Patents Assigned to Cirque Corporation
  • Patent number: 11644933
    Abstract: A touch sensor may include a substrate, a drive electrode on the substrate, a sense electrode on the substrate, and a deformable snap member disposed over the drive electrode and the sense electrode. The deformable snap member may include a deflectable metal material. When the metal material flexes from a resting position, a change in capacitance between the drive electrode and the sense electrode may be detectable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: Cirque Corporation
    Inventors: Paul Glad, David Taylor
  • Patent number: 11644926
    Abstract: A device may include a capacitance sensor; an overlay positioned near the capacitance sensor, the overlay including a touch surface opposite to an underside of the overlay, where the underside is positioned near the capacitance sensor; a controller; memory in communication with the controller and including programmed instructions that, when executed, cause the controller to detect a proximity value of an object with a capacitance sensor, where a touch surface is located between the capacitance sensor and the object; determine a planar radial distance of the object away from a predetermined location on the touch surface; and change the proximity value based, at least in part, on the planar radial distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: Cirque Corporation
    Inventor: David Taylor
  • Patent number: 11620027
    Abstract: An apparatus may include a touch sensor where the touch sensor has a first set of electrodes and a second set of electrodes that are electrically isolated from the first set of electrodes, a shield layer positioned adjacent to the touch sensor, and the shield layer having a plurality of thermal expansion grooves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: Cirque Corporation
    Inventors: Jon Bertrand, Paul Glad, Douglas Steck
  • Patent number: 11604550
    Abstract: An apparatus may include a capacitance-based trackpad, a tracking driver in communication with the capacitance-based trackpad, a key driver in communication with the capacitance-based trackpad, a processor, and a memory having programmed instructions that, when executed, may cause the processor to modify the raw track inputs to associate a non-confidence indicator with at least one raw track input from the track inputs to form processed track inputs, send the processed track inputs to the tracking driver, and send the processed track inputs to the key driver. The tracking driver may be configured to receive raw track inputs from the capacitive-based trackpad and the key driver may be configured to receive raw key inputs from the capacitance-based trackpad.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: Cirque Corporation
    Inventor: Tyler Smith
  • Publication number: 20230053717
    Abstract: An apparatus may include a capacitance-based trackpad, a tracking driver in communication with the capacitance-based trackpad, a key driver in communication with the capacitance-based trackpad, a processor, and a memory having programmed instructions that, when executed, may cause the processor to modify the raw track inputs to associate a non-confidence indicator with at least one raw track input from the track inputs to form processed track inputs, send the processed track inputs to the tracking driver, and send the processed track inputs to the key driver. The tracking driver may be configured to receive raw track inputs from the capacitive-based trackpad and the key driver may be configured to receive raw key inputs from the capacitance-based trackpad.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2021
    Publication date: February 23, 2023
    Applicant: Cirque Corporation
    Inventor: Tyler Smith
  • Patent number: 11575163
    Abstract: A portable electronic device may include a battery assembly and a battery swell detection unit in proximity to the battery assembly. The battery swell detection unit may include an electrode, a dome made of an electrically conductive material positioned between the battery assembly and the electrode, a processor, and memory having programmed instructions that cause the processor, when executed, to detect battery swelling based on a depression of the dome.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: Cirque Corporation
    Inventors: Jon Bertrand, Brian Monson
  • Patent number: 11561629
    Abstract: Adjusting a cursor speed may include a sensor with at least one capacitance sense electrode, a controller in communication with the sensor, memory in communication with the controller, and programmed instructions stored in the memory and configured, when executed, to cause the capacitance controller to detect movement of an object moving proximate the sensor at an object speed, apply a cursor speed to a cursor depicted in a display based at least in part on a cursor-to-object speed relationship, detect a trigger event in the detected object movement, and change the cursor-to-object speed relationship in response to detecting the trigger event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: Cirque Corporation
    Inventor: Brian Monson
  • Publication number: 20220416322
    Abstract: A portable electronic device may include a battery assembly and a battery swell detection unit in proximity to the battery assembly. The battery swell detection unit may include an electrode, a dome made of an electrically conductive material positioned between the battery assembly and the electrode, a processor, and memory having programmed instructions that cause the processor, when executed, to detect battery swelling based on a depression of the dome.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2021
    Publication date: December 29, 2022
    Applicant: Cirque Corporation
    Inventors: Jon Bertrand, Brian Monson
  • Publication number: 20220350430
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a stack of layers where the stack has a touch sensor in at least one sensor layer of the stack of layers, the touch sensor having a first set of electrodes and a second set of electrodes, where the first set and the second set are electrically isolated from one another; an antenna in art antenna layer of the stack of layers; and a shield located between the at least one sensor layer and the antenna layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2022
    Publication date: November 3, 2022
    Applicant: Cirque Corporation
    Inventors: Jon Bertrand, Brian Monson
  • Patent number: 11474625
    Abstract: A device may include a pressure sensor; a user interface including an input surface opposite to an underside of the user interface, where the underside is positioned near the pressure sensor; a controller; memory in communication with the controller and comprising programmed instructions that, when executed, cause the controller to detect a lower pressure input, simultaneously detect a higher pressure input, calculate a pressure differential between the lower pressure input and the higher pressure input, and move an object depicted in a display in communication with the controller based on the pressure differential.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: Cirque Corporation
    Inventors: Jon Bertrand, David Taylor, Ethan Sturm, Michael Litster, Tyler Smith
  • Patent number: 11385718
    Abstract: A system that provides mechanical movement of a surface of a touch sensor when force is applied, may include a substrate; a touch sensor formed on a substrate; a flex arm coupled to the substrate forming a flexible joint between the substrate and the flex arm; a housing for the touch sensor, the housing supporting the touch sensor at a distal end of the flex arm; and a force sensor integrated into the flex arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: Cirque Corporation
    Inventors: Paul Glad, Jared Bytheway, Jon Bertrand
  • Publication number: 20220214796
    Abstract: A device may include a capacitance sensor; an overlay positioned near the capacitance sensor, the overlay including a touch surface opposite to an underside of the overlay, where the underside is positioned near the capacitance sensor; a controller; memory in communication with the controller and including programmed instructions that, when executed, cause the controller to detect a proximity value of an object with a capacitance sensor, where a touch surface is located between the capacitance sensor and the object; determine a planar radial distance of the object away from a predetermined location on the touch surface; and change the proximity value based, at least in part, on the planar radial distance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 4, 2021
    Publication date: July 7, 2022
    Applicant: Cirque Corporation
    Inventor: David Taylor
  • Patent number: 11359981
    Abstract: A portable electronic device may include an electrical resistance sensor and a battery assembly being adjacent to the electrical resistance sensor. The electrical resistance sensor is positioned to be compressed when the battery assembly swells, and the electrical resistance sensor further includes a pressure sensitive material that exhibits a characteristic of changing an electrical conductance when compressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Cirque Corporation
    Inventors: Jared Bytheway, Brian Monson
  • Publication number: 20220155893
    Abstract: Touch sensor systems and methods are disclosed including a radio frequency antenna that can be placed on or very near the touch pad. The touch pad sensor includes a patterned shielding that shields the touch pad sensor from back-side signals and has opening that are large enough to allow radio frequencies to pass through the touch pad sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2022
    Publication date: May 19, 2022
    Applicant: Cirque Corporation
    Inventor: Jon Bertrand
  • Publication number: 20220137716
    Abstract: An apparatus may include an input surface, a plurality of key positions on the input surface, a force sensor positioned underneath the input surface at at least one of the key positions, and a proximity controller in communication with a capacitance measuring circuit incorporated into the apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2022
    Publication date: May 5, 2022
    Applicant: Cirque Corporation
    Inventor: Brian Monson
  • Publication number: 20220109197
    Abstract: A system for detecting a change in a battery cell may include instructions executable by a processor to determine a baseline profile of a battery cell with a capacitance sensor, detect a changed profile from the baseline profile with the capacitance sensor, match the changed profile with a stored profile where the stored profile is associated with a condition, and classify the battery cell as having the condition associated with the stored profile.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2020
    Publication date: April 7, 2022
    Applicant: Cirque Corporation
    Inventors: Paul Glad, Jared Bytheway, Brian Monson
  • Patent number: 11281340
    Abstract: Touch sensor systems and methods are disclosed including a radio frequency antenna that can be placed on or very near the touch pad. The touch pad sensor includes a patterned shielding that shields the touch pad sensor from back-side signals and has opening that are large enough to allow radio frequencies to pass through the touch pad sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: Cirque Corporation
    Inventor: Jon Bertrand
  • Patent number: 11262853
    Abstract: An apparatus may include an input surface, a plurality of key positions on the input surface, a force sensor positioned underneath the input surface at at least one of the key positions, and a proximity controller in communication with a capacitance measuring circuit incorporated into the apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: Cirque Corporation
    Inventor: Brian Monson
  • Patent number: 11216079
    Abstract: A computing device may include a keyboard, a switch in mechanical communication with an underside of a key arranged in the keyboard, a processor, a transmit line electrically connected to the processor, a sense line electrically connected to the processor, and the transmit line and the sense line are selectively connectable through the switch when the key is depressed, memory in communication with the processor, and programmed instructions stored in the memory that, when executed, cause the processor to identify changes in capacitance from the sense line when the key is not depressed, identify a hand gesture performed proximate the keyboard based on the changes in capacitance, and execute an action based on at least one the identification of the hand gesture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: Cirque Corporation
    Inventors: Brian Monson, Jared Bytheway, Jon Bertrand
  • Publication number: 20210389807
    Abstract: Operating a portable electronic device may include detecting a gesture performed above a capacitance sensing strip that is located between and arrangement of mechanical keys on keyboard assembly and the far side of the keyboard assembly, determining a number of fingers used in the gesture, selecting a mode based on the number of fingers, and executing an action in the selected mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2020
    Publication date: December 16, 2021
    Applicant: Cirque Corporation
    Inventors: Brian Monson, Ethan Sturm