Patents by Inventor Wei Hsin Yao

Wei Hsin Yao 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: 11886651
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are liquid-crystal display (LCD) touch screens that integrate the touch sensing elements with the display circuitry. The integration may take a variety of forms. Touch sensing elements can be completely implemented within the LCD stackup but outside the not between the color filter plate and the array plate. Alternatively, some touch sensing elements can be between the color filter and array plates with other touch sensing elements not between the plates. In another alternative, all touch sensing elements can be between the color filter and array plates. The latter alternative can include both conventional and in-plane-switching (IPS) LCDs. In some forms, one or more display structures can also have a touch sensing function. Techniques for manufacturing and operating such displays, as well as various devices embodying such displays are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Steve Porter Hotelling, Wei Chen, Christoph Horst Krah, John Greer Elias, Wei Hsin Yao, Andrew Bert Hodge, Brian Richards Land, Willem den Boer, John Z. Zhong
  • Patent number: 11416086
    Abstract: Electrode configurations for reducing wobble error for a stylus translating on a surface over and between electrodes of a touch sensor panel are disclosed. In some examples, electrodes associated with a more linear signal profile are correlated with lower wobble error. In some examples, electrodes can have projections which can interleave with projections of adjacent electrodes. In some configurations, projections of adjacent electrodes can be interleaved in one-dimension; in other configurations, projections of adjacent electrodes can be interleaved in two-dimensions. In some configurations, the width and length of one or more projections in an electrode can be selected based on a desired signal profile for that electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Kanke Gao, Wei Hsin Yao, Yingxuan Li, Weijun Yao
  • Publication number: 20220057880
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are liquid-crystal display (LCD) touch screens that integrate the touch sensing elements with the display circuitry. The integration may take a variety of forms. Touch sensing elements can be completely implemented within the LCD stackup but outside the not between the color filter plate and the array plate. Alternatively, some touch sensing elements can be between the color filter and array plates with other touch sensing elements not between the plates. In another alternative, all touch sensing elements can be between the color filter and array plates. The latter alternative can include both conventional and in-plane-switching (IPS) LCDs. In some forms, one or more display structures can also have a touch sensing function. Techniques for manufacturing and operating such displays, as well as various devices embodying such displays are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2021
    Publication date: February 24, 2022
    Inventors: Steve Porter HOTELLING, Wei CHEN, Christoph Horst KRAH, John Greer ELIAS, Wei Hsin YAO, Andrew Bert HODGE, Brian Richards LAND, Willem den BOER, John Z. ZHONG
  • Patent number: 11175762
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are liquid-crystal display (LCD) touch screens that integrate the touch sensing elements with the display circuitry. The integration may take a variety of forms. Touch sensing elements can be completely implemented within the LCD stackup but outside the not between the color filter plate and the array plate. Alternatively, some touch sensing elements can be between the color filter and array plates with other touch sensing elements not between the plates. In another alternative, all touch sensing elements can be between the color filter and array plates. The latter alternative can include both conventional and in-plane-switching (IPS) LCDs. In some forms, one or more display structures can also have a touch sensing function. Techniques for manufacturing and operating such displays, as well as various devices embodying such displays are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Steve Porter Hotelling, Wei Chen, Christoph Horst Krah, John Greer Elias, Wei Hsin Yao, Andrew Bert Hodge, Brian Richards Land, Willem den Boer, John Z. Zhong
  • Patent number: 11086444
    Abstract: A self-capacitive touch sensor panel configured to have a portion of both the touch and display functionality integrated into a common layer is provided. The touch sensor panel includes a layer with circuit elements that can switchably operate as both touch circuitry and display circuitry such that during a touch mode of the device the circuit elements operate as touch circuitry and during a display mode of the device the circuit elements operate as display circuitry. The touch mode and display mode can be time multiplexed. By integrating the touch hardware and display hardware into common layers, savings in power, weight and thickness of the device can be realized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Weijun Yao, Wei Hsin Yao, Yingxuan Li, Bingrui Yang, Marduke Yousefpor, Abbas Jamshidi-Roudbari, Ahmad Al-Dahle
  • Patent number: 10976846
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are liquid-crystal display (LCD) touch screens that integrate the touch sensing elements with the display circuitry. The integration may take a variety of forms. Touch sensing elements can be completely implemented within the LCD stackup but outside the not between the color filter plate and the array plate. Alternatively, some touch sensing elements can be between the color filter and array plates with other touch sensing elements not between the plates. In another alternative, all touch sensing elements can be between the color filter and array plates. The latter alternative can include both conventional and in-plane-switching (IPS) LCDs. In some forms, one or more display structures can also have a touch sensing function. Techniques for manufacturing and operating such displays, as well as various devices embodying such displays are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Steve Porter Hotelling, Wei Chen, Christoph Horst Krah, John Greer Elias, Wei Hsin Yao, Andrew Bert Hodge, Brian Richards Land, Willem den Boer, John Z. Zhong
  • Patent number: 10936120
    Abstract: A self-capacitance touch screen. In some examples, the touch screen comprises a plurality of display pixels, a first display pixel of the plurality of display pixels including a first touch electrode of a plurality of touch electrodes, and a gate line coupled to the first display pixel, wherein the gate line is configured such that a voltage at the gate line substantially follows a voltage at the first touch electrode. In some examples, the gate line is coupled to a resistor, the resistor being configured to decouple the gate line from ground. In some examples, the gate line is coupled to an AC voltage source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Weijun Yao, Ahmad Al-Dahle, Hyunwoo Nho, Taif A. Syed, Wei Hsin Yao, Yingxuan Li
  • Patent number: 10691235
    Abstract: Integrated touch screens are provided including drive lines formed of grouped-together circuit elements of a thin film transistor layer and sense lines formed between a color filter layer and a material layer that modifies or generates light. The common electrodes (Vcom) in the TFT layer can be grouped together during a touch sensing operation to form drive lines. Sense lines can be formed on a separate layer dedicated to only touch hardware.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Weijun Yao, Wei Hsin Yao, Yingxuan Li, Hopil Bae, Ahmad Al-Dahle
  • Patent number: 10678367
    Abstract: A touch sensor panel is disclosed. The touch sensor panel can include a plurality of touch nodes, the plurality of touch nodes including a first set of touch nodes and a second set of touch nodes, different from the first set of the touch nodes. In some examples, sense circuitry can be configured to, during a first scan, sense a first combined touch signal of the first set of the touch nodes, and during a second scan, sense a second combined touch signal of the second set of the touch nodes. A touch processor can be configured to determine a touch image at the plurality of touch nodes based on the first and second combined touch signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Kanke Gao, Chung-Ming Chang, Jiayi Jin, Ruo-Gu Huang, Taif A. Syed, Wei Hsin Yao, Weijun Yao
  • Publication number: 20200019275
    Abstract: Electrode configurations for reducing wobble error for a stylus translating on a surface over and between electrodes of a touch sensor panel are disclosed. In some examples, electrodes associated with a more linear signal profile are correlated with lower wobble error. In some examples, electrodes can have projections which can interleave with projections of adjacent electrodes. In some configurations, projections of adjacent electrodes can be interleaved in one-dimension; in other configurations, projections of adjacent electrodes can be interleaved in two-dimensions. In some configurations, the width and length of one or more projections in an electrode can be selected based on a desired signal profile for that electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2019
    Publication date: January 16, 2020
    Inventors: Kanke GAO, Wei Hsin YAO, Yingxuan LI, Weijun YAO
  • Patent number: 10437385
    Abstract: Electrode configurations for reducing wobble error for a stylus translating on a surface over and between electrodes of a touch sensor panel are disclosed. In some examples, electrodes associated with a more linear signal profile are correlated with lower wobble error. In some examples, electrodes can have projections which can interleave with projections of adjacent electrodes. In some configurations, projections of adjacent electrodes can be interleaved in one-dimension; in other configurations, projections of adjacent electrodes can be interleaved in two-dimensions. In some configurations, the width and length of one or more projections in an electrode can be selected based on a desired signal profile for that electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Kanke Gao, Wei Hsin Yao, Yingxuan Li, Weijun Yao
  • Patent number: 10386962
    Abstract: A touch screen is disclosed. The touch screen comprises a first touch node electrode associated with a first display pixel, the first display pixel coupled to a first gate line. The touch screen also comprises a second touch node electrode associated with a second display pixel, the second display pixel coupled to a second gate line. The touch screen also comprises a voltage source coupled to a first gate line routing and a second gate line routing, wherein the first gate line is coupled to the first gate line routing, and the second gate line is coupled to the second gate line routing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jiayi Jin, Ruo-Gu Huang, Wei Hsin Yao, Weijun Yao
  • Publication number: 20190196634
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are liquid-crystal display (LCD) touch screens that integrate the touch sensing elements with the display circuitry. The integration may take a variety of forms. Touch sensing elements can be completely implemented within the LCD stackup but outside the not between the color filter plate and the array plate. Alternatively, some touch sensing elements can be between the color filter and array plates with other touch sensing elements not between the plates. In another alternative, all touch sensing elements can be between the color filter and array plates. The latter alternative can include both conventional and in-plane-switching (IPS) LCDs. In some forms, one or more display structures can also have a touch sensing function. Techniques for manufacturing and operating such displays, as well as various devices embodying such displays are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2019
    Publication date: June 27, 2019
    Inventors: Steve Porter HOTELLING, Wei Chen, Christoph Horst Krah, John Greer Elias, Wei Hsin Yao, Andrew Bert Hodge, Brian Richards Land, Willem den Boer, John Z. Zhong
  • Publication number: 20190146623
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are liquid-crystal display (LCD) touch screens that integrate the touch sensing elements with the display circuitry. The integration may take a variety of forms. Touch sensing elements can be completely implemented within the LCD stackup but outside the not between the color filter plate and the array plate. Alternatively, some touch sensing elements can be between the color filter and array plates with other touch sensing elements not between the plates. In another alternative, all touch sensing elements can be between the color filter and array plates. The latter alternative can include both conventional and in-plane-switching (IPS) LCDs. In some forms, one or more display structures can also have a touch sensing function. Techniques for manufacturing and operating such displays, as well as various devices embodying such displays are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2018
    Publication date: May 16, 2019
    Inventors: Steve Porter HOTELLING, Wei CHEN, Christoph Horst KRAH, John Greer ELIAS, Wei Hsin YAO, Andrew Bert HODGE, Brian Richards LAND, Willem den BOER, John Z. ZHONG
  • Patent number: 10277119
    Abstract: A charge pump that can be configured to operate in a first mode and a second mode is disclosed. The charge pump can comprise a charging capacitor coupled to a first node and configured to transfer a first DC voltage to the first node. The charge pump can also comprise a first output node and a second output node coupled to the first node. During the first mode, the first output node can be configured to output a second DC voltage based on the first DC voltage, and the second output node can be configured to output a third DC voltage based on the first DC voltage. During the second mode, the first output node can be configured to output the second DC voltage, and the second output node can be configured to output an AC voltage, the AC voltage being offset by the third DC voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Weijun Yao, David A. Stronks, Hopil Bae, Kingsuk Brahma, Wei Hsin Yao, Yafei Bi, Yingxuan Li
  • Publication number: 20190087051
    Abstract: A self-capacitive touch sensor panel configured to have a portion of both the touch and display functionality integrated into a common layer is provided. The touch sensor panel includes a layer with circuit elements that can switchably operate as both touch circuitry and display circuitry such that during a touch mode of the device the circuit elements operate as touch circuitry and during a display mode of the device the circuit elements operate as display circuitry. The touch mode and display mode can be time multiplexed. By integrating the touch hardware and display hardware into common layers, savings in power, weight and thickness of the device can be realized.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2018
    Publication date: March 21, 2019
    Inventors: Weijun YAO, Wei Hsin YAO, Yingxuan LI, Bingrui YANG, Marduke YOUSEFPOR, Abbas JAMSHIDI-ROUDBARI, Ahmad AL-DAHLE
  • Patent number: 10209813
    Abstract: A self-capacitive touch sensor panel configured to have a portion of both the touch and display functionality integrated into a common layer is provided. The touch sensor panel includes a layer with circuit elements that can switchably operate as both touch circuitry and display circuitry such that during a touch mode of the device the circuit elements operate as touch circuitry and during a display mode of the device the circuit elements operate as display circuitry. The touch mode and display mode can be time multiplexed. By integrating the touch hardware and display hardware into common layers, savings in power, weight and thickness of the device can be realized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Weijun Yao, Wei Hsin Yao, Yingxuan Li, Bingrui Yang, Marduke Yousefpor, Abbas Jamshidi-Roudbari, Ahmad Al-Dahle
  • Patent number: 10191576
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are liquid-crystal display (LCD) touch screens that integrate the touch sensing elements with the display circuitry. The integration may take a variety of forms. Touch sensing elements can be completely implemented within the LCD stackup but outside the not between the color filter plate and the array plate. Alternatively, some touch sensing elements can be between the color filter and array plates with other touch sensing elements not between the plates. In another alternative, all touch sensing elements can be between the color filter and array plates. The latter alternative can include both conventional and in-plane-switching (IPS) LCDs. In some forms, one or more display structures can also have a touch sensing function. Techniques for manufacturing and operating such displays, as well as various devices embodying such displays are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Steve Porter Hotelling, Wei Chen, Christoph H. Krah, John Greer Elias, Wei Hsin Yao, John Z. Zhong, Andrew Bert Hodge, Brian R. Land, Willem den Boer
  • Patent number: 9965108
    Abstract: A touch controller. The touch controller can include first sense circuitry configured to be coupled to a first electrode on a touch sensor panel, the first sense circuitry configured to sense a first self-capacitance associated with the first electrode, and a first mutual capacitance associated with the first electrode. In some examples, the first sense circuitry can be configured to sense the first self-capacitance and the first mutual capacitance simultaneously. In some examples, the touch controller can further include a first mixer and a second mixer coupled to the first sense circuitry, the first mixer configured to demodulate a first output from the first sense circuitry to extract information about the first self-capacitance from the first output, the second mixer configured to demodulate the first output from the first sense circuitry to extract information about the first mutual capacitance from the first output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Yingxuan Li, Weijun Yao, Hyunwoo Henry Nho, Wei Hsin Yao
  • Publication number: 20180062508
    Abstract: A charge pump that can be configured to operate in a first mode and a second mode is disclosed. The charge pump can comprise a charging capacitor coupled to a first node and configured to transfer a first DC voltage to the first node. The charge pump can also comprise a first output node and a second output node coupled to the first node. During the first mode, the first output node can be configured to output a second DC voltage based on the first DC voltage, and the second output node can be configured to output a third DC voltage based on the first DC voltage. During the second mode, the first output node can be configured to output the second DC voltage, and the second output node can be configured to output an AC voltage, the AC voltage being offset by the third DC voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2017
    Publication date: March 1, 2018
    Inventors: Weijun YAO, David A. STRONKS, Hopil BAE, Kingsuk BRAHMA, Wei Hsin YAO, Yafei BI, Yingxuan LI