Patents by Inventor Paul Futter

Paul Futter 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).

  • Patent number: 8706053
    Abstract: The control of an antenna tuner for a portable electronic device includes closed loop tuning when sufficient transmit power is present. The closed loop tuning commences using a predetermined antenna tuner configuration for an operational band and device state. The closed loop tuning may be constrained by a tuning range associated with the predetermined antenna tuner configuration for the operational band and device state. Also, when transmit power is low or when a transceiver is in a receive only state, open loop tuning may be conducted by placing the antenna tuner in the predetermined (or default) configuration for the operational band and phone state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony Mobile Communications AB
    Inventors: William O. Camp, Jr., David R. Story, Paul Futter, Gerard J. Hayes
  • Patent number: 8704427
    Abstract: A device may include a component including an electroactive polymer (EAP) material configured to generate a voltage in response to movement of the component. The device may also include voltage detector coupled to the component, the voltage detector configured to detect voltage generated by the component. The device may further include processing logic configured to perform a function based on the detected voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony Mobile Communications AB
    Inventors: Paul Futter, Gunnar Klinghult
  • Patent number: 8520837
    Abstract: A mobile communication device contains a plurality of displays. A control module and one of the displays is contained by a first housing. Another housing, bearing a second display, is slidably engageable with the first housing. An optical data transmission mechanism is coupled between the control module and the second display. Data generated by the control module can be converted to optical signals and transmitted through the optical transmission path for control of the second display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony Mobile Communications AB
    Inventor: Paul Futter
  • Patent number: 8519982
    Abstract: An electronic device has a display, a controller, and a pair of haptic transducers connected to the display. The controller configures the haptic transducers to momentarily vibrate the display. A pair of sensors disposed on the display detects variations caused by the user touch in the vibrations. Based on an analysis of these variations, the controller can determine the location of the user touch on the touch-sensitive display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony Mobile Communications AB
    Inventors: William O. Camp, Jr., Paul Futter, Leland Scott Bloebaum
  • Publication number: 20120081337
    Abstract: An electronic device has a display, a controller, and a pair of haptic transducers connected to the display. The controller configures the haptic transducers to momentarily vibrate the display. A pair of sensors disposed on the display detects variations caused by the user touch in the vibrations. Based on an analysis of these variations, the controller can determine whether a user performed at least one of a swipe action and a multi-touch action, across the display.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2010
    Publication date: April 5, 2012
    Applicant: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB
    Inventors: William O. Camp, JR., Paul Futter, Leland Scott Bloebaum
  • Publication number: 20110310028
    Abstract: An electronic device has a display, a controller, and a pair of haptic transducers connected to the display. The controller configures the haptic transducers to momentarily vibrate the display. A pair of sensors disposed on the display detects variations caused by the user touch in the vibrations. Based on an analysis of these variations, the controller can determine the location of the user touch on the touch-sensitive display.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2010
    Publication date: December 22, 2011
    Inventors: William O. Camp, JR., Paul Futter, Leland Scott Bloebaum
  • Publication number: 20110241758
    Abstract: A device may include a component including an electroactive polymer (EAP) material configured to generate a voltage in response to movement of the component. The device may also include voltage detector coupled to the component, the voltage detector configured to detect voltage generated by the component. The device may further include processing logic configured to perform a function based on the detected voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2010
    Publication date: October 6, 2011
    Applicant: SONY ERICSSON MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS AB
    Inventors: Paul Futter, Gunnar Klinghult
  • Publication number: 20110193786
    Abstract: A touchscreen display for an electronic device comprises a dielectric layer that is substantially transparent and configured to display information therethrough, a first carbon nanotube (CNT) layer disposed on the dielectric layer and being operable to facilitate determination of a location of contact with the touchscreen display, and a second CNT layer disposed on the dielectric layer and being operable to facilitate determination of force associated with contact of the touchscreen display.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2010
    Publication date: August 11, 2011
    Inventors: Paul Futter, Per Holmberg, Gunnar Klinghult
  • Publication number: 20110117863
    Abstract: The control of an antenna tuner for a portable electronic device includes closed loop tuning when sufficient transmit power is present. The closed loop tuning commences using a predetermined antenna tuner configuration for an operational band and device state. The closed loop tuning may be constrained by a tuning range associated with the predetermined antenna tuner configuration for the operational band and device state. Also, when transmit power is low or when a transceiver is in a receive only state, open loop tuning may be conducted by placing the antenna tuner in the predetermined (or default) configuration for the operational band and phone state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2009
    Publication date: May 19, 2011
    Inventors: William O. Camp, JR., David R. Story, Paul Futter, Gerard J. Hayes
  • Publication number: 20100123658
    Abstract: A portable communication device includes a touch-sensitive input device that is configured to include a substantially V-shaped active area. The portable communication device is configured to facilitate character selection and navigation by sensing the user's thumb position on and movement along the substantially V-shaped active area. The portable communication device is configured to provide keypad functionality via the touch-sensitive input device without a graphical representation of character keys and/or navigation keys represented on the touch-sensitive input device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2008
    Publication date: May 20, 2010
    Applicant: SONY ERICSSON MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS AB
    Inventors: Randolph C. Demuynck, Paul Futter, Stephen Caudle, Kevin M. Shay
  • Publication number: 20100039372
    Abstract: A mobile communication device contains a plurality of displays. A control module and one of the displays is contained by a first housing. Another housing, bearing a second display, is slidably engageable with the first housing. An optical data transmission mechanism is coupled between the control module and the second display. Data generated by the control module can be converted to optical signals and transmitted through the optical transmission path for control of the second display.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2008
    Publication date: February 18, 2010
    Applicant: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB
    Inventor: Paul Futter
  • Publication number: 20100013763
    Abstract: A plurality of light sources is mounted on a housing of an interactive user device. The sources are spaced from each other in a defined spatial relationship, for example in a linear configuration. At least one light sensor is also positioned at the surface of the housing. The light sensor senses light that is reflected from an object placed by the user, such as the user's finger, within an area of the light generated by the light sources. A processor in the user device can recognize the sensed reflected light as a user input command correlated with a predefined operation and respond accordingly to implement the operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2008
    Publication date: January 21, 2010
    Inventors: Paul Futter, William O. Camp, JR., Karin Johanne Spalink, Ivan Nelson Wakefield
  • Publication number: 20090256825
    Abstract: Described is a capacitive touch screen apparatus. An indium tin oxide (ITO) ground screen covers and protects an optical display. One or more support structures are secured atop the ground screen layer. A first capacitance sensing patterned ITO trace layer is secured atop the support structures such that an air gap exists between the layers. A second capacitance sensing patterned ITO trace layer can be secured atop the first patterned ITO trace layer. A pointed object brought into contact with the outermost patterned ITO trace layer will deform the surface and penetrate a portion of the air gap sufficiently to register a change in capacitance at the point of contact. A protective transparent film layer covering the outermost patterned ITO trace layer can be utilized to protect the surface of the ITO layer from damage. The ITO layers are electronically coupled with a controller capable of sensing changes in capacitance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2008
    Publication date: October 15, 2009
    Inventors: Gunnar Klinghult, Paul Futter
  • Publication number: 20090047995
    Abstract: A portable communication device is equipped with a dual camera module having a first or main camera module, a second or video telephony camera module and a common image sensor element configured to receive images from the first and second camera modules. The dual camera module includes image-shifting optics configured to shift images from the second camera module onto a portion of a common image sensor such that images from the main camera module may be received by a first or main portion of the common image sensor and images from the second camera module may be received by a secondary portion of the common image sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2007
    Publication date: February 19, 2009
    Applicant: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB
    Inventors: Paul Futter, Alexander Hunt