1004335 Ontario Inc.

Instantel Inc.

Ontario Limited

Aeroscout Ltd.

1004335 Ontario Inc. Carrying on Business As a D Metro

Robert Donald McCulloch

Albert M David

Guy Michael Amyon Farquharson Duxbury

Gueorgui Pavlov

David G McEwing

Gary B Loubert

Brian Wayne Martin

Todd A Wood

Stephen J Mildenberger

Daniel Aljadeff

Guy M Duxbury

Jennifer Ann McKenzie

Jennifer A Hartfield

Guy Michael Duxbury

A method for configuring a touch sensor system is provided. The method may be performed automatically by a controller of the system. The system comprises a touch panel operatively coupled to the controller, where the touch panel comprises a plurality of transmit electrodes and a plurality of receive electrodes. The method comprises selectively and individually driving, by the controller, at least one of the transmit electrodes. For each driven transmit electrode, signal outputs from one or more of the receive electrodes are received while the transmit electrode is driven. One or more characteristics of the touch panel is determined as a function of the signal outputs from the receive electrodes. At least one operation setting of the controller is configured based on the one or more characteristics. The one or more characteristics of the touch panel may include a number of transmit electrodes and a number of receive electrodes.

Touch sensor system configuration based on characteristics determined as a function of received signals

The present disclosure provides a method for a touch sensor controller coupled to a touch sensor panel. A touch sensor system including the controller and the touch sensor panel may experience interference from various sources. The method disclosed herein includes receiving signals output from the touch sensor panel. The controller determines interference information using the signals received from the touch sensor panel. This determining includes analyzing signal levels of the signals received from the touch sensor panel. The controller generates an output indicative of the interference information.

Touch sensor controller and methods for indicating interference levels

A touch sensor system includes a sensing area having a periphery and a plurality of light sources and a plurality of analog optical detectors arranged about the periphery of the sensing area. The system further includes addressing circuitry that selectively drives each of the plurality of light sources with a modulated signal and selectively activates the plurality of analog optical detectors, and a controller that receives a collective detector output from the plurality of analog optical detectors. The outputs from the analog optical detectors may be a time multiplexed to provide the collective detector output. Each optical detector may include a photodiode; a first transistor coupled to the photodiode in a current amplifier configuration that generates an amplified current output as a function of a photodiode current; and enable circuitry to enable and disable the optical detector as a function of an enable input signal.

Optical touch sensor devices and systems

A method is provided for configuring a touch sensor controller coupled to a touch panel and a host computing device. The method includes receiving, by the controller, first input for starting a configuration mode of operation. The first input may be received independent of the host computing device. The controller initiates the configuration mode of operation responsive to the first input. The controller receives at least one second input via the touch panel for configuring at least one operational setting of the controller. The method also includes configuring, by the controller, the at least one operational setting according to the received at least one second input.

Methods for configuring touch sensor system

Touch sensor system configuration

Optical touch sensors may be adversely affected by noise, such as modulated sunlight incident on the touch sensor. An analog optical detector is provided that includes a frequency dependent emitter feedback circuitry that does not substantially reduce the gain for a first modulation frequency range of the photodiode current and provides, for a second modulation frequency range of the photodiode current, a current feedback to reduce the gain of the first transistor. The second modulation frequency may include one or more expected noise modulation frequencies. A touch sensor device including a plurality of such optical detectors is also provided. Also provided is a touch sensor device comprising sampling disable circuitry operable to disable sampling of the output from the optical detectors for a duration of time.

Optical touch sensor systems and optical detectors with noise mitigation

In a frequency multiplexed capacitive touch sensor, a plurality of resonance frequencies may be used to drive electrodes for sensing touch. A capacitive touch sensor apparatus is provided that includes a substrate layer and a plurality of resonant circuits. Each resonant circuit comprises a respective electrode and a respective electromechanical resonator connected to the respective electrode. The electromechanical resonators comprise any suitable high-Q resonator including, but not limited to: ceramic oscillators; crystal oscillators; and MEMs oscillators, as described above. The electrodes of the plurality of resonant circuits are distributed on the substrate layer. The electromechanical resonators may allow relatively close spacing of adjacent resonance frequencies, in comparison to resonant circuits with discrete inductors.

Capacitive touch sensor apparatus having electromechanical resonators

A capacitive touch sensor comprises a plurality of electrodes on a substrate, and a position of a finger touching the sensor is determined by monitoring output signal changes caused by changes in capacitance caused by the present of the finger over or near the electrodes. The disclosure provides a capacitive touch sensor apparatus comprising a substrate and a plurality of touch sensor electrodes arranged on the substrate. Each of the electrodes comprises a respective primary electrode strip and a respective one or more electrode strip branches extending from the primary electrode strip.

Capacitive touch sensor apparatus having branching electrodes

The disclosure provides methods and apparatuses for detecting two-touch events with a five-wire resistive touch sensor comprising an active layer and a sensing layer. The methods include, while a first voltage gradient is generated across an active layer of the sensor, measuring a first voltage of a sensing layer electrode and a current across the sensor. The methods further include, while the second voltage gradient is generated across the active layer, measuring a second voltage of the sensing layer electrode and a second current across the sensor. The first and second currents are compared to a respective threshold. A two-touch event is detected based on the comparison.

Methods for two-touch detection with resistive touch sensor and related apparatuses and systems

A common capacitive touch sensor may have a two dimensional array of transparent conductive strips going from edge to edge on a substrate layer or sheet of a touch sensor. According to some aspects, there is provided a capacitive touch sensor device including a substrate layer and a plurality of resonant circuits. Each resonant circuit includes an electrode, and each resonant circuit has a respective resonance frequency that is unique within the plurality of resonant circuits. The electrodes of the resonant circuits are distributed on the substrate layer. A controller for a touch sensor is also provided that includes a signal generator to drive at least one plurality of resonant circuits, where each resonant circuit has a respective resonance frequency. The signal generator is tunable to generate input signals at each of the resonance frequencies. The controller also includes a detector.

Touch sensor device and method

An identification tag has at least a controller, a receiver for receiving wireless signals from an exciter, and a transmitter for transmitting wireless signals to at least one location receiver (which may be a WLAN access point). The tag's controller can determine the presence of interference from sources unrelated to the location system, such as smartphones, tablets, computer monitors etc., and signal an alert accordingly.

Enhanced wireless location system and method

An article identification system relies upon correlating or 'bonding' a detecting object with an identifying object on an auto-identification basis. Identification data is provided on an automated, high-reliability basis, without human control over the precise identification data that is transferred. On this basis a nursery infant-parent identifier system is provided whereby, when a detecting baby bracelet is brought into the presence of an identifying parent's tag, a reliable indication is provided as to whether the bracelet and tag have been previously bonded.

Associated articles identifying system

Transmitter enclosure

A security tag having a strap for securing the tag to an object to be protected and an electronic module connected to the strap for detecting an attempt to defeat the tag by short circuiting and severing the strap. The strap is formed of plural discrete conductors connected to the electronic module, which conductors are insulated from each other at least along a substantial length of the strap. Short circuiting of opposite ends of a single pair of the conductors followed by severance of plural ones of the insulated conductors, or short circuit in between separate conductors can be detected by the electronic module as an alarm condition. Severance or misconnection of only one or a small number of the insulated conductors can be detected by the electronic module as not being an alarm condition.

Growing community of inventors

Ottawa, Canada

Robert Donald McCulloch