Patents by Inventor Tom Alphin

Tom Alphin 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).

  • Virtual touchpad
    Patent number: 8754855
    Abstract: Embodiments described herein are directed to simultaneously presenting a virtual touchpad and a graphical user interface of an operating system on the same display. A user can interact with the OS using the virtual touchpad, and user touches are read by a touch-screen portion of the display assigned to the touchpad. Touch input software converts touch packets from user touches into data packets relevant to the screen and display resolution of either the display or a portion of the display presenting the OS. Gesture-recognition software applies rules to the converted packets to determine which actions the user meant by the touches. And an application controlling a mouse cursor manipulates the mouse cursor according to the mouse actions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Rick Duncan, Tom Alphin, David Perry, Chris Devaraj
  • VIRTUAL TOUCHPAD
    Publication number: 20090322687
    Abstract: Embodiments described herein are directed to simultaneously presenting a virtual touchpad and a graphical user interface of an operating system on the same display. A user can interact with the OS using the virtual touchpad, and user touches are read by a touch-screen portion of the display assigned to the touchpad. Touch input software converts touch packets from user touches into data packets relevant to the screen and display resolution of either the display or a portion of the display presenting the OS. Gesture-recognition software applies rules to the converted packets to determine which actions the user meant by the touches. And an application controlling a mouse cursor manipulates the mouse cursor according to the mouse actions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2008
    Publication date: December 31, 2009
    Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Rick Duncan, Tom Alphin, David Perry, Chris Devaraj
  • Display screen with animated graphical user interface
    Patent number: D693368
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Rolf Ebeling, Melinda Knight, Tom Alphin, III, Maverick Velasco