Patents Assigned to Elan Microelectronics Corporation
  • TWO-DIMENSIONAL CAPACITIVE TOUCH PANEL WITH SINGLE SENSOR LAYER
    Publication number: 20120256877
    Abstract: A two-dimensional capacitive touch panel includes three electrodes made from a single sensor layer, with the first one of the electrodes between the other two of the electrodes to establish mutual capacitances between the first electrode and the other two, respectively. The mutual capacitance between the first and second electrodes increases along a direction, and the mutual capacitance between the first and third electrodes decreases along a direction. The first electrode is applied with an excitation signal for sensing variations in the mutual capacitances to calculate a position in the direction that is touched by an external conductor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2012
    Publication date: October 11, 2012
    Applicant: ELAN MICROELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Chia-Hsing LIN, Wen-Jun HSU, Yi-Hsin TAO
  • Touch position detector of capacitive touch panel and method for detecting the touch position
    Patent number: 8232972
    Abstract: A touch position detector includes a plurality of capacitance sensors, a negative capacitance compensation unit, an analog/digital converter and a micro processing unit. The negative capacitance compensation unit is utilized to compensate the capacitance of the capacitance sensor and get a capacitance change. The micro controller unit is utilized to detect the touch position according to the capacitance change. It is easy to get the touch position by using the touch position detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Assignee: Elan Microelectronics Corporation
    Inventors: Chun-Chung Huang, Tsun-Min Wang, Chun-Yu Lin, Tse-Chi Lin
  • Computing Device For Peforming Functions Of Multi-Touch Finger Gesture And Method Of The Same
    Publication number: 20120182322
    Abstract: A computing device for performing functions of multi-touch finger gesture is disclosed. The computing device includes a receiver to receive at least one of a first input from a first object or a second input from at least two second objects, a look-up-table (LUT) module to store a second set of functions associated with the at least two second objects, and a mapping module to map one type of the first input from the first object to a corresponding one of the second set of functions. The computing device is configured to perform a corresponding one of the second set of functions based on the type of the first input.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2012
    Publication date: July 19, 2012
    Applicant: Elan Microelectronics Corporation
    Inventor: Joe Tsung-Ying Yeh
  • Method and systems for identifying objects on a touch-sensitive device
    Patent number: 8207948
    Abstract: A method of identifying objects on a touch-sensitive device comprises scanning a plurality of “m” traces of the touch-sensitive device, m being a positive integer, obtaining a count value of each of the “m” traces, wherein an x-th trace has a count value ax, x being an index number from 1 to m, comparing a count value ai with a count value ai+1 in an increasing order of index number in a first comparison process until a count value aj not smaller than aj+1 is identified, and based on the count value aj, comparing the count value aj with one of count values following aj in an increasing order of index number in a second comparison process until a count value ak is identified, wherein a difference between the count values aj and ak satisfies a first threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: Elan Microelectronics Corporation
    Inventors: Chia-Yi Lee, Wei-Kuo Chang
  • CIRCUIT AND METHOD FOR SENSING A CAPACITANCE
    Publication number: 20120146726
    Abstract: A transconductance amplifier mirror circuit is connected to an electrode for sensing the capacitance of the electrode with reference to ground, or the capacitance between the electrode and another electrode. A voltage level change is produced on the electrode connected to the transconductance amplifier mirror circuit to cause the transconductance amplifier mirror circuit to supply charges to or drain charges from a charge calculation circuit. The charge amount variation is converted to a signal for calculating the sensed capacitance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2011
    Publication date: June 14, 2012
    Applicant: Elan Microelectronics Corporation
    Inventors: Chun-Chung HUANG, I-Shu Lee, Shih-Yuan Hsu, Te-Sheng Chiu
  • Decoding method for a two dimensional dot code
    Patent number: 8180155
    Abstract: A decoding method for a two dimensional dot code includes the steps of defining coordinates of boundary dots in the two dimensional dot code, performing extrapolation and interpolation according to the coordinates of the boundary dots to create coordinates of a plurality of virtual code dots, and comparing a code dot in the two dimensional dot code with the virtual code dots to extract information intended to be reproduced from the two dimensional dot code.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: Elan Microelectronics Corporation
    Inventors: Chen-Hua Ao, Yi-Hsin Tao
  • ESD protection for high-voltage-tolerance open-drain output pad
    Patent number: 8164870
    Abstract: A high-voltage NMOS transistor for ESD protection is coupled between a high-voltage I/O pad and a low-voltage terminal, and has a parasitic component between its source and drain. A trigger has an input coupled to the high-voltage I/O pad and an output coupled to the parasitic component. When the voltage on the high-voltage I/O pad raises above a threshold value, the trigger applies a voltage to trigger the parasitic component, so as to release an ESD current from the high-voltage I/O pad to the low-voltage terminal through the high-voltage NMOS transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: Elan Microelectronics Corporation
    Inventors: Wu-Tsung Hsihe, Ming-Chun Chou, Ming-Dou Ker
  • CONTROL METHODS FOR A MULTI-FUNCTION CONTROLLER
    Publication number: 20120092330
    Abstract: In control methods for a multi-function controller, which includes a sensor having a ring operation region, the position of an object on the sensor is detected for generating a position information, and the force applied to the sensor by the object is detected for generating a force information. When the sensor detects multiple successive position information, which indicate that the object is circling along the ring operation region, a rotation information may be generated additionally. The position information, the force information and the rotation information are used to perform operation in various functional modes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2011
    Publication date: April 19, 2012
    Applicant: ELAN MICROELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: SHU-JEN CHEN, CHANG OU YANG
  • Touchpad with single-layered printed circuit board structure
    Patent number: 8149219
    Abstract: In a touchpad with single-layered PCB structure, a PCB has a bottom layer with a sensor area and a component area thereon, the sensor area includes two directional traces directly connected to the component area, respectively, and carbon film wires in the sensor area for interconnecting one or more of the directional traces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignee: Elan Microelectronics Corporation
    Inventors: Jia-Yih Lii, Yen-Chang Chiu, Yung-Lieh Chien
  • SINGLE LAYER IMPLEMENTED TWO DIMENSIONAL TOUCHPAD
    Publication number: 20120075215
    Abstract: A single-layer implemented two-dimensional touchpad includes two groups of sensing units arranged abreast along two directions, respectively. The first group of sensing units have one end adjacent to the connection region of the touchpad and are connected with wires routing to the connection region. The second group of sensing units are connected with wires bypassing the first group of sensing units and routing to the connection region. This arrangement decreases the number of wires routing through the margin of the circuit board of the touchpad to downsize the margin width and reduce the limitation to the touchpad size simultaneously, only by changing the layout of the sensing units, without increasing the manufacturing mask and steps.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2011
    Publication date: March 29, 2012
    Applicant: ELAN MICROELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventor: I-HAU YEH
  • PREVENTION AGAINST REMISS TOUCH ON A TOUCHPAD
    Publication number: 20120062488
    Abstract: A touchpad is defined with two or more detect regions thereon, and each of the defined detect regions has a respective remiss threshold for identifying remiss touch. When any of the defined detect regions is touched, the touchpad compares the touch area of the detected touch with the remiss threshold of the touched detect region to identify whether the detected touch is a remiss touch or not. Preferably, the location, range and threshold setting of the detect region is user defined, so that a user may adjust the remiss setting for optimized prevention against remiss touch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2011
    Publication date: March 15, 2012
    Applicant: ELAN MICROELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: YEN-YU LIN, YING-CHIEH CHUANG, JUI-TING KUO
  • ESD PROTECTION FOR HIGH-VOLTAGE-TOLERANCE OPEN-DRAIN OUTPUT PAD
    Publication number: 20120044605
    Abstract: A high-voltage NMOS transistor for ESD protection is coupled between a high-voltage I/O pad and a low-voltage terminal, and has a parasitic component between its source and drain. A trigger has an input coupled to the high-voltage I/O pad and an output coupled to the parasitic component. When the voltage on the high-voltage I/O pad raises above a threshold value, the trigger applies a voltage to trigger the parasitic component, so as to release an ESD current from the high-voltage I/O pad to the low-voltage terminal through the high-voltage NMOS transistor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2011
    Publication date: February 23, 2012
    Applicant: ELAN MICROELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: WU-TSUNG HSIHE, MING-CHUN CHOU, MING-DOU KER
  • Base capacitance compensation for a touchpad sensor
    Patent number: 8115750
    Abstract: For a compensation to the sensed capacitive values of a touchpad sensor, the variance profile of the base capacitance or the sensed capacitive values of the traces in the touchpad sensor is determined, and then a firmware operation based on the variance profile is carried out to modify the sensed capacitive values or the position value when an object touches on the touchpad sensor, such that the touchpad sensor operates as a symmetrical touchpad sensor does.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: Elan Microelectronics Corporation
    Inventors: Wen-Kai Lee, Tso-Chieh Yang, Chen-Yao Yang, legal representative
  • LINEARITY IMPROVEMENT OF A CAPACITIVE TOUCH PAD
    Publication number: 20120026130
    Abstract: A capacitive touchpad includes a first trace established by a string of first rhombic sensing cells successively in a first direction and a plurality of singular second rhombic sensing cells branched in a second direction from the string of first rhombic sensing cells, and a second trace established by a string of third rhombic sensing cells successively in the first direction and a plurality of singular fourth rhombic sensing cells branched in the second direction from the string of third rhombic sensing cells, and the second rhombic sensing cells are interleaved with the fourth rhombic sensing cells in the first direction. The capacitive touchpad is thus improved in its linearity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2011
    Publication date: February 2, 2012
    Applicant: ELAN MICROELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: KUO-TAI WANG, CHENG-HUI LIN, HSIN-FU HSU, KUO-MING HUANG
  • TRANSPARENT TOUCH PANEL WITH IMPROVED CURED ADHESIVENESS
    Publication number: 20120021159
    Abstract: A transparent touch panel includes a light-pervious substrate, conductive traces on the light-pervious substrate, a protective layer on the conductive traces, and a cured adhesive between the conductive traces and the protective layer for bonding them together. The conductive trace has a light-pervious area to allow the ultraviolet light for curing the adhesive to pass and reach the adhesive behind the conductive trace during the ultraviolet light treatment to the adhesive, and thus improve the cured level of the adhesive.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2011
    Publication date: January 26, 2012
    Applicant: ELAN MICROELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: I-HAU YEH, MIN-SHU WANG, SHIH-FENG HUANG
  • CAPACITANCE SENSOR LAYOUT SCHEME FOR LINEARITY IMPROVEMENT
    Publication number: 20120019268
    Abstract: A capacitive touchpad includes a plurality of parallel traces configured in a capacitance sensor layout scheme such that the maximum sensor gap is smaller than the sensor pitch to improve the sensor response linearity of the capacitive touchpad.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2011
    Publication date: January 26, 2012
    Applicant: ELAN MICROELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: YI-HSIN TAO, CHIA-HSING LIN, WEN-JUN HSU
  • Method for object detection on a capacitive touchpad
    Patent number: 8102376
    Abstract: In an object detection method for a capacitive touchpad, at least one reference time interval is used to distinguish whether a variation of the sensed value on the touchpad is resulted from an operation of an object on the touchpad, actions such as an object touch down to the touchpad, an object lift from the touchpad and an object movement on the touchpad are then determined, and operations corresponding to various gestures are correctly detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Assignee: Elan Microelectronics Corporation
    Inventors: Jia-Yih Lii, Kuan-Chun Tang
  • THREE-DIMENSIONAL TOUCH SENSOR
    Publication number: 20120013571
    Abstract: A three-dimensional touch sensor is constructed from a two-dimensional capacitive touch sensor in association with a conductive layer and an elastic insulator or with an insulation layer and an elastic conductor. When the three-dimensional touch sensor is touched, the two-dimensional capacitive touch sensor positions the touch point in a sensing plane, and the elastic insulator or the elastic conductor deforms responsive to the pressure and thus generates a capacitance variation, from which a sensing value in the perpendicular direction is derived related to the magnitude of the pressure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2011
    Publication date: January 19, 2012
    Applicant: ELAN MICROELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: I-HAU YEH, TIEN-WEN PAO, CHIEN-HUI WU, TA-FAN HSU
  • SENSING UNIT, SENSING ARRANGEMENT AND SENSING METHOD FOR TOUCH PANEL APPLICATION
    Publication number: 20110267312
    Abstract: Two sensing units are configured as an exciter and a sensor connected to two trace lines, respectively, for mutual capacitance sensing from the capacitance units including these two trace lines. The two sensing units connect the two trace lines together to balance them to a same voltage level first, and then disconnect them from each other. Thereafter, the exciter connects the first trace line to an excitation node to induce a charge change on the second trace line, and the sensor senses the charge change to detect the variation of the mutual capacitance between the two trace lines.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2011
    Publication date: November 3, 2011
    Applicant: ELAN MICROELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: CHIA-HSING LIN, YI-HSIN TAO, WEN-JUN HSU, I-SHU LEE, SHIH-YUAN HSU
  • Base capacitance compensation for a touchpad sensor
    Patent number: 8040325
    Abstract: Methods are provided for base capacitance compensation of traces in a touchpad sensor. Compensation areas are calculated by evaluating the differences between the base capacitances of the traces, or the differences between the base capacitances of the traces and a target value. The compensation areas are electrically connected to respective traces to equalize the base capacitances of the traces. Alternatively, a relationship between the areas of the traces and the distances from the traces to a grounding layer for equalizing the base capacitances of the traces is derived and from which the areas of the traces or the position of the grounding layer are adjusted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: Elan Microelectronics Corporation
    Inventors: Wen-Kai Lee, Kuan-Chun Tang