Patents by Inventor Steven A. Porter

Steven A. Porter 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: 8730196
    Abstract: Displays with integrated touch sensing circuitry are provided. An integrated touch screen can include multi-function circuit elements that form part of the display circuitry of the display system that generates an image on the display, and also form part of the touch sensing circuitry of a touch sensing system that senses one or more touches on or near the display. The multi-function circuit elements can be, for example, capacitors in display pixels of an LCD that are configured to operate as display circuitry in the display system, and that may also be configured to operate as touch circuitry of the touch sensing system. For example, one or more circuit elements of the display pixel stackup can form a conductive portion of the touch sensing system, such as a charge collector, which can be operated with switches and conductive lines to sense touch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Steven Porter Hotelling, Marduke Yousefpor, Shih Chang Chang, John Z. Zhong
  • Patent number: 8711570
    Abstract: Flexible circuits for routing signals of a device, such as a touch sensor panel of a touch sensitive device, are provided. The flexible circuit can include a first set of traces for routing a first set of lines and a second set of traces for routing a second set of lines. The first set of traces can couple together the ends of at least a portion of the first set of lines. Additionally, the first set of traces can be non-intersecting or non-overlapping with the second set of traces. The flexible circuit can have a T-shape configuration and can be incorporated within a touch sensitive device, display device, printed circuit board, or the like. The flexible circuit can be placed over another flexible circuit, and can extend onto the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Steven Porter Hotelling, Joshua G. Wurzel, Steven J. Martisauskas, Thayne M. Miller, Kuo-Hua Sung
  • Patent number: 8711108
    Abstract: A substantially transparent touch sensor panel having co-planar single-layer touch sensors and traces fabricated on a single side of a substrate for detecting single or multi-touch events. The touch sensor elements can be fabricated in columns and rows, with each sensor element in a row adjacent to a sensor element in a column. By using a board as the dielectric to connect traces from multiple sensor elements in each row, rather than using a dielectric layer on the substrate upon which the sensor elements and traces are formed, the sensor elements and traces on the substrate can be formed by simply patterning a single layer of conductive material on the substrate, which can simplify the manufacturing process of the substrate from a complexity and cost perspective.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Martin Paul Grunthaner, Steven Porter Hotelling
  • Publication number: 20140111436
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2013
    Publication date: April 24, 2014
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Brett William DEGNER, Kenneth Lawrence STATON, Steven Porter HOTELLING, Shin John CHOI
  • Publication number: 20140098051
    Abstract: A touch sensor panel including a plurality of drive lines crossing a plurality of sense lines, forming an array. The plurality of drive lines and the plurality of sense lines are formed by interconnecting sections of at least one conductive material having a truncated diamond shape or formed of interconnected conductive lines. At least one conductive dummy region may be disposed in an area of the touch sensor panel around the truncated diamond shape sections or interconnected conductive lines of the plurality of drive lines and the plurality of sense lines. One or more lines may be formed overlapping the interconnected sections of each of the plurality of drive lines and the plurality of sense lines.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2013
    Publication date: April 10, 2014
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Seung Jae HONG, Martin Paul Grunthaner, Steven Porter Hotelling, Lynn Youngs
  • Patent number: 8658995
    Abstract: Remote control systems that can distinguish predetermined light sources from stray light sources, e.g., environmental light sources and/or reflections are provided. The predetermined light sources can be disposed in asymmetric substantially linear or two-dimensional patterns. The predetermined light sources also can output waveforms modulated in accordance with one or more signature modulation characteristics. The predetermined light sources also can output light at different signature wavelengths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Steven Porter Hotelling, Nicholas Vincent King, Duncan Robert Kerr, Wing Kong Low
  • Patent number: 8638320
    Abstract: Stylus orientation detection is disclosed. In an example, the orientation of a stylus relative to a contacting surface, e.g., a touch panel, can be detected by detecting a capacitance at one or more locations on the stylus relative to the surface, and then using the capacitance(s) to determine the orientation of the stylus relative to the surface. In another example, the orientation of a stylus relative to a contacting surface, e.g., a touch panel, can be detected by first detecting the orientation of the stylus relative to a reference, detecting the orientation of the contacting surface relative to the reference, and then calculating the orientation of the stylus relative to the contacting surface using the two detected orientations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jonah A. Harley, Li-Quan Tan, Debanjan Mukherjee, Steven Porter Hotelling
  • Patent number: 8624849
    Abstract: Briefly, in accordance with one embodiment, a passive touch sensor configuration is integrated with an OLED structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2014
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Shih Chang Chang, Steven Porter Hotelling
  • Patent number: 8593410
    Abstract: A touch sensor panel including a plurality of drive lines crossing a plurality of sense lines, forming an array. The plurality of drive lines and the plurality of sense lines are formed by interconnecting sections of at least one conductive material having a truncated diamond shape or formed of interconnected conductive lines. At least one conductive dummy region may be disposed in an area of the touch sensor panel around the truncated diamond shape sections or interconnected conductive lines of the plurality of drive lines and the plurality of sense lines. One or more lines may be formed overlapping the interconnected sections of each of the plurality of drive lines and the plurality of sense lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Seung Jae Hong, Martin Paul Grunthaner, Steven Porter Hotelling, Lynn Youngs
  • Patent number: 8593425
    Abstract: A touch sensor panel including a plurality of drive lines crossing a plurality of sense lines, forming an array. The plurality of drive lines and the plurality of sense lines are formed by interconnecting sections of at least one conductive material having a truncated diamond shape or formed of interconnected conductive lines. At least one conductive dummy region may be disposed in an area of the touch sensor panel around the truncated diamond shape sections or interconnected conductive lines of the plurality of drive lines and the plurality of sense lines. One or more lines may be formed overlapping the interconnected sections of each of the plurality of drive lines and the plurality of sense lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Seung Jae Hong, Martin Paul Grunthaner, Steven Porter Hotelling, Lynn Youngs
  • Publication number: 20130300953
    Abstract: Displays with touch sensing circuitry integrated into the display pixel stackup are provided. An integrated touch screen can include multi-function circuit elements that can operate as circuitry of the display system to generate an image on the display, and can also form part of a touch sensing system that senses one or more touches on or near the display. The multi-function circuit elements can be, for example, capacitors in display pixels that can be configured to operate as storage capacitors/electrodes, common electrodes, conductive wires/pathways, etc., of the display circuitry in the display system, and that may also be configured to operate as circuit elements of the touch sensing circuitry.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2013
    Publication date: November 14, 2013
    Inventors: Steven Porter HOTELLING, Marduke Yousefpor, Shih Chang Chang, John Z. Zhong
  • Patent number: 8576161
    Abstract: Briefly, in accordance with one embodiment, a method is provided of driving an OLED display structure integrated with a touch sensor configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Shih Chang Chang, Steven Porter Hotelling, Brian Lynch
  • Publication number: 20130285971
    Abstract: A touch sensor panel configured to detect objects touching the panel as well as objects that are at a varying proximity to the touch sensor panel. The touch sensor panel includes circuitry that can configure the panel in a mutual capacitance (near field) architecture or a self-capacitance (far field and super far field) architecture. The touch sensor panel can also include circuitry that works to minimize an effect that a parasitic capacitance can have on the ability of the touch sensor panel to reliably detect touch and proximity events.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2012
    Publication date: October 31, 2013
    Inventors: John Greer ELIAS, Steven Porter HOTELLING
  • Publication number: 20130285973
    Abstract: A touch sensor panel configured to mitigate the effect of parasitic capacitance on the ability of a capacitive touch sensor panel to reliably detect touch and proximity events. The touch sensor panel includes circuitry that can electrically drive a set of conductive shields that partially encapsulate various conductive components of the touch sensor panel. The touch sensor panel can also include circuitry that work to calibrate the touch sensor panel against variations in signal phase due to a parasitic capacitance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2012
    Publication date: October 31, 2013
    Inventors: John Greer ELIAS, Steven Porter Hotelling
  • Publication number: 20130285972
    Abstract: A touch sensor panel configured to switch between a mutual capacitance near field sensing architecture and a self-capacitance far field sensing architecture. The touch sensor panel includes circuitry that can switch the configuration of touch electrodes to act as either drive lines in a mutual capacitance configuration or as sense electrodes in a self-capacitance configuration. The touch sensor panel also includes circuitry that can switch the configuration of touch electrodes to act as either sense lines in a mutual capacitance configuration or a sense electrode in a self-capacitance configuration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2012
    Publication date: October 31, 2013
    Inventors: John Greer ELIAS, Steven Porter Hotelling
  • Patent number: 8570301
    Abstract: Negative pixel compensation to compensate for a negative pixel effect in touch signal outputs due to poor grounding of an object touching the device is disclosed. To do so, the device can switch to a configuration to measure the grounding condition of the touching object and use the measurement to compensate the touch output values. In the switched configuration, a first set of lines of the device can be switched between a coupling to a stimulation signal input to drive the device, a coupling to a capacitance signal output to output a signal indicative of the object's grounding condition, and a coupling to ground. A second set of lines of the device can be coupled to a touch signal output to output a signal indicative of the object's touch at the device. The grounding signal can be applied to the touch signal to compensate for the negative pixel effect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Brian Richards Land, Marduke Yousefpor, Steven Porter Hotelling
  • Publication number: 20130278557
    Abstract: Capacitive touch panels may include a plurality of positive voltage lines that are driven at a first phase. These positive voltage lines may be used to provide the drive capacitance signal sensed by one or more sense regions. The touch panels may also include a plurality of negative phase voltage lines that are driven at a phase that is different than the first phase. Both the positive and negative voltage lines may cross-under one or more sense regions. The negative phase voltage lines are able to counter act and reduce the static capacitance in the sense regions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2013
    Publication date: October 24, 2013
    Inventors: Steven Porter HOTELLING, Marduke Yousefpor
  • Publication number: 20130271427
    Abstract: Reconstruction of an original touch image from a differential touch image is disclosed. Reconstruction can include aligning columns of the differential touch image relative to each other and aligning the image to a baseline DC value. The column and baseline alignment can be based on the differential image data indicative of no touch or hover, because such data can more clearly show the amount of alignment needed to reconstruct the original image. The reconstruction can be performed using the differential image data alone. The reconstruction can also be performed using the differential image data and common mode data indicative of the missing image column average.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2012
    Publication date: October 17, 2013
    Inventors: Ari Y. BENBASAT, William Matthew Vieta, Wayne Carl Westerman, Steven Porter Hotelling
  • Patent number: 8552957
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for switching the voltages supplied to the electrodes of pixels disposed within a liquid crystal display device. By reducing the frequency associated with an alternating voltage supplied to a first set of liquid crystal electrodes, the power required to drive the liquid crystal display device can be reduced. At the same time, a reordered schedule for updating rows of pixels in the liquid crystal display device can provide improved image quality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Steven Porter Hotelling
  • Patent number: 8537126
    Abstract: A gate driver circuit for switching gate line voltage supplies between display and touch modes is disclosed. The circuit can include one or more switches configured to switch one or more gate lines of an integrated touch sensitive display between a display mode and a touch mode. During touch mode, the circuit can be configured to switch the gate lines to connect to a more stable voltage supply. The circuit can also be configured to reduce or eliminate interference from the display circuitry to the touch circuitry that could affect touch sensing. During display mode, the circuit can be configured to switch the gate lines to connect to a fluctuating voltage supply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Marduke Yousefpor, Shih Chang Chang, Kevin J. White, Steven Porter Hotelling