公开(公告)号：US10990221B2

公开(公告)日：2021-04-27

申请号：US16134604

申请日：2018-09-18

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Christoph H. Krah

IPC: G06F3/041 ,  G06F3/044 ,  G05F1/46

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a touch and/or proximity detection system having some components operating in the guard domain and other components operating in the earth or chassis ground domain. A guard chip in the earth or chassis ground domain can include a voltage driver configured to produce a guard signal, for example. In some examples, the guard signal can be coupled to one or more shielding electrodes of a touch screen and to the ground pin of one or more touch sensing chips of the touch and/or proximity detection system. In this way, for example, the touch sensing chips, which can include sense amplifiers coupled to one or more sensing electrodes of the touch screen, can operate in the guard domain. In some examples, the guard chip can further include differential amplifiers and/or ADCs, allowing these components to operate in the earth or chassis ground domain.

公开(公告)号：US10915207B2

公开(公告)日：2021-02-09

申请号：US15384202

申请日：2016-12-19

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Steven P. Hotelling ,  Christoph H. Krah ,  Brian Q. Huppi

IPC: G06F3/044 ,  G06F3/041

Abstract: A multipoint touch surface controller is disclosed herein. The controller includes an integrated circuit including output circuitry for driving a capacitive multi-touch sensor and input circuitry for reading the sensor. Also disclosed herein are various noise rejection and dynamic range enhancement techniques that permit the controller to be used with various sensors in various conditions without reconfiguring hardware.

公开(公告)号：US10747296B2

公开(公告)日：2020-08-18

申请号：US16275961

申请日：2019-02-14

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Christoph H. Krah ,  Thomas James Wilson

IPC: G06F1/3287 ,  G06F3/041 ,  G06F1/3296 ,  G06F1/3215 ,  G06F1/3234

Abstract: Power management for a touch controller is disclosed. The touch controller can include a transmit section for transmitting stimulation signals to an associated touch sensor panel to drive the panel, where the touch controller can selectively adjust the transmit section to reduce power during the transmission. The touch controller can also include a receive section for receiving touch signals resulting from the driving of the panel, where the touch controller can selectively adjust the receive section to reduce power during the receipt of the touch signals. The touch controller can also include a demodulation section for demodulating the received touch signals to obtain touch event results, where the touch controller can selectively adjust the demodulation section to reduce power during the demodulation of the touch signals. The touch controller can also selectively reduce power below present low levels during idle periods.

公开(公告)号：US10664113B2

公开(公告)日：2020-05-26

申请号：US16114023

申请日：2018-08-27

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Shahrooz Shahparnia ,  Vivek Pant ,  Marduke Yousefpor ,  Christoph H. Krah

IPC: G09G5/00 ,  G06F3/044 ,  G06F1/3215 ,  G06F1/3234 ,  G06F3/041

Abstract: Power consumption of touch sensing operations for touch sensitive devices can be reduced by implementing a coarse scan (e.g., banked common mode scan) to coarsely detect the presence or absence of an object touching or proximate to a touch sensor panel and the results of the coarse scan can be used to dynamically adjust the operation of the touch sensitive device to perform or not perform a fine scan (e.g., targeted active mode scan). In some examples, the results of the coarse scan can be used to program a touch controller for the next touch sensing frame to idle when no touch event is detected or to perform a fine scan when one or more touch events are detected. In some examples, the results of the coarse scan can be used to abort a scheduled fine scan during the current touch sensing frame when no touch event is detected.

公开(公告)号：US10139890B2

公开(公告)日：2018-11-27

申请号：US14715351

申请日：2015-05-18

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Thomas James Wilson ,  Christoph H. Krah

IPC: G06F3/041 ,  G06F1/32 ,  H04L27/26 ,  H04M11/06 ,  G06F3/044

Abstract: Automatic low noise frequency selection for a touch sensitive device is disclosed. A low noise stimulation frequency can be automatically selected by device logic without intervention of the device processor to stimulate the device to sense a touch event at the device. The device logic can automatically select a set of low noise frequencies from among various frequencies based on the amount of noise introduced by the device at the various frequencies, where the frequencies with the lower noise amounts can be selected. The device logic can also automatically select a low noise frequency from among the selected set as the low noise stimulation frequency. The device logic can be implemented partially or entirely in hardware.

公开(公告)号：US10061444B2

公开(公告)日：2018-08-28

申请号：US14067870

申请日：2013-10-30

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Shahrooz Shahparnia ,  Christoph H. Krah

IPC: G06F3/041 ,  G06F3/044 ,  G06F1/32

CPC classification number: G06F3/044 ,  G06F1/3262 ,  G06F3/0418

Abstract: Self capacitance touch circuits to cancel the effects of parasitic capacitance in a touch sensitive device are disclosed. One circuit can generate a parasitic capacitance cancelation signal that can be injected into touch sensing circuitry to cancel the parasitic capacitance. Another circuit can adjust the phase and magnitude of the parasitic capacitance cancelation signal based on characteristics of channels in the touch sensing circuitry so as to fine tune the parasitic capacitance cancelations. Another circuit can drive a guard plate and touch panel electrodes so as to cancel the parasitic capacitances between the panel and the plate and between the electrodes.

公开(公告)号：US20160266718A1

公开(公告)日：2016-09-15

申请号：US15158461

申请日：2016-05-18

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Thomas James WILSON ,  Christoph H. Krah ,  Minh-Dieu Thi Vu

IPC: G06F3/041

CPC classification number: G06F3/0418 ,  G06F3/0416

Abstract: A channel scan architecture for detecting touch events on a touch sensor panel is disclosed. The channel scan architecture can combine drive logic, sense channels and channel scan logic on a single monolithic chip. The channel scan logic can be configured to implement a sequence of scanning processes in a panel subsystem without intervention from a panel processor. The channel scan architecture can provide scan sequence control to enable the panel processor to control the sequence in which individual scans are implemented in the panel subsystem. Type of scans that can be implemented in the panel subsystem can include a spectral analysis scan, touch scan, phantom touch scan, ambient light level scan, proximity scan and temperature scan.

Abstract translation: 公开了一种用于检测触摸传感器面板上的触摸事件的通道扫描架构。 通道扫描架构可以在单个单片芯片上组合驱动逻辑，感测通道和通道扫描逻辑。 信道扫描逻辑可被配置为在面板子系统中实现扫描过程的序列，而无需面板处理器的干预。 通道扫描架构可以提供扫描序列控制，以使面板处理器能够控制在面板子系统中实现单个扫描的顺序。 可以在面板子系统中实现的扫描类型可以包括光谱分析扫描，触摸扫描，幻影触摸扫描，环境光级别扫描，邻近扫描和温度扫描。

公开(公告)号：US09063601B2

公开(公告)日：2015-06-23

申请号：US14448893

申请日：2014-07-31

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Minh-Dieu Thi Vu ,  Thomas James Wilson ,  Christoph H. Krah

IPC: G06F3/041 ,  G06F3/0354 ,  G06F3/044

CPC classification number: G06F3/0416 ,  G06F1/3262 ,  G06F3/03545 ,  G06F3/041 ,  G06F3/044 ,  G06F2203/04104

Abstract: A device that can autonomously scan a sensor panel is disclosed. Autonomous scanning can be performed by implementing channel scan logic. In one embodiment, channel scan logic carries out many of the functions that a processor would normally undertake, including generating timing sequences and obtaining result data; comparing scan result data against a threshold value (e.g., in an auto-scan mode); generating row count; selecting one or more scanning frequency bands; power management control; and performing an auto-scan routine in a low power mode.

Abstract translation: 公开了一种能够自主扫描传感器面板的装置。 可以通过实现信道扫描逻辑来执行自主扫描。 在一个实施例中，信道扫描逻辑执行处理器通常将承担的许多功能，包括产生定时序列和获得结果数据; 将扫描结果数据与阈值进行比较（例如，以自动扫描模式）; 生成行数; 选择一个或多个扫描频带; 电源管理控制; 并以低功率模式执行自动扫描程序。

公开(公告)号：US20150042568A1

公开(公告)日：2015-02-12

申请号：US14522573

申请日：2014-10-23

Applicant: APPLE INC.

Inventor： Christoph H. Krah

IPC: G06F3/03 ,  G06F3/0481 ,  G06F3/01 ,  G06F3/0488

CPC classification number: G06F3/0325 ,  G01B11/00 ,  G01C3/085 ,  G01C3/12 ,  G01S7/4817 ,  G01S7/4861 ,  G01S7/4865 ,  G01S17/105 ,  G01S17/36 ,  G01S17/48 ,  G01S17/66 ,  G06F3/005 ,  G06F3/011 ,  G06F3/012 ,  G06F3/017 ,  G06F3/02 ,  G06F3/04815 ,  G06F3/04886

Abstract: A three-dimensional imaging and display system is provided in which input is optically detected in an imaging volume by measuring the path length of an amplitude modulated scanning beam as a function of the phase shift thereof. Visual image feedback concerning the detected input is presented.

Abstract translation: 提供一种三维成像和显示系统，其中通过测量作为其相移的函数的调幅扫描光束的路径长度，在成像体积中光学检测输入。 提出了关于检测到的输入的视觉图像反馈。

公开(公告)号：US12197665B2

公开(公告)日：2025-01-14

申请号：US17933820

申请日：2022-09-20

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Christoph H. Krah ,  Bin Huang ,  Stanley B. Wang

IPC: G06F3/041 ,  G06F3/042 ,  G06F3/044 ,  G09G3/32 ,  H01L27/15

Abstract: An electronic device can include integrated micro circuitry configurable for optical sensing and touch and/or proximity sensing. An integrated touch screen can include light emitting diodes or organic light emitting diodes and chiplets. In some examples, the LEDs/OLEDs and chiplets can be disposed in a visible area of the integrated touch screen. In some examples, some or all of the chiplets can be disposed outside of the visible area of the integrated touch screen. In some examples, the chiplets can include display driving circuitry and touch sensing circuitry, and can optionally perform optical sensing using the touch sensing circuitry. In some examples, the chiplets can include separate touch chiplets configured to perform touch sensing (and/or optical sensing) and display chiplets configured to perform display functionality (and optionally provide some switching functionality).