Patents by Inventor Steven Porter Hotelling

Steven Porter Hotelling 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: 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: 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
  • 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
  • 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: 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
  • 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: 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
  • 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
  • Patent number: 8507811
    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: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Steven Porter Hotelling, Marduke Yousefpor
  • Patent number: 8502799
    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: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Steven Porter Hotelling, Marduke Yousefpor, Shih Chang Chang, John Z. Zhong
  • Patent number: 8482544
    Abstract: Negative pixel compensation in a touch sensitive device is disclosed. The device can compensate for a negative pixel effect in touch signal outputs due to poor grounding of an object touching the device. 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 from the device accordingly. 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. In addition or alternatively, in the switched configuration, the first set of lines of the device can be switched to function as the second set of lines and vice versa.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Brian Richards Land, Marduke Yousefpor, Steven Porter Hotelling
  • Patent number: 8475872
    Abstract: Simplified patterning of layers of a thin film is disclosed. In some embodiments, the patterning can include patterning a first conductive layer using a patterned dielectric layer as a mask and patterning a second conductive layer using a patterned passivation layer as another mask. In other embodiments, the patterning can include patterning a first conductive layer using a removable photosensitive layer as a mask, patterning a black mask layer using a removable photo mask, and patterning a second conductive layer using a patterned passivation layer as another mask. In still other embodiments, the patterning can include patterning a first conductive layer using a patterned black mask layer as a mask and patterning a second conductive layer using a patterned passivation layer as another mask. An exemplary device utilizing the thin film so patterned can include a touch sensor panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Sunggu Kang, Lili Huang, Steven Porter Hotelling, John Z. Zhong
  • Publication number: 20130099854
    Abstract: A noise suppression circuit for a power adapter is disclosed. The noise suppression circuit can reduce or eliminate adapter-induced noise that could interfere with an electronic device powered by the adapter. In one example, the noise suppression circuit can include an active circuit to detect and attenuate or cancel the induced noise. In another example, the noise suppression circuit can include an RLC circuit in parallel with the adapter choke to suppress the induced noise at the operating frequencies of the powered electronic device. In still another example, the noise suppression circuit can include a modified adapter Y capacitor connection so as to bypass the adapter choke, thereby reducing or eliminating the choke's induced noise.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2011
    Publication date: April 25, 2013
    Inventors: Peter W. RICHARDS, Steven Porter Hotelling
  • Patent number: 8390582
    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: August 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Steven Porter Hotelling, Marduke Yousefpor, Shih Chang Chang, John Z. Zhong
  • Patent number: 8363027
    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: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Steven Porter Hotelling, Marduke Yousefpor, Shih Chang Chang, John Z. Zhong