Patents by Inventor John O. Louch

John O. Louch 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: 10331287
    Abstract: A user interface can have one or more spaces presented therein. A space is a grouping of one or more program windows in relation to windows of other application programs, such that the program(s) of only a single space is visible when the space is active. A view can be generated of all spaces and their contents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Assana Fard, John O. Louch, Ralph Brunner, Haroon Sheikh, Eric Steven Peyton, Christopher Hynes
  • Patent number: 10289292
    Abstract: An electronic device: displays a first window and a second window within a display area, the first window having a first edge parallel to a second edge of the second window; and detects an input moving the first edge toward the second edge. In response to detecting the input, the device: pairs the first edge to the second edge such that the first window stops moving before it overlaps the second window when the user input satisfies pairing criteria, the pairing criteria include a first pairing criterion that is met when the input corresponds to movement of the first edge toward the second edge that deviates from a predefined axis by less than an angular threshold value; and continues the movement of the first window based on the input so that the first window overlaps the second window when the user input does not satisfy the pairing criteria.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Corbin Robert Dunn, John O. Louch, Kevin James Van Vechten, Patrick Lee Coffman, Troy N. Stephens
  • Patent number: 10170080
    Abstract: An electronic device may have a main display and an ancillary display. The device may also have a backlit keyboard with glyphs. An ambient light sensor may measure ambient light levels. Control circuitry in the laptop computer may adjust the color cast of content on the ancillary display depending on whether the content contains glyphs or other input display content or whether the content contains images, color gradients, or other output display content. Input display content may be matched in color cast to the color cast of the glyphs, which may be determined based on backlight status and/or measured ambient light information. Output content may be color matched to the main display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: ByoungSuk Kim, Jun Qi, Ali T. Ozer, Bongsun Lee, Kevin J. Van Vechten, Patrick O. Heynen, John O. Louch
  • Patent number: 10152192
    Abstract: In some implementations, a method for managing virtual workspaces is described. In some implementations, workspace images corresponding to different virtual workspaces can be displayed on a user interface of a computing device. When an application window is moved onto one of the workspace images, the window can be scaled down to fit within the workspace image. In some implementations, a window grouping or cluster can be moved onto one of the workspace images and scaled down accordingly. In some implementations, a method for generating a new virtual workspace is described. In some implementations, a placeholder workspace image that has no corresponding virtual workspace can be displayed on a user interface of a computing device. In response to an application window being moved onto the placeholder workspace image, a new virtual workspace (and new workspace image) can be generated that includes the windows that were moved onto the placeholder workspace image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2018
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Bas Ording, John O. Louch
  • Publication number: 20180129364
    Abstract: A set of user interfaces for a data processing system that operates with two or more display devices coupled to the system. In one embodiment, in response to moving a first window between two displays, the first window is displayed, as it straddles the two displays, differently on the two displays. For example, while a reference point (e.g. a cursor) on the window remains on a first display, a first portion of the window on the first display is displayed normally while a second portion on the second display is displayed with more translucence (more transparency) than the first portion; when the references point crosses to the second display, the first portion becomes more translucent than the second portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2018
    Publication date: May 10, 2018
    Inventors: John O. Louch, Raymond S. Sepulveda, Kristin M. Forster
  • Publication number: 20180088799
    Abstract: A device may include a dynamic function row (DFR) comprising a touchscreen. A device processor may operate a DFR agent controlling the DFR. The DFR agent may generate and/or select images to display on the DFR based on rules and/or contexts, and the DFR may display the images.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2017
    Publication date: March 29, 2018
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: John O. Louch, Kevin J. Van Vechten
  • Patent number: 9921713
    Abstract: A set of applications on a mobile device can be specified, presented and automatically populated with transitional data sets. The transitional data sets can be stored on a network to facilitate computations of differences between transitional data sets and other data sets, and the differences can be presented on the mobile device by one or more location-aware applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: John O. Louch
  • Publication number: 20180068636
    Abstract: An electronic device may have a main display and an ancillary display. The device may also have a backlit keyboard with glyphs. An ambient light sensor may measure ambient light levels. Control circuitry in the laptop computer may adjust the color cast of content on the ancillary display depending on whether the content contains glyphs or other input display content or whether the content contains images, color gradients, or other output display content. Input display content may be matched in color cast to the color cast of the glyphs, which may be determined based on backlight status and/or measured ambient light information. Output content may be color matched to the main display.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2017
    Publication date: March 8, 2018
    Inventors: ByoungSuk Kim, Jun Qi, Ali T. Ozer, Bongsun Lee, Kevin J. Van Vechten, Patrick O. Heynen, John O. Louch
  • Publication number: 20180059914
    Abstract: As a user's needs change over time, the widgets displayed in a widget display area are altered by the user to better suit the desires of the user. Further, the widgets selected for display can be configured as desired by the user to display information in different ways. In order to reduce clutter within the widget display area itself, electronic devices can include a user interface that facilitates ease of accessing, adding, removing, and configuring the widget display area and the widgets therein as desired by the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2017
    Publication date: March 1, 2018
    Inventor: John O. Louch
  • Patent number: 9870115
    Abstract: A set of user interfaces for a data processing system that operates with two or more display devices coupled to the system. In one embodiment, in response to moving a first window between two displays, the first window is displayed, as it straddles the two displays, differently on the two displays. For example, while a reference point (e.g. a cursor) on the window remains on a first display, a first portion of the window on the first display is displayed normally while a second portion on the second display is displayed with more translucence (more transparency) than the first portion; when the references point crosses to the second display, the first portion becomes more translucent than the second portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: John O. Louch, Raymond S. Sepulveda, Kristin M. Forster
  • Publication number: 20180011625
    Abstract: User-centric widgets and dashboards are automatically modified to reflect a user's goals and needs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2016
    Publication date: January 11, 2018
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: John O. Louch, Imran A. Chaudhri
  • Patent number: 9860354
    Abstract: A speakerphone system integrated in a mobile device is automatically controlled based on the current state of the mobile device. In one implementation, the mobile device is controlled based on an orientation or position of the mobile device. In another implementation, the control of the speakerphone includes automatically controlling one or more graphical user interfaces associated with the speakerphone system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: John O. Louch
  • Publication number: 20170357418
    Abstract: An electronic device: displays a first window and a second window within a display area, the first window having a first edge parallel to a second edge of the second window; and detects an input moving the first edge toward the second edge. In response to detecting the input, the device: pairs the first edge to the second edge such that the first window stops moving before it overlaps the second window when the user input satisfies pairing criteria, the pairing criteria include a first pairing criterion that is met when the input corresponds to movement of the first edge toward the second edge that deviates from a predefined axis by less than an angular threshold value; and continues the movement of the first window based on the input so that the first window overlaps the second window when the user input does not satisfy the pairing criteria.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2017
    Publication date: December 14, 2017
    Inventors: Corbin Robert Dunn, John O. Louch, Kevin James Van Vechten, Patrick Lee Coffman, Troy N. Stephens
  • Publication number: 20170344242
    Abstract: A user-activatable dashboard (also referred to as a unified interest layer) contains any number of user interface elements, referred to herein as “widgets,” for quick access by a user. In response to a command from a user, the dashboard is invoked and the widgets are shown on the screen. The user can activate the dashboard at any time, causing the dashboard to temporarily replace the existing user interface display on the user's screen. Once the dashboard has been activated, the user can interact with any or all of the widgets, and can configure the dashboard by adding, deleting, moving, or configuring individual widgets as desired. When the user wishes to return to the normal user interface he or she was working with, the user issues a command causing the dashboard to be dismissed. Once the dashboard has been dismissed, the previous user interface state is restored, allowing the user to resume normal interactions with the operating system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2017
    Publication date: November 30, 2017
    Inventors: Imran A. Chaudhri, John O. Louch, Andrew M. Grignon, Gregory N. Christie
  • Patent number: 9811250
    Abstract: As a user's needs change over time, the widgets displayed in a widget display area are altered by the user to better suit the desires of the user. Further, the widgets selected for display can be configured as desired by the user to display information in different ways. In order to reduce clutter within the widget display area itself, electronic devices can include a user interface that facilitates ease of accessing, adding, removing, and configuring the widget display area and the widgets therein as desired by the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventor: John O. Louch
  • Publication number: 20170300180
    Abstract: User interfaces for multiple display regions are described. One embodiment provides an array of non-overlapping windows that are created from a set of overlapping windows, and a user can select one of the non-overlapping windows to obtain an enlarged view of that selected window while keeping the other windows in their non-overlapping state. In one embodiment, the array of non-overlapping windows can include minimized windows or windows in other virtual desktops (e.g. windows in other “Spaces”) or both. In one embodiment, only windows of a selected application are shown in non-overlapping mode while opened windows of other applications are not shown.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2017
    Publication date: October 19, 2017
    Inventors: John O. Louch, Timothy W. Bumgarner, Eric S. Peyton, Christopher J. Hynes
  • Patent number: 9791994
    Abstract: Selection of visualization objects, such as applications windows, is performed by determining a position of a system object. A graphical representation of a system object can be positioned over a display area of an application interface. The application interface is preeminently displayed in response to a graphical representation of system object being positioned over a corresponding display area of the application interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Christopher Hynes, John O. Louch, Bas Ording, Timothy Wayne Bumgarner, Eric Steven Peyton
  • Patent number: 9753627
    Abstract: A user-activatable dashboard (also referred to as a unified interest layer) contains any number of user interface elements, referred to herein as “widgets,” for quick access by a user. In response to a command from a user, the dashboard is invoked and the widgets are shown on the screen. The user can activate the dashboard at any time, causing the dashboard to temporarily replace the existing user interface display on the user's screen. Once the dashboard has been activated, the user can interact with any or all of the widgets, and can configure the dashboard by adding, deleting, moving, or configuring individual widgets as desired. When the user wishes to return to the normal user interface he or she was working with, the user issues a command causing the dashboard to be dismissed. Once the dashboard has been dismissed, the previous user interface state is restored, allowing the user to resume normal interactions with the operating system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Imran A. Chaudhri, John O. Louch, Andrew M. Grignon, Gregory N. Christie
  • Publication number: 20170228032
    Abstract: Methods, systems, devices, and apparatus, including computer program products, for adjusting a graphical user interface. A motion of a device is detected. A graphical user interface of the device is adjusted in response to the detected motion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2017
    Publication date: August 10, 2017
    Inventor: John O. Louch
  • Patent number: 9720584
    Abstract: User interfaces for multiple display regions are described. One embodiment provides an array of non-overlapping windows that are created from a set of overlapping windows, and a user can select one of the non-overlapping windows to obtain an enlarged view of that selected window while keeping the other windows in their non-overlapping state. In one embodiment, the array of non-overlapping windows can include minimized windows or windows in other virtual desktops (e.g. windows in other “Spaces”) or both. In one embodiment, only windows of a selected application are shown in non-overlapping mode while opened windows of other applications are not shown.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: John O. Louch, Timothy W. Bumgarner, Eric S. Peyton, Christopher J. Hynes