Patents by Inventor Michael J. Matas

Michael J. Matas 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: 9927970
    Abstract: A portable electronic device with a touch-sensitive display is disclosed. One aspect of the invention involves a computer-implemented method in which the portable electronic device: displays an application on the touch-sensitive display; and when the application is in a predefined mode, performs a predefined operation in response to each gesture of a set of multiple distinct gestures on the touch-sensitive display. Another aspect of the invention involves a computer-implemented method in which the portable electronic device: displays a first application; when the first application is in a first mode, performs a first operation upon detecting a first gesture on the touch-sensitive display; and performs the first operation upon detecting a second gesture on the touch-sensitive display, wherein the second gesture is different from the first gesture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Bas Ording, Scott M. Herz, Wayne C. Westerman, Scott Forstall, Gregory N. Christie, Stephen O. Lemay, Marcel Van Os, Michael J. Matas
  • Patent number: 9920946
    Abstract: A system including a thermostat user interface for a network-connected thermostat is described. The system includes a thermostat including a frustum-shaped shell body having a circular cross-section and a circular rotatable ring, which is user rotatable for adjusting a setting of the thermostat. The system further includes a client application that is operable on a touch-screen device separate from the thermostat, that displays a graphical representation of a circular dial, that detects a user-input motion proximate the graphical representation, that determines a user-selected setpoint temperature value based on the user-input motion, that displays a numerical representation of the user-selected setpoint temperature value, and that wirelessly transmits to the thermostat data representative of the user-selected setpoint temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Alastair R. Gourlay, Timo Bruck, Anthony M. Fadell, Matthew L. Rogers, David Sloo, Michael Plitkins, Shigefumi Honjo, John B. Filson, Michael J. Matas, Fred Bould, Brian Huppi
  • Publication number: 20180023832
    Abstract: Methods and devices for controlling a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system by a thermostat are provided. Input can be received from a user via a thermostat, the input being indicative of an adjustment of an HVAC-related setting. On a real-time basis, the HVAC-related setting that is being adjusted can be compared against a feedback criterion designed to indicate a circumstance under which feedback is to be presented to the user. The circumstance can be indicative of an achievement of a HVAC-related setting of a predetermined responsibility level with respect to an energy usage of the HVAC system. Upon a real-time determination that the feedback criterion is satisfied, visual feedback can be caused to be presented to the user in real-time. The real-time feedback can include a visual icon having a visual appeal corresponding to a desirability of the satisfaction of the feedback criterion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2017
    Publication date: January 25, 2018
    Applicant: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Anthony M. Fadell, Yoky Matsuoka, David Sloo, Michael Plitkins, Michael J. Matas, Matthew L. Rogers, Evan J. Fisher
  • Patent number: 9857961
    Abstract: An occupancy sensing electronic thermostat is described that includes a thermostat body, an electronic display that is viewable by a user in front of the thermostat, a passive infrared sensor for measuring infrared energy and an infrared energy directing element formed integrally with a front surface of the thermostat body. The passive infrared sensor may be positioned behind the infrared energy directing element such that infrared energy is directed thereonto by the infrared energy directing element. The thermostat may also include a temperature sensor and a microprocessor programmed to detect occupancy based on measurements from the passive infrared sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Google inc.
    Inventors: Anthony M. Fadell, Matthew L. Rogers, David Sloo, Michael Plitkins, Shigefumi Honjo, John B. Filson, Michael J. Matas, Fred Bould, Brian Huppi
  • Patent number: 9792039
    Abstract: A portable electronic device with a touch-sensitive display is disclosed. One aspect of the invention involves a computer-implemented method in which the portable electronic device: displays an application on the touch-sensitive display; and when the application is in a predefined mode, performs a predefined operation in response to each gesture of a set of multiple distinct gestures on the touch-sensitive display. Another aspect of the invention involves a computer-implemented method in which the portable electronic device: displays a first application; when the first application is in a first mode, performs a first operation upon detecting a first gesture on the touch-sensitive display; and performs the first operation upon detecting a second gesture on the touch-sensitive display, wherein the second gesture is different from the first gesture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Bas Ording, Scott M. Herz, Wayne C. Westerman, Scott Forstall, Gregory N. Christie, Stephen O. Lemay, Marcel Van Os, Michael J. Matas
  • Publication number: 20170223176
    Abstract: In accordance with some embodiments, a computer-implemented method is performed at a portable multifunction device with a touch screen display. The computer-implemented method includes: displaying a home menu comprising a plurality of application launch icons; detecting activation of any respective application launch icon; and, in response to detecting the activation, displaying a first animation of a transition from display of the home menu to display of an application that corresponds to the activated application launch icon. The first animation comprises expanding an image of the application.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2017
    Publication date: August 3, 2017
    Inventors: Freddy Allen ANZURES, Imran CHAUDHRI, Scott M. HERZ, Stephen O. LEMAY, Michael J. MATAS, Marcel VAN OS
  • Patent number: 9720585
    Abstract: A thermostat user interface for a network-connected thermostat is described. The thermostat includes a frustum-shaped shell body having a circular cross-section and a sidewall extending between first and second ends, the second end being user-facing when the thermostat is wall-mounted; a circular rotatable ring being user rotatable for adjusting a setting of the thermostat; and a circular cover including a clear circular center portion surrounded by a painted outer portion. The clear circular center portion permits a corresponding circular portion of a non-circular dot-matrix color display element to be visible through the circular cover and the painted outer portion masks a remaining portion of the non-circular dot-matrix color display element so as to create a circular graphical user interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Anthony M. Fadell, Matthew L. Rogers, David Sloo, Michael Plitkins, Shigefumi Honjo, John B. Filson, Michael J. Matas, Fred Bould, Brian Huppi
  • Patent number: 9706054
    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: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Scott Forstall, Imran Chaudhri, Michael J. Matas, Marcel Van Os, Stephen O. Lemay, Patrick L. Coffman, Elizabeth Caroline Furches Cranfill, Greg N. Christie
  • Publication number: 20170085716
    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: April 25, 2016
    Publication date: March 23, 2017
    Inventors: Scott FORSTALL, Imran CHAUDHRI, Michael J. MATAS, Marcel VAN OS, Stephen O. LEMAY, Patrick L. COFFMAN, Elizabeth Caroline Furches CRANFILL, Greg N. CHRISTIE
  • Publication number: 20170019587
    Abstract: A portable electronic device with a touch screen display for photo management is disclosed. One aspect of the invention involves a computer-implemented method in which the portable electronic device displays an array of thumbnail images corresponding to a set of photographic images. The device replaces the displayed array of thumbnail images with a user-selected photographic image upon detecting a user contact with a corresponding thumbnail image in the array. The user-selected photographic image is displayed at a larger scale than the corresponding thumbnail image. The portable device displays a different photographic image in replacement of the user-selected photographic image in accordance with a scrolling gesture. The scrolling gesture comprises a substantially horizontal movement of user contact with the touch screen display.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2016
    Publication date: January 19, 2017
    Inventors: Michael J. MATAS, Greg N. CHRISTIE, Paul D. MARCOS, Scott FORSTALL, Marcel VAN OS, Bas ORDING, Imran CHAUDHRI
  • Patent number: 9535589
    Abstract: An electronic thermostat is described that includes a head unit, a rotatable ring, a backplate, an electronic display that is viewable by a user in front of the thermostat, a printed circuit board, and a daughter circuit. The daughter circuit is coupled to the printed circuit board, and senses motion of the rotatable ring and includes a first temperature sensor. A second temperature sensor separated from the first temperature sensor, are both used to calculate ambient temperature. The first temperature sensor is positioned at least partially within a cavity formed between a front surface of the head unit and the printed circuit board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Anthony M. Fadell, Matthew L. Rogers, David Sloo, Michael Plitkins, John B. Filson, Eric Daniels, Michael J. Matas, Fred Bould, Brian Huppi
  • Publication number: 20160170626
    Abstract: A thermostat user interface for a network-connected thermostat is described. The thermostat includes a frustum-shaped shell body having a circular cross-section and a sidewall extending between first and second ends, the second end being user-facing when the thermostat is wall-mounted; a circular rotatable ring being user rotatable for adjusting a setting of the thermostat; and a circular cover including a clear circular center portion surrounded by a painted outer portion. The clear circular center portion permits a corresponding circular portion of a non-circular dot-matrix color display element to be visible through the circular cover and the painted outer portion masks a remaining portion of the non-circular dot-matrix color display element so as to create a circular graphical user interface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2016
    Publication date: June 16, 2016
    Applicant: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Anthony M. Fadell, Matthew L. Rogers, David Sloo, Michael Plitkins, Shigefumi Honjo, John B. Filson, Michael J. Matas, Fred Bould, Brian Huppi
  • Patent number: 9291359
    Abstract: A thermostat user interface for a network-connected thermostat is described. The thermostat includes a frustum-shaped shell body having a circular cross-section and a sidewall extending between first and second ends, the second end being user-facing when the thermostat is wall-mounted; a circular rotatable ring being user rotatable for adjusting a setting of the thermostat; and a circular cover including a clear circular center portion surrounded by a painted outer portion. The clear circular center portion permits a corresponding circular portion of a non-circular dot-matrix color display element to be visible through the circular cover and the painted outer portion masks a remaining portion of the non-circular dot-matrix color display element so as to create a circular graphical user interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Anthony M. Fadell, Matthew L. Rogers, David Sloo, Michael Plitkins, Shigefumi Honjo, John B. Filson, Michael J. Matas, Fred Bould, Brian Huppi
  • Publication number: 20160069583
    Abstract: An occupancy sensing electronic thermostat is described that includes a thermostat body, an electronic display that is viewable by a user in front of the thermostat, a passive infrared sensor for measuring infrared energy and an infrared energy directing element formed integrally with a front surface of the thermostat body. The passive infrared sensor may be positioned behind the infrared energy directing element such that infrared energy is directed thereonto by the infrared energy directing element. The thermostat may also include a temperature sensor and a microprocessor programmed to detect occupancy based on measurements from the passive infrared sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2015
    Publication date: March 10, 2016
    Applicant: GOOGLE INC.
    Inventors: Anthony M. Fadell, Matthew L. Rogers, David Sloo, Michael Plitkins, Shigefumi Honjo, John B. Filson, Michael J. Matas, Fred Bould, Brian Huppi
  • Publication number: 20160018127
    Abstract: A system including a thermostat user interface for a network-connected thermostat is described. The system includes a thermostat including a frustum-shaped shell body having a circular cross-section and a circular rotatable ring, which is user rotatable for adjusting a setting of the thermostat. The system further includes a client application that is operable on a touch-screen device separate from the thermostat, that displays a graphical representation of a circular dial, that detects a user-input motion proximate the graphical representation, that determines a user-selected setpoint temperature value based on the user-input motion, that displays a numerical representation of the user-selected setpoint temperature value, and that wirelessly transmits to the thermostat data representative of the user-selected setpoint temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2015
    Publication date: January 21, 2016
    Applicant: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Alastair R. Gourlay, Timo Bruck, Anthony M. Fadell, Matthew L. Rogers, David Sloo, Michael Plitkins, Shigefumi Honjo, John B. Filson, Michael J. Matas, Fred Bould, Brian Huppi
  • Patent number: 9194598
    Abstract: An occupancy sensing electronic thermostat is described that includes a thermostat body, an electronic display that is viewable by a user in front of the thermostat, a passive infrared sensor for measuring infrared energy and an infrared energy directing element formed integrally with a front surface of the thermostat body. The passive infrared sensor may be positioned behind the infrared energy directing element such that infrared energy is directed thereonto by the infrared energy directing element. The thermostat may also include a temperature sensor and a microprocessor programmed to detect occupancy based on measurements from the passive infrared sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: GOOGLE INC.
    Inventors: Anthony M. Fadell, Matthew L. Rogers, David Sloo, Michael Plitkins, Shigefumi Honjo, John B. Filson, Michael J. Matas, Fred Bould, Brian Huppi
  • Patent number: 9175868
    Abstract: A user-friendly, network-connected learning thermostat is described. The thermostat is made up of (1) a wall-mountable backplate that includes a low-power consuming microcontroller used for activities such as polling sensors and switching on and off the HVAC functions, and (2) separable head unit that includes a higher-power consuming microprocessor, color LCD backlit display, user input devices, and wireless communications modules. The thermostat also includes a rechargeable battery and power-stealing circuitry adapted to harvest power from HVAC triggering circuits. By maintaining the microprocessor in a “sleep” state often compared to the lower-power microcontroller, high-power consuming activities, such as learning computations, wireless network communications and interfacing with a user, can be temporarily performed by the microprocessor even though the activities use energy at a greater rate than is available from the power stealing circuitry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: GOOGLE INC.
    Inventors: Anthony M. Fadell, Matthew L. Rogers, David Sloo, Michael Plitkins, Shigefumi Honjo, John B. Filson, Michael J. Matas, Fred Bould, Brian Huppi
  • Patent number: 9175871
    Abstract: A system including a thermostat user interface for a network-connected thermostat is described. The system includes a thermostat including a frustum-shaped shell body having a circular cross-section and a circular rotatable ring, which is user rotatable for adjusting a setting of the thermostat. The system further includes a client application that is operable on a touch-screen device separate from the thermostat, that displays a graphical representation of a circular dial, that detects a user-input motion proximate the graphical representation, that determines a user-selected setpoint temperature value based on the user-input motion, that displays a numerical representation of the user-selected setpoint temperature value, and that wirelessly transmits to the thermostat data representative of the user-selected setpoint temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Alastair R. Gourlay, Timo Bruck, Anthony M. Fadell, Matthew L. Rogers, David Sloo, Michael Plitkins, Shigefumi Honjo, John B. Filson, Michael J. Matas, Fred Bould, Brian Huppi
  • Patent number: 8998102
    Abstract: A sleek, low-profile wall-mountable thermostat for controlling an HVAC system is described. The thermostat includes a ring-shaped controller that rotates about a central axis, and an optical sensor directed away from the central axis and toward a radially inward-facing surface of the ring-shaped controller so as to accurately detect optical signals indicating controller's rotational movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Anthony M. Fadell, Matthew L. Rogers, David Sloo, Michael Plitkins, Shigefumi Honjo, John B. Filson, Michael J. Matas, Fred Bould, Brian Huppi
  • Publication number: 20150082240
    Abstract: A portable electronic device with a touch-sensitive display is disclosed. One aspect of the invention involves a computer-implemented method in which the portable electronic device: displays an application on the touch-sensitive display; and when the application is in a predefined mode, performs a predefined operation in response to each gesture of a set of multiple distinct gestures on the touch-sensitive display. Another aspect of the invention involves a computer-implemented method in which the portable electronic device: displays a first application; when the first application is in a first mode, performs a first operation upon detecting a first gesture on the touch-sensitive display; and performs the first operation upon detecting a second gesture on the touch-sensitive display, wherein the second gesture is different from the first gesture.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2014
    Publication date: March 19, 2015
    Inventors: Bas ORDING, Scott M. HERZ, Wayne C. WESTERMAN, Scott FORSTALL, Gregory N. CHRISTIE, Stephen O. LEMAY, Marcel VAN OS, Michael J. MATAS