Patents by Inventor Thomas J. Sluchak
Thomas J. Sluchak 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: 10649540Abstract: Devices, methods and products are described that provide information handling devices with touch-based reflective display. One aspect provides an information handling device including one or more processors; a display device; and a touchable control area having one or more configurable areas, said one or more configurable areas providing both reflective display and accepting touch-based input; wherein said touchable control area is disposed in place of at least a portion of a standard component of said information handling device, other than said display device, and provides functionality equivalent thereto in one or more configurations. Other embodiments are described.Type: GrantFiled: April 13, 2015Date of Patent: May 12, 2020Assignee: Lenovo (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.Inventors: Aaron M. Stewart, James S. Rutledge, Adam M. Smith, Jeffrey E. Skinner, Thomas J. Sluchak, Jason P. Parrish
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Patent number: 10185403Abstract: Devices, methods and products are described that provide information handling devices with touch-based reflective display. One aspect provides a method including: providing a first configuration for one or more areas of a touchable control area of an information handling device, said first configuration comprising a designation of one or more areas of said touchable control area, said one or more areas providing both reflective display and accepting touch-based input, wherein said reflective display substantially only draws power when the display contents are changed; ascertaining a power state; updating said first configuration for said one or more areas of said touchable control area associated with the ascertained power state.Type: GrantFiled: December 10, 2014Date of Patent: January 22, 2019Assignee: Lenovo (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.Inventors: Aaron M. Stewart, Adam M. Smith, Jeffrey E. Skinner, Thomas J. Sluchak
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Patent number: 9904510Abstract: Devices, methods and products are described that provide information handling devices with touch-based reflective display. One aspect provides a method including: providing a touchable control having one or more areas, said one or more areas providing both reflective display and accepting touch-based input; displaying data on a display device of an information handling device which does not overlap the reflective display of said one or more areas; ascertaining touch-based input to said one or more areas of said touchable control area; and executing one or more functions responsive to said touch-based input. Other embodiments are described.Type: GrantFiled: March 30, 2015Date of Patent: February 27, 2018Assignee: Lenovo (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.Inventors: Aaron M. Stewart, Adam M. Smith, Jeffrey E. Skinner, Thomas J. Sluchak
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Publication number: 20150268927Abstract: Devices, methods and products are described that provide information handling devices with touch-based reflective display. One aspect provides a method including: providing a touchable control having one or more areas, said one or more areas providing both reflective display and accepting touch-based input; displaying data on a display device of an information handling device which does not overlap the reflective display of said one or more areas; ascertaining touch-based input to said one or more areas of said touchable control area; and executing one or more functions responsive to said touch-based input. Other embodiments are described.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 30, 2015Publication date: September 24, 2015Inventors: Aaron M. Stewart, Adam M. Smith, Jeffrey E. Skinner, Thomas J. Sluchak
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Publication number: 20150220160Abstract: Devices, methods and products are described that provide information handling devices with touch-based reflective display. One aspect provides an information handling device including one or more processors; a display device; and a touchable control area having one or more configurable areas, said one or more configurable areas providing both reflective display and accepting touch-based input; wherein said touchable control area is disposed in place of at least a portion of a standard component of said information handling device, other than said display device, and provides functionality equivalent thereto in one or more configurations. Other embodiments are described.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 13, 2015Publication date: August 6, 2015Inventors: Aaron M. Stewart, James S. Rutledge, Adam M. Smith, Jeffrey E. Skinner, Thomas J. Sluchak, Jason P. Parrish
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Patent number: 9007297Abstract: Devices, methods and products are described that provide information handling devices with touch-based reflective display. One aspect provides an information handling device including one or more processors; a display device; and a touchable control area having one or more configurable areas, said one or more configurable areas providing both reflective display and accepting touch-based input; wherein said touchable control area is disposed in place of at least a portion of a standard component of said information handling device, other than said display device, and provides functionality equivalent thereto in one or more configurations. Other embodiments are described.Type: GrantFiled: August 31, 2011Date of Patent: April 14, 2015Assignee: Lenovo (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.Inventors: Aaron M. Stewart, James S. Rutledge, Adam M. Smith, Jeffrey E. Skinner, Thomas J. Sluchak, Jason P. Parrish
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Publication number: 20150091807Abstract: Devices, methods and products are described that provide information handling devices with touch-based reflective display. One aspect provides a method including: providing a first configuration for one or more areas of a touchable control area of an information handling device, said first configuration comprising a designation of one or more areas of said touchable control area, said one or more areas providing both reflective display and accepting touch-based input, wherein said reflective display substantially only draws power when the display contents are changed; ascertaining a power state; updating said first configuration for said one or more areas of said touchable control area associated with the ascertained power state.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 10, 2014Publication date: April 2, 2015Inventors: Aaron M. Stewart, Adam M. Smith, Jeffrey E. Skinner, Thomas J. Sluchak
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Patent number: 8994641Abstract: Devices, methods and products are described that provide information handling devices with touch-based reflective display. One aspect provides a method comprising: providing a touchable control having one or more areas, said one or more areas providing both reflective display and accepting touch-based input; displaying data on a display device of an information handling device which does not overlap the reflective display of said one or more areas; ascertaining touch-based input to said one or more areas of said touchable control area; and executing one or more functions responsive to said touch-based input. Other embodiments are described.Type: GrantFiled: August 31, 2011Date of Patent: March 31, 2015Assignee: Lenovo (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.Inventors: Aaron M. Stewart, Adam M. Smith, Thomas J. Sluchak, Jeffrey E. Skinner
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Patent number: 8922476Abstract: Devices, methods and products are described that provide information handling devices with touch-based reflective display. One aspect provides a method including providing a configuration for one or more areas of a touchable control area of an information handling device, said configuration comprising a designation of one or more areas of said touchable control area, said one or more areas providing both reflective display and accepting touch-based input; ascertaining an event for updating said configuration for said one or more areas of said touchable control area; and updating said configuration for said one or more areas of said touchable control area responsive to said event. Other embodiments are described.Type: GrantFiled: August 31, 2011Date of Patent: December 30, 2014Assignee: Lenovo (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.Inventors: Aaron M. Stewart, Adam M. Smith, Jeffrey E. Skinner, Thomas J. Sluchak
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Patent number: 8620730Abstract: Provided are a computer program product, system, and method promoting products in a virtual world. An association of product information for a product with a texture of an object assigned to the advertising user is provided for an advertising user. The product information with the texture of the object is rendered to be observable by interacting users in the virtual world when the texture of the object presenting the product information is within an observable range of avatars of the interacting users. Tracking information is updated for the advertising user in response to the texture of the object presenting the product information being within the observable range of the avatars of the interacting users. The tracking information generated for the advertising user is provided for use in determining rewards to assign to the advertising user for promoting the product.Type: GrantFiled: December 15, 2010Date of Patent: December 31, 2013Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Aaron R. Cox, Brad M. Johnson, Mary S. Johnson, Thomas J. Sluchak, Jeffrey J. Smith
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Publication number: 20130050134Abstract: Devices, methods and products are described that provide information handling devices with touch-based reflective display. One aspect provides a method comprising: providing a touchable control having one or more areas, said one or more areas providing both reflective display and accepting touch-based input; displaying data on a display device of an information handling device which does not overlap the reflective display of said one or more areas; ascertaining touch-based input to said one or more areas of said touchable control area; and executing one or more functions responsive to said touch-based input. Other embodiments are described.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 31, 2011Publication date: February 28, 2013Applicant: Lenovo (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.Inventors: Aaron M. Stewart, Adam M. Smith, Thomas J. Sluchak, Jeffrey E. Skinner
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Publication number: 20130050135Abstract: Devices, methods and products are described that provide information handling devices with touch-based reflective display. One aspect provides a method including providing a configuration for one or more areas of a touchable control area of an information handling device, said configuration comprising a designation of one or more areas of said touchable control area, said one or more areas providing both reflective display and accepting touch-based input; ascertaining an event for updating said configuration for said one or more areas of said touchable control area; and updating said configuration for said one or more areas of said touchable control area responsive to said event. Other embodiments are described.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 31, 2011Publication date: February 28, 2013Applicant: Lenovo (Singapore) Pte, Ltd.Inventors: Aaron M. Stewart, Adam M. Smith, Jeffrey E. Skinner, Thomas J. Sluchak
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Publication number: 20130050090Abstract: Devices, methods and products are described that provide information handling devices with touch-based reflective display. One aspect provides an information handling device including one or more processors; a display device; and a touchable control area having one or more configurable areas, said one or more configurable areas providing both reflective display and accepting touch-based input; wherein said touchable control area is disposed in place of at least a portion of a standard component of said information handling device, other than said display device, and provides functionality equivalent thereto in one or more configurations. Other embodiments are described.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 31, 2011Publication date: February 28, 2013Applicant: Lenovo (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.Inventors: Aaron M. Stewart, James S. Rutledge, Adam M. Smith, Jeffrey E. Skinner, Thomas J. Sluchak, Jason P. Parrish
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Publication number: 20120158473Abstract: Provided are a computer program product, system, and method promoting products in a virtual world. An association of product information for a product with a texture of an object assigned to the advertising user is provided for an advertising user. The product information with the texture of the object is rendered to be observable by interacting users in the virtual world when the texture of the object presenting the product information is within an observable range of avatars of the interacting users. Tracking information is updated for the advertising user in response to the texture of the object presenting the product information being within the observable range of the avatars of the interacting users. The tracking information generated for the advertising user is provided for use in determining rewards to assign to the advertising user for promoting the product.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 15, 2010Publication date: June 21, 2012Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: Aaron R. Cox, Brad M. Johnson, Mary S. Johnson, Thomas J. Sluchak, Jeffrey J. Smith
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Patent number: 7994920Abstract: Methods and apparatus for Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) security in an RFID-enabled medium, the RFID-enabled medium including an RFID tag coupled to an antenna, and a touch sensing switch, the touch sensing switch coupled to an electrode and a power source, the touch sensing switch adapting the RFID tag to the power source, the RFID security including: sensing, by the touch sensing switch, human contact with the electrode; and providing, by the touch sensing switch only during human contact with the electrode, operating power from the power source to the RFID tag.Type: GrantFiled: November 14, 2008Date of Patent: August 9, 2011Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Nathaniel K. Hatfield, Daniel P. Kelaher, Thomas J. Sluchak
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Patent number: 7958447Abstract: 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 pagType: GrantFiled: May 23, 2008Date of Patent: June 7, 2011Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Timothy A. Meserth, Mark E. Molander, Thomas J. Sluchak, Jeffrey J. Smith, David T. Wendell
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Patent number: 7789304Abstract: A method for controlling a display device, such as, for example, the display device mounted on a shopping cart, the shopping cart having a wheeled base and a basket portion in connection with the wheeled base and a handle in connection with the wheeled base, the method comprising: allowing a user to enter information at and obtain information from the display device; and providing a locking mechanism located on or implemented within the device for permitting the user to activate or deactivate the display device in order to prevent unauthorized access.Type: GrantFiled: August 16, 2006Date of Patent: September 7, 2010Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Robert T. Cato, Thomas J. Sluchak
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Publication number: 20100123581Abstract: Methods and apparatus for Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) security in an RFID-enabled medium, the RFID-enabled medium including an RFID tag coupled to an antenna, and a touch sensing switch, the touch sensing switch coupled to an electrode and a power source, the touch sensing switch adapting the RFID tag to the power source, the RFID security including: sensing, by the touch sensing switch, human contact with the electrode; and providing, by the touch sensing switch only during human contact with the electrode, operating power from the power source to the RFID tag.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 14, 2008Publication date: May 20, 2010Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: Nathaniel K. Hatfield, Daniel P. Kelaher, Thomas J. Sluchak
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Publication number: 20090293009Abstract: 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 pagType: ApplicationFiled: May 23, 2008Publication date: November 26, 2009Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: Timothy A. Meserth, Mark E. Molander, Thomas J. Sluchak, Jeffrey J. Smith, David T. Windell
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Patent number: 7621446Abstract: A convertible self-checkout system includes a base and a stand rotatably mounted to the base. The stand includes an input/output device facing in a first direction and a product scanner, and the stand is positionable relative to the base in at least a first angular position and a second angular position. The input/output device is an interactive video display, and the interactive video display has a first mode corresponding to the first angular position and a second mode corresponding to the second angular position. A sensor determines an angular position of the stand relative to the base and communicates the angular position to the interactive video display. The stand further includes a video display facing in a second direction substantially opposite from the first direction.Type: GrantFiled: April 11, 2006Date of Patent: November 24, 2009Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Danny H. Addison, Richard H. Harris, Robert A. Myers, Thomas J. Sluchak, Robert P. Tennant