Patents by Inventor John Weldon Nicholson

John Weldon Nicholson 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: 9338540
    Abstract: A system and method include receiving a headphone worn signal at a system representative of a detection of headphones being worn and controlling selection of a playback device via the system for audible sounds as a function of the headphone worn signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: Lenovo (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
    Inventor: John Weldon Nicholson
  • Patent number: 9325578
    Abstract: An apparatus, program product, and method are disclosed for receiving an automation setting from a sharing participant, the automation setting being associated with the sharing participant, comparing the received automation setting to a corresponding local automation setting, and adjusting the local automation setting based on the comparison of the received automation setting to the corresponding local automation setting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: Lenovo (Singapore) PTE. LTD.
    Inventors: Aaron Michael Stewart, Michaela Rose Case, Howard Locker, John Weldon Nicholson
  • Patent number: 9323739
    Abstract: For identifying words for a context, a monitor module monitors first communications at a digital processing system and determines usage frequencies of a plurality of words in one or more contexts. An identity module identifies a first word in response to a usage frequency for the first word exceeding a use threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: Lenovo (Singapore) PTE. LTD.
    Inventors: John Weldon Nicholson, Robert A. Bowser, John Miles Hunt, Jian Li, Matthew Price Roper, Jianbang Zhang
  • Patent number: 9285969
    Abstract: An approach is provided to direct data to different applications based upon the amount of pressure applied by a user of a pressure sensitive touch-enabled screen. In this approach, a touch input is received at a location of the pressure sensitive touch-enabled screen. The various applications currently being displayed at the location are identified along with the physical pressure level (amount of pressure applied) at the location on the pressure sensitive touch-enabled screen. One of the applications running on the device is selected based on the amount of pressure applied and the touch-based input provided by the user is directed to the selected application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: Lenovo (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: John Weldon Nicholson, James Stephen Rutledge, Song Wang, John Miles Hunt
  • Patent number: 9288577
    Abstract: For preserving phase shift in spatial filtering is disclosed, an electronic device includes a microphone array. A filtering module spatially filters a plurality of received audio signals from the microphone array to increase the signal-to-noise ratio in one or more corresponding output audio signals. A phase module preserves a phase shift of at least one received audio signal in the corresponding output audio signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: Lenovo (Singapore) PTE. LTD.
    Inventors: Jianbang Zhang, Jian Li, John Weldon Nicholson, Steven Richard Perrin
  • Publication number: 20160073087
    Abstract: Methods, devices and program products are provided that capture image data at an image capture device for a scene, collect acoustic data indicative of a distance between the image capture device and an object in the scene, designate a range in connection with the object based on the acoustic data, and combine a portion of the image data related to the object with the range to form a 3D image data set. The device comprises a processor, a digital camera, a data collector, and a local storage medium storing program instructions accessible by the processor. The processor combines the image data related to the object with the range to form a 3D image data set.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2014
    Publication date: March 10, 2016
    Inventors: Mark Charles Davis, John Weldon Nicholson
  • Publication number: 20160042165
    Abstract: For secure handwriting input for password fields, an apparatus for using a tone indicator to identify language in text recognition is disclosed. The apparatus may include a processor, a handwriting input unit operatively coupled to the processor, a display operatively coupled to the processor, a handwriting element module that identifies a handwriting element from handwriting input, an input replication module that controls the display to present the handwriting element, and a privacy module that controls the display to obscure the handwriting element in response to a predetermined trigger event. Obscuring the handwriting element may include removing the handwriting element, rendering transparent the handwriting element, replacing the handwriting element and an area surrounding the handwriting element with a colored area, and/or replacing the handwriting element with an anonymizing symbol. A method and computer program product also perform the functions of the apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 7, 2014
    Publication date: February 11, 2016
    Inventors: John Weldon Nicholson, Scott Edwards Kelso, Steven Richard Perrin, Jianbang Zhang
  • Publication number: 20160012315
    Abstract: For context-aware handwriting recognition for input fields, an apparatus, system, method, and computer program product are disclosed. The apparatus may include a processor, a handwriting input unit operatively coupled to the processor, a display operatively coupled to the processor, a field metadata module that obtains metadata related to an input field, a field type module that identifies a field type of the input field associated with the handwriting input based on the metadata, and a recognition tuning module that adjusts a handwriting recognition engine based on the field type. Adjusting the handwriting recognition engine may include increasing a weight given to text having particular characteristics, based on the field type. Obtaining the metadata related to an input field may include querying an application for properties of the input field and/or identifying text adjacent to the input field.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2014
    Publication date: January 14, 2016
    Inventors: Steven Richard Perrin, Scott Edwards Kelso, John Weldon Nicholson, Jianbang Zhang
  • Patent number: 9232201
    Abstract: The color of a projected image is dynamically corrected by sensing the color of the surface onto which the image is projected before the image is projected, and/or sensing the color of the surface between frames of the projected image, and/or by sensing the projected image as it is displayed on the surface and comparing what is sensed to the original image. Corrections to the color of the projected image are then made based on the sensed information from the surface onto which the image is projected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: Lenovo (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: John Weldon Nicholson, Howard Jeffrey Locker, Aaron Michael Stewart, Michaela Rose Case
  • Patent number: 9223340
    Abstract: For organizing display data on a multiuser display, a position module determines a user position from an audible signal. An organization module organizes display data on a multiuser display in response to the user position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: Lenovo (Singapore) PTE. LTD.
    Inventors: Howard Locker, Michaela Rose Case, John Weldon Nicholson, Aaron Michael Stewart
  • Publication number: 20150370350
    Abstract: In one aspect, a first device includes a display, a processor, and a memory accessible to the processor. The memory bears instructions executable by the processor to receive data from an input device pertaining to the orientation of the input device and, at least in part based on the data, determine whether the input device is positioned to provide input to the first device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2014
    Publication date: December 24, 2015
    Inventors: John Miles Hunt, John Weldon Nicholson, Scott Edwards Kelso, Matthew Lloyd Hagenbuch
  • Publication number: 20150348510
    Abstract: In one aspect, a device includes a touch-enabled display, a processor, and a memory accessible to the processor. The memory bears instructions executable by the processor to receive input to the touch-enabled display and present a representation of the input on the touch-enabled display. The representation is presented with the width of one or more contours of the representation being correlated to the size of at least a portion of the input to the touch-enabled display.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2014
    Publication date: December 3, 2015
    Applicant: Lenovo (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Jianbang Zhang, John Weldon Nicholson, Scott Edwards Kelso, Steven Richard Perrin
  • Publication number: 20150346946
    Abstract: In one aspect, a device includes a touch-enabled display, a processor, and a memory accessible to the processor. The memory bears instructions executable by the processor to determine that an input device is within a proximity to the touch-enabled display, and in response to the determination and without supplemental input from a person, present on the touch-enabled display a user interface (UI) for providing input to the first device at least in part based on manipulation of the input device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2014
    Publication date: December 3, 2015
    Applicant: Lenovo (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: SCOTT EDWARDS KELSO, John Weldon Nicholson, Steven Richard Perrin, Jian Li
  • Publication number: 20150347364
    Abstract: In one aspect, a device includes a touch-enabled display, a processor, and a memory accessible to the processor. The memory bears instructions executable by the processor to present at least a first input area at a first location on the touch-enabled display and receive first input to the touch-enabled display. The instructions are also executable to determine whether at least the first input is to be represented at the first input area, and highlight the first input area at least in part in response to a determination that at least the first input is to be represented at the first input area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2014
    Publication date: December 3, 2015
    Inventors: Jianbang Zhang, John Weldon Nicholson, Scott Edwards Kelso, Steven Richard Perrin
  • Patent number: 9201458
    Abstract: A device can include a processor; a display operatively coupled to the processor; a battery having a battery length; a chassis that includes a bay having a bay length, the bay length being of sufficient length to allow translation of the battery along the bay length; a translation mechanism to translate the battery in the bay; and communication circuitry operatively coupled to the processor and the translation mechanism. Various other apparatuses, systems, methods, etc., are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: Lenovo (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: John Miles Hunt, John Weldon Nicholson, Jennifer Greenwood Zawacki, Howard J. Locker
  • Publication number: 20150341551
    Abstract: In one aspect, a device includes a camera, a processor, and a memory accessible to the processor. The memory bears instructions executable by the processor to initiate the camera and project light from the device at an angle corresponding to a field of view of the camera according to a current focal length of the camera.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2014
    Publication date: November 26, 2015
    Inventors: Steven Richard Perrin, John Weldon Nicholson, Scott Edwards Kelso
  • Publication number: 20150331502
    Abstract: An embodiment provides a method, including: identifying, using a processor, a pen characteristic; identifying, using a processor, an inability to communicate between the pen and an input component using the pen characteristic; and responsive to detecting the inability, disabling a pen feature. Other embodiments, including systems, devices and products, are described and claimed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2014
    Publication date: November 19, 2015
    Inventors: Steven Richard Perrin, John Weldon Nicholson, Scott Edwards Kelso
  • Publication number: 20150331501
    Abstract: An embodiment provides a method, including: communicating data from a smart pen to a device using a pen input data channel having a first bandwidth; said data including short range wireless connection data; establishing, using said data, a short range wireless connection between the smart pen and the device; and communicating, in a connected condition, higher bandwidth data between the smart pen and the device using the short range wireless connection. Other aspects are described and claimed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2014
    Publication date: November 19, 2015
    Inventors: John Weldon Nicholson, Scott Edwards Kelso, Steven Richard Perrin
  • Publication number: 20150310267
    Abstract: An embodiment provides a method, including: detecting, at a surface of a device accepting handwriting input, a location of the display surface associated with initiation of a handwriting input; determining, using a processor, a location of an entry field in a document rendered on a display surface, the location of the entry field being associated with a display surface location; determining, using a processor, a distance between the location of the surface associated with initiation of the handwriting input and the location of the entry field; and automatically inserting input, based on the handwriting input, into the entry field after determining the distance is less than a threshold value. Other aspects are described and claimed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2014
    Publication date: October 29, 2015
    Applicant: Lenovo (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: John Weldon Nicholson, Scott Edwards Kelso, Steven Richard Perrin, Jianbang Zhang
  • Publication number: 20150309561
    Abstract: An embodiment provides a method, including: receiving, at a device having at least one input device, a plurality of user inputs within a predetermined time; determining, using a processor of the device, a collective intent based on the plurality of user inputs; said determining comprising mapping at least two of the plurality of user inputs to a common command; and committing, using a processor of the device, an action according to the common command. Other aspects are described and claimed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2014
    Publication date: October 29, 2015
    Applicant: Lenovo (Singapore) Ptd. Ltd.
    Inventors: Aaron Michael Stewart, John Weldon Nicholson, Corinna Paine Proctor