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: 8031094
    Abstract: A controller for a touch sensor includes a transimpedance amplifier, and a feedback resistor coupled to an input of the transimpedance amplifier and to an output of the transimpedance amplifier. At least one multiplexor may be coupled to the input of the transimpedance amplifier and configured to multiplex a plurality of analog inputs to one dedicated channel. The controller may further include a bandpass filter coupled to the output of the transimpedance amplifier. The output of the bandpass filter may be input to an anti-aliasing filter, which feeds into an analog to digital converter. Alternatively, the output of the bandpass filter may be input to a sigma-delta analog to digital converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Steven Porter Hotelling, Christoph Horst Krah
  • Publication number: 20110074705
    Abstract: Touch screens with more compact border regions can include an active area that includes touch sensing circuitry including drive lines, and a border region around the active area. The border region can include an area of sealant deposited on conductive lines, and transistor circuitry, such as gate drivers, between the active area and the sealant. The conductive lines can extend from the sealant to the active area without electrically connecting to the transistor circuitry. The conductive lines can have equal impedances and can connect the drive lines to a touch controller off of the touch screen. A set of drive signal characteristics for the drive lines can be obtained by determining a transfer function associated with each drive line, obtaining an inverse of each transfer function, and applying a set of individual sense signal characteristics to the inverse transfer functions to obtain the corresponding set of drive signal characteristics.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2009
    Publication date: March 31, 2011
    Inventors: Marduke YOUSEFPOR, Steven Porter Hotelling, Kevin J. White, Shih Chang Chang
  • Publication number: 20110061949
    Abstract: Measuring an effect of body capacitance in a touch sensitive device is disclosed. This effect can be caused by poor grounding of a user or other objects touching the device or of the device itself. The device can operate in a stray capacitance mode to measure a body capacitance effect and in a normal mode to detect a touch on the device. During the stray capacitance mode, the device can obtain a body capacitance measurement from the device. During the normal mode, the device can obtain a touch measurement from the device. The device can calculate a body capacitance factor based on a ratio between the body capacitance measurement and the touch measurement and use the body capacitance factor to compensate for erroneous or distorted touch output values from the device. Various components of the device can be switchably configured according to the particular mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2009
    Publication date: March 17, 2011
    Inventors: Christoph Horst KRAH, Steven Porter Hotelling, Marduke Yousefpor
  • Publication number: 20110050585
    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: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2009
    Publication date: March 3, 2011
    Inventors: Steven Porter Hotelling, Marduke Yousefpor, Shih Chang Chang, John Z. Zhong
  • Publication number: 20110043383
    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: Application
    Filed: November 25, 2009
    Publication date: February 24, 2011
    Inventors: Sunggu KANG, Lili Huang, Steven Porter Hotelling, John Z. Zhong
  • Publication number: 20110005845
    Abstract: A touch sensing device having conductive nodes is disclosed. The device can include a first structure having one or more conductive electrodes disposed on a surface opposite the structure's touchable surface and a second structure having one or more conductive nodes disposed on a surface. The two surfaces can be placed with the conductive electrodes and conductive nodes facing each other in close proximity so that the electrodes and the nodes can form capacitive elements for sensing a touch on the touchable surface. Separately disposing the conductive nodes from the touchable surface structure can make the touch sensing device thin. An example touch sensing device can be a click wheel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2009
    Publication date: January 13, 2011
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Steven Porter Hotelling, Stephen Paul Zadesky
  • Publication number: 20110007020
    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: July 10, 2009
    Publication date: January 13, 2011
    Inventors: Seung Jae Hong, Martin Paul Gruntiianer, Steven Porter Hotelling, Lynn Youngs
  • Patent number: 7859521
    Abstract: Displays with touch sensing circuitry integrated into the display pixel stackup are provided. Circuit elements, such as touch signal lines, such as drive lines and sense lines, grounding regions, in the display pixel stackups can be grouped together to form touch sensing circuitry that senses a touch on or near the display. 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: April 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Steven Porter Hotelling, Marduke Yousefpor, Shih Chang Chang, John Z. Zhong
  • Patent number: 7856878
    Abstract: A vibratory rotational rate gyroscope has a suspended assembly isolated from external vibrations by an arrangement of helical springs. This isolated assembly includes both the active components of the rotational rate gyroscope and a digital processing circuit. The digital processing circuit includes digital storage for both externally determined and internally determined unit-specific calibration values. These values provide seed values for startup processes, which improves loop startup time, and values for unit-specific electronic calibration. The digital processing circuit further converts all data to digital form. A digital communications protocol is used to transmit the calibration information and the outgoing data to and from the isolated assembly on only two conductors. Two additional conductors used for power. Four of the helical springs used in the suspension arrangement are used for these conductors such that no additional wiring is required.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignee: Thomson Licensing
    Inventors: Steven Porter Hotelling, Lex Bayer, Brian R. Land
  • Publication number: 20100321326
    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: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2009
    Publication date: December 23, 2010
    Inventors: Martin Paul GRUNTHANER, Steven Porter Hotelling
  • Publication number: 20100265187
    Abstract: Briefly, in accordance with one embodiment, signal routing for a touch sensor configuration may occur via a transistor driver integrated with an OLED structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2009
    Publication date: October 21, 2010
    Inventors: Shih Chang Chang, Steven Porter Hotelling
  • Publication number: 20100265188
    Abstract: Briefly, in accordance with one embodiment, a passive touch sensor configuration is integrated with an OLED structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2009
    Publication date: October 21, 2010
    Inventors: Shih Chang Chang, Steven Porter Hotelling
  • Publication number: 20100253638
    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: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2009
    Publication date: October 7, 2010
    Inventors: Marduke Yousefpor, Shih Chang Chang, Kevin J. White, Steven Porter Hotelling
  • Publication number: 20100195004
    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: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2009
    Publication date: August 5, 2010
    Inventor: Steven Porter Hotelling
  • Publication number: 20100094585
    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: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2009
    Publication date: April 15, 2010
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Steven Porter Hotelling, Nicholas Vincent King, Duncan Robert Kerr, Wing Kong Low
  • Patent number: 7673510
    Abstract: A dual-axis rotational rate sensor having two vibratory masses coupled to a restoring element and driven in a resonant counter-phase motion, wherein the two masses vibrate with equal but opposite amplitudes along a single axis. The vibratory structure also accommodates motion of the masses in a plane orthogonal to the vibratory axis. Measurement of the motion of the masses in two axes in this plane provides signals directly responsive to rotation of the sensor about two orthogonal axes. Measurement and drive is facilitated by the use of magnetic masses and electromagnetic drive and sense transducers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2010
    Assignee: Thomson Licensing
    Inventors: Steven Porter Hotelling, Lex Bayer, Brian R. Land
  • Patent number: 7655937
    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: July 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2010
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Steven Porter Hotelling, Nicholas Vincent King, Duncan Robert Kerr, Wing Kong Low
  • Patent number: 7644604
    Abstract: A synchronous signal processing circuit for a dual-axis vibratory rotation-rate sensor uses a hybrid analog/digital design to provide correction for parasitic quadrature errors by the addition of synthesized correction signals in the analog domain prior to digitization. Error correction, signal demodulation and data conversions are synchronized with a signal phase-locked to the measured motion of the vibratory mass. Similarly, cross-axis error correction signals are synthesized directly from the cross axis signals. Use of these precise phase references provides for various benefits in signal noise and error matching (tracking) over wide operation conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2010
    Assignee: Thomson Licensing
    Inventors: Steven Porter Hotelling, Lex Bayer, Brian R. Land
  • Publication number: 20090273573
    Abstract: A mutual capacitive touch sensing device is disclosed. The device can include nodes for sensing a touch at the device and for sensing a force applied to the device. Some nodes can perform both touch and force sensing; while other nodes can perform touch sensing. The device can include distinct individual drive lines for driving the nodes and separate distinct individual sense lines for transmitting touch or force signals from the nodes. The nodes can form groups, where the nodes in each group can be coupled to the same drive line and to different sense lines and where each node in a group can be coupled to a node in a different group by the same sense line. Each node can be set up with a different combination of drive and sense lines coupled thereto. An example device can be a click wheel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2009
    Publication date: November 5, 2009
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Steven Porter Hotelling
  • Patent number: 7566858
    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: November 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2009
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Steven Porter Hotelling, Nicholas Vincent King, Duncan Robert Kerr, Wing Kong Low