Patents by Inventor Robert Bruce Howard

Robert Bruce Howard 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: 7298360
    Abstract: A small, lightweight housing includes a plurality of light signal transmitters and can be attached to the body such as the wrist of an operator such that another part of the body or another object can be brought into the beam of a particular light transmitter to reflect or scatter the light signal from one of the light signal transmitters and coded such that a particular light transmitter can be distinguished. A receptor associated with the housing receives the reflected or scattered or scattered light and alters the signal applied to a light signal transmitter, such as by increase of power, increase of the number of similarly modulated light transmitters which are driven or coding such as imposition of additional modulation. A signal is then received from an optical link by an optical receptor at a base station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: Harmonic Research, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert Bruce Howard
  • Patent number: 6806863
    Abstract: A small, lightweight housing includes a plurality of light signal transmitters and can be attached to the body such as the wrist of an operator such that another part of the body or another object can be brought into the beam of a particular light transmitter to reflect or scatter the light signal from one of the light signal transmitters and coded such that a particular light transmitter can be distinguished. A receptor associated with the housing receives the reflected or scattered or scattered light and alters the signal applied to a light signal transmitter, such as by increase of power, increase of the number of similarly modulated light transmitters which are driven or coding such as imposition of additional modulation. A signal is then received from an optical link by an optical receptor at a base station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2004
    Assignee: Harmonic Research, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert Bruce Howard
  • Patent number: 6747632
    Abstract: A wireless control device includes a small, lightweight housing worn by an operator, for example on the operator's wrist, and a controlled device, for example a personal computer. Several optical emitters, preferably light emitting diodes operating in the infrared range, and several optical detectors are provided on the housing. At least one x-axis emitter-detector pair operates to detect an x-direction of a pointing motion or gesture, and at least one y-axis emitter-detector pair operates to detect a y-direction of a pointing motion or gesture. This motion can then be used to cause a response in the controlled device. For example, angles of the operator's hand at the wrist can be interpreted to induce motion of a cursor on a computer display. The device may also include a motion sensor, an environmental condition sensor, or a voice recognition sensor, and can also be adapted for gesture recognition and image scanning applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2004
    Assignee: Harmonic Research, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert Bruce Howard
  • Publication number: 20020024500
    Abstract: A wireless control device includes a small, lightweight housing worn by an operator, for example on the operator's wrist, and a controlled device, for example a personal computer. Several optical emitters, preferably light emitting diodes operating in the infrared range, and several optical detectors are provided on the housing. At least one x-axis emitter-detector pair operates to detect an x-direction of a pointing motion or gesture, and at least one y-axis emitter-detector pair operates to detect a y-direction of a pointing motion or gesture. This motion can then be used to cause a response in the controlled device. For example, angles of the operator's hand at the wrist can be interpreted to induce motion of a cursor on a computer display. The device may also include a motion sensor, an environmental condition sensor, or a voice recognition sensor, and can also be adapted for gesture recognition and image scanning applications.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2001
    Publication date: February 28, 2002
    Inventor: Robert Bruce Howard
  • Patent number: 6097374
    Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for sensing, encoding and transmitting electronic keyboard data, pointing device control signals and voice input. The apparatus includes a wireless device appended, for example, to each wrist of the operator. The wireless device utilizes an optical reflectance matrix detecting key closures, an inertial motion sensor encoding pointing device commands and sound acquisition circuit, all of whose signals are optionally multiplexed and broadcast at, for example, radio frequency or wireless to a local base station connected to the computer-based host system. The optical reflectance matrix includes a plurality of infrared LED's or other light sources sequentially illuminating columns in a plane below the palm of the user's hand, from which reflections from the user's fingers are detected along rows with a plurality of sensors such as phototransistors. The optical plane is penetrated by the user's extended fingers (or other obstructions), in an "air typing" action.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2000
    Inventor: Robert Bruce Howard