Patents by Inventor Greg Christie

Greg Christie 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: 8082523
    Abstract: A portable electronic device displays, on a touch screen display, a user interface for a phone application during a phone call. In response to detecting activation of a menu icon or menu button, the UI for the phone application is replaced with a menu of application icons, while maintaining the phone call. In response to detecting a finger gesture on a non-telephone service application icon, displaying a user interface for the non-telephone service application while continuing to maintain the phone call, the UI for the non-telephone service application including a switch application icon that is not displayed in the UI when there is no ongoing phone call. In response to detecting a finger gesture on the switch application icon, replacing display of the UI for the non-telephone service application with a respective UI for the phone application while continuing to maintain the phone call.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2011
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Scott Forstall, Greg Christie, Stephen O. Lemay, Marcel Van Os, Imran Chaudhri
  • Publication number: 20110294551
    Abstract: In one aspect of the invention, a computer-implemented method is disclosed for use in conjunction with a portable electronic device with a touch screen display. A list of items comprising missed telephone calls is displayed. Upon detecting user selection of an item in the list, contact information is displayed for a respective caller corresponding to the user selected item. The displayed contact information includes a plurality of contact objects that include a first contact object, comprising a telephone number object having a first telephone number associated with the missed telephone call, and a second contact object. Upon detecting user selection of the second contact object, a communication with the respective caller is initiated via a modality corresponding to the second contact object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2011
    Publication date: December 1, 2011
    Inventors: Scott Forstall, Greg Christie, Scott Herz, Imran Chaudhri, Michael Matas, Marcel Van Os, Stephen O. Lemay
  • Publication number: 20110296356
    Abstract: A device with a touch-sensitive display may be unlocked via gestures performed on the touch-sensitive display. The device is unlocked if contact with the display corresponds to a predefined gesture for unlocking the device. The device displays one or more unlock images with respect to which the predefined gesture is to be performed in order to unlock the device. The performance of the predefined gesture with respect to the unlock image may include moving the unlock image to a predefined location and/or moving the unlock image along a predefined path. The device may also display visual cues of the predefined gesture on the touch screen to remind a user of the gesture.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2011
    Publication date: December 1, 2011
    Inventors: Imran Chaudhri, Bas Ording, Freddy Allen Anzures, Marcel Van Os, Scott Forstall, Greg Christie
  • Patent number: 8063872
    Abstract: A portable electronic device with a touch-sensitive display is disclosed. In some embodiments, the time period after which the display is dimmed due to user inactivity is extended based on user interaction with the device subsequent to a dimming event. The dim time can be extended for a single application, multiple applications, or for the device as a whole. The user interaction with the device that extends the dim time can be a touch on any button of the device, the device's touch screen display, or even a smack on the body of the device that is detected by an acceleration sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2011
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Scott Forstall, Greg Christie
  • Publication number: 20110275418
    Abstract: In some embodiments, a portable multifunction device with a touch screen display performs a method that includes: displaying a phone call user interface on the touch screen display, wherein the phone call user interface includes: a first informational item associated with an active phone call between a user of the device and a first party, a second informational item associated with a suspended phone call between the user and a second party, and a merge call icon; upon detecting a user selection of the merge call icon, merging the active phone call and the suspended phone call into a conference call between the user, the first party, and the second party, and replacing the phone call user interface with a conference call user interface. The conference call user interface includes: a third informational item associated with the conference call, and a conference call management icon.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2011
    Publication date: November 10, 2011
    Inventors: Scott Forstall, Imran Chaudhri, Michael Matas, Marcel Van Os, Stephen O. Lemay, Patrick Lee Coffman, Elizabeth Caroline Furches, Greg Christie
  • Patent number: 8046721
    Abstract: A device with a touch-sensitive display may be unlocked via gestures performed on the touch-sensitive display. The device is unlocked if contact with the display corresponds to a predefined gesture for unlocking the device. The device displays one or more unlock images with respect to which the predefined gesture is to be performed in order to unlock the device. The performance of the predefined gesture with respect to the unlock image may include moving the unlock image to a predefined location and/or moving the unlock image along a predefined path. The device may also display visual cues of the predefined gesture on the touch screen to remind a user of the gesture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Imran Chaudhri, Bas Ording, Freddy Allen Anzures, Marcel Van Os, Stephen O. Lemay, Scott Forstall, Greg Christie
  • Publication number: 20110254800
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method for management of voicemail messages, performed at a portable electronic device with a touch screen display, includes: displaying a list of voicemail messages; detecting selection by a user of a respective voicemail message in the list; responding to the user selection of the respective voicemail message by initiating playback of the user-selected voicemail message; displaying a progress bar for the user-selected voicemail message, wherein the progress bar indicates the portion of the user-selected voicemail message that has been played; detecting movement of a finger of the user from a first position on the progress bar to a second position on the progress bar; and responding to the detection of the finger movement by restarting playback of the user-selected voicemail message at a position within the user-selected voicemail message corresponding substantially to the second position on the progress bar.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2011
    Publication date: October 20, 2011
    Inventors: Freddy Allen Anzures, Greg Christie, Scott Forstall, Gregory Novick, Steven P. Jobs, Imran Chaudhri, Stephen O. Lemay, Patrick Lee Coffman, Elizabeth Caroline Furches
  • Publication number: 20110235990
    Abstract: A video player for a portable multifunction device is disclosed. In some embodiments, a list of video items is displayed in a portrait orientation of a touch screen display of a portable electronic device. Upon user selection of a respective video item in the list, the user selected video item is automatically displayed in a landscape orientation of the touch screen display.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2011
    Publication date: September 29, 2011
    Inventors: Freddy Allen Anzures, Greg Christie, Scott Forstall, Charles J. Pisula
  • Publication number: 20110239155
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention are directed to a system, method, and software for implementing gestures with touch sensitive devices (such as a touch sensitive display) for managing and editing media files on a computing device or system. Specifically, gestural inputs of a human hand over a touch/proximity sensitive device can be used to control, edit, and manipulate files, such as media files including without limitation graphical files, photo files and video files.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2011
    Publication date: September 29, 2011
    Inventor: Greg Christie
  • Publication number: 20110225249
    Abstract: A threaded list of e-mail messages is provided by checking each received message against previous messages to determine whether the new message is associated with previous messages. If so, then a new thread is created. The new thread has an associated thread header, which stores metadata bout the messages in the thread. If the received message is related to messages in an existing thread, then the received message is added to that thread, and the thread header for that thread is updated to reflect data from the received message. The thread header appears with messages in a message list view of the inbox, and provides data about the thread. Messages that are not part of a thread are shown in the same view as threaded messages, without a thread header. This allows a user to view both threaded and non-threaded messages in a single view.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2011
    Publication date: September 15, 2011
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Scott Forstall, Greg Christie, Stephen O. Lemay
  • Patent number: 8020105
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a unified user interface for instant messaging and electronic mail. In one aspect, a single user interface is provided to allow a user to view email and instant messages. Instant messages and email are received and displayed within a common window within a single application. In one aspect, an instant messaging input field is associated with an email message. For example, in one aspect, when a user associated with an email message is available for instant messaging, an input field appears in a preview pane for the email message. In another aspect of the present invention, instant messages may be managed like an email, e.g. filed, printed, forwarded, stored in folders, etc. For example, in one aspect, a transcript of an instant messaging session may be forwarded as an email.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen Olivier Lemay, Greg Christie
  • Publication number: 20110216972
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for color image restoration and enhancement. In at least one embodiment, color signals for individual channels of an image (e.g., red, green, or blue) are adjusted based on a weighted set of averages (e.g., of the entire image, the center portion, the surrounding portion, or other portions). In one example, pixels with extreme values of color signals (e.g., pure black or white pixels) are ignored for the purposes of restoring color; and, the different averages are weighted according to the pixel location (e.g., the distance from the pixel to a center point). In one example, after color restoration for individual channels, the luminance of each pixel is adjusted back to their original levels; and the range of luminance of the image is further adjusted to provide improved brightness and contrast, where in determining the luminance the red, green and blue color channels are given an equal weight.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2011
    Publication date: September 8, 2011
    Inventor: Greg Christie
  • Patent number: 8013839
    Abstract: A portable device with a touch screen display detects a contact area of a finger with the touch screen display and then determines a first position associated with the contact area. The cursor position of the finger contact is determined, at least in part, based on: the first position, one or more distances between the first position and one or more of the user interface objects; and one or more activation susceptibility numbers, each associated with a respective user interface object in the plurality of user interface objects. If the cursor position falls into the hidden hit region of a virtual push button on the touch screen display, the portable device is activated to perform operations associated with the virtual push button.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2011
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Bas Ording, Scott Forstall, Greg Christie
  • Patent number: 8014760
    Abstract: In one aspect of the invention, a computer-implemented method is disclosed for use in conjunction with a portable electronic device with a touch screen display. A list of items comprising missed telephone calls is displayed. Upon detecting user selection of an item in the list, contact information is displayed for a respective caller corresponding to the user selected item. The displayed contact information includes a plurality of contact objects that include a first contact object, comprising a telephone number object having a first telephone number associated with the missed telephone call, and a second contact object. Upon detecting user selection of the second contact object, a communication with the respective caller is initiated via a modality corresponding to the second contact object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2011
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Scott Forstall, Greg Christie, Scott Herz, Imran Chaudhri, Michael Matas, Marcel Van Os, Stephen O. Lemay
  • Publication number: 20110202882
    Abstract: Deletion gestures for use on a portable multifunction device with a touch-sensitive display are disclosed. In some embodiments, a computer-implemented method for use in conjunction with the portable multifunction device comprises displaying a list of items on the touch-sensitive display, detecting a first gesture on the touch-sensitive display to edit the list of items, responding to the first gesture by displaying a first icon next to each deletable item in the list, detecting a second gesture on the touch-sensitive display to select one of the deletable items, and responding to the second gesture by displaying a second icon next to the selected item. If a third gesture on the second icon is detected, the selected deletable item is deleted. If a fourth gesture on the first icon next to the selected deletable item is detected, the second icon is deleted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2011
    Publication date: August 18, 2011
    Inventors: Scott Forstall, Greg Christie, Stephen O. Lemay, Bas Ording, Marcel Van Os
  • Patent number: 7996792
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method for management of voicemail messages, performed at a portable electronic device with a touch screen display, includes: displaying a list of voicemail messages; detecting selection by a user of a respective voicemail message in the list; responding to the user selection of the respective voicemail message by initiating playback of the user-selected voicemail message; displaying a progress bar for the user-selected voicemail message, wherein the progress bar indicates the portion of the user-selected voicemail message that has been played; detecting movement of a finger of the user from a first position on the progress bar to a second position on the progress bar; and responding to the detection of the finger movement by restarting playback of the user-selected voicemail message at a position within the user-selected voicemail message corresponding substantially to the second position on the progress bar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2011
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Freddy Allen Anzures, Greg Christie, Scott Forstall, Gregory Novick, Steven P. Jobs, Imran Chaudhri, Stephen O. Lemay, Patrick Lee Coffman, Elizabeth Caroline Furches
  • Publication number: 20110163972
    Abstract: A multifunction device with a touch-sensitive display displays an unlock image on the touch-sensitive display and concurrently displays a slide show initiation icon while the device is in a user-interface locked mode. The unlock image is a graphical user interface object with which the user interacts in order to transition the multifunction device to a user-interface unlocked mode. The device detects a first user input while the multifunction device is in the user-interface locked mode and presenting a slide show, and in response to detecting the first user input, displays the unlock image and the slide show initiation icon. When the device detects user activation of the slide show initiation icon, it presents the slide show on the touch-sensitive display and maintains the device in the user-interface locked mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2010
    Publication date: July 7, 2011
    Inventors: Freddy Allen Anzures, Greg Christie, Imran Chaudhri
  • Patent number: D643849
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Greg Christie, Elizabeth Caroline Furches, Bas Ording
  • Patent number: D648734
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2011
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Greg Christie, Elizabeth Caroline Furches, Bas Ording
  • Patent number: D649555
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2011
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Greg Christie, Elizabeth Caroline Furches, Bas Ording