Patents by Inventor Robert D. Polak

Robert D. Polak 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: 9122092
    Abstract: A user interface (200) for a portable electronic device (100) is configured to transition from a first state to a second state to present a plurality of mode-based user actuation targets to a user. The user interface (200) includes a segmented electro-optical device (407) configured to open and close shutters, thereby revealing and hiding the user actuation targets. The user interface includes a first polarizer (401) disposed above the segmented electro-optical device (407) and a colored reflective polarizer (405) disposed beneath the segmented electro-optical device. The colored reflective polarizer (405), which may include a colored dichroic polarizer (601) and a reflective polarizer (602), causes the user interface (200) to exhibit a predetermined color.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2015
    Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC
    Inventors: Robert D. Polak, David M. Emig
  • Patent number: 8957863
    Abstract: A user interface (200) for a portable electronic device (100) is configured to transition from a first state to a second state to present a plurality of mode-based user actuation targets to a user. The user interface (200) includes a segmented electro-optical device (407) configured to open and close shutters, thereby revealing and hiding the user actuation targets. The user interface includes a first polarizer (401) disposed above the segmented electro-optical device (407) and a colored reflective polarizer (405) disposed beneath the segmented electro-optical device. The colored reflective polarizer (405), which may include a colored dichroic polarizer (601) and a reflective polarizer (602), causes the user interface (200) to exhibit a predetermined color.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC
    Inventors: Robert D. Polak, David M. Emig
  • Patent number: 8933972
    Abstract: A method and system for adjusting luminance in a display device including displaying an image with saturated colors, and adjusting luminance settings of sub-pixels so that a relative luminance ratio between full white color and any fully saturated color is within approximately 25 percent of a reference relative luminance ratio between the full white color and the same fully saturated color in an equivalent display device including red, green and blue sub-pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC
    Inventors: Robert D. Polak, Zhiming (Jim) Zhuang
  • Patent number: 8519965
    Abstract: An multi-touch detection system (100) separately determines each of the coordinates of multiple touches and is able to correctly pair the coordinates, the touch panel includes multiple (e.g., two or four) separate sections (104, 106, 404, 406, 504, 506, 508, 510) to detect touches in different areas. The system (100) is able to operate at high refresh rates allowing speed sensitive applications to be supported.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: Motorola Mobility LLC
    Inventors: Andrew N Cady, Tomohiro Ishikawa, Robert D Polak
  • Patent number: 8294691
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for detecting activation of a touch panel. The method includes the steps of providing an N by M touch panel including a matrix of N rows of touch elements along a first axis and M columns of touch elements along a second axis, providing N optical beams where a characteristic of each beam of the N beams is different than the corresponding characteristic of any other of the N optical beams, where the summation of a characteristic any first group of the N optical beams is different than the summation the corresponding characteristic of any other N beams and where each respective beam of the N optical beams corresponds to an input of each of the N rows; and summing the characteristic from an output of each of the N rows.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Motorola Mobility LLC
    Inventors: Andrew Cady, Tomo Ishikawa, Robert D. Polak
  • Patent number: 8237750
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for correcting burn-in in a flat screen display. The method includes the steps of determining a maximum cumulative luminance of each pixel (15) within the display (14) based upon a usage of the pixel, providing a modulation map (40) of the display (14) from the maximum cumulative luminance of each pixel (15) within the display (14), transforming the modulation map (40) based upon the maximum cumulative luminance of groups of adjacent pixels to provide a modulation index for each pixel location of the map (40), comparing the modulation indexes with a set of threshold values and adjusting a luminosity of associated pixels (15) of the display (40) when the modulation index exceeds the threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Motorola Mobility, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert D. Polak, Andrew N. Cady, Tomohiro Ishikawa
  • Patent number: 8040475
    Abstract: Disclosed is reflective morphable display with multi-layered depth viewing, low power consumption and few components and a method of activating various features thereof. The disclosed display includes a bi-stable reflective cholesteric liquid display crystal (ChLCD) layered in combination with a display device such as an LCD and a quarter lambda (?/4) retardation film layer. Linearly polarized light emerging from the front surface of a display device is circularly polarized by the ?/4 layer before entering the ChLCD layer. In its reflective state, the ChLCD layer receiving a portion of the ambient light having the same handedness of the ChLCD is reflected in a mirror-like manner. Also in its reflective state, when it receives light that is circularly polarized by the ?/4 retardation film layer, the ChLCD layer acts as a shutter. A display device with depth viewing is provided as the ChLCD layer pixelated so it is configured to display font and/or other indicia.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: Motorola Mobility, Inc.
    Inventors: Tomohiro Ishikawa, Andrew N Cady, Robert D Polak, Kenneth A. Dean
  • Patent number: 7953438
    Abstract: Disclosed are circuits and user interfaces of a mobile communication device that include a light source and a shutter that are driven by at least one common voltage line. Also disclosed are circuits and user interfaces of a mobile communication device that include a sensor and a shutter that are driven by at least one common voltage line. Further disclosed are circuits and user interfaces that include a light source, a sensor and a shutter that are driven by at least one common voltage line. The shutter may be divided into a plurality of segments so that one segment may be in optical alignment with a light source and another segment may be in optical alignment with a sensor. A shutter may be part of the same circuit as a light source and/or a sensor without needing its own circuit and driver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Assignee: Motorola Mobility, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert D. Polak, Ken K. Foo, John W. Kaehler, Zhiming Zhuang
  • Patent number: 7768605
    Abstract: A display stack-up (300) is provided for a mobile electronic device (100) having an internal and external display, for example, a clamshell style mobile phone. The display stack-up comprises a backlight unit (114) and an external display device (110) having bi-stable optical states. The external display device (110) is placed in contact with, and is optically coupled to, the backlight unit (114). The display stack-up further comprises an internal display device (106) which is placed in contact with, and is optically coupled to, the external display device (110).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert D. Polak
  • Publication number: 20100123683
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for detecting activation of a touch panel (16). The method includes the steps of providing an N by M touch panel (16) including a matrix of N rows of touch elements (22, 26) along a first axis and M columns of touch elements (22, 28) along a second axis, providing N optical beams (60, 62) where a characteristic of each beam of the N beams is different than the corresponding characteristic of any other of the N optical beams, where the summation of a characteristic any first group of the N optical beams (60, 62) is different than the summation the corresponding characteristic of any other N beams (60, 62) and where each respective beam of the N optical beams corresponds to an input of each of the N rows; and summing the characteristic from an output of each of the N rows.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2008
    Publication date: May 20, 2010
    Applicant: MOTOROLA INC.
    Inventors: Andrew Cady, Tomo Ishikawa, Robert D. Polak
  • Publication number: 20100103198
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for correcting burn-in in a flat screen display. The method includes the steps of determining a maximum cumulative luminance of each pixel (15) within the display (14) based upon a usage of the pixel, providing a modulation map (40) of the display (14) from the maximum cumulative luminance of each pixel (15) within the display (14), transforming the modulation map (40) based upon the maximum cumulative luminance of groups of adjacent pixels to provide a modulation index for each pixel location of the map (40), comparing the modulation indexes with a set of threshold values and adjusting a luminosity of associated pixels (15) of the display (40) when the modulation index exceeds the threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2008
    Publication date: April 29, 2010
    Applicant: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert D. Polak, Andrew N. Cady, Tomohiro Ishikawa
  • Publication number: 20100097549
    Abstract: Disclosed is reflective morphable display with multi-layered depth viewing, low power consumption and few components and a method of activating various features thereof. The disclosed display includes a bi-stable reflective cholesteric liquid display crystal (ChLCD) layered in combination with a display device such as an LCD and a quarter lambda (?/4) retardation film layer. Linearly polarized light emerging from the front surface of a display device is circularly polarized by the ?/4 layer before entering the ChLCD layer. In its reflective state, the ChLCD layer receiving a portion of the ambient light having the same handedness of the ChLCD is reflected in a mirror-like manner. Also in its reflective state, when it receives light that is circularly polarized by the ?/4 retardation film layer, the ChLCD layer acts as a shutter. A display device with depth viewing is provided as the ChLCD layer pixelated so it is configured to display font and/or other indicia.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2008
    Publication date: April 22, 2010
    Applicant: MOTOROLA, INC.
    Inventors: Tomohiro Ishikawa, Andrew N. Cady, Robert D. Polak, Kenneth Dean
  • Publication number: 20090267903
    Abstract: An multi-touch detection system (100) separately determines each of the coordinates of multiple touches and is able to correctly pair the coordinates, the touch panel includes multiple (e.g., two or four) separate sections (104, 106, 404, 406, 504, 506, 508, 510) to detect touches in different areas. The system (100) is able to operate at high refresh rates allowing speed sensitive applications to be supported.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2008
    Publication date: October 29, 2009
    Applicant: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew N. Cady, Tomohiro Ishikawa, Robert D. Polak
  • Publication number: 20090231283
    Abstract: A user interface (200) for a portable electronic device (100) is configured to transition from a first state to a second state to present a plurality of mode-based user actuation targets to a user. The user interface (200) includes a segmented electro-optical device (407) configured to open and close shutters, thereby revealing and hiding the user actuation targets. The user interface includes a first polarizer (401) disposed above the segmented electro-optical device (407) and a colored reflective polarizer (405) disposed beneath the segmented electro-optical device. The colored reflective polarizer (405), which may include a colored dichroic polarizer (601) and a reflective polarizer (602), causes the user interface (200) to exhibit a predetermined color.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2009
    Publication date: September 17, 2009
    Inventors: Robert D. Polak, David M. Emig
  • Publication number: 20090225057
    Abstract: A user interface (200) for a portable electronic device (100) is configured to transition from a first state to a second state to present a plurality of mode-based user actuation targets to a user. The user interface (200) includes a segmented electro-optical device (407) configured to open and close shutters, thereby revealing and hiding the user actuation targets. The user interface includes a first polarizer (401) disposed above the segmented electro-optical device (407) and a colored reflective polarizer (405) disposed beneath the segmented electro-optical device. The colored reflective polarizer (405), which may include a colored dichroic polarizer (601) and a reflective polarizer (602), causes the user interface (200) to exhibit a predetermined color.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2009
    Publication date: September 10, 2009
    Inventors: Robert D. Polak, David M. Emig
  • Publication number: 20090046089
    Abstract: In accordance with one embodiment, apparatus are provided, which include a burn-in compensation pixel generator and burn-in compensation circuitry. The burn-in compensation pixel generator is configured to generate burn-in compensation pixel data. The burn-in compensation circuitry is configured to provide, within break-from-standard-use periods of a device employing a display, the generated burn-in compensation pixel data instead of a select predetermined subset of default pixel data, for input to a display interface of the display.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2007
    Publication date: February 19, 2009
    Applicant: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Zhiming Zhuang, Ken K. Foo, John W. Kaehler, Robert D. Polak
  • Publication number: 20080316397
    Abstract: A user interface (200) for a portable electronic device (100) is configured to transition from a first state to a second state to present a plurality of mode-based user actuation targets to a user. The user interface (200) includes a segmented electro-optical device (407) configured to open and close shutters, thereby revealing and hiding the user actuation targets. The user interface includes a first polarizer (401) disposed above the segmented electro-optical device (407) and a colored reflective polarizer (405) disposed beneath the segmented electro-optical device. The colored reflective polarizer (405), which may include a colored dichroic polarizer (601) and a reflective polarizer (602), causes the user interface (200) to exhibit a predetermined color.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2007
    Publication date: December 25, 2008
    Inventors: Robert D. Polak, David M. Emig
  • Publication number: 20080186322
    Abstract: A method and system for adjusting luminance in a display device. The method includes displaying (304) an image with saturated colors. The method further includes adjusting (310) the luminance settings of sub-pixels so that a relative luminance ratio between full white color and any fully saturated color is within approximately 25 percent of a reference relative luminance ratio between the full white color and the same fully saturated color in an equivalent display device including red, green, and blue sub-pixels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2007
    Publication date: August 7, 2008
    Applicant: MOTOROLA, INC.
    Inventors: ROBERT D. POLAK, ZHIMING (JIM) ZHUANG
  • Publication number: 20080158449
    Abstract: A method includes forming a first electrode on a first substrate and forming a second electrode on a second substrate. A layer of liquid crystal material is positioned between the first electrode and the second electrode. A voltage V(e) is applied between the first electrode and the second electrode to produce an electric field. A layer of dielectric material is provided that has at least one area defined by a void. The layer of dielectric material is utilized to block the electric field other than in the area defined by the void.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2006
    Publication date: July 3, 2008
    Applicant: MOTOROLA, INC.
    Inventors: DODGE D. DAVERMAN, ROBERT D. POLAK, CHRISTOPHER J. SPIEK
  • Publication number: 20080136794
    Abstract: Disclosed are devices for integrating photo sensors into sub-pixels of pixels of an array of pixels to substantially maintain the brightness of a touch screen display. In one embodiment, one or more photo sensors are distributed across two colored sub-pixels. Accordingly, the aperture ratios of the sub-pixels can be more substantially equal than the aperture ratios of the sub-pixels when a single sub-pixel includes a photo sensor. In another embodiment, one or more photo sensors are distributed across three sub-pixels. Accordingly, the aperture ratios of the sub-pixels may be substantially equal so that the light from each of the colors may mix in substantially equal amounts to generate white light. A white sub-pixel may be included with the sub-pixels of a pixel. A photo sensor may be integrated into the white sub-pixel. White light from combined colored light of sub-pixels can be further brightened by light from the white sub-pixel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2006
    Publication date: June 12, 2008
    Applicant: MOTOROLA, INC.
    Inventors: TOMOHIRO ISHIKAWA, ROBERT D. POLAK