Patents Examined by Vinh Lam
  • Patent number: 9690474
    Abstract: A user interface module for a device having a touch display arranged with virtual keys and at least one first area. The device is adapted to execute at least one application adapted to receive text input and the touch display is arranged to display content associated with the application. The touch display is also arranged to display a text input area upon activation of the application's receiving of text input. The text input area, at least partially, overlaps the at least one first area. The touch display is also arranged to display the content being displayed in the first area as shaded and arranged to display text input received through the text input area clearly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy
    Inventors: Xun Chen, Roope Rainisto, Mohammad Anwari
  • Patent number: 9632594
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for performing functions in electronic devices by placing a device stylus in an idle position. The function may be, for example, activating a device idle mode, activating power saver or power-down mode, activating sleep mode, activating a screensaver, and/or locking the device. In some embodiments, an idle position may include setting the stylus in a horizontal position next to but not touching the device, setting the stylus in a stationary position relative to the computing device, or latching the stylus to the device or to a protective device case. In some embodiments, the stylus and/or device can detect the stylus' angle of inclination with respect to the device, thus detecting the nature of the stylus' resting. In other embodiments, when a magnetic stylus is latched to the device or device case, a magnetic sensor within the device may detect the stylus, thus activating a stylus idle mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: Barnes & Noble College Booksellers, LLC
    Inventors: Kourtny M. Hicks, Gerald B. Cueto
  • Patent number: 9626008
    Abstract: Techniques for remotely wiping data from a computing device are provided. Instructions for wiping data from the computing device can be sent via an input device such as a stylus associated with the computing device, or a dedicated module. In cases where the computing device is lost or stolen, the user, via the stylus, may remotely activate a data wipe function so as to remove selected or all information from the computing device, ensuring that sensitive information is not extracted from the device. In some cases, a back-up application configured to remotely back-up data of the target computing device is launched before that data is wiped from the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: Barnes & Noble College Booksellers, LLC
    Inventor: Dale J. Brewer
  • Patent number: 9609222
    Abstract: In one embodiment of the invention, a digital mirror is disclosed including an enclosure; a display device mounted in the enclosure to display images at a front side of the enclosure; an image capture device mounted in the enclosure adjacent the display device to reduce parallax error; lights mounted in the enclosure adjacent the display device; and a light diffuser mounted to the enclosure around the display device over the one or more lights. The one or more lights provide lighting in front of the display device and the image capture device captures images in the field of view in the front. The light diffuser diffuses and softens the light emitted by the one or more lights. Alternatively, the image capture device may be mounted on an articulated arm that may be used to capture and display various angles in the filed of view of the digital mirror.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: VissionQuest Imaging, Inc.
    Inventors: John W. Rowles, Kyaw Z. Min
  • Patent number: 9600053
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for locking and/or unlocking a touch sensitive device using one or more stylus control features. For example, the stylus control feature may be a twistable top button knob. In some instances, the twistable top button knob may be rotated and/or depressed to lock a related device. In some other instances, the twistable top button knob may be used to unlock a related device using a unique rotation sequence, thereby providing a security mechanism. For example, the unlocking sequence may require a user to rotate the twistable top button knob in a first direction to a first reference point, in a second direction to a second reference point, and back in the first direction to a third reference point. The stylus may also include a feedback indicator, such as a multi-colored light-emitting diode (LED), that indicates the lock status of a related device, for example.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Barnes & Noble College Booksellers, LLC
    Inventors: Kourtny M. Hicks, Dale J. Brewer
  • Patent number: 9600090
    Abstract: A technique for integrating a multi-touch surface into a desktop environment is disclosed. One or more multi-touch display devices are placed on the horizontal surface surrounding or beneath a keyboard or mouse. At least one region on the multi-touch surface is defined to display one or more user interface tools on the multi-touch surface. The one or more user interface tools displayed via the multi-touch surface may control or display information associated with desktop applications displayed via a primary display device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: AUTODESK, INC.
    Inventors: Tovi Grossman, Justin Frank Matejka, George Fitzmaurice, Xiaojun Bi
  • Patent number: 9601059
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method for automatically controlling a dynamic backlight control (DBC) of a display is disclosed according to one aspect of the subject technology. The method comprises determining whether an image to be displayed on the display comprises a high-resolution still image, and, if the image comprises a high-resolution still image, then disabling the DBC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Ken Foo, Kevin Tom
  • Patent number: 9583055
    Abstract: A video system including a sequential color liquid crystal display with a panel of pixels arranged in rows and columns, including a mechanism that controls unit brightness levels on each pixel in the panel called grey levels, each grey level corresponding to a video information received at the input. The grey level controlled on a pixel is achieved with an analog voltage that varies monotonously depending on the row associated with the pixel and/or a color to be displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: THOMSON LICENSING (S.A.S.)
    Inventors: Hugues Lebrun, Thierry Kretz
  • Patent number: 9569021
    Abstract: A touch panel including a panel body and a gas passage provided in the panel body. The panel body includes a pair of electrode plates, and each electrode plate is provided with a conductive layer. The electrode plates are fixedly attached to each other so that conductive coats thereof are opposed to each other with a gap defined therebetween. The gas passage is configured to allow a gas existing in the gap to circulate in the panel body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: FUJITSU COMPONENT LIMITED
    Inventors: Mitsuhiro Sekizawa, Maiko Kikuchi
  • Patent number: 9557781
    Abstract: A device may include a touch sensor for determining portions of a touchscreen display that receive touch inputs, and a motion sensor for identifying device motions of the device. Additionally, the device may include a processor to identify coordinates of a portion of the touchscreen display that receives a touch input, identify an input instant at which the touchscreen display receives the touch input, and determine a change of device motion that affects an accuracy of the coordinates of the touch input based on the input instant. In addition, the processor may adjust the coordinates based on the determined change of device motion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony Mobile Communications Inc
    Inventor: Henric Andersson
  • Patent number: 9520084
    Abstract: An image quality compensation device for an organic light emitting display includes: a memory having first and second update blocks selectively storing first and second period compensation values, which are sequentially updated at regular intervals; and a timing controller that configures the first update block as either the current memory page for data loading or the next memory page for data writing and the second update block as the other one of the two, based on a preset check code, and updates the memory by calculating the second period compensation value with the passage of driving time based on the first period compensation value loaded from the update block configured as the current memory page, writing the second period compensation value to the update block configured as the next memory page, and then erasing the first period compensation value from the update block configured as the current memory page.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: LG DISPLAY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sangho Yu, Seungtae Kim
  • Patent number: 9513749
    Abstract: In relation to touch sensors, technique capable of shortening total touch drive time and a touch detection period or suppressing increase thereof are provided. In a panel unit of a touch-sensor device, a touch drive unit generates a first pulse to an M-th pulses which are pulses of a plurality of types having mutually different cycles in accordance with differences in time constants with respect to paths including wirings of a peripheral area, touch drive electrodes, units of touch detection, touch detection electrodes, and wirings of the peripheral area through which pulses of touch drive signals to the plurality of touch drive electrodes are transmitted in a touch detection area in which the plurality of units of touch detection formed by pairs of the plurality of touch drive electrodes and the plurality of touch detection electrodes are formed like a matrix, and the touch drive unit applies the pulses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: Japan Display Inc.
    Inventors: Takafumi Suzuki, Kohei Azumi
  • Patent number: 9513700
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer programs are provided for generating an interactive space. One method includes operations for associating a first device to a reference point in 3D space, and for calculating by the first device a position of the first device in the 3D space based on inertial information captured by the first device and utilizing dead reckoning. Further, the method includes operations for capturing images with a camera of the first device, and for identifying locations of one or more static features in the images. The position of the first device is corrected based on the identified locations of the one or more static features, and a view of an interactive scene is presented in a display of the first device, where the interactive scene is tied to the reference point and includes virtual objects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment America LLC
    Inventors: George Weising, Thomas Miller
  • Patent number: 9514683
    Abstract: The gate driving circuit according to the present disclosure may be connected to a row pixel unit which includes a row pixel driving module and a light emitting element connected to each other, the row pixel driving module including a driving transistor, a driving module and a compensation module, the compensation module being connected with a gate scanning signal and the driving module being connected with a driving level. The gate driving circuit may further include a row pixel control unit, which is configured to provide the gate scanning signal to the compensation module and provide the driving level to the driving module, so as to control the compensation module to compensate for a threshold voltage of the driving transistor and control the driving module to drive the light emitting element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: BOE TECHNOLOGY GROUP CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kun Cao, Zhongyuan Wu, Liye Duan
  • Patent number: 9489106
    Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed for navigating or browsing through images, such as contact images, on electronic devices, such as portable electronic device having a touch screen display. In one embodiment, users of electronic devices are able to browse through contact images to locate a particular contact within a plurality of contacts available (e.g., stored) on the electronic devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventor: Imran Chaudhri
  • Patent number: 9472138
    Abstract: A pixel circuit for use in a display comprising a plurality of pixels is provided. The load-balanced current mirror pixel circuit can compensate for device degradation and/or mismatch, and changing environmental factors like temperature and mechanical strain. The pixel circuit comprises a pixel drive circuit comprising, switching circuitry, a current mirror having a reference transistor and a drive transistor, the reference transistor and the drive transistor each having a first and second node and a gate, the gate of the reference transistor being connected to the gate of the drive transistor; and a capacitor connected between the gate of the reference transistor and a ground potential, and a load connected between the current mirror and a ground potential, the load having a first load element and a second load element, the first load element being connected to the first node of the reference transistor and the second load element being connected to the first node of the drive transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: Ignis Innovation Inc.
    Inventors: Arokia Nathan, Kapil V. Sakariya, Peyman Servati, Shahin Jafarabadiashtiani
  • Patent number: 9465475
    Abstract: A touch panel comprises a plurality of basic sensing-units arranged in a matrix. The basic sensing-unit comprises a pressure-sensing transistor and a selection transistor. The pressure-sensing transistor comprises a first terminal, a second terminal, a gate electrode, a mask layer, a channel connecting the first and second terminals, a dielectric layer formed on the channel, and a piezoelectric material deposited on the dielectric layer. The piezoelectric material may comprise PVDF, lead zirconate titanate, ZnO, BaTiO3, LiNbO3, or PbTiO3. The selection transistor comprises a first terminal, a second terminal, and a third terminal. The first terminal of the selection transistor connects to a sensing electrode of the touch panel, the second terminal of the selection transistor connects to the first terminal of the pressure sensing transistor, and the third terminal of the selection transistor is a transistor gate and connects to a drive electrode of the touch panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignee: Chung Hua University
    Inventor: Jium Ming Lin
  • Patent number: 9465484
    Abstract: A vision system associated with a projection system includes multiple optical pathways. For instance, when the projection system projects an image onto a generally vertical surface, the vision system may operate in a rear sensing mode, such as for detecting one or more gestures made by a user located behind the projection system. Alternatively, when the projection system projects the image onto a generally horizontal surface the vision system may operate in a front sensing mode for detecting gestures made by a user located in front of the projection system. One or more thresholds may be established for switching between the front sensing mode and the rear sensing mode based on orientation information. As another example, the vision system may be operated in both the front sensing mode and the rear sensing mode contemporaneously.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Vijay Kamarshi, Qiang Liu
  • Patent number: 9460657
    Abstract: A display device includes a pixel unit including a plurality of pixels that have light-emitting time periods adjusted in response to light-emitting control signals, and a brightness control unit that adjusts a duty ratio of the light-emitting control signals and setting gamma and that converts image data according to a brightness mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: SAMSUNG DISPLAY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Si-Baek Pyo
  • Patent number: 9454246
    Abstract: A multi-functional pen apparatus and a method for using the multi-functional pen are provided. The method includes switching an operation mode of the multi-functional pen to a pen mode according to a predetermined key input; receiving pen data in the switched pen mode; and transmitting the pen data to a portable terminal, wherein the portable terminal transmits a call based on the transmitted pen data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2016
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Seong-Min Seo, Jeong-Seok Lee, In-Kuk Yun, Po-Ra Kim