Patents by Inventor Alan Bowens

Alan Bowens has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9122947
    Abstract: A state machine gesture recognition algorithm for interpreting streams of coordinates received from a touch sensor. The gesture recognition code can be written in a high level language such as C and then compiled and embedded in a microcontroller chip, or CPU chip as desired. The gesture recognition code can be loaded into the same chip that interprets the touch signals from the touch sensor and generates the time series data, e.g. a microcontroller, or other programmable logic device such as a field programmable gate array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2015
    Assignee: Atmel Corporation
    Inventor: Alan Bowens
  • Publication number: 20130335358
    Abstract: A state machine gesture recognition algorithm for interpreting streams of coordinates received from a touch sensor. The gesture recognition code can be written in a high level language such as C and then compiled and embedded in a microcontroller chip, or CPU chip as desired. The gesture recognition code can be loaded into the same chip that interprets the touch signals from the touch sensor and generates the time series data, e.g. a microcontroller, or other programmable logic device such as a field programmable gate array.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2013
    Publication date: December 19, 2013
    Inventor: Alan Bowens
  • Patent number: 8526767
    Abstract: A state machine gesture recognition algorithm for interpreting streams of coordinates received from a touch sensor. The gesture recognition code can be written in a high level language such as C and then compiled and embedded in a microcontroller chip, or CPU chip as desired. The gesture recognition code can be loaded into the same chip that interprets the touch signals from the touch sensor and generates the time series data, e.g. a microcontroller, or other programmable logic device such as a field programmable gate array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: Atmel Corporation
    Inventor: Alan Bowens
  • Patent number: 7986152
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a sensor includes a substrate; multiple interconnected sense elements arranged in a first direction on a surface of the substrate; and first interconnected drive elements arranged on a surface of the substrate in the first direction. Each respective one of the first interconnected drive elements are located adjacent to and between respective ones of the sense elements to form first sets of sense and drive elements alternating in the first direction. The sensor also includes second interconnected drive elements arranged on a surface of the substrate in a second direction. Each respective one of the second interconnected drive elements are located between respective ones of the sense elements to form second sets of sense and drive elements alternating in the second direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2011
    Assignee: Atmel Corporation
    Inventors: Harald Philipp, Samuel Brunet, Matthew Trend, Alan Bowens
  • Publication number: 20110022351
    Abstract: A sensor for determining a position for an adjacent object in two dimensions is described. The sensor comprises a substrate with a sensitive area defined by a pattern of electrodes, wherein the pattern of electrodes includes a first group of drive elements interconnected to form a plurality of row electrodes extending along a first direction, a second group of drive elements interconnected to form a plurality of column electrodes extending along a second direction, and a group of sense elements interconnected to form a sense electrode extending along both the first and second directions. The sensor further comprises a controller comprising a drive unit for applying drive signals to the row and column electrodes, and a sense unit for measuring sense signals representing a degree of coupling of the drive signals applied to the row and column electrodes to the sense electrode. Thus a 2D position sensor requiring only a single sense channel is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2010
    Publication date: January 27, 2011
    Applicant: ATMEL UK
    Inventors: Harald Philipp, Samuel Brunet, Matthew Trend, Alan Bowens
  • Patent number: 7821274
    Abstract: A sensor includes a substrate with a sensitive area defined by a pattern of electrodes. The pattern of electrodes includes a first group of drive elements interconnected to form a plurality of row electrodes extending along a first direction, a second group of drive elements interconnected to form a plurality of column electrodes extending along a second direction, and a group of sense elements interconnected to form a sense electrode extending along both the first and second directions. The sensor may be coupled to a controller that includes a drive unit for applying drive signals to the row and column electrodes, and a sense unit for measuring sense signals representing a degree of coupling of the drive signals applied to the row and column electrodes to the sense electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2010
    Assignee: Atmel Corporation
    Inventors: Harald Philipp, Samuel Brunet, Matthew Trend, Alan Bowens
  • Publication number: 20090273571
    Abstract: A state machine gesture recognition algorithm for interpreting streams of coordinates received from a touch sensor. The gesture recognition code can be written in a high level language such as C and then compiled and embedded in a microcontroller chip, or CPU chip as desired. The gesture recognition code can be loaded into the same chip that interprets the touch signals from the touch sensor and generates the time series data, e.g. a microcontroller, or other programmable logic device such as a field programmable gate array.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2008
    Publication date: November 5, 2009
    Inventor: Alan Bowens