Alignment Functions (e.g., Snapping, Gravity) Patents (Class 345/651)
  • Patent number: 11645805
    Abstract: A method and system is provided to create animated faces using texture manipulation. A face template is provided to enable a user to define features of the face. A composite face is created from multiple layers that include a bottom layer, an animation layer, and a static layer. The composite face is animated by selectively animating one or more of the layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: Roblox Corporation
    Inventors: Deepak Chandrasekaran, Stephen Jobe, Vince D'Amelio
  • Patent number: 11630524
    Abstract: A wireless input output apparatus is disclosed. The wireless input output apparatus includes a first housing mechanically coupled to the wireless input output apparatus panel. The first housing is configured to house a plurality of input keys. Each of the plurality of input keys corresponds to one of a character, a letter, a number, a function, and a command. The wireless input output apparatus also includes a second housing mechanically coupled adjacent to the first housing and over the wireless input output apparatus panel. The second housing is configured to house a capacitive touch screen display for rendering visual information. The wireless input output apparatus may be tethered to computer, phone, laptop, tablet, and the like without interrupting workflow when receiving calls, texts, “DMs”, emails and the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: Majestic Devices
    Inventor: Gregory A Comito, II
  • Patent number: 11580266
    Abstract: The current invention concerns a computer-implemented method, a computer system, and a computer program product for annotation positioning in a CAD drawing. A CAD drawing comprising N anchor points is obtained, with N?2. A candidate set comprising multiple candidate points is obtained. From the candidate set, N placement points are selected. With each anchor point, a placement point is associated based on combinatorial optimization of an objective function dependent on distances. Each distance is thereby in between an anchor and a placement point. In the CAD drawing, for each anchor point, a leader line in between the anchor point and the associated placement point and an annotation label at or near the associated placement point are inserted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: BRICSYS NV
    Inventor: Vitaly Zhilinsky
  • Patent number: 11287896
    Abstract: Displayed is a display apparatus and a control method thereof. A display apparatus includes a communicator including circuitry, a display, a one or more motors, a memory, and a processor. The processor is configured to, through the communicator, identify a user terminal apparatus present within a threshold distance of the display apparatus and receive a location and position information of the user terminal apparatus from the identified user terminal apparatus, identify a first angle of a yaw direction, a second angle of a roll direction, and a third angle of a pitch direction between the display and the user terminal apparatus, identify whether at least one of the first angle, the second angle, and the third angle exceeds a threshold, and control the one or more motors to move the display about an axis direction of the at least one angle by at least one move angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Joonhyun Yang
  • Patent number: 10102829
    Abstract: Display rotation management is described. A device may include sensors disposed within a housing that produce an output usable to determine an orientation of a display device disposed on a surface of the housing. A rotation manager module disposed within the housing may process the output of the sensors to determine the orientation of the display device. The rotation manager module may calculate an average orientation of the display device over a time interval and a variance of the orientation. Based on the variance of the orientation in relation to a threshold amount, the rotation manager module can set a screen orientation of the display device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventor: Kevin P. Paulson
  • Patent number: 9767583
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for packing a plurality of images. A number of cells of a canvas on which the plurality of images having different aspect ratios are to be packed is determined. The cells on the canvas are merged such that a number of the plurality of images is equal to the number of the cells. Each of the plurality of images are placed in a corresponding one of the plurality of cells of the canvas, according to respective aspect ratios of the plurality of images, when the number of the plurality of images is equal to the number of the cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Pavan Sudheendra, Rajagopalan Venkata Raghavan, Yogesh Manav, Rajaram Hanumantacharya Naganur
  • Patent number: 9495794
    Abstract: A label adding unit adds labels to structures such as a body surface region, a lung region, bronchi, and pulmonary nodules of a human extracted by a structure extraction unit from a three-dimensional image of a chest. An image display control unit displays the three-dimensional image by volume rendering on a display unit. At this time, a label display determination unit determines at least one label to be displayed with the volume rendering image to be displayed based on the opacity during the volume rendering display. A label display control unit displays the determined label with the volume rendering image on the display unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Jun Masumoto
  • Patent number: 9323436
    Abstract: Technologies are described herein for utilizing drawing guides in determining the display of smart guides in a drawing program. The drawing program detects that an active drawing object is being manipulated on a drawing canvas. The drawing program determines if one or more drawing guides are visible on the drawing canvas. Upon determining that one or more drawing guides are visible on the drawing canvas, the drawing program treats the drawing guides as drawing objects in determining the display of smart guides on the drawing canvas and the snap-to positioning of the active drawing object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Daniel John Altin, Ankit Prasad, Hannes Ruescher
  • Patent number: 9076261
    Abstract: Various disclosed embodiments include methods and systems for creating a virtual geometric model. According to disclosed embodiments, a data processing system for creating a virtual geometric model includes at least one processor and a memory connected to the processor. The data processing system is configured to generate a virtual drafting tool and a virtual marking device. The data processing system is configured to position the virtual drafting tool on a page and to position the virtual marking device relative to the virtual drafting tool. The data processing system is configured to draw the geometric model on the page by laying down ink by the virtual marking device using the virtual drafting tool and to store the geometric model in the memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignee: Siemens Product Lifecycle Management Software Inc.
    Inventors: Daren Rhoades, Thomas James Buchanan
  • Patent number: 9019311
    Abstract: In a method for displaying information in a motor vehicle, at least one two-dimensional object is displayed graphically in a first representation which shows one side of the object, and in a second representation which shows the other side of the object, with the aid of a display mounted in the motor vehicle, different information being shown on the respective sides of the two-dimensional graphical object, and the graphical object extending substantially over the entire size of the display in at least one direction in the first and/or second representation. The representation of the graphical object is altered as a function of a control signal such that the graphical object rotates from one side to the other side in a perspective representation on the display, the two-dimensional graphical object always being fully displayed, at least perspectively, during the rotation. A corresponding display device for a motor vehicle is provided for performing the method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: Volkswagen AG
    Inventors: Rainer Dehmann, Gustav Hofmann, Mathias Kuhn, Frank Hauschild
  • Patent number: 8990681
    Abstract: A method for aligning a modified document and an original document is provided according to an aspect of the present invention. The method includes a step of receiving a first bitmap representative of the modified document, including a first anchor. Additionally, a second bitmap representative of the original document including a second anchor is received. The method also includes the step of deriving a set of first vertex coordinates of the first anchor, and a set of second vertex coordinates of the second anchor. The method further includes the step of transforming the first bitmap to a common reference based upon the first set of vertex coordinates, and the step of transforming the second bitmap to the common reference based upon the second set of vertex coordinates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Inventors: Brian Hartmann, Benjamin Gunderson
  • Patent number: 8970629
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a mobile terminal and a 3D object control method thereof for controlling the depth or rotation of a 3D object using a 3D manipulation portion displayed around the 3D object. According to the present invention, a circular- or ring-shaped 3D manipulation portion may be touched to intuitively control the rotation and enlargement/reduction of the 3D object, thereby providing usefulness and convenience for the user, capable of editing the 3D object while directly viewing the transformed form and depth of the 3D object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Jonghwan Kim, Mohammad Afroz Alam Khan, Mohan Krishna Ranganathan
  • Patent number: 8918274
    Abstract: A navigation system may display route information that includes a display of the fixtures that are located on or near the route. The fixtures may be selected and inserted into the digital map as graphical objects. The graphical objects may be classified into a class and at least one sub-class. The classification data may be used to select and generate the graphical objects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Marek Strassenburg-Kleciak, Hendrik Meyer
  • Patent number: 8872855
    Abstract: When the device is rotated from a portrait orientation to landscape orientation, or vice versa, the display device rotates the content items within distinct respective content regions of a page template (“slots”) that each appear to stay in their same position with respect to a frame of reference of the display device. While the content regions stay in their same positions, the content within each content region counter-rotates in place to offset the rotation of the display device. Thus, the content within the content regions maintains an orientation with respect to a constant (non-rotating) frame of reference, regardless of the orientation or rotation of the display device. In one embodiment, a slot's position, height, and width in a template in a second orientation are determined from the slot's position, height, and width in the template in a first orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Flipboard, Inc.
    Inventor: Evan R. Doll
  • Patent number: 8854393
    Abstract: There is provided an information processing device includes a virtual space recognition unit for analyzing 3D space structure of a real space to recognize a virtual space, a storage unit for storing an object to be arranged in the virtual space, a display unit for making a display unit display the object arranged in the virtual space, a direction of gravitational force detection unit for detecting a direction of gravitational force of a real space, and a direction of gravitational force reflection unit for reflecting the direction of gravitational force detected by the detection unit in the virtual space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Ishige, Kazuhiro Suzuki, Akira Miyashita
  • Patent number: 8797361
    Abstract: An image displaying system and method in which images that are categorized according to the aspect ratio of width of height thereof are displayed in a selection window and the images are put into and edited in an editing window, and an image display system employing the method. In the system and method, the aspect ratio of height to width of a layout of the editing window is determined, images having the same aspect ratio of height to width as the layout are detected and displayed in the selection window, an image is selected from among the displayed images, and the selected image is put into and edited in the layout.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Ji-hyun Goh
  • Publication number: 20140160167
    Abstract: A disclosed portable terminal includes: an inclination measurement unit that measures an inclination of the portable terminal; a change unit that change a display direction of contents to be displayed on a display screen of the portable terminal according to a state of a user holding the portable terminal; an operation interval setting unit that sets an operation interval of the change unit based on change of the inclination over time, which was measured by the inclination measurement unit; and an operation controller that causes the change unit to operate at intervals that were set by the operation interval setting unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2014
    Publication date: June 12, 2014
    Applicant: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventor: Katsuhiko AKIYAMA
  • Patent number: 8739063
    Abstract: A method for providing an Integrated Development Environment comprises receiving input from a user identifying an area containing an edge shared by two or more objects, wherein said shared edge includes two or more individual edges corresponding to said objects, and visibly separating said two or more individual edges in a localized exploded view responsive to said receiving.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated
    Inventors: Dexter Reid, Narciso B. Jaramillo, Mark Anders
  • Patent number: 8730231
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for creating personalized media content having multiple content layers in “one-click” fashion by selecting a background media template or by using an end-user media composition tool to create or modify a template. For example, the personalized media content can include at least two separate layers, the data of each being stored independently of one another. The two layers may include a background layer including at least one background character and an intermediate layer including an individualized three-dimensional (3D) head model, alignment information, and lighting information. The personalized media content can be displayed by overlaying the background layer using the alignment intermediate layer using the alignment information and the lighting information. In certain examples, template data associated with the background media is created and subsequently used on multiple occasions in generating personalized media content with various 3D head models.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Image Metrics, Inc.
    Inventors: Jon Hayes Snoddy, Jonathan Isaac Strietzel, Douglas Alexander Fidaleo, Michael David Johnson
  • Publication number: 20140098139
    Abstract: An example information processing apparatus determines whether an orientation of a display unit capable of being held by a user is in a first state or in a second state. If it has been determined that the orientation of the display unit is in the first state, the information processing apparatus sets, in a predetermined area, a display range to be displayed in the display unit, in accordance with the orientation of the display unit. If it has been determined that the orientation of the display unit is in the second state, the information processing apparatus sets the display range, regardless of the orientation of the display unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Publication date: April 10, 2014
    Applicant: NINTENDO CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroshi MATSUNAGA, Yugo HAYASHI
  • Patent number: 8683363
    Abstract: Alignment guides configured for velocity-sensitive behavior are disclosed. In one embodiment, during a user interface element move gesture, the gesture velocity is determined, and while moving the user interface element during the gesture, the user interface operates in a first or a second state with respect to displaying alignment guides. When the velocity of the user gesture exceeds a predefined velocity threshold, the display of the user interface is maintained in the first state, which does not include visibly displaying alignment guides. When the velocity of the user gesture is less than the predefined velocity threshold, the user interface is displayed in a second state that includes visibly displaying one or more alignment guides. In some embodiments, gesture velocity is used to set alignment guide attraction strength.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Elizabeth Gloria Guarino Reid, Roger Rock Rosner
  • Patent number: 8670957
    Abstract: A computer-aided design station for use in computer-aided design of a modeled object includes a display device configured to display the modeled object and at least one secondary object in a viewing area, an interface device configured to receive user inputs relating to the modeled object and the viewing area, and a processor operably coupled to the display device and the interface device. The processor is configured to cause the display device to display an alignment tool in the viewing area in response to user input and cause the display device to display at least one attach point of the secondary object in response to user input. The processor is also configured to detect when the alignment tool is moved to a position within a first preselected distance from the secondary object and automatically align the secondary object with respect to the alignment tool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Assignee: Dassault Systemes
    Inventors: Guillaume Romain Dayde, James René Michel Dugalais, Christophe René Francis Delfino
  • Patent number: 8661369
    Abstract: A mobile terminal and a method of controlling a mobile terminal may be provided. The mobile terminal may include a display to display one of a plurality of wallpapers including at least one icon; and a controller to display at least two of the plurality of wallpapers and a plurality of preview screens corresponding to the plurality of wallpapers on the display upon reception of an input of moving at least one icon, moving of the at least one icon being displayed on the displayed wallpapers and preview screens. The mobile terminal can display a movement of icon being displayed on the displayed wallpapers and preview screens. Accordingly, a user may intuitively recognize a location of icon and effectively move a location of icon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Jeongyun Heo, Hyoungjoo Kim, Jungeun Shin, Sohoon Yi, Soohyun Lee, Moonkyung Kim
  • Publication number: 20130328935
    Abstract: In general, in one aspect, a method includes receiving data from one or more motion sensors of a mobile device and calculating, after the period of time, a statistical measurement of the motion sensor data. The method also includes comparing the calculated statistical measurement to one or more threshold values, and, based on the comparing, determining a dynamic state of the mobile device. The method also includes, based on the determined dynamic state, determining an orientation of the mobile device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2012
    Publication date: December 12, 2013
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventor: Xiaoyuan Tu
  • Publication number: 20130321468
    Abstract: A computing device detects an orientation of a computing device and selects a corner of the computing device based on the orientation of the computing device. The computing device determines a height and width for each digital media item in a plurality of digital media items. The computing device displays a first digital media item of the plurality of digital media items in a portrait orientation when the height of the first digital media item is greater than the width of the first digital media item and displays a second digital media item of the plurality of digital media items in a landscape orientation when the width of the second digital media item is greater than the height of the second digital media item.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2012
    Publication date: December 5, 2013
    Applicant: RED HAT, INC.
    Inventor: Bastien Nocera
  • Publication number: 20130229437
    Abstract: An electronic mobile device includes a display for displaying a graphical element. A tilt sensor is configured to sense first and second tilt angles of the mobile device. A processor is coupled to the display and the tilt sensor and configured to move the graphical element relative to the display in a first direction based on the first tilt angle, and to move the graphical element relative to the display in a second direction based on the second tilt angle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2013
    Publication date: September 5, 2013
    Applicant: RESEARCH IN MOTION LIMITED
    Inventors: Kevin Howard Orr, Alexander Kornilovsky, Alexei Skarine
  • Patent number: 8527879
    Abstract: An editing method includes: detecting a selection of first and second clip portions of a source media depiction, generating corresponding first and second block icons and snapping hands-free the first and second block icons across the screen to a linear queue so that the blocks are snugly adjacent, detecting a move of the first or second block icon relative to one another substantially along the queue, and if the first or second block icon overlaps the other by substantially one half of the other block icon, reversing displayed positions in the queue of the first and second block icons.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: Vericorder Technology Inc.
    Inventors: Gary Mark Symons, Kirk David Symons
  • Patent number: 8497874
    Abstract: Various technologies and techniques are disclosed for improving output rendering in anti-aliased rendering scenarios. The system receives information regarding at least one visual element area which is important for symmetric appearance. The information can include at least one coordinate of a guideline that a client would like to be snapped towards a pixel grid. The system uses the information to perform a pixel snapping procedure to snap the points of visual element to a pixel grid to create an adjusted image. The adjusted image is rendered on a display device in an anti-aliased rendering scenario. APIs are provided for setting horizontal and vertical pixel snapping guidelines. The collections containing the snapping guidelines are accessed and used during the pixel snapping procedure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2013
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Seema L. Ramchandani, David C. Brown, Mikhail M. Lyapunov
  • Publication number: 20130155114
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a control method and an electronic apparatus. The control method is applied to an electronic apparatus that includes an array of image display components and an array of image collecting components. The method includes displaying a first window by the array of image display components; obtaining the position of a first region in the first window; turning on the image collecting components corresponding to the first region in the first window in the array of image collecting components according to the position of the first region, wherein the number of the image collecting components corresponding to the first region is less than or equal to the number of the image collecting components in the array of image collecting components; and obtaining a first image by the image collecting components corresponding to the first region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2012
    Publication date: June 20, 2013
    Applicants: Beijing Lenovo Software Ltd., Lenovo (Beijing) Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Lenovo (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing Lenovo Software Ltd.
  • Patent number: 8463074
    Abstract: A system and method for rotating a source image by a first non-zero angle is provided. The method includes: defining a template for the source image, the template representing a rotation of the source image about an axis of the source image by second angle, where the second angle is the negative of the first non-zero angle; determining overlap between the template and the source image; separating the template into a plurality of strips covering at least the area of overlap; and for each strip: indentifying an initial pixel in the source image within the strip and storing the image data of the initial pixel; storing the image data of all remaining pixels within both the strip and the overlap in a database format in which the all remaining pixels is defined by a Y and X offset from the initial pixel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems
    Inventors: Rousey Johnson, III, Stephen Fuchs, Tracey Tschepen
  • Patent number: 8462111
    Abstract: An electronic device includes a display module, a function key, a motion sensor, a determination module, and a regulation module. The motion sensor is operable to acquire a coordinate of the electronic device. The determination module is operable to determine whether the electronic device is in the upright position based on the coordinate. The regulation module regulates backlight brightness of the display module when the function key is operative and the specific application is not executed when the electronic device is in the upright position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignees: Shenzhen Futaihong Precision Industry Co., Ltd., Chi Mei Communication Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Jun Li
  • Patent number: 8458587
    Abstract: A method of entering page layout constraints into a computer. The method comprises providing a container for representing a page layout. The method further comprises providing a set of graphical objects, each having a set of object gridlines for delimiting important graphical features. Each of the set of object gridlines has a span. The method further comprises selecting and placing the set of graphical objects one by one within the container. Each of the selected graphical objects are positioned by snapping the position of the span to a non-empty gridline or by adding a new gridline. The method further comprises determining at least one pair of colliding gridlines. Colliding gridlines have a parallel direction and at least one pair of spans which at least partially overlap in the parallel direction. The method further comprises inserting page layout constraints between the at least one pair of colliding gridlines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2013
    Assignee: Think-Cell Software GmbH
    Inventors: Sebastian Theophil, Valentin Ziegler, Arno Schodl, Markus Hannebauer
  • Patent number: 8447140
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for estimating relative three-dimensional (3D) camera rotations, focal lengths, and radial (lens) distortions from point-correspondences in pairwise (two image) image alignment. A core estimator takes a minimal (three) number of point-correspondences and returns a rotation, lens (radial) distortion and two focal lengths. The core estimator solves relative 3D camera rotations, and lens distortions from 3-point-correspondences in two images in the presence of noise in point-correspondences. A robust estimator may be based on or may be “wrapped around” the core estimator to handle noise and errors in point-correspondences. The robust estimator may determine an alignment model for a pair of images from the rotation, distortion, and focal lengths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated
    Inventor: Hailin Jin
  • Publication number: 20130120635
    Abstract: A subject detecting method and a subject detecting apparatus, by which face detection may be efficiently performed in a digital photographing apparatus having a flippable display unit, and when an image input via an image sensor of the digital photographing apparatus is different from an image displayed on the display unit due to rotation of the digital photographing apparatus, a face detection coordinate may be corrected to increase the reliability of face detection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2012
    Publication date: May 16, 2013
    Applicant: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Jong-sun Kim, Won-seok Song
  • Publication number: 20130100167
    Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer program product are provided to enable the provision of a mechanism by which an orientation of information presented may be maintained based upon a use state of a device, regardless of a physical display orientation. A method may include determining a physical orientation, determining whether the physical display orientation warrants a change of orientation of information presented, and determining whether a use state precludes a change of the orientation of the information presented based upon the physical display orientation. The method may further maintain the orientation of the information presented in response to a physical display orientation that warrants a change of the orientation of the information presented in an instance in which the use state is determined to preclude the change of the orientation of the information presented based on the physical display orientation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2011
    Publication date: April 25, 2013
    Applicant: NOKIA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Raja Bose, Jörg Brakensiek
  • Patent number: 8429156
    Abstract: A request may be received that includes an indicator associated with a geographic location and scope. A database search may be initiated, based on the geographic location and scope. A list of one or more tags may be received, the tags associated with the geographic location, ordered based on relevance within the geographic scope, based on tag locale rankings associated with each of the tags included in the list of tags, the tag locale rankings based on comparisons of relative frequencies of occurrence of the tags, based on first bounded geographic areas, compared with second relative frequencies of occurrence of the tags based on second bounded geographic areas that are respectively larger than the first bounded geographic areas, the request geographic scope indicating one of a plurality of hierarchical geographic analysis levels associated with a plurality of geographic locations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel Buchmueller, Michael Kroepfl, Frederik Schaffalitzky
  • Patent number: 8379059
    Abstract: A portable electronic device may adjust a display orientation of a display screen of the portable electronic device according to data from a gravity sensor, a video camera, and a display orientation adjusting unit. The display orientation adjusting unit may analyze acceleration data of the portable electronic device to generate a first adjustment parameter, and analyze the facial image to generate a second adjustment parameter. Furthermore, the display orientation adjusting unit may determine whether the display orientation of the display screen needs to be adjusted, and adjust the display orientation of the display screen to a viewing orientation of the user according to the first adjustment parameter or the second adjustment parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: FIH (Hong Kong) Limited
    Inventors: Yung-Ho Shih, Yu-Keui Huang
  • Publication number: 20120313970
    Abstract: A disclosed portable terminal includes: an inclination measurement unit that measures an inclination of the portable terminal; a change unit that change a display direction of contents to be displayed on a display screen of the portable terminal according to a state of a user holding the portable terminal; an operation interval setting unit that sets an operation interval of the change unit based on change of the inclination over time, which was measured by the inclination measurement unit; and an operation controller that causes the change unit to operate at intervals that were set by the operation interval setting unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2012
    Publication date: December 13, 2012
    Applicant: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventor: Katsuhiko AKIYAMA
  • Patent number: 8314817
    Abstract: Methods of manipulating graphical objects are described. One or more graphical objects are displayed in a fixed orientation with reference to a sensed reference direction. Manipulation is achieved by fixing the orientation or position of a displayed graphical object with reference to an apparatus, such as the display itself or a proxy device, detecting a change in orientation of that apparatus and editing the orientation of the graphical object based on the detected change.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: John Williamson, Lorna M. Brown, James W. Scott, Stephen E. Hodges
  • Publication number: 20120284620
    Abstract: A graphical user interface for a media player application is described. A method is provided comprising: determining a screen orientation of the GUI in accordance with a device orientation; rendering a first user interface screen in a portrait screen orientation comprising an album list when the screen orientation is a portrait screen orientation; rendering a second user interface screen in a landscape screen orientation comprising an array of album art images arranged in rows and columns when the screen orientation is a landscape screen orientation; and displaying the rendered first or second user interface screen on the display.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2012
    Publication date: November 8, 2012
    Applicant: RESEARCH IN MOTION LIMITED
    Inventors: David Paul Yach, Mihal Lazaridis
  • Publication number: 20120081402
    Abstract: A method of and apparatus for generating a reference line or a virtual level enables tilt correction of an image. A user is able to utilize the reference line to see how an image should be oriented for the objects within the image to be level. The user is able to then correct the tilt of the image as desired using the reference line for assistance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2010
    Publication date: April 5, 2012
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Ming-Chang Liu
  • Publication number: 20120071752
    Abstract: System and methods for interfacing user in the control of elongated flexible members for use inside a patient's body is described herein. In one embodiment, a system includes a processor configured for generating a virtual representation of a catheter on a viewing screen, a first control for allowing a user to rotate the virtual representation of the catheter about a first axis, until a heading direction of the virtual representation of the catheter aligns with a heading direction of the catheter as it appears in a first fluoroscopic image, and a second control for allowing the user to rotate the virtual representation of the catheter about a second axis, until a tilt angle of the virtual representation of the catheter aligns with a tilt angle of the catheter as it appears in the first fluoroscopic image or in a second fluoroscopic image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2011
    Publication date: March 22, 2012
    Inventors: Christopher M. Sewell, Neal A. Tanner, Sean P. Walker
  • Publication number: 20120062598
    Abstract: The image displaying apparatus of the present invention provides a first display mode in which a first display region for one screen image is formed in a display screen, with the short side direction of the display screen aligned with the vertical direction; and a second display mode in which a first display region and a second display region for two screen images are formed in the display screen, with the long side direction of the display screen aligned with the vertical direction, and the first display region and the second display region formed such that they are arranged up and down. According to this configuration, when images are displayed in a double screen, each image can be displayed as large as possible.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2011
    Publication date: March 15, 2012
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shinji FURUYA, Akira YAMADA, Akihito MURAI, Kiyoshi KITAGAWA, Yuichi SUZUKI
  • Patent number: 8091041
    Abstract: A method of identifying grouped toolbar icons. An application program displays a graphical user interface (GUI) that includes multiple toolbar icons. The application iteratively determines whether or not a graphical cursor is in proximity to a first toolbar icon. If the cursor is in proximity to the first icon, the application identifies one or more additional related icons, which are currently displayed and are included in a same pre-defined toolbar icon group as the first icon, and displays a graphical border that surrounds the first icon and the related icons. If the related icons are not adjacent to each other, multiple separate borders are displayed. The application displays a first identification tab in close proximity to the border. The first tab includes a toolbar group name and an icon name of the first icon. The application may also display a second tab that includes descriptive properties of the first icon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Christopher K. Karstens
  • Patent number: 8077175
    Abstract: A system and computer-implemented method for rendering images on a two-dimensional display, such as a computer, handheld device, or television screen, so that the images appear to be positioned in a three-dimensional space is disclosed. The images may be graphics files or standard files with an associated thumbnail image. Numerous layouts of the images on the display are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Colin R. Anthony, Justin Mann, Martijn E. Van Tilburg
  • Patent number: 8068121
    Abstract: Methods of manipulating graphical objects are described. One or more graphical objects are displayed in a fixed orientation with reference to a sensed reference direction. Manipulation is achieved by fixing the orientation or position of a displayed graphical object with reference to an apparatus, such as the display itself or a proxy device, detecting a change in orientation of that apparatus and editing the orientation of the graphical object based on the detected change.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2011
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: John Williamson, Lorna M. Brown, James W. Scott, Stephen E. Hodges
  • Publication number: 20110286660
    Abstract: Photographs of an object may be oriented with respect to both the geographic location and orientation of the object by registering a 3D model derived from a plurality of photographs of the objects with a 2D image of the object having a known location and orientation. For example, a 3D point cloud of an object created from photographs of the object using a Photosynth™ tool may be aligned with a satellite photograph of the object, where the satellite photograph has location and orientation information. A tool providing scaling and rotation of the 3D model with respect to the 2D image may be used or an automatic alignment may be performed using a function based on object edges filtered at particular angles. Once aligned, data may be recorded that registers camera locations for the plurality of photographs with geographic coordinates of the object, either absolute latitude/longitude or relative to the object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2010
    Publication date: November 24, 2011
    Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Eyal Ofek, Dan Hou, Blaise Aguera y Arcas, Scott Vernon Fynn, Roberto R. Molinari, Michael Kroepfl, Tony Ernst
  • Patent number: 8046097
    Abstract: Methods for generating supports (30) for parts (50) produced by solid freeform fabrication (“SFF”) are disclosed. The method includes defining a plurality of layers (L) that make up the part, and for each layer, determining those regions (R) that require support. The method also includes merging the regions for the different layers (L) into one or more common regions that require support, and providing at least one support for each of the one or more common regions. The result is that fewer supports are used as compared to conventional SFF fabrication methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: 3D Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Charles W. Hull, Rajeev Kulkarni, Medhi Mojdeh, Hongqing V. Wang, John Corbin West
  • Publication number: 20110228112
    Abstract: A computing device, such as a mobile device, can capture pictures or video images using a digital camera and obtain associated orientation information using an accelerometer. The orientation information can be used to adjust one or more of the captured pictures or video images to compensate for rotation in one or more planes of rotation. The orientation information can be saved along with the captured pictures or video images. The orientation information can also be transmitted or streamed along with the captured pictures or video images. Image matching operations can be performed using pictures or video images that have been adjusted using orientation information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2010
    Publication date: September 22, 2011
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Ayman Kaheel, Motaz El-Saban, Mahmoud Refaat, Ahmed El Arabawy, Mostafa Baradei
  • Publication number: 20110164058
    Abstract: A method of operating a multifunction device includes: displaying a respective view of a first application on the touch screen display, detecting a first touch gesture within the respective view, and in response to detecting the first touch gesture, displaying a popup view of the first application partially covering the respective view of the first application. The popup view corresponds to a full-screen-width view in a corresponding first application on a second multifunction device having a touch screen display with lower resolution than the touch screen display of the first multifunction device. The method further includes: detecting one or more second touch gestures within the popup view, and in response to detecting the one or more second touch gestures within the popup view, performing an action in the first application that updates a state of the first application.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2010
    Publication date: July 7, 2011
    Inventor: Stephen O. Lemay