Patents by Inventor Santosh POKHREL

Santosh POKHREL 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: 20250103163
    Abstract: A touch sensor panel operable within small form factor devices utilizes a plurality of discrete column electrodes arranged in a plurality of columns, and a plurality of continuous row electrodes arranged in a plurality of rows. Each column is divided into a plurality of regions, with each region formed from a plurality of electrically connected discrete column electrodes within that column. A scan plan includes a series of mutual capacitance scans wherein discrete column electrode(s) in all regions in all columns are sequentially stimulated, and AC signals indicative of mutual capacitance at certain the continuous row electrode(s) is measured. The scan plan includes a series of projection self-capacitance scans, wherein AC signals indicative of self-capacitance at a plurality of continuous row electrodes is measured for all rows, and AC signals indicative of self-capacitance at the discrete column electrodes in each region of all columns is measured.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2024
    Publication date: March 27, 2025
    Inventors: Karan S. JAIN, Nandita VENUGOPAL, Santosh POKHREL
  • Publication number: 20240393909
    Abstract: Touch electrode architectures for reducing the occurrence of negative pixels in mutual capacitance touch sensor panels that are caused by poorly grounded objects are disclosed. A touch electrode architecture can utilize mutual capacitance unit cells, each of which include a drive electrode, a sense electrode, and one or more ground bars. The one or more ground bars can provide an increased capacitive path to ground for a poorly grounded finger, which can result in a larger reduction in mutual capacitance between the drive and sense electrodes, improving touch detection. In addition, the increased capacitive coupling between the object and ground reduces the amount of charge that couples back onto nearby sense electrodes, which can reduce the negative pixel that can occur at those electrodes and reduce the number of touch detection errors. The one or more ground bars can be formed in the same layer as the drive electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2024
    Publication date: November 28, 2024
    Inventors: Karan S. JAIN, Santosh POKHREL
  • Patent number: 12056321
    Abstract: Touch electrode architectures for reducing the occurrence of negative pixels in mutual capacitance touch sensor panels that are caused by poorly grounded objects are disclosed. A touch electrode architecture can utilize mutual capacitance unit cells, each of which include a drive electrode, a sense electrode, and one or more ground bars. The one or more ground bars can provide an increased capacitive path to ground for a poorly grounded finger, which can result in a larger reduction in mutual capacitance between the drive and sense electrodes, improving touch detection. In addition, the increased capacitive coupling between the object and ground reduces the amount of charge that couples back onto nearby sense electrodes, which can reduce the negative pixel that can occur at those electrodes and reduce the number of touch detection errors. The one or more ground bars can be formed in the same layer as the drive electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2023
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Karan S. Jain, Santosh Pokhrel
  • Patent number: 11995272
    Abstract: Touch sensor panels/screens can include negative temperature coefficient materials in the stack-up and routing traces with expanded areas to reduce thermal drift and minimize the detection of false touches. In some examples, the touch sensor panels/screens can include a plurality of touch electrodes in a first layer. In some examples, the sensor panels/screens can include one or more dielectric materials in a second layer, the one or more dielectric materials including a negative temperature coefficient material. In some examples, the touch sensor panels/screens can include a plurality of routing traces in a third layer, the plurality of routing traces routing the plurality of touch electrodes to a touch controller chip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Santosh Pokhrel, Nandita Venugopal, Supratik Datta
  • Publication number: 20240094853
    Abstract: Touch electrode architectures for reducing the occurrence of negative pixels in mutual capacitance touch sensor panels that are caused by poorly grounded objects are disclosed. A touch electrode architecture can utilize mutual capacitance unit cells, each of which include a drive electrode, a sense electrode, and one or more ground bars. The one or more ground bars can provide an increased capacitive path to ground for a poorly grounded finger, which can result in a larger reduction in mutual capacitance between the drive and sense electrodes, improving touch detection. In addition, the increased capacitive coupling between the object and ground reduces the amount of charge that couples back onto nearby sense electrodes, which can reduce the negative pixel that can occur at those electrodes and reduce the number of touch detection errors. The one or more ground bars can be formed in the same layer as the drive electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2023
    Publication date: March 21, 2024
    Inventors: Karan S. JAIN, Santosh POKHREL
  • Publication number: 20240004500
    Abstract: Touch sensor panels/screens can include negative temperature coefficient materials in the stack-up and routing traces with expanded areas to reduce thermal drift and minimize the detection of false touches. In some examples, the touch sensor panels/screens can include a plurality of touch electrodes in a first layer. In some examples, the sensor panels/screens can include one or more dielectric materials in a second layer, the one or more dielectric materials including a negative temperature coefficient material. In some examples, the touch sensor panels/screens can include a plurality of routing traces in a third layer, the plurality of routing traces routing the plurality of touch electrodes to a touch controller chip.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2023
    Publication date: January 4, 2024
    Inventors: Santosh POKHREL, Nandita VENUGOPAL, Supratik DATTA