Patents by Inventor Dean Rice

Dean Rice has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20070046634
    Abstract: A method for operating one or more computing input devices in a power saving mode. The method includes providing a computer input device having a wireless sensing device coupled to a processing unit. The wireless sensing device and the processing unit are provided in a housing of the computing input device. The method includes monitoring for one or more packets using the wireless sensing device from a wireless tag device, which can be portable and capable of being personalized. The method brings the wireless tag device within a selected spatial proximity of the computer input device including the wireless sensing device. The method captures the one or more packets using the wireless sensing device after the wireless tag device is within the selected spatial proximity of the computer input device. The method initiates a wake up process using the processing unit of the computer input device from information derived from the one or more packets from the wireless sensing device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2005
    Publication date: March 1, 2007
    Applicant: Minebea Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Dean Rice
  • Publication number: 20050104853
    Abstract: A wake-up system for an input device having a circuit board inside it has a motion sensor mounted on the printed circuit board inside the input device. The motion sensor has a motion signal output and the wake-up system further include a detection circuit connected to the motion signal output. The detection circuit has a wake-up signal output. The input device can be an optical wireless mouse. The motion sensor may be a mechanical motion sensor such as a tilt sensor having a ball contact and stationary contacts. The stationary contacts may be printed directly on the printed circuit board. The ball contact and stationary contacts form an electrical switch and are gold-plated. The ball contact is conductive. The motion sensor may be sealed to avoid corrosion. The detection circuit detects a change of state of whether the electrical switch formed by the ball contact and stationary contact is opened or closed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2003
    Publication date: May 19, 2005
    Inventors: Chatree Sitalasai, Toshisada Takeda, Dean Rice, John Guo, Charles Fauble