Patents Examined by Phenuel Salomon
  • Patent number: 8381121
    Abstract: A scrolling speed controlling system including a personal computer, a human interface device, an executable application, and a scroll speed adapter component. A user choosing to scroll an application window quickly may experience reduced readability of the information in the window because the speed at which the window is scrolling is too great to allow the user to identify or comprehend the information in the application window. A scroll speed adapter component make use of predetermined areas of interest to the user to control the scroll speed in such a way as to slow down scrolling as the area of interest approaches and speed up scrolling as the area of interest moves away.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Gitika Gupta, Benjamin C. Chamberlain
  • Patent number: 8381112
    Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure set forth a computing device configured to support a data management tool. An example computing device includes a wireless communication module and a processing unit. The processing unit is configured to identify a wireless flash card having a first data of a first data type and a second data of a second data type as content and in a format specified by a template. The first data and the second data are displayed in a first display area and a second display area, respectively, based on the template and features of the computing device. Prior to operating on one or more of the first data and the second data, the processing unit is configured to establish whether such operations are permissible based on one or more of a first attribute and a second attribute set forth in the template.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: Empire Technology Development LLC
    Inventors: Gene Fein, Edward Merritt
  • Patent number: 8375329
    Abstract: In a graphical user interface a display is animated by activation with an input device with a first concentric menu comprising a first grouping of menu items having a subset of one or more items from a set of menu items. Then, after selecting one menu item out of the first grouping of menu items, the display is animated with at least one additional grouping of menu items that are each concentrically in a pie sliced shape. The graphical user interface can be activated by a user at any position on the display area via the input device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Assignee: Maxon Computer GmbH
    Inventors: David Samuel Drayton, Bernd Franz Lutz, Marco Tillmann
  • Patent number: 8370751
    Abstract: A system comprising an application data retriever configured to request application data; a mapping data handler configured to request a set of mapping data which is associated with at least a selected user interface (UI) view; a customizing data handler configured to request a set of customizing data associated with the selected UI view; a UI data aggregator configured to combine, at least, the mapping data and the customizing data into a UI view generation data set; and a UI generator configured to generate a UI view utilizing, at least in part, the UI generation data set from the UI data aggregator and the application data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: SAP AG
    Inventors: Oliver Graeff, Peter Conrad, Uwe Reimitz, Florian Weigmann
  • Patent number: 8365085
    Abstract: A method of indicating functions of buttons included in an image display apparatus on a screen and an image display apparatus implementing the method thereof. The method of indicating functions of buttons includes generating an image indicating functions assigned to the buttons and displaying the image on the image display apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: SAMSUNG Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Young-kook Kim
  • Patent number: 8356254
    Abstract: A system and method of interacting with a display. The method comprises recognizing a disturbance in a display zone of a projected image and displaying a selected state in response to the recognized disturbance. The method further includes recognizing a gesture which interrupts a light source and is associated with an action to be taken on or associated with the displayed selected state. An action is executed in response to the recognized gesture. The system includes a server having a database containing data associated with at least one or more predefined gestures, and at least one of a hardware and software component for executing an action based on the at least one or more predefined gestures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Mark D. Dennard, Douglas J. McCulloch, Mark J. Schunzel, Matthew B. Trevathan
  • Patent number: 8347224
    Abstract: In a content viewing apparatus, an acquisition unit acquires a content set including one or more contents, and a conversion unit converts each content in the content set acquired by the acquisition unit into a predetermined format. An arrangement unit arranges indication information of each content subjected to the conversion performed by the conversion unit such that the indication information of each content is displayed on a display device in such a manner that indication information of each content is arranged along a time axis according to date/time information associated with each content thereby making it possible to use each content via the corresponding indication information. In accordance with an operation command input by a user, a display control unit controls displaying of the indication information of all contents as a whole, displayed on the display device by the arrangement unit, along the time axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yuichi Abe, Yoichiro Sako, Itaru Kawakami, Mitsuru Takehara, Takatoshi Nakamura
  • Patent number: 8327287
    Abstract: A plurality of character input key images are displayed on the screen. One character is displayed on the screen as an undetermined character in a cyclic order from among a group of characters associated with one of the character input key images each time a button provided on the pointing device is operated while the character input key image is being pointed at by a pointing device. When the position pointed at by the pointing device moves out of the character input key image associated with the undetermined character being displayed on the screen, the undetermined character is displayed as a determined character on the screen. Thus, it is possible to suppress the lowering of the character input speed and the possibility of erroneous inputs while reducing the total number of keys required for inputting characters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Nintendo Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomoaki Kuroume, Shinji Okane
  • Patent number: 8327266
    Abstract: Graphical user interfaces (GUIs) for a peer device on a peer-to-peer (P2P) network are disclosed. A client application executing on the peer device provides and enables the GUIs. One of the GUIs may display a media item playlist. The user manages the media items displayed on the media item playlist by utilizing sorting criteria. The media item playlist displays a list of the users subscribing to the P2P network, the title of and information concerning media items recommended by the users and media items stored locally on the peer device, and a score for each media item on the media item playlist. The score may be determined by applying to the media items preferences defined by information provided by the user of the peer device, a profile developed from the defined preferences, and other information provided by the user. The user of the peer device provides the information to the peer device using other GUIs provided and enabled by the client application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Napo Enterprises, LLC
    Inventor: Hugh Svendsen
  • Patent number: 8316304
    Abstract: A network-management device includes a map storing unit and a map state storing unit. The map storing unit stores therein a map created based on information on network devices. The map state storing unit stores therein a creation state indicating that creation of the map is in process or completed in association with the map. When creation of the map is in process, disclosure of the map is prohibited, and all the network devices are notified that creation of the map is in process. When creation of the map is completed, it is checked whether all the network devices are laid out on the map. When all the network devices are laid out on the map, disclosure of the map is permitted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventor: Akihiro Yamashita
  • Patent number: 8316306
    Abstract: A method for navigating user-selectable element comprising graphically representing a first axis grouping a first plurality of user-selectable elements having a first attribute in common, graphically representing a second axis grouping a second plurality of user-selectable elements having a second attribute associated therewith, the second axis intersecting the first axis at a first intersection, graphically representing a third axis grouping a third plurality of user-selectable elements having a third attribute associated therewith, the third axis intersecting the second axis at a second intersecting location, and, enabling sequential navigation from one axis to another axis by selecting a command. A system and a graphical interface adapted to provide same are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Maya-Systems Inc.
    Inventor: Mathieu Audet
  • Patent number: 8316318
    Abstract: Tools that can be used to enhance visibility into various business processes, using named calculations and/or configured columns to produce customized display grids for displaying data from a database are presented. Such tools may provide the ability to develop, within a business application (and/or in conjunction with a business application) visibility solutions that are customized to that end user's business, without the need for expensive redevelopment and/or extensive customization of the business application itself.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Oracle International Corporation
    Inventors: Kerri Shortell, Thomas Hora, Kevin Barker
  • Patent number: 8316310
    Abstract: A system, method and computer program product for verifying an avatar owner as a human user of an avatar in a virtual world environment in which users interact through avatars via client devices in network communication with a server device. A request for challenging an avatar in the virtual world environment is received to determine whether that avatar is controlled by an application program user (bot). A user client device associated with a challenged avatar is identified and a Human Identification Proof (HIP) message for detecting a human user versus a bot controlling the challenged avatar is generated and communicated, for receipt at the identified user client device. It is determined from the response, whether the user is a bot or a human user. If a challenged avatar is determined to be a bot, then the server device prevents the challenged avatar from further interaction in the virtual world environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: David F. Champion, Jeffrey J. Smith, Kevin J. Smith, David T. Windell
  • Patent number: 8281257
    Abstract: A data display apparatus comprising, a display unit operable to hierarchically display a plurality of folders, a management unit operable to manage information associated with each of the plurality of folders, a determination unit operable to, when the display unit displays each of the plurality of folders, determine based on the information associated with the folder and acquired from the management unit whether to integrally display the folder and a plurality of lower folders included under the folder as an integrated folder, and a control unit operable to control to cause the display unit to perform integral display using the integrated folder when the determination unit has determined to perform the integral display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hidenori Ishiwata
  • Patent number: 8276076
    Abstract: Visualizing and exploring a music library using metadata, such as genre, sub-genre, artist, and year, is provided. Geometric shapes, such as disks or rectangles, may be divided into sectors representing genre and each sector may be further divided into sub-sectors representing artists associated with each genre. The sector's relative size generally reflects the importance of the corresponding genre within the library. Likewise, the sub-sector's relative size generally reflects the importance of the corresponding artist within the genre which may be determined by the number of media items of the artist. Marks representing each media item may be arranged and displayed within the geometric shape to reflect the mark's corresponding genre, artist, and year. In addition, each mark may reflect an attribute, such as playcount, of the media item and each sector may reflect the mean value of an attribute of all media items within the sector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Marc Torrens, Patrick Hertzog, Josep-Lluis Arcos
  • Patent number: 8276096
    Abstract: Same data of a unit of information is displayed in first and second windows. The same data of the unit of information is not frozen in the first window and in the second window. The second window comprises a freeze control. In response to receiving an activation of the freeze control, the same data of the unit of information in the second window is frozen. The same data of the unit of information in the first window is not frozen in response to the activation of the freeze control. In response to receiving an edit to the same data in the first window, the same data of the unit of information in the first window is modified in accordance with the edit. The edit is not applied to the frozen data in the second window.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Gregory M. Plow, Farrokh E. Pourmirzaie, Kevin M. McBride
  • Patent number: 8276100
    Abstract: An input control device for enabling the user to perform predetermined operation for an icon simply by performing move operation of a pointer without button operation is provided. An operation selection area generation section 167 generates position information of an area indicating operation corresponding to selection and activation of predetermined operation for an object to be selected, and a display section 15 displays an operation selection area based on the operation selection area position information. When an operation selection determination section 168 determines that a pointer arrives at the operation selection area, it instructs a control section 19 to execute operation for the icon corresponding to the operation selection area information. Upon reception of the instruction, the control section 19 activates and executes the operation corresponding to the operation selection area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Tetsuya Nagai, Koichi Sakai, Hideo Kawai
  • Patent number: 8276092
    Abstract: A method for reporting financial data includes displaying a report of the financial data at a first level of granularity and a report slider. The report includes a first plurality of line items. The report slider includes a sliding module in a first position, The method detects a first movement of a sliding module on the report slider from the first to second position, and generates a first sub-report for a first line item of the first plurality of line items and a second sub-report for a second line item of the first plurality of line items based on the second position of the sliding module. The first line item and the second line item are selected in the report. The first sub-report and the second sub-report display financial data are at a second level of granularity. The method displays the first sub-report and the second sub-report with the report.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: Intuit Inc.
    Inventors: Najeeb T. Narayanan, Ravi Subramaniam Iyer
  • Patent number: 8271900
    Abstract: An inputting apparatus including: a display unit on which an image is displayed; a detecting portion configured to detect an approach value which represents an approaching or a touching degree of an input object with respect to each position in the display unit and which becomes larger where the approaching or touching degree is a certain degree than where the approaching or touching degree is a degree smaller than the certain degree; a button-display portion which displays at least one button; a receiving portion which receives an input of a predetermined command assigned to one of the at least one button where an approach value detected in the one button exceeds a first threshold value; and an enlarging and displaying portion which enlarges and displays only the one button on the display unit where the approach value exceeds a second threshold value smaller than the first threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masaaki Wakizaka, Toshinari Watanabe
  • Patent number: 8271881
    Abstract: An automation system operating in a Web Service for Devices environment includes clients and devices, a network comprising a server configured to be connected to the clients and devices with the web services for devices, and a touch screen device coupled to the network and provided a user interface for controlling the devices. The clients and devices are configured with a web services for devices stack protocol to provide automation-based control and communication between the clients and devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Exceptional Innovation, LLC
    Inventors: Seal Moorer, Eric Eichensehr, William K. Virgin, Joesph Lehman