Patents by Inventor Joseph Kurth Reynolds

Joseph Kurth Reynolds 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: 20150177869
    Abstract: Capacitive sensing is performed in an input device having an input sensor and associated display device using gate lines of the display device. A transmitter signal having a negative pulse is used to safely transmit a transcapacitive transmitter signal while not opening any of the access transistors in the display device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Publication date: June 25, 2015
    Applicant: SYNAPTICS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Stephen L. MOREIN, Petr SHEPELEV, Joseph Kurth REYNOLDS, Jeffrey LUKANC
  • Publication number: 20150177887
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention generally provide a method and apparatus that is configured to reduce the effects of interference that is undesirably provided to a transmitter signal that is delivered from a transmitter signal generating device to a sensor processor to determine if an input object is disposed within a touch sensing region of a touch sensing device. In one embodiment, the sensor processor includes a receiver channel that has circuitry that is configured to separately receive a transmitter signal delivered from a display processor and a sensor processor reference signal that is based on a display processor reference signal to reliably sense the presence of an object. Embodiments of the invention described herein thus provide an improved apparatus and method for reliably sensing the presence of an object by a touch sensing device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2015
    Publication date: June 25, 2015
    Inventors: Adam SCHWARTZ, Joseph Kurth REYNOLDS
  • Publication number: 20150177868
    Abstract: A capacitive sensing device detects the presence of an actively modulated input object, such as an active pen, using a matrix of sensor electrodes. The capacitive sensing device include receiver channels configured to perform capacitive sensing of the active pen based on one frequency, and other receiver channels configured to perform capacitive sensing of other input objects based on another frequency. The receiver channels for sensing the active pen may be multiplexed across the matrix of sensor electrodes to track the location of the active pen in a tracking window manner. The receiver channels for sensing the active pen may also be multiplexed across the matrix of sensor electrodes to broadly search for the location of the active pen.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Publication date: June 25, 2015
    Applicant: Synaptics Incorporated
    Inventors: Stephen L. MOREIN, Joseph Kurth REYNOLDS
  • Patent number: 9052766
    Abstract: An input device having a plurality of low-visibility sensor electrodes and method for fabricating the same are provided. In one embodiment, an input device includes a plurality of sensor electrodes disposed over a display device. A first sensor electrode of the plurality of sensor electrodes includes a conductive mesh having a first periodicity defined by intersections of conductive traces forming the mesh. A terminal portion of one of the conductive traces terminating at an edge of the first sensor electrode has an orientation that is different than an orientation of a corresponding portion of the mesh defining the first periodicity. An end of the terminal portion proximate the edge laying over a subpixel has the same color as a subpixel of the display device which the end would lay over if the end had the same orientation as the corresponding portion of the mesh defining the first periodicity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Assignee: SYNAPTICS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: James Dunphy, Bob Lee Mackey, Joseph Kurth Reynolds
  • Publication number: 20150109263
    Abstract: A processing system for an input device includes a sensor module coupled to sensor circuitry and configured to receive signals from an active pen. The processing system for an input device further includes a determination module configured to: determine, based on a signal exceeding a power threshold, that the signal is boosted, transition, in response to the signal being boosted, from a first state to a contact state, receive a contact packet from the active pen, and determine an attribute of the active pen using the contact packet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2014
    Publication date: April 23, 2015
    Inventors: Kirk Hargreaves, Joseph Kurth Reynolds, Drew Harrington
  • Publication number: 20150091864
    Abstract: Embodiments generally provide a method, input device, and processing system for frequency shifting for synchronized display updating and capacitive sensing. The method includes driving a display signal onto at least one display electrode for updating a display. The method further includes driving a first capacitive sensing signal having a first frequency onto at least one sensor electrode, wherein the first frequency is synchronized to the display signal. The method further includes driving a second capacitive sensing signal having a second frequency onto the at least one sensor electrode, wherein the first and second frequencies differ and a timing of the display signal is adjusted to maintain synchronization with the second frequency, and wherein each capacitive sensing signal and the display signal are driven in parallel for at least some period of time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2014
    Publication date: April 2, 2015
    Inventor: Joseph Kurth REYNOLDS
  • Publication number: 20150091850
    Abstract: An input device comprising a display device having an integrated capacitive sensing device. The input device includes a plurality of sensor electrodes a plurality of display electrodes, a modulated power supply configured to provide a modulated reference signal, and a processing system. The processing system includes a sensor module configured to drive a plurality of sensor electrodes with a modulated capacitive sensing signal that is based on the modulated reference signal for capacitive sensing during a first time period. The processing system also includes a display driver module configured to drive a plurality of display electrodes of a display device with modulated signals based on the modulated reference signal during the first time period. The modulated signals cause voltage between the plurality of display electrodes and the plurality of sensor electrodes to remain substantially constant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2014
    Publication date: April 2, 2015
    Applicant: SYNAPTICS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Stephen L. MOREIN, Joseph Kurth REYNOLDS
  • Publication number: 20150091842
    Abstract: Embodiments described herein include a display device having a capacitive sensing device, a processing system and a method for detecting presence of an input object using a capacitive sensing device, all of which include a grid electrode for improved absolute sensing. Other embodiments include a display device having a capacitive sensing device, a processing system and a method for detecting presence of an input object using a capacitive sensing device, wherein the capacitive sensing device includes a matrix of discrete sensor electrodes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2013
    Publication date: April 2, 2015
    Applicant: SYNAPTICS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Petr SHEPELEV, Christopher A. LUDDEN, Jeffrey LUKANC, Stephen L. MOREIN, Greg P. SEMERARO, Joseph Kurth REYNOLDS
  • Publication number: 20150091851
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention generally provide an input device with an integrated display that drives a capacitance sensing signal on a sensor electrode in parallel with driving a display signal onto a display electrode. To mitigate the interference between the two signals, the input device synchronizes the frequency of the capacitance sensing signal to a line rate used when performing display updating—i.e., the time period used by the integrated display to update a row of pixels. In one example, the capacitance sensing cycles includes a plurality of sensing cycles. The time period of the sensing cycles may be synchronized with the line rate. In addition, in one embodiment, the input device may phase align the capacitance sensing signal with a periodic noise event in the display signal such as a voltage transition, charge share event, and the like.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2014
    Publication date: April 2, 2015
    Applicant: Synaptics Incorporated
    Inventor: Joseph Kurth REYNOLDS
  • Publication number: 20150091848
    Abstract: Embodiments described herein include a display device having a capacitive sensing device, a processing system and a method for detecting presence of an input object using a capacitive sensing device. In one embodiment, the display device includes a plurality of sensor electrodes arranged in a matrix. The processing system performs absolute capacitive sensing with the matrix of sensor electrodes. When an area of interest is detected using the absolute capacitive sensing techniques, the processing system performs targeted transcapacitance sensing using a selected subset of the sensor electrodes in the area of interest.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Publication date: April 2, 2015
    Applicant: SYNAPTICS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Stephen L. MOREIN, Petr SHEPELEV, Jeffrey LUKANC, Joseph Kurth REYNOLDS
  • Patent number: 8970546
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention generally provide a method and apparatus that is configured to reduce the effects of interference that is undesirably provided to a transmitter signal that is delivered from a transmitter signal generating device to a sensor processor to determine if an input object is disposed within a touch sensing region of a touch sensing device. In one embodiment, the sensor processor includes a receiver channel that has circuitry that is configured to separately receive a transmitter signal delivered from a display processor and a sensor processor reference signal that is based on a display processor reference signal to reliably sense the presence of an object. Embodiments of the invention described herein thus provide an improved apparatus and method for reliably sensing the presence of an object by a touch sensing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
    Inventors: Adam Schwartz, Joseph Kurth Reynolds
  • Patent number: 8970545
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention generally provide shield electrodes for shielding one or more conductive routing traces from one or more receiver electrodes in an input device comprising a display device integrated with a sensing device to reduce the capacitive coupling between the conductive routing traces and the receiver electrodes. The shield electrode may be configured to reduce the effect of an input object on the capacitive coupling between the conductive routing traces and the receiver electrodes. In other embodiments, end portions of common electrodes shield the receiver electrodes from the conductive routing traces, thereby reducing the capacitive coupling between the receiver electrodes and the conductive routing traces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
    Inventors: Joseph Kurth Reynolds, Petr Shepelev
  • Patent number: 8970537
    Abstract: Embodiments described herein include a display device having a capacitive sensing device, a processing system and a method for detecting presence of an input object using a capacitive sensing device, all of which include a grid electrode for improved absolute sensing. Other embodiments include a display device having a capacitive sensing device, a processing system and a method for detecting presence of an input object using a capacitive sensing device, wherein the capacitive sensing device includes a matrix of discrete sensor electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
    Inventors: Petr Shepelev, Christopher A. Ludden, Jeffrey Lukanc, Stephen L. Morein, Greg P. Semeraro, Joseph Kurth Reynolds
  • Publication number: 20150042600
    Abstract: An electrode matrix that is used for capacitive sensing may be integrated into a display panel of an input device. In one embodiment, source drivers may be mounted on the display panel which drive the display signals and capacitive sensing signals into the display panel. In one embodiment, the capacitive sensing signals may be routed on traces or lines that are interleaved on the same layer as the source lines used for setting a voltage on the pixels in the display panel during display updating. Using the interleaved traces, the source drivers may drive the capacitive sensing signals in parallel to a plurality of the electrodes in the matrix in a predefined pattern that spans one or more sensing cycles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Publication date: February 12, 2015
    Applicant: SYNAPTICS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Jeffrey LUKANC, Stephen L. MOREIN, Christopher A. LUDDEN, Greg P. SEMERARO, Joseph Kurth REYNOLDS, Petr SHEPELEV, Thomas MACKIN
  • Publication number: 20150042599
    Abstract: An electrode matrix that is used for capacitive sensing may be integrated into a display panel of an input device. In one embodiment, source drivers may be mounted on the display panel which drive the display signals and capacitive sensing signals into the display panel. In one embodiment, the capacitive sensing signals may be routed on wires or lines that are interleaved on the same layer as the source lines used for setting a voltage on the pixels in the display panel during display updating. Using the interleaved wires, the source drivers may drive the capacitive sensing signals in parallel to a plurality of the electrodes in the matrix in a predefined pattern that spans one or more touch cycles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Publication date: February 12, 2015
    Applicant: SYNAPTICS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Jeffrey LUKANC, Stephen L. MOREIN, Christopher A. LUDDEN, Greg P. SEMERARO, Joseph Kurth REYNOLDS, Petr SHEPELEV
  • Publication number: 20150022989
    Abstract: A chip-on-glass device comprises a chip-on-glass substrate, a metal layer, and a plurality of chip-on-glass connection bumps. The metal layer comprises a plurality of passive jumper routing traces. The plurality of chip-on-glass connection humps is coupled with passive jumper routing traces of the plurality of passive jumper routing traces.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2013
    Publication date: January 22, 2015
    Applicant: Synaptics Incorporated
    Inventors: Jim DUNPHY, Joseph Kurth REYNOLDS
  • Publication number: 20150015539
    Abstract: In a method of managing baselines of a capacitive sensing input device, a transcapacitive baseline, a first absolute capacitive baseline, and a second absolute capacitive baseline are acquired with a plurality of sensor electrodes of the capacitive sensing input device. A transcapacitive image, a first absolute capacitive profile, and a second absolute capacitive profile are acquired with the plurality of sensor electrodes. The transcapacitive baseline, the first absolute capacitive baseline, and the second absolute capacitive baseline are managed based on a value of at least one of the first absolute capacitive profile and the second absolute capacitive profile.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2014
    Publication date: January 15, 2015
    Inventors: Nickolas FOTOPOULOS, Joseph Kurth REYNOLDS, Tom VANDERMEIJDEN
  • Publication number: 20140375908
    Abstract: A touch sensor device is provided that uses a flexible circuit substrate to provide an improved input device. Specifically, the present invention uses a touch sensor controller affixed to the flexible circuit substrate, which is coupled to a sensor component to provide a flexible, reliable and cost effective touch sensor suitable for a wide variety of applications. In one embodiment the touch sensor uses a flexible circuit substrate that provides relatively high temperature resistance. This allows the touch sensor controller to be affixed using reliable techniques, such as various types of soldering. The sensor component can comprise a relatively low-temperature-resistant substrate that can provide a cost effective solution. Taken together, this embodiment of the touch sensor provides reliability and flexibility at relatively low cost.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2014
    Publication date: December 25, 2014
    Inventors: Joseph Kurth Reynolds, Shawn P. Day
  • Patent number: 8907921
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention generally provide a method and system for sensing interference in a display device having integrated input sensing. In various embodiments of the invention, input sensing performed on one or more rows of common electrodes may be operated for interference sensing, and, during the blanking period, some or all of the common electrodes may be operated for interference sensing. Interference measurements acquired during blanking periods may be used to increase the accuracy with which input sensing is performed, for example, by establishing one or more baseline interference values and/or determining that one or more common electrodes should be driven at a different frequency. In some embodiments, all of the common electrodes may be operated for interference sensing during a blanking period, while in other embodiments a portion of the common electrodes (e.g., one-third, one-half, etc.) may be operated for interference sensing during a blanking period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
    Inventor: Joseph Kurth Reynolds
  • Patent number: 8896328
    Abstract: A processing system for a capacitive sensor device comprises circuitry and logic; and the capacitive sensor device comprises a first plurality of sensor electrodes and a second plurality of sensor electrodes. The processing system is configured to acquire a first plurality of capacitive measurements by emitting and receiving first electrical signals with the first plurality of sensor electrodes of the capacitive sensor device. The processing system is also configured to select a first set of the first plurality of sensor electrodes based on the first plurality of capacitive measurements. The processing system is further configured to acquire a second plurality of capacitive measurements by emitting second electrical signals with the first set of the first plurality of sensor electrodes and receiving the second electrical signals with the second plurality of sensor electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
    Inventors: Joseph Kurth Reynolds, Phillip Acker