Patents Examined by Thuy Pardo
  • Patent number: 9772697
    Abstract: A device includes a tip, a sensor, memory and a circuit. The tip is sensitive to contact pressure. The sensor detects the contact pressure. Memory stores at least one pre-defined first threshold and a pre-defined second threshold on the contact pressure. The first threshold defines tip state as one of a pen-up and a pen-down. Pressures below the first threshold defines pen-up and pressures above the first threshold define pen-down. The second threshold is below the first threshold. The circuit transmits in a hover transmission mode based on detecting pressures below the second threshold, switches to an writing transmission mode based on detecting a pressure at or above the second threshold and terminates the writing transmission mode based on detecting the pen-up status for a first pre-defined period. The writing transmission mode frame rate is higher than a hover transmission mode frame rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Arie Gur, Amir Zyskind, Ilan Geller
  • Patent number: 9753584
    Abstract: A combination touch and transducer input system is provided, which facilitates user input into an electronic system with a finger and/or a transducer (e.g., a stylus). The system includes a transducer configured to generate an electric field, and a sensor including an array of electrodes and a controller. The transducer is configured to transmit digital data, such as pen pressure data and switch status data, to the sensor. For example, the transducer comprises electronic circuitry configured to encode the digital data in a signal for transmission to the sensor. The sensor controller is configured to operate both in a touch sensing mode and in a transducer sensing mode. During the touch sensing mode, the controller determines a position of a proximate object (e.g., a finger) by capacitively sensing the object with the array of electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: Wacom Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Oliver P. King-Smith, Bernardus H. Smit, Peyman Hadizad
  • Patent number: 9753593
    Abstract: A touch panel for a display device and a method of manufacturing the same are disclosed. In one aspect, the method includes forming a photosensitive insulating layer over a substrate and forming a first conductive layer over the photosensitive insulating layer. The method also includes exposing the first conductive layer via a first mask including a pattern corresponding to a wiring electrode, removing the first mask, developing the exposed first conductive layer and forming the photosensitive insulating layer over the first conductive layer. The method further includes forming a second conductive layer and a carrier film over the photosensitive insulating layer and first exposing the second conductive layer via a second mask; removing the carrier film. The method also includes developing the exposed second conductive layer, and forming and drying the wiring electrode over the second conductive layer and the photosensitive insulating layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: Samsung Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sung-Ki Jung, Jung-Hyun Kim
  • Patent number: 9746958
    Abstract: A display device with a touch sensor having a display function and a touch sensor function is provided. The display device includes a first substrate including a pixel electrode; a first electrode along a first direction; and a second substrate including a second electrode that includes patterns of electrodes along a second direction crossing the first direction and that faces the first electrode and the pixel electrode, wherein upon the display function being activated, the pixel electrode is supplied with a pixel signal, and the second electrode is supplied with common voltage, and upon the touch sensor function being activated, the first electrode is applied with a first signal and the second electrode is configured to receive the first signal to be a second signal as a touch detecting signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: Japan Display Inc.
    Inventors: Naosuke Furutani, Hayato Kurasawa, Makoto Hayashi
  • Patent number: 9746954
    Abstract: A touch-screen input/output device including a touch sensor, a display, a display control module, a touch sensor control module and a synchronizer module. The touch sensor is overlaid on a display. The display control module is communicatively coupled to the display and converts video data into a serial bit stream video display signal include one or more blanking intervals. The touch sensor control module is communicatively coupled to the touch sensor and determines touch events and location of the touch event on the touch sensor during one or more touch sensor scan cycles. The synchronizer module is communicatively coupled between the display control module and the touch sensor control module, and interleaves the one or more touch sensor scan cycles with the one or more blanking intervals of the video display signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: NVIDIA CORPORATION
    Inventors: David Wyatt, Arman Toorians
  • Patent number: 9733749
    Abstract: A manufacturing process for forming a touch structure utilizes a first anti-etching optical layer to define the electrodes pattern and utilizes a second anti-etching optical layer to define the traces pattern. The first anti-etching optical layer and the second anti-etching optical layer do not need to be removed. The refractive index of the first anti-etching optical layer and the refractive index of the second anti-etching optical layer can be adjusted to reduce the display difference between the etched region and the non-etched region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: TPK Touch Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Chen-Yu Liu, Lu-Hsing Lee
  • Patent number: 9733771
    Abstract: A touch panel includes a plurality of first axial electrodes, a plurality of second axial electrodes and trace region. The first axial electrodes extend along a first axial direction. The second axial electrodes extend along the first axial direction and disposed to insulatively correspond to the first axial electrodes. Each of the second axial electrodes includes a central electrode, and a plurality of first branch electrodes which are electrically coupled to the central electrode, and have areas different from one another. Each of the first branch electrodes overlaps a corresponding one of the first axial electrodes. The trace region is disposed at one side of the first and second axial electrodes along the first axial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: TPK Touch Systems (XIAMEN) Inc
    Inventors: Meifang Lan, Pudi Hong, Yiyun Lai, Liang-Yi Chang
  • Patent number: 9720538
    Abstract: An input device is provided that facilitates improved user interface functionality by determining force information for each of multiple objects in a sensing region. The input device includes a processing system, a sensor configured to sense objects in a sensing region proximate a surface, and a plurality of force sensors. The plurality of force sensors are coupled to the surface to provide a plurality of measures of force applied to the surface. The processing system is configured to determine positional information for each the multiple objects sensed by the sensor in the sensing region. Furthermore, the processing system is configured to determine force information for each of the multiple objects from the positional information and the plurality of measures of force applied to the surface. Thus, device and method provides the ability to determine both positional information and force information for each of multiple objects in a sensing region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
    Inventor: Mihai Bulea
  • Patent number: 9720583
    Abstract: A user interface element is displayed for in place editing of values within a document. For example, in response to selecting a value, a user interface is displayed near the value that receives a slide gesture for adjusting the value in place. The user interface may be configured to select one of the discrete parts of the value in response to changing a level of the slide gesture. For example, a user may move the swipe gesture from a level used for adjusting the day value to the level representing the year value. The user interface displayed and method(s) used to adjust the value may be based on the type of value and the structure and content of the document.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Benjamin Edward Rampson, Karen Xiaoxu Cheng
  • Patent number: 9721512
    Abstract: The OLED voltage of a selected pixel is extracted from the pixel produced when the pixel is programmed so that the pixel current is a function of the OLED voltage. One method for extracting the OLED voltage is to first program the pixel in a way that the current is not a function of OLED voltage, and then in a way that the current is a function of OLED voltage. During the latter stage, the programming voltage is changed so that the pixel current is the same as the pixel current when the pixel was programmed in a way that the current was not a function of OLED voltage. The difference in the two programming voltages is then used to extract the OLED voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: Ignis Innovation Inc.
    Inventors: Jaimal Soni, Ricky Yik Hei Ngan, Gholamreza Chaji, Nino Zahirovic, Joseph Marcel Dionne
  • Patent number: 9715320
    Abstract: An in-cell touch display panel includes a substrate, a semiconductor stack, a transparent layer, an insulation layer and a metal layer. The semiconductor stack is disposed on the substrate, and includes a plurality of pixel control elements. The transparent layer is disposed on the semiconductor stack, and includes a plurality of first touch electrode strips extending along a first direction. The insulation layer is disposed on the transparent layer. The metal layer is disposed on the insulation layer, and includes a plurality of second touch electrode strips extending along a second direction. The first touch electrode strips intersect and are insulated from the second touch electrode strips.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2017
    Assignee: MSTAR SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.
    Inventors: Guo-Kiang Hung, Chi Kang Liu
  • Patent number: 9715322
    Abstract: According to an aspect, a display device includes: a display section that has a first period to consume predetermined power and a second period to consume less power than in the first period, and power consumption of which periodically changes by repeating the first period and the second period; a smoothing capacitor that stabilizes power supplied to the display section; and a power consumption unit that consumes the supplied power in the second period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2017
    Assignee: Japan Display Inc.
    Inventors: Yasuyuki Teranishi, Koji Noguchi, Hidetoshi Komatsu, Gen Koide, Daisuke Ito
  • Patent number: 9710154
    Abstract: Techniques involving gestures and other functionality are described. In one or more implementations, an input is recognized by a computing device as corresponding to a gesture, the gesture defined using a plurality of parameters, at least one of which having a threshold that varies with respect to another one of the parameters. An operation is caused to be performed by the computing device that corresponds to the gesture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Naji S. Shafi, Jesse G. Tobiason, Patrick Allan Gianelli, Joseph J. Brychell, Jeffery S. Welden
  • Patent number: 9703435
    Abstract: A touch-sensitive and far-field or proximity sensitive touchpad combined with a display, wherein the touchpad is formed as a touchstrip that is concealed inside the display, wherein a first function or interface such as a menu is enabled when an actuating device reaches a threshold distance from the touchpad, wherein a second function or interface is enabled when the actuating device makes contact with the touchpad, and wherein the first function may or may not continue after contact is made with the touchpad.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: CIRQUE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Richard D. Woolley, Yoichi Oshima
  • Patent number: 9690391
    Abstract: A method at an electronic device including a touch-sensitive display for receiving touch input and a keyboard comprising a plurality of buttons, the method comprising: detecting actuation of a button on at least one of the plurality of buttons; detecting a touch input at the touch-sensitive display while the button is actuated; responding to the touch input, wherein response to the touch input while the button is actuated is different to response to touch input detected while the button is not actuated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Carl Fredrik Alexander Berglund, Dan Zacharias Gardenfors, Emil Alexander Wasberger
  • Patent number: 9679400
    Abstract: Methods and devices provide a quick and intuitive method to launch a specific application, dial a number or send a message by drawing a pictorial key, symbol or shape on a computing device touchscreen, touchpad or other touchsurface. A shape drawn on a touchsurface is compared to one or more code shapes stored in memory to determine if there is a match or correlation. If the entered shape correlates to a stored code shape, an application, file, function or keystroke sequence linked to the correlated code shape is implemented. The methods also enable communication involving sending a shape or parameters defining a shape from one computing device to another where the shape is compared to code shapes in memory of the receiving computing device. If the received shape correlates to a stored code shape, an application, file, function or keystroke sequence linked to the correlated code shape is implemented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventor: Mong Suan Yee
  • Patent number: 9678568
    Abstract: An electronic apparatus is provided. The apparatus has a displaying unit for displaying plural items, the items prepared for giving instructions of performing different operations respectively, a detecting unit for detecting movement, and a controlling unit for, when an item is designated from among the plural items, performing an operation corresponding to the designated item. Further, on the assumption that any of the plural items is designated on the displaying unit and the detecting unit detects movement, the controlling unit changes an indication of the designated item or an indication relating to designated item, displayed on the displaying unit, and on the assumption that other item is designated on the displaying unit and the detecting unit detects movement, changes an indication of the designated other item or an indication relating to designated other item, displayed on the displaying unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: CASIO COMPUTER CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Satoru Kakegawa
  • Patent number: 9679310
    Abstract: Electronic displays devices can present electronically changeable displayed images including graphical and textual elements, for example, human and machine-readable elements. The devices can include a low-power-consumption display that uses little or no power until a portion of the display is changed. The electronic display devices can be wirelessly connected to computing devices such as portable computing devices (e.g., smartphones, smartwatches, tablets, laptops, etc.) and fixed gateway devices (e.g., wireless access points) by a wireless communications network. The devices can include a motion sensor and functionality for determining identity, proximity, and/or location of the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: Cocoanut Manor, LLC
    Inventors: William E. Saltzstein, Bernard J. Thompson
  • Patent number: 9678579
    Abstract: In one general aspect, a computing system includes a cast terminal including a keyboard component and a display component physically coupled to the keyboard component, and a central computing device. The keyboard component includes a first communication module configured to transmit keystroke data over a first wireless network to the central computing device using a first wireless communication protocol. The display component includes a second communication module configured to receive multimedia data over a second wireless network from the central computing device using a second wireless communication protocol. The central computing device includes a third communication module configured to receive the keystroke data from the first wireless network, and a fourth communication module configured to transmit the multimedia data over the second wireless network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Alberto Martin Perez, James Neil Weatherall, Felix Lin
  • Patent number: 9671643
    Abstract: The display device has a sensor system with at least one sensor for detecting the intensity or color of light emitted from at least one display area of the display device into the viewing angle of the display device. The sensor system further has in one embodiment an at least partially transparent sensor. The sensor system has in another embodiment at least one optical coupling device including a light guide member and a incoupling member for guiding or directing, e.g. deflecting, reflecting, bending, scattering, diffracting, at least one part of the light emitted from the display area to the corresponding sensor, where the sensor is located outside or at least partially outside the viewing angle of the display device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: BARCO N.V.
    Inventors: Wouter Woestenborghs, Arnout Vetsuypens