Christopher M Dodson

US Patent:

20210303081, Sep 30, 2021

Filed:

Jun 14, 2021

Appl. No.:

17/347000

Inventors:

- Cupertino CA, US
Christopher M. DODSON - Santa Clara CA, US
Prashanth HOLENARSIPUR - Fremont CA, US
Serhan O. ISIKMAN - Sunnyvale CA, US
Brian R. LAND - Woodside CA, US
Anant RAI - San Jose CA, US

International Classification:

G06F 3/038
G06F 3/0354
G06F 3/0362
G06F 1/16
G06F 3/044
G06F 3/043
H03K 17/96
G06F 3/03
G04C 3/00
G04G 21/08

Abstract:

An electronic device is disclosed. In some examples, the electronic device comprises a rotatable mechanical input mechanism. In some examples, the electronic device comprises sense electrode positioned proximate to the mechanical input mechanism. In some examples, the electronic device comprises a capacitive sense circuit comprising drive circuitry operatively coupled to the mechanical input mechanism and configured for driving a drive signal onto the mechanical input mechanism. In some examples, the electronic device comprises a capacitive sense circuit comprising sense circuitry operatively coupled to the sense electrode and configured to measure an amount of coupling between the rotatable mechanical input mechanism and the sense electrode. In some examples, the electronic device comprises a housing, wherein the sense electrode is included in a gasket for connecting a display to the housing.

US Patent:

20210043130, Feb 11, 2021

Filed:

Aug 8, 2019

Appl. No.:

16/535734

Inventors:

- Cupertino CA, US
Shen Ren - Cupertino CA, US
Christopher M. Dodson - Santa Clara CA, US
Kenneth J. Vampola - Los Altos CA, US
Mahdi Nezamabadi - San Jose CA, US
Ates C. Dumlupinar - San Jose CA, US

International Classification:

G09G 3/32
G01J 1/42

Abstract:

An electronic device may have a display. The display may have light-emitting diode pixels or other pixels. Due to aging-induced degradation of the pixels, the output intensity and color of the pixels may vary over the lifetime of the display. Control circuitry in the device may use an ambient light sensor to measure ambient light and stray display light. The display light measurements may be used in monitoring aging effects so that the control circuitry can compensate for aging-induced pixel degradation. Display light measurements may be made over a sequence of image frames. The image frames in the sequence of frames may include white and black frames or frames of different colors interleaved with black frames. Different frame intensities may be used during measurements of stray display light to gather gamma curves for the display.

US Patent:

20210004053, Jan 7, 2021

Filed:

Sep 23, 2020

Appl. No.:

17/030220

Inventors:

- Cupertino CA, US
Dong Zheng - Los Altos CA, US
Christopher M. Dodson - Denver CO, US
Kenneth J. Vampola - Los Altos CA, US
Koorosh Aflatooni - Los Altos Hills CA, US

International Classification:

G06F 1/16
G09G 3/34
H04N 5/378

Abstract:

An electronic device may have a display with an array of pixels that display images for a user. The electronic device may have an ambient light sensor for gathering ambient light information. A subset of the pixels in the array of pixels may overlap the ambient light sensor so that ambient light passing through the subset of pixels may be measured. Each pixel may have an emission enable transistor coupled in series with a light-emitting diode. Control circuitry in the electronic device may disable the subset of pixels to reduce stray light during ambient light measurements while enabling remaining pixels in the array of pixels to display an image. Ambient light sensor circuitry may gather ambient light sensor measurements over one or more periods by using transfer transistors to transfer change from the photodetectors to charge storage capacitors formed from floating diffusions in a common substrate.

US Patent:

20200348790, Nov 5, 2020

Filed:

May 2, 2019

Appl. No.:

16/401861

Inventors:

- Cupertino CA, US
Joshua A. Spechler - Cupertino CA, US
Weili Chen - Champaign IL, US
Christopher M. Dodson - Santa Clara CA, US
Mahdi Nezamabadi - San Jose CA, US

International Classification:

G06F 3/041
G09G 3/34
H05B 37/02
G02F 1/1335

Abstract:

An electronic device may have a display with an array of pixels configured to display images for a user. The electronic device may have an ambient light sensor for gathering ambient light information. A set of the pixels may overlap the ambient light sensor so that ambient light measurements may be made on ambient light passing through the set of pixels. Control circuitry in the electronic device may control light transmission through the set of pixels so that different light transmission levels can be used in different ambient light conditions. Directional light measurements may be made by moving transparent pixels dynamically across the surface of the display overlapping the light sensor and/or by using pixelated light modulators to vary the angle of light rays measured by the ambient light sensor.

US Patent:

20200341512, Oct 29, 2020

Filed:

Apr 29, 2019

Appl. No.:

16/398093

Inventors:

- Cupertino CA, US
Dong Zheng - Los Altos CA, US
Christopher M. Dodson - Santa Clara CA, US
Kenneth J. Vampola - Los Altos CA, US
Koorosh Aflatooni - Los Altos Hills CA, US

International Classification:

G06F 1/16
G09G 3/34

Abstract:

An electronic device may have a display with an array of pixels that display images for a user. The electronic device may have an ambient light sensor for gathering ambient light information. A subset of the pixels in the array of pixels may overlap the ambient light sensor so that ambient light passing through the subset of pixels may be measured. Each pixel may have an emission enable transistor coupled in series with a light-emitting diode. Control circuitry in the electronic device may disable the subset of pixels to reduce stray light during ambient light measurements while enabling remaining pixels in the array of pixels to display an image. Ambient light sensor circuitry may gather ambient light sensor measurements over one or more periods by using transfer transistors to transfer change from the photodetectors to charge storage capacitors formed from floating diffusions in a common substrate.

US Patent:

20190096364, Mar 28, 2019

Filed:

Sep 22, 2017

Appl. No.:

15/713308

Inventors:

- Cupertino CA, US
Tingjun Xu - San Jose CA, US
Avery P. Yuen - San Jose CA, US
Christopher M. Dodson - Santa Clara CA, US
Tianbo Sun - Sunnyvale CA, US
Xianwei Zhao - Fremont CA, US
Xingxing Cai - Santa Clara CA, US
Sunggu Kang - San Jose CA, US

International Classification:

G09G 5/10
G02B 27/30
G02B 5/02

Abstract:

An electronic device may be provided with a display. The display may have an array of pixels that form an active area and may have an inactive area that runs along an edge of the active area. An opaque layer may be formed on an inner surface of a display cover layer in the inactive area of the display or may be formed on another transparent layer in the electronic device. An ambient light sensor window may be formed from the opening and may be aligned with color ambient light sensor. The ambient light sensor may have an integrated circuit with photodetectors. Ambient light passing through the ambient light sensor window may be diffused by a light diffuser having one or more light-diffusing layers. Diffused ambient light may be collimated using a light collimator having one or more light-collimating layers such as layers with inwardly facing protrusions.

US Patent:

20170090599, Mar 30, 2017

Filed:

Sep 23, 2016

Appl. No.:

15/275323

Inventors:

- Cupertino CA, US
Louis W. BOKMA - San Jose CA, US
Erik DE JONG - San Francisco CA, US
Christopher M. DODSON - Santa Clara CA, US
Colin M. ELY - Cupertino CA, US
Prashanth HOLENARSIPUR - Fremont CA, US
Mengshu HUANG - Cupertino CA, US
Serhan O. ISIKMAN - Sunnyvale CA, US
Brian R. LAND - Woodside CA, US
Anant RAI - San Jose CA, US
Albert WANG - Sunnyvale CA, US
Michael B. WITTENBERG - Sunnyvale CA, US

International Classification:

G06F 3/038
G06F 3/041
G06F 3/03
G06F 1/16
G06F 3/044
G06F 3/043
G06F 3/0354
G06F 3/0362

Abstract:

An electronic device is disclosed. In some examples, the electronic device comprises a rotatable mechanical input mechanism. In some examples, the electronic device comprises sense electrode positioned proximate to the mechanical input mechanism. In some examples, the electronic device comprises a capacitive sense circuit comprising drive circuity operatively coupled to the mechanical input mechanism and configured for driving a drive signal onto the mechanical input mechanism. In some examples, the electronic device comprises a capacitive sense circuit comprising sense circuitry operatively coupled to the sense electrode and configured to measure an amount of coupling between the rotatable mechanical input mechanism and the sense electrode. In some examples, the electronic device comprises a housing, wherein the sense electrode is included in a gasket for connecting a display to the housing.