Patents Assigned to Pure Imagination, LLC
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Patent number: 9350344Abstract: A test pattern membrane test method uses a test pattern membrane to test the capacitive sensors of a device. The device is placed in the test fixture. The capacitive sensors are read without the test pattern membrane, storing as a set of baseline measurements. The test pattern membrane is placed on the unit to be tested. The test pattern membrane has a plurality of conductive areas on a non-conductive substrate. The conductive areas are arranged in a pattern that corresponds to the pattern of capacitive sensors. The sensors are read again to obtain a set of stimulated measurements. Differences for each of the sensors are determined between the sensor readings with and without the test pattern membrane in place. This difference is compared to a threshold. A sensor is considered to be functioning properly if the difference value is greater than the sensor's threshold value.Type: GrantFiled: March 17, 2014Date of Patent: May 24, 2016Assignee: Pure Imagination, LLCInventors: Michael Wallace, Philip T. Odom, Brian Richardson, Jim Eastman
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Patent number: 9092096Abstract: A capacitive touch sensor has a clear top plastic film and graphics or other designs disposed on its reverse side. Only the bare plastic substrate is exposed to the environment and user wear. Non-conductive color inks are used in printing the graphics so that any printed capacitive sensors in contact behind will not be short circuited or desensitized. A silk-screened base color layer with a print-free margin left all around its edges allows a later application of adhesive to grip a more durable surface underneath. Capacitive touch sensors are deposited on a bottom plastic film with silvered conductive inks. The printed capacitive sensors on film are fastened with a silk-screen applied liquid water-based adhesive and face the graphics printed side of the first plastic film. A final overcoat of adhesive is applied to the bare backside of the bottom plastic film for final assembly to a frame or chassis.Type: GrantFiled: July 26, 2010Date of Patent: July 28, 2015Assignee: Pure Imagination, LLCInventors: Jeffrey Li, Paul P. Campbell, Khanh M. Le, David M. Holmes
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Patent number: 8855545Abstract: A self-contained system containing a plurality of pages of printed content, incorporating means for detecting which page is being viewed by the reader, and incorporating means for producing supplementary auditory output related to the printed content of the pages, wherein the supplementary auditory content produced for any given page is determined by the sequence of pages previously viewed by the reader.Type: GrantFiled: October 29, 2008Date of Patent: October 7, 2014Assignee: Pure Imagination, LLCInventor: Michael W. Wallace
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System and method for maintaining recipe ratios when measuring ingredients for culinary combinations
Patent number: 8829365Abstract: A system and method for assisting a user in assembling a culinary combination according to a recipe. The system comprises a scale and a computing device configured to communicate with the scale. The system displays information regarding ingredients of the recipe and displays a progress of assembling the culinary combination based on the information from the scale. In some embodiments, a bar graph is displayed with a bar proportional to the measured amount of an ingredient of the recipe compared to a target amount for the ingredient. In some embodiments, the system displays a build column of one or more recipe blocks, representing actions or ingredients of the recipe. An active recipe block is displayed with a portion of the recipe block displayed in a different manner in proportion to the measured amount of an ingredient of the recipe compared to a target amount for the ingredient.Type: GrantFiled: June 16, 2013Date of Patent: September 9, 2014Assignee: Pure Imagination, LLCInventors: Michael Wallace, Philip T. Odom, Brian Richardson, Darin Barri -
Patent number: 8773387Abstract: Thin film capacitive touch sensors and applications thereof are described herein. Embodiments include construction of one-sided and two-sided thin film capacitive touch sensors with partial fill patterns, one-sided thin film capacitive touch sensors including conductive ground plane layers, one-sided thin film capacitive touch sensors including air gap layers, one-sided thin film capacitive touch sensors including a combination of both separation layers to create air gap layers and conductive ground plane layers.Type: GrantFiled: November 2, 2012Date of Patent: July 8, 2014Assignee: Pure Imagination, LLCInventors: Michael Wallace, Philip T. Odom
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Patent number: 8729379Abstract: An electronic instrument simulating a percussion instrument using capacitive touch sensitive sensors. The instrument has an art layer, a sensor layer, a shielding layer, an electronics package and a speaker. The art layer has depictions of one or more percussion instruments. The sensor layer is deposed under the art layer. The sensor layer has one or more instrument sensors, each with one or more capacitive touch sensors. Instrument sensors are positioned underneath one of the depicted percussion instruments in the art layer so that a finger tapping the depicted instrument will trigger the sensor. The capacitive touch sensors are electrically connected to the electronics package configured to detect changes in capacitance when a particular capacitive touch sensor is touched, causing the electronics package to play on the speaker a sound sample of an percussion instrument associated with that capacitive touch sensor.Type: GrantFiled: January 8, 2013Date of Patent: May 20, 2014Assignee: Pure Imagination, LLCInventors: Michael Wallace, Philp Trevor Odom
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Publication number: 20140060290Abstract: Touch-sensitive musical instruments with one or more strum sensors and one or more fret sensors, wherein each of the one or more strum sensors and the one or more fret sensors includes a capacitive touch sensor. The touch sensitive musical instrument has an audio module configured to generate an audio signal in response to triggering of the one or more strum sensors, the one or more fret sensors, or a combination thereof.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 4, 2013Publication date: March 6, 2014Applicant: PURE IMAGINATION, LLCInventors: Michael Wallace, Philip T. Odom
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Publication number: 20140032146Abstract: Systems and methods for capacitive sensing of objects in a summation mode and a non-summation mode. A dual mode capacitive sensing system comprises a capacitive sensor and a processor. The capacitive sensor has a pair of adjacent conducting pads including a first conducting pad and a second conducting pad. The processor has a pair of input/output channels respectively coupled to the first and second conducting pads. The processor is configured to measure capacitance of the capacitive sensor in a summation mode and in a differential mode. A capacitive object sensing system comprises a capacitive sensor, a processor, and a plurality of objects each configured to have a unique capacitance. The processor is configured to identify one of the playing pieces based on the sensor capacitance measured when the one of the playing pieces is set on the capacitive sensor.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 26, 2013Publication date: January 30, 2014Applicant: PURE IMAGINATION, LLCInventors: Michael W. Wallace, Philip Trevor Odom
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Patent number: 8614389Abstract: Touch sensitive musical instruments are described herein including embodiments having: one-sided capacitive touch sensors with conductive ground planes, one-sided capacitive touch sensors with air gaps, one-sided capacitive touch sensors with separating material, and/or one-sided capacitive touch sensors including a combination of conductive ground planes, air gaps, and/or separating material. Embodiments of touch sensitive musical instruments simulating string instruments such as guitars are described.Type: GrantFiled: November 9, 2012Date of Patent: December 24, 2013Assignee: Pure Imagination, LLCInventors: Michael Wallace, Philp Trevor Odom
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Patent number: 8538318Abstract: Apparatus and methods are provided relating to delivering audio content for an interactive electronic book system, including a book with a plurality of pages with overlaying magnets affixed thereto, a magnetic sensor, a temperature sensor, a speaker, a computer with calibration and temperature compensation data stored in non-volatile memory, and audio content related to the pages of the book, such that the computer determines which page the book is open to and causes the speaker to deliver audio content related to the open page. Apparatus and methods are provided for calibrating an electronic book system including temperature compensation steps.Type: GrantFiled: April 23, 2008Date of Patent: September 17, 2013Assignee: Pure Imagination, LLCInventors: Michael W. Wallace, Philip Trevor Odom
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Patent number: 8517383Abstract: An interactive game board system includes a game board, a plurality of capacitive sensors embedded in the game board, a microprocessor with input channels for the capacitive sensors, computer memory means, software instructions and data for directing an interactive game, one or more playing pieces with electrically an conductive portion, and power supply means. An interactive game board system includes interdigitated sensors. An interactive game board system includes capacitive sensors operating in dynamic sensing mode. An interactive game board system includes means for identifying individual game pieces.Type: GrantFiled: June 19, 2009Date of Patent: August 27, 2013Assignee: Pure Imagination, LLCInventors: Michael Wallace, Philip Trevor Odom
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Patent number: 8471138Abstract: Touch sensitive musical instruments are described herein including embodiments having: one-sided capacitive touch sensors with conductive ground planes, one-sided capacitive touch sensors with air gaps, one-sided capacitive touch sensors with separating material, and/or one-sided capacitive touch sensors including a combination of conductive ground planes, air gaps, and/or separating material. Embodiments of touch sensitive musical instruments simulating string instruments such as guitars are described.Type: GrantFiled: June 17, 2011Date of Patent: June 25, 2013Assignee: Pure Imagination, LLCInventors: Michael Wallace, Philip T. Odom
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Publication number: 20130118883Abstract: Thin film capacitive touch sensors and applications thereof are described herein. Embodiments include construction of one-sided and two-sided thin film capacitive touch sensors with partial fill patterns, one-sided thin film capacitive touch sensors including conductive ground plane layers, one-sided thin film capacitive touch sensors including air gap layers, one-sided thin film capacitive touch sensors including a combination of both separation layers to create air gap layers and conductive ground plane layers.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 2, 2012Publication date: May 16, 2013Applicant: PURE IMAGINATION LLCInventor: Pure Imagination LLC
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Publication number: 20130118338Abstract: Embodiments of an electronic instrument simulating a percussion instrument using capacitive touch sensitive sensors are described herein. Embodiments described comprise an art layer, a sensor layer, a shielding layer, an electronics package and a speaker. The art layer has depictions of one or more percussion instruments. The sensor layer is deposed under the art layer. The sensor layer has one or more instrument sensors, each comprising one or more capacitive touch sensors. Instrument sensors are positioned underneath one of the depicted percussion instruments in the art layer so that a finger tapping the depicted instrument will trigger the sensor. The capacitive touch sensors are electrically connected to the electronics package configured to detect changes in capacitance when a particular capacitive touch sensor is touched, causing the electronics package to play on the speaker a sound sample of an percussion instrument associated with that capacitive touch sensor.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 8, 2013Publication date: May 16, 2013Applicant: PURE IMAGINATION LLCInventor: Pure Imagination LLC
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Publication number: 20130068087Abstract: Touch sensitive musical instruments are described herein including embodiments having: one-sided capacitive touch sensors with conductive ground planes, one-sided capacitive touch sensors with air gaps, one-sided capacitive touch sensors with separating material, and/or one-sided capacitive touch sensors including a combination of conductive ground planes, air gaps, and/or separating material. Embodiments of touch sensitive musical instruments simulating string instruments such as guitars are described.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 9, 2012Publication date: March 21, 2013Applicant: PURE IMAGINATION LLCInventor: PURE IMAGINATION LLC
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Patent number: 8378203Abstract: Embodiments of an electronic instrument simulating a percussion instrument using capacitive touch sensitive sensors are described herein. Embodiments described comprise an art layer, a sensor layer, a shielding layer, an electronics package and a speaker. The art layer has depictions of one or more percussion instruments. The sensor layer is deposed under the art layer. The sensor layer has one or more instrument sensors, each comprising one or more capacitive touch sensors. Instrument sensors are positioned underneath one of the depicted percussion instruments in the art layer so that a finger tapping the depicted instrument will trigger the sensor. The capacitive touch sensors are electrically connected to the electronics package configured to detect changes in capacitance when a particular capacitive touch sensor is touched, causing the electronics package to play on the speaker a sound sample of an percussion instrument associated with that capacitive touch sensor.Type: GrantFiled: July 27, 2011Date of Patent: February 19, 2013Assignee: Pure Imagination, LLCInventors: Michael Wallace, Philip T. Odom
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Patent number: 8373672Abstract: Thin film capacitive touch sensors and applications thereof are described herein. Embodiments include construction of one-sided and two-sided thin film capacitive touch sensors with partial fill patterns, one-sided thin film capacitive touch sensors including conductive ground plane layers, one-sided thin film capacitive touch sensors including air gap layers, one-sided thin film capacitive touch sensors including a combination of both separation layers to create air gap layers and conductive ground plane layers.Type: GrantFiled: May 10, 2011Date of Patent: February 12, 2013Assignee: Pure Imagination, LLCInventors: Michael Wallace, Philip T. Odom
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Patent number: 8297513Abstract: A method and system for determining the presence and identity of a game piece placed at a sensing location by attaching one or more conductive rings at fixed concentric locations on the bottom of the game piece and sensing the presence or absence of the conductive rings by means of sensors that are insensitive to the rotational orientation of the game piece.Type: GrantFiled: December 19, 2011Date of Patent: October 30, 2012Assignee: Pure Imagination, LLCInventors: Michael W. Wallace, Philip Trevor Odom
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Publication number: 20120212241Abstract: Embodiments of an interactive play set with capacitive sensors, the play set configured to detect human touch, the presence or identity of small play objects, and play sound effects in response thereof. In some embodiments, play sets have capacitive sensors that detect the presence of play objects with coplanar sensor pads and ground pads in various geometries. In some embodiments, play sets have capacitive sensors that identify particular play objects by detecting the presence or absence of conductive tabs at a plurality of tab locations on each of the play objects.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 23, 2012Publication date: August 23, 2012Applicant: PURE IMAGINATION LLCInventors: Michael Wallace, Philip T. Odom
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Patent number: 8210432Abstract: A method and system for encoding a numeric value by the placement of indicia at fixed sensing locations on a substrate, each indicium chosen from two or more sets of indicia, each set producing different responses in a sensor, and for decoding the numeric value by sensing the presence and character of the indicia with a set of sensors apposed to the fixed sensing locations.Type: GrantFiled: June 15, 2009Date of Patent: July 3, 2012Assignee: Pure Imagination, LLCInventors: Michael Wallace, Philip Trevor Odom