Patents by Inventor David A. Sobel

David A. Sobel 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: 20150253890
    Abstract: Asymmetric scanning logic implements asymmetric panel scanning by scanning some rows on a touch panel more frequently than other rows. Note that although an entire row at a time may be driven, if only particular pixels in the row are of interest (e.g., included in any region of interest for focused asymmetric scanning), then circuitry may power down the receivers for the columns in which the pixels exist to save power. The asymmetric scanning logic facilitates focused attention to specific areas of interest on the touch panel, to compensate, for example, for high noise or low signal strength in those areas of interest.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2015
    Publication date: September 10, 2015
    Inventors: David A. Sobel, Sumant Ranganathan, Tianhao Li, John S. Walley, Glen Weaver, Kerrynn Jacques de Roche, Pi Sheng Chang
  • Patent number: 9007331
    Abstract: A touch sensitive pad with a plurality of touch sensitive elements and processing circuitry coupled to a communications interface and to the touch sensitive pad for scanning the plurality of touch sensitive elements to measure a plurality of touch sensitive element values. The plurality of touch sensitive element values is compared to a hovering finger threshold pattern. Upon a favorable comparison, a hovering finger condition is determined, and a position of the hovering finger in three-dimensions is detected with respect to the touch sensitive pad. The plurality of touch sensitive element values is compared to a touching finger threshold pattern. Upon a favorable comparison, a touching finger condition is determined, and a position of the touching finger is detected upon the touch sensitive pad.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: David A. Sobel, Monika Gupta, John Walley, Pieter Vorenkamp, Jeyhan Karaoguz
  • Patent number: 9001072
    Abstract: Asymmetric scanning logic implements asymmetric panel scanning by scanning some rows on a touch panel more frequently than other rows. Note that although an entire row at a time may be driven, if only particular pixels in the row are of interest (e.g., included in any region of interest for focused asymmetric scanning), then circuitry may power down the receivers for the columns in which the pixels exist to save power. The asymmetric scanning logic facilitates focused attention to specific areas of interest on the touch panel, to compensate, for example, for high noise or low signal strength in those areas of interest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: David A. Sobel, Sumant Ranganathan, Tianhao Li, John S. Walley, Glen Weaver, Kerrynn Jacques de Roche, Pi Sheng Chang
  • Publication number: 20150091869
    Abstract: Control circuitry for a touch panel includes a touch panel interface, a memory comprising scanning logic, and a controller in communication with the memory and the touch panel interface. The controller is operable, when the scanning logic is executed, to energize a first and a second row in the touch panel simultaneously, a first time; obtain a first signal measurement along a column intersecting the first and second rows; energize the first and the second row in the touch panel simultaneously, a second time; obtain a second signal measurement along the column; and determine a first pixel value and a second pixel value along the column from the first signal measurement and the second signal measurement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2014
    Publication date: April 2, 2015
    Inventors: David A. Sobel, Sumant Ranganathan, John S. Walley
  • Patent number: 8937606
    Abstract: Control circuitry for a touch panel includes a touch panel interface, a memory comprising scanning logic, and a controller in communication with the memory and the touch panel interface. The controller is operable, when the scanning logic is executed, to energize a first and a second row in the touch panel simultaneously, a first time; obtain a first signal measurement along a column intersecting the first and second rows; energize the first and the second row in the touch panel simultaneously, a second time; obtain a second signal measurement along the column; and determine a first pixel value and a second pixel value along the column from the first signal measurement and the second signal measurement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2015
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: David A. Sobel, Sumant Ranganathan, John S. Walley
  • Patent number: 8845424
    Abstract: A game controller with a communications interface includes a touch sensitive pad having a plurality of touch sensitive elements, and processing circuitry coupled to the communications interface and the at least one touch sensitive pad. The processing circuitry enacts touch pad configuration settings that correlate subsets of the plurality of touch sensitive elements to produce distinct user input locations. The processing circuitry receives touch pad input from the at least one touch sensitive pad. The processing circuitry processes the touch pad input to determine user input directions based upon the touch pad configuration settings, and then transmits the touch pad input directions via the communications interface for use as gaming input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: David A. Sobel, Monika Gupta, Sumant Ranganathan, Pieter Vorenkamp, Jeyhan Karaoguz
  • Patent number: 8754746
    Abstract: Operating a game controller to identify a user by receiving touch pad input from at least one touch sensitive pad of the game controller that has a plurality of touch sensitive elements. The touch pad input corresponds to the user's touch of at least some of the plurality of touch sensitive elements. The touch pad input is at least partially processed by processing circuitry of the game controller and transmitted to a game console via a communications interface of the game controller for processing of the at least partially processed touch pad input to identify the user via pattern recognition. At least partially processing the touch pad input can be by identifying at least one finger orientation, at least one finger spacing, at least one finger width, a plurality of finger knuckle/joint locations, and/or a plurality of finger lengths based upon the touch pad input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Bob Lukas, David A. Sobel, Monika Gupta, Qiang Fu, Sumant Ranganathan, Jeyhan Karaoguz, Tom W. Kwan, Xinyu Yu
  • Patent number: 8614621
    Abstract: Operating a remote control to identify a user by receiving touch pad input from at least one touch sensitive element of the remote control that has a plurality of touch sensitive elements. The touch pad input corresponds to the user's touch of at least some of the plurality of touch sensitive elements. The touch pad input is at least partially processed by processing circuitry of the remote control and transmitted to a multimedia system console via a communications interface of the remote control for processing of the at least partially processed touch pad input to identify the user via pattern recognition. At least partially processing the touch pad input can be by identifying at least one finger orientation, at least one finger spacing, at least one finger width, a plurality of finger knuckle/joint locations, and/or a plurality of finger lengths based upon the touch pad input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2013
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: David A. Sobel, Qiang Fu, Sumant Ranganathan, John Walley, Pieter Vorenkamp, Jeyhan Karaoguz, Tom W. Kwan
  • Publication number: 20130237322
    Abstract: A game controller with a communications interface includes a touch sensitive pad having a plurality of touch sensitive elements, and processing circuitry coupled to the communications interface and the at least one touch sensitive pad. The processing circuitry enacts touch pad configuration settings that correlate subsets of the plurality of touch sensitive elements to produce distinct user input locations. The processing circuitry receives touch pad input from the at least one touch sensitive pad. The processing circuitry processes the touch pad input to determine user input directions based upon the touch pad configuration settings, and then transmits the touch pad input directions via the communications interface for use as gaming input.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2013
    Publication date: September 12, 2013
    Applicant: BROADCOM CORPORATION
    Inventors: David A. Sobel, Monika Gupta, Sumant Ranganathan, Pieter Vorenkamp, Jeyhan Karaoguz
  • Publication number: 20130176274
    Abstract: Asymmetric scanning logic implements asymmetric panel scanning by scanning some rows on a touch panel more frequently than other rows. Note that although an entire row at a time may be driven, if only particular pixels in the row are of interest (e.g., included in any region of interest for focused asymmetric scanning), then circuitry may power down the receivers for the columns in which the pixels exist to save power. The asymmetric scanning logic facilitates focused attention to specific areas of interest on the touch panel, to compensate, for example, for high noise or low signal strength in those areas of interest.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2012
    Publication date: July 11, 2013
    Applicant: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: David A. Sobel, Sumant Ranganathan, Tianhao Li, John S. Walley, Glen Weaver, Kerrynn Jacques de Roche, Pi Sheng Chang
  • Publication number: 20130176271
    Abstract: Control circuitry for a touch panel includes a touch panel interface, a memory comprising scanning logic, and a controller in communication with the memory and the touch panel interface. The controller is operable, when the scanning logic is executed, to energize a first and a second row in the touch panel simultaneously, a first time; obtain a first signal measurement along a column intersecting the first and second rows; energize the first and the second row in the touch panel simultaneously, a second time; obtain a second signal measurement along the column; and determine a first pixel value and a second pixel value along the column from the first signal measurement and the second signal measurement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2012
    Publication date: July 11, 2013
    Applicant: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: David A. Sobel, Sumant Ranganathan, John S. Walley
  • Patent number: 8449393
    Abstract: A game controller with a communications interface, at least one touch sensitive pad having a plurality of touch sensitive elements, and processing circuitry coupled to the communications interface and the at least one touch sensitive pad. The processing circuitry enacts touch pad configuration settings that correlate subsets of the plurality of touch sensitive elements to respective distinct user input locations. The processing circuitry receives touch pad input from the at least one touch sensitive pad. The touch pad input corresponds to a user's touch of at least some of the plurality of touch sensitive elements. The processing circuitry processes the touch pad input to determine user input directions based upon the touch pad configuration settings, and then transmits the touch pad input directions to a game console via the communications interface for use as gaming input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: David A. Sobel, Monika Gupta, Sumant Ranganathan, Pieter Vorenkamp, Jeyhan Karaoguz
  • Publication number: 20110118028
    Abstract: A game controller with a communications interface, at least one touch sensitive pad having a plurality of touch sensitive elements, and processing circuitry coupled to the communications interface and the at least one touch sensitive pad. The processing circuitry enacts touch pad configuration settings that correlate subsets of the plurality of touch sensitive elements to respective distinct user input locations. The processing circuitry receives touch pad input from the at least one touch sensitive pad. The touch pad input corresponds to a user's touch of at least some of the plurality of touch sensitive elements. The processing circuitry processes the touch pad input to determine user input directions based upon the touch pad configuration settings, and then transmits the touch pad input directions to a game console via the communications interface for use as gaming input.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2010
    Publication date: May 19, 2011
    Applicant: BROADCOM CORPORATION
    Inventors: DAVID A. SOBEL, MONIKA GUPTA, SUMANT RANGANATHAN, PIETER VORENKAMP, JEYHAN KARAOGUZ
  • Publication number: 20110118029
    Abstract: Operating a game controller by receiving touch pad input from at least one touch sensitive pad of the game controller that has a plurality of touch sensitive elements. The touch pad input corresponds to the user's touch of at least some of the plurality of touch sensitive elements. The touch pad input is at least partially processed by processing circuitry of the game controller and the at least partially processed touch pad input is transmitted to a game console via a communications interface of the game controller for use as gaming input. At least partially processing the touch pad input can be by determining hand/foot position, changes in hand/foot position, hand grip/foot pressure, changes in hand grip/foot pressure based upon the touch pad input.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2010
    Publication date: May 19, 2011
    Applicant: BROADCOM CORPORATION
    Inventors: BOB LUKAS, DAVID A. SOBEL, QIANG FU, SUMANT RANGANATHAN, JEYHAN KARAOGUZ, TOM W. KWAN
  • Publication number: 20110115604
    Abstract: Operating a remote control to identify a user by receiving touch pad input from at least one touch sensitive element of the remote control that has a plurality of touch sensitive elements. The touch pad input corresponds to the user's touch of at least some of the plurality of touch sensitive elements. The touch pad input is at least partially processed by processing circuitry of the remote control and transmitted to a multimedia system console via a communications interface of the remote control for processing of the at least partially processed touch pad input to identify the user via pattern recognition. At least partially processing the touch pad input can be by identifying at least one finger orientation, at least one finger spacing, at least one finger width, a plurality of finger knuckle/joint locations, and/or a plurality of finger lengths based upon the touch pad input.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2010
    Publication date: May 19, 2011
    Applicant: BROADCOM CORPORATION
    Inventors: DAVID A. SOBEL, QIANG FU, SUMANT RANGANATHAN, JOHN WALLEY, PIETER VORENKAMP, JEYHAN KARAOGUZ, TOM W. KWAN
  • Publication number: 20110115742
    Abstract: A touch sensitive pad with a plurality of touch sensitive elements and processing circuitry coupled to a communications interface and to the touch sensitive pad for scanning the plurality of touch sensitive elements to measure a plurality of touch sensitive element values. The plurality of touch sensitive element values is compared to a hovering finger threshold pattern. Upon a favorable comparison, a hovering finger condition is determined, and a position of the hovering finger in three-dimensions is detected with respect to the touch sensitive pad. The plurality of touch sensitive element values is compared to a touching finger threshold pattern. Upon a favorable comparison, a touching finger condition is determined, and a position of the touching finger is detected upon the touch sensitive pad.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2010
    Publication date: May 19, 2011
    Applicant: BROADCOM CORPORATION
    Inventors: DAVID A. SOBEL, MONIKA GUPTA, JOHN WALLEY, PIETER VORENKAMP, JEYHAN KARAOGUZ
  • Publication number: 20110115741
    Abstract: Operating a user input device by scanning touch sensitive elements of a touch pad to measure touch sensitive element values. The touch sensitive element values are compared to a stylus input threshold pattern. Upon a favorable comparison, a stylus input condition is determined, stylus input touch pad processing settings are enacted, and a position of the stylus upon the touch pad is detected. Detection of the stylus position upon the touch pad is based upon the touch sensitive element values and the stylus input touch pad processing settings. The touch sensitive element values are compared to a touching finger threshold pattern. Upon a favorable comparison, a touching finger condition is determined, touching finger touch pad processing settings are enacted, and the touching finger's position upon the touch pad is detected based upon the touch sensitive element values.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2010
    Publication date: May 19, 2011
    Applicant: BROADCOM CORPORATION
    Inventors: BOB LUKAS, DAVID A. SOBEL, MONIKA GUPTA, SUMANT RANGANATHAN, PIETER VORENKAMP
  • Publication number: 20110118027
    Abstract: Operating a gaming system having a game console and a game controller by receiving touch pad input from at least one touch sensitive pad of the game controller that has a plurality of touch sensitive elements. The touch pad input corresponds to a user's touch of at least some of the plurality of touch sensitive elements. The touch pad input is at least partially processed by processing circuitry of the game controller to produce partially processed touch pad input and transmitted from the game controller to the game console via communications interfaces of the game controller and the game console. The game console processes the at least partially processed touch pad input to produce game alteration data. The at least one corresponding game operation is altered based upon the game alteration data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2010
    Publication date: May 19, 2011
    Applicant: BROADCOM CORPORATION
    Inventors: BOB LUKAS, DAVID A. SOBEL, QIANG FU, JEYHAN KARAOGUZ, TOM W. KWAN
  • Publication number: 20110118026
    Abstract: Operating a game controller to identify a user by receiving touch pad input from at least one touch sensitive pad of the game controller that has a plurality of touch sensitive elements. The touch pad input corresponds to the user's touch of at least some of the plurality of touch sensitive elements. The touch pad input is at least partially processed by processing circuitry of the game controller and transmitted to a game console via a communications interface of the game controller for processing of the at least partially processed touch pad input to identify the user via pattern recognition. At least partially processing the touch pad input can be by identifying at least one finger orientation, at least one finger spacing, at least one finger width, a plurality of finger knuckle/joint locations, and/or a plurality of finger lengths based upon the touch pad input.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2010
    Publication date: May 19, 2011
    Applicant: BROADCOM CORPORATION
    Inventors: BOB LUKAS, DAVID A. SOBEL, MONIKA GUPTA, QIANG FU, SUMANT RANGANATHAN, JEYHAN KARAOGUZ, TOM W. KWAN, XINYU YU
  • Patent number: RE43776
    Abstract: Provided a method of reducing impedance variations in an electrical circuit structured and arranged for placement on an integrated circuit (IC) substrate. The method includes forming sets of parallel connected resistors, each set corresponding to one of the impedance devices on the IC. Each set also includes two or more parallel resistor paths, each resistor path including two or more cascaded resistors and has a total impedance value substantially equal to the predetermined impedance value of its corresponding impedance device. Finally, the method includes configuring the sets of parallel resistor paths to form an interdigital structure across the substrate when the electrical circuit is placed on the IC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: David A. Sobel