Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080244466 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR INTERFACING WITH INFORMATION ON A DISPLAY SCREEN - A technique for interfacing with graphical information on a display screen involves using a hand-held controller unit to collect image information that includes at least a portion of the display screen and using the image of the display screen to generate position data that is indicative of the position of the hand-held controller unit relative to the display screen. An action in a computer program related to the graphical information is then triggered in response to the position data and in response to a user input at the hand-held controller unit. Using this technique, a user can navigate a graphical user interface on a display screen with a hand-held controller unit without relying on beacon-based navigation. | 10-02-2008 |
20090057124 | Control and Data Entry Apparatus - A control and data entry device adapted for use in for electronic devices such as portable computers, PDA's, cell phones, MP3 players and the like. The control and data entry device includes a tiltable member or similar structure carrying an electrically conductive member spaced from multiple sense electrodes disposed on a circuit substrate. In one embodiment, capacitances between the electrically conductive member and the electrodes are measured to provide information concerning the tiltable member's orientation relative to the sense electrodes. The tiltable member may be manipulated by a users finger to tilt such member slightly and thereby effect scrolling functionality, thereby simulating the operation of circular capacitive touch pads known in the art. Switches may also be included, responsive to greater tilting of the tiltable member, thereby to effect clicking functionality. In some embodiments, a rotatable knob may be used to effect scrolling functionality. | 03-05-2009 |
20090135136 | Magnetic Re-Centering Mechanism for a Capacitive Input Device - Various embodiments provide an enhanced mobile computing experience by providing an input device in a mobile electronic device that is configured to accurately and quickly re-center a button or other user interface while providing a sensation of enhanced tactile feedback to a user. The biasing force of a magnetic re-centering mechanism is employed to overcome frictional forces acting on the button during its travel forwards and backwards and tilting to insure that the button is returned quickly and accurately to a resting position. The magnetic re-centering mechanism has a low profile, and permits the input device and the mobile electronic device within which the input device is disposed to have small form factors. | 05-28-2009 |
20090285590 | Closed-Loop Printing Registration Systems, Devices, Components and Methods - Closed-loop printing registration systems (e.g., printers), devices, components and methods are provided. In one embodiment, a printer reproduces continuously and sequentially on a sheet of paper invisible ink landmarks that mimic registration information provided initially by permanent invisible ink markers, disposed on a platform or platen. According to one embodiment, once the first row of invisible ink landmarks has been printed on a sheet of paper, the first and subsequent rows of invisible ink landmarks provide a basis for continuous registration and alignment of sheet of the paper as it is being printed upon and advanced through the printer. In other embodiments, one or two invisible ink landmarks dispensed on a sheet of paper, preferably in combination with a sensed edge or corner of a sheet of paper, provide sufficient information for a sheet of paper to be registered and aligned initially with respect to a print head or carriage, and for subsequent invisible ink landmarks to be deposited on the sheet of paper at locations which are determined. | 11-19-2009 |
20100127162 | OPTICAL JOG WHEEL WITH SPIRAL CODING ELEMENT - A user navigational apparatus. The user navigational apparatus includes a dial, a coding element, and an encoder. The coding element is coupled to a dial. The coding element includes a track of alternating reflective and non-reflective sections, each having a substantially oblique leading edge relative to a direction of movement of the coding element. The encoder includes an emitter and a detector. The emitter generates a light signal incident on the track of the coding element. The detector detects a reflected light signal which corresponds to a portion of the incident light signal that is reflected off of the reflective sections of the track. The detector also generates a channel signal corresponding to the reflected light signal. | 05-27-2010 |
20100128003 | LIGHT PIPE ARRAY LENS, OPTICAL FINGER NAVIGATION DEVICE WITH THE LENS AND METHOD FOR MAKING THE DEVICE - An optical finger navigation device and method for making the device uses a light pipe array lens, which includes an array of light pipes formed in a monolithic block of material. The light pipe array lens is configured to function similarly to a fiber bundle lens to transmit light through the lens using the light pipes in the monolithic block of material. | 05-27-2010 |
20100147600 | TOUCH PAD DEVICE AND METHOD FOR DETERMINING A POSITION OF AN INPUT OBJECT ON THE DEVICE USING CAPACITIVE COUPLING - A touch pad device and method for determining a position of an input object on the device uses multiple sensing electrodes to produce signals induced by mutual capacitive coupling that are dependent on which conductors of the device are being electrically contacted by the input object. These signals are then processed to determine the position of the input object on the touch pad device. | 06-17-2010 |
20100188332 | THIN-FILM TRANSISTOR IMAGER - An optical input device for finger input on an electronic computing device. The optical input device includes a thin-film transistor (TFT) imager and an integrated circuit (IC). The TFT imager includes a protective layer, a substrate, and a TFT array. The protective layer has a finger contact surface. The TFT array includes photo-sensitive thin-film transistors disposed on a surface of the substrate, between the substrate and the protective layer. The TFT array generates image signals corresponding to physical features of a user's finger in contact with the finger contact surface of the protective layer. The integrated circuit is coupled to the TFT imager. The integrated circuit processes the image signals from the TFT array. | 07-29-2010 |
20100220900 | FINGERPRINT SENSING DEVICE - A fingerprint sensing module for a touch screen device. The fingerprint sensing module includes a sensor, a light source, a motion detector, and an image processor. The sensor sets to capture portions for a fingerprint image as a finger is slid over the sensor. The motion detector determines a rate of the finger movement as the finger is slide over the touch screen device. The image processor reads fingerprint images from the sensor and the fingerprint motion data from the motion detector. The image processor subsequently combines portions of the fingerprint images into a complete fingerprint in accordance with the rate of the finger's movement. | 09-02-2010 |
20100252335 | Capacitive Touchscreen or Touchpad for Finger and Active Stylus - There is provided an electronic device having a mutual capacitance touchscreen or touchpad having combined finger navigation and active stylus navigation and character entry capabilities. According to one such embodiment, first and second pluralities of sense and drive electrodes are disposed in or on at least one substrate, and form an array configured to permit a first location corresponding to a finger or a second location corresponding to an active stylus to be detected thereby. The drive electrodes in the array are configured to operate as drive electrodes when the touchscreen or touchpad operates in a first finger touch mode, and to operate as additional sense electrodes when the touchscreen or touchpad operates in a second active stylus mode. | 10-07-2010 |
20100253629 | Combined Mutual Capacitance and Switch-Actuated Keyboard for Enhanced Texting in an Electronic Device - In one embodiment, a mutual-capacitance sensing electrode array is disposed beneath a keyboard, and operates in conjunction with a series of single switches disposed beneath each of the keys in a keyboard. The electrode array and switches are employed in conjunction with one another to indicate that a letter, number or other symbol displayed on a particular key has been selected by a user. Although some embodiments find especially efficacious application in hand-held portable electronic devices such as mobile telephones, other embodiments are well suited for use in stationary equipment or other devices containing keyboards or control panels. | 10-07-2010 |
20110141048 | OPTICAL FINGERPRINT NAVIGATION DEVICE WITH LIGHT GUIDE FILM - Embodiments of a finger navigation device are described. In one embodiment, the finger navigation device includes a light guide film (LGF), a light source, a sensor, and a navigation engine. At least a portion of the LGF exhibits total internal reflection (TIR) and the light source is in optical communication with the LGF and configured to inject light into the LGF. The sensor is configured to detect light that exits from the LGF after being reflected from a finger that is proximate the LGF and the navigation engine is configured to generate lateral movement information, which is indicative of lateral movement of the finger relative to the sensor, in response to light that is reflected from the finger and detected by the sensor. Other embodiments of the finger navigation device are also described. | 06-16-2011 |
20130135258 | Optical Touch-Screen Systems And Methods Using A Planar Transparent Sheet - An optical touch screen that utilizes a planar transparent sheet and that is configured to determine the position of a touch event on the transparent sheet is disclosed. Light-source elements and light-sensing elements are operably disposed at a perimeter of the transparent sheet. Light is detected over lines-of-sight between the light-source elements and the light-sensing elements. Attenuated lines-of-sight due to the touch event are determined. Central lines are established based on the attenuated lines-of-sight. The locations of central-line intersections are then established. The average of the locations of the central-line intersections is then used to establish the location of the touch event. | 05-30-2013 |
20130175558 | LED LIGHTING DEVICES - Packaged chip-on-board (COB) LED arrays are provided where a color conversion medium is distributed within a glass containment plate, rather than silicone, to reduce the operating temperature of the color conversion medium and avoid damage while increasing light output. In accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure, a lighting device is provided comprising a chip-on-board (COB) light emitting diode (LED) light source, a light source encapsulant, a distributed color conversion medium, and a glass containment plate. The COB LED light source comprises a thermal heat sink framework and at least one LED and defines a light source encapsulant cavity in which the light source encapsulant is distributed over the LED. The glass containment plate is positioned over the light source encapsulant cavity and contains the distributed color conversion medium. The light source encapsulant is distributed over the LED at a thickness that is sufficient to encapsulate the LED and define encapsulant thermal conduction paths T | 07-11-2013 |
20130249848 | DISPLAY DEVICE WITH LIGHT DIFFUSIVE GLASS PANEL - A display device ( | 09-26-2013 |
20140137941 | SOLAR REDSHIFT SYSTEMS - Solar-redshift systems comprise an integral array of redshift modules, each having at least a focusing device, a target, and a quantum-dot vessel. The quantum-dot vessel contains quantum dots that emit light having an emission wavelength. The focusing device directs incident solar radiation through a focusing gap and toward the quantum-dot vessel, or into a slab waveguide and then toward the quantum-dot vessel, causing the quantum dots to emit redshifted light having the emission wavelength. The redshifted light is directed to the target, examples of which include a photovoltaic material or a living photosynthetic organism. The target has increased sensitivity or response to photons having the wavelength of the redshifted light. A trapping reflector component of the quantum-dot vessel prevents loss of redshifted light to the environment outside the solar-redshift system and allows undesirable infrared light to be removed from the system. | 05-22-2014 |
20140139493 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR SENSING TOUCH EVENTS ON A DISPLAY - Methods and apparatus provide for a touch sensitive display, in which a transparent layer is disposed over a display layer; light is directed to propagate into and/or through the transparent layer; scattered light is measured in response to an object touching a surface the transparent layer and disturbing the propagation of the light therethrough; and one or more positions at which the object touches the transparent layer are computed based on signals obtained by the step of measuring the scattered light. | 05-22-2014 |
20140151721 | PHASE TRANSITION COOLING IN LED LIGHTING DEVICES - A lighting device is provided comprising a chip-on-board (COB) light emitting diode (LED) light source, a phase transfer fluid disposed in a hermetically sealed phase transfer fluid chamber, a phase transfer fluid wicking structure, a distributed color conversion medium, and a glass containment plate. The color conversion medium is distributed in two dimensions over an emission field of the lighting device within the glass containment plate. The COB LED light source comprises a thermal heat sink framework and at least one LED and defines the hermetically sealed phase transfer fluid chamber in which the phase transfer fluid is disposed. The glass containment plate is positioned over the hermetically sealed phase transfer fluid chamber and contains the distributed color conversion medium. The phase transfer fluid wicking structure is transparent to at least a portion of the operating wavelength bandwidth of the LED and is configured within the hermetically sealed phase transfer fluid chamber to encourage transport of phase transfer fluid, permit vaporization of transported phase transfer fluid, and receive condensed phase transfer fluid vapor. | 06-05-2014 |
20140151729 | LED LIGHTING DEVICES WITH QUANTUM DOT GLASS CONTAINMENT PLATES - A lighting device is provided comprising a chip-on-board (COB) light emitting diode (LED) light source, a light source encapsulant, a quantum dot distributed color conversion medium, and a quantum dot glass containment plate. The COB LED light source comprises at least one LED and defines a light source encapsulant cavity in which the light source encapsulant is distributed over the LED. The quantum dot glass containment plate is positioned over the light source encapsulant cavity and contains a quantum dot distributed color conversion medium. The distributed color conversion medium comprises a quantum dot structure and is distributed in two dimensions over an emission field of the lighting device within the quantum dot glass containment plate. | 06-05-2014 |
20140348478 | CARRIER MODULES FOR OPTICAL SUBASSEMBLIES AND METHODS FOR ASSEMBLING OPTICAL PACKAGES - An optical subassembly includes an optical device assembly including an active device and an optical fiber cable operably connected to the active device that sends optical signals to the active device and receives optical signals from the active device. A carrier module has a cable receiving space that receives the optical fiber cable therein. The carrier module includes a device support structure that supports the active device for placement on a mating surface during controlled manufacturing. | 11-27-2014 |
20140369347 | INCREASING RADIXES OF DIGITAL DATA SWITCHES, COMMUNICATIONS SWITCHES, AND RELATED COMPONENTS AND METHODS - Embodiments of the disclosure relate to increasing radixes of digital data switches and communications switches, and related components and methods. In one embodiment, a gearbox transfers a plurality of high bandwidth signals between a communications switch and a plurality of devices. The gearbox is configured to combine one or more groups of uplink component signals into one or more respective uplink combined signals, and transmit each combined signal to the communications switch. Each uplink component signal is combined into only one of the at least one respective downlink combined signal to ensure that no individual uplink component signal is divided between multiple uplink combined signals, thereby simplifying the process of combining the uplink component signals and dividing the uplink combined signals. The communications switch is then configured to divide each uplink combined signal back into its respective uplink component signals. | 12-18-2014 |
20150026951 | METHODS OF FORMING POLARIZED PANES FOR VARIABLE TRANSMISSION WINDOWS - Methods of forming polarized panes for variable transmission windows are disclosed. The polarized panes are formed from transparent substrates that are brushed with a brushing pattern that varies continuously in a select direction over each of one or more periods. A layer of polarizable material such as POLARCOAT material can be deposited on and responds to the brushed surface by forming a polarization pattern that substantially matches the brushing pattern and thus also includes one or more periods. | 01-29-2015 |