Patents by Inventor Robert Leo SHERIDAN

Robert Leo SHERIDAN 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: 20230011279
    Abstract: A touch sensor panel includes a first set of touch electrodes configured to operate as drive lines and that are disposed in a first layer of the touch sensor panel. The touch sensor panel also includes a second set of touch electrodes configured to operate as sense lines and that are disposed in a second layer of the touch sensor panel, different than the first layer of the touch sensor panel, such that one or more mutual capacitance touch nodes are formed by the first set of touch electrodes and the second set of touch electrodes. The touch sensor panel also includes a third set of touch electrodes configured to operate as self-capacitance electrodes and that are disposed in the first layer or the second layer of the touch sensor panel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2022
    Publication date: January 12, 2023
    Inventors: Christophe BLONDIN, Jean-Marie BUSSAT, Robert Leo SHERIDAN, Sagar Rajiv VAZE
  • Patent number: 11347366
    Abstract: A touch sensor panel includes a first set of touch electrodes configured to operate as drive lines and that are disposed in a first layer of the touch sensor panel. The touch sensor panel also includes a second set of touch electrodes configured to operate as sense lines and that are disposed in a second layer of the touch sensor panel, different than the first layer of the touch sensor panel, such that one or more mutual capacitance touch nodes are formed by the first set of touch electrodes and the second set of touch electrodes. The touch sensor panel also includes a third set of touch electrodes configured to operate as self-capacitance electrodes and that are disposed in the first layer or the second layer of the touch sensor panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Christophe Blondin, Jean-Marie Bussat, Robert Leo Sheridan, Sagar Rajiv Vaze
  • Patent number: 10936135
    Abstract: A touch sensor panel is disclosed. In some examples, the touch sensor panel comprises a first layer including a plurality of drive lines including drive electrodes, wherein the drive lines are configured to be coupled to drive circuitry during touch sensing on the touch sensor panel. In some examples, the first layer includes a plurality of sense lines including sense electrodes, wherein the sense lines are configured to be coupled to sense circuitry during the touch sensing on the touch sensor panel. In some examples, the first layer includes a plurality of first shielding electrodes, wherein the first shielding electrodes are disposed between the drive electrodes and the sense electrodes. In some examples, the touch sensor panel comprises a second layer, different than the first layer, including one or more bridges electrically coupling at least two of the first shielding electrodes together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Alexandre Gourevitch, Christophe Blondin, Ashray Vinayak Gogte, Xiaoqi Zhou, Vipul Chawla, Robert Leo Sheridan
  • Publication number: 20200371636
    Abstract: A touch sensor panel is disclosed. The touch sensor panel includes a first set of touch electrodes configured to operate as drive lines and that are disposed in a first layer of the touch sensor panel. The touch sensor panel also includes a second set of touch electrodes configured to operate as sense lines and that are disposed in a second layer of the touch sensor panel, different than the first layer of the touch sensor panel, such that one or more mutual capacitance touch nodes are formed by the first set of touch electrodes and the second set of touch electrodes. The touch sensor panel also includes a third set of touch electrodes configured to operate as self-capacitance electrodes and that are disposed in the first layer or the second layer of the touch sensor panel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2020
    Publication date: November 26, 2020
    Inventors: Christophe BLONDIN, Jean-Marie BUSSAT, Robert Leo SHERIDAN, Sagar Rajiv VAZE
  • Patent number: 10739904
    Abstract: A touch sensor panel is disclosed. The touch sensor panel includes a first set of touch electrodes configured to operate as drive lines and that are disposed in a first layer of the touch sensor panel. The touch sensor panel also includes a second set of touch electrodes configured to operate as sense lines and that are disposed in a second layer of the touch sensor panel, different than the first layer of the touch sensor panel, such that one or more mutual capacitance touch nodes are formed by the first set of touch electrodes and the second set of touch electrodes. The touch sensor panel also includes a third set of touch electrodes configured to operate as self-capacitance electrodes and that are disposed in the first layer or the second layer of the touch sensor panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Christophe Blondin, Jean-Marie Bussat, Robert Leo Sheridan, Sagar Rajiv Vaze
  • Patent number: 10599247
    Abstract: Thermal compensation can be applied to force measurements of a force-sensitive button. A temperature differential between an object and the force-sensitive button can result in changes in the reconstructed force by the force sensor due to thermal effects rather than actual user force, which in turn can result in degraded performance of the force sensor (e.g., false positive or inconsistent activation force). In some examples, a force-sensitive button can include a force sensor configured to measure an amount of force applied to the force-sensitive button, and a temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature associated with the force sensor. The measured temperature can be used to compensate the amount of force measured by the force sensor based on the temperature associated with the force sensor. In some examples, the thermal compensation can be applied when an object is detected contacting the force-sensitive button (i.e., when rapid temperature differentials can occur).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Eric S. Winokur, Robert Leo Sheridan, Leah M. Gum, Sora Kim, Giovanni Gozzini
  • Publication number: 20200026393
    Abstract: A touch sensor panel is disclosed. In some examples, the touch sensor panel comprises a first layer including a plurality of drive lines including drive electrodes, wherein the drive lines are configured to be coupled to drive circuitry during touch sensing on the touch sensor panel. In some examples, the first layer includes a plurality of sense lines including sense electrodes, wherein the sense lines are configured to be coupled to sense circuitry during the touch sensing on the touch sensor panel. In some examples, the first layer includes a plurality of first shielding electrodes, wherein the first shielding electrodes are disposed between the drive electrodes and the sense electrodes. In some examples, the touch sensor panel comprises a second layer, different than the first layer, including one or more bridges electrically coupling at least two of the first shielding electrodes together.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2019
    Publication date: January 23, 2020
    Inventors: Alexandre GOUREVITCH, Christophe BLONDIN, Ashray Vinayak GOGTE, Xiaoqi ZHOU, Vipul CHAWLA, Robert Leo SHERIDAN
  • Publication number: 20190056834
    Abstract: A touch sensor panel is disclosed. The touch sensor panel includes a first set of touch electrodes configured to operate as drive lines and that are disposed in a first layer of the touch sensor panel. The touch sensor panel also includes a second set of touch electrodes configured to operate as sense lines and that are disposed in a second layer of the touch sensor panel, different than the first layer of the touch sensor panel, such that one or more mutual capacitance touch nodes are formed by the first set of touch electrodes and the second set of touch electrodes. The touch sensor panel also includes a third set of touch electrodes configured to operate as self-capacitance electrodes and that are disposed in the first layer or the second layer of the touch sensor panel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2018
    Publication date: February 21, 2019
    Inventors: Christophe Blondin, Jean-Marie Bussat, Robert Leo Sheridan, Sagar Rajiv Vaze
  • Publication number: 20180067601
    Abstract: Thermal compensation can be applied to force measurements of a force-sensitive button. A temperature differential between an object and the force-sensitive button can result in changes in the reconstructed force by the force sensor due to thermal effects rather than actual user force, which in turn can result in degraded performance of the force sensor (e.g., false positive or inconsistent activation force). In some examples, a force-sensitive button can include a force sensor configured to measure an amount of force applied to the force-sensitive button, and a temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature associated with the force sensor. The measured temperature can be used to compensate the amount of force measured by the force sensor based on the temperature associated with the force sensor. In some examples, the thermal compensation can be applied when an object is detected contacting the force-sensitive button (i.e., when rapid temperature differentials can occur).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2016
    Publication date: March 8, 2018
    Inventors: Eric S. WINOKUR, Robert Leo SHERIDAN, Leah M. GUM, Sora KIM, Giovanni GOZZINI