Patents Assigned to MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY GERMANY GMBH
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Publication number: 20160261250Abstract: A finite impulse response (FIR) digital filter has an assigned filter function with assigned filter coefficients, an input receiving input samples, another input receiving confidence information values, and an output. Each input sample value is associated to an input confidence value and the filter output depends on both the input samples and the input confidence values.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 25, 2016Publication date: September 8, 2016Applicant: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY GERMANY GMBHInventors: Axel Heim, Martin Hoch
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Publication number: 20160187450Abstract: A capacitive sensor includes a transmit electrode configured to provide an alternating electric field to a sensor; one or more receive electrodes for detecting variations in the alternating electric field; and an adaptive frequency adjustment unit configured to adjust an operating frequency of the alternating electric field responsive to detection of a noise measure, such as noise power.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 7, 2016Publication date: June 30, 2016Applicant: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY GERMANY GMBHInventors: Axel Heim, Martin Hoch
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Patent number: 9360975Abstract: A capacitive sensor device has at least one measuring electrode, at least one ground electrode, and an evaluation device being coupled with the at least one measuring electrode and being configured to detect a capacitive coupling between the at least one measuring electrode and a ground of the evaluation device. At least one ground electrode can be galvanically coupled with the ground of the evaluation device via a switch. The switching status of the switch can be changed by the evaluation device. The evaluation device is further adapted to detect a common-mode change of the capacitive coupling between the at least one measuring electrode and the ground of the evaluation device when the switching status of the switch changes. An input device, particularly a keyboard with a capacitive sensor device, as well as a method for operating a capacitive sensor device may be designed accordingly.Type: GrantFiled: May 20, 2012Date of Patent: June 7, 2016Assignee: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY GERMANY GMBHInventors: Axel Heim, Artem Ivanov, Roland Aubauer
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Patent number: 9360930Abstract: The invention relates to an input device for generating input signals, that as such correlate with the motion as well as the position of a user standing on a contact area. The present invention concerns an input device for generating input signals that as such correlate with the load of a contact area, with a contact area structure that constitutes a substantially horizontally oriented contact area, a foot structure that passes under that contact area structure and supports it as to a support area, a detection circuit for detecting detection events that correlate with the shifting of the.Type: GrantFiled: July 22, 2009Date of Patent: June 7, 2016Assignee: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY GERMANY GMBHInventor: Artem Ivanov
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Patent number: 9354263Abstract: A capacitive measuring device for a hand-held device, particularly an electric hand-held device for the detection of an approach to the hand-held device, has a switching device, wherein the ground of the capacitive measuring device is galvanically connectable with an electrically conductive structure of the hand-held device by a switching device, and wherein the capacitive measuring device has a ground electrode structure with at least one ground electrode that can be arranged on the hand-held device, wherein the ground of the capacitive hand-held device is galvanically connectable with the at least one ground electrode by the switching device.Type: GrantFiled: March 22, 2012Date of Patent: May 31, 2016Assignee: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY GERMANY GMBHInventors: Axel Heim, Artem Ivanov, Roland Aubauer
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Publication number: 20160124568Abstract: A method for detecting a continuous circular gesture performed by an object, may have the steps of: detecting a movement of an object performing a circular movement by scanning the movement and determining subsequent position points of the object, wherein a reference position of a virtual circular movement is adapted depending on the history of scanned position points.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 27, 2015Publication date: May 5, 2016Applicant: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY GERMANY GMBHInventors: Axel Heim, Joao Ferreira
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Patent number: 9322861Abstract: A method for the detection of a gripping of a hand-held device with one hand, using a capacitive sensor device, uses at least one transmitting electrode, at least one compensating electrode and at least one receiving electrode. An electrical signal is tapped at the receiving electrode and the sensor device can be operated in a first operating mode and in a second operating mode. In the first operating mode, a first alternating electrical signal is applied to the transmitting electrode and a second alternating electrical signal is applied to the compensating electrode. In the second operating mode, the second alternating signal is only applied to the compensating electrode. Furthermore, a sensor device can be provided which is configured to perform the method as described above.Type: GrantFiled: November 7, 2011Date of Patent: April 26, 2016Assignee: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY GERMANY GMBHInventors: Stefan Burger, Andreas Dorfner, Holger Erkens, Claus Kaltner, Holger Steffens
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Patent number: 9323379Abstract: The invention relates to an electronic device for determining a first positional information and a second positional information regarding a user input object, such as at least one user hand or at least one stylus, the electronic device comprising: a touch-sensitive surface; contact-free detection means; and controller means that are operatively connected to the touch-sensitive surface and to the contact-free detection means; wherein the first positional information depends on where the user input object contacts the touch-sensitive surface, and wherein the second positional information depends on the spatial configuration of the user input object with regard to the touch-sensitive surface, characterized in that the controller means are adapted for simultaneously and/or alternately determining the first positional information via the touch-sensitive surface and the second positional information via the contact free detection means.Type: GrantFiled: December 9, 2011Date of Patent: April 26, 2016Assignee: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY GERMANY GMBHInventors: Roland Aubauer, Roman Gebhard
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Patent number: 9279874Abstract: A capacitive sensor includes a transmit electrode configured to provide an alternating electric field to a sensor; one or more receive electrodes for detecting variations in the alternating electric field; and an adaptive frequency adjustment unit configured to adjust an operating frequency of the alternating electric field responsive to detection of a noise measure, such as noise power.Type: GrantFiled: August 14, 2013Date of Patent: March 8, 2016Assignee: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY GERMANY GMBHInventors: Axel Heim, Martin Hoch
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Publication number: 20160054754Abstract: An electrode arrangement has a matrix with rows and columns of capacitive touch sensors arranged in a single layer, wherein each touch sensor has a first electrode and an associated second electrode, wherein the first electrodes in each row of the matrix are connected and the second electrodes in each column of the matrix are connected, and wherein the electrode arrangement further has a capacitive coupling operable to feed an alternating transmission signal only to the top and bottom row of connected first electrodes and to the most left and most right column of connected second electrodes.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 19, 2015Publication date: February 25, 2016Applicant: Microchip Technology Germany GmbHInventors: Roland Aubauer, Andreas Dorfner
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Publication number: 20160054850Abstract: An electrode arrangement has a transmitting electrode which during a measurement cycle is configured to receive an alternating transmission signal and a plurality of receiving electrodes configured to detect disturbances in an electric field formed by the transmitting electrode. The transmitting electrode and the receiving electrode are arranged in a single layer such that a single transmitting electrode is formed by an electrode structure that substantially surrounds each receiving electrode of the plurality of receiving electrodes.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 18, 2015Publication date: February 25, 2016Applicant: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY GERMANY GMBHInventors: Roland Aubauer, Andreas Dorfner
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Publication number: 20160041639Abstract: An electrode device for a capacitive sensor device and a circuit arrangement for a capacitive sensor device for the operation of an electrode device are provided, wherein the electrode device has a first electrode structure with at least one transmitting electrode and at least one receiving electrode, and a second electrode structure with at least one field sensing electrode, wherein the electrode device or the capacitive sensor device can be operated in a first operation mode and in a second operation mode. In addition a method is provided for approach and/or touch detection with a sensor device.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 16, 2015Publication date: February 11, 2016Applicant: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY GERMANY GMBHInventors: Claus Kaltner, Reinhard Unterreitmayer, Holger Steffens
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Patent number: 9250705Abstract: The invention relates to an input device for a user to perform switching, control and other input and selection operations. Input devices of this type are known in particular in the form of switches, sliders and touch screens on electrical equipment and other controls, e.g. in the vehicle field. The object of the invention is to create solutions that make it possible to create with a large degree of freedom of design an input interface that is advantageous for a user, particularly one that is easy to operate intuitively.Type: GrantFiled: May 2, 2007Date of Patent: February 2, 2016Assignee: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY GERMANY GMBHInventor: Wolfgang Richter
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Patent number: 9247504Abstract: A capacitive sensor device for a handheld radio transceiver for estimating a specific absorption rate (SAR) can be coupled with at least one first electrode, wherein during the operation of the handheld radio transceiver the first electrode is at the same time a sensor electrode of the capacitive sensor device and an antenna of the handheld radio transceiver. Moreover a handheld radio transceiver with such a capacitive sensor device can be provided. Moreover, a method can be provided for adjusting a transmission power of a handheld radio transceiver, wherein an approach of an object to the handheld radio transceiver is detected and wherein depending on the detected approach the transmission power of the handheld radio transceiver is increased or reduced.Type: GrantFiled: February 20, 2012Date of Patent: January 26, 2016Assignee: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY GERMANY GMBHInventor: Holger Erkens
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Publication number: 20160013790Abstract: A sensor electrode (SE) for a capacitive sensor device is designed such that the width of the sensor electrode decreases towards the center such that the capacity between the sensor electrode and an object (F) with constant distance between the sensor electrode and the object (F) substantially is equal in size for each position of the object (F) relative to the sensor electrode along a longitudinal axis of the sensor electrode. The sensor electrode may consist of a plurality of segments arranged in a strip with decreasing width towards the center of the electrode.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 21, 2015Publication date: January 14, 2016Applicant: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY GERMANY GMBHInventor: Axel Heim
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Patent number: 9236860Abstract: An electrical hand-held device is provided with improved proximity detection, which can be placed on a surface and has at least one transmission electrode, at least one reception electrode and at least one compensation electrode arranged between transmission electrode and reception electrode. The transmission electrode and the compensation electrode can be supplied with an electric switching signal of predetermined signal frequency and predetermined signal amplitude. Switching electric signal at the compensation electrode is phase-delayed with respect to the switching electric signal at the transmission electrode. Alternating electric fields radiated at the transmission electrode and the compensation electrode generate a current in the reception electrode, which is representative of an approach of a hand to the hand-held device.Type: GrantFiled: April 7, 2010Date of Patent: January 12, 2016Assignee: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY GERMANY GMBHInventors: Reinhard Unterreitmayer, Claus Kaltner, Holger Steffens, Stefan Donat
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Patent number: 9189093Abstract: In a system, as well as a method for the generation of a signal correlated with a manual input operation, especially a gesture-like input operation is executed by a user with his hands or fingers in front of a physical device and it input signals for signal processing operations are generated which correlate in a particularly reliable and accurate way with manual input operations. A system may have an electrode group integrated into an equipment component, that has several plane shaped electrodes adjacent to each other, and a circuit arrangement coupled to the electrodes of the electrode group, wherein the electrode group and the circuit arrangement constitute a sensor circuit allowing both a detection of a status to evaluate as a physical contacting of the equipment component, and a position detection of the hand or a finger of a user in a area placed spatially upstream of the equipment component.Type: GrantFiled: February 10, 2011Date of Patent: November 17, 2015Assignee: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY GERMANY GMBHInventor: Artem Ivanov
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Patent number: 9166581Abstract: An electrode device for a capacitive sensor device and a circuit arrangement for a capacitive sensor device for the operation of an electrode device are provided, wherein the electrode device has a first electrode structure with at least one transmitting electrode and at least one receiving electrode, and a second electrode structure with at least one field sensing electrode, wherein the electrode device or the capacitive sensor device can be operated in a first operation mode and in a second operation mode. In addition a method is provided for approach and/or touch detection with a sensor device.Type: GrantFiled: March 24, 2011Date of Patent: October 20, 2015Assignee: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY GERMANY GMBHInventors: Claus Kaltner, Reinhard Unterreitmayer, Holger Steffens
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Patent number: 9141148Abstract: The invention relates to a mobile communication device and an input device provided for operating said communication device by means of which input operations necessary for using the communication device may be carried out. The aim of the invention is to provide solutions by means of which it is possible, in particular for relatively compact mobile electronic devices, in particular communication devices and digital cameras to carry out said input operations in a manner which is particularly easy to coordinate for the user.Type: GrantFiled: March 26, 2008Date of Patent: September 22, 2015Assignee: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY GERMANY GMBHInventors: Wolfgang Richter, Roland Aubauer
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Patent number: 9142363Abstract: A sensor electrode (SE) for a capacitive sensor device is designed such that the width of the sensor electrode decreases towards the center such that the capacity between the sensor electrode and an object (F) with constant distance between the sensor electrode and the object (F) substantially is equal in size for each position of the object (F) relative to the sensor electrode along a longitudinal axis of the sensor electrode. The sensor electrode may consist of a plurality of segments arranged in a strip with decreasing width towards the center of the electrode.Type: GrantFiled: February 27, 2013Date of Patent: September 22, 2015Assignee: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY GERMANY GMBHInventor: Axel Heim