Patents Assigned to Elan Microelectronics Corporation
  • EQUALIZED CAPACITIVE TOUCHPAD AND TOUCH POSITIONING METHOD
    Publication number: 20130307822
    Abstract: An equalized capacitive touchpad and a touch positioning method for a capacitive touchpad use an equalizer to correct a sensed value of a mutual capacitance between two sensing lines of the capacitive touchpad, to thereby offset the attenuation of the sensed value due to the impedance of the two sensing lines. Thus, the sensed values generated from different positions along a sensing line are equalized, and the touch positioning accuracy of the capacitive touchpad is improved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2013
    Publication date: November 21, 2013
    Applicant: Elan Microelectronics Corporation
    Inventors: Chun-Chung HUANG, Tsun-Min WANG
  • TOUCH PANEL HAVING A SINGLE-SIDED SENSING PATTERN
    Publication number: 20130299330
    Abstract: A touch panel has multiple first-axis sensing lines and multiple second-axis sub-sensing sets. Each first-axis sensing line has a second-axis sensing set formed therein with multiple second-axis sensing part of the second-axis sensing set spaced apart along the first axis. The second-axis sub-sensing parts at each identical coordinate of the second axis are connected to constitute a second-axis sensing line, and the first-axis sensing lines and the second-axis sensing lines are mutually crossed. As the second-axis sub-sensing parts constituting each second-axis sensing line are separately enclosed in different first-axis sensing lines, the capacitance values of capacitive coupling between the first-axis sensing lines and the second-axis sensing lines are relatively higher and more stable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2012
    Publication date: November 14, 2013
    Applicant: ELAN MICROELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yi-Hsin TAO, Wen-Jun HSU
  • Electronic stylus, capacitive touchpad module, and apparatus for touch input
    Patent number: 8564553
    Abstract: An electronic stylus emits an excitation signal to apply to a trace of a capacitive touchpad module near a touch point when the electronic stylus touches the capacitive touchpad module, so as to change a waveform of a charging/discharging signal in the trace, and depending on the waveform variation, the capacitive touchpad module can identify the touch point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: Elan Microelectronics Corporation
    Inventors: I-Hau Yeh, Chi-Tein Yeh, Tsun-Min Wang, Chun-Chung Huang, Chung-Han Cheng, Hung-Ming Huang
  • HIGH NOISE IMMUNITY SENSING METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR A CAPACITIVE TOUCH DEVICE
    Publication number: 20130257797
    Abstract: A sensing method and a sensing apparatus for a capacitive touch device sense variations of self capacitances of first traces in a first direction and second traces in a second direction and variations of mutual capacitances of intersections between the first traces and the second traces, and then generates fourth sensed values from the first, second and third sensed values to serve as sensed values of the changes of the mutual capacitances of the intersections between the first traces and the second traces for identifying one or more touch points. Therefore, noise interference is suppressed and real touch points can be easily to be identified.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Publication date: October 3, 2013
    Applicant: ELAN MICROELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Chia-Mu WU, Yi-Chia HSU, Jung-Shou HUANG
  • HIGH NOISE IMMUNITY SENSING METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR A CAPACITIVE TOUGH DEVICE
    Publication number: 20130257767
    Abstract: High noise immunity sensing methods and apparatus are provided for a capacitive touch device, which sense the capacitive touch device for self capacitance or mutual capacitance or both with different scan frequencies in a frame, to thereby suppress certain frequency noise interference. By combining time domain and space domain noise-eliminating approaches, probabilities of noise interference are reduced, without compromising other parameters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Publication date: October 3, 2013
    Applicant: Elan Microelectronics Corporation
    Inventors: Chia-Mu WU, Yi-Chia HSU, Jung-Shou HUANG, Tung-Ming YANG
  • SCAN METHOD FOR INCREASING FRAME RATE OF TOUCH PANEL AND TOUCH PANEL DEVICE USING THE SAME
    Publication number: 20130241870
    Abstract: A scan method for increasing frame rate of a touch panel having multiple driving lines, multiple sensing lines and a scan cycle with multiple detection cycles, has steps of generating multiple sets of asynchronous excitation signals within each detection cycle with each set of excitation signals outputted to a corresponding driving line, and receiving capacitance sensing values from the sensing lines corresponding to the driving lines. In contrast to conventional scan methods only outputting one set of excitation signals within each detection cycle, the time required to scan entire driving lines is greatly reduced and the frame rate is increased. Additionally, as the multiple sets of asynchronous excitation signals are asynchronous, the interference to the capacitance sensing values sensed by the sensing circuit in response to the multiple sets of excitation signals won't occur.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2013
    Publication date: September 19, 2013
    Applicant: ELAN MICROELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Chia-Hsing LIN, Yi-Hsin TAO
  • Illuminated touch sensitive surface module and illuminated device thereof
    Patent number: 8537140
    Abstract: An illuminated touch sensitive surface module and an illuminated device are disclosed. The illuminated touch sensitive surface module includes a cosmetic layer, a sensor, a controller and an illuminated device. The cosmetic layer permits light beams to pass through and objects to touch or hover thereon. The controller connects to the sensor and drives an illuminated mode of the illuminated device according to the position information. The illuminated device has many regions and at least one light guild film in which the light beams enter from the side and emit out of a top of individual light guide film. Further, each light guide film has a bottom on which micro members are formed for changing path of the entering light beams and block members for defining the regions. In the illuminated mode, the touched or hovered regions of the illuminated device are illuminated while the other regions are dark.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: Elan Microelectronics Corporation
    Inventors: Ming-Chieh Tsai, Hsin-Fu Hsu, Chien-Hao Chen
  • Equalized capacitive touchpad and touch positioning method
    Patent number: 8525801
    Abstract: An equalized capacitive touchpad and a touch positioning method for a capacitive touchpad use an equalizer to correct a sensed value detected from a sensing line of the capacitive touchpad, to thereby offset the attenuation of the sensed value due to the impedance of the sensing line. Thus, the sensed values generated from different positions along a sensing line are equalized, and the touch positioning accuracy of the capacitive touchpad is improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: Elan Microelectronics Corporation
    Inventors: Chun-Chung Huang, Tsun-Min Wang, Chun-Yu Lin, Tse-Chi Lin
  • DRIVING METHOD FOR CHARGER NOISE REJECTION IN TOUCH PANEL
    Publication number: 20130222047
    Abstract: A driving method for charger noise rejection in a touch panel has steps of: reading the sensing frame of the touch panel with a self-capacitance sensing mode, marking at least one first-axis sensing line having a recognizable sensing value, and driving the at least one marked first-axis sensing line with a mutual-capacitance sensing mode to acquire at least one sensing value corresponding to at least one sensing point on each one of the at least one marked first-axis sensing line. Accordingly, the charger noise is rejected in the touch panel by the driving method of the present invention. Additionally, a frame rate is further increased since the sensing lines are partially driven under the mutual-capacitance sensing mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2012
    Publication date: August 29, 2013
    Applicant: ELAN MICROELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jung-Shou HUANG, Chia-Mu Wu, Tse-Lun Hung, Shun-Yi Chen
  • Detector and detection method for a capacitive touchpad to identify a real touch point
    Patent number: 8519975
    Abstract: A two-step detection for a capacitive touchpad to identify a real touch point first detects the self capacitances from multiple capacitance sensor traces of the capacitive touchpad to identify any touch point on the capacitive touchpad and then, if multiple touch points are detected, further detects the mutual capacitance at one of the detected touch points to identify whether it is a real touch point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: Elan Microelectronics Corporation
    Inventors: Chun-Chung Huang, Tsun-Min Wang, Te-Sheng Chiu
  • ANTI-INTERFERENCE DRIVING METHOD OF TOUCH PANEL AND TOUCH PANEL DEVICE USING THE SAME
    Publication number: 20130215053
    Abstract: An anti-interference driving method of touch panel has steps of providing a touch panel and outputting multiple excitation signal sets to the respective driving lines of the touch panel. The touch panel has multiple driving lines and multiple receiving lines. Each driving line has multiple sub-driving lines. Each excitation signal set has multiple excitation signals sequentially outputted to the corresponding sub-driving lines. The excitation signals outputted to any adjacent two sub-driving lines are reversed in phase and a time gap between the excitation signals with reverse phases is less than a cycle of each excitation signal. Accordingly, two sensing signals having coupled capacitance values of a noise with different signs is obtained by using a receiving line to sense any adjacent two sub-driving lines and can be directly processed to remove the coupled capacitance value of the noise.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2013
    Publication date: August 22, 2013
    Applicant: ELAN MICROELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventor: ELAN MICROELECTRONICS CORPORATION
  • SCAN METHOD FOR A CAPACITIVE TOUCH PANEL
    Publication number: 20130215047
    Abstract: A scan method for a capacitive touch panel has steps of performing a relatively small first number of estimation scans on multiple sensing lines of a capacitive touch panel and recording results of the estimation scans, marking the sensing lines meeting a predetermined condition according to the results of the estimation scans, and performing a relatively large second number of practical scans on the marked sensing lines. Given the first-stage estimation scans and the second-stage practical scans, the sensing lines possibly touched by a touch object can be rapidly identified and marked, and the second-stage practical scans are performed on the marked sensing lines. Accordingly, noises and errors can be effectively reduced, accurate scan can be ensured, and higher frame rate can be achieved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2012
    Publication date: August 22, 2013
    Applicant: ELAN MICROELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Chia-Mu Wu, Tse-Lun Hung, Shun-Yi Chen, Chin-Cheng Lu, Cheng-Yu Chen
  • Boundary resolution improvement for a capacitive touch panel
    Patent number: 8514204
    Abstract: A capacitive touch panel has a plurality of traces including a boundary trace, and a virtual trace is defined outward of the boundary trace and assigned with a virtual coordinate and a virtual capacitance for interpolation to position a touch point around the boundary of the capacitive touch panel, thereby eliminating the non-addressable region of the capacitive touch panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: Elan Microelectronics Corporation
    Inventors: Hung Nien, Yi-Hsin Tao, Chih-Hsien Teng, Hsin-Shieh Tsai, Chun-Chung Huang, Chia-Hsing Lin
  • Multi-field sensing of a capacitive touch panel
    Patent number: 8508501
    Abstract: A detect method of a capacitive touch panel alternately senses the traces of the capacitive touch panel to generate two series of fields, interpolates with the first fields to obtain interpolation fields having temporal coordinates identical to that of the second fields, and combines the second fields and the interpolation fields to generate reconstructed frames for coordinate calculation. Therefore, the capacitance sensing sequence of the traces is scheduled in a multi-field way to reduce the operation of the detector circuit of the capacitive touch panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: Elan Microelectronics Corporation
    Inventors: Chia-Hsing Lin, Yi-Hsin Tao, Hsuan-Wen Tseng
  • MULTI-FUNCTIONAL TOUCHPAD REMOTE CONTROLLER
    Publication number: 20130203495
    Abstract: A multi-functional touchpad remote controller has multiple functional modes to select therefrom and has a touchpad to support touch input. Different patterns may be shown on the touchpad for different functional modes. For the current operation mode, the specific pattern shown on the touchpad allows simple and intuitive to use the multi-functional touchpad remote controller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Publication date: August 8, 2013
    Applicant: ELAN MICROELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventor: ELAN MICROELECTRONICS CORPORATION
  • ESD protection for high-voltage-tolerance open-drain output pad
    Patent number: 8493700
    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: November 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Elan Microelectronics Corporation
    Inventors: Wu-Tsung Hsihe, Ming-Chun Chou, Ming-Dou Ker
  • SCAN METHOD FOR A TOUCH PANEL
    Publication number: 20130181916
    Abstract: A scan method for a touch panel has steps of: receiving a self-sensing frame; calculating sensing slopes between each sensing line and its neighboring sensing lines in the self-sensing frame; determining whether any sensing slope is larger than a slope threshold, and marking the sensing line if the sensing slope is larger than the slope threshold; and executing a mutual scan approach on the marked sensing lines to produce a mutual sensing frame without sensing point caused by noise. Further, the present invention also increases the frame rate since only a part of sensing lines need to be scanned.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2012
    Publication date: July 18, 2013
    Applicant: ELAN MICROELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: JUNG-SHOU HUANG, CHIA-MU WU, TSE-LUN HUNG, Shun-Yi Chen
  • Detector circuit and detect method of a capacitive touch panel
    Patent number: 8487908
    Abstract: A detector circuit and detect method of a capacitive touch panel conditionally abort detection of useless traces of the capacitive touch panel when the capacitive touch panel detects the traces thereof. For a selected trace, first several digital values obtained by detecting the selected trace are compared with a threshold value to identify whether the selected trace is useful or not, and if the selected trace is identified useless, an abort signal is triggered to abort detection of the selected trace. Therefore, the performance of the capacitive touch panel is improved with higher frame rate and less power consumption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Elan Microelectronics Corporation
    Inventors: Chia-Hsing Lin, Yi-Hsin Tao, Hsuan-Wen Tseng
  • Front-end signal detector and method for improving noise immunity of a capacitive touch sensor
    Patent number: 8487907
    Abstract: A front-end signal detector and a method for improving noise immunity of a capacitive touch sensor start counting a preset time to trigger an interrupt signal responsive to a positive or negative edge of a periodic noise, to break the path through which a demodulated signal comes into a low-pass filter, to prevent noise from accumulating in the low-pass filter, and consequently mitigate the influence of the noise on the detection signal generated by the front-end signal detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Elan Microelectronics Corporation
    Inventors: Chun-Chung Huang, Tsun-Min Wang, Te-Sheng Chiu, Chun-Yu Lin
  • METHOD OF DETECTING FLOATING MODE OF A TOUCH PANEL
    Publication number: 20130176280
    Abstract: A method of detecting floating mode of a touch panel has steps of reading a sensing cluster and presetting a detection window; taking each sensing point of the sensing cluster as a center point of the detection window; after determining that the center point has a negative sensing value qualifying to be generated under a floating mode, further determining a count of the sensing points other than the center point having the sensing values generated under a grounding mode and incrementing an accumulative number by one if the count exceeds a first critical value; keeping incrementing the accumulative number until each sensing point in the sensing cluster has been taken as the center point of the detection window for scanning; and determining if the accumulative number exceeds a second critical value, and if positive, further determining that the current sensing cluster is generated under the floating mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2012
    Publication date: July 11, 2013
    Applicant: ELAN MICROELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventor: ELAN MICROELECTRONICS CORPORATION