Patents by Inventor G. Eric Engstrom

G. Eric Engstrom 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: 6954658
    Abstract: The present invention includes a wireless mobile communication device with a body casing having an exterior surface, and a number of light sources (LS) disposed on the exterior surface. A machine accessible medium is provided with instructions to selectively activate the number of LS in a spatial movement dependent manner to spatially paint luminescent images. Additionally, a processor is coupled to the machine accessible medium to execute the instructions. As a result, spatial painting of luminescent images utilizing a wireless mobile communication device is facilitated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2005
    Assignee: Wildseed, Ltd.
    Inventors: G. Eric Engstrom, Peter Zatloukal
  • Patent number: 6952597
    Abstract: A wireless mobile phone, is provided with an input keypad having a number of touch sensitive keys, and complementary logic to facilitate entry of alphanumeric data through stroking of the touch sensitive keys of the input keypad. Alphanumeric data or commands are entered through selected ones of down, up, right, left, and a number of other patterns of stroking of the touch sensitive keys. As a result, a user may enter alphanumeric data or commands in a much more user friendly manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2005
    Assignee: Wildseed Ltd.
    Inventors: Tyrol R. Graham, G. Eric Engstrom
  • Patent number: 6947894
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for allowing a user device to avoid undesired state transitions when the user is present but not performing activities is provided. The method provides for detection of activity in the proximity of the user device by monitoring for sounds via an audio input device connected to the user device. The method further provides for analysis of the detected audio signals on the audio input to determine if the sound detected matches a voice reference sample of the user of the user device. If the detected sound matches the existing voice reference sample of the user, the method provides for simulation of activities on the user device, thereby preventing the user device from performing an undesired state transition, and in turn preempting resource saving operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2005
    Assignee: Hall Aluminum LLC
    Inventor: G. Eric Engstrom
  • Patent number: 6944482
    Abstract: A wireless mobile phone is provided with the capability to visually convey various information to users, using a number of light emitting devcies (LEDs). The information may include notification of an incoming call, text messages of a call (in Morse code representations), complementary graphics for non-graphics contents, and visual representations of attributes of sound. In various embodiments, the implementations may include a visualization controller to selectively activate and deactivate the LEDs, and applicable ones of an event, text and sound visualization clients. In various embodiments, all or selected combinations of the elements may be part of the base unit of the wireless mobile phone, while the remaining elements, if any, may be part of an interchangeable face plate or a covering skin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2005
    Assignee: Wildseed Ltd.
    Inventors: G. Eric Engstrom, Paul R. Nash
  • Patent number: 6941346
    Abstract: An enhanced email program/service is provided to facilitate provisioning for a user an expanded addressee ordered listing of emails including expanded listing entries for emails addressed to one or more addressees of interest as secondary and/or member addressees, in addition to listing entries where the one or more addressees of interest are addressed as primary addressees. In various embodiments, the enhancements include facilities that enable the user to easily request for the expanded listing, from an addressee ordered or non-addressee ordered listing of emails, with or without explicitly specifying the addressee or addressees of interest. In response, the email program/service provisions the expanded listing, including the re-ordering if necessary, accordingly. As a result, the user may easily obtain a listing of all emails addressed to one or more addressees of interest, independent of the position and/or manner the addressees of interest are addressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2005
    Assignee: Hall Aluminum LLC
    Inventor: G. Eric Engstrom
  • Patent number: 6920338
    Abstract: An interchangeable cover is endowed with one or more I/O ports and complementary electronics to add the one or more I/O ports to a mobile device, to which the interchangeable cover is attached. In various embodiments, the I/O ports may comprise a PS/2 mouse port, a serial port, a parallel port, a serial bus port, and so forth. In various embodiments, the complementary electronics are packaged in an ASIC with output pins similar to that of a smart card, which may include a properly equipped protocol processor for de-packaging and packaging data being inputted/outputted in accordance with selected I/O protocols. In one embodiment, the cover is U-shaped. In a wireless mobile phone embodiment, the cover is attached to a rotabable sub-section of a pivotable section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2005
    Assignee: Wildseed, Ltd.
    Inventors: G. Eric Engstrom, Peter Zatloukal
  • Patent number: 6850782
    Abstract: A wireless communication device having vibrational communication capabilities in accordance with various embodiments is provided including a receiver to receive signals, a body casing, a vibrator coupled to the body casing to vibrate the wireless communication device, a storage medium having stored therein a plurality of programming instructions, which when executed cause the wireless communication device to vibrationally output received alphanumeric data through vibrational manifestation of the received alphanumeric data using the vibrator, and an execution unit coupled to the storage medium for executing the plurality of programming instructions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2005
    Assignee: Wildseed Ltd.
    Inventors: Walter G. Bright, G. Eric Engstrom
  • Publication number: 20040235460
    Abstract: A mobile device (620) provides an opinion system (600) for receiving opinions from a user and displaying results relating to the received opinion. Opinion user interface elements (621-622) receive input relating to the item of the opinion. The opinion is aggregated with other opinions received from other mobile devices and teh result is provided to the user. A probability thereon may be applied to the aggregated opinions, and may be used to generate estimates of probability for a users propensity to an item based on the user's preferences.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2003
    Publication date: November 25, 2004
    Inventors: G. Eric Engstrom, Peter Zatloukal
  • Publication number: 20040203683
    Abstract: An interchangeable covers having content for customizing wireless mobile phones is further provided with an indicator to denote whether the cover has been put to use. A wireless mobile phone is equipped to transmit a message to convey a detected first use of the cover. A server is equipped to store the message in detail or in aggregate. The server may also in addition or in lieu of said storing, accrue compensation for at least a selected one of a contributor of the content, a manufacturer of the wireless mobile phone, and a wireless mobile phone service provider.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2002
    Publication date: October 14, 2004
    Inventors: G. Eric Engstrom, Tyrol R. Graham, Peter Zatloukal, Christopher H. Phillips
  • Publication number: 20040203642
    Abstract: A wireless mobile phone is provided with a directory function to automatically save directory search results in at least one of a directory search result list and an address book of the wireless mobile phone. In various embodiments, a user of the wireless mobile phone may request for a party's phone number explicitly in a non-audible manner through a data interface, or audibly. A wireless telephone service, including its directory service, is equipped complementarily to offer and provide the wireless mobile phone with the directory search results in a selected one of a voice and a data form.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2002
    Publication date: October 14, 2004
    Inventors: Peter Zatloukal, G. Eric Engstrom
  • Publication number: 20040171377
    Abstract: The invention provides a method, system, and apparatus for finding, playing, and recording broadcasts on a mobile device (400) that includes two or more tuners and also works as a cellular telephone. The user can provide specific preferences or a pattern of use is employed by the mobile device to identify a broadcast. The mobile device tunes one tuner (452) to an identified broadcast and plays it for the user. While one tuner is playing a broadcast, the other tuner (453) is employed to scan for another broadcast based on user preference. When another broadcast is identified, the other tuner can start playing the scanned broadcast, cause it to be recorded for play back at a later time, or resume scanning for yet another broadcast based on user preference. When the mobile device is used for other purposes, the mobile device can resume playing a broadcast from the point of interruption.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2003
    Publication date: September 2, 2004
    Inventor: G Eric Engstrom
  • Publication number: 20040172481
    Abstract: The invention is directed to mobile device (FIG. 5, No 502) that obtains presence information for multiple users of other mobile devices (FIG. 5, No 508) and aggregating this information for display by at least one of the users. The aggregated presence information can include the physical (FIG. 5, No 516), virtual and ordinal (FIG. 5, Nos 512 and 514) locations for multiple users of the invention. Each user can opt in to, or out of, displaying at least a portion of the aggregated presence information in real time or over time (FIG. 5, No 504). Also statistics can be provided for analyzing presence information over time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2003
    Publication date: September 2, 2004
    Inventor: G. Eric Engstrom
  • Publication number: 20040137954
    Abstract: A wireless mobile phone is provided with the capability to visually convey audio to users, using a number of light sources, such as light emitting diodes (LEDs), in accordance with one or more attributes of the audio. The attributes may include different volume, spectrum, treble, bass, and so forth. The visualization may animate dance steps. In various embodiments, the implementations may include a visualization controller to selectively activate and deactivate the LEDs. The LEDs may be disposed on a side surface or underneath an array of input keys. In various embodiments, all or selected combinations of the elements may be part of the base unit of the wireless mobile phone, while the remaining elements, if any, may be part of an interchangeable cover. The cover may be a housing cover or an accessory cover.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2003
    Publication date: July 15, 2004
    Inventors: G. Eric Engstrom, Tyrol R. Graham
  • Publication number: 20040137884
    Abstract: A mobile communication device, such as a wireless mobile phone, is provided with a unified message function equipped to facilitate a user in interacting with a communication partner including messages of different message types supported by the mobile communication device via a unified thread.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2003
    Publication date: July 15, 2004
    Inventors: G. Eric Engstrom, Tyrol R. Grahm, Jonathan O. Nelson, Eric J. Hull
  • Publication number: 20040137955
    Abstract: A mobile communication device, such as a wireless mobile phone, is provided with a unified message function equipped to facilitate a user in interacting with communication messages of different message types supported by the mobile communication device via an unified message box.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2003
    Publication date: July 15, 2004
    Inventors: G. Eric Engstrom, Tyrol R. Grahm, Jonathan O. Nelson, Eric J. Hull
  • Publication number: 20040132492
    Abstract: A mobile communications device including an interchangeable covering addition for display and key reorientation is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2003
    Publication date: July 8, 2004
    Inventors: G. Eric Engstrom, Peter Zatloukal
  • Publication number: 20040077381
    Abstract: In accordance with one embodiment, a mobile communication device is provided with scrolling logic to scroll information displayed on a display at variable scroll rate. In accordance with another embodiment, a mobile communication device is provided with scrolling logic to stop scrolling gradually.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2003
    Publication date: April 22, 2004
    Inventor: G. Eric Engstrom
  • Publication number: 20040077360
    Abstract: A wireless mobile device is equipped with a menu driver that facilitates direct navigation between main menu items or activities. In one embodiment, a user may navigate from a last sub-menu item/sub-activity state of a menu item/activity to another last sub-menu item/sub-activity state of another menu item/activity. In one embodiment, sub-menu items or sub-activities are presented as in place scroll list replacing a selected sub-menu item/sub-activity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2003
    Publication date: April 22, 2004
    Inventors: G. Eric Engstrom, Peter Zatloukal
  • Publication number: 20040067750
    Abstract: Identification based operational modification of a portable electronic device includes detecting the presence of an employee identification badge, authenticating the identification badge as an eligible identification badge based at least in part upon data associated with the identification badge that is individualized to at least the employee and/or employer, and modifying one or more operating characteristics of the portable electronic device resulting in an identification badge authenticated mode of operation for the portable electronic device based upon successful authentication of the identification badge.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2002
    Publication date: April 8, 2004
    Inventors: G. Eric Engstrom, Peter Zatloukal
  • Publication number: 20040018861
    Abstract: A wireless mobile communication device is provided with a light source arrangement configured to be able to output at least one of a steady or sweeping light pulse. The former may be used as a light pointer. The later may be used to facilitate spatial painting of illumination images. In various embodiments, the light source arrangement may include one or more collimated light sources and optionally, one or more mirrors, optically aligned and/or operated in a complementary manner. Further, the device is provided with instructions designed to selectively hold steady or operate the light source(s) and/or the mirror(s) in the complementary manner, activating/deactivating the LS to paint a line (row/column) of pixels in one direction, in accordance with the row/column of a bitmap of an illumination image to be painted, as the device is moved in another complementary direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2003
    Publication date: January 29, 2004
    Inventors: Daniel Shapiro, G. Eric Engstrom, Peter Zatloukal