Abstract: A wireless remote control device for transmitting control commands to a Bluetooth™ enabled electronic device, such as a television set, an audio player, or a cellular telephone by manipulating the zipper in a garment, handbag or the like. The zipper fastener consists of opposing rows of interlocking teeth attached to a pair of elongated flexible supports and a manually movable sliding traveler that locks and unlocks said teeth at is moves longitudinally along the length of said flexible supports. A sensor is coupled to said zipper fastener for generating a position signal that indicates the current position of said sliding traveler with respect to said supports, and a Bluetooth™ transmitter coupled to said sensor sends control commands indicative of the current position of the slider and the state of a pushbutton attached to the slider.

Abstract: A hand-worn controller consisting of a housing having a central opening sized to permit the controller to be worn as ring on the index finger of a human hand. A joystick lever projects outwardly from said housing and is positioned to be manipulated by the user's thumb. The joystick operates on or more control devices, such as switches or potentiometers, that produce control signals. A wireless communications device, such as a Bluetooth module, mounted in said housing transmits command signals to a remote utilization device which are indicative of the motion or position of said joystick lever.

Abstract: A wireless remote control device for transmitting control commands to a Bluetooth™ enabled electronic device, such as a television set, an audio player, or a cellular telephone by manipulating the zipper in a garment, handbag or the like. The zipper fastener consists of opposing rows of interlocking teeth attached to a pair of elongated flexible supports and a manually movable sliding traveler that locks and unlocks said teeth at is moves longitudinally along the length of said flexible supports. A sensor is coupled to said zipper fastener for generating a position signal that indicates the current position of said sliding traveler with respect to said supports, and a Bluetooth™ transmitter coupled to said sensor sends control commands indicative of the current position of the slider and the state of a pushbutton attached to the slider.

Abstract: Apparatus for controlling an alert signal produced to notify a recipient when an incoming message is received. The message is received via a communications channel from a message originator. In addition, the message originator also specifies and transmits notification data indicating the manner in which the message originator desires that said recipient be notified of the receipt of said message. Reception preference data is created and stored by the recipient in advance, indicating the manner in which the recipient desires to be notified of the receipt of incoming messages.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for manipulating physical objects to produce sounds that are correlated with the feel of the objects being manipulated. Example devices called the PebbleBox, CrumbleBag and ScrubberGlove each use the manipulation of physical objects of arbitrary material as the basis for interacting with granular sound synthesis models. The sounds made by the objects as they are manipulated produce sound signal events that are detected and used to trigger and control the reproduction of stored sound samples in real time.