Patents by Inventor Michael Astley
Michael Astley 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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Publication number: 20240102871Abstract: A device (15) including a piezoelectric sensor (16). The piezoelectric sensor (16) includes a layer of piezoelectric material (7) disposed between a number of sensing electrodes (4, 12, 13) and at least one counter electrode (3). The device (15) also includes a controller (17) connected to the piezoelectric sensor (16). The sensing electrodes (4, 12, 13) are arranged to form one or more active regions (19). Each active region (19) includes one or more primary sensing electrodes (4,12) and one or more secondary sensing electrodes (4, 13). The secondary sensing electrodes (4, 13) are separated from the primary sensing electrodes (4, 12) by a perimeter (14). The controller (17) is configured, for each active region (19), to monitor primary piezoelectric charges induced on each primary sensing electrode (4, 12) and to monitor secondary piezoelectric charges induced on each secondary sensing electrode (4, 13).Type: ApplicationFiled: January 21, 2022Publication date: March 28, 2024Inventors: Constantinos Tsangarides, Michael Astley, Riccardo Micci, Jiahao Li
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Patent number: 11556202Abstract: An apparatus (2, 22) is described which includes a touch panel (1, 21). The touch panel (1, 21) includes a layer of piezoelectric material (4) disposed between a number of sensing electrodes (5, 23, 24) and at least one counter electrode (6). The apparatus (2, 22) also includes a touch controller (3) connected to the touch panel (1, 21). The touch controller (3) is configured to determine, in response to receiving piezoelectric signals (7) from one or more of the sensing electrodes (5, 23, 24), a location (9) and an applied force (10) corresponding to a user interaction (11) with the touch panel (1, 21). The touch controller (3) is configured to determine a capacitance value (20) of one or more of the sensing electrodes (5). The touch controller is configured to operate in a force-based mode, a capacitance-based mode or a mixed force-capacitance mode depending on the type of input received.Type: GrantFiled: March 13, 2020Date of Patent: January 17, 2023Assignee: Cambridge Touch Technologies Ltd.Inventors: Arokia Nathan, Michael Astley, Constantinos Tsangarides, Paridhi Sharma, Riccardo Micci, Xiang Cheng, Jiahao Li
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Patent number: 11550418Abstract: An apparatus (73) for processing signals from a touch panel (10) is described. The touch panel (10) includes a layer of piezoelectric material (16) disposed between a number of sensing electrodes (14, 20) and at least one common electrode (15). The apparatus (73) includes a capacitive touch controller (69) for connection to the sensing electrodes (14, 20). The apparatus (73) also includes a switch network (74) including a number of inputs for connection to some or all of the sensing electrodes (14, 20), and an output connected to system ground or a common mode voltage (VCM). The apparatus (73) also includes a second circuit (24, 44) for connection to the at least one common electrode (15) and configured to generate, based on signals received from the at least one common electrode, a second pressure signal (30) indicative of a total pressure applied to the touch panel (10).Type: GrantFiled: August 11, 2021Date of Patent: January 10, 2023Assignee: Cambridge Touch Technologies Ltd.Inventors: Michael Astley, Babak Bastani, Riccardo Micci, Arokia Nathan, Paul Routley, Xiang Cheng, Jiahao Li
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Publication number: 20220374097Abstract: An apparatus is described which it a flexible touch panel (21). The flexible touch panel (21) includes a layer of piezoelectric material (9) arranged between a number of first electrodes (7, 8) and at least one second electrode (8,14). The apparatus also includes a device (3) connected to the first electrodes (7, 8) and configured to determine one or more radii of curvature (R1, R2) of the flexible touch panel (21) based on signals received from one or more of the first electrodes (7, 8).Type: ApplicationFiled: July 3, 2020Publication date: November 24, 2022Inventors: Michael Astley, Xiang Cheng, Arokia Nathan
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Patent number: 11494022Abstract: A force-sensing touch panel (31) is described which includes a layer structure stacked in a thickness direction between first and second surfaces. The layer structure includes from first surface to second surface, a number of first electrodes (7) and a number of second electrodes (8), a layer of piezoelectric material (9), and a number of third electrodes (30). The first and second electrodes (7, 8) are configured to define a coordinate system for sensing a location of a force applied to the touch panel in a plane perpendicular to the thickness direction. The third electrodes (30) are configured such that signals received from the first, second and third electrodes (7, 8, 30) enable determining unique locations corresponding to two or more forces applied to the touch panel (31) concurrently.Type: GrantFiled: February 17, 2020Date of Patent: November 8, 2022Assignee: Cambridge Touch Technologies Ltd.Inventors: Michael Astley, Arokia Nathan, Constantinos Tsangarides, Paridhi Sharma, Antonio Afonso Bras Ferreira Marques, Xiang Cheng, Jiahao Li
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Patent number: 11481061Abstract: An apparatus (73) for processing signals from a touch panel (10) is described. The touch panel (10) includes a layer of piezoelectric material (16) disposed between a number of sensing electrodes (14, 20) and at least one common electrode (15). The apparatus (73) includes a capacitive touch controller (69) for connection to the sensing electrodes (14, 20). The apparatus (73) also includes a switch network (74) including a number of inputs for connection to some or all of the sensing electrodes (14, 20), and an output connected to system ground or a common mode voltage (VCM). The apparatus (73) also includes a second circuit (24, 44) for connection to the at least one common electrode (15) and configured to generate, based on signals received from the at least one common electrode, a second pressure signal (30) indicative of a total pressure applied to the touch panel (10).Type: GrantFiled: August 11, 2021Date of Patent: October 25, 2022Assignee: Cambridge Touch Technologies Ltd.Inventors: Michael Astley, Babak Bastani, Riccardo Micci, Arokia Nathan, Paul Routley, Xiang Cheng, Jiahao Li
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Patent number: 11474653Abstract: A device (1) includes a body (2) and a touch panel (3) supported by, integrated with, or underlying the body (2). The touch panel (3) includes a layer of piezoelectric material (5) disposed between a plurality of first electrodes (6) and at least one second electrode (7). The device (1) also includes at least one second piezoelectric input region (8) supported by, integrated with, or underlying a portion of the body (2) which does not correspond to the touch panel (3). The device (1) is configured to receive user input using the touch panel (3) and/or at least one piezoelectric input region (8).Type: GrantFiled: October 22, 2020Date of Patent: October 18, 2022Assignee: Cambridge Touch Technologies Ltd.Inventors: Antonio Afonso Bras Ferreira Marques, Arokia Nathan, Michael Astley, Jiahao Li, Xiang Cheng, Paridhi Sharma, Constantinos Tsangarides
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Patent number: 11429240Abstract: A touch sensor (1) for combined capacitive touch and force sensing is described. The touch sensor (1) includes number plurality of first electrodes (4) and a number of second electrodes (5). The second electrodes (5) are insulated from the first electrodes (4). The first and second electrodes (4, 5) form a grid for capacitive touch sensing. The touch sensor (1) also includes a transparent cover (6). The touch sensor (1) also includes a transparent piezoelectric film (3) arranged between the transparent cover (6) and the first and second electrodes (4, 5). The touch sensor (1) also includes a patterned counter electrode (8) disposed between the transparent piezoelectric film (3) and the transparent cover (6). The patterned counter electrode (8) is a conductive grid formed from the union of plurality of counter electrode line elements (9). A pitch of the counter electrode line elements (9) is larger than a pitch of the first electrodes (4) and/or second electrodes (5).Type: GrantFiled: January 23, 2020Date of Patent: August 30, 2022Assignee: Cambridge Touch Technologies Ltd.Inventors: Constantinos Tsangarides, Paridhi Sharma, Michael Astley, Arokia Nathan, Xiang Cheng, Jiahao Li
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Patent number: 11353980Abstract: An apparatus for processing signals from a touch panel. The touch panel includes a layer of piezoelectric material disposed between a number of sensing electrodes and one or more common electrodes. The apparatus includes a capacitive touch controller for connection to the sensing electrodes and a switch network including inputs for connection to the sensing electrodes and an output connected to system ground or a common mode voltage. The apparatus includes a circuit for connection to the common electrodes and to generate, for each common electrode, a corresponding pressure signal indicative of a pressure applied to the touch panel proximate to that common electrode. The apparatus includes a controller to control the switch network to couple any connected sensing electrodes to system ground or the common mode voltage during a pressure measurement period, and to sample the one or more second pressure signals during the pressure measurement period.Type: GrantFiled: December 5, 2019Date of Patent: June 7, 2022Assignee: Cambridge Touch Technologies Ltd.Inventors: Michael Astley, Babak Bastani, Riccardo Micci, Arokia Nathan, Paul Routley, Xiang Cheng, Jiahao Li
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Publication number: 20220171489Abstract: An apparatus (2, 22) is described which includes a touch panel (1, 21). The touch panel (1, 21) includes a layer of piezoelectric material (4) disposed between a number of sensing electrodes (5, 23, 24) and at least one counter electrode (6). The apparatus (2, 22) also includes a touch controller (3) connected to the touch panel (1, 21). The touch controller (3) is configured to determine, in response to receiving piezoelectric signals (7) from one or more of the sensing electrodes (5, 23, 24), a location (9) and an applied force (10) corresponding to a user interaction (11) with the touch panel (1, 21). The touch controller (3) is configured to determine a capacitance value (20) of one or more of the sensing electrodes (5). The touch controller is configured to operate in a force-based mode, a capacitance-based mode or a mixed force-capacitance mode depending on the type of input received.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 13, 2020Publication date: June 2, 2022Inventors: Arokia Nathan, Michael Astley, Constantinos Tsangarides, Paridhi Sharma, Riccardo Micci, Xiang Cheng, Jiahao Li
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Publication number: 20220147187Abstract: A touch sensor (1) for combined capacitive touch and force sensing is described. The touch sensor (1) includes number plurality of first electrodes (4) and a number of second electrodes (5). The second electrodes (5) are insulated from the first electrodes (4). The first and second electrodes (4, 5) form a grid for capacitive touch sensing. The touch sensor (1) also includes a transparent cover (6). The touch sensor (1) also includes a transparent piezoelectric film (3) arranged between the transparent cover (6) and the first and second electrodes (4, 5). The touch sensor (1) also includes a patterned counter electrode (8) disposed between the transparent piezoelectric film (3) and the transparent cover (6). The patterned counter electrode (8) is a conductive grid formed from the union of plurality of counter electrode line elements (9). A pitch of the counter electrode line elements (9) is larger than a pitch of the first electrodes (4) and/or second electrodes (5).Type: ApplicationFiled: January 23, 2020Publication date: May 12, 2022Inventors: Constantinos Tsangarides, Paridhi Sharma, Michael Astley, Arokia Nathan, Xiang Cheng, Jiahao Li
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Publication number: 20220137767Abstract: A force-sensing touch panel (31) is described which includes a layer structure stacked in a thickness direction between first and second surfaces. The layer structure includes from first surface to second surface, a number of first electrodes (7) and a number of second electrodes (8), a layer of piezoelectric material (9), and a number of third electrodes (30). The first and second electrodes (7, 8) are configured to define a coordinate system for sensing a location of a force applied to the touch panel in a plane perpendicular to the thickness direction. The third electrodes (30) are configured such that signals received from the first, second and third electrodes (7, 8, 30) enable determining unique locations corresponding to two or more forces applied to the touch panel (31) concurrently.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 17, 2020Publication date: May 5, 2022Inventors: Michael Astley, Arokia Nathan, Constantinos Tsangarides, Paridhi Sharma, Afonso Marques, Xiang Cheng, Jiahao Li
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Patent number: 11294492Abstract: A method includes receiving (S1), from a touch panel (1), force values (23) corresponding to a plurality of piezoelectric sensors (5,6, 7), Each piezoelectric sensor corresponds to a physical location (xm, yn) on the touch panel. The method also includes receiving (S2) one or more user touch locations corresponding to user touches, The method also includes excluding (S5) all force values (23) corresponding to physical locations within a distance of a user touch location, and setting the remaining force values (23) as valid force values (S5). The method also includes interpolating and/or extrapolating (S6), based on the valid force values, one or more reconstructed force values (25) corresponding to same physical locations (xm, yn) as the respective excluded force values (23).Type: GrantFiled: January 21, 2021Date of Patent: April 5, 2022Assignee: Cambridge Touch Technologies Ltd.Inventors: Riccardo Micci, Babak Bastani, Matteo Vit, Arokia Nathan, Paul Routley, Michael Astley
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Patent number: 11221703Abstract: An apparatus (22) for processing signals from a touch panel (10) is described. The touch panel (10) includes a layer of piezoelectric material (16) disposed between a plurality of sensing electrodes (14, 20) and at least one common electrode (15). The apparatus (22) includes a first circuit (23) for connection to the plurality of sensing electrodes (14, 20). The first circuit (23) is configured to generate one or more first pressure signals (29). Each first pressure signal (29) corresponds to one or more sensing electrodes (14, 20) and is indicative of a pressure acting on the touch panel (10) proximate to the corresponding one or more sensing electrodes (14, 20). The apparatus also includes a second circuit (24) for connection to the at least one common electrode (15). The second circuit (24) is configured to generate a second pressure signal (30) indicative of a total pressure applied to the touch panel (10).Type: GrantFiled: June 6, 2019Date of Patent: January 11, 2022Assignee: Cambridge Touch Technologies Ltd.Inventors: Paul Routley, Babak Bastani, Riccardo Micci, Arokia Nathan, Michael Astley, Xiang Cheng, Jiahao Li
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Publication number: 20210373698Abstract: An apparatus (73) for processing signals from a touch panel (10) is described. The touch panel (10) includes a layer of piezoelectric material (16) disposed between a number of sensing electrodes (14, 20) and at least one common electrode (15). The apparatus (73) includes a capacitive touch controller (69) for connection to the sensing electrodes (14, 20). The apparatus (73) also includes a switch network (74) including a number of inputs for connection to some or all of the sensing electrodes (14, 20), and an output connected to system ground or a common mode voltage (VCM). The apparatus (73) also includes a second circuit (24, 44) for connection to the at least one common electrode (15) and configured to generate, based on signals received from the at least one common electrode, a second pressure signal (30) indicative of a total pressure applied to the touch panel (10).Type: ApplicationFiled: August 11, 2021Publication date: December 2, 2021Inventors: Michael Astley, Babak Bastani, Riccardo Micci, Arokia Nathan, Paul Routley, Xiang Cheng, Jiahao Li
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Publication number: 20210263633Abstract: An apparatus (73) for processing signals from a touch panel (10) is described. The touch panel (10) includes a layer of piezoelectric material (16) disposed between a number of sensing electrodes (14, 20) and one or more common electrodes (105). The apparatus (73) includes a capacitive touch controller (69) for connection to the sensing electrodes (14, 20). The apparatus (73) also includes a switch network (74) including a number of inputs for connection to some or all of the sensing electrodes (14, 20), and an output connected to system ground or a common mode voltage (VCM). The apparatus (73) also includes a second circuit (24, 44) for connection to the one or more common electrodes (105) and configured to generate, for each common electrode, a corresponding a second pressure signal (30) indicative of a pressure applied to the touch panel (10) proximate to that common electrode (105).Type: ApplicationFiled: December 5, 2019Publication date: August 26, 2021Inventors: Michael Astley, Babak Bastani, Riccardo Micci, Arokia Nathan, Paul Routley, Xiang Cheng, Jiahao Li
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Patent number: 11093082Abstract: An apparatus (73) for processing signals from a touch panel (10) is described. The touch panel (10) includes a layer of piezoelectric material (16) disposed between a number of sensing electrodes (14, 20) and at least one common electrode (15). The apparatus (73) includes a capacitive touch controller (69) for connection to the sensing electrodes (14, 20). The apparatus (73) also includes a switch network (74) including a number of inputs for connection to some or all of the sensing electrodes (14, 20), and an output connected to system ground or a common mode voltage (VCM). The apparatus (73) also includes a second circuit (24, 44) for connection to the at least one common electrode (15) and configured to generate, based on signals received from the at least one common electrode, a second pressure signal (30) indicative of a total pressure applied to the touch panel (10).Type: GrantFiled: June 6, 2019Date of Patent: August 17, 2021Assignee: Cambridge Touch Technologies Ltd.Inventors: Michael Astley, Babak Bastani, Riccardo Micci, Arokia Nathan, Paul Routley, Xiang Cheng, Jiahao Li
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Patent number: 11093088Abstract: A device (116) for processing signals from a projected capacitance touch panel (43) is described. The projected capacitance touch panel (43) includes a layer of piezoelectric material (9) disposed between a number of sensing electrodes (7, 27) and at least one counter electrode (8). The device (116) includes a capacitive touch controller (84) having a number of measurement ports (122). The device (116) also includes a number of charge amplifiers (123). The device (116) also includes a number of terminals (C1, . . . , C5, D1, . . . , D5) for connection to the sensing electrodes (7, 27) of the projected capacitance touch panel (43). Each terminal (C1, . . . , C5, D1, . . . , D5) is connected to one of the measurement ports (122). Each terminal (C1, . . . , C5, D1, . . . , D5) is also connected to an input of one of the charge amplifiers (123) via a corresponding switch (SW) of a number of switches (117a, 117b).Type: GrantFiled: June 3, 2019Date of Patent: August 17, 2021Assignee: Cambridge Touch Technologies Ltd.Inventors: Mojtaba Bagheri, Babak Bastani, Jiahao Li, Xiang Cheng, Michael Astley
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Publication number: 20210232257Abstract: An apparatus (22) for processing signals from a touch panel (10) is described. The touch panel (10) includes a layer of piezoelectric material (16) disposed between a plurality of sensing electrodes (14, 20) and at least one common electrode (15). The apparatus (22) includes a first circuit (23) for connection to the plurality of sensing electrodes (14, 20). The first circuit (23) is configured to generate one or more first pressure signals (29). Each first pressure signal (29) corresponds to one or more sensing electrodes (14, 20) and is indicative of a pressure acting on the touch panel (10) proximate to the corresponding one or more sensing electrodes (14, 20). The apparatus also includes a second circuit (24) for connection to the at least one common electrode (15). The second circuit (24) is configured to generate a second pressure signal (30) indicative of a total pressure applied to the touch panel (10).Type: ApplicationFiled: June 6, 2019Publication date: July 29, 2021Inventors: Paul Routley, Babak Bastani, Riccardo Micci, Arokia Nathan, Michael Astley, Xiang Cheng, Jiahao Li
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Publication number: 20210165550Abstract: An apparatus (73) for processing signals from a touch panel (10) is described. The touch panel (10) includes a layer of piezoelectric material (16) disposed between a number of sensing electrodes (14, 20) and at least one common electrode (15). The apparatus (73) includes a capacitive touch controller (69) for connection to the sensing electrodes (14, 20). The apparatus (73) also includes a switch network (74) including a number of inputs for connection to some or all of the sensing electrodes (14, 20), and an output, connected to system ground or a common mode voltage (VCM). The apparatus (73) also includes a second circuit (24, 44) for connection to the at least one common electrode (15) and configured to generate, based on signals received from the at least one common electrode, a second pressure signal (30) indicative of a total pressure applied to the touch panel (10).Type: ApplicationFiled: June 6, 2019Publication date: June 3, 2021Inventors: Michael Astley, Babak Bastani, Riccardo Micci, Arokia Nathan, Paul Routley, Xiang Cheng, Jiahao Li