Patents Assigned to Synaptics (UK) Limited
-
Patent number: 8624847Abstract: A transducer for a position sensor includes a single laminate sensor board carrying a plurality of windings formed by conductors on one or more layers of the sensor board. The windings are arrayed over a first area of the sensor board. Detection circuitry is mounted on another layer of the sensor board over a second area of the circuit board and electrically coupled to the windings. The detection circuitry has a first mode of operation in which signals inductively coupled to or from windings are detected and a second mode of operation in which signals capacitively coupled to or from said windings are detected. The windings and detection circuitry are arranged on the sensor board so that said first and second areas oppose each other. A position sensor incorporates the transducer.Type: GrantFiled: July 13, 2007Date of Patent: January 7, 2014Assignee: Synaptics (UK) LimitedInventor: David Thomas Eliot Ely
-
Patent number: 8243033Abstract: A low-cost x-y digitizing system for use in consumer electronic devices, such as portable digital assistants, mobile telephones, web browsers and the like. The digitizer includes a resonant stylus, an excitation winding for energizing the resonant stylus and a set of sensor windings for sensing the signal generated by the stylus, from which the x-y position of the stylus is determined. A novel stylus design is described together with novel digitizer windings and novel excitation and processing circuitry.Type: GrantFiled: March 3, 2009Date of Patent: August 14, 2012Assignee: Synaptics (UK) LimitedInventors: David T. E. Ely, Geoffrey Foote, Julian Haines, Gareth J. McCaughan
-
Patent number: 8022317Abstract: An X-Y digitizer system is described for embedding within a host device, such as a tablet PC, a mobile telephone, a personal digital assistant or the like. The digitizer is configurable so that it can detect and track the position of different types of position indicator. The digitizer also includes novel digitizer windings and novel excitation circuitry for energizing the windings.Type: GrantFiled: September 1, 2010Date of Patent: September 20, 2011Assignee: Synaptics (UK) LimitedInventor: David Thomas Eliot Ely
-
Patent number: 7907130Abstract: An x-y digitising system is described which operates with a resonant stylus. The x-y digitising system includes an excitation winding for energising the resonant stylus and a number of sensor windings for receiving a signal re-radiated by the resonant stylus when energised. At least one of the excitation winding and the sensor winding is arranged to have its effective magnetic axis non-othogonal to the working area of the x-y digitising system. With this arrangement, improved energy transfer between the x-y digitising system and the resonant stylus can be achieved and/or improved position measurement accuracy can be obtained.Type: GrantFiled: June 5, 2003Date of Patent: March 15, 2011Assignee: Synaptics (UK) LimitedInventor: David Thomas Eliot Ely
-
Patent number: 7812268Abstract: An X-Y digitizer system is described for embedding within a host device, such as a tablet PC, a mobile telephone, a personal digital assistant or the like. The digitizer is configurable so that it can detect and track the position of different types of position indicator. The digitizer that is described also includes novel digitizer windings and novel excitation circuitry for energizing the windings.Type: GrantFiled: August 26, 2004Date of Patent: October 12, 2010Assignee: Synaptics (UK) LimitedInventor: David Ely
-
Publication number: 20090184940Abstract: A low-cost x-y digitizing system for use in consumer electronic devices, such as portable digital assistants, mobile telephones, web browsers and the like. The digitizer includes a resonant stylus, an excitation winding for energizing the resonant stylus and a set of sensor windings for sensing the signal generated by the stylus, from which the x-y position of the stylus is determined. A novel stylus design is described together with novel digitizer windings and novel excitation and processing circuitry.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 3, 2009Publication date: July 23, 2009Applicant: Synaptics (UK) LimitedInventors: Christopher J. Silk, David T.E. Ely, Andrew M. Errington, Ian Collins, Geoffrey Foote, Julian Haines, Robert Bolender, Gareth J. McCaughan
-
Patent number: 7511705Abstract: A low cost x-y digitizing system is described for use in consumer electronic devices, such as portable digital assistants, mobile telephones, web browsers and the like. The digitizer includes a resonant stylus, an excitation winding for energizing the resonant stylus and a set of sensor windings for sensing the signal generated by the stylus, from which the x-y position of the stylus is determined. A novel stylus design is described together with novel digitizer windings and novel excitation and processing circuitry.Type: GrantFiled: May 21, 2002Date of Patent: March 31, 2009Assignee: Synaptics (UK) LimitedInventors: Christopher J. Silk, David T. E. Ely, Andrew Errington, Ian Collins, Geoffrey Foote, Julian Haines, Robert J. Bolender, Gareth J. McCaughan
-
Patent number: 7406393Abstract: A low cost x-y digitising system is described for use in consumer electronic devices, such as portable digital assistants, mobile telephones, web browsers and the like. The digitiser includes a resonant stylus, an excitation winding for energising the resonant stylus and a set of sensor windings for sensing the signal generated by the stylus, from which the x-y position of the stylus is determined. A novel stylus design is described together with novel digitiser windings and novel excitation and processing circuitry.Type: GrantFiled: November 22, 2002Date of Patent: July 29, 2008Assignee: Synaptics (UK) LimitedInventors: David Thomas Eliot Ely, Gareth John McCaughan, Geoffrey Foote
-
Patent number: 7133793Abstract: A calibration system is provided for use in generating calibration data for calibrating an X-Y digitiser. The calibration system uses an alignment head having an array of magnetic field generators which are for alignment with the X-Y digitiser. Each of the magnetic field generators is individually drivable so that calibration data can be obtained for different positions on the X-Y digitiser corresponding to the positions of the magnetic field generators in the array.Type: GrantFiled: July 23, 2004Date of Patent: November 7, 2006Assignee: Synaptics (UK) LimitedInventors: David Ely, Gareth McCaughan
-
Patent number: 7030782Abstract: A position detector is provided for detecting the relative movement of first and second members which are mounted for relative movement along a measuring path. One of the members comprises a magnetic field generator for generating a magnetic field and the other member comprises first and second conductors which are inductively coupled to said magnetic field generator. The arrangement of the first and second conductors and the magnetic field generator is such that output signals are generated in a first and second receive circuits whose position varies with the relative movement between the two members. In addition to carrying information relating to the relative position between the two members, the signals induced in the receive circuits also comprise information defining the relative orientation of the two movable members, and by suitable processing of the received signals the relative orientation of the two members can also be determined.Type: GrantFiled: March 10, 2004Date of Patent: April 18, 2006Assignee: Synaptics (UK) LimitedInventors: David T. E. Ely, Ross P. Jones, James M. C. England, Alexander W. McKinnon, Robert M. Pettigrew, Andrew N. Dames, Andrew R. L. Howe
-
Patent number: 7019672Abstract: A low cost x-y digitising system is described for use in consumer electronic devices, such as portable digital assistants, mobile telephones, web browsers and the like. The digitizer includes a resonant stylus, an excitation winding for energising the resonant stylus and a set of sensor windings for sensing the signal generated by the stylus, from which the x-y position of the stylus is determined. The excitation signals applied to the excitation winding are designed to reduce the power drawn from the power supply which makes the digitising system particularly suited to battery operation.Type: GrantFiled: February 6, 2001Date of Patent: March 28, 2006Assignee: Synaptics (UK) LimitedInventor: David T. E. Ely
-
Patent number: 6980134Abstract: Processing circuitry is provided for processing signals received from, for example, sense coils forming part of a position encoder used to encode the relative positions of two relatively movable members. The position encoder is such that each of the plurality of signals from the sense coils varies sinusoidally with the relative position of the members but out of phase with respect to each other. The processing circuitry comprises mixers for multiplying each of the received signals with one of a corresponding plurality of periodic time varying signals, each having the same predetermined period and a different predetermined phase, and an adder for adding the signals from the mixers. The phase of the mixing signals are chosen so that the output signals from the adder contains a single periodic component having the predetermined period whose phase varies with the relative position of the two members.Type: GrantFiled: June 4, 2002Date of Patent: December 27, 2005
-
Publication number: 20050171714Abstract: A low cost x-y digitising system is described for use in consumer electronic devices, such as portable digital assistants, mobile telephones, web browsers and the like. The digitiser includes a resonant stylus, an excitation winding for energising the resonant stylus and a set of sensor windings for sensing the signal generated by the stylus, from which the x-y position of the stylus is determined. A novel stylus design is described together with novel digitiser windings and novel excitation and processing circuitry.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 22, 2002Publication date: August 4, 2005Applicant: SYNAPTICS (UK) LIMITEDInventors: David Ely, Gareth McCaughan, Geoffrey Foote
-
Patent number: 6888538Abstract: A low cost x-y digitising system is provided for use in consumer electronic devices, such as portable digital assistants, mobile telephones, web browsers and the like. The digitiser includes a resonant stylus, an excitation winding for energising the resonant stylus and a set of sensor windings for sensing the signal generated by the stylus, from which the x-y position of the stylus is determined.Type: GrantFiled: March 28, 2002Date of Patent: May 3, 2005Assignee: Synaptics (UK) LimitedInventors: David T. E. Ely, Andrew N. Dames
-
Publication number: 20050021269Abstract: A calibration system is provided for use in generating calibration data for calibrating an X-Y digitiser. The calibration system uses an alignment head having an array of magnetic field generators which are for alignment with the X-Y digitiser. Each of the magnetic field generators is individually drivable so that calibration data can be obtained for different positions on the X-Y digitiser corresponding to the positions of the magnetic field generators in the array.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 23, 2004Publication date: January 27, 2005Applicant: Synaptics (UK) LimitedInventors: David Ely, Gareth McCaughan
-
Patent number: 6788221Abstract: Processing circuitry is provided for processing signals received from, for example, sense coils forming part of a position encoder used to encode the relative positions of two relatively moveable members. The position encoder is such that each of the plurality of signals from the sense coils varies sinusoidally with the relative position of the members but out of phase with respect to each other. The processing circuitry comprises mixers for multiplying each of the received signals with one of a corresponding plurality of periodic time varying signals, each having the same predetermined period and a different predetermined phase, and an adder for adding the signals from the mixers. The phase of the mixing signals are chosen so that the output signals from the adder contains a single periodic component having the predetermined period whose phase varies with the relative position of the two members.Type: GrantFiled: December 24, 1998Date of Patent: September 7, 2004
-
Publication number: 20040169594Abstract: A position detector is provided for detecting the relative movement of first and second members which are mounted for relative movement along a measuring path. One of the members comprises a magnetic field generator for generating a magnetic field and the other member comprises first and second conductors which are inductively coupled to said magnetic field generator. The arrangement of the first and second conductors and the magnetic field generator is such that output signals are generated in a first and second receive circuits whose position varies with the relative movement between the two members. In addition to carrying information relating to the relative position between the two members, the signals induced in the receive circuits also comprise information defining the relative orientation of the two movable members, and by suitable processing of the received signals the relative orientation of the two members can also be determined.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 10, 2004Publication date: September 2, 2004Applicant: SYNAPTICS (UK) LIMITEDInventors: David T.E. Ely, Ross P. Jones, James M.C. England, Alexander W. McKinnon, Robert M. Pettigrew, Andrew N. Dames, Andrew R.L. Howe
-
Patent number: 6705511Abstract: A method of manufacturing a transducer used in sensing or generating magnetic fields in a position detector wherein the transducer has a substrate and a conductor fixed to the substrate in a predetermined pattern. A wire laying device controllably lays wire onto the substrate so as to form the predetermined pattern. Relative movement is caused between the laying device and the substrate, and the wire is bonded to the substrate as it is laid thereon.Type: GrantFiled: November 29, 1999Date of Patent: March 16, 2004Assignee: Synaptics (UK) LimitedInventors: Andrew N. Dames, David T. E. Ely
-
Patent number: 6667740Abstract: A low cost x-y digitising system is provided for use in consumer electronic devices, such as portable digital assistants, mobile telephones, web browsers and the like. The digitiser includes a resonant stylus, an excitation winding for energising the resonant stylus and a set of sensor windings for sensing the signal generated by the stylus, from which the x-y position of the stylus is determined.Type: GrantFiled: January 5, 2001Date of Patent: December 23, 2003
-
Publication number: 20030062889Abstract: A position detector is provided for detecting the relative movement of first and second members which are mounted for relative movement along a measuring path. One of the members comprises a magnetic field generator for generating a magnetic field and the other member comprises first and second conductors which are inductively coupled to said magnetic field generator. The arrangement of the first and second conductors and the magnetic field generator is such that output signals are generated in a first and second receive circuits whose position varies with the relative movement between the two members. In addition to carrying information relating to the relative position between the two members, the signals induced in the receive circuits also comprise information defining the relative orientation of the two movable members, and by suitable processing of the received signals the relative orientation of the two members can also be determined.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 24, 2002Publication date: April 3, 2003Applicant: Synaptics (UK) LimitedInventors: David T.E. Ely, Ross P. Jones, James M.C. England, Alexander W. McKinnon, Robert M. Pettigrew, Andrew N. Dames, Andrew R.L. Howe