Patents by Inventor Daniel Cletheroe
Daniel Cletheroe 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).
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Patent number: 10955977Abstract: An extender object for use with a multi-modal sensing surface comprises at least two antenna coils. A first antenna coil in the object is electrically connected to a second antenna coil in the object and the two antenna coils may be spatially separated. At least one of the first and second antenna coils comprises a plurality of radial elements extending in and/or out from the coil.Type: GrantFiled: August 8, 2016Date of Patent: March 23, 2021Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Greg Saul, Nicolas Villar, Daniel Cletheroe, Christian Holz, Haiyan Zhang
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Patent number: 10649572Abstract: A multi-modal sensing surface comprises two overlaid arrays: a capacitive sensing electrode array and an array of RF antennas. A first sensing module is coupled to the capacitive sensing electrode array and is configured to detect both an increase and a decrease of capacitance between electrodes in the array. A second sensing module is coupled to the array of RF antennas and is configured to selectively tune and detune one or more of the RF antennas in the array of RF antennas.Type: GrantFiled: November 3, 2015Date of Patent: May 12, 2020Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Nicolas Villar, Haiyan Zhang, Greg Saul, Daniel Cletheroe
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Patent number: 10338753Abstract: A flexible multi-layer sensing surface comprises a first flexible layer and a second flexible layer. The first flexible layer is a sensing layer and the second sensing layer is another sensing layer or an output layer. The sensing surface also comprises a calibration module which is configured to use the first flexible sensing layer to detect the relative position of the first and second flexible layers and this detected relative position is then used to update one or more stored operating parameters.Type: GrantFiled: August 8, 2016Date of Patent: July 2, 2019Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Greg Saul, Daniel Cletheroe, Nicolas Villar, Haiyan Zhang, Oscar Salandin, Christian Holz, Andrew Fitzgibbon, Stephen Edward Hodges
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Patent number: 10133889Abstract: A reader device for short-range wireless tags comprises a sensing module coupled to one or more RF antennas. The sensing module is arranged to selectively activate and deactivate individual RF antennas and to read data from a plurality of objects comprising short-range wireless tags which are proximate to an active RF antenna. A scheduler module within the reader device is arranged to obtain device characteristics for the plurality of objects based at least in part on data read by the sensing module and then to generate a powering schedule for the plurality of objects based on the device characteristics. The generated powering schedule is then implemented by the sensing module.Type: GrantFiled: August 8, 2016Date of Patent: November 20, 2018Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Daniel Cletheroe, Nicolas Villar, Greg Saul, Haiyan Zhang, Christian Holz
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Patent number: 9933891Abstract: A sensing surface device comprises a sensing module coupled to a sensing mat. The sensing module is configured to detect a first object at a first position on the sensing mat, detect an event associated with the first object and detect a movement at a second position on the sensing mat. The sensing module is further configured to generate an input to trigger an action in software based on both the detected event and the detected movement.Type: GrantFiled: August 8, 2016Date of Patent: April 3, 2018Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Greg Saul, Nicolas Villar, Daniel Cletheroe, Haiyan Zhang, Christian Holz
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Patent number: 9914066Abstract: A building block is described which has a plurality of faces each with an associated coupling element, such that a first coupling element is adjacent to a first face and a second coupling element is adjacent to a second face, etc. An RF switch in the block is arranged to selectively couple two of the coupling elements together under the control of a processor. The processor controls the RF switch in response to signals received from a transceiver module. A sensing and switching arrangement within the building block selectively connects the processor to one of the coupling elements based on a detected orientation of the block (e.g. so that power harvested from the transceiver module can be used to power the processor). The coupling elements are either all antennas or all electrodes.Type: GrantFiled: March 7, 2016Date of Patent: March 13, 2018Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Daniel Cletheroe, Greg Saul, Nicolas Villar, Oscar Salandin, Haiyan Zhang
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Publication number: 20170252664Abstract: A building block is described which has a plurality of faces each with an associated coupling element, such that a first coupling element is adjacent to a first face and a second coupling element is adjacent to a second face, etc. An RF switch in the block is arranged to selectively couple two of the coupling elements together under the control of a processor. The processor controls the RF switch in response to signals received from a transceiver module. A sensing and switching arrangement within the building block selectively connects the processor to one of the coupling elements based on a detected orientation of the block (e.g. so that power harvested from the transceiver module can be used to power the processor). The coupling elements are either all antennas or all electrodes.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 7, 2016Publication date: September 7, 2017Inventors: Daniel Cletheroe, Greg Saul, Nicolas Villar, Oscar Salandin, Haiyan Zhang
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Publication number: 20170132438Abstract: A reader device for short-range wireless tags comprises a sensing module coupled to one or more RF antennas. The sensing module is arranged to selectively activate and deactivate individual RF antennas and to read data from a plurality of objects comprising short-range wireless tags which are proximate to an active RF antenna. A scheduler module within the reader device is arranged to obtain device characteristics for the plurality of objects based at least in part on data read by the sensing module and then to generate a powering schedule for the plurality of objects based on the device characteristics. The generated powering schedule is then implemented by the sensing module.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 8, 2016Publication date: May 11, 2017Inventors: Daniel Cletheroe, Nicolas Villar, Greg Saul, Haiyan Zhang, Christian Holz
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Publication number: 20170123563Abstract: An extender object for use with a multi-modal sensing surface comprises at least two antenna coils. A first antenna coil in the object is electrically connected to a second antenna coil in the object and the two antenna coils may be spatially separated. At least one of the first and second antenna coils comprises a plurality of radial elements extending in and/or out from the coil.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 8, 2016Publication date: May 4, 2017Inventors: Greg Saul, Nicolas Villar, Daniel Cletheroe, Christian Holz, Haiyan Zhang
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Publication number: 20170123562Abstract: An object for use with a capacitive-touch-sensing device comprises a plurality of conductive regions on a single face of the object and a switching arrangement connected to the plurality of conductive regions. The switching arrangement is configured to change a capacitive footprint of the face of the object, for example, by selectively connecting (e.g. shorting) together two or more conductive regions.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 8, 2016Publication date: May 4, 2017Inventors: Daniel Cletheroe, Nicolas Villar, Greg Saul, Christian Holz, Haiyan Zhang
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Publication number: 20170123561Abstract: A sensing surface device comprises a sensing module coupled to a sensing mat. The sensing module is configured to detect a first object at a first position on the sensing mat, detect an event associated with the first object and detect a movement at a second position on the sensing mat. The sensing module is further configured to generate an input to trigger an action in software based on both the detected event and the detected movement.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 8, 2016Publication date: May 4, 2017Inventors: Greg Saul, Nicolas Villar, Daniel Cletheroe, Haiyan Zhang, Christian Holz
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Publication number: 20170123531Abstract: A flexible multi-layer sensing surface comprises a first flexible layer and a second flexible layer. The first flexible layer is a sensing layer and the second sensing layer is another sensing layer or an output layer. The sensing surface also comprises a calibration module which is configured to use the first flexible sensing layer to detect the relative position of the first and second flexible layers and this detected relative position is then used to update one or more stored operating parameters.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 8, 2016Publication date: May 4, 2017Inventors: Greg Saul, Daniel Cletheroe, Nicolas Villar, Haiyan Zhang, Oscar Salandin, Christian Holz, Andrew Fitzgibbon, Stephen Edward Hodges
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Publication number: 20170124364Abstract: A short-range wireless tag has a conductive footprint which is not rotationally symmetric where this footprint is formed from an antenna within the short-range wireless tag and optionally one or more additional conductive areas within the short-range wireless tag. The orientation of such a short-range wireless tag may be determined by a sensing surface when the tag is placed on the surface and where the surface comprises an array of RF antennas and/or a capacitive sensing electrode array.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 8, 2016Publication date: May 4, 2017Inventors: Nicolas Villar, Daniel Cletheroe, Greg Saul, Haiyan Zhang, Christian Holz, Oscar Salandin
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Publication number: 20170123554Abstract: A multi-modal sensing surface comprises two overlaid arrays: a capacitive sensing electrode array and an array of RF antennas. A first sensing module is coupled to the capacitive sensing electrode array and is configured to detect both an increase and a decrease of capacitance between electrodes in the array. A second sensing module is coupled to the array of RF antennas and is configured to selectively tune and detune one or more of the RF antennas in the array of RF antennas.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 3, 2015Publication date: May 4, 2017Inventors: Nicolas Villar, Haiyan Zhang, Greg Saul, Daniel Cletheroe