Patents Examined by Premal Patel
  • Patent number: 8754872
    Abstract: In embodiments of capacitive touch controls lockout, a computing device includes a touch-screen display for user interaction, and includes one or more capacitive touch controls for user selection as a device input to initiate a device action. The computing device also includes a lockout service that is implemented to disable one or more of the capacitive touch controls based on user interaction with the touch-screen display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Avi R. Geiger, Andrew W. Hill, John David Schultz, Peter Kyriacou, Jan Raken, Duane Martin Evans
  • Patent number: 8749538
    Abstract: This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for controlling brightness of a display based on ambient light conditions. In one aspect, a display device can include a reflective display and an auxiliary light source configured to provide supplemental light to the display. The display device further can include a sensor system configured to determine an illuminance of ambient light, and a controller configured to adjust the auxiliary light source to provide an amount of supplemental light to the display based at least in part on the determined illuminance. In one aspect, the amount of supplemental light remains substantially the same or substantially increases in response to increasing illuminance when the illuminance is below a first threshold, and substantially decreases in response to increasing illuminance when the illuminance is above a second threshold that is greater than or equal to the first threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: QUALCOMM MEMS Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: James R. Webster, Russel A. Martin, Jennifer L. Gille
  • Patent number: 8743083
    Abstract: A system includes a touchpad sensor array, a touch circuit, and a proximity circuit. The touch circuit executes a touch mode configured to track the position of a user or conductive object on the touchpad sensor array by detecting a change in an electrical property of the touchpad. The proximity circuit executes a proximity detection mode configured to track the position of a user or conductive object near or proximate to the touchpad sensor array by detecting a change in an electrical property of the touchpad. The system is configured to switch from the touch mode to the proximity detection mode after a predetermined period of inactivity, where the proximity detection mode can operate at one or more reduced polling rates, resulting in a reduced overall power dissipation. The system is configured to switch back to the touch mode when activity is detected by the proximity circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Logitech Europe, S.A.
    Inventors: Jean-Daniel Zanone, Mathieu Meisser, Simone Arrigo, Julien Piot
  • Patent number: 8743068
    Abstract: A touch screen method for recognizing a finger-flick touch gesture for an electronic device including a overlaying a plurality of transparent sensors on top of a visual display associated with the electronic device and where the transparent sensors are configured to be responsive to touch by at least one user finger and the visual display is for rendering visual information provided by the electronic device is disclosed. Control parameters associated with sensor measurements include parameter derived from recognizing a finger-flick touch gesture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Inventor: Lester F. Ludwig
  • Patent number: 8743076
    Abstract: Touch screen user interfaces configured to detect a touch gesture for controlling software applications, computers, devices, machinery, and process environments. Such user interfaces can be manipulated by users and provide a wide range of uses with computer applications, assistance to the disabled, and control of electronic devices, machines, and processes. Enhancements can include velocity and pressure sensing capabilities. The touch screen can be realized with a transparent touch sensor array positioned over a visual display. The touch screen can be configured to measure a spatial pressure distribution profile from a touch on the touch screen and recognize gestures based on dynamics among spatial pressure distribution profiles. In an example implementation, the gesture recognition may rely solely on dynamics of shape differences between hand contact patterns and omit the use of pressure, as the shape of the spatial pressure distribution profile does not vary much by pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Inventor: Lester F. Ludwig
  • Patent number: 8743055
    Abstract: A handheld controller which includes at least two disparate sensors, such as a motion sensor and a touchpad sensor. A processor deployed in either handheld controller or separate product implements a hybrid pointing and selection method that uses data from the first sensor to adjust the sensitivity to stimulus of the second sensor, and vice versa. The respective sensor data are thus tempered and combined to generate a cursor control signal that includes a large scale control component to control size and movement of a rough pointer region, and a fine scale control component to control position of a precise pointer within the rough pointer region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Yue Fei, Philippe Morin, David Kryze, Masaki Yamauchi
  • Patent number: 8743038
    Abstract: A display apparatus including a backlight module, a filtering module and a display panel is provided. The backlight module includes a plurality of sets of light emitting devices. Each set of light emitting devices includes at least one first color light emitting device and at least one second color light emitting device. The filtering module is disposed on a transmission path of light emitted by the plurality of sets of light emitting devices and includes a plurality of sets of filtering units. Each set of filtering units is configured to allow light emitted by one set of light emitting devices to pass through. The display panel is disposed on the transmission path of the light emitted by the plurality of sets of light emitting devices. The backlight module turns on the plurality of sets of light emitting devices by turns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Chi-Lin Wu, Wei-Ting Yen
  • Patent number: 8743082
    Abstract: A separate control system may be configured for a combined sensor device. Alternatively, at least part of the control system may be included in another device, such as a processor of a mobile device. Software for handwriting, touch and fingerprint detection may be included in the control system. Low, medium and high resolution may be obtained with a single combined sensor device by scanning a subset of the sensels, or by aggregating lines or columns. Power consumption may be reduced by aggregating sensor pixels (or rows or columns) electrically using the controller, so that they perform as a low power small array until higher resolution with a larger array is needed. Power consumption may be reduced by turning off portions or all of the sensor device, turning off parts of the control system, and/or employing first-level screening at a reduced frame rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: QUALCOMM MEMS Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Srinivasan Kodaganallur Ganapathi, Nicholas Ian Buchan, David William Burns, Thad William Smith, Ion Elinor Opris
  • Patent number: 8736516
    Abstract: A Head Mounted Display (HMD) system that includes a wireless front end that interprets spoken commands and/or hand motions and/or body gestures to selectively activate subsystem components only as needed to carry out specific commands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Kopin Corporation
    Inventors: Jeffrey J. Jacobsen, Christopher Parkinson, Stephen A. Pombo
  • Patent number: 8723798
    Abstract: In one embodiment of the present invention, a computer-implemented method for obtaining a command of a user includes capturing an image of the eyes of a user. The coordinates of a glint center point and the coordinates of an eye center point are calculated from the image. The gaze direction of the user is calculated from the coordinates of a glint center point and the coordinates of an eye center point to determine a corresponding command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Inventor: Matthew T. Vernacchia
  • Patent number: 8723794
    Abstract: An input device providing users with a pointing capability includes a sender portion (100) and a receiver portion (200). The sender portion (100) is adapted to be manipulated by a user (the user manipulating button 125) to specify a target point within a target area. The sender portion projects a light beam (light output from light source 115) including a pattern onto the target area. A receiver portion (200) includes one or more sensor units (205, 210, 215) located in or near the target area. At least some of the sensor units (205, 210, 215) receive a portion of the light beam (light output from light source 115) regardless of the location of the target point within the target area. A processing unit (220) in the receiver portion (200) analyzes the portions of the light beam received by one or more sensor units (205, 210, 215) to determine an attribute of the target point. The attribute can be the location or relative motion of the target point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
    Inventors: Gregory A. Corson, Gary Michael Zalewski
  • Patent number: 8717303
    Abstract: Touchscreen user interfaces for controlling software applications, computers, devices, machinery, and process environments with at least finger flick touch gestures. Such user interfaces can be manipulated by users and provide a wide range of uses with computer applications, assistance to the disabled, and control of electronic devices, machines, and processes. Enhancements can include velocity and pressure sensing capabilities. The touchscreen can be realized with a transparent touch sensor array positioned over a visual display. Dynamically assigned labels can be provided by the visual display. Gestures other than finger flicks can be recognized. Multitouch capabilities can be included that are responsive to additional contact, for example by other parts of a user hand. Displayed visual content, including visual content selection, motion, and sizing, can be controlled by finger flicks and other touch gestures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Inventor: Lester F. Ludwig
  • Patent number: 8711110
    Abstract: A system and a method are disclosed for detecting an interaction, such as physical contact, with a touch-sensitive screen. The screen comprises a plurality of cells each associated with a signal value, such as a capacitance, that is modified based on the proximity of an object to the screen. During a first time interval, a first signal value associated with a cell is captured and during a second time interval a second signal value associated with the cell is captured. A difference is computed by subtracting the second signal value from the first signal value. The difference is used to classify the proximity of the object to the screen. For example, the object is classified as approaching the screen if the difference is positive and non-zero or the object is classified as moving away from the screen if the difference is negative and non-zero.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Lawrence Scott Barras, Kenneth James Albanowski, Thomas David Hughes
  • Patent number: 8711103
    Abstract: A CPU determines whether or not the display position of a link character string is finger-touched when a touch sensor on a screen constituting a display unit is finger-touched, and when the link character string is touched, a user is informed that a jump to a link destination is possible through screen vibration or the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Yuuichi Sagou
  • Patent number: 8711066
    Abstract: To provide an image display device in which the number of pixels of arranged light emitting elements or the like can be reduced and the cost can be drastically reduced while image degradation is minimized, and a display unit used therefor. In an image display device in which plural display units including pixels formed by light emitting elements or the like are arranged in a plane, the display unit is configured by two-dimensionally arranging lattice-shaped pixel groups formed by providing pixels in locations corresponding to three lattice points of a square lattice, respectively, and forming a space area in which no pixel exists in a location corresponding to the remaining lattice point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Zenichirou Hara
  • Patent number: 8648799
    Abstract: For multiple times in a time period, multiple data points can be received from an accelerometer and from a magnetometer that are included in a mobile computing device. For each of the data points, an orientation and a position of the mobile computing device can be determined based on an acceleration output and a magnetometer output that corresponds to the particular time. A trajectory is determined that represents movement of the mobile computing device during the time period based on the determined orientations and positions of the mobile computing device at the multiple times. Information that characterizes the trajectory is compared to stored information that characterizes a set of one or more base trajectories. Based on the comparison, an operation of the mobile computing device is identified that is associated with a trajectory included in the set of one or more base trajectories.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventor: Matthew I. Lloyd
  • Patent number: 8643598
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an extracting unit configured to extract a feature point from a captured image; a recognizing unit configured to recognize a position of the feature point; a display control unit configured to perform control, based on the position of the feature point, to display a feature-point pointer indicating the feature point; and an issuing unit configured to issue, based on the position of the feature point, a command corresponding to the position of the feature point or a motion of the feature point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2014
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Shingo Tsurumi, Shouichi Doi
  • Patent number: 8643628
    Abstract: An electronic device, including a housing, a display mounted in the housing, a plurality of proximity sensors mounted in the housing near the edges of the display and directed outward from the display, for detecting presence of an object outside the display and near the edges of the display, and a processor mounted in the housing and coupled with the display and with the proximity sensors, for operating the device responsive to user activation of elements of a graphical user interface (GUI), the GUI including a displayed portion that is rendered by the processor on the display, and a virtual non-displayed portion that extends beyond the edges of the display, wherein the processor operates the device responsive to user activation of elements of the virtual portion of the GUI, based on the proximity sensors detecting presence of an object in the non-displayed portion of the GUI.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2014
    Assignee: Neonode Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas Eriksson, Stefan Holmgren
  • Patent number: 8643583
    Abstract: To provide an active matrix display device in which power consumption of a signal line driver circuit can be suppressed, so that power consumption of the entire memory can be suppressed. A plurality of memory circuits which can write data of a video signal input to a pixel in one line period and can hold the data are provided in a signal line driver circuit of a display device. Then, the data held in each memory circuit is input to a pixel of a corresponding line as a video signal. By providing two or more memory circuits in a driver circuit, pieces of data of video signals corresponding to two or more line periods can be concurrently held in the memory circuits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2014
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yasunori Yoshida
  • Patent number: 8638291
    Abstract: To provide a hold-type display device without a problem of motion blur and a driving method thereof. The length of a period for displaying a blanking image in one frame period is controlled in accordance with a control parameter showing the degree of motion blur, and the level of a signal supplied to a display element is changed in accordance with the length of the period for displaying the blanking image. Accordingly, the hold-type display device without a problem of motion blur and the driving method thereof can be provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasunori Yoshida, Hajime Kimura