Patents by Inventor William Matthew VIETA
William Matthew VIETA 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).
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Patent number: 10402624Abstract: One embodiment may take the form of a method of operating a computing device to provide presence based functionality. The method may include operating the computing device in a reduced power state and collecting a first set of data from a first sensor. Based on the first set of data, the computing device determines if an object is within a threshold distance of the computing device and, if the object is within the threshold distance, the device activates a secondary sensor to collect a second set of data. Based on the second set of data, the device determines if the object is a person. If the object is a person, the device determines a position of the person relative to the computing device and executes a change of state in the computing device based on the position of the person relative to the computing device. If the object is not a person, the computing device remains in a reduced power state.Type: GrantFiled: February 28, 2017Date of Patent: September 3, 2019Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Edward Allen Valko, Matthew C. Waldon, Rudolph Van der Merwe, William Matthew Vieta, Myra M. Haggerty, Alex T. Nelson
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Patent number: 10372191Abstract: One embodiment may take the form of a method of operating a computing device in a reduced power state and collecting a first set of data from at least one sensor. Based on the first set of data, the computing device determines a probability that an object is within a threshold distance of the computing device and, if so, the device activates at least one secondary sensor to collect a second set of data. Based on the second set of data, the device determines if the object is a person. If it is a person, a position of the person relative to the computing device is determined and the computing device changes its state based on the position of the person. If the object is not a person, the computing device remains in a reduced power state.Type: GrantFiled: May 11, 2012Date of Patent: August 6, 2019Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Edward Allen Valko, Matt Waldon, Rudolph van der Merwe, William Matthew Vieta, Myra Haggerty, Alex T. Nelson, Karen Louise Jenkins, Scott Thomas Smith, Jan Erik Solem
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Patent number: 10209778Abstract: Methods, program products, and systems for gesture classification and recognition are disclosed. In general, in one aspect, a system can determine multiple motion patterns for a same user action (e.g., picking up a mobile device from a table) from empirical training data. The system can collect the training data from one or more mobile devices. The training data can include multiple series of motion sensor readings for a specified gesture. Each series of motion sensor readings can correspond to a particular way a user performs the gesture. Using clustering techniques, the system can extract one or more motion patterns from the training data. The system can send the motion patterns to mobile devices as prototypes for gesture recognition.Type: GrantFiled: August 17, 2015Date of Patent: February 19, 2019Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Christopher Moore, Xiaoyuan Tu, William Matthew Vieta
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Patent number: 9874975Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: May 2, 2016Date of Patent: January 23, 2018Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Ari Y. Benbasat, William Matthew Vieta, Wayne Carl Westerman, Steven P. Hotelling
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Publication number: 20170193282Abstract: One embodiment may take the form of a method of operating a computing device to provide presence based functionality. The method may include operating the computing device in a reduced power state and collecting a first set of data from a first sensor. Based on the first set of data, the computing device determines if an object is within a threshold distance of the computing device and, if the object is within the threshold distance, the device activates a secondary sensor to collect a second set of data. Based on the second set of data, the device determines if the object is a person. If the object is a person, the device determines a position of the person relative to the computing device and executes a change of state in the computing device based on the position of the person relative to the computing device. If the object is not a person, the computing device remains in a reduced power state.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 28, 2017Publication date: July 6, 2017Inventors: Edward Allen Valko, Matthew C. Waldon, Rudolph Van der Merwe, William Matthew Vieta, Myra M. Haggerty, Alex T. Nelson
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Publication number: 20170090608Abstract: An electronic device that includes a proximity sensor may be provided. The proximity sensor may be a time-of-flight-based proximity sensor that is capable of separately outputting near-field measurements and far-field measurements. The near-field and far-field measurements may be placed in separate bins according to their time-of-flight values. The discrimination between near-field and far-field results may allow the electronic device to filter out false positive events where the presence of smudge or other surface contaminants can otherwise produce skewed readings and also to filter out false negative events where the presence of a user with dark hair or skin can otherwise produce misleading sensor results.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 22, 2016Publication date: March 30, 2017Inventors: William Matthew Vieta, Alex Bijamov
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Publication number: 20160357344Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: May 2, 2016Publication date: December 8, 2016Inventors: Ari Y. BENBASAT, William Matthew VIETA, Wayne Carl WESTERMAN, Steven P. HOTELLING
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Patent number: 9411048Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with electronic components such as a touch screen display. The touch screen display may be controlled based on information from a proximity sensor. The proximity sensor may have a light source that emits infrared light and a light detector that detects reflected infrared light. When the electronic device is in the vicinity of a user's head, the proximity sensor may produce data indicative of the presence of the user's head. Variations in proximity sensor output due to user hair color and smudges on the proximity sensor can be accommodated by using a dynamically adjustable proximity sensor data threshold in processing proximity sensor data. Proximity sensor data may be analyzed in real time to detect signal strength fluctuations that are indicative of the presence of low-reflectively dark hair on the user's head. Threshold adjustments may be based on the presence of dark hair.Type: GrantFiled: August 30, 2012Date of Patent: August 9, 2016Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventor: William Matthew Vieta
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Patent number: 9329723Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: April 16, 2012Date of Patent: May 3, 2016Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Ari Y. Benbasat, William Matthew Vieta, Wayne Carl Westerman, Steven Porter Hotelling
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Publication number: 20150355721Abstract: Methods, program products, and systems for gesture classification and recognition are disclosed. In general, in one aspect, a system can determine multiple motion patterns for a same user action (e.g., picking up a mobile device from a table) from empirical training data. The system can collect the training data from one or more mobile devices. The training data can include multiple series of motion sensor readings for a specified gesture. Each series of motion sensor readings can correspond to a particular way a user performs the gesture. Using clustering techniques, the system can extract one or more motion patterns from the training data. The system can send the motion patterns to mobile devices as prototypes for gesture recognition.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 17, 2015Publication date: December 10, 2015Inventors: Christopher Moore, Xiaoyuan Tu, William Matthew Vieta
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Patent number: 9110510Abstract: Methods, program products, and systems for gesture classification and recognition are disclosed. In general, in one aspect, a system can determine multiple motion patterns for a same user action (e.g., picking up a mobile device from a table) from empirical training data. The system can collect the training data from one or more mobile devices. The training data can include multiple series of motion sensor readings for a specified gesture. Each series of motion sensor readings can correspond to a particular way a user performs the gesture. Using clustering techniques, the system can extract one or more motion patterns from the training data. The system can send the motion patterns to mobile devices as prototypes for gesture recognition.Type: GrantFiled: June 3, 2011Date of Patent: August 18, 2015Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Christopher Moore, Xiaoyuan Tu, William Matthew Vieta
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Patent number: 8952895Abstract: Methods, program products, and systems of motion-based device operations are described. A mobile device can coordinate operations of a motion sensor and a proximity sensor. The mobile device can determine a gesture event using the motion sensor. The mobile device can determine a proximity event using the proximity sensor. The mobile device can use the gesture event and proximity event to confirm one another, and determine that the mobile device has moved in proximity to a target object following a specified gesture. Upon confirmation, the mobile device can perform a specified task.Type: GrantFiled: June 3, 2011Date of Patent: February 10, 2015Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Christopher Moore, Christopher T. Mullens, Gregory Novick, Ronald K. Huang, William Matthew Vieta, Xiaoyuan Tu
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Patent number: 8754874Abstract: Negative pixel compensation in a touch sensor panel is disclosed. A method can compensate for a negative pixel effect in touch signal outputs due to poor grounding of an object touching the panel. To do so, the method can include determining at least one bound for a negative pixel compensation factor based on touch signal values, estimating the compensation factor within the determined bound based on the touch signal values that are negative, where the negative values indicate the presence of the negative pixel effect, and applying the estimated compensation factor to the touch signal outputs to compensate the touch signal values for the negative pixel effect.Type: GrantFiled: October 8, 2013Date of Patent: June 17, 2014Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventor: William Matthew Vieta
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Publication number: 20140062896Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with electronic components such as a touch screen display. The touch screen display may be controlled based on information from a proximity sensor. The proximity sensor may have a light source that emits infrared light and a light detector that detects reflected infrared light. When the electronic device is in the vicinity of a user's head, the proximity sensor may produce data indicative of the presence of the user's head. Variations in proximity sensor output due to user hair color and smudges on the proximity sensor can be accommodated by using a dynamically adjustable proximity sensor data threshold in processing proximity sensor data. Proximity sensor data may be analyzed in real time to detect signal strength fluctuations that are indicative of the presence of low-reflectively dark hair on the user's head. Threshold adjustments may be based on the presence of dark hair.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 30, 2012Publication date: March 6, 2014Inventor: William Matthew Vieta
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Publication number: 20140035854Abstract: Negative pixel compensation in a touch sensor panel is disclosed. A method can compensate for a negative pixel effect in touch signal outputs due to poor grounding of an object touching the panel. To do so, the method can include determining at least one bound for a negative pixel compensation factor based on touch signal values, estimating the compensation factor within the determined bound based on the touch signal values that are negative, where the negative values indicate the presence of the negative pixel effect, and applying the estimated compensation factor to the touch signal outputs to compensate the touch signal values for the negative pixel effect.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 8, 2013Publication date: February 6, 2014Applicant: Apple Inc.Inventor: William Matthew VIETA
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Patent number: 8626465Abstract: Sensor measurements are used to detect when a device incorporating the sensor is stationary. While the device is stationary, sensor measurements at a current device temperature are used to estimate model parameters. The model parameters can be used in a state estimator to provide an estimated attitude that can be provided to other applications. In some implementations, the estimated attitude can be used to mitigate interference in other sensor measurements.Type: GrantFiled: September 20, 2010Date of Patent: January 7, 2014Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Christopher Moore, Brian Michael King, William Matthew Vieta, Xiaoyuan Tu, Patrick Piemonte
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Patent number: 8581879Abstract: Negative pixel compensation in a touch sensor panel is disclosed. A method can compensate for a negative pixel effect in touch signal outputs due to poor grounding of an object touching the panel. To do so, the method can include determining at least one bound for a negative pixel compensation factor based on touch signal values, estimating the compensation factor within the determined bound based on the touch signal values that are negative, where the negative values indicate the presence of the negative pixel effect, and applying the estimated compensation factor to the touch signal outputs to compensate the touch signal values for the negative pixel effect.Type: GrantFiled: January 21, 2010Date of Patent: November 12, 2013Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventor: William Matthew Vieta
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Publication number: 20130271427Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: April 16, 2012Publication date: October 17, 2013Inventors: Ari Y. BENBASAT, William Matthew Vieta, Wayne Carl Westerman, Steven Porter Hotelling
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Patent number: 8531180Abstract: A device coupled with a magnetometer and an angular rate sensor can determine a heading of the device using magnetometer data. When the device receives a notification that the magnetometer data may be inaccurate, the device can determine the heading of the device using angular rate data. When the device determines that the magnetometer data are accurate, the device can resume determining the heading of the device using the magnetometer data.Type: GrantFiled: September 20, 2010Date of Patent: September 10, 2013Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Patrick Piemonte, Christopher Moore, Brian Michael King, William Matthew Vieta, Xiaoyuan Tu
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Publication number: 20120306745Abstract: Methods, program products, and systems for gesture classification and recognition are disclosed. In general, in one aspect, a system can determine multiple motion patterns for a same user action (e.g., picking up a mobile device from a table) from empirical training data. The system can collect the training data from one or more mobile devices. The training data can include multiple series of motion sensor readings for a specified gesture. Each series of motion sensor readings can correspond to a particular way a user performs the gesture. Using clustering techniques, the system can extract one or more motion patterns from the training data. The system can send the motion patterns to mobile devices as prototypes for gesture recognition.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 3, 2011Publication date: December 6, 2012Inventors: CHRISTOPHER MOORE, Xiaoyuan Tu, William Matthew Vieta