor electrode of one or more bordering sensor electrodes of the plurality of sensor electrodes, acquiring, during a second period, a transcapacitive measurement between the sensor electrode and the bordering sensor electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
    Inventor: Tetsuo Tanemura
  • Patent number: 10942608
    Abstract: A capacitive sensing device has a first plurality of sensor electrodes, and a second plurality of sensor electrodes overlapping the first plurality of sensor electrodes. A first sensor electrode of the second plurality of electrodes overlaps a first subset of the first plurality of electrodes and comprises apertures disposed according to first codes. The first codes comprise first and second coefficients and along one of the first plurality of sensor electrodes. Each aperture may correspond to one of the first coefficients. The capacitive sensing device further comprises a processing system coupled to the first and second plurality of sensor electrodes. The processing system may be configured to receive resulting signals with the second plurality of sensor electrodes to determine positional information for an input object within a sensing region of the capacitive sensing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
    Inventors: Tetsuo Tanemura, Petr Shepelev
  • Patent number: 10921939
    Abstract: A semiconductor device comprises first mixer circuitry and processing circuitry. The first mixer circuitry is configured to generate a plurality of first mixer outputs through quadrature decomposition of a sensing signal. The first sensing signal corresponds to a capacitance of a first sensing electrode supplied with a drive signal. The quadrature decomposition is based on an in-phase local carrier which is in phase with the drive signal and an out-of-phase local carrier having a phase different from that of the in-phase local carrier. The plurality of first mixer outputs comprises an in-phase mixer output generated based on the in-phase local carrier and the sensing signal, and an out-of-phase mixer output generated based on the out-of-phase local carrier and the sensing signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
    Inventors: Nobukazu Tanaka, Takayuki Noto, Tetsuo Tanemura
  • Publication number: 20210026490
    Abstract: A semiconductor device comprises driver circuitry, an analog-digital (AD) converter, and processing circuitry. The driver circuitry is configured to supply a drive signal to a sensor array in a sensing frame comprising 2N bursts, N being an integer of two or more. The mixer circuitry is configured to modulate a plurality of carrier waves with a plurality of sensing signals corresponding to capacitances of a plurality of sensing electrodes of the sensor array, respectively, to output a plurality of mixer outputs. A number of the plurality of sensing electrodes is 2N?1 or 2N. The AD converter is configured to perform AD conversion on a sum signal of the plurality of mixer outputs. The processing circuitry is configured to detect an object based on the output of the AD converter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2020
    Publication date: January 28, 2021
    Inventors: Xueyong YANG, Tetsuo TANEMURA, Nobukazu TANAKA, Takayuki NOTO