Patents Assigned to Atmel Corporation
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Patent number: 10204057Abstract: In an embodiment, a method comprises: obtaining a virtual bus address; translating the virtual bus address to a physical address of a portion of NVM storing first data; determining that the first portion of NVM has been allocated previously; reading the first data from the first portion of NVM; determining whether writing second data to the first portion of the NVM would change one or more bits in the first data; responsive to the determining that a write operation only changes data bits in the first data from 1 to 0, writing the second data over the first data stored in the first portion of NVM; and responsive to the determining that one or more bits in the first data would be flipped from 0 to 1, reallocating the first portion of NVM to a second portion of NVM, copying the first data from the first portion of NVM to the second portion of NVM with the first data modified by the second data.Type: GrantFiled: October 14, 2016Date of Patent: February 12, 2019Assignee: Atmel CorporationInventors: Frode Milch Pedersen, Sylvain Garnier, Ian Fullerton, Xavier Leprevost
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Patent number: 10200017Abstract: A self-setting/resetting latch circuit is disclosed that includes resistive loads for inverters used for setting and clearing the latch. In a first embodiment, the resistive loads cause the latch circuit to automatically set in response to a power supply voltage going low. In an alternate embodiment, the latch circuit is configured to be self-resetting or self-clearing when the power supply voltage goes low by reversing the set and clear terminals of the latch circuit and selecting a different node to be the output terminal of the latch circuit. The disclosed latch circuit is small and robust and draws zero power in the set state.Type: GrantFiled: August 18, 2016Date of Patent: February 5, 2019Assignee: Atmel CorporationInventors: Jeffrey P. Kotowski, Danut Manea
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Patent number: 10200033Abstract: In one embodiment, an apparatus may include a first mesh of conductive material covering an area corresponding to at least a portion of the touch sensor. The first mesh includes a number of mesh cells. Each of the mesh cells has a number of vertices. Each of the vertices has a substantially randomized location within an inner portion of one of a number of polygons. The polygons collectively and contiguously covers the area corresponding to at least a portion of the touch sensor. One or more dimensions of the polygons is based at least in part on a pre-determined distance threshold between one or more pairs of opposing vertices. The apparatus also includes a computer-readable non-transitory storage medium coupled to the touch sensor and embodying logic that is configured when executed to control the touch sensor.Type: GrantFiled: March 7, 2018Date of Patent: February 5, 2019Assignee: Atmel CorporationInventors: Neerja Saran, Heather Atkinson, Kevan Doyle
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Patent number: 10199439Abstract: In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a display stack for a touch-sensitive screen. The display stack comprises a plurality of layers in which a top layer comprises a substantially transparent cover layer. The display stack is configured to display a color image. The apparatus also includes a touch sensor provided within the display stack. The touch sensor comprises a plurality of first conductive electrodes contacting a layer of a subset of the plurality of layers of the display stack. The subset of the plurality of layers is below the substantially transparent cover layer. The touch sensor also includes a plurality of second conductive electrodes contacting a layer of the subset of the plurality of layers.Type: GrantFiled: October 8, 2014Date of Patent: February 5, 2019Assignee: Atmel CorporationInventors: David Brent Guard, Esat Yilmaz
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Patent number: 10185417Abstract: This document discloses, systems, methods, and articles of manufacture, related to position sensors and uses of such sensors. Multiple panels can be arranged in close proximity to one another and one or more sense or drives lines associated with each respective panel can be associated with a control circuit of the other adjacent panel.Type: GrantFiled: July 31, 2014Date of Patent: January 22, 2019Assignee: Atmel CorporationInventor: Martin J. Simmons
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Patent number: 10180763Abstract: A method includes driving, by a first driver circuit, a current through an electrode and detecting, by a sensing system, a touch based on a change in capacitance at the electrode. The first driver circuit includes a first operational transconductance amplifier and a first current mirror. A second current mirror is coupled to the sensing system. A first switch is coupled to the first current mirror. A second switch is coupled to the first current mirror and the first operational transconductance amplifier. A third switch is coupled to the first operational transconductance amplifier and the second current mirror. A fourth switch is coupled to the second current mirror. A fifth switch is coupled to the first operational transconductance amplifier. A sixth switch is coupled to the first operational transconductance amplifier. A seventh switch is coupled to the first operational transconductance amplifier, the first current mirror, and the second current mirror.Type: GrantFiled: April 30, 2018Date of Patent: January 15, 2019Assignee: Atmel CorporationInventors: Terje Saether, Carl Olof Fredrik Jonsson
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Patent number: 10176076Abstract: An on-chip system uses a time measurement circuit to trap code that takes longer than expected to execute by breaking code execution on excess time consumption.Type: GrantFiled: November 4, 2016Date of Patent: January 8, 2019Assignee: Atmel CorporationInventor: Ingar Hanssen
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Patent number: 10175741Abstract: In one embodiment, a touch sensor controller includes a processor and a monitoring component coupled to the processor. The monitoring component is configured to perform operations comprising receiving, from an impact sensor, an output signal. The output signal is indicative of a plurality of impacts detected by the impact sensor to a surface of a housing of a device. The monitoring component is further configured to perform operations comprising initiating, based on the output signal corresponding to a predefined impact pattern, a transition of the touch sensor from a first power mode to a second power mode.Type: GrantFiled: March 3, 2016Date of Patent: January 8, 2019Assignee: Atmel CorporationInventor: Martin J. Simmons
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Patent number: 10162464Abstract: In certain embodiments, a touch sensor controller estimates an area of a display screen that a display controller will update at a first time and estimates an area of a touch sensor that the touch sensor controller is expected to scan at the first time. The touch sensor controller further identifies an expected interference based on a comparison between the update of the estimated area of the display screen by the display controller at the first time and the scan of the estimated area of the touch sensor by the touch sensor controller at the first time. Based on the expected interference, the touch sensor controller suspends, for a first time period, the scan of the estimated area of the touch sensor for touch events based on the expected interference. The touch sensor controller resumes the scan after the first time period.Type: GrantFiled: February 5, 2018Date of Patent: December 25, 2018Assignee: Atmel CorporationInventors: Samuel Brunet, Grahame Reynolds, Hammad Syed
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Patent number: 10158336Abstract: In some implementations, an automatic gain control (AGC) circuit comprises: a pre-divider circuit operable to pre-divide an input signal according to a pre-divider circuit setting and output a pre-divided signal; a pre-amplifier operable to pre-amplify the pre-divided signal and output a pre-amplified signal; a post-divider circuit operable to post-divide the pre-amplified signal according to a post-divider circuit setting; an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) operable to generate a digital data stream from the post-divided signal; logic operable to sample the digital data stream; determine a pre-divider circuit setting and a post-divider circuit setting based on the sampled data stream; set the pre-divider circuit and the post-divider circuit based on the determined settings; and generate a received signal strength value based on the pre-divider circuit setting and the post-divider circuit setting.Type: GrantFiled: June 19, 2017Date of Patent: December 18, 2018Assignee: Atmel CorporationInventors: Werner Blatz, Michael Sagebiel, Thomas Janz, Martin Fischer, Daniel Moser, Jan Knopf
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Patent number: 10146361Abstract: In one embodiment, a method comprises generating, by a control unit, a first drive signal and a second drive signal. The method further includes emitting, by a touch sensor, a first electric field that extends in a plurality of directions in response to reception of the first drive signal. The method also includes attenuating, by a conductive shield, a portion of the first electric field that extends from the touch sensor towards the conductive shield by generating a second electric field in response to reception of the second drive signal.Type: GrantFiled: May 6, 2016Date of Patent: December 4, 2018Assignee: Atmel CorporationInventor: Andrew Siska
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Patent number: 10146351Abstract: In one embodiment, a sensor includes a voltage driver operable to provide an alternating voltage and an integrator circuit. The sensor further includes a first variable resistance element coupled to a first output of the voltage driver and an input of the integrator circuit. The integrator circuit is operable to measure a parameter of the first variable resistance element over a period of time. The sensor further includes circuitry operable to determine, based on the measured parameter, an amount of force applied to a touch sensing panel.Type: GrantFiled: December 28, 2015Date of Patent: December 4, 2018Assignee: Atmel CorporationInventors: Peter Sleeman, John Stanley Dubery
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Patent number: 10146382Abstract: An assembly has an array of first electrodes distributed across an active area of the touchscreen assembly such that the density of first electrodes increases in a first direction across the touchscreen. An array of second electrodes is distributed across an active area of the touchscreen assembly such that the density of second electrodes decreases in the first direction across the touchscreen.Type: GrantFiled: June 17, 2016Date of Patent: December 4, 2018Assignee: Atmel CorporationInventor: Harald Philipp
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Patent number: 10133369Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes determining, by a processor of a stylus, a tilt direction of the stylus based on respective first signal strengths at a plurality of receivers. The tilt direction comprises a direction of the stylus along an axis of a touch-sensing device. The method further includes generating, by the processor of the stylus, a response signal comprising information indicative of the tilt direction of the stylus.Type: GrantFiled: December 14, 2015Date of Patent: November 20, 2018Assignee: Atmel CorporationInventor: Thomas Bell
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Patent number: 10126337Abstract: A microcontroller is operable to monitor power supply levels corresponding, respectively, to a first power supply (e.g., a main power supply) and a second power supply (e.g., a battery backup power supply). In one or more modes of operation, the same brownout detector in the microcontroller alternately monitors signals corresponding, respectively, to the first and second power supply levels.Type: GrantFiled: December 29, 2015Date of Patent: November 13, 2018Assignee: Atmel CorporationInventors: Patrice Menard, Thierry Gourbilleau, Thibault Kervaon, RĂ©gis Vix
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Patent number: 10126340Abstract: A method may include controlling a first switch to charge a reference capacitor to a first voltage level by applying a first voltage. The method may also include receiving a first analog signal from a touch sensor electrode at an input of an Analog to Digital Converter (ADC) and converting the first analog signal to a first digital value provided at an output of the ADC. In certain embodiments, the method may additionally include controlling a second switch to charge the reference capacitor to a second voltage level by applying a second voltage, receiving a second analog signal from the touch sensor electrode at the input to the ADC, and converting the second analog signal to a second digital value at the output of the ADC. The method may further include detecting a touch to the touch sensor device based on the first digital value.Type: GrantFiled: October 7, 2013Date of Patent: November 13, 2018Assignee: Atmel CorporationInventor: Martin John Simmons
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Patent number: 10120513Abstract: An apparatus includes an integrator circuit, a compensation circuit, and a sense circuit. The compensation circuit applies a positive charge and a negative charge to the integrator circuit during a first time period and a second time period respectively. The integrator circuit integrates a signal and the positive charge to produce a first sense signal. The signal is based on a charge at an electrode of a touch sensor. The integrator circuit integrates the signal and the negative charge to produce a second sense signal. The sense circuit detects a touch based on the first sense signal and the second sense signal.Type: GrantFiled: May 26, 2016Date of Patent: November 6, 2018Assignee: Atmel CorporationInventors: Trond Jarle Pedersen, Armin Prohaska, Torgeir Fenheim, Peter Kolb
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Patent number: 10120489Abstract: In one embodiment, a touch sensor includes a substrate and a mesh of conductive material formed on the substrate and configured to extend across a display. The mesh includes first lines of conductive material that are substantially parallel to each other. The first lines extend across at least a portion of the display at a first angle relative to a first axis. The first lines are separated from each other along the first axis by a sequence of separation distances having corresponding magnitudes, where magnitudes of more than one separation distance from among the sequence of separation distances are based on a phasor step ? and a phasor magnitude of at least one phasor.Type: GrantFiled: July 13, 2016Date of Patent: November 6, 2018Assignee: Atmel CorporationInventors: David Brent Guard, Steven P. Emm, James Lyle
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Patent number: 10117045Abstract: A circuit of a node in a radio network and method for transit time measurement between a first node and a second node of a radio network is provided. A frame is transmitted by the first node, wherein the frame requires an acknowledgment of reception by the second node. A first point in time of the transmission of the frame is established by the first node by a time counter. The frame is received by the second node at a second point in time. The acknowledgment is transmitted by the second node to the first node at a third point in time, wherein the third point in time depends on the second point in time by a predetermined time interval between the second point in time and the third point in time. A fourth point in time is established by the first node by the time counter when the acknowledgment is received.Type: GrantFiled: January 15, 2016Date of Patent: October 30, 2018Assignee: Atmel CorporationInventors: Tilo Ferchland, Michael Schmidt, Eric Sachse
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Patent number: 10114484Abstract: In one embodiment, an active stylus includes a transmitter configured to transmit electrical signals to a device through a touch sensor of the device. The active stylus also includes a receiver configured to receive electrical signals from the device through the touch sensor of the device. Furthermore, the active stylus includes a controller configured to determine a strength of an electrical signal received by the receiver from the touch sensor of the device and instruct the transmitter to transmit electrical signals to the device at a voltage based at least on the determined strength of the electrical signal received by the receiver.Type: GrantFiled: March 20, 2017Date of Patent: October 30, 2018Assignee: Atmel CorporationInventors: Eivind Holsen, Shahrooz Shahparnia, Kishore Sundara-Rajan, Trond Jarle Pedersen, Vemund Kval Bakken, James D. Lyle