Patents by Inventor James D. Mackraz

James D. Mackraz 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: 9405391
    Abstract: Techniques for reflowing content on a handheld electronic device are described herein. For example, content may be rendered on a display of a handheld electronic device. A user may grasp the device. In some cases, grasping the device may cause at least a portion of the rendered content to be obscured. The device may reflow the rendered content. For example, the device may reflow the content around the grasp of the user to enable the rendered content to be viewed without the user's grasp being altered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: James D. Mackraz
  • Patent number: 9268734
    Abstract: Techniques for enhancing content being rendered on an electronic device are described herein. In some instances, the techniques include monitoring interactions between a user and a content item that the user consumes on an electronic device. The content items may include electronic books, songs, videos, documents, or the like. In response to detecting an interaction between the user and the content item, the techniques may publish an event indicative of the interaction to an application platform that hosts one or more applications. The applications may be designed to enhance the content that the user consumes in one or more specified ways.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Charles L. Ward, Donald Ryan Willhoit, Lars C. Ulness, Robert C. Borja, Jr., James D. Mackraz, Edward J. Gayles
  • Patent number: 8953841
    Abstract: In some examples, a user transportable device may determine, based at least in part on sensor input, that the device is in motion. For example, the device may determine there is a likelihood that a user of the device is walking, running, traveling in a vehicle, or the like. In response, the device may present, on a display, an image obtained from a camera oriented, at least in part, toward a direction of travel. Further, in some examples, one or more images from the camera and/or sensor input from other sensors on the device may be analyzed to detect whether an object, obstruction or other hazard is in a direction of travel of the user of the device. If the device determines that a hazard may be imminently encountered by the user, the device may provide an alert to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan A. Leblang, James D. Mackraz
  • Patent number: 8519971
    Abstract: Techniques for reflowing content around obscuring objects are described herein. For instance, in one example the techniques may render content on a display of a handheld electronic device before detecting that a user's grasp of the device obscures at least a portion of the content. Thereafter, and in response, the device may reflow the content around the grasp of the user, thus allowing the user to consume the content without the need to alter her grasp when she reaches the obscured portion of the content. In some instances, the device includes a touch-sensitive display that recognizes the grasp that obscures the content. In other instances, the device may recognize that the grasp obscures the content via a camera, a strain gauge, a light sensor, or in any other suitable manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: James D. Mackraz