Patents by Inventor Daniel Keith Van Ostrand

Daniel Keith Van Ostrand 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: 20260099225
    Abstract: A computing device includes signal generation circuitry and also includes a location on the computing device that is operative to couple a signal generated by the signal generation circuitry into a user. For example, the computing device includes signal generation circuitry that generates a signal that includes information corresponding to a user and/or an application that is operative within the computing device. The signal generation circuitry couples the signal into the user from a location on the computing device based on a bodily portion of the user being in contact with or within sufficient proximity to the location on the computing device that facilitates coupling of the signal into the user. Also, the signal may be coupled via the user to another computing device that includes a touchscreen display that is operative to detect and receive the signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2025
    Publication date: April 9, 2026
    Applicant: SIGMASENSE, LLC.
    Inventors: Daniel Keith Van Ostrand, Richard Stuart Seger, Jr., Shayne X. Short, Ph.D., Timothy W. Markison
  • Publication number: 20260086970
    Abstract: A low voltage drive circuit includes a transmit digital to analog circuit that converts transmit digital data into analog outbound data by: generating a DC component; generating a first oscillation at a first frequency; generating a second oscillation at the first frequency; and outputting the first oscillation or the second oscillation on a bit-by-bit basis in accordance with the transmit digital data to produce an oscillating component, wherein the DC component is combined with the oscillating component to produce the analog outbound data, and wherein the oscillating component and the DC component are combined to produce the analog outbound data. A drive sense circuit drives an analog transmit signal onto a bus, wherein the analog outbound data is represented within the analog transmit signal as variances in loading of the bus at the first frequency and wherein analog inbound data is represented within an analog receive signal as variances in loading of the bus at a second frequency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 14, 2025
    Publication date: March 26, 2026
    Applicant: SigmaSense, LLC.
    Inventors: Richard Stuart Seger, JR., Daniel Keith Van Ostrand, Gerald Dale Morrison, Timothy W. Markison
  • Publication number: 20260047776
    Abstract: A personal monitoring system includes one or more passive biometric sensors and a communication device. A passive biometric sensor is operable to sense a body condition of a body in accordance with a sense signal at a sense frequency to produce sensed data of a body condition. The passive biometric sensor is further operable to transmit an e-field signal via the body regarding the sensed data, wherein the e-field signal is in accordance with an e-field transmit/receive frequency. The communication device is operable to receive the e-field signal via the body. The communication device is further operable to recover the sensed data from the received e-field signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2025
    Publication date: February 19, 2026
    Applicant: SigmaSense, LLC.
    Inventors: Richard Stuart Seger, JR., Michael Shawn Gray, Kevin Joseph Derichs, Daniel Keith Van Ostrand, Timothy W. Markison
  • Patent number: 12498818
    Abstract: A computing device includes signal generation circuitry and also includes a location on the computing device that is operative to couple a signal generated by the signal generation circuitry into a user. For example, the computing device includes signal generation circuitry that generates a signal that includes information corresponding to a user and/or an application that is operative within the computing device. The signal generation circuitry couples the signal into the user from a location on the computing device based on a bodily portion of the user being in contact with or within sufficient proximity to the location on the computing device that facilitates coupling of the signal into the user. Also, the signal may be coupled via the user to another computing device that includes a touchscreen display that is operative to detect and receive the signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2024
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2025
    Assignee: SIGMASENSE, LLC.
    Inventors: Daniel Keith Van Ostrand, Richard Stuart Seger, Jr., Shayne X. Short, Timothy W. Markison
  • Patent number: 12481400
    Abstract: A capacitive touch screen display operates by: receiving a plurality of sensed signals indicating variations in mutual capacitance associated with a plurality of cross points formed by a plurality of electrodes; generating capacitance image data associated with the plurality of cross points that includes positive capacitance variation data corresponding to positive variations of the capacitance image data from a nominal value and negative capacitance variation data corresponding to negative variations of the capacitance image data from the nominal value; determining, based on the positive capacitance variation data and the negative capacitance variation data, an upper threshold and a lower threshold; generating compensated capacitance image data, based on the upper threshold and the lower threshold; and processing the compensated capacitance image data to determine a proximal condition of the touch screen display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2024
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2025
    Assignee: SigmaSense, LLC.
    Inventors: Richard Stuart Seger, Jr., Michael Shawn Gray, Daniel Keith Van Ostrand, Hans Howard Eilers, Kevin Joseph Derichs, Sarah Marie Derichs, Patrick Troy Gray, Phuong Huynh
  • Patent number: 12446798
    Abstract: A personal monitoring system includes one or more passive biometric sensors and a communication device. A passive biometric sensor is operable to sense a body condition of a body in accordance with a sense signal at a sense frequency to produce sensed data of a body condition. The passive biometric sensor is further operable to transmit an e-field signal via the body regarding the sensed data, wherein the e-field signal is in accordance with an e-field transmit/receive frequency. The communication device is operable to receive the e-field signal via the body. The communication device is further operable to recover the sensed data from the received e-field signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2025
    Assignee: SigmaSense, LLC.
    Inventors: Richard Stuart Seger, Jr., Michael Shawn Gray, Kevin Joseph Derichs, Daniel Keith Van Ostrand, Timothy W. Markison
  • Publication number: 20250291450
    Abstract: A fingerprint imaging device incorporating a first plurality of electrodes, a second plurality of electrodes and drive-sense circuitry. The first plurality of electrodes and the second plurality of electrodes are separated by a dielectric material and arranged in a crossing pattern in a sensing area. In an embodiment, each of the drive-sense circuits is configured to drive a sensor signal on an electrode of the first plurality or second plurality of electrodes, the sensor signal including a drive signal component and a receive signal component. Each of the drive-sense circuits is further configured to generate, based on the receive signal component, a sensed signal representative of at least a first impedance of the electrode. For at least some of the drive-sense circuits, the sensed signal further represents a second impedance of the electrode in accordance with a drive signal component from a differing electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2025
    Publication date: September 18, 2025
    Applicant: SigmaSense, LLC.
    Inventors: Daniel Keith Van Ostrand, Michael Shawn Gray, Patrick Troy Gray, Richard Stuart Seger, JR.
  • Publication number: 20250284388
    Abstract: A touch sensor system includes touch sensors, drive-sense circuits (DSCs), memory, and a processing module. A DSC drives a first signal via a single line coupling to a touch sensor and simultaneously senses, when present, a second signal that is uniquely associated with a user. The DSC processes the first signal and/or the second signal to generate a digital signal that is representative of an electrical characteristic of the touch sensor. The processing module executes operational instructions (stored in the memory) to process the digital signal to detect interaction of the user with the touch sensor and to determine whether the interaction of the user with the touch sensor compares favorably with authorization. When not authorized, the processing module aborts execution of operation(s) associated with the interaction of the user with the touch sensor. Alternatively, when authorized, the processing module facilitates execution of the operation(s).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 9, 2025
    Publication date: September 11, 2025
    Applicant: SIGMASENSE, LLC.
    Inventors: Patrick Troy Gray, Gerald Dale Morrison, Daniel Keith Van Ostrand, Richard Stuart Seger, JR.
  • Patent number: 12407196
    Abstract: A device operative to transfer power and communicate wirelessly includes a drive-sense circuit (DSC), memory that stores operational instructions, and processing module(s). The DSC generates a drive signal based on a reference signal and provides the drive signal to a first coil via a single line and via a resonating capacitor, and simultaneously senses the drive signal via the single line, to facilitate electromagnetic coupling to a second coil to transfer power wirelessly to another device. The DSC also detects electrical characteristic(s) of the drive signal including whether a communication signal is transmitted from another device and generates a digital signal representative thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2024
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2025
    Assignee: SIGMASENSE, LLC.
    Inventors: John Christopher Price, Daniel Keith Van Ostrand, Phuong Huynh
  • Patent number: 12405696
    Abstract: A no-ground plane differential touch screen display includes a display, a plurality of differential electrode pairs integrated into the display, a plurality of differential drive-sense circuits, and a processing module. When enabled, a set of differential drive-sense circuits of the plurality of differential drive-sense circuits is operable to provide a set of differential electrode signals to a set of differential electrode pairs of the plurality of differential electrode pairs and generate a set of sensed signals representative of electrical characteristic changes of the set of differential electrode pairs. The processing module is operable to interpret the electrical characteristic changes as one or more of a column mutual capacitance of a column differential electrode pair, a row mutual capacitance of a row differential electrode pair, and a cross mutual capacitance at a crossing between one or more row differential electrode pairs and column differential electrode pairs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2024
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2025
    Assignee: SigmaSense, LLC.
    Inventor: Daniel Keith Van Ostrand
  • Publication number: 20250264895
    Abstract: A drive-sense circuit module includes at least one regulated source circuit coupled to a load, and to a loop correction circuit. The regulated source circuit generates a drive signal, which has a regulated characteristic and a controlled characteristic. At least one reference circuit applies a reference signal to the loop correction circuit that establishes a reference value of the controlled characteristic. The loop correction circuit senses an effect of one or more load characteristics on a sensed value of the controlled characteristic of the drive signal and generates a comparison signal based on the sensed value and the reference value of the controlled characteristic. A regulation signal is generated based on the comparison signal and used to regulate the regulated characteristic of the drive signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2025
    Publication date: August 21, 2025
    Applicant: SigmaSense, LLC.
    Inventors: Patrick Troy Gray, Michael Shawn Gray, Daniel Keith Van Ostrand, Richard Stuart Seger, JR., Timothy W. Markison
  • Publication number: 20250251706
    Abstract: A rotating equipment system with in-line drive-sense circuit (DSC) electric power signal processing includes rotating equipment, in-line drive-sense circuits (DSCs), and one or more processing modules. The in-line DSCs receive input electrical power signals and generate motor drive signals for the rotating equipment. An in-line DSC receives an input electrical power signal, processes it to generate and output a motor drive signal to the rotating equipment via a single line and simultaneously senses the motor drive signal via the single line. Based on the sensing of the motor drive signal via the single line, the in-line DSC provides a digital signal to the one or more processing modules that receive and process the digital signal to determine information regarding one or more operational conditions of the rotating equipment, and based thereon, selectively facilitate one or more adaptation operations on the motor drive signal via the in-line DSC.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2025
    Publication date: August 7, 2025
    Applicant: SIGMASENSE, LLC.
    Inventors: Patrick Troy Gray, Gerald Dale Morrison, Daniel Keith Van Ostrand, Richard Stuart Seger, JR.
  • Publication number: 20250244842
    Abstract: An input device includes a shell and an orientation reference piece within the shell. The orientation reference piece includes one or more primary orientation capacitors, and the orientation reference piece is operable to shift when the input device tilts. The input device further includes a conductive tip coupled to the orientation reference piece and two or more orientation capacitors coupled to the interior of the shell. The first orientation capacitor of the two or more orientation capacitors is substantially parallel to a second orientation capacitor of the two or more orientation capacitors. The orientation reference piece and the two or more orientation capacitors form two or more orientation capacitances. The input device further includes a raw data circuit coupled to the two or more orientation capacitors. The raw data circuit is operable to generate tilt orientation data of the input device with respect to a touch screen.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2025
    Publication date: July 31, 2025
    Applicant: SIGMASENSE, LLC.
    Inventors: Patrick Troy Gray, Daniel Keith Van Ostrand
  • Patent number: 12373070
    Abstract: A sensor system operates by: communicating a first ID signal at a first frequency between a first passenger restraint and a first sensor circuit of a touch screen through a body of a first user in a first occupancy area; receiving first sensed signal data from the first sensor circuit indicating a possible interaction with a first interactable element at a first touch screen location based on changes in electrical properties of an electrode of the first sensor circuit; determining the first sensed signal data indicates detection of the first frequency; when permissions data for the first occupancy area indicates occupants of the first occupancy area can interact with the first interactable element, facilitate performance of a functionality associated with the first interactable element; when permissions data for the first occupancy area indicates occupants of the first occupancy area cannot interact with the first interactable element, foregoing performance of the functionality associated with the interaction
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2023
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2025
    Assignee: SigmaSense, LLC.
    Inventors: Kevin Joseph Derichs, Richard Stuart Seger, Jr., Michael Shawn Gray, Patrick Troy Gray, Daniel Keith Van Ostrand
  • Patent number: 12360628
    Abstract: A touch screen display is operable to operate in a first mode during a first temporal period based on activating exactly one set of drive-sense circuits of a plurality of sets of drive-sense circuits to generate a corresponding one set of sensed signals during the first temporal period, and processing the corresponding one set of sensed signals to generate first proximal interaction data for the first temporal period. The touch screen display is operable to operate in a second mode during a second temporal period after the first temporal period based on activating more than one set of drive-sense circuits of the plurality of sets of drive-sense circuits to generate a corresponding more than one set of sensed signals during the second temporal period, and processing the set of sensed signals to generate second proximal interaction data for the second temporal period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2024
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2025
    Assignee: SigmaSense, LLC.
    Inventors: Daniel Keith Van Ostrand, Michael Shawn Gray, Patrick Troy Gray, Richard Stuart Seger, Jr.
  • Patent number: 12360630
    Abstract: A touch sensor device (TSD) includes a panel and drive-sense circuits (DSCs). The panel includes electrodes, and the DSCs are operably coupled to the electrodes. A DSC is operably coupled via a single line to an electrode and is configured to provide a signal via the single line to the electrode and simultaneously to sense the signal via the single line. The sensing of the signal includes detection of an electrical characteristic of the electrode and/or a change of the signal. The DSC is also configured to generate a digital signal representative of the electrical characteristic of the electrode and/or the change of the signal. The TSD also includes one or more processing modules operably coupled to the DSCs and configured to execute operational instructions to process first digital signals generated by a first subset of the DSCs that includes fewer than all of the DSCs in a prioritized manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2023
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2025
    Assignee: SIGMASENSE, LLC.
    Inventors: Daniel Keith Van Ostrand, Richard Stuart Seger, Jr., Kevin Joseph Derichs
  • Patent number: 12360641
    Abstract: A sensor system operates by: communicating a first ID signal at a first frequency between a first perimeter sensor and a first sensor circuit of a touch screen through a body of a first user in a first occupancy area; receiving first sensed signal data from the first sensor circuit indicating a possible interaction with a first interactable element at a first touch screen location based on changes in electrical properties of an electrode of the first sensor circuit; determining the first sensed signal data indicates detection of the first frequency; when permissions data for the first occupancy area indicates occupants of the first occupancy area can interact with the first interactable element, facilitate performance of a functionality associated with the first interactable element; when permissions data for the first occupancy area indicates occupants of the first occupancy area cannot interact with the first interactable element, foregoing performance of the functionality associated with the interaction wi
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2023
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2025
    Assignee: SigmaSense, LLC.
    Inventors: Kevin Joseph Derichs, Richard Stuart Seger, Jr., Michael Shawn Gray, Patrick Troy Gray, Daniel Keith Van Ostrand
  • Patent number: 12352713
    Abstract: An organic and inorganic material test system includes at least one test container, a first and second set of electrodes embedded in the at least one test container, a set of transmit circuits coupled to the first set of electrodes, and a set of differential drive-sense circuits (DDSCs) coupled to the second set of electrodes. A first transmit circuit coupled to a first electrode is operable to produce a first transmit signal at a first frequency for transmission through contents of a first test container. A first DDSC coupled to a second electrode of the first test container includes a pair of drive-sense circuits (DSCs) and an output operational amplifier. The pair of DSCs are operable to generate receive signals at the first frequency. The output operational amplifier compares receive signals to produce a signal representative of the contents with respect to positioning of the first and second electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2025
    Assignee: SIGMASENSE, LLC.
    Inventors: Daniel Keith Van Ostrand, Richard Stuart Seger, Jr., Gerald Dale Morrison, Patrick Troy Gray, Phuong Huynh, Timothy W. Markison, Patricia M. Healy
  • Publication number: 20250190070
    Abstract: A current reference operative drive-sense circuit (DSC) includes a current source operably coupled to a load and a voltage-mode analog to digital converter (ADC). When enabled, the current source is configured to drive a sinusoidal current reference signal to the load thereby generating a load voltage that is based on the sinusoidal current reference signal and an impedance of the load. The voltage-mode ADC is operably coupled the load and to the current source. When enabled, the voltage-mode ADC configured to perform digital sampling of the load voltage and to generate a digital signal that is representative of the load voltage. In some implementations, one or more processing modules is configured to execute operational instructions to process the digital signal that is representative of the load voltage in accordance with determining impedance of the load and/or change of impedance of the load.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2025
    Publication date: June 12, 2025
    Applicant: SIGMASENSE, LLC.
    Inventors: Patrick Troy Gray, Daniel Keith Van Ostrand, Richard Stuart Seger, JR., Phuong Huynh
  • Publication number: 20250181117
    Abstract: A device having a touch screen display with at least a first touch area and a second touch area, the second touch area rollable between an extended position and a closed position. A first plurality of column electrodes are integrated into the first touch area of the touch screen display, a second plurality of column electrodes are integrated into the second touch area of the touch screen display, and a plurality of row electrodes are integrated into and extend across the first touch area and the second touch area. The device further includes a plurality of drive-sense circuits that drive sensor signals on the electrodes. A processing module senses, based on the sensor signals, an electrical characteristic of at least one row electrode and at least one column electrode of the first plurality of column electrodes or the second plurality of column electrodes to determine proximal touches.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2025
    Publication date: June 5, 2025
    Applicant: SigmaSense, LLC.
    Inventors: Richard Stuart Seger, JR., Michael Shawn Gray, Daniel Keith Van Ostrand, Patrick Troy Gray