Patents by Inventor Craig Shultz

Craig Shultz 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: 11899843
    Abstract: An indirect haptic device includes a substrate having a top surface and a bottom surface, and a plurality of haptic electrodes and a plurality of island electrodes arranged on the top surface. The device further includes a plurality of transmit electrodes and a plurality of receive electrodes arranged on the bottom surface, a position sensor, and a friction modulator. The device further includes a control device configured to apply bipolar electrical signals to the plurality of transmit electrodes to detect touch locations of a user's appendage and to modulate the friction between the user's appendage and the touch surface. Each of the plurality of haptic electrodes are substantially aligned with and capacitively coupled to a corresponding two of the plurality of transmit electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: Tanvas Magic Inc.
    Inventors: James E. Colgate, Mondher Cherif, David J. Meyer, Craig Shultz
  • Publication number: 20230097247
    Abstract: An indirect haptic device includes a substrate having a top surface and a bottom surface, and a plurality of haptic electrodes and a plurality of island electrodes arranged on the top surface. The device further includes a plurality of transmit electrodes and a plurality of receive electrodes arranged on the bottom surface, a position sensor, and a friction modulator. The device further includes a control device configured to apply bipolar electrical signals to the plurality of transmit electrodes to detect touch locations of a user's appendage and to modulate the friction between the user's appendage and the touch surface. Each of the plurality of haptic electrodes are substantially aligned with and capacitively coupled to a corresponding two of the plurality of transmit electrodes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2022
    Publication date: March 30, 2023
    Inventors: James E. Colgate, Mondher Cherif, David J. Meyer, Craig Shultz
  • Patent number: 11520406
    Abstract: An indirect haptic device includes a substrate having a top surface and a bottom surface, and a plurality of haptic electrodes and a plurality of island electrodes arranged on the top surface. The device further includes a plurality of transmit electrodes and a plurality of receive electrodes arranged on the bottom surface, a position sensor, and a friction modulator. The device further includes a control device configured to apply bipolar electrical signals to the plurality of transmit electrodes to detect touch locations of a user's appendage and to modulate the friction between the user's appendage and the touch surface. Each of the plurality of haptic electrodes are substantially aligned with and capacitively coupled to a corresponding two of the plurality of transmit electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: Tanvas, Inc.
    Inventors: James E. Colgate, Mondher Cherif, David J. Meyer, Craig Shultz
  • Publication number: 20200379568
    Abstract: An indirect haptic device includes a substrate having a top surface and a bottom surface, and a plurality of haptic electrodes and a plurality of island electrodes arranged on the top surface. The device further includes a plurality of transmit electrodes and a plurality of receive electrodes arranged on the bottom surface, a position sensor, and a friction modulator. The device further includes a control device configured to apply bipolar electrical signals to the plurality of transmit electrodes to detect touch locations of a user's appendage and to modulate the friction between the user's appendage and the touch surface. Each of the plurality of haptic electrodes are substantially aligned with and capacitively coupled to a corresponding two of the plurality of transmit electrodes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2020
    Publication date: December 3, 2020
    Inventors: James E. Colgate, Mondher Cherif, David J. Meyer, Craig Shultz
  • Patent number: 10705610
    Abstract: A touch interface device that produces tactile and audio output comprising a touch surface, an first electrode coupled to the touch surface that receives a first haptic/audio output potential, a second electrode coupled to a low impedance return path to the device, the first and second electrodes being configured such that when both the first and second electrodes are touched by an appendage of a user, a current flows between the first and second electrodes and the appendage, where the current creates an electric field that imparts a controlled electrostatic force at interfaces of the first electrode and the appendage, and wherein the electrostatic force provides tactile feedback to the appendage of the user and causes vibration in the surrounding air that is audible to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: James E. Colgate, Michael A. Peshkin, Craig Shultz
  • Publication number: 20160370862
    Abstract: A touch interface device that produces tactile and audio output comprising a touch surface, an first electrode coupled to the touch surface that receives a first haptic/audio output potential, a second electrode coupled to a low impedance return path to the device, the first and second electrodes being configured such that when both the first and second electrodes are touched by an appendage of a user, a current flows between the first and second electrodes and the appendage, where the current creates an electric field that imparts a controlled electrostatic force at interfaces of the first electrode and the appendage, and wherein the electrostatic force provides tactile feedback to the appendage of the user and causes vibration in the surrounding air that is audible to the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2016
    Publication date: December 22, 2016
    Inventors: James E. Colgate, Michael A. Peshkin, Craig Shultz