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: 9261964Abstract: 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: December 31, 2013Date of Patent: February 16, 2016Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Reed L. Townsend, Alexander J. Kolmykov-Zotov, Steven P. Dodge, Bryan D. Scott
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Publication number: 20160034136Abstract: 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: October 16, 2015Publication date: February 4, 2016Inventors: 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: 9189096Abstract: 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: June 17, 2013Date of Patent: November 17, 2015Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, 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: 20150286305Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: June 22, 2015Publication date: October 8, 2015Inventors: Alexander J. Zotov, Bryan D. Scott, Reed L. Townsend, Steven P. Dodge
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Patent number: 9063647Abstract: 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: May 12, 2006Date of Patent: June 23, 2015Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Alexander J. Zotov, Bryan D. Scott, Reed L. Townsend, Steven P. Dodge
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Patent number: 9013438Abstract: A system for enabling a tablet input object is described. A tablet input object can take various inputs from touch, a mouse, and a pen and sends their information to an application or operating system. Also, a pen message pathway may also be used to handle touch messages, thereby reusing an existing pen message pathway for messages created by something other than a pen.Type: GrantFiled: June 2, 2014Date of Patent: April 21, 2015Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Alexander J Zotov, Reed L Townsend, Steven P Dodge, Bryan D Scott
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Publication number: 20150022478Abstract: 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: October 8, 2014Publication date: January 22, 2015Inventors: 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: 8884907Abstract: 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: June 17, 2013Date of Patent: November 11, 2014Assignee: Microsoft CorporationInventors: 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: 20140285457Abstract: A system for enabling a tablet input object is described. A tablet input object can take various inputs from touch, a mouse, and a pen and sends their information to an application or operating system. Also, a pen message pathway may also be used to handle touch messages, thereby reusing an existing pen message pathway for messages created by something other than a pen.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 2, 2014Publication date: September 25, 2014Applicant: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Alexander J. Zotov, Reed L. Townsend, Steven P. Dodge, Bryan D. Scott
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Patent number: 8816971Abstract: A system for enabling a tablet input object is described. A tablet input object can take various inputs from touch, a mouse, and a pen and sends their information to an application or operating system. Also, a pen message pathway may also be used to handle touch messages, thereby reusing an existing pen message pathway for messages created by something other than a pen.Type: GrantFiled: March 7, 2011Date of Patent: August 26, 2014Assignee: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Alexander J. Kolmykov-Zotov, Reed L. Townsend, Steven P. Dodge, Bryan D. Scott
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Patent number: 8803824Abstract: Methods and systems for enabling a tablet input object is described. A tablet input object can take various inputs from touch, a mouse, and a pen and send their information to an application.Type: GrantFiled: May 17, 2011Date of Patent: August 12, 2014Assignee: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Alexander J. Zotov, Reed L. Townsend, Steven P. Dodge, Todd M. Landstad, Olumuyiwa M. Durojaiye, Stefan Wick, Vijayakumar Rangasamy
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Publication number: 20140111462Abstract: 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: December 31, 2013Publication date: April 24, 2014Applicant: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Reed L. Townsend, Alexander J. Kolmykov-Zotov, Steven P. Dodge, Bryan D. Scott
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Patent number: 8659570Abstract: 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: October 22, 2012Date of Patent: February 25, 2014Assignee: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Reed L. Townsend, Alexander J. Kolmkov-Zotov, Steven P. Dodge, Bryan D. Scott
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Publication number: 20130314316Abstract: Aspects of the invention provide virtual hover zones. When a user lowers a hovering stylus while remaining within a hover zone, cursor control is modified to be more easily controllable by the user. If the user pauses the stylus in mid-air before lowering the stylus, and if the stylus remains within the hover zone, then upon touchdown the cursor may be moved to the projection of the location where the stylus was paused. Any action that may be taken in response to the touch down may be sent to the projection location as well. Also provided are cursor control zones. A dampening zone may be used to provide dampened cursor movement feedback in response to movement input provided by a pointing device. Also, a dead zone may be used to prohibit cursor movement in response to movement input provided by the pointing device.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 2, 2013Publication date: November 28, 2013Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATIONInventors: ALEXANDER J. KOLMYKOV-ZOTOV, EMILY K. RIMAS-RIBIKAUSKAS, PHILIP TI-FEI SU, REED L. TOWNSEND, ROBERT J. JARRETT, STEVEN P. DODGE
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Publication number: 20130285961Abstract: 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: June 17, 2013Publication date: October 31, 2013Inventors: 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: 20130278529Abstract: 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: June 17, 2013Publication date: October 24, 2013Inventors: 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: 8502804Abstract: Aspects of the invention provide virtual hover zones. When a user lowers a hovering stylus while remaining within a hover zone, cursor control is modified to be more easily controllable by the user. If the user pauses the stylus in mid-air before lowering the stylus, and if the stylus remains within the hover zone, then upon touchdown the cursor may be moved to the projection of the location where the stylus was paused. Any action that may be taken in response to the touch down may be sent to the projection location as well. Also provided are cursor control zones. A dampening zone may be used to provide dampened cursor movement feedback in response to movement input provided by a pointing device. Also, a dead zone may be used to prohibit cursor movement in response to movement input provided by the pointing device.Type: GrantFiled: May 3, 2010Date of Patent: August 6, 2013Assignee: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Alexander J. Kolmykov-Zotov, Emily K. Rimas-Ribikauskas, Philip Ti-Fei Su, Reed L. Townsend, Robert J. Jarrett, Steven P. Dodge
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Patent number: 8477103Abstract: 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: October 26, 2008Date of Patent: July 2, 2013Assignee: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Reed L. Townsend, Xiao Tu, Bryan D. Scott, Todd A. Torset, Kenneth W. Sykes, Samir S. Pradhan, Jennifer A. Teed
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Patent number: 8466879Abstract: 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: October 26, 2008Date of Patent: June 18, 2013Assignee: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Reed L. Townsend, Xiao Tu, Bryan D. Scott, Todd A. Torset, Erik M. Geidl, Samir S. Pradhan, Jennifer A. Teed
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Publication number: 20130067382Abstract: User experience of the performance of a computing device is improved through an operating system that processes inputs from a soft keyboard to provide information that can be used to accurately determine keys a user intended to strike while typing. For each detected tap, the operating system provides a probability that one or more keys were the intended target for the user. These probabilities may be computed from probability distribution functions that are dynamically determined based on user and/or system factors, such as typing rate and keyboard style or layout. Other components may use the probabilities to select a key corresponding to a detected keyboard tap as representing the intended user input. The selection may be made based on the probabilities alone or in combination with contextual factors that yield an overall probability that a detected tap arose from a user targeting a specific key.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 12, 2011Publication date: March 14, 2013Applicant: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Reed L. Townsend, Mudit Agrawal, Andrey Borissov Batchvarov, Fei Su