Nokia Technologies Oy

Cambridge Touch Technologies Ltd.

Emberion Oy

Nokia Corporation

Carl Zeiss Microscopy Gmbh

Lyten, Inc.

Nokie Technologies Oy

Michael Robert Astley

Arokia Nathan

Richard White

Xiang Cheng

Jani Kivioja

Stefano Marco Borini

Jiahao Li

Riccardo Micci

Babak Bastani

Piers Andrew

Paul Richard Routley

Darryl Cotton

Di Wei

Constantinos Tsangarides

Paridhi Sharma

Chris Bower

Mark Allen

Elisabetta Spigone

Zoran Radivojevic

Teuvo Tapani Ryhanen

Antonio Afonso Bras Ferreira Marques

Juha Backman

Alan Colli

Samiul Md Haque

Paul Beecher

Alexander Bessonov

Sami Kallioinen

Stewart Bean

Markku Antti Kyosti Rouvala

Matteo Vit

Pekka Korpinen

Andrew Peter Matthews

Nadine Harris

Christopher Bower

Mojtaba Bagheri

Alexander Alexandrovich Bessonov

Markus Ahonen

Aqib Ejaz

Joseph Bottomley

Teuvo RYHÄNEN

Darryl Paul James Cotton

Mark Lee Allen

An apparatus and associated methods utilize a flexible touch panel having a layer of piezoelectric material arranged between a number of first electrodes and at least one second electrode and a device connected to the first electrodes and configured to determine a bending state of the touch panel based on one or more radii of curvature of the touch panel from signals received from one or more of the first electrodes. A touch location for one or more user interactions is determined from signals received from the one or more of the first electrodes. An electronic device including the apparatus may switch between operating modes based on the bending state of the touch panel. A non-transitory computer readable medium may store computer programs implementing the methods for determining the bending state of the touch panel, switching the device between modes based on the bending state and determining a touch location.

Flexible touch panel with piezoelectric force sensing

An apparatus () is described which includes a touch panel (). The touch panel () includes a layer of piezoelectric material () disposed between a number of sensing electrodes () and at least one counter electrode (). The apparatus () also includes a touch controller () connected to the touch panel (). The touch controller () is configured to determine, in response to receiving piezoelectric signals () from one or more of the sensing electrodes (), a location () and an applied force () corresponding to a user interaction () with the touch panel (). The touch controller () is configured to determine a capacitance value () of one or more of the sensing electrodes (). The touch controller is configured to operate in a force-based mode, a capacitance-based mode or a mixed force-capacitance mode depending on the type of input received.

Force sensing touch panel

An apparatus () for processing signals from a touch panel () is described. The touch panel () includes a layer of piezoelectric material () disposed between a number of sensing electrodes () and at least one common electrode (). The apparatus () includes a capacitive touch controller () for connection to the sensing electrodes (). The apparatus () also includes a switch network () including a number of inputs for connection to some or all of the sensing electrodes (), and an output connected to system ground or a common mode voltage (V). The apparatus () also includes a second circuit () for connection to the at least one common electrode () and configured to generate, based on signals received from the at least one common electrode, a second pressure signal () indicative of a total pressure applied to the touch panel (). The apparatus () also includes a controller () configured to control the switch network () to couple any connected sensing electrodes () to system ground or the common mode voltage (V) during a pressure measurement period, and to determine an estimate of the total pressure based on the second pressure signal during the pressure measurement period.

Pressure sensing apparatus and method

A force-sensing touch panel () is described which includes a layer structure stacked in a thickness direction between first and second surfaces. The layer structure includes from first surface to second surface, a number of first electrodes () and a number of second electrodes (), a layer of piezoelectric material (), and a number of third electrodes (). The first and second electrodes () are configured to define a coordinate system for sensing a location of a force applied to the touch panel in a plane perpendicular to the thickness direction. The third electrodes () are configured such that signals received from the first, second and third electrodes () enable determining unique locations corresponding to two or more forces applied to the touch panel () concurrently.

A device () includes a body () and a touch panel () supported by, integrated with, or underlying the body (). The touch panel () includes a layer of piezoelectric material () disposed between a plurality of first electrodes () and at least one second electrode (). The device () also includes at least one second piezoelectric input region () supported by, integrated with, or underlying a portion of the body () which does not correspond to the touch panel (). The device () is configured to receive user input using the touch panel () and/or at least one piezoelectric input region ().

Buttonless device

A touch sensor () for combined capacitive touch and force sensing is described. The touch sensor () includes number plurality of first electrodes () and a number of second electrodes (). The second electrodes () are insulated from the first electrodes (). The first and second electrodes () form a grid for capacitive touch sensing. The touch sensor () also includes a transparent cover (). The touch sensor () also includes a transparent piezoelectric film () arranged between the transparent cover () and the first and second electrodes (). The touch sensor () also includes a patterned counter electrode () disposed between the transparent piezoelectric film () and the transparent cover (). The patterned counter electrode () is a conductive grid formed from the union of plurality of counter electrode line elements (). A pitch of the counter electrode line elements () is larger than a pitch of the first electrodes () and/or second electrodes ().

Touch panel

An apparatus for processing signals from a touch panel. The touch panel includes a layer of piezoelectric material disposed between a number of sensing electrodes and one or more common electrodes. The apparatus includes a capacitive touch controller for connection to the sensing electrodes and a switch network including inputs for connection to the sensing electrodes and an output connected to system ground or a common mode voltage. The apparatus includes a circuit for connection to the common electrodes and to generate, for each common electrode, a corresponding pressure signal indicative of a pressure applied to the touch panel proximate to that common electrode. The apparatus includes a controller to control the switch network to couple any connected sensing electrodes to system ground or the common mode voltage during a pressure measurement period, and to sample the one or more second pressure signals during the pressure measurement period.

Touch panel system with piezoelectric pressure sensing

A method includes receiving (S), from a touch panel (), force values () corresponding to a plurality of piezoelectric sensors (), Each piezoelectric sensor corresponds to a physical location (xm, yn) on the touch panel. The method also includes receiving (S) one or more user touch locations corresponding to user touches, The method also includes excluding (S) all force values () corresponding to physical locations within a distance of a user touch location, and setting the remaining force values () as valid force values (S). The method also includes interpolating and/or extrapolating (S), based on the valid force values, one or more reconstructed force values () corresponding to same physical locations (xm, yn) as the respective excluded force values ().

Pressure signal processing

An apparatus () for processing signals from a touch panel () is described. The touch panel () includes a layer of piezoelectric material () disposed between a plurality of sensing electrodes () and at least one common electrode (). The apparatus () includes a first circuit () for connection to the plurality of sensing electrodes (). The first circuit () is configured to generate one or more first pressure signals (). Each first pressure signal () corresponds to one or more sensing electrodes () and is indicative of a pressure acting on the touch panel () proximate to the corresponding one or more sensing electrodes (). The apparatus also includes a second circuit () for connection to the at least one common electrode (). The second circuit () is configured to generate a second pressure signal () indicative of a total pressure applied to the touch panel (). The apparatus also includes a controller () configured to determine an estimate of the total pressure based on a weighted difference of the second pressure signal () and a sum over the one or more first pressure signals ().

A device () for processing signals from a projected capacitance touch panel () is described. The projected capacitance touch panel () includes a layer of piezoelectric material () disposed between a number of sensing electrodes () and at least one counter electrode (). The device () includes a capacitive touch controller () having a number of measurement ports (). The device () also includes a number of charge amplifiers (). The device () also includes a number of terminals (C, . . . , C, D, . . . , D) for connection to the sensing electrodes () of the projected capacitance touch panel (). Each terminal (C, . . . , C, D, . . . , D) is connected to one of the measurement ports (). Each terminal (C, . . . , C, D, . . . , D) is also connected to an input of one of the charge amplifiers () via a corresponding switch (SW) of a number of switches (). The device () also includes a controller () configured to synchronise the capacitive touch controller () and the number of switches (SW,) so that during a first portion ([t, t]) of a cycle the capacitive touch controller () outputs a capacitance measurement signal () to one or more of the terminals (C, . . . , C, D, . . . , D), and the plurality of charge amplifiers () are disconnected from the terminals (C, . . . , C, D, . . . , D) by the respective switches (SW,). The controller () is also configured to synchronise the capacitive touch controller () and the number of switches (SW,) so that during a second portion ([t, t]) of the cycle the capacitive touch controller () does not output the capacitance measurement signal (), and one or more of the charge amplifiers () are connected to the corresponding terminals (C, . . . , C, D, . . . , D) by the respective switches (SW,).

Device for processing signals from a pressure-sensing touch panel

An apparatus comprising a processor and memory including computer program code, the memory and computer program code configured to, with the processor, enable the apparatus at least to: based on a predetermined dark current component for each photodetector in an array of photodetectors, identify a plurality of subsets of photodetectors from the array for signal readout and amplification by a readout circuit, each photodetector of the array configured to provide a photodetector output signal comprising the dark current component and an image component on exposure to incident electromagnetic radiation from a target scene, wherein each subset of photodetectors is identified such that the combined dark current component of the constituent photodetector output signals for each subset is substantially the same; and provide the identified plurality of subsets for use in signal readout and amplification by the readout circuit.

Array apparatus and associated methods

An apparatus comprising first and second electrodes () separated by an electrolyte (), the first and second electrodes () configured to exhibit a potential difference therebetween on interaction of the first electrode () with an analyte, wherein the first electrode () is configured such that its electrical conductance and electrochemical potential are dependent upon the amount of analyte present, the electrical conductance and electrochemical potential of the first electrode () affecting the potential difference between the first and second electrodes (), and wherein the apparatus comprises respective first and second terminals () configured for electrical connection to a readout circuit to enable determination of the presence and/or amount of analyte based on the potential difference.

Apparatus and associated methods for analyte detection

An apparatus comprising: a passive array () of resistive elements (); a row selector switch () and a column selector switch () configured to respectively connect a particular row and a particular column of resistive elements to ground; and a feedback column selector switch () configured to connect all columns of resistive elements to a voltage source, except for the particular column connected to ground by the column selector switch; the voltage source configured to apply a voltage to the columns of resistive elements, the voltage matching a voltage dropped over the resistive element connected in circuit by the row and column selector switches; and further comprising: a row selector switch compensation circuit (), a column selector switch compensation circuit () and/or a feedback column selector switch compensation circuit () each configured to apply a voltage across a corresponding dummy element equal and opposite to a voltage dropped over the corresponding selector switch.

Sensing apparatus having switch resistance compensation circuit and associated methods

An apparatus configured to alternate the application of first and second gate voltages to a gate electrode of a photodetector. A first change in electrical current is relative to a predetermined measurement of electrical current taken at the first gate voltage in the absence of incident electromagnetic radiation, and a second change in electrical current is relative to a predetermined measurement of electrical current taken at the second gate voltage in the absence of the incident electromagnetic radiation. The photodetector comprises a channel, and source and drain electrodes configured to enable flow of electrical current through the channel. Quantum dots are configured to generate charge carriers on exposure to the incident electromagnetic radiation. The gate electrode is configured to generate an electric field upon the application of a gate voltage thereto, and process the signal to at least partially remove any changes in electrical current which are attributed to noise.

Apparatus and associated methods for reducing noise in photodetectors

An apparatus and method, the apparatus comprising; a light collector configured to collect ambient light and provide the collected light to a portion of skin of a user; a photodetector configured to enable a biometric parameter to be monitored by detecting changes in the light absorbed by the portion of skin; and an amplifier configured to amplify an output signal provided by the photodetector; wherein the light collector is configured to filter the collected ambient light to increase the proportion of light within a selected range of wavelengths which is provided to the portion of skin of the user relative to the collected ambient light.

Apparatus and method for monitoring biometric parameters using an ambient light collector

Growing community of inventors

Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom

Michael Robert Astley