Patents by Inventor Kenneth Lawrence Staton
Kenneth Lawrence Staton 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: 9927924Abstract: A touch panel can configured to reduce adverse effects associated with noise that can be injected into the panel when touched by performing a sensing operation at each sensor in both a panel-stimulated and non panel-stimulated state. The touch panel can detect a touch event by sensing touch in a non-stimulated state to quantify a noise level injected into the touch panel by the touch, and subtracting that noise level from a detection signal sensed in the stimulated state. In one embodiment, a sensing operation can be performed for a particular sensor at two successive time periods—one for each state—within a single scan cycle. In another embodiment, a sensing electrode configuration can be provided that enables a sensing operation to be performed for a particular sensor in both a panel-stimulated and non panel-stimulated state concurrently.Type: GrantFiled: September 26, 2008Date of Patent: March 27, 2018Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventor: Kenneth Lawrence Staton
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Patent number: 9679128Abstract: A wearable device comprises a first member, a second member that is configured to move relative to the first member, a sensor disposed on the first member, one or more components disposed on the second member, and an authentication module. The sensor is configured to output a sense signal that is indicative of a distance between the sensor and at least one of the one or more components. When the wearable device is worn by a user, the wearable device may be authenticated. The sense signal indicates when at least a portion of the wearable device is opened and/or removed. The wearable device may be de-authenticated based at least in part on the sense signal indicating that a portion of the wearable device has been opened or removed.Type: GrantFiled: September 22, 2014Date of Patent: June 13, 2017Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Omar Sze Leung, Jung Sik Yang, Kenneth Lawrence Staton
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Patent number: 8723830Abstract: A multi-touch capacitive touch sensor panel can be created using a substrate with column and row traces formed on separate layers of the substrate. The column and row traces can include sections extending from a central trace and forming a rectilinear trace pattern with sections of the columns and rows interdigitated with one another. The trace pattern can comprise a plurality of pixels arranged continuously across the sensor panel. In this manner, the sensor panel can provide a linear or near linear response to touches across the touch sensor panel.Type: GrantFiled: January 18, 2013Date of Patent: May 13, 2014Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Steve Porter Hotelling, Kenneth Lawrence Staton
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Publication number: 20140111436Abstract: Capacitive multi-touch sensor panels in which both row and column traces may be formed on a single conducting surface are disclosed. These stack-ups may be made thinner and more flexible allowing them to be particularly well-suited for curved or other non-flat touch sensor panels, such as those that might be present on a mouse or other device designed to be grasped by a user's hand. Curved sensor panel arrays that may be formed from flat substrates are also disclosed. These sensor panel configurations may include channels around the periphery of the array. These channels allow the flat array to lie flat when applied to a curved surface, such as the inside of the curved surface. The pattern of the touch sensor elements may be adjusted across the array to avoid the channels.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 19, 2013Publication date: April 24, 2014Applicant: Apple Inc.Inventors: Brett William DEGNER, Kenneth Lawrence STATON, Steven Porter HOTELLING, Shin John CHOI
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Patent number: 8692777Abstract: The testing of a multi-touch sensor panel for opens and shorts on its drive and sense lines is disclosed by placing a substantially ungrounded conductor diagonally over the touch sensor panel so that at least a portion of every drive line and every sense line is covered by the substantially ungrounded conductor. Pixels under the substantially ungrounded conductor can have strongly positive pixels, while pixels outside the substantially ungrounded conductor can have negative pixels. With the substantially ungrounded conductor in place, a backdrop of negative pixels is formed, and an image of touch can be obtained. By analyzing the image of touch, any opens and shorts on the drive and sense lines, any shorts between a drive and a sense line, or any open drive and sense lines can be quickly identified against the backdrop of negative pixels.Type: GrantFiled: September 25, 2008Date of Patent: April 8, 2014Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Kenneth Lawrence Staton, Richard Wei Kwang Lim
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Patent number: 8629841Abstract: Capacitive multi-touch sensor panels in which both row and column traces may be formed on a single conducting surface are disclosed. These stack-ups may be made thinner and more flexible allowing them to be particularly well-suited for curved or other non-flat touch sensor panels, such as those that might be present on a mouse or other device designed to be grasped by a user's hand. Curved sensor panel arrays that may be formed from flat substrates are also disclosed. These sensor panel configurations may include channels around the periphery of the array. These channels allow the flat array to lie flat when applied to a curved surface, such as the inside of the curved surface. The pattern of the touch sensor elements may be adjusted across the array to avoid the channels.Type: GrantFiled: September 30, 2008Date of Patent: January 14, 2014Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Brett William Degner, Kenneth Lawrence Staton, Steve Porter Hotelling, Shin John Choi
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Patent number: 8514203Abstract: The efficient calibration of multi-touch sensor panels that have non-flat surfaces is disclosed. The calibration of the sensor panels can be accomplished using a calibration device with a flexible calibration surface. The flexible calibration surface is particularly well-suited for curved or other non-flat touch sensor panels, such as those that might be present on a mouse or other device designed to be grasped by a user's hand. The flexible apparatus can conform to the non-flat touch sensor panel and apply the equivalent of a conductive touch over most or all of the pixels.Type: GrantFiled: September 26, 2008Date of Patent: August 20, 2013Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Kenneth Lawrence Staton, Richard Wei Kwang Lim
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Patent number: 8358276Abstract: A multi-touch capacitive touch sensor panel can be created using a substrate with column and row traces formed on separate layers of the substrate. The column and row traces can include sections extending from a central trace and forming a rectilinear trace pattern with sections of the columns and rows interdigitated with one another. The trace pattern can comprise a plurality of pixels arranged continuously across the sensor panel. In this manner, the sensor panel can provide a linear or near linear response to touches across the touch sensor panel.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2007Date of Patent: January 22, 2013Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Steve Porter Hotelling, Kenneth Lawrence Staton
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Publication number: 20100079401Abstract: A touch panel can configured to reduce adverse effects associated with noise that can be injected into the panel when touched by performing a sensing operation at each sensor in both a panel-stimulated and non panel-stimulated state. The touch panel can detect a touch event by sensing touch in a non-stimulated state to quantify a noise level injected into the touch panel by the touch, and subtracting that noise level from a detection signal sensed in the stimulated state. In one embodiment, a sensing operation can be performed for a particular sensor at two successive time periods—one for each state—within a single scan cycle. In another embodiment, a sensing electrode configuration can be provided that enables a sensing operation to be performed for a particular sensor in both a panel-stimulated and non panel-stimulated state concurrently.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 26, 2008Publication date: April 1, 2010Inventor: Kenneth Lawrence Staton
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Publication number: 20090273570Abstract: Capacitive multi-touch sensor panels in which both row and column traces may be formed on a single conducting surface are disclosed. These stack-ups may be made thinner and more flexible allowing them to be particularly well-suited for curved or other non-flat touch sensor panels, such as those that might be present on a mouse or other device designed to be grasped by a user's hand. Curved sensor panel arrays that may be formed from flat substrates are also disclosed. These sensor panel configurations may include channels around the periphery of the array. These channels allow the flat array to lie flat when applied to a curved surface, such as the inside of the curved surface. The pattern of the touch sensor elements may be adjusted across the array to avoid the channels.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 30, 2008Publication date: November 5, 2009Applicant: Apple Inc.Inventors: Brett William DEGNER, Kenneth Lawrence Staton, Steve Porter Hotelling, Shin John Choi
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Publication number: 20090273584Abstract: The efficient calibration of multi-touch sensor panels that have non-flat surfaces is disclosed. The calibration of the sensor panels can be accomplished using a calibration device with a flexible calibration surface. The flexible calibration surface is particularly well-suited for curved or other non-flat touch sensor panels, such as those that might be present on a mouse or other device designed to be grasped by a user's hand. The flexible apparatus can conform to the non-flat touch sensor panel and apply the equivalent of a conductive touch over most or all of the pixels.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 26, 2008Publication date: November 5, 2009Inventors: Kenneth Lawrence Staton, Richard Wei-Kwang Lim
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Publication number: 20090159344Abstract: A multi-touch capacitive touch sensor panel can be created using a substrate with column and row traces formed on separate layers of the substrate. The column and row traces can include sections extending from a central trace and forming a rectilinear trace pattern with sections of the columns and rows interdigitated with one another. The trace pattern can comprise a plurality of pixels arranged continuously across the sensor panel. In this manner, the sensor panel can provide a linear or near linear response to touches across the touch sensor panel.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 21, 2007Publication date: June 25, 2009Applicant: Apple Inc.Inventors: Steve Porter Hotelling, Kenneth Lawrence Staton
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Patent number: 6072417Abstract: A digital integrator is disclosed that provides a wide dynamic range and extremely fast clearing of previous integration results. The digital integrator includes an analog-to-digital converter that generates a series of digitized representations of an electrical signal and further includes an ALU that generates an integration result by adding successive digitized representations in the series throughout an integration interval. The digital integrator includes circuitry for clearing the integration result from the ALU after completion of the integration interval in preparation for a subsequent integration interval on the electrical signal.Type: GrantFiled: December 22, 1997Date of Patent: June 6, 2000Assignee: Hewlett-Packard CompanyInventor: Kenneth Lawrence Staton