Abstract: A computing device includes an image sensing grid operable to sense an item, a plurality of drive sense circuits operable to: provide drive signals to the image sensing grid, detect an effect on one or more drive signals caused by the item being proximal to the image sensing grid and generate drive sense data based on the detected effect of the one or more drive signals The computing device further includes a processing module operable to generate a frame of image data regarding the item based on the drive sense data, wherein the frame of image data corresponds to a plurality of measures of effect the item had on at least some of the drive signals provided to the image sensing grid during a frame interval, and provide the frame of image data to a data circuit that generates a frame of visual image data based on the frame of image data.

Abstract: An analog to digital conversion circuit of a touch screen computing device includes a plurality of analog to digital converter circuits operable to convert a plurality of analog signals into a plurality of digital signals at an oversampling rate, a digital decimation filtering module operable to convert the plurality of digital signals into a plurality of digital filtered signals at a first output rate, a coefficient processor operable to generate real component coefficients and imaginary component coefficients of a filtering function at a plurality of frequencies, a first bandpass filter circuit operable to produce first affect values at known frequencies of the plurality of frequencies, and a second bandpass filter circuit operable to produce second affect values at selected frequencies of the plurality of frequencies.

Abstract: A passive device includes a non-conductive housing including an upper and lower housing section, a conductive section housed in the upper housing section, and a pressure assembly housed in the lower housing section. The pressure assembly includes a compressible conductor, a mounting structure coupled to the compressible conductor and the upper housing section, a conductive contact coupled to the compressible conductor and the conductive section, and a firm spherical conductor. The firm spherical conductor includes an upper contact point for contact with the compressible conductor and a lower contact point for contact with the touchscreen. When z-direction pressure is applied on the firm spherical conductor, the compressive conductor compresses against the upper contact point. Compression of the compressive conductor increases surface area between the firm spherical conductor and the compressive conductor. The increase in surface area increases the capacitance of the passive device.

Abstract: A data sensing circuit includes one or more drive sense circuits operably coupled to a plurality of data sources. The one or more drive sense circuits produces a plurality of digital sense signals regarding the plurality of data sources at an oversampling rate. The data sensing circuit further includes a digital filtering circuit operably coupled to receive, in parallel, at least some of the plurality of digital sense signals and generate, in a serial manner, a plurality of affect values from the least some of the plurality of digital sense signals.

Abstract: A method for execution by a touch screen computing device includes obtaining a touch signal associated with a row electrode of a touch screen display that is operable to render frames of data into visible images, where the touch screen display includes rows of electrodes oriented with columns of electrodes. The method further includes spatial filtering the touch signal in a first direction of the row electrode with respect to columns of the electrodes that form intersections with the row electrode to produce first direction touch signal data. The method further includes spatial filtering the touch signal in a second direction of the row electrode with respect to the intersections to produce second direction touch signal data. The method further includes combining the first and second direction touch signal data to produce a filtered touch signal. The method further includes processing the filtered touch signal to determine touch data.

Abstract: A method for execution by a touch screen computing device includes obtaining a touch signal associated with a row electrode of a touch screen display that is operable to render frames of data into visible images, where the touch screen display includes rows of electrodes oriented with columns of electrodes. The method further includes spatial filtering the touch signal in a first direction of the row electrode with respect to columns of the electrodes that form intersections with the row electrode to produce first direction touch signal data. The method further includes spatial filtering the touch signal in a second direction of the row electrode with respect to the intersections to produce second direction touch signal data. The method further includes combining the first and second direction touch signal data to produce a filtered touch signal. The method further includes processing the filtered touch signal to determine touch data.

Abstract: A method includes, for a first x-y position of a sensing grid, obtaining first sensed data. The method further includes, for a first sense data layer, determining whether the first sensed data compares favorably to a threshold for the first sense data layer. The method further includes, when the first sensed data compares favorably to the threshold for the first sense data layer; storing a first n-bit value and storing a second n-bit value when it does not. The method further includes, for a second sense data layer, determining whether the first sensed data compares favorably to a threshold for the second sense data layer. The method further includes, when the first sensed data compares favorably to the threshold for the second sense data layer; storing the first n-bit value and storing the second n-bit value when it does not. The method includes similar processing for a second x-y position.

Abstract: A passive device includes a non-conductive housing including an upper and lower housing section, a conductive section housed in the upper housing section, and a pressure assembly housed in the lower housing section. The pressure assembly includes a compressible conductor, a mounting structure coupled to the compressible conductor and the upper housing section, a conductive contact coupled to the compressible conductor and the conductive section, and a firm spherical conductor. The firm spherical conductor includes an upper contact point for contact with the compressible conductor and a lower contact point for contact with the touchscreen. When z-direction pressure is applied on the firm spherical conductor, the compressive conductor compresses against the upper contact point. Compression of the compressive conductor increases surface area between the firm spherical conductor and the compressive conductor. The increase in surface area increases the capacitance of the passive device.

Abstract: A passive device includes a non-conductive housing including an upper and lower housing section, a conductive section housed in the upper housing section, and a pressure assembly housed in the lower housing section. The pressure assembly includes a compressible conductor, a mounting structure coupled to the compressible conductor and the upper housing section, a conductive contact coupled to the compressible conductor and the conductive section, and a firm spherical conductor. The firm spherical conductor includes an upper contact point for contact with the compressible conductor and a lower contact point for contact with the touchscreen. When z-direction pressure is applied on the firm spherical conductor, the compressive conductor compresses against the upper contact point. Compression of the compressive conductor increases surface area between the firm spherical conductor and the compressive conductor. The increase in surface area increases the capacitance of the passive device.

Abstract: A digital decimation filtering circuit of an analog to digital conversion circuit includes an n-tap anti-aliasing filter operable to receive a 1-bit analog to digital converter (ADC) output signal at an oversampling rate and filter the 1-bit ADC output signal to remove frequencies higher than a selected cut-off frequency to produce an n-bit filtered signal at a first data output rate. The digital decimation filtering circuit further includes a decimator operable to receive the n-bit filtered signal at the first data output rate, decimate the n-bit filtered signal by a decimation factor to produce a set of output signals, and sum the set of outputs to produce a decimated signal at a second data output rate. The first data output rate is greater than the second data output rate.

Abstract: A confined data communication system includes a reference generation circuit operable to produce one or more analog reference signals, an analog to digital converter circuit operable to process an analog signal to produce a digital representative signal, a digital filtering circuit operable to filter the digital representative signal to produce an affect value, a data processing module operable to interpret the affect value to produce processed output data, and a processing module operable to set frequency and waveform for each of the one or more analog reference signals, set digital filtering parameters for the digital filtering circuit, set a sampling rate for the analog to digital converter circuit, and set data interpretation parameters for the data processing module.

Abstract: A digital decimation filtering circuit of an analog to digital conversion circuit includes an n-tap anti-aliasing filter operable to receive a 1-bit analog to digital converter (ADC) output signal at an oversampling rate and filter the 1-bit ADC output signal to remove frequencies higher than a selected cut-off frequency to produce an n-bit filtered signal at a first data output rate. The digital decimation filtering circuit further includes a decimator operable to receive the n-bit filtered signal at the first data output rate, decimate the n-bit filtered signal by a decimation factor to produce a set of output signals, and sum the set of outputs to produce a decimated signal at a second data output rate. The first data output rate is greater than the second data output rate.

Abstract: A data sensing circuit includes one or more drive sense circuits operably coupled to a plurality of data sources. The one or more drive sense circuits produces a plurality of digital sense signals regarding the plurality of data sources at an oversampling rate. The data sensing circuit further includes a digital filtering circuit operably coupled to receive, in parallel, at least some of the plurality of digital sense signals and generate, in a serial manner, a plurality of affect values from the least some of the plurality of digital sense signals.

Abstract: A confined data communication system includes a reference generation circuit operable to produce one or more analog reference signals, an analog to digital converter circuit operable to process an analog signal to produce a digital representative signal, a digital filtering circuit operable to filter the digital representative signal to produce an affect value, a data processing module operable to interpret the affect value to produce processed output data, and a processing module operable to set frequency and waveform for each of the one or more analog reference signals, set digital filtering parameters for the digital filtering circuit, set a sampling rate for the analog to digital converter circuit, and set data interpretation parameters for the data processing module.

Abstract: An analog to digital conversion circuit includes an analog to digital converter (ADC) circuit operable to convert an analog signal having an oscillation frequency into a first digital signal having a first data rate frequency. The analog signal includes a set of pure tone components. The first digital signal includes n 1-bit channels. The analog to digital conversion circuit further includes a digital decimation filtering circuit including n anti-aliasing filters operable to sample and filter the n 1-bit channels of the first digital signal to produce n second digital signals and n decimator circuits operable to decimate the n second digital signals to produce n third digital signals at a second data rate frequency. The analog to digital conversion circuit further includes a multiplexor operable to output the n third digital signals at the second data rate frequency on a single bus.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for automatic gain control utilizing sound source position information in a shared space having a plurality of microphones and a plurality of sound sources. Sound signals are received from the microphones. One or more processors locate position information corresponding to each of the sound sources. The processor(s) determine the distance to each of the sound sources from each of the microphones. The processor(s) define a predetermined gain weight adjustment for each of the microphones. The processor(s) apply the defined weight adjustments to the microphones to achieve a consistent volume of the desired plurality of sound sources. The processor(s) maintain a consistent ambient sound level regardless of the position of the sound sources and the applied gain weight adjustments. The processor(s) output a summed signal of the sound sources at a consistent volume with a constant ambient sound level across the plurality of sound source positions.

Abstract: A method includes converting, by n analog to digital converter circuits, n analog signals into n first digital signals having a first data rate frequency; converting, by n digital decimation filtering circuits, the n first digital signals into n second digital signals having a second data rate frequency; and converting, by n digital bandpass filter (BPF) circuits, the n second digital signals into a plurality of outbound digital signals having a third data rate frequency. The coefficients for the taps of a digital BPF circuit is set to produce a bandpass region approximately centered at the oscillation frequency of the analog signal and having a bandwidth tuned for filtering a pure tone component of the analog signal. The first data rate frequency is a first integer multiple of the third data rate frequency. The second data rate frequency is a second integer multiple of the third data rate frequency.

Abstract: A method includes, for a first x-y position of a sensing grid, obtaining first sensed data. The method further includes, for a first sense data layer, determining whether the first sensed data compares favorably to a threshold for the first sense data layer. The method further includes, when the first sensed data compares favorably to the threshold for the first sense data layer; storing a first n-bit value and storing a second n-bit value when it does not. The method further includes, for a second sense data layer, determining whether the first sensed data compares favorably to a threshold for the second sense data layer. The method further includes, when the first sensed data compares favorably to the threshold for the second sense data layer; storing the first n-bit value and storing the second n-bit value when it does not. The method includes similar processing for a second x-y position.

Abstract: A method includes, for a first x-y position of a sensing grid, obtaining first sensed data. The method further includes, for a first sense data layer, determining whether the first sensed data compares favorably to a threshold for the first sense data layer. The method further includes, when the first sensed data compares favorably to the threshold for the first sense data layer; storing a first n-bit value and storing a second n-bit value when it does not. The method further includes, for a second sense data layer, determining whether the first sensed data compares favorably to a threshold for the second sense data layer. The method further includes, when the first sensed data compares favorably to the threshold for the second sense data layer; storing the first n-bit value and storing the second n-bit value when it does not. The method includes similar processing for a second x-y position.

Abstract: A method includes obtaining, by a processing module interacting with a touch screen of a computing device, self and mutual capacitance data from a plurality of drive-sense circuits of the computing device. The method further includes generating, by the processing module, capacitance grid data based on the self and mutual capacitance data. The method further includes determining, by the processing module, a use for the capacitance grid data. The method further includes determining, by the processing module, data requirements for the capacitance grid data based on the use and properties of the capacitance grid. When data reduction is enabled, the method further includes determining, by the processing module, a data reduction scheme based on the data requirements and an output data rate. The method further includes processing, by the processing module, the capacitance grid data in accordance with the data reduction scheme to produce reduced capacitive grid data.