Patents by Inventor Paul Ranford

Paul Ranford 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: 8855918
    Abstract: A method of assisting a user of a personal navigation device with automatically selecting a route after the personal navigation device transitions from driving mode to walking mode includes detecting a mode transition in the personal navigation device from driving mode to walking mode, recording a vehicle location where the mode transition from driving mode to walking mode occurs, receiving a request from the user to create navigation instructions to a destination location, determining a distance from the current location to the destination location, and guiding the user back to the vehicle location by providing walking instructions with the personal navigation device when the distance from the current location to the destination location is greater than or equal to a threshold distance and then guiding the user to the destination location by providing driving instructions with the personal navigation device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Mitac International Corp.
    Inventors: Paul Ranford, Richard Stanton
  • Patent number: 8667424
    Abstract: A method of displaying points of interest in a personal navigation device includes displaying a map on a display of the personal navigation device, receiving touch input at a touched position of the display, displaying points of interest located near the touched position, wherein the points of interest are represented by icons, each icon being connected to its location on the map with a line extending out from the touched position, and spreading out the icons around the touched position to separate the icons from each other, the spread out icons being displayed in a pattern around the touched position, wherein a length of the line connecting each icon to its location on the map is not directly proportional to a distance from the corresponding point of interest to the touched position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Mitac International Corp.
    Inventors: Rodney Macfarlane, Richard Stanton, Paul Ranford
  • Patent number: 8600667
    Abstract: A method of providing location based entertainment with a personal navigation device includes determining if a user wishes to start an entertainment program on the personal navigation device that provides localized entertainment and starting the entertainment program using content about a current location of the personal navigation device in response to the user wishing to start the entertainment program.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Mitac International Corp.
    Inventor: Paul Ranford
  • Patent number: 8457888
    Abstract: A method of notifying a user of an appointment at a remote location includes receiving an appointment time and an appointment location inputted into a personal navigation device operated by a user, determining the current location of the personal navigation device, and determining the user's routing preferences when traveling to the appointment location. The method also includes estimating a travel time for the user to travel from the current location to the appointment location when traveling according to the user's routing preferences, determining a notification time based on the estimated travel time and the appointment time, and notifying the user of the appointment at the notification time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2013
    Assignee: Mitac International Corp.
    Inventor: Paul Ranford
  • Patent number: 8428875
    Abstract: A method applied to a mobile device having a GPS receiver having access to a network interface is disclosed. When transmitting via the network interface a first command to edit a user location information on the network interface based on a first geo-information from the GPS receiver to update location information displayed on a website, a destination list stored in the mobile device is updated with transmission destination network address and current GPS receiver location information. Stored location information is periodically compared to current GPS receiver locations and when determined that the GPS receiver has moved at least a predetermined distance from the location stored in the destination list, the method transmits via the network interface a second command to edit a user location information on the network interface based on a second geo-information from the GPS receiver to the website to update or invalidate displayed location information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: Mitac International Corp.
    Inventors: Rodney Macfarlane, Paul Ranford, Mukesh Bhika
  • Patent number: 8405677
    Abstract: A method of inputting commands through a touch-sensitive screen of a portable electronic device includes displaying a plurality of soft buttons on the touch-sensitive screen, detecting touch input on the touch-sensitive screen at a touch location, identifying a closest soft button that is nearest to the touch location, magnifying the closest soft button and one or more other soft buttons in the immediate vicinity of the closest soft button that are located in a same row or in a same column as the closest soft button, reducing the size of other soft buttons, detecting release of the touch input on the touch-sensitive screen at a release location after the soft buttons have been magnified, identifying a selected soft button located at the release location upon detecting release of the touch input, and executing a command corresponding to the selected soft button.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: Mitac International Corp.
    Inventor: Paul Ranford
  • Patent number: 8294683
    Abstract: A method of processing touch commands and voice commands in parallel in an electronic device supporting speech recognition includes detecting a touch-down event on a touch-sensitive screen of the electronic device when touch input is sensed on the touch-sensitive screen, the touch-sensitive screen displaying one or more soft buttons, each soft button executing a corresponding command upon activation of the soft button. A microphone of the electronic device is activated to receive voice instructions in response to detecting the touch-down event. A touch-up event is detected when touch input is no longer sensed on the touch-sensitive screen, and it is determined whether a voice command was detected in a time period between the touch-down event and the touch-up event. The voice command is then executed if the voice command was detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Mitac International Corp.
    Inventors: Paul Ranford, Hrvoje Muzina
  • Publication number: 20120101724
    Abstract: A method of method of providing location based entertainment with a personal navigation device includes determining if a user wishes to start an entertainment program on the personal navigation device that provides localized entertainment and starting the entertainment program using content about a current location of the personal navigation device in response to the user wishing to start the entertainment program.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2010
    Publication date: April 26, 2012
    Inventor: Paul Ranford
  • Publication number: 20110169692
    Abstract: A method applied to a mobile device having a GPS receiver having access to a network interface is disclosed. When transmitting via the network interface a first command to edit a user location information on the network interface based on a first geo-information from the GPS receiver to update location information displayed on a website, a destination list stored in the mobile device is updated with transmission destination network address and current GPS receiver location information. Stored location information is periodically compared to current GPS receiver locations and when determined that the GPS receiver has moved at least a predetermined distance from the location stored in the destination list, the method transmits via the network interface a second command to edit a user location information on the network interface based on a second geo-information from the GPS receiver to the website to update or invalidate displayed location information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2010
    Publication date: July 14, 2011
    Inventors: Rodney Macfarlane, Paul Ranford, Mukesh Bhika
  • Publication number: 20110074693
    Abstract: A method of processing touch commands and voice commands in parallel in an electronic device supporting speech recognition includes detecting a touch-down event on a touch-sensitive screen of the electronic device when touch input is sensed on the touch-sensitive screen, the touch-sensitive screen displaying one or more soft buttons, each soft button executing a corresponding command upon activation of the soft button. A microphone of the electronic device is activated to receive voice instructions in response to detecting the touch-down event. A touch-up event is detected when touch input is no longer sensed on the touch-sensitive screen, and it is determined whether a voice command was detected in a time period between the touch-down event and the touch-up event. The voice command is then executed if the voice command was detected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2009
    Publication date: March 31, 2011
    Inventors: Paul Ranford, Hrvoje Muzina
  • Publication number: 20110077853
    Abstract: A method of assisting a user of a personal navigation device with automatically selecting a route after the personal navigation device transitions from driving mode to walking mode includes detecting a mode transition in the personal navigation device from driving mode to walking mode, recording a vehicle location where the mode transition from driving mode to walking mode occurs, receiving a request from the user to create navigation instructions to a destination location, determining a distance from the current location to the destination location, and guiding the user back to the vehicle location by providing walking instructions with the personal navigation device when the distance from the current location to the destination location is greater than or equal to a threshold distance and then guiding the user to the destination location by providing driving instructions with the personal navigation device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2009
    Publication date: March 31, 2011
    Inventors: Paul Ranford, Richard Stanton
  • Publication number: 20110072368
    Abstract: A method of overlaying markup language content on map data in a personal navigation device includes outputting map data on a display of the personal navigation device with a map display program, receiving markup language content with a markup language renderer, and overlaying the markup language content received by the markup language renderer on the map data output by the map display program.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2009
    Publication date: March 24, 2011
    Inventors: Rodney Macfarlane, Paul Ranford
  • Publication number: 20110057956
    Abstract: A method of inputting commands through a touch-sensitive screen of a portable electronic device includes displaying a plurality of soft buttons on the touch-sensitive screen, detecting touch input on the touch-sensitive screen at a touch location, identifying a closest soft button that is nearest to the touch location, magnifying the closest soft button and one or more other soft buttons in the immediate vicinity of the closest soft button that are located in a same row or in a same column as the closest soft button, reducing the size of other soft buttons, detecting release of the touch input on the touch-sensitive screen at a release location after the soft buttons have been magnified, identifying a selected soft button located at the release location upon detecting release of the touch input, and executing a command corresponding to the selected soft button.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2009
    Publication date: March 10, 2011
    Inventor: Paul Ranford
  • Publication number: 20110055739
    Abstract: A method of displaying points of interest in a personal navigation device includes displaying a map on a display of the personal navigation device, receiving touch input at a touched position of the display, displaying points of interest located near the touched position, wherein the points of interest are represented by icons, each icon being connected to its location on the map with a line extending out from the touched position, and spreading out the icons around the touched position to separate the icons from each other, the spread out icons being displayed in a pattern around the touched position, wherein a length of the line connecting each icon to its location on the map is not directly proportional to a distance from the corresponding point of interest to the touched position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2009
    Publication date: March 3, 2011
    Inventors: Rodney MacFarlane, Richard Stanton, Paul Ranford
  • Publication number: 20110050730
    Abstract: A method of viewing data on a portable electronic device includes presenting data on a display of the portable electronic device, the portable electronic device having a sensor for detecting movement of the portable electronic device, the sensor detecting movement of the portable electronic device in a first direction, the first direction being parallel with the horizontal, and scrolling the data presented on the display in the first direction in response to the sensor detecting movement of the portable electronic device in the first direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2009
    Publication date: March 3, 2011
    Inventors: Paul Ranford, Rodney Macfarlane
  • Publication number: 20100228473
    Abstract: A method of notifying a user of an appointment at a remote location includes receiving an appointment time and an appointment location inputted into a personal navigation device operated by a user, determining the current location of the personal navigation device, and determining the user's routing preferences when traveling to the appointment location. The method also includes estimating a travel time for the user to travel from the current location to the appointment location when traveling according to the user's routing preferences, determining a notification time based on the estimated travel time and the appointment time, and notifying the user of the appointment at the notification time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2009
    Publication date: September 9, 2010
    Inventor: Paul Ranford
  • Publication number: 20060046746
    Abstract: A method, system, apparatus, and computer program product is presented by which mobile communications services are managed, based upon the location of the mobile communications device within absolute three dimensional area or locale, as determined by the legal managers or owners of that locale. The locale may be subdivided into sub-areas or zones, which may be overlapping. The management services include: management of mobile devices such that specific features of the device may be enabled, disabled or otherwise actively manged while within the zone as well as the provision of alternative network services while the device is within the zone; transaction services provided to the user of the device due to its presence within the zone; information services provided to the user of the device due to its presence within the zone.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2004
    Publication date: March 2, 2006
    Inventors: Paul Ranford, Peter Robson, Martin Evans, Firdosh Homavazir, Yuming Lin, Steven Magnell
  • Patent number: 6990183
    Abstract: A call processing system is disclosed wherein plural platforms are populated with plural voice boards. Each board on the different platforms is populated with different resources, and resources may be allocated from any board and any platform to process calls. In a preferred implementation, a priority system is established so that co-located resources are preferred.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2006
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: John Holland, Paul Ranford, Peter Robson, Neal Oliver
  • Patent number: 6556672
    Abstract: A fault tolerance call processing system is disclosed. The fault tolerance at the server level is achieved by shadowing between primary functional components and standby functional components running on a plurality of processors accommodated on several CT servers. The fault tolerance at resource level is achieved by allowing reallocation of resources from any circuit boards and platforms to process a call.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2003
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: John Holland, Paul Ranford, Peter Robson
  • Publication number: 20020164001
    Abstract: A call processing system is disclosed wherein plural platforms are populated with plural voice boards. Each board on the different platforms is populated with different resources, and resources may be allocated from any board and any platform to process calls. In a preferred implementation, a priority system is established so that co-located resources are preferred.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 3, 2002
    Publication date: November 7, 2002
    Inventors: John Holland, Paul Ranford, Peter Robson, Neal Oliver