Patents by Inventor David B. Cranfill
David B. Cranfill 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).
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Patent number: 8841847Abstract: An electronic device is provided, which comprises one or more light groupings, each light grouping including one or more light sources, and audio processing circuitry adapted for interpreting an audio file. The audio file includes one or more instrument definitions exclusively assigned to a corresponding one of the one or more light groupings. The audio file further includes one or more note definitions associated with at least one of the one or more instrument definitions exclusively assigned to the corresponding one of the one or more light groupings, where a value associated with each of the one or more note definitions controls the color displayed by the one or more light sources within the associated exclusively assigned light grouping.Type: GrantFiled: August 30, 2011Date of Patent: September 23, 2014Assignee: Motorola Mobility LLCInventors: David B Cranfill, David S Brenner, Michael E Caine
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Patent number: 8810519Abstract: A touch sensor integrated with a keyboard spacebar. A touchpad zone can be defined on a portion of a planar surface of a spacebar. The touchpad zone can be configured to detect movement of a human appendage across the touchpad zone, or above the touchpad zone, and generate a corresponding signal from the keyboard that causes corresponding movement of a cursor presented on a display. In another embodiment, a touchpad can be positioned over the spacebar. The touchpad can be slidably engaged to the keyboard to facilitate user positioning of the touchpad over a desired portion of the spacebar.Type: GrantFiled: July 30, 2012Date of Patent: August 19, 2014Assignee: Motorola Mobility LLCInventors: Mark F. Valentine, David B. Cranfill, Michael F. Olley
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Publication number: 20140078055Abstract: A track pointer including a touchpad. The track pointer can be operable in at least two states. In a first of the states, the touchpad can be activated to detect movement of a human appendage across the touchpad or above the touchpad and generate a corresponding first signal that causes corresponding movement of a cursor presented on a display. In a second of the states, the touchpad can be deactivated, and the track pointer can be configured to detect movement of the track pointer by the human appendage and generate a corresponding second signal that causes corresponding movement of the cursor presented on the display.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 18, 2012Publication date: March 20, 2014Applicant: MOTOROLA MOBILITY LLCInventors: Mark F. Valentine, David B. Cranfill
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Publication number: 20140028564Abstract: A touch sensor integrated with a keyboard spacebar. A touchpad zone can be defined on a portion of a planar surface of a spacebar. The touchpad zone can be configured to detect movement of a human appendage across the touchpad zone, or above the touchpad zone, and generate a corresponding signal from the keyboard that causes corresponding movement of a cursor presented on a display. In another embodiment, a touchpad can be positioned over the spacebar. The touchpad can be slidably engaged to the keyboard to facilitate user positioning of the touchpad over a desired portion of the spacebar.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 30, 2012Publication date: January 30, 2014Applicant: MOTOROLA MOBILITY LLCInventors: Mark F. Valentine, David B. Cranfill, Michael F. Olley
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Publication number: 20110096020Abstract: Disclosed is a method (50) and device (100) for providing an equi-potential touch screen. The method can include: providing (52) a capacitive touch screen including transmit electrodes and receive electrodes combined to form a grid structure configured to provide capacitive signals that allow position of touch to be resolved; and driving (54) a substantially central transmit electrode with equi-potential connection points. The method (50) and device (100) provide a touch screen device which allows drive lines to be split on either side of the touch screen device, while being highly linear. For example, the frame area surrounding the touch screen can be made narrower or thinner, for minimal real estate and optimizing design layout.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 22, 2010Publication date: April 28, 2011Applicant: MOTOROLA, INC.Inventor: David B. Cranfill
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Patent number: 7683918Abstract: A scrolling user interface comprises proportional scrolling responsive to contact in a proportional zone of a scrolling strip and multi-mode scrolling in response to contact in a multi-mode zone of the scrolling strip. Multi-mode scrolling can include proportional scrolling, continuous scrolling, or stepped scrolling.Type: GrantFiled: March 17, 2006Date of Patent: March 23, 2010Assignee: Motorola, Inc.Inventors: Michael Bohan, David B. Cranfill, Xiaohua Ning, Chad A. Phipps, Susan L. Tuttle
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Patent number: 7667371Abstract: A circuit (800) for controlling at least one piezoelectric actuator (142) includes a piezoelectric drive circuit (802) that generates unidirectional voltage drive signal, also referred to as Vout, at node (804). The piezoelectric actuator drive circuit (802) includes a boost switcher circuit or charging circuit (806), a buck switcher circuit or pulsed current sink discharge circuit (808) and a control signal generating circuit (810) that receives an input control signal (812) from, for example, a keyboard processor or other suitable processor (604) indicating that the device has requested generation of haptic feedback utilizing the piezoelectric actuator (142). The control signal generating circuit (810) provides at least two pulse-with-modulated control signals, one to control the charging circuit and one to control the discharging circuit to produce the unidirectional voltage drive signal, that in one example is a raised cosine drive signal (904).Type: GrantFiled: September 17, 2007Date of Patent: February 23, 2010Assignee: Motorola, Inc.Inventors: Daniel J. Sadler, David B. Cranfill, Michael F. Olley, Eric V. Tashakkor, Daniel H. Wagner
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Publication number: 20090072662Abstract: A circuit (800) for controlling at least one piezoelectric actuator (142) includes a piezoelectric drive circuit (802) that generates unidirectional voltage drive signal, also referred to as Vout, at node (804). The piezoelectric actuator drive circuit (802) includes a boost switcher circuit or charging circuit (806), a buck switcher circuit or pulsed current sink discharge circuit (808) and a control signal generating circuit (810) that receives an input control signal (812) from, for example, a keyboard processor or other suitable processor (604) indicating that the device has requested generation of haptic feedback utilizing the piezoelectric actuator (142). The control signal generating circuit (810) provides at least two pulse-with-modulated control signals, one to control the charging circuit and one to control the discharging circuit to produce the unidirectional voltage drive signal, that in one example is a raised cosine drive signal (904).Type: ApplicationFiled: September 17, 2007Publication date: March 19, 2009Applicant: Motorola, Inc.Inventors: Daniel J. Sadler, David B. Cranfill, Michael F. Olley, Eric V. Tashakkor, Daniel H. Wagner
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Publication number: 20090054112Abstract: A portable electronic device (200) including a housing having a movable housing portion in the form of a flip, rotating blade or slider portion. A controller is electrically coupled to a plurality of light shutter portions in the movable housing portion, wherein the controller independently configuring each light shutter portion between first and second light transmitting states based upon input from a sensor, an application or based upon the configuration of the housing. The shutter portions may obscure or reveal an underlying display or inputs.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 24, 2007Publication date: February 26, 2009Applicant: MOTOROLA, INC.Inventors: ADAM CYBART, ROGER W. ADY, CHRISTOPHER A. ARNHOLT, DAVID B. CRANFILL, WILLIAM R. GROVES
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Publication number: 20080291169Abstract: A multimodal electronic device (100) includes a shutter enabled dynamic keypad for presenting one of a plurality of keypad configurations to a user. Each keypad configuration, which is presented by an optical shutter (204) that opens or closes windows or shutters that are geometrically configured as alphanumeric or device keys or symbols. Each keypad configuration comprises a plurality of mode based actuators, wherein the plurality of mode based actuators comprises at least a ten-digit keypad actuator set (2000) and a curved scroll device (1903). The optical shutter (204) is a low-resolution display that presents user actuation targets to a user in a low-resolution key area. As each mode of the device changes, the corresponding keypad configuration presented changes accordingly.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 21, 2007Publication date: November 27, 2008Inventors: David S. Brenner, Michael Bohan, David B. Cranfill
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Patent number: 7421088Abstract: Multi-function transducers (130, 700) that are suitable for use in handheld devices such as cellular telephones (100, 900) and are capable of emitting audio, and generating accelerations of sufficient magnitude, and at frequencies that can be sensed by tactile sensation and which exhibit resonant modes that are characterized by center frequencies within a frequency range that can be sensed by tactile sensation, and specifically located between two musical notes on a musical scale are provided. Devices (100, 900) including such transducer are provided, and methods of operating such transducers are provided.Type: GrantFiled: August 28, 2003Date of Patent: September 2, 2008Assignee: Motorola, Inc.Inventors: David B. Cranfill, David S. Brenner, Michael E. Caine
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Publication number: 20080204463Abstract: A multimodal electronic device (100) includes a shutter enabled dynamic keypad for presenting one of a plurality of keypad configurations to a user. Each keypad configuration, which is presented by an optical shutter (204) that opens or closes windows or shutters that are geometrically configured as alphanumeric or device keys or symbols. Each keypad configuration, in one embodiment, is limited to those needed for the particular mode of operation of the device (100). The optical shutter (204) is a low-resolution display that presents user actuation targets to a user in a low-resolution key area. As each mode of the device changes, the corresponding keypad configuration presented changes accordingly.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 27, 2007Publication date: August 28, 2008Inventors: Adam Cybart, Paul N. Baciu, David B. Cranfill, R. Dodge D. Daverman, Steve C. Emmert, Ken K. Foo, Zhiming Zhuang
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Publication number: 20080204418Abstract: A multimodal electronic device (100) includes a shutter enabled dynamic keypad for presenting one of a plurality of keypad configurations to a user. Each keypad configuration, which is presented by an optical shutter (204) that opens or closes windows or shutters that are geometrically configured as alphanumeric or device keys or symbols. Each keypad configuration, in one embodiment, is limited to those needed for the particular mode of operation of the device (100). The optical shutter (204) is a low-resolution display that presents user actuation targets to a user in a low-resolution key area. As each mode of the device changes, the corresponding keypad configuration presented changes accordingly.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 27, 2007Publication date: August 28, 2008Inventors: Adam Cybart, Paul N. Baciu, David B. Cranfill, R.Dodge D. Daverman, Steve C. Emmert, Ken K. Foo, Zhiming Zhuang
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Patent number: 7242784Abstract: A method for dynamically controlling audio signal gain in a communication device starts with determining a level of an input audio signal. The level is then mapped against a table of predetermined corresponding gain targets to determine an appropriate gain target for that level. The gain targets are then applied to the audio signal, which is then output. The invention is particularly suited to speakerphone operation in a communication device, wherein the gain targets provide compression, expansion or limiting so that distant speakers can be heard clearly.Type: GrantFiled: September 4, 2001Date of Patent: July 10, 2007Assignee: Motorola Inc.Inventors: David B. Cranfill, Kesavarajan Kaliyaperumal, Arthur G. Herkert, Ronald Crochiere
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Patent number: 7129824Abstract: A portable electronic device (100) includes a vibrating transducer having a resilient support and a first mass supported by the first resilient support forming a mechanical resonator, and an electrical circuit coupled to the first vibrating transducer to apply a drive signal. A plurality of tactile vibration transducers (130, 140) can work in unison to produce strong tactile stimulus (216, 228, 230).Type: GrantFiled: August 28, 2003Date of Patent: October 31, 2006Assignee: Motorola Inc.Inventors: David B. Cranfill, Sandra J. Guzman, Scott K. Isabelle, Rindala Saliba
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Patent number: 7054450Abstract: The invention concerns a method (200) and a system (100) for ensuring audio safety in an audio device (110). The system includes a processor (112), a sensor (116), an analog safety circuit (114) and a first feedback loop (117). The processor is programmed to output an acoustic output signal (310, 410), the sensor monitors the acoustic output signal and the analog safety circuit is coupled to an output of the processor. The first feedback loop feeds the monitored acoustic signal from the sensor to the analog safety circuit. The analog safety circuit adjusts from a first level (312, 412) to a second level (316, 414) the acoustic output signal when the acoustic output signal exceeds a predetermined safety threshold (314, 420) such that the audio device has an output capacity that is capable of driving a sound pressure level of the acoustic output signal above the predetermined safety threshold.Type: GrantFiled: March 31, 2004Date of Patent: May 30, 2006Assignee: Motorola, Inc.Inventors: Jason D. McIntosh, David B. Cranfill
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Publication number: 20030044028Abstract: A method for dynamically controlling audio signal gain in a communication device starts with determining a level of an input audio signal. The level is then mapped against a table of predetermined corresponding gain targets to determine an appropriate gain target for that level. The gain targets are then applied to the audio signal, which is then output. The invention is particularly suited to speakerphone operation in a communication device, wherein the gain targets provide compression, expansion or limiting so that distant speakers can be heard clearly.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 4, 2001Publication date: March 6, 2003Inventors: David B. Cranfill, Kesavarajan Kaliyaperumal, Arthur G. Herkert, Ronald Crochiere