Patents by Inventor Brett Allen Bentsen

Brett Allen Bentsen has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Universal user interface device
    Patent number: 10216297
    Abstract: A flexible, scalable hardware input device for interacting with a variety of devices ranging from a phone, to a media playback device to a steering wheel or a tablet PC is provided. The input device includes a set of mechanical input controls, each mapping to one or more independent functions and a set of touch sensitive input control areas (e.g., capacitive), where each touch sensitive input control area receives touch input independently. In addition, one or more of the touch sensitive input control areas interchangeably overlay one or more of the mechanical input controls, whereby interaction with the touch sensitive input control areas is processed together to determine a corresponding function for controlling the application, service or computing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Brett Allen Bentsen, Dennis Edward Flanagan, Gregory Sean Cox, Thamer A. Abanami
  • Universal User Interface Device
    Publication number: 20150009148
    Abstract: A flexible, scalable hardware input device for interacting with a variety of devices ranging from a phone, to a media playback device to a steering wheel or a tablet PC is provided. The input device includes a set of mechanical input controls, each mapping to one or more independent functions and a set of touch sensitive input control areas (e.g., capacitive), where each touch sensitive input control area receives touch input independently. In addition, one or more of the touch sensitive input control areas interchangeably overlay one or more of the mechanical input controls, whereby interaction with the touch sensitive input control areas is processed together to determine a corresponding function for controlling the application, service or computing device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2014
    Publication date: January 8, 2015
    Inventors: Brett Allen Bentsen, Dennis Edward Flanagan, Gregory Sean Cox, Thamer A. Abanami
  • Universal user interface device
    Patent number: 8866750
    Abstract: A flexible, scalable hardware input device for interacting with a variety of devices ranging from a phone, to a media playback device to a steering wheel or a tablet PC is provided. The input device includes a set of mechanical input controls, each mapping to one or more independent functions and a set of touch sensitive input control areas (e.g., capacitive), where each touch sensitive input control area receives touch input independently. In addition, one or more of the touch sensitive input control areas interchangeably overlay one or more of the mechanical input controls, whereby interaction with the touch sensitive input control areas is processed together to determine a corresponding function for controlling the application, service or computing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Brett Allen Bentsen, Dennis Edward Flanagan, Gregory Sean Cox, Thamer A. Abanami