Patents by Inventor Henrik Wall

Henrik Wall 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: 20210089164
    Abstract: A method of operating an optical touch apparatus is described wherein, the optical touch apparatus comprising a panel, a plurality of emitters and a plurality of detectors arranged with respect to the panel, the plurality of detectors configured to receive light from the plurality of emitters thereby defining detection samples of light transmitted between pairs of emitters and detectors. The optical touch apparatus being further configured to operate in an ambient light evaluation mode comprising the steps of: generating a first set of samples over a first integration time and a second set of samples over a second integration time using at least one detector, and applying a filter to at least the first and second set of samples to generate a residual ambient light value indicative of ambient light noise, wherein the touch apparatus is configured to perform the following steps: operating according to the ambient light evaluation mode for a plurality of repetitions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2020
    Publication date: March 25, 2021
    Inventors: Tomas CHRISTIANSSON, Henrik WALL, Nicklas Ohlsson, Mattias KRUS, Tomas SVENSSON
  • Patent number: 10761657
    Abstract: A method of operating an optical touch apparatus is described wherein, the optical touch apparatus comprising a panel, a plurality of emitters and a plurality of detectors arranged with respect to the panel, the plurality of detectors configured to receive light from the plurality of emitters thereby defining detection samples of light transmitted between pairs of emitters and detectors. The optical touch apparatus being further configured to operate in an ambient light evaluation mode comprising the steps of: generating a first set of samples over a first integration time and a second set of samples over a second integration time using at least one detector, and applying a filter to at least the first and second set of samples to generate a residual ambient light value indicative of ambient light noise, wherein the touch apparatus is configured to perform the following steps: operating according to the ambient light evaluation mode for a plurality of repetitions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: FlatFrog Laboratories AB
    Inventors: Tomas Christiansson, Henrik Wall, Nicklas Ohlsson, Mattias Krus, Tomas Svensson
  • Patent number: 10474249
    Abstract: A touch sensing apparatus includes a group of emitters arranged to emit light to illuminate at least part of the touch surface, a light detector arranged to receive light from the group of emitters, and a processing element. Each emitter is controlled to transmit a code by way of the emitted light such that the code identifies the respective emitter. The codes may at least partly be transmitted concurrently. The codes may be selected such that a value of an autocorrelation of each code is significantly higher than a value of a cross-correlation between any two codes of different emitters. The processing element processes an output signal from the light detector to separate the light received from the individual emitters based on the transmitted codes, and to determine the position of the object/objects based on the light received from the individual emitters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: FlatFrog Laboratories AB
    Inventors: Christer Fahraeus, Henrik Wall, Ola Wassvik, Tomas Christiansson
  • Publication number: 20190317640
    Abstract: A method of operating an optical touch apparatus is described wherein, the optical touch apparatus comprising a panel, a plurality of emitters and a plurality of detectors arranged with respect to the panel, the plurality of detectors configured to receive light from the plurality of emitters thereby defining detection samples of light transmitted between pairs of emitters and detectors. The optical touch apparatus being further configured to operate in an ambient light evaluation mode comprising the steps of: generating a first set of samples over a first integration time and a second set of samples over a second integration time using at least one detector, and applying a filter to at least the first and second set of samples to generate a residual ambient light value indicative of ambient light noise, wherein the touch apparatus is configured to perform the following steps: operating according to the ambient light evaluation mode for a plurality of repetitions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2017
    Publication date: October 17, 2019
    Inventors: Tomas CHRISTIANSSON, Henrik WALL, Nicklas Ohlsson, Mattias KRUS, Tomas SVENSSON
  • Publication number: 20190094990
    Abstract: A touch sensing apparatus includes a group of emitters arranged to emit light to illuminate at least part of the touch surface, a light detector arranged to receive light from the group of emitters, and a processing element. Each emitter is controlled to transmit a code by way of the emitted light such that the code identifies the respective emitter. The codes may at least partly be transmitted concurrently. The codes may be selected such that a value of an autocorrelation of each code is significantly higher than a value of a cross-correlation between any two codes of different emitters. The processing element processes an output signal from the light detector to separate the light received from the individual emitters based on the transmitted codes, and to determine the position of the object/objects based on the light received from the individual emitters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2018
    Publication date: March 28, 2019
    Inventors: Christer FAHRAEUS, Henrik WALL, Ola WASSVIK, Tomas CHRISTIANSSON
  • Patent number: 10048773
    Abstract: A touch sensing apparatus includes a group of emitters arranged to emit light to illuminate at least part of the touch surface, a light detector arranged to receive light from the group of emitters, and a processing element. Each emitter is controlled to transmit a code by way of the emitted light such that the code identifies the respective emitter. The codes may at least partly be transmitted concurrently. The codes may be selected such that a value of an autocorrelation of each code is significantly higher than a value of a cross-correlation between any two codes of different emitters. The processing element processes an output signal from the light detector to separate the light received from the individual emitters based on the transmitted codes, and to determine the position of the object/objects based on the light received from the individual emitters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: FlatFrog Laboratories AB
    Inventors: Christer Fahraeus, Henrik Wall, Ola Wassvik, Tomas Christiansson
  • Publication number: 20180225006
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a touch sensitive system including a touch surface, a plurality of emitters that emit light, a plurality of detectors that detect the emitted light, a plurality of distributed controllers each can control operation of a segment of emitters and detectors, a main controller that can control the distributed controllers. The touch sensitive system can set in a partial detect mode in which mode a first of the distributed controllers can be active and control a first emitter to emit light in a partial region of the panel coincident with a partial area of the touch surface. The touch sensitive system can detect a predetermined gesture on the partial area of the touch surface, generate a gesture signal indicating the predetermined gesture, and activate a feature of the touch sensitive system in accordance with the predetermined gesture.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 3, 2018
    Publication date: August 9, 2018
    Inventor: Henrik Wall
  • Patent number: 9874978
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a touch sensitive system comprising a touch sensitive panel defining a touch surface, a plurality of emitters configured to emit light into the panel for propagation in the panel, a plurality of detectors configured to detect the light propagating in the panel, a plurality of distributed control devices each configured to control operation of a segment of emitters and detectors, a main control unit configured to control the distributed control devices. The touch sensitive system is configured to be set in a partial detect mode in which mode a first of the distributed control devices is configured to be active and to control a first emitter to emit light in a partial region of the panel coincident with a partial area of the touch surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: FLATFROG LABORATORIES AB
    Inventor: Henrik Wall
  • Publication number: 20170010688
    Abstract: A touch sensing apparatus includes a group of emitters arranged to emit light to illuminate at least part of the touch surface, a light detector arranged to receive light from the group of emitters, and a processing element. Each emitter is controlled to transmit a code by way of the emitted light such that the code identifies the respective emitter. The codes may at least partly be transmitted concurrently. The codes may be selected such that a value of an autocorrelation of each code is significantly higher than a value of a cross-correlation between any two codes of different emitters. The processing element processes an output signal from the light detector to separate the light received from the individual emitters based on the transmitted codes, and to determine the position of the object/objects based on the light received from the individual emitters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2016
    Publication date: January 12, 2017
    Applicant: Flatfrog Laboratories AB
    Inventors: Christer FAHRAEUS, Henrik WALL, Ola WASSVIK, Tomas CHRISTIANSSON
  • Patent number: 9442574
    Abstract: A touch sensing apparatus includes a group of emitters arranged to emit light to illuminate at least part of the touch surface, a light detector arranged to receive light from the group of emitters, and a processing element. Each emitter is controlled to transmit a code by way of the emitted light such that the code identifies the respective emitter. The codes may at least partly be transmitted concurrently. The codes may be selected such that a value of an autocorrelation of each code is significantly higher than a value of a cross-correlation between any two codes of different emitters. The processing element processes an output signal from the light detector to separate the light received from the individual emitters based on the transmitted codes, and to determine the position of the object/objects based on the light received from the individual emitters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: FLATFROG LABORATORIES AB
    Inventors: Christer Fåhraeus, Henrik Wall, Ola Wassvik, Tomas Christiansson
  • Patent number: 9411464
    Abstract: A multi-touch system includes a panel for conducting signals, e.g. by FTIR, from incoupling points to outcoupling points, to define detection lines across the panel. A signal processor operates in a repeating sequence of iterations to obtain an output signal from a detector coupled to the outcoupling points and generate a formatted signal value for each detection line, and operate a reconstruction algorithm on the formatted signal values to determine an interaction pattern on the panel. The signal processor also, at least intermittently in the sequence of iterations, operates compensation data on the formatted signal values to compensate for contaminations on the panel, and calculates updated compensation data based on an interference pattern determined as a function of the interaction pattern, the interference pattern being a 2D representation of contamination-induced signal interferences. The influence of contaminations in the interaction pattern is thereby suppressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: FLATFROG LABORATORIES AB
    Inventors: Mats Petter Wallander, Tomas Christiansson, Henrik Wall
  • Patent number: 9377884
    Abstract: Multi-touch sensitivity is enabled using a touch system that comprises a panel configured to conduct signals, e.g. by FTIR, from a plurality of incoupling points to a plurality of outcoupling points, thereby defining detection lines across the panel between pairs of incoupling and outcoupling points. A signal processor operates in a repeating sequence of iterations to obtain (50) a current signal value for each detection line, and generate (53, 53?) a first interaction pattern and a second interaction pattern as a function of the current signal values, such that the first and second interaction patterns are reconstructed two-dimensional distributions of local interaction with the conducted signals across the surface portion, and represent changes in interaction on different time scales. Thereby, the movement of an object will affect how it is represented in each of the first and second interaction patterns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: FLATFROG LABORATORIES AB
    Inventors: Tomas Christiansson, Mats Petter Wallander, Peter Juhlin, Andreas Johansson, Henrik Wall, Nicklas Ohlsson
  • Publication number: 20160154531
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a touch sensitive system comprising a touch sensitive panel defining a touch surface, a plurality of emitters configured to emit light into the panel for propagation in the panel, a plurality of detectors configured to detect the light propagating in the panel, a plurality of distributed control devices each configured to control operation of a segment of emitters and detectors, a main control unit configured to control the distributed control devices. The touch sensitive system is configured to be set in a partial detect mode in which mode a first of the distributed control devices is configured to be active and to control a first emitter to emit light in a partial region of the panel coincident with a partial area of the touch surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2014
    Publication date: June 2, 2016
    Inventor: Henrik Wall
  • Publication number: 20140292701
    Abstract: Multi-touch sensitivity is enabled using a touch system that comprises a panel configured to conduct signals, e.g. by FTIR, from a plurality of incoupling points to a plurality of outcoupling points, thereby defining detection lines across the panel between pairs of incoupling and outcoupling points. A signal processor operates in a repeating sequence of iterations to obtain (50) a current signal value for each detection line, and generate (53, 53?) a first interaction pattern and a second interaction pattern as a function of the current signal values, such that the first and second interaction patterns are reconstructed two-dimensional distributions of local interaction with the conducted signals across the surface portion, and represent changes in interaction on different time scales. Thereby, the movement of an object will affect how it is represented in each of the first and second interaction patterns.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2012
    Publication date: October 2, 2014
    Applicant: FLATFROG LABORATORIES AB
    Inventors: Tomas Christiansson, Mats Petter Wallander, Peter Juhlin, Andreas Johansson, Henrik Wall, Nicklas Ohlsson
  • Publication number: 20140125633
    Abstract: A touch sensing apparatus includes a group of emitters arranged to emit light to illuminate at least part of the touch surface, a light detector arranged to receive light from the group of emitters, and a processing element. Each emitter is controlled to transmit a code by way of the emitted light such that the code identifies the respective emitter. The codes may at least partly be transmitted concurrently. The codes may be selected such that a value of an autocorrelation of each code is significantly higher than a value of a cross-correlation between any two codes of different emitters. The processing element processes an output signal from the light detector to separate the light received from the individual emitters based on the transmitted codes, and to determine the position of the object/objects based on the light received from the individual emitters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2013
    Publication date: May 8, 2014
    Applicant: FlatFrog Laboratories AB
    Inventors: Christer FÅHRAEUS, Henrik WALL, Ola WASSVIK, Tomas CHRISTIANSSON
  • Patent number: 8692807
    Abstract: An apparatus, method and computer-readable medium for determining a location of at least one object on a touch surface of a light transmissive panel. The method comprises the steps of: introducing light into the panel for propagation by internal reflection between the touch surface and an opposite surface; receiving the light propagating in the panel; and iteratively i) determining a current signal profile of light received by the light detection arrangement, ii) updating, when a condition is met, a background signal profile of light received by the light detection arrangement, iii) calculating a current compensated signal profile as a function of the background signal profile and the current signal profile and iv) determining, when the object touches the touch surface and thereby attenuates the light propagating in the panel, the location as a function of the compensated signal profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Flatfrog Laboratories AB
    Inventors: Christer Føhraeus, Tomas Christiansson, Henrik Wall, Ola Wassvik
  • Publication number: 20130342490
    Abstract: A multi-touch system includes a panel for conducting signals, e.g. by FTIR, from incoupling points to outcoupling points, to define detection lines across the panel. A signal processor operates in a repeating sequence of iterations to obtain an output signal from a detector coupled to the outcoupling points and generate a formatted signal value for each detection line, and operate a reconstruction algorithm on the formatted signal values to determine an interaction pattern on the panel. The signal processor also, at least intermittently in the sequence of iterations, operates compensation data on the formatted signal values to compensate for contaminations on the panel, and calculates updated compensation data based on an interference pattern determined as a function of the interaction pattern, the interference pattern being a 2D representation of contamination-induced signal interferences. The influence of contaminations in the interaction pattern is thereby suppressed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2012
    Publication date: December 26, 2013
    Applicant: FLATFROG LABORATORIES AB
    Inventors: Mats Petter Wallander, Tomas Christiansson, Henrik Wall
  • Patent number: 8581884
    Abstract: A touch sensing apparatus is controlled to determine the position of one or more objects (7) that interact with a touch surface (1). The apparatus includes a group of emitters (2) arranged to emit light to illuminate at least part of the touch surface (1), a light detector (4) arranged to receive light from the group of emitters (2), and a processing element (7). Each emitter (2) is controlled to transmit a code by way of the emitted light such that the code identifies the respective emitter (2). The codes may at least partly be transmitted concurrently. The codes may be selected such that a value of an autocorrelation of each code is significantly higher than a value of a cross-correlation between any two codes of different emitters (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignee: FlatFrog Laboratories AB
    Inventors: Christer Fåhraeus, Henrik Wall, Ola Wassvik, Tomas Christiansson
  • Publication number: 20120200538
    Abstract: An apparatus for determining an interaction between an object and a touch surface of a panel. An illumination arrangement introduces light into the panel for propagation by internal reflection between the touch surface and an opposite surface and towards a receiving light detection arrangement. A processor unit is configured to iteratively i) determine, based on the received light, a current light status representing a two-dimensional distribution of light in the panel, ii) determine the interaction with the object as a function of the current light status and a previously updated background status representing a two-dimensional distribution of light in the panel caused by contaminations, and iii) update the background status as a function of the interaction. A method and computer readable medium are also described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2010
    Publication date: August 9, 2012
    Applicant: FLATFROG LABORATORIES AB
    Inventors: Tomas Christiansson, Christer Fåhraeus, Henrik Wall, Ola Wassvik, Mattias Bryborn Krus
  • Publication number: 20120162144
    Abstract: An apparatus, method and computer-readable medium for determining a location of at least one object on a touch surface of a light transmissive panel. The method comprises the steps of: introducing light into the panel for propagation by internal reflection between the touch surface and an opposite surface; receiving the light propagating in the panel; and iteratively i) determining a current signal profile of light received by the light detection arrangement, ii) updating, when a condition is met, a background signal profile of light received by the light detection arrangement, iii) calculating a current compensated signal profile as a function of the background signal profile and the current signal profile and iv) determining, when the object touches the touch surface and thereby attenuates the light propagating in the panel, the location as a function of the compensated signal profile.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 1, 2010
    Publication date: June 28, 2012
    Applicant: FLATFROG LABORATORIES AB
    Inventors: Christer Fåhraeus, Tomas Christiansson, Henrik Wall, Ola Wassvik