Apple Inc.

Other

Richard James Reeve

Thomas James Wilson

Christoph Horst Krah

Dennis Raymond Shirley

George I Noah

Fredrick A Roper

Touch sensing can be accomplished using master/slave touch controllers that transmit drive signals to a touch surface and process sense signals including superpositions resulting from master/slave drive signals. The master/slave can drive and sense different sets of lines, respectively, of the touch surface. A communication link between master/slave can be established by transmitting a clock signal between master/slave, transmitting a command including sequence information to the slave, and initiating a communication sequence from the clock signal and sequence information. The slave can receive/transmit communications from/to the master during first/second portions of the communication sequence, respectively. Touch sensing operations can be synchronized between master/slave by transmitting a command including phase alignment information from master to slave, and generating slave clock signals based on the clock signal and the phase alignment information, such that sense signal processing by master clock signals are in-phase with sense signal processing by slave clock signals.

Master/slave control of touch sensing

Centralized processing of touch information obtained by multiple touch sensing controllers connected to a touch sensing surface is provided. Each touch controller can obtain touch information of sense signals from different sense lines of the touch sensing surface and can store the touch information in a corresponding memory of the controller. The touch information of one or more of the touch sensing controllers can be transmitted as results data to a processor that processes all of the touch information. In some cases, prior to transfer of the results data, a determination of the validity of a sense channel can be made, and invalid channels can be excluded from the transfer.

Centralized processing of touch information

A method and system for managing power in a computer system is disclosed. In one embodiment the method includes providing output signals from a sensor panel to a controller, wherein the controller includes a data bus and a plurality of devices communicatively coupled to the data bus; monitoring an activity level on the data bus by monitoring bus access requests by one or more of the plurality of devices; and reducing or shutting off a bus clock frequency if there is reduced or no activity on the bus for a predetermined period of time.

Gated power management over a system bus

Dynamically configurable routing logic coupled between physical I/O ports and special purpose I/O associated with functions within a panel ASIC is disclosed that provide different routing configurations between the physical I/O ports and the special purpose I/O. In one routing configuration, any special purpose output can be coupled to one or more physical I/O ports, providing flexibility to route any functional I/O to any physical I/O port. In a second routing configuration, any input signal on a physical I/O port can be coupled to one or more special purpose inputs. In a third routing configuration, the input signals on a number of physical I/O ports can be configured to independently assert a single special purpose input for interrupt triggering. The dynamically configurable nature of the routing logic allows routing to be changed on the fly.

GPIO mux/dynamic port configuration

An invalid lift and transport apparatus for safely lifting and transporting bedridden or wheelchair bound individuals with a minimum of effort and assistance is disclosed. The apparatus includes a movable mast assembly powered by a remote hydraulic pump. The mast assembly has an upright mast rotatable about a substantially vertical axis and a hydraulically extensible boom, for supporting an invalid carrying sling, pivotally joined thereto. A lift cylinder, joining the lower portion of the mast with the boom, is provided for raising and lowering the boom. A hand-held controller permits the invalid individual or attendant to extend, retract, raise, and lower the boom by selectively actuating the hydraulic components with the touch of a button. The mast may be similarly rotated. In operation, the sling may be readily moved to position an invalid seated therein to practically any position within the reach of the boom with a minimum of physical effort.

Invalid lift and transport apparatus

A lightweight, self-powered, transportable crane assembly is disclosed which includes a frame that can be selectively coupled to and uncoupled from the bed of a transport vehicle or carrier, such as a pick-up truck or trailer. The frame assembly also includes stabilizing legs which can be extended laterally from the frame assembly to stabilize the crane during use and further to allow the crane assembly to be self supporting apart from the truck or trailer. The crane assembly also can be coupled to a ballast structure such as a water tank or the like, to permit its use apart from the transport vehicle.

Lightweight, self-powered, transportable crane assembly

A self-steering tandem bogie for the rear of an articulated vehicle. The bogie comprises a front and a rear axle which are universally attached to a pair of longitudinally extending walking beams for sliding motion thereon, affording angular variation of the axles during vehicle turning. The load of the vehicle is transferred to the bogie by a steering unit which is universally attached to the walking beams between the two axles. As the vehicle executes a turn, the steering unit rotates in the direction of vehicle turn, while the walking beams tend to maintain the straight-drive orientation. This relative movement between the steering unit and the walking beams is transmitted to the front axle by a pair of steering arms, causing the front axle to rotate in the direction of turn, and thereby facilitating vehicle turning.

Growing community of inventors

Montara, CA, United States of America

Richard James Reeve