Paul G Puskarich

US Patent:

8633916, Jan 21, 2014

Filed:

Dec 10, 2009

Appl. No.:

12/635614

Inventors:

Jeffrey Traer Bernstein - San Francisco CA, US
Avi Cieplinski - San Francisco CA, US
Brett W. Degner - Menlo Park CA, US
Duncan Kerr - San Francisco CA, US
Patrick Kessler - Mountain View CA, US
Paul Puskarich - Palo Alto CA, US
Marcelo H. Coelho - Cambridge MA, US
Aleksandar Pance - Saratoga CA, US

Assignee:

Apple, Inc. - Cupertino CA

International Classification:

G06F 3/045

US Classification:

345174, 345156, 3404072

Abstract:

Electronic devices may use touch pads that have touch sensor arrays, force sensors, and actuators for providing tactile feedback. A touch pad may be mounted in a computer housing. The touch pad may have a rectangular planar touch pad member that has a glass layer covered with ink and contains a capacitive touch sensor array. Force sensors may be mounted under each of the four corners of the rectangular planar touch pad member. The force sensors may be used to measure how much force is applied to the surface of the planar touch pad member by a user. Processed force sensor signals may indicate the presence of button activity such as press and release events. In response to detected button activity or other activity in the device, actuator drive signals may be generated for controlling the actuator. The user may supply settings to adjust signal processing and tactile feedback parameters.

US Patent:

8644519, Feb 4, 2014

Filed:

Sep 30, 2010

Appl. No.:

12/895526

Inventors:

Aleksandar Pance - Saratoga CA, US
Paul Gerard Puskarich - Palo Alto CA, US
Craig Leong - San Jose CA, US
Ronald Nadim Isaac - San Jose CA, US
Ruchi Goel - San Jose CA, US
Jim Lynn Tenneboe - Scotts Valley CA, US
Daniel Culbert - Los Gatos CA, US
Niel Warren - Soquel CA, US
Nathan Alan Johanningsmeier - San Jose CA, US

Assignee:

Apple Inc. - Cupertino CA

International Classification:

H04R 1/02
H04R 29/00

US Classification:

381 59, 381386

Abstract:

An electronic device having an enclosure including an upper panel and a bottom panel operably connected to the upper panel. A transducer is operably connected to the enclosure and the transducer is configured to mechanically vibrate the enclosure. The transducer includes an electromagnet, a magnet in communication with the electromagnet and a bracket substantially surrounding the electromagnet and the magnet, the bracket substantially secures the transducer to the bottom panel.

US Patent:

20120050180, Mar 1, 2012

Filed:

Sep 30, 2010

Appl. No.:

12/895643

Inventors:

Brian Michael KING - Santa Cruz CA, US
Omar LEUNG - Palo Alto CA, US
Paul G. PUSKARICH - Palo Alto CA, US
Jeffrey Traer BERNSTEIN - San Francisco CA, US
Andrea MUCIGNAT - Burlingame CA, US
Avi E. CIEPLINSKI - San Francisco CA, US
Muhammad U. CHOUDRY - Mississauga, CA
Praveen R. SUBRAMANI - San Diego CA, US
Marc J. PICHE - Waterloo, CA
David T. AMM - Sunnyvale CA, US
Duncan Robert KERR - San Francisco CA, US

International Classification:

G06F 3/041

US Classification:

345173

Abstract:

Touch and hover switching is disclosed. A touch and hover sensing device can switch between a touch mode and a hover mode. During a touch mode, the device can be switched to sense one or more objects touching the device. During a hover mode, the device can be switched to sense one or more objects hovering over the device. The device can include a panel having multiple sensors for sensing a touching object and/or a hovering object and a touch and hover control system for switching the device between the touch and hover modes. The device's touch and hover control system can include a touch sensing circuit for coupling to the sensors to measure a capacitance indicative of a touching object during the touch mode, a hover sensing circuit for coupling to the sensors to measure a capacitance indicative of a hovering object during the hover mode, and a switching mechanism for switching the sensors to couple to either the touch sensing circuit or the hover sensing circuit. The device can switch modes based on a condition of the device, such as an expiration of a timer or a relative distance of an object from the panel.

US Patent:

20120050181, Mar 1, 2012

Filed:

Sep 30, 2010

Appl. No.:

12/895671

Inventors:

Brian Michael KING - Santa Cruz CA, US
Omar Leung - Palo Alto CA, US
Paul G. Puskarich - Palo Alto CA, US
Jeffrey Traer Bernstein - San Francisco CA, US
Andrea Mucignat - Burlingame CA, US
Avi E. Cieplinski - San Francisco CA, US
Muhammad U. Choudry - Mississauga, CA
Praveen R. Subramani - San Diego CA, US
Marc J. Piche - Waterloo, CA
David T. Amm - Sunnyvale CA, US
Duncan Robert Kerr - San Francisco CA, US

International Classification:

G06F 3/041

US Classification:

345173

Abstract:

Signal processing for a touch and hover sensing display device is disclosed. A touch and hover sensing display device can include a sensing panel for sensing a touch or hover event, a display for displaying graphical information to select based on the touch or hover event, and a control system for processing a signal indicative of the touch or hover event. The control system can process the signal to determine to which display location a hovering object is pointing according to a profile of the object's shape. In addition or alternatively, the control system can process the signal to differentiate between a close small object and a distant large object so as to subsequently perform intended actions of the device based, at least in part, on the object distance and/or area (or size). The display can be positioned at a desirable distance from the panel so as to reduce interference from the display to the panel and avoid adverse effects on the signal.

US Patent:

20120050209, Mar 1, 2012

Filed:

Sep 30, 2010

Appl. No.:

12/895600

Inventors:

Brian Michael KING - Santa Cruz CA, US
Omar Leung - Palo Alto CA, US
Paul G. Puskarich - Palo Alto CA, US
Jeffrey Traer Bernstein - San Francisco CA, US
Andrea Mucignat - Burlingame CA, US
Avi E. Cieplinski - San Francisco CA, US
Muhammad U. Choudry - Mississauga, CA
Praveen R. Subramani - San Diego CA, US
Marc J. Piche - Waterloo, CA
David T. Amm - Sunnyvale CA, US
Duncan Robert Kerr - San Francisco CA, US

International Classification:

G06F 3/045

US Classification:

345174

Abstract:

Compensation for sensors in a touch and hover sensing device is disclosed. Compensation can be for sensor resistance and/or sensor sensitivity variation that can adversely affect touch and hover measurements at the sensors. To compensate for sensor resistance, the device can gang adjacent sensors together so as to reduce the overall resistance of the sensors. In addition or alternatively, the device can drive the sensors with voltages from multiple directions so as to reduce the effects of the sensors' resistance. To compensate for sensor sensitivity variation (generally at issue for hover measurements), the device can apply a gain factor to the measurements, where the gain factor is a function of the sensor location, so as to reduce the sensitivity variation at different sensor locations on the device.

US Patent:

20120050210, Mar 1, 2012

Filed:

Sep 30, 2010

Appl. No.:

12/895762

Inventors:

Brian Michael King - Santa Cruz CA, US
Omar Leung - Palo Alto CA, US
Paul G. Puskarich - Palo Alto CA, US
Jeffrey Traer Bernstein - San Francisco CA, US
Andrea Mucignat - Burlingame CA, US
Avi E. Cieplinski - San Francisco CA, US
Muhammad U. Choudry - Mississauga, CA
Praveen R. Subramani - San Diego CA, US
Marc J. Piche - Waterloo, CA
David T. Amm - Sunnyvale CA, US
Duncan Robert Kerr - San Francisco CA, US

International Classification:

G06F 3/045

US Classification:

345174

Abstract:

Compensation for signal drift in a touch and hover sensing device is disclosed. A touch and hover sensing device can include a sensing panel to sense an object touching or hovering over the panel, a grounding device to periodically interact with the panel, and a control system to measure capacitance of the panel when the grounding device interacts with the panel, where the measurement captures any signal drift in the panel, and to set the measurement as a new baseline capacitance of the panel. Alternatively, the touch and hover sensing device can forgo the grounding device and configure the control system to measure capacitance of the panel either when there has been no touching or hovering object or when there is a substantially stationary touching or hovering object at the panel for a determinative time period, where the measurement captures any signal drift in the panel, and to set the measurement from this time period as the new baseline capacitance. The control system can apply the new baseline capacitance to touch and hover measurements so as to compensate for the signal drift.

US Patent:

20120050211, Mar 1, 2012

Filed:

Sep 30, 2010

Appl. No.:

12/895778

Inventors:

Brian Michael KING - Santa Cruz CA, US
Omar Leung - Palo Alto CA, US
Paul G. Puskarich - Palo Alto CA, US
Jeffrey Traer Bernstein - San Francisco CA, US
Andrea Mucignat - Burlingame CA, US
Avi E. Cieplinski - San Francisco CA, US
Muhammad U. Choudry - Mississauga, CA
Praveen R. Subramani - San Diego CA, US
Marc J. Piche - Waterloo, CA
David T. Amm - Sunnyvale CA, US
Duncan Robert Kerr - San Francisco CA, US

International Classification:

G06F 3/045

US Classification:

345174

Abstract:

Detecting a signal from a touch and hover sensing device, in which the signal can be indicative of concurrent touch events and/or hover events, is disclosed. A touch event can indicate an object touching the device. A hover event can indicate an object hovering over the device. The touch and hover sensing device can ensure that a desired hover event is not masked by an incidental touch event, e.g., a hand holding the device, by compensating for the touch event in the detected signal that represents both events. Conversely, when both a hover event and a touch event are desired, the touch and hover sensing device can ensure that both events are detected by adjusting the device sensors and/or the detected signal. The touch and hover sensing device can also detect concurrent hover events by identifying multiple peaks in the detected signal, each peak corresponding to a position of a hovering object.

US Patent:

20120068957, Mar 22, 2012

Filed:

Sep 21, 2010

Appl. No.:

12/887455

Inventors:

Paul G. Puskarich - Palo Alto CA, US
Michael Pilliod - San Francisco CA, US

Assignee:

Apple Inc. - Cupertino CA

International Classification:

G08B 6/00
H01L 41/22

US Classification:

345174, 29 2535

Abstract:

One embodiment of a touch-based user interface may include a haptic feedback layer with one or more actuators configured to supply a haptic feedback. The one or more actuators may be embedded in a nonconductive material. The touch-based user interface may further include a printed circuit board layer underlying the haptic feedback layer. The printed circuit board layer may include one or more conductive traces configured to supply a voltage to the one or more actuators.