Patents by Inventor David T. Windell

David T. Windell 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).

  • Publication number: 20100085562
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for lock and key security, the lock including a light receptacle, a scatter pattern detecting module, and a locking mechanism, the key including a light source and a prism, the lock and key security including receiving, in the light receptacle of the lock, light transmitted by the light source in the key through the prism; identifying, by the scatter pattern detecting module, a scatter pattern of the received light; comparing, by the scatter pattern detecting module, the scatter pattern to a unique preauthorized pattern for operating the lock; if the scatter pattern matches the unique preauthorized pattern, switching, by the scatter pattern detecting module, the current locking state of the locking mechanism; and if the scatter pattern does not match the unique preauthorized pattern, maintaining the current locking state of the locking mechanism.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2008
    Publication date: April 8, 2010
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: William R. Duffy, III, Phillip D. Jones, Michael K. Trivette, David T. Windell
  • Publication number: 20100037147
    Abstract: A system, method and computer program product for verifying an avatar owner as a human user of an avatar in a virtual world environment in which users may interact through avatars, representing each one or more users visually, and wherein users, interact through their the representing avatars, via client devices in network communication with a server device. The method includes receiving a request for challenging an avatar in the virtual world environment to determine whether that avatar is controlled by an application program user (bot). Then, in response to the challenging, a user client device associated with a challenged avatar is identified and a HIP message for detecting a human user versus a bot controlling the challenged avatar is generated and communicated, for receipt at a user client device. The HIP message requires an response from the corresponding user. It is determined from the response, whether the user is a bot or a human user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2008
    Publication date: February 11, 2010
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: David F. Champion, Jeffrey J. Smith, Kevin J. Smith, David T. Windell
  • Publication number: 20100031363
    Abstract: The invention provides a method and system for securing information for a virtual world environment. The method includes creating information for a virtual world environment, transmitting the information to the virtual world environment from the memory, selectively removing the information from the virtual world environment, and selectively storing the information on a memory external to the server to prevent access from the server.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2008
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Timothy A. Meserth, Jeffrey J. Smith, David T. Windell
  • Publication number: 20090306962
    Abstract: A method for providing notification of content potentially omitted from within an active document in a document preparation application comprises defining a natural language model for a set of phrasal forms associating each phrasal form with a content type; parsing a textual content of the active document to generate one or more natural language tokens; accessing the natural language model to identify each of the one or more natural language tokens that matches with a phrasal form; generating a list of expected content items having an expected content item for each of the one or more natural language tokens that matches with a phrasal form; scanning the active document to attempt to locate each expected content item; and displaying a notification of each expected content item not located. Each expected content item is generated based upon the content type associated with the corresponding matching phrasal form in the natural language model.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2008
    Publication date: December 10, 2009
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Robert J. Harlow, Jeffrey J. Smith, David T. Windell
  • Publication number: 20090293009
    Abstract: A method for providing navigational control of paginated electronic information, includes: loading paginated information into an electronic device capable of displaying paginated information in response to a user's selection; determining the total number of pages in the paginated information, and the number and page lengths of chapters, indexes, appendices, and prefaces; calibrating one or more page navigation controls based on the determined total number of pages in paginated document, and number and page length of chapters, indexes, appendices, prefaces; setting detents and resistance points on the navigation controls based on the calibration; changing displayed paginated content in response to the user's positional touch of the one or more navigation controls; wherein the detents and resistance points are implemented virtually in navigational software, or physically with a series of elevations or ridges that interface with the navigational software; and the level of resistance varies in response to the pag
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2008
    Publication date: November 26, 2009
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Timothy A. Meserth, Mark E. Molander, Thomas J. Sluchak, Jeffrey J. Smith, David T. Windell
  • Publication number: 20090204900
    Abstract: A method and system to aid in the navigation of a website or computer program having a plurality of resources by displaying a single navigation window having a visual display of all of the resources of the website or program and their hierarchal structure in which at least some of the resources are linked and can be directly accessed from within the window. The window also shows a history of the resources accessed and the paths taken to obtain access.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2008
    Publication date: August 13, 2009
    Inventors: David F. Champion, David T. Windell
  • Publication number: 20090179577
    Abstract: A wireless display panel for an electronic system includes a plurality of light status indicators. Each light status indicator includes a first chamber attached to the wireless display panel and having an excitable gas inside an end of thereof and a second chamber attached to a surface of the electronic system. The first and second chambers being formed of conducting material and corresponding to each other, connecting with each other to form a sealed enclosure when the wireless display panel is connected with the electronic system. Each light status indicator also includes a generator attached to the surface of the electronic system and surrounded by the second chamber, outputting alternating current (AC) power inside the sealed enclosure for wirelessly transmitting AC current to excite the excitable gas, as determined by the electronic system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2008
    Publication date: July 16, 2009
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: William R. Duffy, III, Jeffrey J. Smith, David T. Windell
  • Publication number: 20090183113
    Abstract: A method, system and computer program product for supporting activity-centered, automated grouping of application and data resources, includes generating a user interface in a display device, presenting a set of application, data or hardware resources for user interaction in the user interface, defining an activity group associated with the resources in response to a user performing a consolidated user interface action, generating an interface control object in the graphical user interface representing the activity group, and invoking the resources associated with the activity group in response to user activation of the interface control object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 10, 2008
    Publication date: July 16, 2009
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jeffrey J. Smith, David T. Windell
  • Publication number: 20080246732
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method of masking audible sounds emanating from a keyboard in response to a stroking of keys on the keyboard, the method comprising, selecting components from a plurality of components with various masses, building the keyboard with the selected components, moving a movable mass within the keyboard, and energizing a driving transducer within the keyboard. Further disclosed herein is a keyboard for a computer, comprising a plurality of keys, a cover with the keys protruding therethrough, a base supporting the cover and the keys, and at least one selectable mass wherein the mass is selected from a plurality of masses, a movable mass supported by the base and movable relative to the base, and a driving transducer supported by the base.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2008
    Publication date: October 9, 2008
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Vincent C. Conzola, Vincent R. Lanzolla, Timothy A. Meserth, Gerard F. Muenkel, David T. Windell
  • Patent number: 7326864
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method of masking audible sounds emanating from a keyboard in response to a stroking of keys on the keyboard, the method comprising, selecting components from a plurality of components with various masses, building the keyboard with the selected components, moving a movable mass within the keyboard, and energizing a driving transducer within the keyboard. Further disclosed herein is a keyboard for a computer, comprising a plurality of keys, a cover with the keys protruding therethrough, a base supporting the cover and the keys, and at least one selectable mass wherein the mass is selected from a plurality of masses, a movable mass supported by the base and movable relative to the base, and a driving transducer supported by the base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2008
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Vincent C. Conzola, Vincent R. Lanzolla, Timothy A. Meserth, Gerard F. Muenkel, David T. Windell
  • Publication number: 20070284235
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method of masking audible sounds emanating from a keyboard in response to a stroking of keys on the keyboard, the method comprising, selecting components from a plurality of components with various masses, building the keyboard with the selected components, moving a movable mass within the keyboard, and energizing a driving transducer within the keyboard. Further disclosed herein is a keyboard for a computer, comprising a plurality of keys, a cover with the keys protruding therethrough, a base supporting the cover and the keys, and at least one selectable mass wherein the mass is selected from a plurality of masses, a movable mass supported by the base and movable relative to the base, and a driving transducer supported by the base.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2006
    Publication date: December 13, 2007
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Vincent C. Conzola, Vincent R. Lanzolla, Timothy A. Meserth, Gerard F. Muenkel, David T. Windell