Patents Examined by Blaine Basom
  • Patent number: 9910588
    Abstract: A method including receiving an input of a character from a virtual keyboard displayed on a display, generating a set of predicted input characters based on the input character, and displaying the generated set of characters in partitions of the virtual keyboard in proximate association with candidate letters is disclosed. An electronic device and a keyboard configured to perform the method are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Jerome Pasquero, Donald Somerset Mckenzie, Jason Tyler Griffin
  • Patent number: 9857945
    Abstract: A segment ring menu is provided that is used to easily access menu items. The segment ring menu includes a number of menus that are located equidistant from an initial mouse position from where the segment ring menu is evoked. Hovering over any of the sections of the segment ring menu displays the menu items hosted in that section. The segment ring menu layout is directed at making it easy for the user to reach any of the menu items with a small amount of mouse movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Mirko Mandic, Marina Dukhon, Mark Pearson, Clay Satterfield
  • Patent number: 9807145
    Abstract: The present disclosure includes an adaptive tile framework. In one embodiment, a method is disclosed comprising sending an access request from a mobile application operating on a mobile device to one or more remote systems, receiving a plurality of interactive features available on the remote systems based on a role of a user associated with the mobile application, associating the plurality interactive features with a plurality of tiles, where particular interactive features are associated with particular tiles, and where the tiles are user interface elements for interfacing with one or more specific interactive features of the remote systems, and displaying the tiles as a two-dimensional array having rows and columns of tiles. A tile placement for each tile is determined automatically.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: SUCCESSFACTORS, INC.
    Inventors: Derrick Koon, Michael Dandan, Ingrid Bernaudin, Zhaojian Dou
  • Patent number: 9710096
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus is provided which includes a display unit 110 for displaying an image on a screen based on image data, a contact and proximity detection unit 161 for detecting contact or proximity between a subject of operation and the surface of the display unit, a covered time measurement unit 165 for measuring covered time when the screen is covered by the contact or proximity of the subject of operation, and an object display control unit 166 for removing an object displayed in a covered region on the screen covered by the subject of operation from the covered region when the covered time is longer than a predetermined time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Akiko Sakurada
  • Patent number: 9703382
    Abstract: According to an aspect, a device includes a touch screen display and a controller. The touch screen display displays an object corresponding to either an application in execution or an application terminated. The controller erases the object when a flick gesture with respect to the object is detected through the touch screen display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: KYOCERA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hidekatsu Yamada, Yoshiyuki Shinoda
  • Patent number: 9696808
    Abstract: One embodiment of the invention includes a method of providing device inputs. The method includes illuminating hand gestures performed via a bare hand of a user in a foreground of a background surface with at least one infrared (IR) light source. The method also includes generating a first plurality of silhouette images associated with the bare hand based on an IR light contrast between the bare hand and the background surface and generating a second plurality of silhouette images associated with the bare hand based on an IR light contrast between the bare hand and the background surface. The method also includes determining a plurality of three-dimensional features of the bare hand relative to the background surface based on a parallax separation of the bare hand in the first plurality of silhouette images relative to the second plurality of silhouette images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation
    Inventors: H. Keith Nishihara, Shi-Ping Hsu, Adrian Kaehler, Lars Jangaard
  • Patent number: 9641570
    Abstract: An approach for electronic information collaboration allows the use of a mobile device to cause electronic information to be displayed on one or more projector display devices via a virtual projector. The use of a virtual projector allows electronic information to be displayed on multiple projector display devices and/or client devices. The approach may also include the use of collaboration clients and a collaboration server to provide additional functionality with respect to the electronic information including, for example, the ability for changes made to electronic information at one location to be propagated to another location. The approach also allows a mobile device to be used to establish a videoconferencing session between two or more videoconferencing sites. The approach may include generation and use of a locations map that displays icons that correspond to videoconferencing sites and that may be selected to establish a connection between videoconferencing sites.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kurt Knodt, Jayasimha Nuggehalli, James Woo, Guiluan Luo, Srikrishna Narasimhan
  • Patent number: 9639147
    Abstract: Techniques are provided for generating a heads-up-display to assist users during performance of media manipulation operations. According to one embodiment, a transient heads-up-display is displayed during a media manipulation operation to assist the user in the media manipulation operation. The heads-up-display may, for example, depict three frames of a video clip when an audio clip is being positioned, on a timeline, relative to the video clip. The three frames that are depicted in the heads-up-display may be the frames located at the current starting position, cursor position, and ending position, of the audio clip. As the audio clip is being moved during the positioning operation, the three frames depicted in the heads-up-display change accordingly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventor: Nikhil Mahesh Bhatt
  • Patent number: 9606702
    Abstract: A region menu is used to easily access menu items. Generally, the region menu includes a number of regions with associated menus that are located close to an initial mouse position from where the region menu is evoked. Hovering over any of the regions of the region menu displays the menu item that is associated with the region. Additionally, hovering over a menu item within one of the regions of the displayed region menu may activate a live preview showing a projected result of what would occur should that menu item be selected. During a live preview, a portion of the region menu becomes translucent such that content beneath the menu becomes visible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Mirko Mandic, Andrew V. Fomichev, Jesse Clay Satterfield, Jensen Harris
  • Patent number: 9552129
    Abstract: Search results may be rendered on a map utilizing one or more points of interest. An individual point of interest may include a casing layer and a core layer. Casing layers and/or core layers may be configured to change in size and color at different levels of detail associated with zoom operations. Zoom operations may further include de-clustering overlapping points of interest to eliminate overlap. A hover input associated with a cluster may render a numerical value associated with a corresponding number of points of interest that appear in the cluster. Various embodiments provide a visual language that enables a continuous representation, at different levels of detail, that range from a single discrete point to multiple points that are near each other or clustered together to unify the look-and-feel of represented elements and provide interactive consistency across various map properties and platforms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Gonzalo A. Ramos, Timothy P. Wantland, Donald A. Barnett, Romualdo T. Impas
  • Patent number: 9507518
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method of navigating a GUI can include, responsive to a user input initiating a navigation mode, overlaying, atop of the GUI located within a first layer, a virtual keyboard within a second layer, wherein the virtual keyboard includes a plurality of virtual keys. The method can include, for each virtual key, associating the virtual key with a region of the first layer including an area of the GUI beneath the virtual key. The method can include mapping each virtual key with a physical key of a physical keyboard communicatively linked with a computer rendering the GUI and, responsive to a user input selecting a physical key of the physical keyboard, selecting a region corresponding to the selected physical key. A level of magnification for the selected region can be increased within the first layer while keeping the virtual keyboard sizing constant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Rebecca Hughes, James Martineau, Michael S. McCowan
  • Patent number: 9507497
    Abstract: An in-vehicle apparatus and a control method of an in-vehicle apparatus, which is applied to a multimedia terminal having, for example, a function of navigation equipment and a function of video playback so as to improve usability to a user in a case of accepting an operation through a touch panel and a remote commander. A touch panel menu screen suitable for an operation through a touch panel and a remote commander menu screen suitable for an operation through a remote commander are switched to be displayed so as to accept an operation by a user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Nezu, Makoto Sasaki, Satoshi Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 9430130
    Abstract: A computing device includes an immersive environment module for facilitating simultaneous display of a plurality of applications on a display device without relying on system chrome. At least a first of the applications is displayed in a primary region of the display. The computing device also includes a UI management component for enabling a user selection of an application for simultaneous display on the display device with at least one other application. Processing logic is configured to determine a size in at least one direction of content of a user-selected application as it is displayed on a non-primary region of the display device simultaneous with display of content of the first application on the primary region of the display device. The determination is based at least in part on one or more pre-defined size requirements specified by the selected application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: David A. Matthews, Matthew I. Worley, Nils A. Sundelin, Tsz Yan Wong
  • Patent number: 9354768
    Abstract: A method of providing a widget includes displaying a first widget indicating time, and displaying first information indicating an attribute of a second widget and second information specifying the first information based on a user's selection on the first widget. The second widget includes the first information and the second information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Yoo-ra Oh, Pil-eun Yang, Sung-ju Park
  • Patent number: 9355376
    Abstract: Rules created in a computerized sales playbook system are stored in a rules library. Rules can be shared among playbooks, stages, plays, content and other playbook elements. Any playbook element can be associated with one or more rules. Such rules include one or more conditions that trigger the rule. If the conditions are met, then a playbook element is enabled for use by the user. Rules can be selected from the rules library as the playbook is being created. For example, when adding a play or a content item to a play, a user is prompted to add a rule to be associated with the playbook element. If the user adds a rule, an interface is presented allowing the user to select an existing rule from the rules library or create a new rule. If a new rule is created, it is added to the rules library.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: Qvidian, Inc.
    Inventors: Karen P. Meyer, Michael W. Raitt, John S. Gedaminski, Leo P. Steffens, Mark A. Walling
  • Patent number: 9335893
    Abstract: Techniques for dynamically grouping items include determining context associated with each group comprising one or more items; and determining current context at a device. In response to determining that prompted prompt is presented for input to indicate an item, a suggested group is determined based on the current context at the device and relevance of a context associated with the suggested group. The suggested group is presented. In some embodiments, prompted prompt is presented to name a suggested group; and, in response, data indicating the suggested group is stored as a permanent group associated with the name. In some embodiments, relevance is determined for each item of a group. A group avatar is generated based on M images associated with the items that have the most relevance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: HERE GLOBAL B.V.
    Inventors: Ian Kennedy, Teemu Mikkonen, Jarno Vayrynen, Katja Kytokorpi, Jörg Land, Caitlin Winner
  • Patent number: 9262053
    Abstract: An information provision method and apparatus of a mobile terminal is provided for managing and providing information items associated with a plurality of communication accounts of a user in an integrated manner. An information provision method for a mobile terminal includes configuring a plurality of identity informations associated with communications of a specific contact item; detecting an input for selecting an integrated contact management menu; and displaying the identity informations or communication informations associated with individual identity informations in an integrated manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yun Jegal, Soon Young Rhew, Yong Sung Park, Hyun Seok Seo
  • Patent number: 9230223
    Abstract: A platform allows experts, for example home improvement professionals, to upload their portfolios, i.e. content such as photos, videos, text, and sound, to a publicly available resource, such as a Web browser accessible, network based commerce system. Users may then browse the content, for example by room, style, and metro area. The content is arranged in collections that are in part passively sorted, based upon user relevance. Tags are shown on objects, for example within photos, for which there is more information. In the case of a movable display device, the tags can simulate the physics of real tags, for example they can move back and forth when the device is shaken. In another embodiment, a snap point is set to impart either a scrolling transition or a step transition between display pages, based upon user scroll activity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: Houzz, Inc.
    Inventors: Alon Cohen, Guy Shaviv
  • Patent number: 9201497
    Abstract: Virtual media environments are provided. A first set of media components is received and modified to create a first virtual media instance. The first virtual media instance is provided to a user via at least one media output device. Media parameters corresponding to the user are updated based on the first virtual media instance. A second set of media components is also received. The second set is modified based on the updated media parameters to create a second virtual media instance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventors: Ari Craine, Steven Tischer
  • Patent number: 9122762
    Abstract: A system to permit a user-friendly approach to determine and access the portions of a program code associated with respective web page components is described. In one example embodiment, the system comprises an option detector and a mapping module. The option detector may be configured to detect an instruction to augment HTML markup of a web page with mapping, where the mapping associated with correlation between web page components and corresponding portions of program code. The mapping module may be configured to generate the mapping and to augment the HTML markup of the web page with the mapping.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2015
    Assignee: eBay, Inc.
    Inventor: Richard Ragan