Patents by Inventor Martha Evans Hankey

Martha Evans Hankey 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: 11930267
    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with control circuitry, wireless transceiver circuitry, and a display. The electronic device may be used to provide information to a user in response to being pointed at a particular object. The control circuitry may determine when the electronic device is pointed at a particular object using wireless control circuitry and/or motion sensor circuitry. In response to determining that the electronic device is pointed at a particular object, the control circuitry may take suitable action. This may include, for example, displaying information about an object when the electronic device is pointed at the object, displaying control icons for electronic equipment when the electronic device is pointed at the electronic equipment, and/or displaying a virtual object when the electronic device is pointed at real world object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Adam S. Meyer, Peter C. Tsoi, Duncan Robert Kerr, Martha Evans Hankey, John B. Morrell, James H. Foster
  • Publication number: 20220038883
    Abstract: An electronic device may use information about the location of nearby devices to make sharing with those devices more intuitive for a user. When two devices are pointed towards one another, each device may automatically present the option to share information with the other device. When a user wishes to share information with one or more devices in a group of users, an array of icons representing the nearby users may be positioned on the display according to the locations of the nearby users so that the sharing user can easily select which user he or she wishes to share with. A sharing user may broadcast a signal and nearby users may elect to receive the signal by pointing their devices towards the sharing user. A user of two devices may share information between the two devices and may use one device to manipulate the information on the other device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2021
    Publication date: February 3, 2022
    Inventors: Adam S. Meyer, Peter C. Tsoi, Stuart J. Wood, Duncan Robert Kerr, Martha Evans Hankey, John B. Morrell
  • Patent number: 11159932
    Abstract: An electronic device may use information about the location of nearby devices to make sharing with those devices more intuitive for a user. When two devices are pointed towards one another, each device may automatically present the option to share information with the other device. When a user wishes to share information with one or more devices in a group of users, an array of icons representing the nearby users may be positioned on the display according to the locations of the nearby users so that the sharing user can easily select which user he or she wishes to share with. A sharing user may broadcast a signal and nearby users may elect to receive the signal by pointing their devices towards the sharing user. A user of two devices may share information between the two devices and may use one device to manipulate the information on the other device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Adam S. Meyer, Peter C. Tsoi, Stuart J. Wood, Duncan Robert Kerr, Martha Evans Hankey, John B. Morrell
  • Publication number: 20210325202
    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with control circuitry for locating lost items. The control circuitry may determine where an item is located and may use the display or other output device to guide a user to the item. The display may display a visual guide such as an arrow, a sphere, a circle, a compass, or other visual aid that points the user in the direction of the item. The control circuitry may change the size or other characteristic of the visual aid on the display as the distance between the electronic device and the object changes. The control circuitry may change the location of the visual aid on the display as the orientation of the electronic device relative to the object changes. The display may overlay the visual aid onto live images of the user's surroundings as they are captured by a camera.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2021
    Publication date: October 21, 2021
    Inventors: Adam S. Meyer, Duncan Robert Kerr, Martha Evans Hankey, Peter C. Tsoi, John B. Morrell, James H. Foster
  • Publication number: 20210314493
    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with control circuitry, wireless transceiver circuitry, and a display. The electronic device may be used to provide information to a user in response to being pointed at a particular object. The control circuitry may determine when the electronic device is pointed at a particular object using wireless control circuitry and/or motion sensor circuitry. In response to determining that the electronic device is pointed at a particular object, the control circuitry may take suitable action. This may include, for example, displaying information about an object when the electronic device is pointed at the object, displaying control icons for electronic equipment when the electronic device is pointed at the electronic equipment, and/or displaying a virtual object when the electronic device is pointed at real world object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2021
    Publication date: October 7, 2021
    Inventors: Adam S. Meyer, Peter C. Tsoi, Duncan Robert Kerr, Martha Evans Hankey, John B. Morrell, James H. Foster
  • Patent number: 11047702
    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with control circuitry for locating lost items. The control circuitry may determine where an item is located and may use the display or other output device to guide a user to the item. The display may display a visual guide such as an arrow, a sphere, a circle, a compass, or other visual aid that points the user in the direction of the item. The control circuitry may change the size or other characteristic of the visual aid on the display as the distance between the electronic device and the object changes. The control circuitry may change the location of the visual aid on the display as the orientation of the electronic device relative to the object changes. The display may overlay the visual aid onto live images of the user's surroundings as they are captured by a camera.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Adam S. Meyer, Duncan Robert Kerr, Martha Evans Hankey, Peter C. Tsoi, John B. Morrell, James H. Foster
  • Patent number: 11044405
    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with control circuitry, wireless transceiver circuitry, and a display. The electronic device may be used to provide information to a user in response to being pointed at a particular object. The control circuitry may determine when the electronic device is pointed at a particular object using wireless control circuitry and/or motion sensor circuitry. In response to determining that the electronic device is pointed at a particular object, the control circuitry may take suitable action. This may include, for example, displaying information about an object when the electronic device is pointed at the object, displaying control icons for electronic equipment when the electronic device is pointed at the electronic equipment, and/or displaying a virtual object when the electronic device is pointed at real world object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Adam S. Meyer, Peter C. Tsoi, Duncan Robert Kerr, Martha Evans Hankey, John B. Morrell, James H. Foster