Patents by Inventor Ethan R. Bradford

Ethan R. Bradford 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).

  • Patent number: 8237681
    Abstract: A selective input system and associated method is provided which tracks the motion of a pointing device over a region or area. The pointing device can be a touchpad, a mouse, a pen, or any device capable of providing two or three-dimensional location. The region or area is preferably augmented with a printed or actual keyboard/pad. Alternatively, a representation of the location of the pointing device over a virtual keyboard/pad can be dynamically shown on an associated display. The system identifies selections of items or characters by detecting parameters of motion of the pointing device, such as length of motion, a change in direction, a change in velocity, and or a lack of motion at locations that correspond to features on the keyboard/pad. The input system is preferably coupled to a text disambiguation system such as a T9® or Sloppytype™ system, to improve the accuracy and usability of the input system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Tegic Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: James Stephanick, Christina James, Ethan R. Bradford, Michael R. Longé
  • Patent number: 8237682
    Abstract: A selective input system and associated method is provided which tracks the motion of a pointing device over a region or area. The pointing device can be a touchpad, a mouse, a pen, or any device capable of providing two or three-dimensional location. The region or area is preferably augmented with a printed or actual keyboard/pad. Alternatively, a representation of the location of the pointing device over a virtual keyboard/pad can be dynamically shown on an associated display. The system identifies selections of items or characters by detecting parameters of motion of the pointing device, such as length of motion, a change in direction, a change in velocity, and or a lack of motion at locations that correspond to features on the keyboard/pad. The input system is preferably coupled to a text disambiguation system such as a T9® or Sloppytype™ system, to improve the accuracy and usability of the input system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Tegic Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: James Stephanick, Christina James, Ethan R. Bradford, Michael R. Longe
  • Publication number: 20110275355
    Abstract: In one general sense, information may be presented to a user by receiving one or more ambiguous characters that may be resolved to one of at least two disambiguated characters, exchanging at least one of the ambiguous characters with a host, receiving, from the host, results that reflect disambiguated terms related to the ambiguous characters exchanged with the host, rendering the results in a manner enabling the user to perceive which of the disambiguated terms will be used upon user selection of an aspect of the results, and enabling the user to select an aspect of the results to effect use of a corresponding one of the disambiguated terms.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2011
    Publication date: November 10, 2011
    Inventors: Michael R. Longe, Ethan R. Bradford, David J. Kay, Pim Van Meurs
  • Patent number: 7966003
    Abstract: In one general sense, information may be presented to a user by receiving one or more ambiguous characters that may be resolved to one of at least two disambiguated characters, exchanging at least one of the ambiguous characters with a host, receiving, from the host, results that reflect disambiguated terms related to the ambiguous characters exchanged with the host, rendering the results in a manner enabling the user to perceive which of the disambiguated terms will be used upon user selection of an aspect of the results, and enabling the user to select an aspect of the results to effect use of a corresponding one of the disambiguated terms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2011
    Assignee: Tegic Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael R. Longe, Ethan R. Bradford, David J. Kay, Pim Van Meurs
  • Publication number: 20110037718
    Abstract: A selective input system and associated method is provided which tracks the motion of a pointing device over a region or area. The pointing device can be a touchpad, a mouse, a pen, or any device capable of providing two or three-dimensional location. The region or area is preferably augmented with a printed or actual keyboard/pad. Alternatively, a representation of the location of the pointing device over a virtual keyboard/pad can be dynamically shown on an associated display. The system identifies selections of items or characters by detecting parameters of motion of the pointing device, such as length of motion, a change in direction, a change in velocity, and or a lack of motion at locations that correspond to features on the keyboard/pad. The input system is preferably coupled to a text disambiguation system such as a T9® or Sloppytype™ system, to improve the accuracy and usability of the input system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2010
    Publication date: February 17, 2011
    Inventors: James STEPHANICK, Christina James, Ethan R. Bradford, Michael R. Longe
  • Publication number: 20100271299
    Abstract: A selective input system and associated method is provided which tracks the motion of a pointing device over a region or area. The pointing device can be a touchpad, a mouse, a pen, or any device capable of providing two or three-dimensional location. The region or area is preferably augmented with a printed or actual keyboard/pad. Alternatively, a representation of the location of the pointing device over a virtual keyboard/pad can be dynamically shown on an associated display. The system identifies selections of items or characters by detecting parameters of motion of the pointing device, such as length of motion, a change in direction, a change in velocity, and or a lack of motion at locations that correspond to features on the keyboard/pad. The input system is preferably coupled to a text disambiguation system such as a T9® or Sloppytype™ system, to improve the accuracy and usability of the input system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2010
    Publication date: October 28, 2010
    Inventors: JAMES STEPHANICK, Christina James, Ethan R. Bradford, Michael R. Longe
  • Patent number: 7821503
    Abstract: A selective input system and associated method is provided which tracks the motion of a pointing device over a region or area. The pointing device can be a touchpad, a mouse, a pen, or any device capable of providing two or three-dimensional location. The region or area is preferably augmented with a printed or actual keyboard/pad. Alternatively, a representation of the location of the pointing device over a virtual keyboard/pad can be dynamically shown on an associated display. The system identifies selections of items or characters by detecting parameters of motion of the pointing device, such as length of motion, a change in direction, a change in velocity, and or a lack of motion at locations that correspond to features on the keyboard/pad. The input system is preferably coupled to a text disambiguation system such as a T9® or Sloppytype™ system, to improve the accuracy and usability of the input system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2010
    Assignee: Tegic Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: James Stephanick, Christina James, Ethan R. Bradford, Michael R. Longé
  • Patent number: 7750891
    Abstract: A selective input system and associated method is provided which tracks the motion of a pointing device over a region or area. The pointing device can be a touchpad, a mouse, a pen, or any device capable of providing two or three-dimensional location. The region or area is preferably augmented with a printed or actual keyboard/pad. Alternatively, a representation of the location of the pointing device over a virtual keyboard/pad can be dynamically shown on an associated display. The system identifies selections of items or characters by detecting parameters of motion of the pointing device, such as length of motion, a change in direction, a change in velocity, and or a lack of motion at locations that correspond to features on the keyboard/pad. The input system is preferably coupled to a text disambiguation system such as a T9® or Sloppytype™ system, to improve the accuracy and usability of the input system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2010
    Assignee: Tegic Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: James Stephanick, Christina James, Ethan R. Bradford, Michael R. Longé
  • Publication number: 20100122164
    Abstract: The invention concerns user entry of information into a system with an input device. A scheme is provided in which an entire word that a user wants to enter is predicted after the user enters a specific symbol, such as a space character. If the user presses an ambiguous key thereafter, rather than accept the prediction, the selection list is reordered. For example, a user enters the phrase “Lets run to school. Better yet, lets drive to “.””” After the user presses the space, after first entering the second occurrence of the word “to,” the system predicts that the user is going to enter the word “school” based on the context in which the user has entered that word in the past. Should the user enter an ambiguous key after the space, then a word list which contains the word “school” is reordered and other options are made available to the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2010
    Publication date: May 13, 2010
    Applicant: TEGIC COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: David Jon Kay, Ethan R. Bradford, Pim van Meurs, Peter C. Peddie
  • Patent number: 7679534
    Abstract: The invention concerns user entry of information into a system with an input device. A scheme is provided in which an entire word that a user wants to enter is predicted after the user enters a specific symbol, such as a space character. If the user presses an ambiguous key thereafter, rather than accept the prediction, the selection list is reordered. For example, a user enters the phrase “Lets run to school. Better yet, lets drive to “.””” After the user presses the space, after first entering the second occurrence of the word “to,” the system predicts that the user is going to enter the word “school” based on the context in which the user has entered that word in the past. Should the user enter an ambiguous key after the space, then a word list which contains the word “school” is reordered and other options are made available to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2010
    Assignee: Tegic Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: David Jon Kay, Ethan R. Bradford, Pim van Meurs, Peter C. Peddie
  • Patent number: 7610194
    Abstract: A dynamic database reordering system provides a linguistics database that contains words that are ordered according to a linguistics model that dictates the order in which words are presented to a user. While a user enters keystrokes on a keypad of a communications device is pressing keys, the invention predicts the words, letters, numbers, or word stubs that the user is trying to enter. The invention reorders the linguistics model order based on the user's usage of the system by tracking the user's word selections. Once a word has been selected as a result of a next key selection (the nexted word), a frequency value is applied to the selected word and the word ordered first by the linguistics model in the linguistics database for that key sequence. The frequency value of the nexted word will become greater than the frequency value of the first displayed word upon repeated nexting to the same word.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2009
    Assignee: Tegic Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Ethan R. Bradford, David Jon Kay
  • Publication number: 20090213134
    Abstract: A selective input system and associated method is provided which tracks the motion of a pointing device over a region or area. The pointing device can be a touchpad, a mouse, a pen, or any device capable of providing two or three-dimensional location. The region or area is preferably augmented with a printed or actual keyboard/pad. Alternatively, a representation of the location of the pointing device over a virtual keyboard/pad can be dynamically shown on an associated display. The system identifies selections of items or characters by detecting parameters of motion of the pointing device, such as length of motion, a change in direction, a change in velocity, and or a lack of motion at locations that correspond to features on the keyboard/pad. The input system is preferably coupled to a text disambiguation system such as a T9® or Sloppytype™ system, to improve the accuracy and usability of the input system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2009
    Publication date: August 27, 2009
    Inventors: James Stephanick, Christina James, Ethan R. Bradford, Michael R. Longe
  • Publication number: 20040083198
    Abstract: A dynamic database reordering system provides a linguistics database that contains words that are ordered according to a linguistics model that dictates the order in which words are presented to a user. While a user enters keystrokes on a keypad of a communications device is pressing keys, the invention predicts the words, letters, numbers, or word stubs that the user is trying to enter. The invention reorders the linguistics model order based on the user's usage of the system by tracking the user's word selections. Once a word has been selected as a result of a next key selection (the nexted word), a frequency value is applied to the selected word and the word ordered first by the linguistics model in the linguistics database for that key sequence. The frequency value of the nexted word will become greater than the frequency value of the first displayed word upon repeated nexting to the same word.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2003
    Publication date: April 29, 2004
    Inventors: Ethan R. Bradford, David Jon Kay
  • Patent number: 6646573
    Abstract: A reduced keyboard system for the Japanese language which uses word-level disambiguation of entered keystroke sequences, and which enables the user to select the desired interpretation of an ambiguous input key sequence as kana, and then select the desired textual interpretation associated with the selected kana interpretation. The system uses a highly compressed database format which has several advantages in terms of reduced size and minimal processing requirements during operation. Also disclosed is a reduced keyboard system which uses sequences of two keystrokes to specify each syllable, including the syllables with palatalized vowels that are written with two kana each. Input sequences of keystrokes are interpreted as ordered pairs of keystrokes which select a character according to its position in a two-dimensional matrix. The first keystroke of each ordered pair specifies the row of the matrix in which the desired character appears, and the second keystroke of each pair specifies the column.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2003
    Assignee: America Online, Inc.
    Inventors: Clifford A. Kushler, Edward P. Flinchem, Ethan R. Bradford, Daiju Matsuo
  • Patent number: 6636162
    Abstract: A reduced keyboard system for the Japanese language which uses word-level disambiguation of entered keystroke sequences, and which enables the user to select the desired interpretation of an ambiguous input key sequence as kana, and then select the desired textual interpretation associated with the selected kana interpretation. The system uses a highly compressed database format which has several advantages in terms of reduced size and minimal processing requirements during operation. Also disclosed is a reduced keyboard system which uses sequences of two keystrokes to specify each syllable, including the syllables with palatalized vowels that are written with two kana each. Input sequences of keystrokes are interpreted as ordered pairs of keystrokes which select a character according to its position in a two-dimensional matrix. The first keystroke of each ordered pair specifies the row of the matrix in which the desired character appears, and the second keystroke of each pair specifies the column.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2003
    Assignee: America Online, Incorporated
    Inventors: Clifford A. Kushler, Edward P. Flinchem, Ethan R. Bradford, Daiju Matsuo