Patents by Inventor Christoph H. Krah

Christoph H. Krah 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).

  • Publication number: 20240118773
    Abstract: An optical stylus system including an optical stylus and optical sensing system that are together operative to determine one or more of the target or touch location, centroid, hover distance, tilt angle, azimuth, and in some instances the orientation and rotation of the stylus is disclosed. In some examples, light illuminator and detector angular filters are employed to limit the illumination and detection angles of light to minimize false object detection. In other examples, the stylus is a passive stylus with a surface that reflects light with a consistent angular reflection profile or reflected light pattern regardless of stylus tilt. In still other examples, the stylus can detect light at different modulation frequencies emitted from an array of light emitters in the optical sensing system, or the stylus can emit light and detect reflected light with different spectral distributions across the optical sensing system to determine stylus location.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2023
    Publication date: April 11, 2024
    Inventors: Christoph H. KRAH, Mohammad YEKE YAZDANDOOST, Christopher J. BUTLER
  • Publication number: 20240103669
    Abstract: A pixelated mutual capacitance sensing configuration to detect the presence of floating water is disclosed. An integrated touch screen can be configured in a checkerboard arrangement of alternating drive pixels and sense pixels, where each drive or sense pixel can include a plurality of sub-pixels. The sense pixels can include sense sub-pixels surrounded by ground sub-pixels to reduce the baseline mutual capacitance between the drive and sense pixels. Stimulated drive pixels can capacitively couple onto the sense sub-pixels of the sense pixel, forming a baseline (no touch) mutual capacitance between the drive pixels and the sense sub-pixels. The presence of grounded objects shunts some charge to ground and reduces the mutual capacitance, while floating water provides and additional parallel mutual capacitance path that increases the mutual capacitance. Floating water can be distinguished from a grounded touch based on the direction of the change in mutual capacitance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2023
    Publication date: March 28, 2024
    Inventors: William PAUL, Christoph H. KRAH
  • Patent number: 11941211
    Abstract: In some examples, a touch screen can include touch electrodes that can function as drive (Tx) electrodes and sense (Rx) electrodes during a touch sensing operation of the electronic device. The drive electrodes can include +Tx electrodes and ?Tx electrodes that can receive drive signals that can have the same amplitude and frequency and opposite phases, for example. In some examples, the surface areas of the +Tx electrodes and the ?Tx electrodes can be the same and the distances of the +Tx electrodes and ?Tx electrodes from the Rx electrodes can be different. In some examples, the total charge coupled to a proximate or touching object can be zero, which can mitigate problems associated with ungrounded or poorly grounded objects in contact with the touch screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: William Matthew Pender Paul, Christoph H. Krah, Bin Huang, Stanley Bo-Ting Wang
  • Publication number: 20240036682
    Abstract: An electronic device may have a touch sensitive display that is insensitive to the presence of moisture. An array of pixels in the display may be used to display images. A display cover layer may overlap the array of pixels. A light source may illuminate an external object such as a finger of a user when the object contacts a surface of the display cover layer. This creates scattered light that may be detected by an array of light sensors. The light source may supply light to an edge of the display cover layer at an angle that ensures total internal reflection within the display cover layer is sustained across the display cover layer even when the display cover layer is immersed in water or otherwise exposed to moisture.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2023
    Publication date: February 1, 2024
    Inventors: Mohammad Yeke Yazdandoost, Christoph H. Krah
  • Patent number: 11880533
    Abstract: A power management circuit can comprise a direct-current-to-direct-current (DC-DC) converter and a guard buffer. The guard buffer can be referenced to a system ground and configured to generate a guard ground. The power management circuit can comprise a supply capacitor coupled to the DC-DC converter that can be referenced to system ground in a first mode and referenced to the guard ground in a second mode. A regulator can be coupled to the DC-DC converter and referred to system ground in the first mode, and decoupled and referred to guard ground in the second mode. The DC-DC converter can generate a first voltage in the first mode and a second voltage in the second mode, the second voltage greater than the first.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Du Chen, Christoph H. Krah
  • Patent number: 11874958
    Abstract: A head-mounted device having a plurality of electrodes configured to detect optical events such as the movement of one or more eyes or coarse eye gestures is disclosed. In some examples, the one or more electrodes can be coupled to dielectric elastomer materials whose shape can be changed to vary contact between a user of the head-mounted device and the one or more electrodes to ensure sufficient contact and electrode signal quality. In some examples, the one or more electrodes can be coupled to pressure sensors and control circuitry to monitor and adjust the applied pressure. In some examples, the optical events can be used as triggers for operating the device, including transitioning between operational power modes. In some examples, the triggers can invoke higher resolution sensing capabilities of the head-mounted device. In some examples, the electrodes can be used as an on-head detector to wake-up and/or unlock the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Erdrin Azemi, Ali Moin, Christoph H. Krah, Joseph Yitan Cheng, Kaan Emre Dogrusoz, Mohammad Yeke Yazdandoost
  • Publication number: 20240004491
    Abstract: An integrated touchscreen can include light emitting diodes or organic light emitting diodes (LED s/OLEDs), display chiplets and touch chiplets disposed in a visible area of the integrated touch screen. For example, the LEDs/OLEDs, display chiplets and touch chiplets can be placed on a substrate by a micro-transfer tool. The integrated touchscreen can also include electrodes disposed in the visible area of the integrated touch screen. The electrodes can be capable of providing display functionality via the one or more display chiplets during display operation (e.g., operating as cathode terminals of the LEDs during the display operation) and capable of providing touch functionality via the touch chiplets during touch operation (e.g., touch node electrodes can be formed from groups of the electrodes and sensed). In some examples, the touch node electrodes can be formed and coupled to touch chiplets via the display chiplets.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2023
    Publication date: January 4, 2024
    Inventors: Christian M. SAUER, Christoph H. KRAH, Derek K. SHAEFFER, Hasan AKYOL, Henry C. JEN, John T. WETHERELL
  • Patent number: 11853518
    Abstract: A multipoint touch surface controller is disclosed herein. The controller includes an integrated circuit including output circuitry for driving a capacitive multi-touch sensor and input circuitry for reading the sensor. Also disclosed herein are various noise rejection and dynamic range enhancement techniques that permit the controller to be used with various sensors in various conditions without reconfiguring hardware.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Steven P. Hotelling, Christoph H. Krah, Brian Q. Huppi
  • Patent number: 11823486
    Abstract: A method of temperature compensation in an optical-fingerprint detection system includes acquiring a first reading associated with one or more pixels of an array. The first reading is a baseline reading. The method further includes acquiring a second reading associated with the one or more pixels of the array. The second reading includes the baseline plus a signal. Producing a temperature compensated signal reading by subtracting the first reading from the second reading. The array is an optical-fingerprint array, and each pixel of the array is coupled to a readout circuit via a pixel switch. The method includes row-based and frame-based schemes and a blind pixel scheme. Readout circuit improvements including multiplexed analog front-end (AFE), charge magnifier with column charge offset compensation and a low-noise gate driver circuit are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2023
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Christoph H. Krah, Mohammad Yeke Yazdandoost
  • Patent number: 11822747
    Abstract: An electronic device may have a touch sensitive display that is insensitive to the presence of moisture. An array of pixels in the display may be used to display images. A display cover layer may overlap the array of pixels. A light source may illuminate an external object such as a finger of a user when the object contacts a surface of the display cover layer. This creates scattered light that may be detected by an array of light sensors. The light source may supply light to an edge of the display cover layer at an angle that ensures total internal reflection within the display cover layer is sustained across the display cover layer even when the display cover layer is immersed in water or otherwise exposed to moisture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Mohammad Yeke Yazdandoost, Christoph H. Krah
  • Patent number: 11816295
    Abstract: An electronic device may have a touch sensitive display that is insensitive to the presence of moisture. An array of pixels in the display may be used to display images. A display cover layer may overlap the array of pixels. A light source may illuminate an external object such as a finger of a user when the object contacts a surface of the display cover layer. This creates scattered light that may be detected by an array of light sensors. The light source may supply light to an edge of the display cover layer at an angle that ensures total internal reflection within the display cover layer is sustained across the display cover layer even when the display cover layer is immersed in water or otherwise exposed to moisture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Mohammad Yeke Yazdandoost, Christoph H. Krah
  • Patent number: 11775095
    Abstract: An integrated touchscreen can include light emitting diodes or organic light emitting diodes (LEDs/OLEDs), display chiplets and touch chiplets disposed in a visible area of the integrated touch screen. For example, the LEDs/OLEDs, display chiplets and touch chiplets can be placed on a substrate by a micro-transfer tool. The integrated touchscreen can also include electrodes disposed in the visible area of the integrated touch screen. The electrodes can be capable of providing display functionality via the one or more display chiplets during display operation (e.g., operating as cathode terminals of the LEDs during the display operation) and capable of providing touch functionality via the touch chiplets during touch operation (e.g., touch node electrodes can be formed from groups of the electrodes and sensed). In some examples, the touch node electrodes can be formed and coupled to touch chiplets via the display chiplets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Christian M. Sauer, Christoph H. Krah, Derek K. Shaeffer, Hasan Akyol, Henry C. Jen, John T. Wetherell, Thierry S. Divel
  • Publication number: 20230280864
    Abstract: An electronic device can be configured to operate in a plurality of operating modes to generate various stimulation signals for touch sensing operations. Switching circuitry can selectively couple one or more stimulation circuits to touch stimulation circuitry to reduce electromagnetic interference generated during transitions between the plurality of operating modes. The electronic device can transition from a stimulation phase to a termination phase at an arbitrary time, unconstrained by integration time requirements of accompany touch sensing circuitry.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2023
    Publication date: September 7, 2023
    Inventors: Du CHEN, Christoph H. KRAH
  • Publication number: 20230229275
    Abstract: In some examples, a touch screen can include touch electrodes that can function as drive (Tx) electrodes and sense (Rx) electrodes during a touch sensing operation of the electronic device. The drive electrodes can include +Tx electrodes and -Tx electrodes that can receive drive signals that can have the same amplitude and frequency and opposite phases, for example. In some examples, the surface areas of the +Tx electrodes and the -Tx electrodes can be the same and the distances of the +Tx electrodes and -Tx electrodes from the Rx electrodes can be different. In some examples, the total charge coupled to a proximate or touching object can be zero, which can mitigate problems associated with ungrounded or poorly grounded objects in contact with the touch screen.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2023
    Publication date: July 20, 2023
    Inventors: William Matthew Pender PAUL, Christoph H. KRAH, Bin HUANG, Stanley Bo-Ting WANG
  • Publication number: 20230230414
    Abstract: A method of temperature compensation in an optical-fingerprint detection system includes acquiring a first reading associated with one or more pixels of an array. The first reading is a baseline reading. The method further includes acquiring a second reading associated with the one or more pixels of the array. The second reading includes the baseline plus a signal. Producing a temperature compensated signal reading by subtracting the first reading from the second reading. The array is an optical-fingerprint array, and each pixel of the array is coupled to a readout circuit via a pixel switch. The method includes row-based and frame-based schemes and a blind pixel scheme. Readout circuit improvements including multiplexed analog front-end (AFE), charge magnifier with column charge offset compensation and a low-noise gate driver circuit are provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2023
    Publication date: July 20, 2023
    Inventors: Christoph H. KRAH, Mohammad Yeke Yazdandoost
  • Publication number: 20230217781
    Abstract: A display may have an array of light-emitting pixels that display an image in an active area of the display. These light-emitting pixels may be visible light pixels such as red, green, and blue thin-film organic light-emitting diode pixels. The display may also have a border region that runs along a peripheral edge of the active area. The border region may be free of pixels that display image light, whereas the active area may be free of light detectors. A non-optical touch sensor such as a capacitive touch sensor may overlap the active area to gather touch input from the active area. The non-optical touch sensor may not overlap any portion of the border region. In the border region, an optical sensor formed from infrared light-emitting pixels and infrared light-sensing pixels or other optical sensing circuitry may serve as an optical touch sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2023
    Publication date: July 6, 2023
    Inventors: Christoph H. Krah, Mohammad Yeke Yazdandoost
  • Patent number: 11675459
    Abstract: An electronic device can be configured to operate in a plurality of operating modes to generate various stimulation signals for touch sensing operations. Switching circuitry can selectively couple one or more stimulation circuits to touch stimulation circuitry to reduce electromagnetic interference generated during transitions between the plurality of operating modes. The electronic device can transition from a stimulation phase to a termination phase at an arbitrary time, unconstrained by integration time requirements of accompany touch sensing circuitry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Chang Yong Kang, Du Chen, Christoph H. Krah
  • Patent number: 11662867
    Abstract: Some touch screens can be formed with rows and columns of touch electrodes. In some examples, during a first time period, a first set of row electrodes are driven while a second set of row electrodes are sensed. In some examples, during a second time period, the first set of row electrodes are sensed while the second set of row electrodes are driven. In some examples, during a third time period, a first set of column electrodes are driven while a second set of column electrodes are sensed. In some examples, during a fourth time period, the first set of column electrodes are sensed while the second set of column electrodes are driven. In some examples, a touch image can be generated based on the data sensed from the first, second, third, and fourth time periods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Christoph H. Krah, Jesse Michael Devine, Xiaoqi Zhou
  • Patent number: 11637153
    Abstract: A display may have an array of light-emitting pixels that display an image in an active area of the display. These light-emitting pixels may be visible light pixels such as red, green, and blue thin-film organic light-emitting diode pixels. The display may also have a border region that runs along a peripheral edge of the active area. The border region may be free of pixels that display image light, whereas the active area may be free of light detectors. A non-optical touch sensor such as a capacitive touch sensor may overlap the active area to gather touch input from the active area. The non-optical touch sensor may not overlap any portion of the border region. In the border region, an optical sensor formed from infrared light-emitting pixels and infrared light-sensing pixels or other optical sensing circuitry may serve as an optical touch sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Christoph H. Krah, Mohammad Yeke Yazdandoost
  • Patent number: 11636702
    Abstract: A method of temperature compensation in an optical-fingerprint detection system includes acquiring a first reading associated with one or more pixels of an array. The first reading is a baseline reading. The method further includes acquiring a second reading associated with the one or more pixels of the array. The second reading includes the baseline plus a signal. Producing a temperature compensated signal reading by subtracting the first reading from the second reading. The array is an optical-fingerprint array, and each pixel of the array is coupled to a readout circuit via a pixel switch. The method includes row-based and frame-based schemes and a blind pixel scheme. Readout circuit improvements including multiplexed analog front-end (AFE), charge magnifier with column charge offset compensation and a low-noise gate driver circuit are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Christoph H. Krah, Mohammad Yeke Yazdandoost