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).

  • Patent number: 9300951
    Abstract: A three-dimensional display system provides a projection screen having a predetermined angularly-responsive reflective surface function. Three-dimensional images are respectively modulated in coordination with the predetermined angularly-responsive reflective surface function to define a programmable mirror with a programmable deflection angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventor: Christoph H. Krah
  • Patent number: 9262029
    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: August 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Steven P. Hotelling, Christoph H. Krah, Brian Q. Huppi
  • Patent number: 9250734
    Abstract: The use of one or more proximity sensors in combination with one or more touch sensors in a multi-touch panel to detect the presence of a finger, body part or other object and control or trigger one or more functions in accordance with an “image” of touch provided by the sensor outputs is disclosed. In some embodiments, one or more infrared (IR) proximity sensors can be driven with a specific stimulation frequency and emit IR light from one or more areas, which can in some embodiments correspond to one or more multi-touch sensor “pixel” locations. The reflected IR signal, if any, can be demodulated using synchronous demodulation. In some embodiments, both physical interfaces (touch and proximity sensors) can be connected to analog channels in the same electrical core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Steven P. Hotelling, Christoph H. Krah
  • Patent number: 9164606
    Abstract: The disclosed embodiments relate to a system that provides power for a touch-enabled display, wherein the touch-enabled display cycles between a display mode and a touch mode. During the display mode, the system drives a display-mode voltage to the touch-enabled display through a power output, wherein the power output is coupled through a display-mode capacitor CD to ground. Next, during a transition from the display mode to the touch mode, the system couples the power output through a touch-mode capacitor CT to ground, wherein CT was previously charged to a touch-mode voltage, which causes the power output to rapidly transition to the touch-mode voltage. Then, during the touch mode, the system drives the touch-mode voltage through the power output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Christoph H. Krah, Yafei Bi, Kevin J. White
  • Publication number: 20150293583
    Abstract: Power management for a touch controller is disclosed. The touch controller can include a transmit section for transmitting stimulation signals to an associated touch sensor panel to drive the panel, where the touch controller can selectively adjust the transmit section to reduce power during the transmission. The touch controller can also include a receive section for receiving touch signals resulting from the driving of the panel, where the touch controller can selectively adjust the receive section to reduce power during the receipt of the touch signals. The touch controller can also include a demodulation section for demodulating the received touch signals to obtain touch event results, where the touch controller can selectively adjust the demodulation section to reduce power during the demodulation of the touch signals. The touch controller can also selectively reduce power below present low levels during idle periods. The touch controller can be incorporated into a touch sensitive device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2015
    Publication date: October 15, 2015
    Inventors: Christoph H. KRAH, Thomas James WILSON
  • Publication number: 20150268791
    Abstract: A device that can autonomously scan a sensor panel is disclosed. Autonomous scanning can be performed by implementing channel scan logic. In one embodiment, channel scan logic carries out many of the functions that a processor would normally undertake, including generating timing sequences and obtaining result data; comparing scan result data against a threshold value (e.g., in an auto-scan mode); generating row count; selecting one or more scanning frequency bands; power management control; and performing an auto-scan routine in a low power mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2015
    Publication date: September 24, 2015
    Inventors: Minh-Dieu Thi VU, Thomas James WILSON, Christoph H. KRAH
  • Publication number: 20150261285
    Abstract: Automatic low noise frequency selection for a touch sensitive device is disclosed. A low noise stimulation frequency can be automatically selected by device logic without intervention of the device processor to stimulate the device to sense a touch event at the device. The device logic can automatically select a set of low noise frequencies from among various frequencies based on the amount of noise introduced by the device at the various frequencies, where the frequencies with the lower noise amounts can be selected. The device logic can also automatically select a low noise frequency from among the selected set as the low noise stimulation frequency. The device logic can be implemented partially or entirely in hardware.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2015
    Publication date: September 17, 2015
    Inventors: Thomas James WILSON, Christoph H. KRAH
  • Publication number: 20150234535
    Abstract: A multi-stimulus controller for a multi-touch sensor is formed on a single integrated circuit (single-chip). The multi-stimulus controller includes a transmit oscillator, a transmit signal section that generates a plurality of drive signals based on a frequency of the transmit oscillator, a plurality of transmit channels that transmit the drive signals simultaneously to drive the multi-touch sensor, a receive channel that receives a sense signal resulting from the driving of the multi-touch sensor, a receive oscillator, and a demodulation section that demodulates the received sense signal based on a frequency of the receive oscillator to obtain sensing results, the demodulation section including a demodulator and a vector operator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 5, 2015
    Publication date: August 20, 2015
    Inventors: Steven P. HOTELLING, Christoph H. KRAH, Marduke YOUSEFPOR, Thomas James WILSON
  • Patent number: 9098286
    Abstract: Power management system or a touch controller can include a transmit section for transmitting stimulation signals to an associated touch sensor panel to drive the panel, where the touch controller can selectively adjust the transmit section to reduce power during the transmission. The touch controller can also include a receive section for receiving touch signals resulting from the driving of the panel, where the touch controller can selectively adjust the receive section to reduce power during the receipt of the touch signals. The touch controller can also include a demodulation section for demodulating the received touch signals to obtain touch event results, where the touch controller can selectively adjust the demodulation section to reduce power during the demodulation of the touch signals. The touch controller can also selectively reduce power below present low levels during idle periods. The touch controller can be incorporated into a touch sensitive device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2015
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Christoph H. Krah, Thomas James Wilson
  • Patent number: 9086750
    Abstract: Determining a compensated phase matrix for a multi-stimulus demodulation process is provided. A first drive line of a multi-stimulus sensing system is selected, and a stimulation signal is transmitted on the selected drive line. A channel gain resulting from the stimulation signal is measured from a received sense signal resulting from the stimulation signal. The measured channel gain is compared with a known channel gain to obtain an individual phase compensation for the selected drive line. A compensated phase matrix is formed of the individual phase compensation values for multiple drive lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2015
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Christoph H. Krah
  • Publication number: 20150193039
    Abstract: The use of one or more proximity sensors in combination with one or more touch sensors in a multi-touch panel to detect the presence of a finger, body part or other object and control or trigger one or more functions in accordance with an “image” of touch provided by the sensor outputs is disclosed. In some embodiments, one or more infrared (IR) proximity sensors can be driven with a specific stimulation frequency and emit IR light from one or more areas, which can in some embodiments correspond to one or more multi-touch sensor “pixel” locations. The reflected IR signal, if any, can be demodulated using synchronous demodulation. In some embodiments, both physical interfaces (touch and proximity sensors) can be connected to analog channels in the same electrical core.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2015
    Publication date: July 9, 2015
    Inventors: Steven P. HOTELLING, Christoph H. KRAH
  • Patent number: 9063601
    Abstract: A device that can autonomously scan a sensor panel is disclosed. Autonomous scanning can be performed by implementing channel scan logic. In one embodiment, channel scan logic carries out many of the functions that a processor would normally undertake, including generating timing sequences and obtaining result data; comparing scan result data against a threshold value (e.g., in an auto-scan mode); generating row count; selecting one or more scanning frequency bands; power management control; and performing an auto-scan routine in a low power mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Minh-Dieu Thi Vu, Thomas James Wilson, Christoph H. Krah
  • Publication number: 20150134994
    Abstract: Power management system or a touch controller can include a transmit section for transmitting stimulation signals to an associated touch sensor panel to drive the panel, where the touch controller can selectively adjust the transmit section to reduce power during the transmission. The touch controller can also include a receive section for receiving touch signals resulting from the driving of the panel, where the touch controller can selectively adjust the receive section to reduce power during the receipt of the touch signals. The touch controller can also include a demodulation section for demodulating the received touch signals to obtain touch event results, where the touch controller can selectively adjust the demodulation section to reduce power during the demodulation of the touch signals. The touch controller can also selectively reduce power below present low levels during idle periods. The touch controller can be incorporated into a touch sensitive device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2015
    Publication date: May 14, 2015
    Inventors: Christoph H. KRAH, Thomas James WILSON
  • Publication number: 20150097780
    Abstract: The use of one or more proximity sensors in combination with one or more touch sensors in a multi-touch panel to detect the presence of a finger, body part or other object and control or trigger one or more functions in accordance with an “image” of touch provided by the sensor outputs is disclosed. In some embodiments, one or more infrared (IR) proximity sensors can be driven with a specific stimulation frequency and emit IR light from one or more areas, which can in some embodiments correspond to one or more multi-touch sensor “pixel” locations. The reflected IR signal, if any, can be demodulated using synchronous demodulation. In some embodiments, both physical interfaces (touch and proximity sensors) can be connected to analog channels in the same electrical core.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2014
    Publication date: April 9, 2015
    Inventors: Steven P. HOTELLING, Christoph H. KRAH
  • Patent number: 8988390
    Abstract: A touch input device configured to maintain system performance despite a changing master clock frequency is provided. The touch input device includes one or more agile clocking dynamic scaling engines that can detect changes in the frequency of the master clock and can scale parameters of the touch controller associated with touch detection such that time domain to maintain uniform system performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Christoph H. Krah, Marduke Yousefpor
  • Publication number: 20150042568
    Abstract: A three-dimensional imaging and display system is provided in which input is optically detected in an imaging volume by measuring the path length of an amplitude modulated scanning beam as a function of the phase shift thereof. Visual image feedback concerning the detected input is presented.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2014
    Publication date: February 12, 2015
    Inventor: Christoph H. Krah
  • Publication number: 20150035787
    Abstract: Self capacitance touch circuits to cancel the effects of parasitic capacitance in a touch sensitive device are disclosed. One circuit can generate a parasitic capacitance cancelation signal that can be injected into touch sensing circuitry to cancel the parasitic capacitance. Another circuit can adjust the phase and magnitude of the parasitic capacitance cancelation signal based on characteristics of channels in the touch sensing circuitry so as to fine tune the parasitic capacitance cancelations. Another circuit can drive a guard plate and touch panel electrodes so as to cancel the parasitic capacitances between the panel and the plate and between the electrodes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2013
    Publication date: February 5, 2015
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Shahrooz Shahparnia, Christoph H. Krah
  • Publication number: 20140362048
    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: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2014
    Publication date: December 11, 2014
    Inventors: Steven P. HOTELLING, Christoph H. KRAH, Brian Q. HUPPI
  • Publication number: 20140347306
    Abstract: A system and method for autonomously scanning a sensor panel device is disclosed. A sensor panel processor can be disabled after a first predetermined amount of time has elapsed without the sensor panel device sensing any events. One or more system clocks can also be disabled to conserve power. While the processor and one or more system clocks are disabled, the sensor panel device can periodically autonomously scan the sensor panel for touch activity. If one or more results from the autonomous scans exceed a threshold, the sensor panel device re-enables the processor and one or more clocks to actively scan the sensor panel. If the threshold is not exceeded, the sensor panel device continues to periodically autonomously scan the sensor panel without intervention from the processor. The sensor panel device can periodically perform calibration functions to account for any drift that may be present in the system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2014
    Publication date: November 27, 2014
    Inventors: Christoph H. KRAH, Minh-Dieu Thi Vu, Thomas James Wilson
  • Publication number: 20140340345
    Abstract: A device that can autonomously scan a sensor panel is disclosed. Autonomous scanning can be performed by implementing channel scan logic. In one embodiment, channel scan logic carries out many of the functions that a processor would normally undertake, including generating timing sequences and obtaining result data; comparing scan result data against a threshold value (e.g., in an auto-scan mode); generating row count; selecting one or more scanning frequency bands; power management control; and performing an auto-scan routine in a low power mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2014
    Publication date: November 20, 2014
    Inventors: Minh-Dieu Thi VU, Thomas James Wilson, Christoph H. Krah