Patents by Inventor Michael Shawn Gray

Michael Shawn Gray 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: 11720207
    Abstract: A capacitive touch screen display operates by: receiving a plurality of sensed signals indicating variations in mutual capacitance associated with a plurality of cross points formed by a plurality of electrodes; generating capacitance image data associated with the plurality of cross points that includes positive capacitance variation data corresponding to positive variations of the capacitance image data from a nominal value and negative capacitance variation data corresponding to negative variations of the capacitance image data from the nominal value; determining, based on the positive capacitance variation data and the negative capacitance variation data, an upper threshold and a lower threshold; generating compensated capacitance image data, based on the upper threshold and the lower threshold, to compensate for noise in the capacitance image data; and processing the compensated capacitance image data to determine a proximal condition of the touch screen display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: SigmaSense, LLC.
    Inventors: Richard Stuart Seger, Jr., Michael Shawn Gray, Daniel Keith Van Ostrand, Hans Howard Eilers, Kevin Joseph Derichs, Sarah Marie Derichs, Patrick Troy Gray, Phuong Huynh
  • Publication number: 20230234444
    Abstract: A sensor system operates by: communicating a first ID signal at a first frequency between a first passenger restraint and a first sensor circuit of a touch screen through a body of a first user in a first occupancy area; receiving first sensed signal data from the first sensor circuit indicating a possible interaction with a first interactable element at a first touch screen location based on changes in electrical properties of an electrode of the first sensor circuit; determining the first sensed signal data indicates detection of the first frequency; when permissions data for the first occupancy area indicates occupants of the first occupancy area can interact with the first interactable element, facilitate performance of a functionality associated with the first interactable element; when permissions data for the first occupancy area indicates occupants of the first occupancy area cannot interact with the first interactable element, foregoing performance of the functionality associated with the interaction
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2023
    Publication date: July 27, 2023
    Applicant: SigmaSense, LLC.
    Inventors: Kevin Joseph Derichs, Richard Stuart Seger, Jr., Michael Shawn Gray, Patrick Troy Gray, Daniel Keith Van Ostrand
  • Publication number: 20230236623
    Abstract: A programmable drive-sense unit (DSU) includes a drive-sense circuit operably coupled to a load, wherein the drive-sense circuit is configured to drive and simultaneously to sense the load via a single line, and produce an analog output based on the sensing the load. The programmable DSU also includes an analog to digital circuit operably coupled to the drive-sense circuit, where the analog to digital circuit is operable to generate a digital output based on the analog output and in accordance with one or more programmable operational parameters to achieve one or more of load sensing objectives associated with the sensing of the load and data processing objectives associated with the sensing of the load.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2023
    Publication date: July 27, 2023
    Applicant: SigmaSense, LLC.
    Inventors: Richard Stuart Seger, JR., Daniel Keith Van Ostrand, Patrick Troy Gray, Michael Shawn Gray, Timothy W. Markison
  • Publication number: 20230234445
    Abstract: A sensor system operates by: communicating a first ID signal at a first frequency between a first perimeter sensor and a first sensor circuit of a touch screen through a body of a first user in a first occupancy area; receiving first sensed signal data from the first sensor circuit indicating a possible interaction with a first interactable element at a first touch screen location based on changes in electrical properties of an electrode of the first sensor circuit; determining the first sensed signal data indicates detection of the first frequency; when permissions data for the first occupancy area indicates occupants of the first occupancy area can interact with the first interactable element, facilitate performance of a functionality associated with the first interactable element; when permissions data for the first occupancy area indicates occupants of the first occupancy area cannot interact with the first interactable element, foregoing performance of the functionality associated with the interaction wi
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2023
    Publication date: July 27, 2023
    Applicant: SigmaSense, LLC.
    Inventors: Kevin Joseph Derichs, Richard Stuart Seger, JR., Michael Shawn Gray, Patrick Troy Gray, Daniel Keith Van Ostrand
  • Patent number: 11709563
    Abstract: A touch screen display includes a plurality of sets of electrodes facilitating touch sense functionality based on electrode signals having a drive signal component and a receive signal component. Each set of electrodes includes a corresponding proper subset of non-neighboring ones of a plurality of row electrodes and a corresponding proper subset of non-neighboring ones of a plurality of column electrodes. The row electrodes and the column electrodes form a plurality of cross points. The touch screen display further includes a plurality of sets of drive-sense circuits, where each set of drive-sense circuits is operable to generate a proper subset of a plurality of sensed signals indicating variations in capacitance associated with a proper subset of the plurality of cross points formed by a corresponding set of electrodes. The touch screen display further includes a processing module operable to process the plurality of sensed signals identify a user interaction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: SigmaSense, LLC.
    Inventors: Daniel Keith Van Ostrand, Michael Shawn Gray, Patrick Troy Gray, Richard Stuart Seger, Jr.
  • Patent number: 11693497
    Abstract: An e-pen includes e-pen sensor electrodes (including a first and a second e-pen sensor electrode) and drive-sense circuits (DSCs) (including a first DSC and a second DSC. The first DSC drives a first e-pen signal having a first frequency via a first single line coupling to the first e-pen sensor electrode and simultaneously senses, via the first single line, the first e-pen signal. Based on e-pen/touch sensor device interaction, the first e-pen signal is coupled into at least one touch sensor electrode of the touch sensor device. The first DSC process the first e-pen signal to generate a first digital signal representative of a first electrical characteristic of the first e-pen sensor electrode. Similarly, the second DSC drives a second e-pen signal having a second frequency via a second single line coupling to the second e-pen sensor electrode and simultaneously senses, via the second single line, the second e-pen signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: SIGMASENSE, LLC.
    Inventors: Patrick Troy Gray, Gerald Dale Morrison, Daniel Keith Van Ostrand, Richard Stuart Seger, Jr., Michael Shawn Gray, Kevin Joseph Derichs
  • Publication number: 20230205344
    Abstract: A touchscreen display includes one or more display drivers coupled to an active matrix display and one or more touch controllers coupled to one or more touch sensor conductors. The one or more display drivers are coupled to the active matrix display via active matrix conductive components. When enabled, the one or more display drivers is configured to transmit a first signal to the active matrix display in accordance with display operation. A touch sensor conductor includes one or more segments of the active matrix conductive components. When enabled, a touch controller of the one or more touch controllers is configured to transmit a second signal via the touch sensor conductor in accordance with touchscreen operation that is performed concurrently with the display operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2023
    Publication date: June 29, 2023
    Applicant: SIGMASENSE, LLC.
    Inventors: Daniel Keith Van Ostrand, Michael Shawn Gray, Kevin Joseph Derichs
  • Publication number: 20230202299
    Abstract: A method includes receiving sensed signal data from at least one circuit based on a user in proximity to at least one electrode corresponding to the at least one circuit. Anatomical feature mapping data indicating a position of a hand detected in proximity to an interactable element in a first location within a vehicle is generated based on the sensed signal data. Button feedback display data visually depicting the position of the hand in spatial relation to the position of the interactable element is generated based on the anatomical feature mapping data, and the button feedback display data is displayed via a display device. A touch-based interaction with the interactable element is detected after facilitating display of the button feedback display data. Performance of a vehicle function is facilitated by a vehicle based on detecting the touch-based interaction with the interactable element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2023
    Publication date: June 29, 2023
    Applicant: SigmaSense, LLC.
    Inventors: Richard Stuart Seger, JR., Michael Shawn Gray, Patrick Troy Gray, Daniel Keith Van Ostrand, Kevin Joseph Derichs
  • Patent number: 11679678
    Abstract: A method includes receiving sensed signal data from at least one circuit based on a user in proximity to at least one electrode corresponding to the at least one circuit. Hover detection data indicating a detected hover in proximity to an interactable element of a vehicle is generated. Button feedback display data indicating the interactable element is generated based on the hover detection data. Display of the button feedback display data via a display device is facilitated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: SigmaSense, LLC.
    Inventors: Richard Stuart Seger, Jr., Michael Shawn Gray, Patrick Troy Gray, Daniel Keith Van Ostrand, Kevin Joseph Derichs
  • Publication number: 20230185393
    Abstract: A touchscreen display includes one or more display drivers coupled to an active matrix display and one or more touch controllers coupled to one or more touch sensor conductors. The one or more display drivers are coupled to the active matrix display via active matrix conductive components. When enabled, the one or more display drivers is configured to transmit a first signal to the active matrix display in accordance with display operation. A touch sensor conductor includes one or more segments of the active matrix conductive components. When enabled, a touch controller of the one or more touch controllers is configured to transmit a second signal via the touch sensor conductor in accordance with touchscreen operation that is performed concurrently with the display operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2023
    Publication date: June 15, 2023
    Applicant: SIGMASENSE, LLC.
    Inventors: Daniel Keith Van Ostrand, Michael Shawn Gray, Kevin Joseph Derichs
  • Publication number: 20230176666
    Abstract: An e-pen includes e-pen sensor electrodes (including a first and a second e-pen sensor electrode) and drive-sense circuits (DSCs) (including a first DSC and a second DSC. The first DSC drives a first e-pen signal having a first frequency via a first single line coupling to the first e-pen sensor electrode and simultaneously senses, via the first single line, the first e-pen signal. Based on e-pen/touch sensor device interaction, the first e-pen signal is coupled into at least one touch sensor electrode of the touch sensor device. The first DSC process the first e-pen signal to generate a first digital signal representative of a first electrical characteristic of the first e-pen sensor electrode. Similarly, the second DSC drives a second e-pen signal having a second frequency via a second single line coupling to the second e-pen sensor electrode and simultaneously senses, via the second single line, the second e-pen signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2023
    Publication date: June 8, 2023
    Applicant: SIGMASENSE, LLC.
    Inventors: Patrick Troy Gray, Gerald Dale Morrison, Daniel Keith Van Ostrand, Richard Stuart Seger, JR., Michael Shawn Gray, Kevin Joseph Derichs
  • Patent number: 11669177
    Abstract: An e-pen includes e-pen sensor electrodes (including a first and a second e-pen sensor electrode) and drive-sense circuits (DSCs) (including a first DSC and a second DSC. The first DSC drives a first e-pen signal having a first frequency via a first single line coupling to the first e-pen sensor electrode and simultaneously senses, via the first single line, the first e-pen signal. Based on e-pen/touch sensor device interaction, the first e-pen signal is coupled into at least one touch sensor electrode of the touch sensor device. The first DSC process the first e-pen signal to generate a first digital signal representative of a first electrical characteristic of the first e-pen sensor electrode. Similarly, the second DSC drives a second e-pen signal having a second frequency via a second single line coupling to the second e-pen sensor electrode and simultaneously senses, via the second single line, the second e-pen signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: SIGMASENSE, LLC.
    Inventors: Patrick Troy Gray, Gerald Dale Morrison, Daniel Keith Van Ostrand, Richard Stuart Seger, Jr., Michael Shawn Gray, Kevin Joseph Derichs
  • Publication number: 20230168717
    Abstract: A device having a flexible touch screen display configured to display images in at least a first touch area and a second touch area. The first touch area is configured to rotate with respect to the second touch area along a folding axis. A first plurality of touch sensitive column and row electrodes are integrated into the first touch area and a second plurality of column and row electrodes are integrated into the second touch area of the flexible display. The device further includes a plurality of drive-sense circuits that drive sensor signals on the electrodes. A processing module senses, based on the sensor signals, an electrical characteristic of at least one row electrode and at least one column electrode of the first touch area or the second touch area and determines, based on the electrical characteristic, a proximal touch to at least one of the first touch area or the second touch area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2023
    Publication date: June 1, 2023
    Applicant: SigmaSense, LLC.
    Inventors: Richard Stuart Seger, JR., Michael Shawn Gray, Daniel Keith Van Ostrand, Patrick Troy Gray
  • Publication number: 20230156374
    Abstract: An imaging device includes a plurality of pixel sensors that respond to incident light. At least one drive-sense circuit is configured to generating a sensed signal corresponding to one of the plurality of pixel sensors. The at least one drive-sense circuit includes: a first conversion circuit configured to convert, a receive signal component of a sensor signal corresponding to the one of the plurality of pixel sensors into the sensed signal, wherein the sensed signal indicates a change in a capacitance associated with the one of the plurality of pixel sensors; a second conversion circuit configured to generate, based on the sensed signal, a drive signal component of the sensor signal corresponding to the one of the plurality of pixel sensors. The at least one drive-sense circuit is further configured to generate a plurality of other sensed signals corresponding to other ones of the plurality of pixel sensors for the other ones of the plurality of pixel sensors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2023
    Publication date: May 18, 2023
    Applicant: SigmaSense, LLC.
    Inventor: Michael Shawn Gray
  • Publication number: 20230156373
    Abstract: An imaging device includes a plurality of pixel sensors that respond to incident light. At least one drive-sense circuit is configured to generating a sensed signal corresponding to one of the plurality of pixel sensors. The at least one drive-sense circuit includes: a first conversion circuit configured to convert, a receive signal component of a sensor signal corresponding to the one of the plurality of pixel sensors into the sensed signal, wherein the sensed signal indicates a change in a capacitance associated with the one of the plurality of pixel sensors; a second conversion circuit configured to generate, based on the sensed signal, a drive signal component of the sensor signal corresponding to the one of the plurality of pixel sensors. The at least one drive-sense circuit is further configured to generate a plurality of other sensed signals corresponding to other ones of the plurality of pixel sensors for the other ones of the plurality of pixel sensors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 4, 2023
    Publication date: May 18, 2023
    Applicant: SigmaSense, LLC.
    Inventor: Michael Shawn Gray
  • Patent number: 11644860
    Abstract: A method for execution by one or more processing modules to configure a programmable drive-sense unit (DSU) includes determining one or more load sensing objectives based on sensing a load using the DSU that is configured to drive and simultaneously to sense the load via a single line. The method further includes determining one or more data processing objectives associated with sensing the load. The method further includes determining desired characteristics for the output data associated with sensing the load. The method further includes determining operational parameters for the DSU based on one or more of the load sensing objectives, the data processing objectives, and the desired characteristics for the output data. The method further includes configuring the DSU based on the operational parameters to achieve the one or more load sensing objectives.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: SigmaSense, LLC.
    Inventors: Richard Stuart Seger, Jr., Daniel Keith Van Ostrand, Patrick Troy Gray, Michael Shawn Gray, Timothy W. Markison
  • Publication number: 20230125675
    Abstract: A touch screen display includes a plurality of sets of electrodes facilitating touch sense functionality based on electrode signals having a drive signal component and a receive signal component. Each set of electrodes includes a corresponding proper subset of non-neighboring ones of a plurality of row electrodes and a corresponding proper subset of non-neighboring ones of a plurality of column electrodes. The row electrodes and the column electrodes form a plurality of cross points. The touch screen display further includes a plurality of sets of drive-sense circuits, where each set of drive-sense circuits is operable to generate a proper subset of a plurality of sensed signals indicating variations in capacitance associated with a proper subset of the plurality of cross points formed by a corresponding set of electrodes. The touch screen display further includes a processing module operable to process the plurality of sensed signals identify a user interaction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2022
    Publication date: April 27, 2023
    Applicant: SigmaSense, LLC.
    Inventors: Daniel Keith Van Ostrand, Michael Shawn Gray, Patrick Troy Gray, Richard Stuart Seger, JR.
  • Publication number: 20230120125
    Abstract: A biometric sensor includes a body surface sensor and an e-field signal transmitter. The body surface sensor create a drive-sense signal at a first frequency based on one or more sensing parameters. When operably coupled to a body via one or more electrodes, the body surface sensor provides the drive-sense signal to the body and detects an effect on the drive-sense signal based on electrical characteristics of the body. The body surface sensor generate a data signal based on the detected effect, wherein the data signal represents the body’s electrical characteristics. The e-field signal transmitter generates an outbound signal reference at a second frequency based on the data signal and one or more transmit parameters. The e-field transmitter drives the outbound reference signal to the body, wherein the outbound reference signal is transmitted within at least a portion of the body as an outbound e-field signal at the second frequency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2022
    Publication date: April 20, 2023
    Applicant: SigmaSense, LLC.
    Inventors: Richard Stuart Seger, Jr., Michael Shawn Gray, Kevin Joseph Derichs, Daniel Keith Van Ostrand, Timothy W. Markison
  • Publication number: 20230110019
    Abstract: An e-pen includes e-pen sensor electrodes (including a first and a second e-pen sensor electrode) and drive-sense circuits (DSCs) (including a first DSC and a second DSC. The first DSC drives a first e-pen signal having a first frequency via a first single line coupling to the first e-pen sensor electrode and simultaneously senses, via the first single line, the first e-pen signal. Based on e-pen/touch sensor device interaction, the first e-pen signal is coupled into at least one touch sensor electrode of the touch sensor device. The first DSC process the first e-pen signal to generate a first digital signal representative of a first electrical characteristic of the first e-pen sensor electrode. Similarly, the second DSC drives a second e-pen signal having a second frequency via a second single line coupling to the second e-pen sensor electrode and simultaneously senses, via the second single line, the second e-pen signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2022
    Publication date: April 13, 2023
    Applicant: SIGMASENSE, LLC.
    Inventors: Patrick Troy Gray, Gerald Dale Morrison, Daniel Keith Van Ostrand, Richard Stuart Seger, JR., Michael Shawn Gray, Kevin Joseph Derichs
  • Publication number: 20230109217
    Abstract: A method includes, for a first x-y position of a sensing grid, obtaining first sensed data. The method further includes, for a first sense data layer, determining whether the first sensed data compares favorably to a threshold for the first sense data layer. The method further includes, when the first sensed data compares favorably to the threshold for the first sense data layer; storing a first n-bit value and storing a second n-bit value when it does not. The method further includes, for a second sense data layer, determining whether the first sensed data compares favorably to a threshold for the second sense data layer. The method further includes, when the first sensed data compares favorably to the threshold for the second sense data layer; storing the first n-bit value and storing the second n-bit value when it does not. The method includes similar processing for a second x-y position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2022
    Publication date: April 6, 2023
    Applicant: SigmaSense, LLC.
    Inventors: Gerald Dale Morrison, Michael Shawn Gray, Grant Howard McGibney