Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090054116 | Method and apparatus for scent dispensing - A scent dispenser is integratable into a portable device, such as a mobile handset. The scent dispenser has a vibrating element configured to vibrate in an ultrasound frequency range for dispensing a scent material. Scent dispensing can be in response to an incoming signal received by a mobile handset, but scent dispensing can also be controlled by a user. The scent material is stored in a compartment having a channel with a valve and the vibrating element can be used to open the valve for replenishing the scent material when the vibration is in a low frequency range such as 1-10 Hz. The vibrating element can also be used to produce audio signals. Thus, the scent dispenser can also be integrated with a sound producing unit in a mobile electronic device. | 02-26-2009 |
20090244706 | Illumination Method for Displaying Different Graphical Layouts - The specification and drawings present a new method, apparatus and software product for illuminating different graphical layouts in a component comprising an optical device, e.g., in a keyboard or in a liquid crystal display of an electronic device. The optical device uses a diffractive planar waveguide comprising diffraction gratings disposed on a lightguiding plate and the property that a short period diffractive grating has no diffraction orders at certain conical angles. Therefore, the out-coupling gratings on the waveguide are designed so that the optical beam coming from a certain direction can be effectively coupled out of the waveguide or be kept confined inside of the waveguide due to a total internal reflection. Then different graphical layouts can be disposed on the waveguide using, e.g., pixels having diffraction gratings with periodic lines at different orientations. Multiple substrate (waveguide) arrangements are described. | 10-01-2009 |
20100039832 | Changing Graphics in an Apparatus Including User Interface Illumination - An apparatus includes a light guide. A first light input section receives light in a first direction into said light guide. First direction-dependent outcoupling structures selectively couple out light propagating in said first direction in said light guide. A second light input section receives light in a second direction into said light guide. Said second direction is different than said first direction. Second direction-dependent outcoupling structures selectively couple out light propagating in said second direction in said light guide. | 02-18-2010 |
20100052880 | KEYPAD - A thin keypad including a top surface layer, a light guide layer, a capacitive sensing layer and a piezo layer provides for touch input, pressure input and haptic feedback. | 03-04-2010 |
20100118403 | Layered light guide with diffractive structures - A layered light guide structure has a number of planar light guides arranged in a stack to receive a number of different color light beams from the edge of the light guides. Each of the planar light guides has one or more diffractive structures imparted or provided on its upper surface. The diffractive structures on each light guide are configured to diffract light of a particular wavelength range so that they efficiently diffract the guided light within that light guide. The diffractive structure can be one or more keypad symbols such that the layered light guide structure can be used as a keypad. The symbols can be pixelized such that the pixels can have different color patterns. The diffractive structure can also be a simple patch so that the layered light guide structure can be used as a back-light source. | 05-13-2010 |
20100220956 | Method For Coupling Light Into A Thin Planar Waveguide - A light distributing device ( | 09-02-2010 |
20100295792 | OPTICAL ACTUATORS IN KEYPADS - The specification and drawings present a new apparatus and manufacturing method for optical protrusions (e.g., dome pins or actuators) attached to a light guide for providing backlight, actuation function and/or tactile feedback in keypad modules of electronic devices. Spatially and spectrally selective out-coupling of light from the light guide (e.g., a planar light guide plate) can be accomplished using these optical actuators integrated with the light guide for keypad illumination to control out-coupling efficiency and/or spectra of the out-coupled light to enable modification of the visual appearance (intensity, colored/white) of individual keys of the keypad. | 11-25-2010 |
20100315345 | Tactile Touch Screen - A touchscreen including a touch sensitive layer wherein the user perceived surface roughness or friction coefficient is variable and dynamically controlled. The level of user perceived surface roughness or friction coefficient is related to the information that is displayed at the position at which an object touches the touch sensitive layer. The surface roughness is not locally changed but rather for a complete portion of the touchscreen or for the whole touchscreen simultaneously. Because the modulation of user experience surface roughness or friction coefficient is faster than the user interaction, the user will experience that the surface roughness of certain areas of the display is different from other areas, depending on the information that is being shown, although in fact the surface roughness or friction coefficient is uniform over the whole portion or the whole display at any given point of time. | 12-16-2010 |
20110002143 | LIGHT GUIDE PLATE AND A METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THEREOF - A light guide plate ( | 01-06-2011 |
20130082568 | Apparatus And Method For Reducing Energy Consumption In Monitoring Means Of a Plurality Of Piezoelectric Components - An apparatus for reducing energy consumption in monitoring means of a plurality of piezoelectric components comprises a plurality of piezoelectric components as well as monitoring means for monitoring the status of the piezoelectric components. The monitoring means have two states namely active and inactive. The piezoelectric components are connected in parallel to each other. A current detecting circuit comprises a switch and a resistor that is connected in parallel to the switch. A controller having two states that are active and inactive. The controller is configured to open the switch in response to the controller being in the inactive state and to close the switch in response to the controller being in the active state. The closing of the switch triggers a state change in the monitoring means from their inactive state to their active state. | 04-04-2013 |
20130086997 | DEVICE FOR DETECTING THE PRESENCE OF AT LEAST ONE HUMAN FINGER ON SURFACE, AND A METHOD OF USING THE DEVICE IN THE USER INTERFACE OF A MACHINE, A DEVICE (IN PARTICULAR A PORTABLE DEVICE), OR A SYSTEM - A device for detecting the likelihood of the presence of at least one human finger on a surface, and a method of using the device in the user interface of a machine, device or system. The device comprises at least one element having piezoelectric characteristics, located under a surface, the element arranged in the device in such a manner that a force when exerted on the surface, such as when the surface is pressed by finger, is transferred to mechanical stress of the element, the element then producing a voltage output in response to the mechanical stress. Also included are means for measuring the voltage output in a predefined time period and means for determining the degree of stability of the measured voltage output, and configured to indicate whether or not the degree of stability shows that the measured voltage output is likely to be a human finger or not. | 04-11-2013 |
20140233260 | CHANGING GRAPHICS IN AN APPARATUS INCLUDING USER INTERFACE ILLUMINATION - An apparatus includes a light guide. A first light input section receives light in a first direction into said light guide. First direction-dependent outcoupling structures selectively couple out light propagating in said first direction in said light guide. A second light input section receives light in a second direction into said light guide. Said second direction is different than said first direction. Second direction-dependent outcoupling structures selectively couple out light propagating in said second direction in said light guide. | 08-21-2014 |