Patents by Inventor Wayne Carl Westerman

Wayne Carl Westerman 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).

  • Publication number: 20180150152
    Abstract: The selective rejection of touch contacts in an edge region of a touch sensor panel is disclosed. In addition, by providing certain exceptions to the rejection of edge contacts, the functionality of the touch sensor panel can be maximized. Contacts in edge bands around the perimeter of a touch sensor panel can be ignored. However, if a contact in the edge band moves beyond a threshold distance or speed, it can be recognized as part of a gesture. To accommodate different finger sizes, the size of the edge band can be modified based on the identification of the finger or thumb. Furthermore, if contacts in the center region of a touch sensor panel track the movement of contacts in the edge band, the contacts in the edge band can be recognized as part of a gesture.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2018
    Publication date: May 31, 2018
    Inventor: Wayne Carl WESTERMAN
  • Publication number: 20180107261
    Abstract: This relates to an event sensing device that includes an event sensing panel and is able to dynamically change the granularity of the panel according to present needs. Thus, the granularity of the panel can differ at different times of operation. Furthermore, the granularity of specific areas of the panel can also be dynamically changed, so that different areas feature different granularities at a given time. This also relates to panels that feature different inherent granularities in different portions thereof. These panels can be designed, for example, by placing more stimulus and/or data lines in different portions of the panel, thus ensuring different densities of pixels in the different portions. Optionally, these embodiments can also include the dynamic granularity changing features noted above.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2017
    Publication date: April 19, 2018
    Inventors: Wayne Carl WESTERMAN, John Greer ELIAS, Steven P. HOTELLING, Duncan Robert KERR
  • Publication number: 20180059928
    Abstract: “Real-world” gestures such as hand or finger movements/orientations that are generally recognized to mean certain things (e.g., an “OK” hand signal generally indicates an affirmative response) can be interpreted by a touch or hover sensitive device to more efficiently and accurately effect intended operations. These gestures can include, but are not limited to, “OK gestures,” “grasp everything gestures,” “stamp of approval gestures,” “circle select gestures,” “X to delete gestures,” “knock to inquire gestures,” “hitchhiker directional gestures,” and “shape gestures.” In addition, gestures can be used to provide identification and allow or deny access to applications, files, and the like.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2017
    Publication date: March 1, 2018
    Inventors: Wayne Carl WESTERMAN, Myra Mary HAGGERTY
  • Patent number: 9891732
    Abstract: The selective rejection of touch contacts in an edge region of a touch sensor panel is disclosed. In addition, by providing certain exceptions to the rejection of edge contacts, the functionality of the touch sensor panel can be maximized. Contacts in edge bands around the perimeter of a touch sensor panel can be ignored. However, if a contact in the edge band moves beyond a threshold distance or speed, it can be recognized as part of a gesture. To accommodate different finger sizes, the size of the edge band can be modified based on the identification of the finger or thumb. Furthermore, if contacts in the center region of a touch sensor panel track the movement of contacts in the edge band, the contacts in the edge band can be recognized as part of a gesture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Wayne Carl Westerman
  • Publication number: 20180024693
    Abstract: The rejection of undesired touch events on a touch surface is disclosed. A weighted meta-centroid of all touch events can be computed. In some examples, touches can be weighted inversely to their size and distance to the nearest neighboring touch. In some examples, touches can be weighted based on the size of their minor radii. A meta-ellipse can be fit to the weighted touch events. In some examples, the major axis of the meta-ellipse can be used to determine the orientation of a user's hand to reject undesired touches. In other examples, touches within the meta-ellipse can be rejected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2017
    Publication date: January 25, 2018
    Inventors: Wayne Carl WESTERMAN, Ari Y. BENBASAT
  • Patent number: 9874975
    Abstract: Reconstruction of an original touch image from a differential touch image is disclosed. Reconstruction can include aligning columns of the differential touch image relative to each other and aligning the image to a baseline DC value. The column and baseline alignment can be based on the differential image data indicative of no touch or hover, because such data can more clearly show the amount of alignment needed to reconstruct the original image. The reconstruction can be performed using the differential image data alone. The reconstruction can also be performed using the differential image data and common mode data indicative of the missing image column average.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Ari Y. Benbasat, William Matthew Vieta, Wayne Carl Westerman, Steven P. Hotelling
  • Patent number: 9870041
    Abstract: This relates to an event sensing device that includes an event sensing panel and is able to dynamically change the granularity of the panel according to present needs. Thus, the granularity of the panel can differ at different times of operation. Furthermore, the granularity of specific areas of the panel can also be dynamically changed, so that different areas feature different granularities at a given time. This also relates to panels that feature different inherent granularities in different portions thereof. These panels can be designed, for example, by placing more stimulus and/or data lines in different portions of the panel, thus ensuring different densities of pixels in the different portions. Optionally, these embodiments can also include the dynamic granularity changing features noted above.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Wayne Carl Westerman, John Greer Elias, Steven P. Hotelling, Duncan Robert Kerr
  • Patent number: 9870137
    Abstract: Gestures for converting from a position control mode to a motion continuation mode are disclosed. A position control mode can be invoked when the user simultaneously places two or more fingers upon a sensor panel. The fingers can then be moved around to effect position control. A motion continuation mode can be invoked when one or more fingers are lifted off (but at least one finger remains in contact with the sensor panel). If the motion continuation mode is invoked, a virtual control ring can be generated, and scrolling of the viewable area or dragging of the cursor or object can continue in a particular direction specified by a velocity vector pointed in the direction of finger movement at the time the motion continuation mode is invoked, and having a magnitude proportional to the velocity of the finger at the time the motion continuation mode was invoked.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Wayne Carl Westerman, Sean E. O'Connor
  • Publication number: 20170371511
    Abstract: Gestures for converting from a position control mode to a motion continuation mode are disclosed. A position control mode can be invoked when the user simultaneously places two or more fingers upon a sensor panel. The fingers can then be moved around to effect position control. A motion continuation mode can be invoked when one or more fingers are lifted off (but at least one finger remains in contact with the sensor panel). If the motion continuation mode is invoked, a virtual control ring can be generated, and scrolling of the viewable area or dragging of the cursor or object can continue in a particular direction specified by a velocity vector pointed in the direction of finger movement at the time the motion continuation mode is invoked, and having a magnitude proportional to the velocity of the finger at the time the motion continuation mode was invoked.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2017
    Publication date: December 28, 2017
    Inventors: Wayne Carl WESTERMAN, Sean E. O'CONNOR
  • Publication number: 20170364181
    Abstract: Techniques for identifying and discriminating between different types of contacts to a multi-touch touch-screen device are described. Illustrative contact types include fingertips, thumbs, palms and cheeks. By way of example, thumb contacts may be distinguished from fingertip contacts using a patch eccentricity parameter. In addition, by non-linearly deemphasizing pixels in a touch-surface image, a reliable means of distinguishing between large objects (e.g., palms) from smaller objects (e.g., fingertips, thumbs and a stylus) is described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2017
    Publication date: December 21, 2017
    Inventor: Wayne Carl WESTERMAN
  • Publication number: 20170351314
    Abstract: This relates to an event sensing device that includes an event sensing panel and is able to dynamically change the granularity of the panel according to present needs. Thus, the granularity of the panel can differ at different times of operation. Furthermore, the granularity of specific areas of the panel can also be dynamically changed, so that different areas feature different granularities at a given time. This also relates to panels that feature different inherent granularities in different portions thereof. These panels can be designed, for example, by placing more stimulus and/or data lines in different portions of the panel, thus ensuring different densities of pixels in the different portions. Optionally, these embodiments can also include the dynamic granularity changing features noted above.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2017
    Publication date: December 7, 2017
    Inventors: Wayne Carl WESTERMAN, John Greer ELIAS, Steven P. HOTELLING, Duncan Robert KERR
  • Publication number: 20170344213
    Abstract: Gestures for converting from a position control mode to a motion continuation mode are disclosed. A position control mode can be invoked when the user simultaneously places two or more fingers upon a sensor panel. The fingers can then be moved around to effect position control. A motion continuation mode can be invoked when one or more fingers are lifted off (but at least one finger remains in contact with the sensor panel). If the motion continuation mode is invoked, a virtual control ring can be generated, and scrolling of the viewable area or dragging of the cursor or object can continue in a particular direction specified by a velocity vector pointed in the direction of finger movement at the time the motion continuation mode is invoked, and having a magnitude proportional to the velocity of the finger at the time the motion continuation mode was invoked.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2017
    Publication date: November 30, 2017
    Inventors: Wayne Carl WESTERMAN, Sean E. O'CONNOR
  • Patent number: 9778807
    Abstract: Techniques for identifying and discriminating between different types of contacts to a multi-touch touch-screen device are described. Illustrative contact types include fingertips, thumbs, palms and cheeks. By way of example, thumb contacts may be distinguished from fingertip contacts using a patch eccentricity parameter. In addition, by non-linearly deemphasizing pixels in a touch-surface image, a reliable means of distinguishing between large objects (e.g., palms) from smaller objects (e.g., fingertips, thumbs and a stylus) is described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Wayne Carl Westerman
  • Patent number: 9778789
    Abstract: The rejection of undesired touch events on a touch surface is disclosed. A weighted meta-centroid of all touch events can be computed. In some examples, touches can be weighted inversely to their size and distance to the nearest neighboring touch. In some examples, touches can be weighted based on the size of their minor radii. A meta-ellipse can be fit to the weighted touch events. In some examples, the major axis of the meta-ellipse can be used to determine the orientation of a user's hand to reject undesired touches. In other examples, touches within the meta-ellipse can be rejected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Wayne Carl Westerman, Ari Y. Benbasat
  • Patent number: 9772667
    Abstract: This relates to an event sensing device that includes an event sensing panel and is able to dynamically change the granularity of the panel according to present needs. Thus, the granularity of the panel can differ at different times of operation. Furthermore, the granularity of specific areas of the panel can also be dynamically changed, so that different areas feature different granularities at a given time. This also relates to panels that feature different inherent granularities in different portions thereof. These panels can be designed, for example, by placing more stimulus and/or data lines in different portions of the panel, thus ensuring different densities of pixels in the different portions. Optionally, these embodiments can also include the dynamic granularity changing features noted above.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Wayne Carl Westerman, John Greer Elias, Steve Porter Hotelling, Duncan Kerr
  • Publication number: 20170262101
    Abstract: The dynamic adjusting of the conditions for identifying inputs as touching a touch-sensitive device is discloses. In some examples, in addition to using a signal density make threshold to identify an input patch as touching the surface, a signal density stability threshold can be used to identify the input patch as touching the surface. In some examples, a weighted average of peak signal density contributions from recent identified touches can be computed to dynamically adjust the make threshold for new input patches. In other examples, a new input patch identified as associated with the same path as an earlier touch can have its “make” threshold dynamically adjusted based on the earlier touch without computing a weighted average.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2017
    Publication date: September 14, 2017
    Inventors: Ari Y. BENBASAT, Wayne Carl WESTERMAN
  • Patent number: 9740386
    Abstract: Gestures for converting from a position control mode to a motion continuation mode are disclosed. A position control mode can be invoked when the user simultaneously places two or more fingers upon a sensor panel. The fingers can then be moved around to effect position control. A motion continuation mode can be invoked when one or more fingers are lifted off (but at least one finger remains in contact with the sensor panel). If the motion continuation mode is invoked, a virtual control ring can be generated, and scrolling of the viewable area or dragging of the cursor or object can continue in a particular direction specified by a velocity vector pointed in the direction of finger movement at the time the motion continuation mode is invoked, and having a magnitude proportional to the velocity of the finger at the time the motion continuation mode was invoked.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Wayne Carl Westerman, Sean Erik O'Connor
  • Publication number: 20170220165
    Abstract: Embodiments are related to user input devices that accept complex user input including a combination of touch and push (or pick) input. Embodiments of the invention provide for selective ignoring or rejection of input received from such devices in order to avoid interpreting unintentional user actions as commands. Furthermore, some input signals can be modified. The selective rejection or modification can be performed by the user interface device itself or by a computing device that includes or is attached to the user interface device. The selective rejection or modification may be performed by a module that processes input signals, performs the necessary rejections and modifications and sends revised input signals to higher level modules.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2017
    Publication date: August 3, 2017
    Inventors: Wayne Carl WESTERMAN, Christopher Tenzin MULLENS
  • Patent number: 9720544
    Abstract: Distinguishing sloppy taps from sliding motions is disclosed using an algorithm that can take into account both a time instability factor Tinst and a touch instability factor Zinst. A limited amount of motion per frame can be subtracted off immediately following the detection of a touch event. Small lateral motions indicative of a sloppy tap can be suppressed, while fast finger motions indicative of a quick, long cursor movement can immediately pass through the filter without being suppressed by a significant amount. A motion pass-through suppression factor can be applied subtractively to motion in particular direction as a function of Zinst and Tinst, wherein Zinst can represent a suppression value given as a finger speed for a particular percentage change in touch instability per frame, and Tinst can represent a suppression value given as finger speed for a particular tpress.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Wayne Carl Westerman
  • Patent number: RE46864
    Abstract: In accordance with some embodiments, a computer-implemented method is performed at a portable electronic device with a touch screen display. The method can include: displaying graphics on the touch screen display, detecting a finger contact on the touch screen display, and, in response to the detected finger contact, inserting an insertion marker in the graphics at a first location. The method can further include detecting a finger movement on the touch screen display and, irrespective of initial distance from finger to insertion marker on the touch screen display, moving the insertion marker in accordance with the detected finger movement from the first location to a second location in the graphics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Wayne Carl Westerman, Bas Ording, B. Michael Victor