Patents Assigned to SIGMASENSE, LLC.
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Patent number: 11966526Abstract: A touchscreen display includes one or more display drivers coupled to an active matrix display and one or more touch controllers coupled to one or more touch sensor conductors. The one or more display drivers are coupled to the active matrix display via active matrix conductive components. When enabled, the one or more display drivers is configured to transmit a first signal to the active matrix display in accordance with display operation. A touch sensor conductor includes one or more segments of the active matrix conductive components. When enabled, a touch controller of the one or more touch controllers is configured to transmit a second signal via the touch sensor conductor in accordance with touchscreen operation that is performed concurrently with the display operation.Type: GrantFiled: February 1, 2023Date of Patent: April 23, 2024Assignee: SIGMASENSE, LLC.Inventors: Daniel Keith Van Ostrand, Michael Shawn Gray, Kevin Joseph Derichs
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Patent number: 11962323Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: November 30, 2022Date of Patent: April 16, 2024Assignee: SIGMASENSE, LLC.Inventor: Phuong Huynh
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Patent number: 11953564Abstract: A Hall effect sensor system includes a Hall effect sensor and a drive-sense circuit (DSC). The Hall effect sensor includes an input port to receive a DC (direct current) current signal and generates a Hall voltage based on exposure to a magnetic field. The DSC generates the DC current signal based on a reference signal and drives it via a single line that operably couples the DSC to the Hall effect sensor and simultaneously to sense the DC current signal via the single line. The DSC detects an effect on the DC current signal corresponding to the Hall voltage that is generated across the Hall effect sensor based on exposure of the Hall effect sensor to the magnetic field and generates a digital signal representative of the Hall voltage.Type: GrantFiled: March 28, 2022Date of Patent: April 9, 2024Assignee: SIGMASENSE, LLCInventors: Patrick Troy Gray, Gerald Dale Morrison, Daniel Keith Van Ostrand, Richard Stuart Seger, Jr.
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Patent number: 11954321Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: June 27, 2022Date of Patent: April 9, 2024Assignee: SIGMASENSE, LLC.Inventors: Patrick Troy Gray, Gerald Dale Morrison, Daniel Keith Van Ostrand, Richard Stuart Seger, Jr.
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Patent number: 11954057Abstract: A method includes determining, by one or more processing entities associated with at least one of: one or more low voltage drive circuits (LVDCs) and one or more other LVDCs, an initial data conveyance scheme and an initial communication scheme for each communication of a plurality of communications on one or more lines of a bus. The method further includes determining a desired number of channels for each communication of the plurality of communications based on the initial data conveyance scheme and the initial communication scheme, a desired total number of channels for the plurality of communications based on the desired number of channels, determining whether the desired total number of channels for the plurality of communications exceeds a total number of available channels. If not, allocating the desired number of channels to each communication of the plurality of communications in accordance with the channel allocation mapping.Type: GrantFiled: February 3, 2022Date of Patent: April 9, 2024Assignee: SIGMASENSE, LLC.Inventors: Richard Stuart Seger, Jr., Daniel Keith Van Ostrand, Gerald Dale Morrison, Timothy W. Markison
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Patent number: 11953563Abstract: A Hall effect sensor system includes a Hall effect sensor and a drive-sense circuit (DSC). The Hall effect sensor includes an input port to receive a DC (direct current) current signal and generates a Hall voltage based on exposure to a magnetic field. The DSC generates the DC current signal based on a reference signal and drives it via a single line that operably couples the DSC to the Hall effect sensor and simultaneously to sense the DC current signal via the single line. The DSC detects an effect on the DC current signal corresponding to the Hall voltage that is generated across the Hall effect sensor based on exposure of the Hall effect sensor to the magnetic field and generates a digital signal representative of the Hall voltage.Type: GrantFiled: February 28, 2022Date of Patent: April 9, 2024Assignee: SIGMASENSE, LLC.Inventors: Patrick Troy Gray, Gerald Dale Morrison, Daniel Keith Van Ostrand, Richard Stuart Seger, Jr.
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Publication number: 20240113719Abstract: An analog to digital converter (ADC) 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. The digital output signal provided to the N-bit DAC is an inverse function of the load current. The ADC is operative to sense very low currents (e.g., currents as low as is of pico-amps) and consume very little power (e.g., less than 2 ?W).Type: ApplicationFiled: December 5, 2023Publication date: April 4, 2024Applicant: SIGMASENSE, LLC.Inventor: Phuong Huynh
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Patent number: 11949244Abstract: A device operative to transfer power 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. The processing module(s) generates the reference signal and processes the digital signal to determine the electrical characteristic(s) of the drive signal. In some examples, the processing module(s) adapts the reference signal based on detection of the other device (e.g., based on interpreting the electrical characteristic(s) of the drive signal).Type: GrantFiled: October 21, 2021Date of Patent: April 2, 2024Assignee: SIGMASENSE, LLC.Inventors: John Christopher Price, Daniel Keith Van Ostrand, Phuong Huynh
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Patent number: 11947761Abstract: An encoded data pattern touchscreen sensing computing device includes a touchscreen, a plurality of electrodes, a plurality of drive-sense circuits, and a processing module. When enabled and in close proximity to an encoded data pattern, the plurality of drive-sense circuits detect changes in electrical characteristics of the plurality of electrodes caused by one or more electrical materials of the encoded data pattern. The encoded data pattern includes one or more electrical materials arranged in a pattern. Electrical properties of the one or more electrical materials and the pattern are representative of data. The processing module is operable to receive a set of detected changes in electrical characteristics of the set of drive-sense circuits, interpret the detected changes in electrical characteristics as a set of impedance values representative of the one or more electrical materials of the encoded data pattern, and interpret the set of impedance values to determine the data.Type: GrantFiled: October 29, 2021Date of Patent: April 2, 2024Assignee: SigmaSense, LLC.Inventors: Daniel Keith Van Ostrand, Gerald Dale Morrison, Richard Stuart Seger, Jr., Timothy W. Markison, Patricia Markison Healy
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Patent number: 11947746Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: December 6, 2022Date of Patent: April 2, 2024Assignee: SIGMASENSE, LLC.Inventors: Patrick Troy Gray, Gerald Dale Morrison, Daniel Keith Van Ostrand, Richard Stuart Seger, Jr., Michael Shawn Gray, Kevin Joseph Derichs
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Patent number: 11947381Abstract: A data formatting module of a low voltage drive circuit (LVDC) includes a sample and hold circuit, an interpreter, a first buffer, a digital to digital converter circuit, and a data packeting circuit. The sample and hold circuit is operable to sample and hold an n-bit digital value of filtered digital data to produce an n-bit sampled digital data value. The interpreter is operable to convert the n-bit sampled digital data value into interpreted n-bit sampled digital data. The interpreter is operable to write the interpreted n-bit sampled digital data into the first buffer in accordance with a write clock until a digital word is formed. The digital to digital converter circuit is operable to format the digital word to produce a formatted digital word. The data packeting circuit is operable to generate a data packet from the formatted digital word and output the data packet as received digital data.Type: GrantFiled: March 30, 2023Date of Patent: April 2, 2024Assignee: SigmaSense, LLC.Inventors: Richard Stuart Seger, Jr., Daniel Keith Van Ostrand, Gerald Dale Morrison, Timothy W. Markison
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Publication number: 20240103658Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: December 5, 2023Publication date: March 28, 2024Applicant: SIGMASENSE, LLC.Inventor: Kevin Joseph Derichs
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Publication number: 20240103652Abstract: A touch screen display includes a plurality of electrodes configured to facilitate touch sense functionality based on electrode signals having a drive signal component and a receive signal component, a plurality of drive-sense circuits coupled to at least some of the plurality of electrodes to generate a plurality of sensed signals, and a processing module. The processing module is configured to cause the touch screen display to receive the plurality of sensed signals. A stream of capacitance image data associated with the plurality of cross points is generated based on the plurality of sensed signals. The stream of capacitance image data is processed to detect a touchless gesture.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 29, 2023Publication date: March 28, 2024Applicant: SigmaSense, LLC.Inventors: Michael Shawn Gray, Patrick Troy Gray, Daniel Keith Van Ostrand, Richard Stuart Seger, JR., Timothy W. Markison
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Publication number: 20240103664Abstract: A current reference operative drive-sense circuit (DSC) includes a current source operably coupled to a load and a voltage-mode analog to digital converter (ADC). When enabled, the current source is configured to drive a sinusoidal current reference signal to the load thereby generating a load voltage that is based on the sinusoidal current reference signal and an impedance of the load. The voltage-mode ADC is operably coupled the load and to the current source. When enabled, the voltage-mode ADC configured to perform digital sampling of the load voltage and to generate a digital signal that is representative of the load voltage. In some implementations, one or more processing modules is configured to execute operational instructions to process the digital signal that is representative of the load voltage in accordance with determining impedance of the load and/or change of impedance of the load.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 6, 2023Publication date: March 28, 2024Applicant: SIGMASENSE, LLC.Inventors: Patrick Troy Gray, Daniel Keith Van Ostrand, Richard Stuart Seger, JR., Phuong Huynh
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Publication number: 20240103672Abstract: A capacitive touch screen display operates by: providing a display configured to render frames of data into visible images; providing a plurality of electrodes integrated into the display to facilitate touch sense functionality based on electrode signals having a drive signal component and a receive signal component; generating, via a plurality of drive-sense circuits coupled to at least some of the plurality of electrodes, a plurality of sensed signals; receiving the plurality of sensed signals; generating capacitance image data associated with the plurality of cross points that includes capacitance variation data corresponding to variations of the capacitance image data from a nominal value; and processing the capacitance image data to determine a touchless indication proximal to the touch screen display based on a touchless indication threshold.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 29, 2023Publication date: March 28, 2024Applicant: SigmaSense, LLC.Inventors: Michael Shawn Gray, Patrick Troy Gray, Daniel Keith Van Ostrand, Richard Stuart Seger, Jr., Timothy W. Markison
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Patent number: 11942794Abstract: A device operative to transfer power 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. The processing module(s) generates the reference signal and processes the digital signal to determine the electrical characteristic(s) of the drive signal. In some examples, the processing module(s) adapts the reference signal based on detection of the other device (e.g., based on interpreting the electrical characteristic(s) of the drive signal).Type: GrantFiled: November 17, 2021Date of Patent: March 26, 2024Assignee: SIGMASENSE, LLC.Inventors: John Christopher Price, Daniel Keith Van Ostrand, Phuong Huynh
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Patent number: 11942967Abstract: An analog to digital converter (ADC) that is configured to service a photo-diode includes a capacitor and a self-referenced latched comparator. The capacitor produces a photo-diode voltage based on charging by a photo-diode current associated with the photo-diode and a digital to analog converter (DAC) source current and/or a DAC sink current. The self-referenced latched comparator generates a first digital signal that is based on a difference between the photo-diode voltage and a threshold voltage associated with the self-referenced latched comparator. Also, one or more processing modules executes operational instructions to process the first digital signal to generate a second digital signal and/or a third digital signal. An N-bit DAC generates the DAC source current based on the second digital signal, and an M-bit DAC generates the DAC sink current based on the third digital signal. The DAC source current and/or the DAC sink current tracks the photo-diode current.Type: GrantFiled: January 4, 2023Date of Patent: March 26, 2024Assignee: SIGMASENSE, LLC.Inventor: Phuong Huynh
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Patent number: 11942793Abstract: A device operative to transfer power 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. The processing module(s) generates the reference signal and processes the digital signal to determine the electrical characteristic(s) of the drive signal. In some examples, the processing module(s) adapts the reference signal based on detection of the other device (e.g., based on interpreting the electrical characteristic(s) of the drive signal).Type: GrantFiled: October 19, 2021Date of Patent: March 26, 2024Assignee: SIGMASENSE, LLC.Inventors: John Christopher Price, Daniel Keith Van Ostrand, Phuong Huynh
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Patent number: 11940504Abstract: A Hall effect sensor system includes a Hall effect sensor and a drive-sense circuit (DSC). The Hall effect sensor includes an input port to receive a DC (direct current) current signal and generates a Hall voltage based on exposure to a magnetic field. The DSC generates the DC current signal based on a reference signal and drives it via a single line that operably couples the DSC to the Hall effect sensor and simultaneously to sense the DC current signal via the single line. The DSC detects an effect on the DC current signal corresponding to the Hall voltage that is generated across the Hall effect sensor based on exposure of the Hall effect sensor to the magnetic field and generates a digital signal representative of the Hall voltage.Type: GrantFiled: July 29, 2021Date of Patent: March 26, 2024Assignee: SIGMASENSE, LLC.Inventors: Patrick Troy Gray, Gerald Dale Morrison, Daniel Keith Van Ostrand, Richard Stuart Seger, Jr.
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Publication number: 20240094854Abstract: A touch sensor device (TSD) includes TSD electrodes associated with a surface of the TSD. Also, an overlay that includes marker electrode(s) is also associated with a region of the surface of the TSD. The TSD also includes drive-sense circuits (DSCs) operably coupled to the plurality of TSD electrodes. A DSC is configured to provide a TSD electrode signal to a TSD electrode and simultaneously to sense a change of the TSD electrode signal based on a change of impedance of the TSD electrode caused by capacitive coupling between the TSD electrode and the marker electrode(s) of the overlay. Processing module(s) is configured to process a digital signal generated by the DSC and other digital signals generated by other DSCs determine the region of the surface of the TSD that is associated with the overlay and to adapt sensitivity of the TSD within that region.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 27, 2023Publication date: March 21, 2024Applicant: SIGMASENSE, LLC.Inventors: Patrick Troy Gray, Gerald Dale Morrison, Daniel Keith Van Ostrand, Richard Stuart Seger, JR., Kevin Joseph Derichs, Shayne X. Short, Timothy W. Markison