Patents Assigned to SIGMASENSE, LLC.
  • Publication number: 20230032551
    Abstract: An e-pen includes e-pen sensor electrodes (including a first and a second e-pen sensor electrode) and drive-sense circuits (DSCs) (including a first DSC and a second DSC. The first DSC drives a first e-pen signal having a first frequency via a first single line coupling to the first e-pen sensor electrode and simultaneously senses, via the first single line, the first e-pen signal. Based on e-pen/touch sensor device interaction, the first e-pen signal is coupled into at least one touch sensor electrode of the touch sensor device. The first DSC process the first e-pen signal to generate a first digital signal representative of a first electrical characteristic of the first e-pen sensor electrode. Similarly, the second DSC drives a second e-pen signal having a second frequency via a second single line coupling to the second e-pen sensor electrode and simultaneously senses, via the second single line, the second e-pen signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2022
    Publication date: February 2, 2023
    Applicant: SIGMASENSE, LLC.
    Inventors: Patrick Troy Gray, Gerald Dale Morrison, Daniel Keith Van Ostrand, Richard Stuart Seger, JR., Michael Shawn Gray, Kevin Joseph Derichs
  • Patent number: 11567135
    Abstract: A battery characterization system includes a drive-sense circuit (DSC), memory that stores operational instructions, and processing module(s) operably coupled to the DSC and the memory. Based on a reference signal, the DSC generates a charge signal, which includes an AC (alternating current) component, and provides the charge signal to a terminal of a battery via a single line and simultaneously to senses the charge signal via the single line to detect an electrical characteristic of the battery based on a response of the battery. The DSC generates a digital signal representative of the electrical characteristic of the battery. The processing module(s), based on the operational instructions, generate the reference signal to include a frequency sweep of the AC component of the charge signal (e.g.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: SIGMASENSE, LLC.
    Inventors: Patrick Troy Gray, Gerald Dale Morrison, Michael Frederick David Olley, Daniel Keith Van Ostrand, Richard Stuart Seger, Jr.
  • Patent number: 11567465
    Abstract: A rotating equipment system with in-line drive-sense circuit (DSC) electric power signal processing includes rotating equipment, in-line drive-sense circuits (DSCs), and one or more processing modules. The in-line DSCs receive input electrical power signals and generate motor drive signals for the rotating equipment. An in-line DSC receives an input electrical power signal, processes it to generate and output a motor drive signal to the rotating equipment via a single line and simultaneously senses the motor drive signal via the single line. Based on the sensing of the motor drive signal via the single line, the in-line DSC provides a digital signal to the one or more processing modules that receive and process the digital signal to determine information regarding one or more operational conditions of the rotating equipment, and based thereon, selectively facilitate one or more adaptation operations on the motor drive signal via the in-line DSC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: SIGMASENSE, LLC.
    Inventors: Patrick Troy Gray, Gerald Dale Morrison, Daniel Keith Van Ostrand, Richard Stuart Seger, Jr.
  • Patent number: 11569695
    Abstract: A device operative to transfer power and communicate wirelessly includes a drive-sense circuit (DSC), memory that stores operational instructions, and processing module(s). The DSC generates a drive signal based on a reference signal and provides the drive signal to a first coil via a single line and via a resonating capacitor, and simultaneously senses the drive signal via the single line, to facilitate electromagnetic coupling to a second coil to transfer power wirelessly to another device. The DSC also detects electrical characteristic(s) of the drive signal including whether a communication signal is transmitted from another device and generates a digital signal representative thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: SIGMASENSE, LLC.
    Inventors: John Christopher Price, Daniel Keith Van Ostrand, Phuong Huynh
  • Publication number: 20230027795
    Abstract: A battery characterization system includes a drive-sense circuit (DSC), memory that stores operational instructions, and processing module(s) operably coupled to the DSC and the memory. Based on a reference signal, the DSC generates a charge signal, which includes an AC (alternating current) component, and provides the charge signal to a terminal of a battery via a single line and simultaneously to senses the charge signal via the single line to detect an electrical characteristic of the battery based on a response of the battery. The DSC generates a digital signal representative of the electrical characteristic of the battery. The processing module(s), based on the operational instructions, generate the reference signal to include a frequency sweep of the AC component of the charge signal (e.g.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2022
    Publication date: January 26, 2023
    Applicant: SIGMASENSE, LLC.
    Inventors: Patrick Troy Gray, Gerald Dale Morrison, Michael Frederick David Olley, Daniel Keith Van Ostrand, Richard Stuart Seger, JR.
  • Patent number: 11561646
    Abstract: A drive sense circuit comprises an analog front-end. The analog front-end generates an analog drive sense signal based on an analog reference signal that has a magnitude that is substantially less than a supply rail power of the drive sense circuit. When the drive sense circuit is coupled to a load, the analog front end drives the load with the analog drive-sense signal and detects an analog signal variation in the analog drive-sense signal based on a characteristic of the load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: SIGMASENSE, LLC.
    Inventors: Patrick Troy Gray, Gerald Dale Morrison, Daniel Keith Van Ostrand, Richard Stuart Seger, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20230019284
    Abstract: A touch-sensitive panel includes row electrodes, column electrodes, and drive-sense circuits coupled to the row electrodes and the column electrodes. The drive-sense circuits detect changes in impedances of the row and column electrodes. The touch-sensitive panel also includes analog-to-digital converters coupled to outputs of the drive-sense circuits, and a processing module coupled to the drive-sense circuits via the analog-to-digital converters. The processing module, the analog-to-digital converters, and the plurality of drive-sense circuits cooperate to sense an information signal capacitively coupled to the row and column electrodes, and to extract data from the information signal to identify a device that produced the information signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2021
    Publication date: January 19, 2023
    Applicant: SIGMASENSE, LLC.
    Inventors: Richard Stuart Seger, JR., Michael Shawn Gray, Daniel Keith Van Ostrand, Patrick Troy Gray, Timothy W. Markison
  • Patent number: 11550426
    Abstract: A computing subsystem includes a plurality of drive-sense circuits operable for coupling to a plurality of loads and a processing module operable for coupling to the plurality of drive-sense circuits. A drive-sense circuit generates a small magnitude analog drive signal based on a reference signal, regulates the small magnitude analog drive signal as a characteristic of a load, generates a change signal based on regulation of the small magnitude analog drive signal, and generates a digital signal based on the change signal, wherein the digital signal is indicative of the characteristic of the load. The processing module is operable to receive a set of digital signals from at least some of the plurality of drive-sense circuits and process the set of digital signals to produce a plurality of frames of load data regarding the plurality of loads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: SIGMASENSE, LLC.
    Inventors: Patrick Troy Gray, Gerald Dale Morrison, Daniel Keith Van Ostrand, Richard Stuart Seger, Jr.
  • Patent number: 11545993
    Abstract: A batteryless wireless sensor system includes a data acquisition system, a radio frequency (RF) transceiver, and a batteryless wireless sensor device. The RF transceiver is in communication with the data acquisition system, transmits a RF signal, and receives sensor data and provide the sensor data to the data acquisition system. The batteryless wireless sensor device includes a RF transmitter, an analog to digital converter (ADC), and a sensor. The batteryless wireless sensor harvests energy from the RF signal and generates a DC signal based on the energy harvested from the RF signal, powers up and operates the ADC and the sensor based on the DC signal, and generates sensor data. The batteryless wireless sensor then transmits the sensor data via the RF transmitter to the RF transceiver. In certain examples, the ADC is implemented as a current mode ADC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: SIGMASENSE, LLC.
    Inventor: Phuong Huynh
  • Patent number: 11543900
    Abstract: An e-pen includes e-pen sensor electrodes (including a first and a second e-pen sensor electrode) and drive-sense circuits (DSCs) (including a first DSC and a second DSC. The first DSC drives a first e-pen signal having a first frequency via a first single line coupling to the first e-pen sensor electrode and simultaneously senses, via the first single line, the first e-pen signal. Based on e-pen/touch sensor device interaction, the first e-pen signal is coupled into at least one touch sensor electrode of the touch sensor device. The first DSC process the first e-pen signal to generate a first digital signal representative of a first electrical characteristic of the first e-pen sensor electrode. Similarly, the second DSC drives a second e-pen signal having a second frequency via a second single line coupling to the second e-pen sensor electrode and simultaneously senses, via the second single line, the second e-pen signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: SIGMASENSE, LLC.
    Inventors: Patrick Troy Gray, Gerald Dale Morrison, Daniel Keith Van Ostrand, Richard Stuart Seger, Jr., Michael Shawn Gray, Kevin Joseph Derichs
  • Patent number: 11545994
    Abstract: A batteryless wireless sensor system includes a data acquisition system, a radio frequency (RF) transceiver, and a batteryless wireless sensor device. The RF transceiver is in communication with the data acquisition system, transmits a RF signal, and receives sensor data and provide the sensor data to the data acquisition system. The batteryless wireless sensor device includes a RF transmitter, an analog to digital converter (ADC), and a sensor. The batteryless wireless sensor harvests energy from the RF signal and generates a DC signal based on the energy harvested from the RF signal, powers up and operates the ADC and the sensor based on the DC signal, and generates sensor data. The batteryless wireless sensor then transmits the sensor data via the RF transmitter to the RF transceiver. In certain examples, the ADC is implemented as a current mode ADC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: SIGMASENSE, LLC.
    Inventor: Phuong Huynh
  • Patent number: 11543909
    Abstract: A touch sensor device includes a first panel, a second panel, and a drive-sense circuit (DSC). The first panel that includes first electrodes arranged in a first direction and second electrodes arranged in a second direction. The second panel includes third electrodes arranged in a third direction and fourth electrodes arranged in a fourth direction. The DSC is operably coupled via a single line to a coupling of a first electrode of the first electrodes and a first electrode of the third electrodes. The DSC is configured to provide the signal, which is generated based on a reference signal, via the single line to the coupling and simultaneously to sense the signal via the single line. The DSC generates a digital signal representative of the at least one electrical characteristic associated with the first electrode of the first electrodes and/or the first electrode of the third electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: SIGMASENSE, LLC.
    Inventor: Kevin Joseph Derichs
  • Publication number: 20220413674
    Abstract: A touch sensor system includes touch sensors, drive-sense circuits (DSCs), memory, and a processing module. A DSC drives a first signal via a single line coupling to a touch sensor and simultaneously senses, when present, a second signal that is uniquely associated with a user. The DSC processes the first signal and/or the second signal to generate a digital signal that is representative of an electrical characteristic of the touch sensor. The processing module executes operational instructions (stored in the memory) to process the digital signal to detect interaction of the user with the touch sensor and to determine whether the interaction of the user with the touch sensor compares favorably with authorization. When not authorized, the processing module aborts execution of operation(s) associated with the interaction of the user with the touch sensor. Alternatively, when authorized, the processing module facilitates execution of the operation(s).
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2022
    Publication date: December 29, 2022
    Applicant: SIGMASENSE, LLC.
    Inventors: Patrick Troy Gray, Gerald Dale Morrison, Daniel Keith Van Ostrand, Richard Stuart Seger, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20220413465
    Abstract: An automated system includes transducers, at least one computing device, and at least one automated apparatus. The transducer(s) is/are driven and sensed using drive-sense circuit(s). A drives and senses drive and sense a transducer via a single line, generates a digital signal representative of a sensed analog feature to which the transducer is exposed, and transmits the digital signal to the computing device. The computing device receives digital signals from at least some of drive-sense circuits and process them in accordance with the automation process to produce an automated process command. The automated apparatus executes a portion of an automated process based on the automated process command.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2022
    Publication date: December 29, 2022
    Applicant: SIGMASENSE, LLC.
    Inventors: Patrick Troy Gray, Gerald Dale Morrison, Daniel Keith Van Ostrand, Richard Stuart Seger, JR.
  • Publication number: 20220413675
    Abstract: A touch sensor system includes touch sensors, drive-sense circuits (DSCs), memory, and a processing module. A DSC drives a first signal via a single line coupling to a touch sensor and simultaneously senses, when present, a second signal that is uniquely associated with a user. The DSC processes the first signal and/or the second signal to generate a digital signal that is representative of an electrical characteristic of the touch sensor. The processing module executes operational instructions (stored in the memory) to process the digital signal to detect interaction of the user with the touch sensor and to determine whether the interaction of the user with the touch sensor compares favorably with authorization. When not authorized, the processing module aborts execution of operation(s) associated with the interaction of the user with the touch sensor. Alternatively, when authorized, the processing module facilitates execution of the operation(s).
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2022
    Publication date: December 29, 2022
    Applicant: SIGMASENSE, LLC.
    Inventors: Patrick Troy Gray, Gerald Dale Morrison, Daniel Keith Van Ostrand, Richard Stuart Seger, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20220416802
    Abstract: A batteryless wireless sensor system includes a data acquisition system, a radio frequency (RF) transceiver, and a batteryless wireless sensor device. The RF transceiver is in communication with the data acquisition system, transmits a RF signal, and receives sensor data and provide the sensor data to the data acquisition system. The batteryless wireless sensor device includes a RF transmitter, an analog to digital converter (ADC), and a sensor. The batteryless wireless sensor harvests energy from the RF signal and generates a DC signal based on the energy harvested from the RF signal, powers up and operates the ADC and the sensor based on the DC signal, and generates sensor data. The batteryless wireless sensor then transmits the sensor data via the RF transmitter to the RF transceiver. In certain examples, the ADC is implemented as a current mode ADC.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2022
    Publication date: December 29, 2022
    Applicant: SIGMASENSE, LLC.
    Inventor: Phuong Huynh
  • Publication number: 20220404927
    Abstract: A touch sensor device includes a first panel, a second panel, and a drive-sense circuit (DSC). The first panel that includes first electrodes arranged in a first direction and second electrodes arranged in a second direction. The second panel includes third electrodes arranged in a third direction and fourth electrodes arranged in a fourth direction. The DSC is operably coupled via a single line to a coupling of a first electrode of the first electrodes and a first electrode of the third electrodes. The DSC is configured to provide the signal, which is generated based on a reference signal, via the single line to the coupling and simultaneously to sense the signal via the single line. The DSC generates a digital signal representative of the at least one electrical characteristic associated with the first electrode of the first electrodes and/or the first electrode of the third electrodes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2022
    Publication date: December 22, 2022
    Applicant: SIGMASENSE, LLC.
    Inventor: Kevin Joseph Derichs
  • Publication number: 20220398012
    Abstract: A touch screen display includes a display configured to display images in a display area. Touch sensitive row electrodes and touch sensitive column electrodes are integrated into the display, and are spaced apart to support a highest touch resolution. Also included are drive-sense circuits, a first switch network coupling a first group of drive-sense circuits to the touch sensitive row electrodes, and a second switch network coupling a second group of drive-sense circuits to the touch sensitive column electrodes. A switch controller is coupled to the first switch network and to the second switch network, and is configured to control the first and second switch networks to control touch resolution of at least a portion of the display area between the highest touch resolution and lesser touch resolutions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2021
    Publication date: December 15, 2022
    Applicant: SIGMASENSE, LLC.
    Inventors: Michael Shawn Gray, Patrick Troy Gray, Daniel Keith Van Ostrand, Richard Stuart Seger, JR., Timothy W. Markison
  • Patent number: 11526230
    Abstract: A touch sensor device includes a first panel, a second panel, and a drive-sense circuit (DSC). The first panel that includes first electrodes arranged in a first direction and second electrodes arranged in a second direction. The second panel includes third electrodes arranged in a third direction and fourth electrodes arranged in a fourth direction. The DSC is operably coupled via a single line to a coupling of a first electrode of the first electrodes and a first electrode of the third electrodes. The DSC is configured to provide the signal, which is generated based on a reference signal, via the single line to the coupling and simultaneously to sense the signal via the single line. The DSC generates a digital signal representative of the at least one electrical characteristic associated with the first electrode of the first electrodes and/or the first electrode of the third electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: SIGMASENSE, LLC.
    Inventor: Kevin Joseph Derichs
  • Publication number: 20220393692
    Abstract: A high resolution analog to digital converter (ADC) with improved bandwidth senses an analog signal (e.g., a load current) to generate a digital signal. The ADC operates based on a load voltage produced based on charging of an element (e.g., a capacitor) by a load current and a digital to analog converter (DAC) output current (e.g., from a N-bit DAC). The ADC generates a digital output signal representative of a difference between the load voltage and a reference voltage. This digital output signal is used directly, or after digital signal processing, to operate an N-bit DAC to generate a DAC output current that tracks the load current. In addition, quantization noise is subtracted from the digital output signal thereby extending the operational bandwidth of the ADC. In certain examples, the operational bandwidth of the ADC extends up to 100s of kHz (e.g., 200-300 kHz), or even higher.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2022
    Publication date: December 8, 2022
    Applicant: SIGMASENSE, LLC.
    Inventor: Phuong Huynh