Patents by Inventor Reed L. Townsend
Reed L. Townsend 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: 11868609Abstract: In accordance with one or more aspects of a dynamic soft keyboard, a user input is received via a soft keyboard having multiple keys. Information describing a current input environment for the soft keyboard is obtained, and a determination is made as to which one or more keys of the multiple keys was intended to be selected by the user input. This determination is made based at least in part on the current input environment.Type: GrantFiled: July 6, 2022Date of Patent: January 9, 2024Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC.Inventors: Erik M. Geidl, Shawn R. LeProwse, Ian C. LeGrow, Reed L. Townsend
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Publication number: 20220342539Abstract: In accordance with one or more aspects of a dynamic soft keyboard, a user input is received via a soft keyboard having multiple keys. Information describing a current input environment for the soft keyboard is obtained, and a determination is made as to which one or more keys of the multiple keys was intended to be selected by the user input. This determination is made based at least in part on the current input environment.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 6, 2022Publication date: October 27, 2022Inventors: Erik M. GEIDL, Shawn R. LePROWSE, Ian C. LeGROW, Reed L. TOWNSEND
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Patent number: 11416142Abstract: In accordance with one or more aspects of a dynamic soft keyboard, a user input is received via a soft keyboard having multiple keys. Information describing a current input environment for the soft keyboard is obtained, and a determination is made as to which one or more keys of the multiple keys was intended to be selected by the user input. This determination is made based at least in part on the current input environment.Type: GrantFiled: November 23, 2021Date of Patent: August 16, 2022Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Erik M. Geidl, Shawn R. LeProwse, Ian C. LeGrow, Reed L. Townsend
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Publication number: 20220083219Abstract: In accordance with one or more aspects of a dynamic soft keyboard, a user input is received via a soft keyboard having multiple keys. Information describing a current input environment for the soft keyboard is obtained, and a determination is made as to which one or more keys of the multiple keys was intended to be selected by the user input. This determination is made based at least in part on the current input environment.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 23, 2021Publication date: March 17, 2022Inventors: Erik M. GEIDL, Shawn R. LePROWSE, Ian C. LeGROW, Reed L. TOWNSEND
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Patent number: 11275497Abstract: Methods of controlling the display and use of a UI element are disclosed. In an embodiment, the UI element may configured so that it initially maintains a topmost position but eventually allows other applications to assume the topmost position. In an embodiment, the display of the element may be adjusted in response to an input so that the UI element is not visible on the display. In an embodiment, the use of the UI element may allow for seamless dragging of the UI element even if the user inadvertently fails to make consistent contact with the touch-sensitive display while dragging the UI element.Type: GrantFiled: May 30, 2017Date of Patent: March 15, 2022Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Reed L. Townsend, Steven P. Dodge, Bryan D. Scott, Alexander J. Kolmykov-Zotov
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Patent number: 11199966Abstract: In accordance with one or more aspects of a dynamic soft keyboard, a user input is received via a soft keyboard having multiple keys. Information describing a current input environment for the soft keyboard is obtained, and a determination is made as to which one or more keys of the multiple keys was intended to be selected by the user input. This determination is made based at least in part on the current input environment.Type: GrantFiled: May 24, 2019Date of Patent: December 14, 2021Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Erik M. Geidl, Shawn R. LeProwse, Ian C. LeGrow, Reed L. Townsend
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Patent number: 10817080Abstract: A method for rejecting an unintentional palm touch is disclosed. In at least some embodiments, a touch is detected by a touch-sensitive surface associated with a display. Characteristics of the touch may be used to generate a set of parameters related to the touch. In an embodiment, firmware is used to determine a reliability value for the touch. The reliability value and the location of the touch is provided to a software module. The software module uses the reliability value and an activity context to determine a confidence level of the touch. In an embodiment, the confidence level may include an evaluation of changes in the reliability value over time. If the confidence level for the touch is too low, it may be rejected.Type: GrantFiled: April 20, 2018Date of Patent: October 27, 2020Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Reed L. Townsend, Alexander J. Kolmykov-Zotov, Steven P. Dodge, Bryan D. Scott
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Patent number: 10733710Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatuses for beautifying raw drawing data include a beautification engine having a raw data processor that receives the drawing data and identifies a set of segments in the data. A beautification director constructs a structural representation of the set of segments data that specifies a topological relationship between the segments. A single primitive beautifier identifies a segment in the structural representation to be beautified and a single primitive beautification action is applied to the segment to generate beautified raw drawing data. A multiple primitive beautifier identifies adjacent segments in the structural representation to be beautified and a multiple beautification action is applied to the adjacent segments to generate further beautified drawing data.Type: GrantFiled: December 19, 2017Date of Patent: August 4, 2020Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Tianyi Chen, Xiao Tu, Sheng Yi, Kyle Thomas Beck, Reed L. Townsend, Megan L. Fu
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Patent number: 10503395Abstract: The inertia system provides a common platform and application-programming interface (API) for applications to extend the input received from various multi-touch hardware devices to simulate real-world behavior of application objects. To move naturally, application objects should exhibit physical characteristics such as elasticity and deceleration. When a user lifts all contacts from an object, the inertia system provides additional manipulation events to the application so that the application can handle the events as if the user was still moving the object with touch. The inertia system generates the events based on a simulation of the behavior of the objects. If the user moves an object into another object, the inertia system simulates the boundary characteristics of the objects. Thus, the inertia system provides more realistic movement for application objects manipulated using multi-touch hardware and the API provides a consistent feel to manipulations across applications.Type: GrantFiled: January 4, 2018Date of Patent: December 10, 2019Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY, LLCInventors: Reed L. Townsend, Xiao Tu, Bryan Scott, Todd A. Torset, Kenneth W. Sykes, Samir S. Pradhan, Jennifer A. Teed
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Publication number: 20190278476Abstract: In accordance with one or more aspects of a dynamic soft keyboard, a user input is received via a soft keyboard having multiple keys. Information describing a current input environment for the soft keyboard is obtained, and a determination is made as to which one or more keys of the multiple keys was intended to be selected by the user input. This determination is made based at least in part on the current input environment.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 24, 2019Publication date: September 12, 2019Inventors: Erik M. GEIDL, Shawn R. LePROWSE, Ian C. LeGROW, Reed L. TOWNSEND
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Patent number: 10394446Abstract: In accordance with one or more aspects of a dynamic soft keyboard, a user input is received via a soft keyboard having multiple keys. Information describing a current input environment for the soft keyboard is obtained, and a determination is made as to which one or more keys of the multiple keys was intended to be selected by the user input. This determination is made based at least in part on the current input environment.Type: GrantFiled: December 12, 2016Date of Patent: August 27, 2019Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Erik M. Geidl, Shawn R. LeProwse, Ian C. LeGrow, Reed L. Townsend
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Publication number: 20190188831Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatuses for beautifying raw drawing data include a beautification engine having a raw data processor that receives the drawing data and identifies a set of segments in the data. A beautification director constructs a structural representation of the set of segments data that specifies a topological relationship between the segments. A single primitive beautifier identifies a segment in the structural representation to be beautified and a single primitive beautification action is applied to the segment to generate beautified raw drawing data. A multiple primitive beautifier identifies adjacent segments in the structural representation to be beautified and a multiple beautification action is applied to the adjacent segments to generate further beautified drawing data.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 19, 2017Publication date: June 20, 2019Inventors: Tianyi Chen, Xiao Tu, Sheng Yi, Kyle Thomas Beck, Reed L. Townsend, Megan L. Fu
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Publication number: 20190113997Abstract: The manipulation system described herein provides a common platform and application-programming interface (API) for applications to communicate with various multi-touch hardware devices, and facilitates the interpretation of multi-touch input as one or more manipulations. Manipulations map more directly to user intentions than do individual touch inputs and add support for basic transformation of objects using multiple touch contacts. An application can use manipulations to support rotating, resizing, and translating multiple objects at the same time. The manipulation system outputs two-dimensional (2D) affine transforms that contain rotation, scale, and translation information. Thus, using the manipulation system the application author can focus more on building touch-capable applications and let the manipulation system handle the underlying transformations and communication with the multi-touch hardware.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 21, 2018Publication date: April 18, 2019Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Reed L. TOWNSEND, Xiao TU, Bryan SCOTT, Todd A. TORSET, Erik M. GEIDL, Samir S. PRADHAN, Jennifer A. TEED
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Patent number: 10198101Abstract: The manipulation system described herein provides a common platform and application-programming interface (API) for applications to communicate with various multi-touch hardware devices, and facilitates the interpretation of multi-touch input as one or more manipulations. Manipulations map more directly to user intentions than do individual touch inputs and add support for basic transformation of objects using multiple touch contacts. An application can use manipulations to support rotating, resizing, and translating multiple objects at the same time. The manipulation system outputs two-dimensional (2D) affine transforms that contain rotation, scale, and translation information. Thus, using the manipulation system the application author can focus more on building touch-capable applications and let the manipulation system handle the underlying transformations and communication with the multi-touch hardware.Type: GrantFiled: September 1, 2016Date of Patent: February 5, 2019Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Reed L. Townsend, Xiao Tu, Bryan Scott, Todd A. Torset, Erik M. Geidl, Samir S. Pradhan, Jennifer A. Teed
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Publication number: 20180239450Abstract: A method for rejecting an unintentional palm touch is disclosed. In at least some embodiments, a touch is detected by a touch-sensitive surface associated with a display. Characteristics of the touch may be used to generate a set of parameters related to the touch. In an embodiment, firmware is used to determine a reliability value for the touch. The reliability value and the location of the touch is provided to a software module. The software module uses the reliability value and an activity context to determine a confidence level of the touch. In an embodiment, the confidence level may include an evaluation of changes in the reliability value over time. If the confidence level for the touch is too low, it may be rejected.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 20, 2018Publication date: August 23, 2018Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Reed L. TOWNSEND, Alexander J. KOLMYKOV-ZOTOV, Steven P. DODGE, Bryan D. SCOTT
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Patent number: 10019080Abstract: A method for rejecting an unintentional palm touch is disclosed. In at least some embodiments, a touch is detected by a touch-sensitive surface associated with a display. Characteristics of the touch may be used to generate a set of parameters related to the touch. In an embodiment, firmware is used to determine a reliability value for the touch. The reliability value and the location of the touch is provided to a software module. The software module uses the reliability value and an activity context to determine a confidence level of the touch. In an embodiment, the confidence level may include an evaluation of changes in the reliability value over time. If the confidence level for the touch is too low, it may be rejected.Type: GrantFiled: March 8, 2017Date of Patent: July 10, 2018Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Reed L. Townsend, Alexander J. Kolmykov-Zotov, Steven P. Dodge, Bryan D. Scott
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Patent number: 9996176Abstract: A tablet PC having an interactive display, which is touchscreen enabled, may be enhanced to provide a user with superior usability and efficiency. A touchscreen device may be configured to receive multiple concurrent touchscreen contacts. The attributes of the multiple concurrent touchscreen contracts may be mapped to operations performed on the computing device. As a result, a user can trigger the execution of the toggle accessibility aid operation and the screen rotation operation with greater convenience. Moreover, the tablet PC may be configured to map an operation to a hand gesture or input.Type: GrantFiled: August 14, 2017Date of Patent: June 12, 2018Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Alexander J. Zotov, Bryan D. Scott, Reed L. Townsend, Steven P. Dodge
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Publication number: 20180129410Abstract: The inertia system provides a common platform and application-programming interface (API) for applications to extend the input received from various multi-touch hardware devices to simulate real-world behavior of application objects. To move naturally, application objects should exhibit physical characteristics such as elasticity and deceleration. When a user lifts all contacts from an object, the inertia system provides additional manipulation events to the application so that the application can handle the events as if the user was still moving the object with touch. The inertia system generates the events based on a simulation of the behavior of the objects. If the user moves an object into another object, the inertia system simulates the boundary characteristics of the objects. Thus, the inertia system provides more realistic movement for application objects manipulated using multi-touch hardware and the API provides a consistent feel to manipulations across applications.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 4, 2018Publication date: May 10, 2018Inventors: Reed L. Townsend, Xiao Tu, Bryan Scott, Todd A. Torset, Kenneth W. Sykes, Samir S. Pradhan, Jennifer A. Teed
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Patent number: 9952718Abstract: A method for rejecting an unintentional palm touch is disclosed. In at least some embodiments, a touch is detected by a touch-sensitive surface associated with a display. Characteristics of the touch may be used to generate a set of parameters related to the touch. In an embodiment, firmware is used to determine a reliability value for the touch. The reliability value and the location of the touch is provided to a software module. The software module uses the reliability value and an activity context to determine a confidence level of the touch. In an embodiment, the confidence level may include an evaluation of changes in the reliability value over time. If the confidence level for the touch is too low, it may be rejected.Type: GrantFiled: February 7, 2017Date of Patent: April 24, 2018Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Reed L. Townsend, Alexander J. Kolmykov-Zotov, Steven P. Dodge, Bryan D. Scott
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Patent number: 9946370Abstract: A method for rejecting an unintentional palm touch is disclosed. In at least some embodiments, a touch is detected by a touch-sensitive surface associated with a display. Characteristics of the touch may be used to generate a set of parameters related to the touch. In an embodiment, firmware is used to determine a reliability value for the touch. The reliability value and the location of the touch is provided to a software module. The software module uses the reliability value and an activity context to determine a confidence level of the touch. In an embodiment, the confidence level may include an evaluation of changes in the reliability value over time. If the confidence level for the touch is too low, it may be rejected.Type: GrantFiled: March 8, 2017Date of Patent: April 17, 2018Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Reed L. Townsend, Alexander J. Kolmykov-Zotov, Steven P. Dodge, Bryan D. Scott