Capacitive Or Inductive Stylus Patents (Class 178/19.03)
  • Patent number: 9377880
    Abstract: A position indicator includes: a core body disposed within a casing such that a tip thereof projects from one opening of the casing; a printed board on which a circuit element for detecting pressing force applied to the tip is disposed; and a pen pressure detecting module formed by arranging, in an axial direction, plural parts for detecting a displacement corresponding to the pressing force. The plural parts are arranged within a hollow portion of a cylindrical holder portion housed within the casing. The holder portion has an opening portion in a side circumferential surface thereof. The opening portion is opened in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction. At least one of the parts is/are housed into the hollow portion through the opening portion. The holder portion includes a locking portion configured to prevent the at least one of the parts from falling out through the opening portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: Wacom Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuyuki Fukushima, Hiroyuki Fujitsuka
  • Patent number: 9310899
    Abstract: A stylus and an electronic device are provided, wherein the electronic device includes a body and a stylus. The body has a capacitive touch panel. The stylus includes a handle, a head, an elastic member and an electret. The handle has a main body and a chamber disposed within the main body. The main body has a holding portion and a first end. The holding portion is electrically connected with the first end. The head is assembled to the first end so as to be capable of sliding into the chamber, and the head is a rigid body. The elastic member is disposed in the chamber and located between chamber walls of the chamber and the head. The electret is assembled to the head and located within the chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: HTC Corporation
    Inventors: Tun-Chun Yang, Chih-Jen Hu
  • Patent number: 9218073
    Abstract: An apparatus comprising a stylus with a dynamically switch tip shield is provided. The apparatus includes an elongated stylus housing having an end, a conductive tip disposed at least partially inside the stylus housing and extending from the end, a force sensor coupled to the conductive tip and configured to detect contact between the conductive tip and an object, a tip shield coupled with the stylus housing and extending from the end, and a switch coupled to the tip shield and the conductive tip. The force sensor may be an inductive sensor, a capacitive sensor, a piezo sensor, a force sensing resistor sensor, or an optical sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Viktor Kremin, Andriy Ryshtun, David G. Wright
  • Patent number: 9218070
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided to further facilitate detection not only of a position on a position detector pointed to by a pointing member, but also of information other than the position information such as pen pressure applied to the pointing member, in a position detection apparatus of the electrostatic coupling type. In one embodiment, a pointing member includes a first electrode substantially in the form of a rod, a substantially cylindrical second electrode disposed in such a manner as to surround the first electrode, and a transmission signal production section for producing a signal of a first frequency f1 and another signal of a second frequency f2 different from the first frequency f1 and controlling a phase difference between the signals in response to pressure applied to the pointing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: Wacom Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuo Oda, Yoshihisa Sugiyama
  • Patent number: 9122322
    Abstract: A stylus for use with a digitizer sensor includes a housing confined by a first and second end, a primary tip positioned at the first end of the housing and associated with a first transmitting element, the first transmitting element having a first diameter, a secondary tip positioned at the second end of the housing and associated with a second transmitting element, the second transmitting element having a second diameter that is larger than the first diameter, a transmitting unit for transmitting a first signal with a first amplitude via the first transmitting element and for transmitting a second signal with a second amplitude via the second transmitting element, wherein the first amplitude is at least twice the second amplitude and a powering unit for powering transmission of the first and second signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2015
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Yuval Stern, Ilan Geller, Yair Leshem
  • Patent number: 9032292
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides for a touch screen electronic device to display two or more running applications simultaneously in a side-by-side layout in a split screen mode of the device. Two or more applications that are running on an operating system of the device can be easily displayed simultaneously in the split screen mode while maintaining one of the displayed applications as active so that the user can provide user inputs to the active application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventor: Joshua John Lavallee
  • Patent number: 8988376
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method comprises generating a first charge at a capacitor system having a magnitude based on the magnitude of a second charge present at a capacitive node of a touch sensor in the absence of a touch with respect to the capacitive node. The method further includes generating a third charge at the capacitive node of the touch sensor in the presence of a touch with respect to the capacitive node. The first charge and the third charge are summed to cancel out at least a portion of the third charge. The method further includes integrating, by an integrator, the sum of the first charge and the third charge to generate an output voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Atmel Corporation
    Inventors: Lauri Ilmari Lipasti, Jukka Sakari Riihiaho
  • Patent number: 8982044
    Abstract: A position detector includes a tablet and a position indicator, which includes a coil and configured to continuously transmit a coil-based signal to the tablet as a position signal and to intermittently transmit the coil-based signal to the tablet as a non-positional signal. The tablet is configured to detect a position on its surface pointed to by the position indicator by detecting the continuously-transmitted coil-based signal, and to determine non-positional information regarding the position indicator (e.g., pen pressure, pen ID, etc.) by detecting the intermittently-transmitted coil-based signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Wacom Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yuji Katsurahira
  • Patent number: 8970507
    Abstract: Methods of waking a portable electronic device are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method comprises: causing the portable electronic device to enter a sleep mode in which a touch-sensitive display is deactivated a force sensing transducer measures forces applied to the touch-sensitive display at a reduced rate relative to a rate of a full power mode when in the sleep mode; causing a force sensing transducer to measure forces applied to the touch-sensitive display at the rate of the full power mode in response to detection of an inertial event; causing the touch-sensitive display to be reactivated in response to detection of a force which is greater than a predetermined wake force threshold; and causing the portable electronic device to wake in response to detection of a touch event within a first predetermined duration of the detection of the force which is greater than a predetermined wake force threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Marc Edward Holbein, Kevin Howard Orr, Aleksandar Sasha Papo, Adam Louis Parco, Christopher James Grant
  • Patent number: 8963889
    Abstract: A position detection apparatus of the electrostatic coupling type is provided, to detect not only a position of a pointer but also information other than the position information such as, for example, pointer pressure or side switch information. The pointer transmits two codes such that a pressure applied to a pen tip is associated with a time difference between the two codes. A position detector carries out a correlation matching operation between signals generated in reception conductors and correlation calculation codes corresponding to the two codes, to thereby detect a position on a sensor section pointed to by the pointer from a result of the correlation matching operation and based on at least one of the codes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Wacom Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuo Oda, Sadao Yamamoto, Yoshihisa Sugiyama
  • Patent number: 8947405
    Abstract: An electromagnetic stylus includes a hollow body, a pen-nib device, an energy transforming device, a circuit board, and an electricity storage device. The pen-nib device is disposed at one end of the hollow body. The energy transforming device is disposed in the hollow body for converting variations in a physical quantity into electrical signals. The circuit board is disposed in the hollow body and electrically connected to the energy transforming device for rectifying the electrical signals transformed by the energy transforming device. The electricity storage device is disposed in the hollow body and electrically connected to the pen-nib device, for receiving the electrical signals transmitted from the circuit board to generate electrical energy and providing the electrical energy to the pen-nib device to generate electromagnetic signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Wistron Corporation
    Inventors: Chu-Shun Cho, Pei-Chen Chin, Wen-Chin Wu, Pin-Hsien Su, Ming-Hua Hung, Chuan-Cheng Fu
  • Patent number: 8947404
    Abstract: A stylus may have a flat portion on a movable tip at one end for contact with a flat surface, or a stylus may have movable pins adjustable in response to contact pressure for use with a non-flat surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Atmel Corporation
    Inventors: Nigel Stephen Daniel Hinson, Thomas Matthew Bell
  • Patent number: 8941617
    Abstract: An image input-output device includes a pixel which displays an image and reads an image. The pixel includes a photodetector element, a color layer, and a display element. The color layer is provided over the photodetector element and the display element is provided over the color layer, so that the distance between the photodetector element and the color layer is reduced. Accordingly, light is likely to enter the predetermined photodetector element through the predetermined color layer, and thus, even a color object can be read correctly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jun Koyama, Shunpei Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 8937604
    Abstract: A touch-responsive capacitive apparatus includes means for defining first and second surfaces, a first micro-wire layer formed on the first surface, the first micro-wire layer including a plurality of electrically connected first micro-wires, a second micro-wire layer formed on the second surface, the second micro-wire layer including a plurality of electrically connected second micro-wires, and a polarizing dielectric structure located between the first and second micro-wire layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2015
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventor: Ronald Steven Cok
  • Patent number: 8928635
    Abstract: An active stylus is disclosed. The stylus includes an electrode at a tip of the stylus; and powered circuitry coupled to the electrode and configured for capacitively coupling the electrode with a capacitive touch sensor panel. The powered circuitry can further include drive circuitry configured to output a drive voltage at the electrode and/or sense circuitry configured to sense a voltage received at the electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jonah A. Harley, David I. Simon
  • Patent number: 8907932
    Abstract: A system includes an electronic pen, functionally integrated with a personal computer for the acquisition and processing of signals associated with signatures, which can be network connected together with other personal computers. Each personal computer has connected as peripherals an electronic pen that includes two groups of inertial accelerometers that capture kinetic data and data about contact microvibrations with the writing support. The electronic pen also includes one self-referential optical navigation sensor that captures a series of data pairs, as momentary movements necessary in the reconstruction of the trajectory of the electronic pen and which, together with the kinetic data captured by the set of inertial accelerometers, represents personal computer input data for sensorial fusion processing and for creating the conditions to extract the information from the sensorial and psychomotric representation of a user's perspective.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Softwin S.R.L.
    Inventors: Mircea Sorin Rusu, Adrian Dinescu, Stefan Stelian Diaconescu
  • Patent number: 8901549
    Abstract: The present invention provides an organic light emitting diode touch display panel including a substrate, a plurality of first electrodes and a plurality of second electrodes disposed on the substrate, a plurality of light emitting layers, a plurality of dielectric layers, a plurality of first electrode stripes, and a plurality of second stripes. Each light emitting layer is disposed on each first electrode, and each dielectric layer is disposed on each second electrode. Each first electrode stripe is disposed on the light emitting layers in each row, and each second electrode stripe is disposed on the dielectric layers in each row. Each first electrode, each light emitting layer and each first electrode stripe form an organic light emitting diode, and each second electrode, each dielectric layer and each second electrode stripe form a touch sensing capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: HannStar Display Corp.
    Inventors: Chien-Hsiang Huang, Kun-Hua Tsai, Jun-Shih Chung, Chun-Hsi Chen
  • Patent number: 8878797
    Abstract: An analog front end circuit utilizes coherent detection within a capacitance measurement application. The analog front end circuit uses coherent detection to measure capacitance of a touch screen display. An analog excitation signal is modulated by a capacitor to be measured. The modulated signal is synchronously demodulated using a correlator, which includes a discrete mixer and a discrete integrator. The excitation signal is also input to the mixer such that the modulated signal is multiplied by the excitation signal. The excitation signal is an analog signal having a sine wave function or other waveform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Maxim Integrated Products, Inc.
    Inventors: Ozan E. Erdogan, Guozhong Shen, Rajesh Anantharaman, Ajay Taparia, Behrooz Javid, Syed T. Mahmud, Rahim Chowdhury
  • Patent number: 8878823
    Abstract: An apparatus comprising a stylus with a dynamically switch tip shield is provided. The apparatus includes an elongated stylus housing having an end, a conductive tip disposed at least partially inside the stylus housing and extending from the end, a force sensor coupled to the conductive tip and configured to detect contact between the conductive tip and an object, a tip shield coupled with the stylus housing and extending from the end, and a switch coupled to the tip shield and the conductive tip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Viktor Kremin, Andriy Ryshtun
  • Patent number: 8847894
    Abstract: A method, system, and medium are provided for providing tactile feedback in association with contact to a touchscreen display of a mobile device. One embodiment of the method includes receiving a touch input to a touchscreen display area provided by a user of the mobile device. The touch input selects a predetermined region within the touchscreen display area. Incident to the touch input of the predetermined region, a mechanical indicator on the rear of the mobile device is physically manipulated to provide an indication to the user that the predetermined region was selected by the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Sprint Communications Company L.P.
    Inventors: Woojae Lee, Sanjay K. Sharma, Peter S. Syromiatnikov, Cesar Perez
  • Patent number: 8847886
    Abstract: A non-contact input apparatus for computer peripheral includes an induction module and a pointing module. The induction module includes an electric supply coil and an induction element, and the pointing module includes an energy coil and a non-linear element. The electric supply coil is used to send a first oscillation signal. The energy coil receives the first oscillation signal. The non-linear element converts the first oscillation signal to be a second oscillation signal having multiple higher harmonics. The induction element generates a control signal based on the second oscillation signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Kye Systems Corp.
    Inventors: Ho-Sung Wu, Chih-Min Liu
  • Patent number: 8836668
    Abstract: A touch-responsive capacitive apparatus includes a transparent substrate having first and second pad and interstitial areas. Pairs of first and second pad areas define corresponding touch-responsive capacitors. Electrically connected first pad micro-wires are formed in the first pad areas and electrically connected first interstitial micro-wires are formed in the first interstitial areas. The first pad micro-wires are electrically connected to the first interstitial wires. Electrically connected second pad micro-wires are formed in the second pad areas and electrically connected second interstitial micro-wires are formed in the second interstitial areas. The second pad micro-wires are electrically connected to the second interstitial wires. The height of at least a portion of the first interstitial micro-wires is greater than the height of at least a portion of the first pad micro-wires.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventor: Ronald Steven Cok
  • Patent number: 8803835
    Abstract: It is provided a touch screen device applied in an electronic information technology area. In the touch screen device supporting an active capacitance stylus, a demodulation unit demodulates a signal received by a reception unit by two orthogonal signals, and then an amplitude recovery unit recovers an amplitude of the signal received by the reception unit, the amplitude of the signal received by the reception unit can be recovered relatively exactly without the need that the demodulation signal must be synchronous with the signal received by the reception unit (or the signal transmitted from the active capacitance stylus), and there is no need to add additional hardware resources for synchronization in the touch screen device of the embodiment of the present invention compared with the existing detection method which needs to perform synchronization of the demodulation signal and the signal transmitted from the active capacitance stylus in the prior art.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: FocalTech Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Chen Li, Lianghua Mo, Jingkai Zhang, Xinxi Jiang, Huaiyi Xu
  • Patent number: 8797277
    Abstract: A method of estimating multiple touch positions on a touch sensor array, based on centroids calculated in the vicinity of a local maxima determined for the touch sensor array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventor: Vadym Grygorenko
  • Patent number: 8797301
    Abstract: Apparatuses and methods of active stylus to host device data transmitting. One method receives, at a stylus, an indication that a host device is performing a first coordinate scan to determine coordinates of the stylus proximate to a capacitive sense array of the host device. While the host device is performing the first coordinate scan, the stylus transmits at least two bits of stylus data to the host device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Andriy Ryshtun, Jeffrey M. Boschee, Viktor Kremin
  • Patent number: 8780040
    Abstract: A handwriting input device includes a housing and a nib selectively exposed from a bottom side of the housing or hidden in the housing. The device further includes a pressure sensor, a motion sensor, and a microcontroller. The pressure sensor generates pressure signals when the nib is depressed. The motion sensor senses movement of the device. The microcontroller records the sensed movement upon receiving the pressure signals, and processes the recorded movement to obtain track signals of handwritten information when the duration of not receiving the pressure signals exceeds a predetermined time interval. The track signals of handwritten information are then transmitted to an external electronic device communicating with the device to become handwriting shown on a display of the external electronic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ping-Yang Chuang, Ying-Chuan Yu
  • Patent number: 8773405
    Abstract: A device comprising a body comprising an elongated housing with at least a first conductive tip formed at a distal end and at least one sense electrode on the body; a capacitance sense circuit disposed within the housing and configured to sense a capacitance of the sense electrode to generate a proximity result in response to contact with a human body; and a signal generator circuit disposed within the housing and configured to activate a position signal in response to the proximity result, the position signal being driven at the tip of the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Andriy Ryshtun, Victor Kremin, David G. Wright
  • Patent number: 8766954
    Abstract: A stylus (100) is configured for actively interacting with a touch-sensitive interface (201) by injecting or sinking charge in response to a touch-detection signal emitted from the touch-sensitive interface (201). One stylus (100) includes a stylus body (104) and a compound tip (105) extending axially from the stylus body (104). The compound tip (105) can include a center electrode (101) that is configured to detect electric field variations from the touch-sensitive interface (201) and a shroud electrode (102) that is concentrically disposed about the center electrode (101). An active circuit (103) coupled between the center electrode (101) and the shroud electrode (102) is configured to apply a gain to the detected electric field variations and to change a potential of the shroud electrode (102) synchronously with the electric field variations detected by the center electrode (101).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Motorola Mobility LLC
    Inventors: Sandeep Vuppu, David Cranfill, Michael Olley, Mark Valentine
  • Patent number: 8723842
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a position pointing device comprising a housing (12) for receiving a circuit (28), the circuit having a coil member (18, 20) and a circuit component (10), the coil member having a return wire (32) for forming the circuit, the housing having an inner surface, the inner surface having a groove (30) for receiving at least a portion of the return wire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Wacom Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Takenori Kaneda, Yasuyuki Fukushima, Hiroyuki Fujitsuka, Ian Scholey
  • Patent number: 8711130
    Abstract: A position pointer is provided, which includes a housing having an opening, a rod disposed in the housing such that one end thereof projects from the opening, and a variable capacitor having a capacitance value which varies in response to pressure applied thereto through the rod. The capacitor includes a dielectric member having a first face portion opposite a second face portion, a first electrode section disposed on the first face portion of the dielectric member, a conductive member facing the second face portion of the dielectric member and forming a second electrode section when brought into contact with the second face portion of the dielectric member, and an elastic member coupled with the conductive member and adapted for biasing the conductive member away from the second face portion. A contact area between the conductive member and the second face portion varies depending on the pressure applied through the rod.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Wacom Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuyuki Fukushima, Hiroyuki Fujitsuka
  • Patent number: 8711101
    Abstract: An input coordinate point is obtained from a pointing device, and either one of first and second controls is selected in accordance with an operation performed by a user. When the first control is selected, a movement vector is calculated based on the input coordinate point and a predetermined coordinate point, and a display area of a virtual space, which is displayed on a display device, is moved. Alternatively, when the first control is selected, the movement vector is calculated based on the input coordinate point and predetermined coordinate point, and an object is moved within the virtual space. When the second control is selected, the object is moved to a position in the virtual space, the position corresponding to the input coordinate point. Then, the display device is caused to display the virtual space within the display area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Nintendo Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Toshiaki Suzuki
  • Patent number: 8698015
    Abstract: A system and method provide for selecting a sensor in an array of capacitive sensors, determining a row intensity for the selected sensor, and determining a column intensity for the selected sensor. The system and method may also provide for compensating the selected sensor for multi-touch signal bias drift, wherein the compensating may include adjusting an intensity of the selected sensor based on the row and column intensity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2014
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Steven S. Bateman, David L. Graumann
  • Patent number: 8686969
    Abstract: An input apparatus with integrated detection sections of electromagnetic type and capacitive type is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a substrate, a control device and at least one signal processing device on the substrate. The substrate comprises an electromagnetic sensor coil layout and a capacitive sensor layout.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Waltop International Corporation
    Inventors: Wei-Chou Chen, Chia-Te Huang
  • Patent number: 8674967
    Abstract: A position indicator for use with a digitizer is provided. The position indicator generates a response to an alternating field received from the digitizer. The position indicator includes a core formed of a composition including a soft magnetic metal powder mixed with a resin binder, and at least one coil provided around the core configured to generate the response to the alternating field based on the alternating field received from the digitizer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Wacom Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuyuki Fukushima, Hiroyuki Fujitsuka
  • Patent number: 8674709
    Abstract: A circuit for measuring a capacitance value of a touch screen includes: a target capacitor unit having a target capacitor charged with a target charging voltage; a target voltage control unit to charge the target capacitor; a reference capacitor unit having a reference capacitor charged with a charging reference voltage; a reference voltage control unit to charge the reference capacitor; a comparator to compare the target charging voltage and the charging reference voltage and output a transition signal at a moment when the target charging voltage becomes higher than the charging reference voltage; and a controller to receive an output signal of the comparator and a clock signal and generate a digital output signal and a control signal, wherein a capacitance value of the target capacitor is measured using a time elapsed from a time when the target capacitor is initialized to a time when the transition signal is outputted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Silicon Works Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ji Hun Kim, Hyun Min Song, Joon Ho Na, Ki Uk Gwak, Sang Gug Lee
  • Patent number: 8659559
    Abstract: A touch display apparatus is disclosed. Without additional touch device, either the reversed AM structure or a conventional PM structure is provided to combine with the human body's conductive properties and the noise-immune sensing circuit design, thereby to achieve the purpose of displaying images and performing multi-touch detection simultaneously. Thus, the hardware cost and the power consumption are reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: Silicon Integrated Systems Corp.
    Inventors: Hung-Wei Wu, Ming-Hsien Lee, Tsan-Hwi Chen
  • Patent number: 8648837
    Abstract: A data transfer device comprising: a body; a tip coupled to the body, wherein the tip has a dielectric constant value suitable for interacting with a capacitive touch screen of a separate device; a control unit mounted to the body; and an electronic switch mounted to the body and operatively coupled to the control unit, wherein the switch is disposed to connect the tip to a ground source when the switch is in a closed configuration and to break the connection between the tip and the ground source when the switch is in an open configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Nghia X. Tran, Hoa V. Phan, Sunny J. Fugate, Michael H. Bruch
  • 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: 8638316
    Abstract: One embodiment of a capacitive sensor array may comprise a first plurality of sensor elements and a second sensor element capacitively coupled with each of the first plurality of sensor elements. The second sensor element may further comprise a first main trace and a second main trace, where the first main trace and the second main trace intersect each of the first plurality of sensor elements, and where each of the main traces cross at least one of a plurality of unit cells associated with the second sensor element. The second sensor element may also comprise a connecting subtrace electrically coupled to both the first main trace and the second main trace, and within each unit cell, at least one primary subtrace branching away from the first main trace or the second main trace.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventor: Massoud Badaye
  • Patent number: 8619042
    Abstract: A display apparatus includes a touch panel provided overlapped on a display screen, a touch pen allowing switching of degree of smoothness of a pen tip portion in a plurality of levels and a controller causing, when the tip end of the touch pen touches the touch panel, a prescribed object image to be displayed on a position corresponding to the touched position. The controller includes a display manner selecting unit for selecting a manner of displaying the object image in accordance with the degree of smoothness of the tip end portion of the touch pen, and a display controller for displaying the object in the display manner selected by the display manner selecting unit at the position corresponding to the touched position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Toshiyuki Taniuchi
  • Patent number: 8599150
    Abstract: A touchscreen includes touchscreen electrode elements distributed across an active area of a substrate, and the touchscreen overlays a display. The touchscreen electrode elements are configured to avoid creating moiré patterns between the display and the touchscreen, such as angled, wavy, zig-zag, or randomized lines. In a further example, the electrodes form a mesh pattern configured to avoid moiré patterns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Atmel Corporation
    Inventor: Harald Philipp
  • Patent number: 8599168
    Abstract: A touch detection method for capacitive touch panels includes the steps of scanning the rows and columns of the capacitive matrix of a touch panel respectively; obtaining the capacitance differential value; processing the obtained capacitance differential value; and determining whether there is a touch on the touch panel in response to the processed capacitance differential value. The capacitance differential value is obtained by one of the steps of synchronously scanning two rows at the same time; synchronously scanning two columns at the same time; scanning one row to obtain the capacitance differential value between the row and a reference capacitance; and scanning one column to obtain the capacitance differential value between the column and a reference capacitance. The present invention creates conditions for the elimination of common code interferences and greatly improves the interference resistance of a capacitive touch panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Focaltech Systems Ltd.
    Inventors: Lianghua Mo, Yan Guo
  • Patent number: 8599161
    Abstract: In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a display and a first and second substrate. Each substrate has a surface facing toward the display; a surface facing away from the display; and drive or sense electrodes of a touch sensor disposed on the surface of each substrate facing away from the display. The drive or sense electrodes are made of a conductive mesh of conductive material. The apparatus also includes an adhesive layer between the first and second substrates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Atmel Corporation
    Inventor: Harald Philipp
  • Patent number: 8593160
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for detecting the presence of a finger on a fingerprint sensor is disclosed in one embodiment of the invention as including transmitting a probing signal, comprising a series of probing pulses, to a fingerprint sensing area. A response signal, comprising a series of response pulses, is received from the fingerprint sensing area in response to the probing signal. An upper reference signal is generated and finger activity is detected on the fingerprint sensing area by monitoring whether the peaks of the response pulses exceed the reference signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: Validity Sensors, Inc.
    Inventors: Erik Jonathon Thompson, Gregory Lewis Dean, Jaswinder Jandu, Richard Alexander Erhart
  • Publication number: 20130300720
    Abstract: A capacitive stylus includes: a hollow stylus stick; a soft touch member made of conductive plastic or rubber in the form of a hollow housing, the soft touch member having a domed touch end; a connection collar assembled with an end section of the stylus stick, the connection collar and the soft touch member together defining an internal space; a support member disposed in the internal space, the support member being made of a rubber material with hardness greater than that of the soft touch member; and a rest seat assembled with the support member, the support member being spaced from the soft touch member by a gap and formed with a multi-support structure facing the soft touch member. In operation, the soft touch member can keep a proper softness without being over-deformed or collapsed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2012
    Publication date: November 14, 2013
    Inventor: GEORGE HUNG
  • Patent number: 8564553
    Abstract: An electronic stylus emits an excitation signal to apply to a trace of a capacitive touchpad module near a touch point when the electronic stylus touches the capacitive touchpad module, so as to change a waveform of a charging/discharging signal in the trace, and depending on the waveform variation, the capacitive touchpad module can identify the touch point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: Elan Microelectronics Corporation
    Inventors: I-Hau Yeh, Chi-Tein Yeh, Tsun-Min Wang, Chun-Chung Huang, Chung-Han Cheng, Hung-Ming Huang
  • Patent number: 8547360
    Abstract: A system includes a touch screen having multiple electrodes. The system also includes a processing unit configured to use the electrodes to (i) detect an object contacting the touch screen or within a first distance from the touch screen in a first mode and (ii) detect the object within a second distance from the touch screen in a second mode. The second distance is larger than the first distance. The processing unit can be configured to use the multiple electrodes in the first mode to perform capacitive touch screen sensing. The processing unit can also be configured to use the multiple electrodes in the second mode to perform electric field sensing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: National Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventor: Joshua Posamentier
  • Patent number: 8525816
    Abstract: A position pointer is provided, which includes a housing having an opening, a bar-like rod disposed in the housing such that one end thereof projects from the opening, and a variable capacitor having a capacitance value which varies in response to pressure applied thereto through the rod. The capacitor includes a dielectric member having a first face portion opposite a second face portion, a first electrode section disposed on the first face portion of the dielectric member, a conductive member facing the second face portion of the dielectric member and forming a second electrode section when brought into contact with the second face portion of the dielectric member, and an elastic member coupled with the conductive member and adapted for biasing the conductive member away from the second face portion. A contact area between the conductive member and the second face portion varies depending on the pressure applied thereto through the rod.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: Wacom Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuyuki Fukushima, Hiroyuki Fujitsuka
  • Publication number: 20130207938
    Abstract: Apparatuses and methods of active stylus to host device data transmitting. One method receives, at a stylus, an indication that a host device is performing a first coordinate scan to determine coordinates of the stylus proximate to a capacitive sense array of the host device. While the host device is performing the first coordinate scan, the stylus transmits at least two bits of stylus data to the host device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2012
    Publication date: August 15, 2013
    Inventors: Andriy Ryshtun, Jeffrey M. Boschee, Viktor Kremin
  • Patent number: 8508510
    Abstract: A stylus pen for a capacitive touch screen that allows delicate input. The stylus pen for the capacitive touch panel includes: a pen having a body extending longitudinally and an input portion positioned at one end of the body to provide touch input to the capacitive type touch panel, wherein the input portion comprises: a center conductor having a connection portion that is combined with the body and a tip portion having a cross-sectional area that is smaller than the cross-sectional area of the connection portion that is connected to the body; and a transparent electrode plate that is connected to an end of the tip portion of the center conductor opposite an end connected to the connection portion, wherein the transparent electrode plate has a cross-sectional area larger than the tip portion while defining a touch surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: Samsung Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Sang-Uk Kim