Patents by Inventor Willem Morkel Van Der Westhuizen

Willem Morkel Van Der Westhuizen 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: 10732813
    Abstract: The invention provides a method for dynamic user control over the layout of a graphical user interface. The method includes the steps of receiving a description of the way in which a control region in the interface is allocated to a plurality of virtual objects, without object overlap, receiving the position of a user point, reallocating a fraction of the control region from at least one object to a different object, based on the user point position, allocating a part of a display region in the interface to at least one of the objects, based on the current allocation of the control region to said object, but with control-display decoupling, and repeating the previous three steps fast enough that the user will perceive the changes as substantially continuous.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: Flow Labs, Inc.
    Inventors: Hendrik Frans Verwoerd Boshoff, Filippus Lourens Andries Du Plessis, Willem Morkel Van Der Westhuizen, Jan Pool, Johannes Petrus Van Zyl, Adri Van Der Merwe
  • Patent number: 10691317
    Abstract: The invention provides a method of interacting with interactive items in a user interface. A user interface is provided which includes a control region and a display region. A plurality of interactive items are displayed in the display region. The user interface tracks the position and movement of a pointer in the control region, and interprets the movement and/or position of the pointer. Movement along a first predefined axis is interpreted as focus pointing only, movement along a second predefined axis is interpreted as view pointing only. Movement having components along both axes is interpreted as both view pointing and focus pointing, enabling both view pointing and focus pointing to be substantially simultaneously performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: Flow Labs, Inc.
    Inventor: Willem Morkel Van Der Westhuizen
  • Patent number: 10691324
    Abstract: An electronic device and a method of display and interaction in a user interface is provided. The method includes: providing a display region and control region of a user interface; initiating the display of a number of interactive items in the display region; upon receiving a predefined interaction from a pointer, tracking the position or movement of the pointer and dynamically populating the display region with a subset of interactive items based on the position or movement of the pointer. In response to detecting a substantial change of direction of the pointer or in response to the pointer crossing a selection threshold, a selection interaction mode is entered in which a user can individually interact with the interactive items populating the display region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: Flow Labs, Inc.
    Inventors: Willem Morkel Van Der Westhuizen, Filippus Lourens Andries Du Plessis
  • Patent number: 10636117
    Abstract: The invention provides a method for human-computer interaction (HCl) on a graphical user interface (GUI). The method includes the steps of displaying a plurality of objects positioned in relation to each other and in relation to the display window; determining user input; distorting at least one of the position relations according to a magnification function with a focal dip, where the focal position of the magnification function is controllable by the user input; and updating the distortion whenever the relevant user input changes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: Flow Labs, Inc.
    Inventors: Hendrik Frans Verwoerd Boshoff, Willem Morkel Van Der Westhuizen, Jan Pool, Adri Smuts
  • Patent number: 10572099
    Abstract: The invention provides, a method for human-computer interaction on a graphical user interface (GUI). The method includes the steps of receiving first control coordinates for individualised control of a plurality of objects to be controlled—by pointer coordinates; receiving display coordinates for the display' of the' plurality of objects, which relate to but are different from the first control coordinates; receiving pointer coordinates for individualised control of the objects based partly on the first control coordinates; using the display coordinates of at least one object to—calculate new control coordinates associated with the same object, which new control coordinates generally correspond to the same objects display coordinates; and—continuously repeating the above steps each time new pointer coordinates become available.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: Flow Labs, Inc.
    Inventors: Hendrik Frans Verwoerd Boshoff, Willem Morkel Van Der Westhuizen, Jan Pool, Adri Smuts
  • Publication number: 20190302994
    Abstract: The invention provides a method for dynamic user control over the layout of a graphical user interface. The method includes the steps of receiving a description of the way in which a control region in the interface is allocated to a plurality of virtual objects, without object overlap, receiving the position of a user point, reallocating a fraction of the control region from at least one object to a different object, based on the user point position, allocating a part of a display region in the interface to at least one of the objects, based on the current allocation of the control region to said object, but with control-display decoupling, and repeating the previous three steps fast enough that the user will perceive the changes as substantially continuous.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2019
    Publication date: October 3, 2019
    Inventors: Hendrik Frans Verwoerd BOSHOFF, Filippus Lourens Andries DU PLESSIS, Willem Morkel VAN DER WESTHUIZEN, Jan POOL, Johannes Petrus VAN ZYL, Adri VAN DER MERWE
  • Patent number: 10416852
    Abstract: A display and interaction method in a user interface is provided. The user interface includes a touch-sensitive display, and can track a position and/or movement of a pointer along a z-axis that extends normally from the display. An interactive item is displayed on the display, and selection of the interactive item is received from the pointer. The position and movement of the pointer along the z-axis relative to the selected interactive item is tracked, and the display of at least one additional selectable option associated with the interactive item is initiated based thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: Flow Labs, Inc.
    Inventors: Willem Morkel Van Der Westhuizen, Filippus Lourens Andries Du Plessis
  • Patent number: 10126923
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for human-computer interaction (HCI). The method includes: establishing an event set; establishing and referencing one or more events in the event set; establishing and referencing an event to represent the observer in the event set; establishing a representation manifold as an indefinite metric Riemann manifold; representing the events on the representation manifold in such a way that the logical relations between events are coordinate independent and geometrically encoded as causal relations; establishing an input manifold to represent user input; and establishing an output manifold that maps between the representation manifold and a physical output device. Further, based on user input, select any one or more steps from: manipulating the observer event, adjusting manifold metrics, changing mappings, adjusting mapping parameters, and applying mappings. The above steps are repeated when the user input changes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: Flow Labs, Inc.
    Inventors: Willem Morkel Van Der Westhuizen, Frederik George Scholtz, Jan Pool
  • Publication number: 20180088785
    Abstract: A method of navigation of a set of selectable items in a user interface of an electronic device is provided. A set of selectable items are retrieved and divided into a plurality of successive rows. Only a subset of the rows are displayed on a display of the electronic device. User input is tracked, and may be in the form of scrolling or zooming. Scrolling through the display and/or zooming in or out of the display is then applied as appropriate. Selectable items are rearranged on the rows as zooming is performed, while scrolling causes the subset of visible rows to update.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2016
    Publication date: March 29, 2018
    Inventors: Leon VAN NIEKERK, Francois VAN NIEKERK, Hilgard Heyns BELL, Willem Morkel VAN DER WESTHUIZEN
  • Publication number: 20180052575
    Abstract: A display and interaction method in a user interface is provided. The user interface includes a touch-sensitive display, and can track a position and/or movement of a pointer along a z-axis that extends normally from the display. An interactive item is displayed on the display, and selection of the interactive item is received from the pointer. The position and movement of the pointer along the z-axis relative to the selected interactive item is tracked, and the display of at least one additional selectable option associated with the interactive item is initiated based thereon.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2016
    Publication date: February 22, 2018
    Inventors: Willem Morkel VAN DER WESTHUIZEN, Filippus Lourens Andries DU PLESSIS
  • Publication number: 20170242568
    Abstract: The invention provides a method of interacting with interactive items in a user interface. A user interface is provided which includes a control region and a display region. A plurality of interactive items are displayed in the display region. The user interface tracks the position and movement of a pointer in the control region, and interprets the movement and/or position of the pointer. Movement along a first predefined axis is interpreted as focus pointing only, movement along a second predefined axis is interpreted as view pointing only. Movement having components along both axes is interpreted as both view pointing and focus pointing, enabling both view pointing and focus pointing to be substantially simultaneously performed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2015
    Publication date: August 24, 2017
    Applicant: REALITYGATE (PTY) LTD
    Inventor: Willem Morkel Van Der Westhuizen
  • Publication number: 20170108998
    Abstract: An electronic device and a method of display and interaction in a user interface is provided. The method includes: providing a display region and control region of a user interface; initiating the display of a number of interactive items in the display region; upon receiving a predefined interaction from a pointer, tracking the position or movement of the pointer and dynamically populating the display region with a subset of interactive items based on the position or movement of the pointer. In response to detecting a substantial change of direction of the pointer or in response to the pointer crossing a selection threshold, a selection interaction mode is entered in which a user can individually interact with the interactive items populating the display region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2015
    Publication date: April 20, 2017
    Inventors: Willem Morkel Van Der Westhuizen, Filippus Lourens Andries Du Plessis
  • Publication number: 20170068415
    Abstract: The invention provides, a method for human-computer interaction on a graphical user interface (GUI). The method includes the steps of receiving first control coordinates for individualised control of a plurality of objects to be controlled—by pointer coordinates; receiving display coordinates for the display' of the' plurality of objects, which relate to but are different from the first control coordinates; receiving pointer coordinates for individualised control of the objects based partly on the first control coordinates; using the display coordinates of at least one object to—calculate new control coordinates associated with the same object, which new control coordinates generally correspond to the same objects display coordinates; and—continuously repeating the above steps each time new pointer coordinates become available.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2015
    Publication date: March 9, 2017
    Inventors: Hendrik Frans Verwoerd Boshoff, Willem Morkel Van Der Westhuizen, Jan Pool, Adri Smuts
  • Publication number: 20160247201
    Abstract: A client device presents one or more advertisements via a user interface presented by a client device. When the client device receives input from the user interacting with the user interface, a direction of motion of the input is determined and used to determine the user's measure of interest in various advertisements. For example, a direction of movement of the input relative to an advertisement determines the user's measure of interest in the advertisement. Based on the measure of interest in various advertisements, one or more additional advertisements are selected and prices charged to one or more advertisers associated with presented advertisements are determined.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2014
    Publication date: August 25, 2016
    Inventors: Jan Pool, Adri Smuts, Willem Morkel Van Der Westhuizen, Hendrik Frans Verwoerd Boshoff
  • Publication number: 20160239176
    Abstract: A client device presents content items in various regions of a display device. When the client device receives an input associated with a region, the client device determines attributes of the input and modifies presentation of the content items accordingly. For example based on a position of a received input along its axis, a direction of movement of the received input, a veocity associated with the received input, the client device retrieves a model for modifying one or more regions of the display device presenting content items. In various embodiments, models stored by the client device are associatedwith distances from an axis, directions of motion and/or velocities and arc identified based on a suitable attribute of the received input.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2014
    Publication date: August 18, 2016
    Inventors: Jan Pool, Adri Smuts, Willem Morkel Van Der Westhuizen, Hendrik Frans Verwoerd Boshoff
  • Publication number: 20160077723
    Abstract: A user input position of a user input received from an input device of the electronic device is determined and a direction of motion of the user input based on one or more previously-received user input positions. A plurality of adaptable interactive elements are presented via the display and a changeable set of adaptable interactive elements is determined in response to the received user input position. The changeable set of adaptable interactive elements is determined by interpreting one or more of the user input position and the direction of motion of the user input in relation to positions in which each of the plurality of adaptable interactive elements are presented and contextual relationships between the adaptable interactive elements. One or more of the adaptable interactive elements in the determined changeable are modified set in response to the received user input.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2014
    Publication date: March 17, 2016
    Inventors: Jan Pool, Adri Smuts, Willem Morkel Van Der Westhuizen, Hendrik Frans Verwoerd Boshoff
  • Publication number: 20160048291
    Abstract: The invention provides a method, device and mechanism for human-computer interaction (HCI) on a graphical user interface (GUI). The method includes the steps of establishing a joint interaction arena (JIA) as a bounded connected subspace of the computing device's control space, establishing a Fused Threshold (FT) on the boundary of the JIA, establishing one or more interactive objects, establishing a relation between one or more of segments of the Fused Threshold and the object(s), displaying representations of at least two of the objects, receiving user input relative to the JIA and the FT, changing the JIA and/or the FT based on the user input whenever the relevant user input changes, and displaying the effect of the changes on the displayed objects.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2014
    Publication date: February 18, 2016
    Applicant: REALITYGATE (PTY) LTD
    Inventors: Hendrik Frans Verwoerd BOSHOFF, Willem Morkel VAN DER WESTHUIZEN, Jan POOL, Adri SMUTS
  • Publication number: 20160042495
    Abstract: The invention provides a method for human-computer interaction (HCI) on a graphical user interface (GUI). The method includes the steps of displaying a plurality of objects positioned in relation to each other and in relation to the display window; determining user input; distorting at least one of the position relations according to a magnification function with a focal dip, where the focal position of the magnification function is controllable by the user input; and updating the distortion whenever the relevant user input changes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2014
    Publication date: February 11, 2016
    Inventors: Hendrik Frans Verwoerd BOSHOFF, Willem Morkel VAN DER WESTHUIZEN, Jan POOL, Adri SMUTS
  • Publication number: 20150355827
    Abstract: The invention provides a method for dynamic user control over the layout of a graphical user interface. The method includes the steps of receiving a description of the way in which a control region in the interface is allocated to a plurality of virtual objects, without object overlap, receiving the position of a user point, reallocating a fraction of the control region from at least one object to a different object, based on the user point position, allocating a part of a display region in the interface to at least one of the objects, based on the current allocation of the control region to said object, but with control-display decoupling, and repeating the previous three steps fast enough that the user will perceive the changes as substantially continuous.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2013
    Publication date: December 10, 2015
    Inventor: Willem Morkel VAN DER WESTHUIZEN
  • Publication number: 20150331587
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for human-computer interaction (HCI). The method includes: establishing an event set; establishing and referencing one or more events in the event set; establishing and referencing an event to represent the observer in the event set; establishing a representation manifold as an indefinite metric Riemann manifold; representing the events on the representation manifold in such a way that the logical relations between events are coordinate independent and geometrically encoded as causal relations; establishing an input manifold to represent user input; and establishing an output manifold that maps between the representation manifold and a physical output device. Further, based on user input, select any one or more steps from: manipulating the observer event, adjusting manifold metrics, changing mappings, adjusting mapping parameters, and applying mappings. The above steps are repeated when the user input changes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2013
    Publication date: November 19, 2015
    Inventors: Willem Morkel VAN DER WESTHUIZEN, Frederik George SCHOLTZ, Jan POOL