Patents Assigned to STMicroelectronics Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd.
  • Patent number: 9525934
    Abstract: A method of estimating a steering vector of a sensor array of M sensors according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes estimating a steering vector of a noise source located at an angle ? degrees from a look direction of the array using a least squares estimate of the gains of the sensors in the array, defining a steering vector of a desired sound source in the look direction of the array, and estimating the steering vector by performing element-by-element multiplication of the estimated noise vector and the complex conjugate of steering vector of the desired sound source. The sensors may be microphones.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2016
    Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS ASIA PACIFIC PTE LTD.
    Inventors: Samuel Samsudin Ng, Sapna George, Karthik Muralidhar
  • Patent number: 9524067
    Abstract: A capacitive touch system generates data indicative of sensed capacitance measured at capacitive sensing nodes of a capacitive touch panel. A signal processing circuit is coupled to receive the data indicative of sensed capacitance from the capacitive touch system. The signal processing circuit operates to fit a parabolic curve to the data indicative of sensed capacitance. A sharpness of the fit parabolic curve is indicative of whether touch versus hover interaction with the capacitive touch panel. A touch detection threshold is as a function of the determined sharpness. The set touch detection threshold is then applied against the data indicative of sensed capacitance in order to make a touch detection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2016
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics Asia Pacific Pte Ltd
    Inventors: Jenn Woei Soo, Kusuma Adi Ningrat
  • Patent number: 9523725
    Abstract: Capacitance sensing circuits and methods are provided. A dual mode capacitance sensing circuit includes a capacitance-to-voltage converter having an amplifier and an integration capacitance coupled between an output and an inverting input of the amplifier, and a switching circuit responsive to mutual mode control signals for a controlling signal supplied from a capacitive touch matrix to the capacitive to voltage converter in a mutual capacitance sensing mode and responsive to self mode control signals for controlling signals supplied from the capacitive touch matrix to the capacitance-to-voltage converter in a self capacitance sensing mode, wherein the capacitance sensing circuit is configurable for operation in the mutual capacitance sensing mode or the self capacitance sensing mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2016
    Assignees: STMICROELECTRONICS ASIA PACIFIC PTE LTD, STMICROELECTRONICS S.R.L.
    Inventors: Kien Beng Tan, Ernesto Lasalandra, Tommaso Ungaretti, Yannick Guedon, Dianbo Guo, Paolo Angelini, Giovanni Carlo Tripoli
  • Patent number: 9524697
    Abstract: A video display includes a video display panel and a video display drive circuit configured to control a display on condition. A touch screen includes a touch screen panel (mounted on top of the video display panel) and a touch panel control and sense circuit configured to operate the touch screen panel in a self-capacitance mode. The touch panel control and sense circuit includes sense drive circuits configured to generate sense drive signals for application to sense lines of the touch screen panel. A controller controls actuation of the sense drive circuits so that the sense drive signals are synchronized to the display on condition. In an implementation, the leading edges of the sense drive signals are synchronized to the display on condition. In another implementation, a window is synchronized to the display on condition and the leading edges of the sense drive signals exhibit jitter within the window.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2016
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics Asia Pacific Pte Ltd
    Inventors: Kusuma Adi Ningrat, Giuseppe Noviello, Jenn Woei Soo, Lokesh Kumar Korapati
  • Publication number: 20160364058
    Abstract: A touch screen controller is for a drive line emitting a periodic signal and capacitively intersecting sense lines. A selection circuit, for each of a number of portions of the periodic signal equal to a number of the sense lines, couples a first subset of the sense lines to a first output path, and couples a second subset of the sense lines to a second output path, the second subset being sense lines not included in the first subset. Processing circuitry, for each portion of the periodic signal, measures a capacitance of the first output path, measures a capacitance of the second output path, and sums the capacitance of the first output path and the capacitance of the second output path. The processing circuitry determines a capacitance between each sense line of the first and second subsets and the drive line as a function of the sums.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2015
    Publication date: December 15, 2016
    Applicant: STMICROELECTRONICS ASIA PACIFIC PTE LTD
    Inventor: Leonard Dinu
  • Patent number: 9519383
    Abstract: A capacitive sensing structure is formed from first electrically conductive sensor structures electrically coupled to each other in a first direction, and second electrically conductive sensor structures electrically coupled to each other in a second direction. Each first electrically conductive sensor structure includes a first diamond-shaped central region with electrically coupled first finger structures extending away therefrom. Each second electrically conductive sensor structure includes a second diamond-shaped central region with electrically conducting second finger structures extending away therefrom. Each second finger structure extends between two adjacent ones of the first finger structures. Floating structures may be included within an opening formed in the first diamond shaped central region. Floating structures may further be included between the first and second finger structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS ASIA PACIFIC PTE LTD
    Inventors: Mythreyi Nagarajan, Kusuma Adi Ningrat
  • Publication number: 20160313823
    Abstract: A capacitive sensing system includes a capacitive sensing panel with drive lines and sense lines. Each drive line includes a drive circuit. A code generator operates to generate modulation codes. A drive controller generates drive signals wherein each drive signal is modulated by one of the modulation codes. The generated drive signals are applied to the drive lines through the drive circuits. The drive controller operates to simultaneously generate the drive signals for application to a corresponding group of drive lines during a drive period. Separate groups of drive lines are sequentially driven with the same drive signals during drive periods that only partially overlap.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2015
    Publication date: October 27, 2016
    Applicant: STMICROELECTRONICS ASIA PACIFIC PTE LTD
    Inventor: Kien Beng Tan
  • Patent number: 9466304
    Abstract: The present invention is a system and method for digital watermarking, which discloses a system for digital watermarking, to add a watermark to an audio signal generated by a signal source. The system comprises: a spectrum modulator configured to perform spectrum modulation to a watermark bit and a pseudo noise signal to be embedded into the audio signal to generate a modulated signal; a distortion controller coupled to the signal source and the spectrum modulator and configured to shape the modulated signal based on the audio signal, so as to generate a shaped signal satisfying a predetermined distortion constraint; and an interference compensator coupled to the signal source and the distortion controller and configured to generate a compensation signal based on the audio signal, the pseudo noise signal, and the shaped signal, wherein the compensation signal is for compensating for interference to watermark decoding caused by the audio signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignees: STMICROELECTRONICS INTERNATIONAL N.V., STMICROELECTRONICS ASIA PACIFIC PTE. LTD.
    Inventors: Peng Zhang, Shuzheng Xu, Pengjun Wang, Sapna George, Huazhong Yang
  • Patent number: 9454272
    Abstract: A touch screen device is configured with rows of conductors capable of receiving wireless signals from a stylus. When the stylus touches the touch screen, the stylus emits multiple wireless signals in different directions. The conductors receiving the emitted wireless signals provide the signals to circuitry that filters, amplifies, and digitizes the wireless signals, as received at each conductor. The magnitude of each conductor's received wireless signal is computed, and the computed magnitudes are used to determine the location of the stylus on the touch screen surface. The stylus is assumed to be closer to conductors receiving stronger signals than those receiving weaker signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2016
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics Asia Pacific Pte Ltd
    Inventors: Kusuma Adi Ningrat, Giuseppe Noviello
  • Publication number: 20160266673
    Abstract: A touch panel includes capacitive sensing electrodes and a touch controller operates in a first operating mode to detect a touch location on the touch panel. In a second operating mode, the touch controller transmits a modulated data signal through the touch panel to an active stylus. Each electrode is driven by a line driver circuit. A control circuit selectively actuates first ones of the line driver circuits to pass the modulated data signal to corresponding first ones of the electrodes which do not pass through a region of the touch panel associated with the location of the detected touch. Simultaneously, the control circuit selectively actuates second ones of the line driver circuits, different from said first ones of the line driver circuits, to ground corresponding second ones of the electrodes which do pass through the region of the touch panel associated with the location of the detected touch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2015
    Publication date: September 15, 2016
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics Asia Pacific Pte Ltd
    Inventors: Leonard Dinu, Eng Jye Ng, Kien Beng Tan
  • Patent number: 9436647
    Abstract: A start/stop condition detection circuit is coupled to receive the SDA and SCL signals from an IIC Bus. The circuit generates a first signal in response to an edge of the SDA signal and generates an inversion of the first signal as a second signal in response to an opposite edge of the SCL signal. The first and second signals are logically combined to generate an output signal. The particular directions of the edges of the SDA and SCL signals that the circuit is response to determines whether the output signal is indicative of a start condition detection or a stop condition detection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics Asia Pacific Pte Ltd
    Inventors: Nee Loong Wilson Low, Chaochao Zhang
  • Patent number: 9420163
    Abstract: An autofocus method determines that a ranging device of a digital camera has failed in an attempt to provide a distance estimation. The ranging device provides one or more parameters indicating conditions related to the failure of the ranging device to provide the distance estimation. An autofocus sequence based on the one or more parameters is then performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignees: STMicroelectronics (Grenoble 2) SAS, STMicroelectronics (Research & Development) Limited, STMicroelectronics Asia Pacific Pte Ltd
    Inventors: Laurent Plaza, Olivier Lemarchand, Paul Varillon, Francesco Cascio, Duncan Hall, Sam Lee
  • Patent number: 9392213
    Abstract: A video de-interlacing device includes a video data input interface to receive a stream of interlaced video data, a motion detector coupled to the video data input interface to produce motion detection video data, and a video data output interface to pass de-interlaced video data generated from the motion detection video data. The video de-interlacing device also includes a recursive motion processor to detect a still motion condition in at least one area of the motion detection video data. The recursive motion processor includes a local still detector, a large area motion detector, and a feathering detector. The recursive motion processor is arranged to produce motion information used to crop the motion detection video data based on the detected still motion condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS ASIA PACIFIC PTE LTD
    Inventors: Guillaume Militello, Lucas Hui
  • Patent number: 9390469
    Abstract: A digital video rescaling system is provided. The system includes an image data input configured to receive input support pixels y1 to yn and a sharpness control module configured to generate a sharpness control parameter Kshp. The system further includes an interpolated pixel generator configured to use an adaptive interpolation kernel to generate an interpolated pixel ys based on the input support pixels, and adjust a sharpness of the interpolated pixel ys based at least partly upon the sharpness control parameter Kshp. The system also includes a de-ringing control unit to adjust the ringing effect of the interpolated pixel based on a local image feature Kfreq, and an output module configured to output the adjusted interpolated pixel for display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS ASIA PACIFIC PTE. LTD.
    Inventor: Yong Huang
  • Patent number: 9389256
    Abstract: Capacitance sensing circuits and methods are provided. The capacitance sensing circuit includes a capacitance-to-voltage converter configured to receive a signal from a capacitance to be sensed and to provide an output signal representative of the capacitance, an output chopper configured to convert the output signal of the capacitance-to-voltage converter to a sensed voltage representative of the capacitance to be sensed, an analog accumulator configured to accumulate sensed voltages during an accumulation period of NA sensing cycles and to provide an accumulated analog value, an amplifier configured to amplify the accumulated analog value, and an analog-to-digital converter configured to convert the amplified accumulated analog value to a digital value representative of the capacitance to be sensed. The analog accumulator may include a low pass filter having a frequency response to filter wideband noise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignees: STMicroelectronics Asia Pacific Pte Ltd, STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Paolo Angelini, Giovanni Carlo Tripoli, Ernesto Lasalandra, Tommaso Ungaretti, Kien Beng Tan, Yannick Guedon, Dianbo Guo, Sze-Kwang Tan
  • Patent number: 9379650
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for determining rotor position in a motor including a rotor and stator windings. The method includes measuring inductive sense values for each pair of the stator windings by performing an inductive sense routine on the motor, measuring stator winding voltage values, induced by mutual inductance between windings, for each of the stator windings by performing a mutual inductance sensing routine on the motor, and determining the rotor position based on the inductive sense values and the stator winding voltage values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS ASIA PACIFIC PTE. LTD.
    Inventors: Wei Seng Chew, Wei Xiong
  • Publication number: 20160182809
    Abstract: An autofocus method determines that a ranging device of a digital camera has failed in an attempt to provide a distance estimation. The ranging device provides one or more parameters indicating conditions related to the failure of the ranging device to provide the distance estimation. An autofocus sequence based on the one or more parameters is then performed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 1, 2015
    Publication date: June 23, 2016
    Applicants: STMicroelectronics (Grenoble 2) SAS, STMicroelectronics (Research & Development) Limited, STMicroelectronics Asia Pacific Pte Ltd
    Inventors: Laurent Plaza, Olivier Lemarchand, Paul Varillon, Francesco Cascio, Duncan Hall, Sam Lee
  • Patent number: 9367169
    Abstract: According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a touch controller is adapted to be coupled to a touch screen and to a motion sensor. The touch controller is operable in response to a signal from the motion sensor indicating a first motion to switch from a hover event sensing mode of operation to a gesture event sensing mode of operation. In one embodiment, the touch controller is operable in the hover event sensing mode of operation to detect a first hover event and is thereafter operable, in response to the signal from the motion sensor indicating a first motion has occurred, to switch to the gesture event sensing mode of operation and detect a first gesture event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS ASIA PACIFIC PTE LTD
    Inventor: Kien Beng Tan
  • Patent number: 9357635
    Abstract: Embodiments are directed to microfluidic refill cartridges and methods of assembling same. The microfluidic refill cartridges include a microfluidic delivery member that includes a filter for filtering fluid passed therethrough. The filter may be configured to block particles above a threshold size to prevent blockage in the nozzles. For instances, particles having a dimension that is larger than the diameter of the nozzles can block or reduce fluid flow through the nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignees: STMicroelectronics S.r.l., STMicroelectronics Asia Pacific Pte Ltd, STMicroelectronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Simon Dodd, Joe Scheffelin, Dana Gruenbacher, Roberto Brioschi, Teck Khim Neo, Dave Hunt, Faiz Sherman
  • Patent number: 9348469
    Abstract: An ITO sensor design and method for making the same is optimized to minimize noise from an LCD. The design includes a two layer sensor design having a transmitter line (Tx) placed in a first layer and a receiver line (Rx) placed in a second layer in a diamond-shaped pattern. The diamond shape maximizes the sensitivity of the sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics Asia Pacific Pte Ltd
    Inventor: Kusuma Adi Ningrat