Patents by Inventor Ingar Hanssen

Ingar Hanssen 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).

  • Patent number: 10284196
    Abstract: In certain embodiments, a method includes applying voltage to a sensor that includes first and second electrode tracks, the sensor proximate to a conductor depressible relative to the sensor and located between a button and the sensor. The conductor can capacitively couple with a capacitive node formed by the tracks, and the button can capacitively couple with an object. A value of a capacitance at the node is measured, the capacitance reflecting an amount of capacitive coupling between the conductor and the node. In response to the value meeting a first condition, a first button state is detected, indicating the object is within a detectable distance of and not in contact with the button. In response to the value meeting a second condition, a second button state is detected, indicating the object is in contact with the button and the conductor is not in contact with the sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: Atmel Corporation
    Inventors: Ingar Hanssen, Arild Rødland, Rian Whelan
  • Patent number: 10176076
    Abstract: An on-chip system uses a time measurement circuit to trap code that takes longer than expected to execute by breaking code execution on excess time consumption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: Atmel Corporation
    Inventor: Ingar Hanssen
  • Patent number: 10082922
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a device includes one or more processors and one or more memory units. The one or more memory units collectively store logic configured to cause the one or more processors to perform operations including obtaining a first measurement associated with a first voltage, the first voltage output by the mutual-capacitance measurement circuit in response to a first change in capacitance, and obtaining a second measurement associated with a second voltage, the second voltage output by the mutual-capacitance measurement circuit in response to a second change in capacitance. The operations further include calculating a differential measurement using a difference between the first measurement and the second measurement and determining whether a touch or proximity event has occurred based at least in part on the calculated differential measurement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: Atmel Corporation
    Inventors: Ingar Hanssen, Rian Whelan
  • Patent number: 9921691
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes applying a supply voltage across a compensation capacitor; dividing charge between a capacitance of a touch sensor and the compensation capacitor; and performing the application of the supply voltage and the dividing of charge a pre-determined number of times. A first amount of charge of the compensation capacitor results in a first voltage at an input node. The method also includes applying a reference voltage at the input node. The application of the reference voltage at the input node induces a second amount of charge proportional to a difference between the first voltage and the reference voltage on an integration capacitor. The method also includes determining a first difference between the first voltage and the reference voltage based on a second amount of charge on the integration capacitor; and determining whether a touch input to the touch sensor has occurred based on the difference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Atmel Corporation
    Inventors: Ingar Hanssen, Rian Whelan
  • Patent number: 9830245
    Abstract: Systems and methods for generating event trace records are described. One example system includes an event subsystem that receives signaling events generated by one or more associated peripheral devices. The system includes a trace module which is coupled to the event subsystem. The trace module receives the signaling events, samples the received signaling events, receives timestamps, and generates event trace records. Each event trace record includes the sampled signaling events and a respective timestamp indicative of the sampling time. The trace module can generate save commands, and deliver the event trace records and the save commands as outputs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: Atmel Corporation
    Inventor: Ingar Hanssen
  • Publication number: 20170336893
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a device includes one or more processors and one or more memory units. The one or more memory units collectively store logic configured to cause the one or more processors to perform operations including obtaining a first measurement associated with a first voltage, the first voltage output by the mutual-capacitance measurement circuit in response to a first change in capacitance, and obtaining a second measurement associated with a second voltage, the second voltage output by the mutual-capacitance measurement circuit in response to a second change in capacitance. The operations further include calculating a differential measurement using a difference between the first measurement and the second measurement and determining whether a touch or proximity event has occurred based at least in part on the calculated differential measurement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2017
    Publication date: November 23, 2017
    Inventors: Ingar Hanssen, Rian Whelan
  • Patent number: 9823734
    Abstract: A circuit includes a pulse generator coupled to a switch mode power supply. The switch mode power supply includes a switching component configured for transferring a charge to an energy storage component in response to pulses provided by the pulse generator. A pulse counter is coupled to the pulse generator or the switching component and configured to count pulses over a time period and thereby generate a pulse count. A converter coupled to the pulse counter is configured to generate a power measurement for the time period based on the pulse count. If the switch mode power supply has different modes of operation, a different counter may be used for each mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: Atmel Corporation
    Inventors: Ingar Hanssen, Frode Milch Pedersen
  • Publication number: 20170201254
    Abstract: In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a sensor, a button, a conductor between the button and the sensor, and a controller connected to the sensor. The sensor includes first and second electrode tracks. The button includes an electrically isolating material and is configured to capacitively couple with an object. The conductor is configured to capacitively couple with the sensor and form a galvanic connection between the first and second electrode tracks when the conductor comes into contact with the sensor. The controller is configured to measure a value associated with an amount of capacitive coupling between the conductor and the sensor and to detect first and second states of the button based on the value, the first state indicating that the object is in contact with the button and that the conductor is not contacting the sensor, and the second state indicating that the conductor is not contacting the sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2017
    Publication date: July 13, 2017
    Inventors: Ingar Hanssen, Arild Rødland, Rian Whelan
  • Patent number: 9696353
    Abstract: A sense resistor is coupled between a power source and one or more power pins of an integrated circuit (IC) chip including a circuit component (e.g., a microcontroller unit (MCU)). An on-chip amplifier (e.g., a programmable gain amplifier or op-amp) amplifies the voltage drop over the sense resistor to a level that is within the dynamic range of an on-chip analog-to-digital converter (ADC). In some implementations, the measured signals can be time-stamped and stored in a trace buffer and aligned with other trace data using a front-end tool (e.g., a personal computer). In some implementations, circuitry is included for detecting and handling power consumption events associated with the circuit component. In some implementations, a program counter associated with the circuit component is synchronously sampled with the power consumption measurements and/or other data sources.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: Atmel Corporation
    Inventors: Ingar Hanssen, Jo Inge Lamo
  • Patent number: 9690727
    Abstract: Systems, methods, circuits and computer-readable mediums for system internal latency measurements in realtime applications are disclosed. In some implementations, a trigger signal is selected from a plurality of trigger signals for interrupting a processor of an integrated circuit system. The trigger signal includes a pulse having width. The system detects a rising edge of the pulse and starts a counter. The system detects a falling edge of the pulse and stops the counter. The system then compares a count of the counter with first and second values stored in first and second registers, respectively. The first value represents a minimum pulse width and the second value represents a maximum pulse width. The count is stored in the first or second register based on a result of the comparing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: Atmel Corporation
    Inventors: Karl Jean-Paul Courtel, Laurentiu Birsan, Stein Danielsen, Ingar Hanssen
  • Patent number: 9684367
    Abstract: A power trace port included in a system (e.g., a microcontroller system) having multiple power domains includes a power trace port that outputs digital signals indicating the states of the power domains. If each power domain is independent of other power domains in the system, each power domain can have its own set of power trace pins in the power trace port that are at least partially external to the system. If a power domain has multiple states, multiple pins can be used to indicate the multiple states. In some implementations, the power trace port can include performance level pins for providing performance level signals. The power trace port can be coupled to power trace probes of a power analyzer that is external to the system for generating power traces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: Atmel Corporation
    Inventor: Ingar Hanssen
  • Patent number: 9671916
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a device comprises one or more memory units collectively storing logic configured to cause one or more processors to perform operations. The operations comprise: obtaining a first measurement associated with a first voltage output by a mutual-capacitance measurement circuit; obtaining a second measurement associated with a second voltage, the second voltage output by the mutual-capacitance measurement circuit in response to a first change in capacitance; obtaining a third measurement associated with a third voltage output by the mutual capacitance measurement circuit, the third voltage being different from the first voltage; and obtaining a fourth measurement associated with a fourth voltage, the fourth voltage output by the mutual-capacitance measurement circuit in response to a second change in capacitance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: Atmel Corporation
    Inventors: Ingar Hanssen, Rian Whelan
  • Patent number: 9645870
    Abstract: Systems and methods for generating DMA transaction trace records are described. One example system includes a controller that includes a trace module. The trace module receives transfer requests for direct memory access channels, receives timestamps indicative of a transfer request time, generates trace records, wherein each trace record includes a respective timestamp indicative of a transfer request time, generates save commands, and delivers the trace records and the save commands as outputs. The system includes a storage module for saving trace records.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: Atmel Corporation
    Inventor: Ingar Hanssen
  • Publication number: 20170060727
    Abstract: An on-chip system uses a time measurement circuit to trap code that takes longer than expected to execute by breaking code execution on excess time consumption.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2016
    Publication date: March 2, 2017
    Inventor: Ingar Hanssen
  • Patent number: 9568524
    Abstract: In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a sensor, a button, a conductor between the button and the sensor, and a controller connected to the sensor. The sensor includes first and second electrode tracks. The button includes an electrically isolating material and is configured to capacitively couple with an object. The conductor is configured to capacitively couple with the sensor and form a galvanic connection between the first and second electrode tracks when the conductor comes into contact with the sensor. The controller is configured to measure a value associated with an amount of capacitive coupling between the conductor and the sensor and to detect first and second states of the button based on the value, the first state indicating that the object is in contact with the button and that the conductor is not contacting the sensor, and the second state indicating that the conductor is not contacting the sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: Atmel Corporation
    Inventors: Ingar Hanssen, Arild Rødland, Rian Whelan
  • Patent number: 9489287
    Abstract: An on-chip system uses a time measurement circuit to trap code that takes longer than expected to execute by breaking code execution on excess time consumption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: Atmel Corporation
    Inventor: Ingar Hanssen
  • Patent number: 9470725
    Abstract: By powering an electronic component operating in an ultra-low power mode from a pre-charged measuring capacitor and measuring the time to discharge the capacitor to a trip voltage level, measurement data can be obtained. In some implementations, the capacitance of the capacitor can be obtained by adding a known current to the unknown current drawn from the capacitor and calculating the capacitance using a mathematical formula.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: Atmel Corporation
    Inventor: Ingar Hanssen
  • Publication number: 20160224160
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes deactivating an integrator of a mutual-capacitive measurement circuit and configuring the mutual-capacitive measurement circuit according to a first voltage configuration. The first voltage configuration results in a charge on a sensor capacitor and a compensation capacitor when a supply voltage is applied to the mutual-capacitive measurement circuit. The method also includes adjusting a variable reference voltage input of the integrator to a first reference voltage, wherein the first reference voltage is selected to increase an output range of the mutual-capacitive measurement circuit. The method also includes applying the supply voltage to the mutual-capacitive measurement circuit and obtaining a first reference measurement from an analog-digital-converter coupled to an output of the mutual-capacitance measurement circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2016
    Publication date: August 4, 2016
    Inventors: Ingar Hanssen, Rian Whelan
  • Publication number: 20160124879
    Abstract: Systems, methods, circuits and computer-readable mediums for system internal latency measurements in realtime applications are disclosed. In some implementations, a trigger signal is selected from a plurality of trigger signals for interrupting a processor of an integrated circuit system. The trigger signal includes a pulse having width. The system detects a rising edge of the pulse and starts a counter. The system detects a falling edge of the pulse and stops the counter. The system then compares a count of the counter with first and second values stored in first and second registers, respectively. The first value represents a minimum pulse width and the second value represents a maximum pulse width. The count is stored in the first or second register based on a result of the comparing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2014
    Publication date: May 5, 2016
    Inventors: Karl Jean-Paul Courtel, Laurentiu Birsan, Stein Danielsen, Ingar Hanssen
  • Patent number: 9310924
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes deactivating an integrator of a mutual-capacitive measurement circuit and configuring the mutual-capacitive measurement circuit according to a first voltage configuration. The first voltage configuration results in a charge on a sensor capacitor and a compensation capacitor when a supply voltage is applied to the mutual-capacitive measurement circuit. The method also includes adjusting a variable reference voltage input of the integrator to a first reference voltage, wherein the first reference voltage is selected to increase an output range of the mutual-capacitive measurement circuit. The method also includes applying the supply voltage to the mutual-capacitive measurement circuit and obtaining a first reference measurement from an analog-digital-converter coupled to an output of the mutual-capacitance measurement circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: Atmel Corporation
    Inventors: Ingar Hanssen, Rian Whelan