Patents by Inventor Dennis Patrick Lehman

Dennis Patrick Lehman 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).

  • Combined capacitive and piezoelectric sensing in a human machine interface
    Patent number: 11775120
    Abstract: A human machine interface (HMI) system and method of operating. The system includes capacitive measurement circuitry coupled to one or more capacitive touch elements, and piezoelectric measurement circuit including interface circuitry coupled to one or more piezoelectric touch elements. The capacitive measurement circuitry includes a gain stage configured to amplify a signal corresponding to a capacitance at the one or more capacitor input terminals by a gain level for communication to processing circuitry. Gain control circuitry is configured to increase the gain level of the gain stage of the capacitive measurement circuitry responsive to the piezoelectric measurement circuitry receiving a user input from at least one of the piezoelectric touch elements. Implementations that further include piezoelectric drive circuitry for haptic output and clearing debris from the keypad are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Jan Morten Braathen, Dennis Patrick Lehman, Miroslav Oljaca, Maxwell G Robertson, Merril Newman
  • Combined Capacitive and Piezoelectric Sensing in a Human Machine Interface
    Publication number: 20220236816
    Abstract: A human machine interface (HMI) system and method of operating. The system includes capacitive measurement circuitry coupled to one or more capacitive touch elements, and piezoelectric measurement circuit including interface circuitry coupled to one or more piezoelectric touch elements. The capacitive measurement circuitry includes a gain stage configured to amplify a signal corresponding to a capacitance at the one or more capacitor input terminals by a gain level for communication to processing circuitry. Gain control circuitry is configured to increase the gain level of the gain stage of the capacitive measurement circuitry responsive to the piezoelectric measurement circuitry receiving a user input from at least one of the piezoelectric touch elements. Implementations that further include piezoelectric drive circuitry for haptic output and clearing debris from the keypad are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2021
    Publication date: July 28, 2022
    Inventors: Jan Morten Braathen, Dennis Patrick Lehman, Miroslav Oljaca, Maxwell G Robertson, Merril Newman