Patents by Inventor Timothy T. Gray

Timothy T. Gray 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: 9218114
    Abstract: This application describes, in part, systems and methods for rotating a graphical representation of a three-dimensional object, such as a clock, to expose a side surface area and display time dependent information on the side surface area. For example, a displayed clock may be graphically rotated such that a side surface area adjacent to the times between 6:00 and 12:00 are exposed. If the current time is between 6:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. time-dependent items between 6:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. are obtained and displayed at positions on the side surface area to correspond with the scheduled time for those time-dependent items. If the current time is between 12:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. time-dependent items for the upcoming hours between 6:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. are obtained and displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy T Gray, Keela N Robison
  • Patent number: 9075568
    Abstract: Themes or other groups of content or settings can be applied to change various aspects of a computing device. In addition to changing aspects of a user interface, additional display elements, lights, and other components can be updated as well to give the appearance of customizable hardware. For example, display elements on the back and/or sides of a device can be updated with colors, graphics, or animations that enable the device to appear as if it has a new skin or casing. The user can customize, create, and/or share these themes, and the themes can be configured to automatically rotate or change over time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignee: AMAZON TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventor: Timothy T. Gray
  • Patent number: 9063563
    Abstract: A user interface (UI) enables a user to access a set of options relating to an element of the UI by contacting a region of a touchscreen, or hovering a feature over the region, associated with that element. Upon contacting or hovering for at least a determined period of time, an arranged set of options is displayed and the user can swipe or move the feature in a specified direction to select a specific option. The options can be the same for each instance of a type of item. When a user learns the direction of one of these options, the user does not have to contact or hover long enough to bring up the menu, but can contact or hover long enough to indicate the element of interest and then perform the appropriate motion, which can cause the action to be performed without first displaying the menu.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: AMAZON TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Timothy T. Gray, Aaron Michael Donsbach, Mark R. Privett
  • Publication number: 20130342672
    Abstract: A computing device, in a locked operational state, captures image information of a user which is analyzed to determine the direction of the user's gaze. When the user's gaze is determined to be substantially in the direction of the device, a predetermined input from the user, such as a tap or a voice command, will provide the user with access to at least some functionality of the device that was previously unavailable. If, however, the computing device detects what appears to be the predetermined input, but the user's gaze direction is not in the direction of the device, the computing device will remain in the locked operational state. Therefore, in accordance with various embodiments, gaze determination is utilized as an indication that the user intends to unlock at least some additional functionality of the computing device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2012
    Publication date: December 26, 2013
    Applicant: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy T. Gray, Aaron Michael Donsbach
  • Publication number: 20130246954
    Abstract: A graphical user interface can provide a three-dimensional appearance that is consistent for changes in a current location or point of view of a user. The user's point of view can be determined by analyzing images showing a current relative location of the user with respect to the device, and motion sensors operable to provide information about changes in orientation or position of the device. In addition to point of view updates, the interface can render active elements such that the elements appear to be closer to an outer surface of the display element. Such rendering can enable the user to easily determine which elements are active, such as may be used to provide text input to the device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2012
    Publication date: September 19, 2013
    Applicant: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy T. Gray, Mark R. Privett
  • Publication number: 20130091462
    Abstract: A device can display content on a page associated with a dimension. A user can adjust an orientation of the device to adjust a displayed orientation of the page, enabling pages for additional dimensions to be displayed. A user can select one of these dimensions, and adjust an orientation of the device to enable the user to access content for the selected dimension. The change in orientation can be a tilt or flick of the device in a first direction to select a dimension, and then a user could tilt or flick the device in another direction to view pages, sub-dimensions, or other groupings of content among that dimension. Such an approach can enable a user to quickly locate content corresponding to a sub-dimension without having to scroll down a long page of content or otherwise manually navigate to specific content.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 9, 2012
    Publication date: April 11, 2013
    Applicant: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy T. Gray, Robert K. Stein, III, Jeffrey A. White, Aaron Michael Donsbach, Mark R. Privett