Patents by Inventor Joel C. Kent
Joel C. Kent 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).
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Patent number: 9201546Abstract: An acoustic touch apparatus that utilizes the transfer of surface acoustic waves from one surface, through the touch substrate, to another surface to enable multi-touch capabilities.Type: GrantFiled: March 9, 2012Date of Patent: December 1, 2015Assignee: Elo Touch Solutions, Inc.Inventors: Kyu-Tak Son, Joel C. Kent
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Publication number: 20150317034Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems and methods for a water-immune FTIR touchscreen. An optically clear adhesive with an index of refraction between that of water and human skin in the infrared wavelength range is placed below a touchscreen interface substrate. Light beams with a glancing angle greater than a critical glancing angle determined by the index of refraction of the optically clear adhesive do not totally internally reflect at the interface of the touchscreen interface substrate and the optically clear adhesive. Light beams with a glancing angle below the critical glancing angle totally internally reflect. A glancing angle that totally internally reflects at the substrate/optically clear adhesive interface will also totally internally reflect at an interface of the substrate and any water on the surface of the substrate, rendering the touchscreen immune to the effects of water.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 30, 2014Publication date: November 5, 2015Applicant: ELO TOUCH SOLUTIONS, INC.Inventors: Joel C. KENT, David Hecht
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Patent number: 9176623Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for reducing noise in a signal sensing a bending wave propagating in an object comprising the steps of: receiving a sensed signal representative of a plurality of locations of the object, and fitting a function satisfying bending wave propagation properties to the sensed signals, thereby reducing noise contributions to the sensed signals not satisfying the bending wave propagation properties. By doing so, noise contributions not satisfying the wave propagation properties can be suppressed from the sensed signal, thereby improving the signal-to-noise ratio.Type: GrantFiled: June 20, 2011Date of Patent: November 3, 2015Assignee: Elo Touch Solutions, Inc.Inventor: Joel C. Kent
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Patent number: 9170686Abstract: Systems and related methods providing for touch sensors having segmented reflective arrays including waveguide cores are discussed herein. A touch sensor may include a substrate configured to propagate surface acoustic waves. The substrate may include two or more segmented reflective arrays. A segmented reflective array may include a major reflective array configured to propagate surface acoustic waves and a waveguide core configured to concentrate acoustic energy of the surface acoustic waves. Two segmented reflective arrays may further include adjacent portions that define an overlap region of the substrate. In some embodiments, the segmented reflective array may further include a beam dump configured to decrease intensity of surface acoustic wave propagation past the end of the segmented reflective array.Type: GrantFiled: January 10, 2013Date of Patent: October 27, 2015Assignee: Elo Touch Solutions, Inc.Inventors: Daniel H. Scharff, Joel C. Kent
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Patent number: 9164627Abstract: An acoustic touch apparatus that has a variable thickness glass substrate that permits the transfer of surface acoustic waves between the back and front surfaces, thus enabling transducers to be placed on the substrate surface opposite the desired touch input surface.Type: GrantFiled: March 9, 2012Date of Patent: October 20, 2015Assignee: Elo Touch Solutions, Inc.Inventors: David S. Hecht, Joel C. Kent
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Patent number: 9152278Abstract: A location of contact with a touch sensitive device is determined. Values associated with each electrode of a plurality of electrodes formed on a single layer of the touch sensitive device are sampled. A determination is made as to whether a contact with the touch sensitive device has occurred. Values sampled subsequent to the contact are adjusted based on selected stored sampled values. A location of contact is then determined based on the adjusted values.Type: GrantFiled: January 25, 2011Date of Patent: October 6, 2015Assignee: Elo Touch Solutions, Inc.Inventors: Joel C. Kent, Selina Li, Jong Yi
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Patent number: 9128567Abstract: Systems and related methods providing for touch sensors having a waveguide reflective array within a major reflective array are discussed herein. A touch sensor may include a substrate configured to propagate surface acoustic waves. The substrate may include a front surface, a back surface including the reflective arrays, and a connecting surface joining the front surface and the back surface. The reflective arrays may be configured to cause the surface acoustic waves to propagate from the back surface, via the connecting surface, to the front surface. The touch censor may further include circuitry configured to determine a coordinate of a touch event on the front surface based on received attenuations in the surface acoustic waves.Type: GrantFiled: November 20, 2012Date of Patent: September 8, 2015Assignee: Elo Touch Solutions, Inc.Inventors: Yoshikazu Tanaka, Joel C. Kent
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Publication number: 20150138137Abstract: A capacitive touch sensitive device includes a matrix of pads patterned in a first electrically conductive material on a substrate. Horizontally adjacent pads within each even row of the matrix are electrically coupled to one another via channels to form a plurality of horizontally arranged electrodes. Insulators are positioned over respective channels. Conductive links are formed over respective insulators and are configured to electrically couple vertically adjacent pads between odd rows of the matrix to form a plurality of vertically arranged electrodes. The dimensions of the channels and the conductive links are configured such that an RC time-constant (RCtc) of each of the vertically arranged electrodes substantially matches an RCtc of each of the horizontally arranged electrodes.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 17, 2013Publication date: May 21, 2015Inventors: Kyu-Tak Son, Joel C. Kent
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Patent number: 8941624Abstract: A touch sensor comprises a substrate capable of propagating acoustic waves and includes a first surface having a touch sensitive region. A first sidewall intersects the first surface along a first edge. The first edge is configured to propagate a first acoustic wave along the first edge. The first acoustic wave may be a one-dimensional edge wave. A wave converter converts the first acoustic wave to a second acoustic wave, and the first surface is configured to propagate the second acoustic wave across the touch sensitive region.Type: GrantFiled: July 15, 2011Date of Patent: January 27, 2015Assignees: Touch Panel Systems, K.K., Tyco Electronics CorporationInventors: Joel C. Kent, Paulo I. Gomes, Paul Jerome Fehrenbach, Yoshikazu Tanaka, Charles Dudley Copper, Ingrid Adler
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Patent number: 8896564Abstract: An improved acoustic touch apparatus that has a logo or application icon applied on the back surface of a propagating substrate which can be viewed through the substrate and an acoustic element situated adjacent the logo or application icon that can compensate for phase velocity shifts of surface acoustic waves in propagating over the logo or application icon.Type: GrantFiled: October 15, 2012Date of Patent: November 25, 2014Assignee: Elo Touch Solutions, Inc.Inventors: Daniel H. Scharff, Joel C. Kent, Damien Berget
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Patent number: 8890852Abstract: A touch input system includes a substrate configured to support propagation of acoustic signals, a transducer in communication with the substrate and configured to transmit or receive the acoustic signals before or after the propagation, and an array of reflectors disposed on the substrate. Each reflector is oriented on an angle to redirect the acoustic signals along a path toward or away from the transducer. The transducer includes a stepped interface for the redirected acoustic signals. The stepped interface includes a set of interface elements distributed across a width of the acoustic signals and offset from one another along the path to compensate for the angle of the reflectors.Type: GrantFiled: May 31, 2012Date of Patent: November 18, 2014Assignee: Elo Touch Solutions, Inc.Inventors: James L. Aroyan, Francis Lau, Joel C. Kent
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Patent number: 8854339Abstract: A touch sensor comprises a substrate capable of propagating acoustic waves and includes a first surface having a touch sensitive region. A first sidewall intersects the first surface along a first edge. The first edge is configured to propagate a first acoustic wave along the first edge. The first acoustic wave may be a one-dimensional edge wave. A wave converter converts the first acoustic wave to a second acoustic wave, and the first surface is configured to propagate the second acoustic wave across the touch sensitive region.Type: GrantFiled: July 15, 2011Date of Patent: October 7, 2014Assignee: Elo Touch Solutions, Inc.Inventors: Joel C. Kent, James L. Aroyan
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Publication number: 20140253517Abstract: An improved acoustic touch apparatus that has a logo or application icon applied on the back surface of a propagating substrate which can be viewed through the substrate and an acoustic element situated adjacent the logo or application icon that can compensate for phase velocity shifts of surface acoustic waves in propagating over the logo or application icon.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 15, 2012Publication date: September 11, 2014Applicant: Elo Touch Solutions Inc.Inventors: Daniel H. Scharff, Joel C. Kent, Damien Berget
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Patent number: 8823685Abstract: Acoustic touch apparatus comprising a substrate having first and second surfaces capable of propagating surface acoustic waves, the second surface comprising a touch region and the first and second surfaces coupled via a rounded connecting surface; at least one acoustic wave transducer on the first surface; and at least one reflective array on the first surface. The transducer is capable of transmitting or receiving waves to and from the reflective array. The substrate and reflective array can acoustically couple waves between the first and second surfaces. The substrate has a border region on the first surface adapted to hide the transducer and reflective array and preclude distortion of waves propagating over a window in the border region. The border region may have a border layer except at the window and a corrective lens is used proximate the window, or the border region comprises discolored glass except at the window.Type: GrantFiled: October 14, 2011Date of Patent: September 2, 2014Assignee: Elo Touch Solutions, Inc.Inventors: Daniel H. Scharff, James L. Aroyan, Ting Gao, Joel C. Kent
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Publication number: 20140192026Abstract: Systems and related methods providing for touch sensors having segmented reflective arrays including waveguide cores are discussed herein. A touch sensor may include a substrate configured to propagate surface acoustic waves. The substrate may include two or more segmented reflective arrays. A segmented reflective array may include a major reflective array configured to propagate surface acoustic waves and a waveguide core configured to concentrate acoustic energy of the surface acoustic waves. Two segmented reflective arrays may further include adjacent portions that define an overlap region of the substrate. In some embodiments, the segmented reflective array may further include a beam dump configured to decrease intensity of surface acoustic wave propagation past the end of the segmented reflective array.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 10, 2013Publication date: July 10, 2014Applicant: Elo Touch Solutions, Inc.Inventors: Daniel H. Scharff, Joel C. Kent
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Publication number: 20140176508Abstract: An acoustic touch apparatus is provided that includes a substrate capable of propagating surface acoustic waves, such as Rayleigh-type or Love-type waves. The substrate has a front surface, a back surface, and a curved connecting surface formed between the front surface and the back surface. The apparatus also includes at least one acoustic wave transducer and at least one reflective array, the acoustic wave transducer and the reflective array behind the back surface of the substrate. The acoustic wave transducer is capable of transmitting or receiving surface acoustic waves to or from the reflective array. The reflective array is capable of acoustically coupling the surface acoustic waves to propagate from the back surface and across the front surface via the curved connecting surface. Various types of acoustic touch apparatus with edge sensitive touch functions can be provided, according to specific embodiments.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 16, 2013Publication date: June 26, 2014Applicant: ELO TOUCH SOLUTIONS, INC.Inventors: Yoshikazu Tanaka, Ting Gao, Joel C. Kent, Jeffrey T. Haller, Daniel H. Scharff, Timothy O. Avery
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Publication number: 20140160084Abstract: An improved acoustic touch apparatus that has a logo or application icon applied on the back surface of a propagating substrate which can be viewed through the substrate and an acoustic element situated adjacent the logo or application icon that can compensate for phase velocity shifts of surface acoustic waves in propagating over the logo or application icon.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 18, 2014Publication date: June 12, 2014Applicant: Elo Touch Solutions, Inc.Inventors: Daniel H. Scharff, Joel C. Kent
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Publication number: 20140139494Abstract: Systems and related methods providing for touch sensors having a waveguide reflective array within a major reflective array are discussed herein. A touch sensor may include a substrate configured to propagate surface acoustic waves. The substrate may include a front surface, a back surface including the reflective arrays, and a connecting surface joining the front surface and the back surface. The reflective arrays may be configured to cause the surface acoustic waves to propagate from the back surface, via the connecting surface, to the front surface. The touch censor may further include circuitry configured to determine a coordinate of a touch event on the front surface based on received attenuations in the surface acoustic waves.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 20, 2012Publication date: May 22, 2014Applicant: ELO TOUCH SOLUTIONS, INC.Inventors: Yoshikazu Tanaka, Joel C. Kent
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Patent number: 8730213Abstract: A method of detecting a touch event on an acoustic fingerprint based touch system comprises digitizing at least two signals to form first and second sets of digitized signals. The at least two signals are received from at least two sensors on a touch panel. A frequency transform is performed upon the first and second sets of digitized signals to form first and second frequency transform data sets of frequency components. At least first and second live fingerprints are constructed wherein at least one of the first and second live fingerprints is based on the first and second frequency transform data sets. A touch location is identified based on the at least first and second live fingerprints.Type: GrantFiled: July 2, 2007Date of Patent: May 20, 2014Assignee: Elo Touch Solutions, Inc.Inventors: Henry M. D'Souza, Joel C. Kent, James L. Aroyan
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Publication number: 20140104196Abstract: Systems and related methods providing for touch sensors having at least one non-linear edge. A touch sensor may include a substrate configured to propagate surface acoustic waves. The substrate may include a front surface, a back surface including a reflective array, and a connecting surface joining the front surface and the back surface. The front surface may define a front bowed edge and the back surface may define a back bowed edge. The connecting surface may be between the front bowed edge and the back bowed edge. The reflective array may be configured to cause the surface acoustic waves to propagate from the back surface, is the connecting surface, to the front surface. The touch system may further include circuitry configured to determine a coordinate of a touch event on the front surface based on received attenuations in the surface acoustic waves.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 28, 2012Publication date: April 17, 2014Applicant: ELO TOUCH SOLUTIONS, INC.Inventors: Steven W. HAUNGS, James L. AROYAN, Daniel H. SCHARFF, Joel C. KENT