Cirque Corporation

Brian Monson

Jared Bytheway

Jon Bertrand

Ethan Sturm

Paul H Glad

Daniel Ferguson

Nate Coy

David Taylor

Keith Lynn Paulsen

Richard D Woolley

Douglas Steck

Steven Varrato

Todd Rich

Christian Leishman

A capacitance module may include a set of electrodes, a processor in communication with the set of electrodes, and memory in communication with the processor. The memory may include programmed instructions that cause the capacitance module, when executed, to determine a user identity by comparing input attributes of an unprompted input with at least one user attribute stored in the memory.

User identification with a capacitance module

A capacitance module may include a set of electrodes, a controller in communication with the set of electrodes, and memory in communication with the controller. The memory may include programmed instructions that cause the capacitance module, when executed, to perform a calibration, the calibration including prompting a finger input, storing a finger attribute of a finger capacitance measurement associated with the finger input, prompting a palm input, storing a palm attribute of a palm capacitance measurement associated with the palm input, and determining an unprompted palm input by consulting at least one of the stored finger attribute and the stored palm attribute.

Determining an unprompted input

Using a capacitance sensor may include taking a first noise measurement by imposing a first signal on a capacitance sensor, the first signal having a first frequency; taking a second noise measurement by imposing a second signal on the capacitance sensor, the second signal having a second frequency different than the first frequency; determining the measurement with the lower amount of noise between the first noise measurement and the second noise measurement; and taking a capacitance measurement by imposing a third signal on the capacitance sensor, the third signal having either the first frequency or the second frequency based, at least in part, on the frequency of the measurement with the lower amount of noise.

Noise measurements with a capacitance sensor

A capacitance module may include a stack of layers, the stack including a first substrate and at least one capacitance sensing electrode on the substrate. The capacitance module may also include a magnetically conductive, electrically insulating material incorporated into the capacitance module.

Magnetically conductive electrically insulating material in a capacitance module

A portable electronic device may include a battery assembly, a battery swell detection unit in proximity to the battery assembly, the battery swell detection unit includes a circuit, a switch positioned to be moved by swelling of a battery cell, a processor, and memory having programmed instructions that cause the processor, when executed, to detect battery swelling based on a position of the switch.

Switch activated battery swell detection

Adjusting a cursor speed may include a sensor with at least one capacitance sense electrode, a controller in communication with the sensor, memory in communication with the controller, and programmed instructions stored in the memory and configured, when executed, to cause the capacitance controller to detect movement of an object moving proximate the sensor at an object speed, apply a cursor speed to a cursor depicted in a display based at least in part on a cursor-to-object speed relationship, detect a trigger event in the detected object movement, and change the cursor-to-object speed relationship in response to detecting the trigger event.

Adjusting cursor speed

A system for detecting a change in a battery cell may include instructions executable by a processor to determine a baseline profile of a battery cell with a capacitance sensor, detect a changed profile from the baseline profile with the capacitance sensor, match the changed profile with a stored profile where the stored profile is associated with a condition, and classify the battery cell as having the condition associated with the stored profile.

Battery swell detection

A capacitance sensor may be positioned to detect size changes in objects. The sensor may be constructed with to use mutual capacitance or self-capacitance to detect the size changes.

Size detection

A portable electronic device may include a battery assembly and a battery swell detection unit in proximity to the battery assembly. The battery swell detection unit may include an electrode, a dome made of an electrically conductive material positioned between the battery assembly and the electrode, a processor, and memory having programmed instructions that cause the processor, when executed, to detect battery swelling based on a depression of the dome.

Battery swell detection with an electrically conductive dome

A portable electronic device may include an electrical resistance sensor and a battery assembly being adjacent to the electrical resistance sensor. The electrical resistance sensor is positioned to be compressed when the battery assembly swells, and the electrical resistance sensor further includes a pressure sensitive material that exhibits a characteristic of changing an electrical conductance when compressed.

Resistance sensor for battery swell detection

An apparatus may include an input surface, a plurality of key positions on the input surface, a force sensor positioned underneath the input surface at at least one of the key positions, and a proximity controller in communication with a capacitance measuring circuit incorporated into the apparatus.

Measuring capacitance

A computing device may include a keyboard, a switch in mechanical communication with an underside of a key arranged in the keyboard, a processor, a transmit line electrically connected to the processor, a sense line electrically connected to the processor, and the transmit line and the sense line are selectively connectable through the switch when the key is depressed, memory in communication with the processor, and programmed instructions stored in the memory that, when executed, cause the processor to identify changes in capacitance from the sense line when the key is not depressed, identify a hand gesture performed proximate the keyboard based on the changes in capacitance, and execute an action based on at least one the identification of the hand gesture.

Hand gestures recognition over a switch based keyboard

An apparatus may include a touch sensor, a touch region of the touch sensor that is free of sense electrodes, a first peripheral region of the touch sensor and a second peripheral region of the touch senor and the touch region is located between the first peripheral region and the second peripheral region, a first sense electrode is located in the first peripheral region, a second sense electrode is located in the second peripheral region.

Growing community of inventors

Farmington, UT, United States of America

Brian Monson