Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080220831 | EARMOUNTED ELECTRONIC DEVICE AND METHOD - Disclosed is a wireless communication device capable of being positioned in a wearable position adjacent a user's head. The wireless communication device may include a housing and an arcuate earmount coupled to the housing. The earmount may be configured so that it includes an overhanging portion and a hinge portion, the hinge portion electrically and mechanically coupling the earmount to the housing. A proximity sensor can be positioned on the overhanging portion and configured to detect proximity of a user's skin behind the user's ear. The sensor location for earmounted devices can provide that the sensor may be trapped between the user's ear auricle and the user's head as the earmount sits down on the top portion of the ear, which may result in accurate sensing activation. The device may be further configured to, for example, change a state based on whether the proximity sensor detects proximity. | 09-11-2008 |
20110119589 | Navigable User Interface for Electronic Handset - An electronic device having a user interface on which selectable operation indicators are navigated wherein each operational indicator is associated with a corresponding application or other selectable item. The operational indicators are sequentially identified, in a specified order and for a specified time interval, in response to a first input at the user interface. Selection occurs in response to a second input at the user interface during the corresponding time interval. Such selection may, for example, launch an application or cause the display of a submenu or perform some other function | 05-19-2011 |
20110156861 | Electronic Device Including a Wireless Actuator and a Method Thereof - Disclosed are electronic devices and methods of electronic devices having a housing including a wireless actuator without an electrical interface, the wireless actuator located on the housing, the wireless actuator being configured to provide tactile feedback and configured to generate an acoustic signal with a unique acoustic signature upon actuation. Included is at least one accelerometer being configured to receive a mechanical or acoustic stimulus and/or an acoustic signal which can include an impulse response being a brief non-periodic and/or non-repeating signal such as a tap or a repeating signal such as a tone, to generate an identifying signal. Also included is a processor configured to receive an identifying signal to generate a control signal based on the received acoustic signal correlated to the acoustic signature. The control signal can provide initiation of any function or application of the device. | 06-30-2011 |
20120068952 | USER COMPUTER DEVICE WITH TEMPERATURE SENSING CAPABILITIES AND METHOD OF OPERATING SAME - A user computer device is provided that comprises a temperature sensitive touchscreen having a temperature sensitive user interface comprising multiple thermal energy emitter/detector devices, such as thermocouples. The multiple thermal energy emitter/detector devices are capable both of detecting thermal energy and emitting thermal energy. The temperature sensitive user interface generates thermal patterns that may be transferred to other thermally sensitive electronic devices or that may be used to authenticate the user computer device. The user computer device also can detect and thermally communicate with a thermal energy docking station and, based on thermal recognition, activate applications displayed on the temperature sensitive touchscreen. Further, the user computer device can auto-bias a temperature of the temperature sensitive user interface in order to better assure proper operation of the temperature sensitive user interface in all operating conditions. | 03-22-2012 |
20120072044 | USER COMPUTER DEVICE WITH TEMPERATURE SENSING CAPABILITIES AND METHOD OF OPERATING SAME - A user computer device is provided that comprises a temperature sensitive touchscreen having a temperature sensitive user interface comprising multiple thermal energy emitter/detector devices, such as thermocouples. The multiple thermal energy emitter/detector devices are capable both of detecting thermal energy and emitting thermal energy. The temperature sensitive user interface generates thermal patterns that may be transferred to other thermally sensitive electronic devices or that may be used to authenticate the user computer device. The user computer device also can detect and thermally communicate with a thermal energy docking station and, based on thermal recognition, activate applications displayed on the temperature sensitive touchscreen. Further, the user computer device can auto-bias a temperature of the temperature sensitive user interface in order to better assure proper operation of the temperature sensitive user interface in all operating conditions. | 03-22-2012 |
20120268414 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR EXCHANGING DATA WITH A USER COMPUTER DEVICE - A communication system is provided that allows a user to exchange a stream of data with a user computer device via a capacitive touchscreen of the device. The communication system includes a user's data input device having a capacitive user interface and a user computer device having a capacitive touchscreen. When the capacitive user interface of the data input device and the capacitive touchscreen of the user computer device are in sufficient to proximity to each other, an inter-device capacitance is created over which exchanging a stream of data may be exchanged between the data input device and the user computer device. | 10-25-2012 |
20130135220 | Active Styluses for Interacting with a Mobile Device - An active stylus or a method performed by an active stylus for interacting with a mobile device, wherein the mobile device has at least one sensor (e.g., a thermocouple junction), and wherein the stylus has at least one signal source (e.g., an analog heat source) that produces at least one signal (e.g., at least one analog temperature signal), wherein the at least one signal is configured to be detectable by the at least one sensor of the mobile device. The stylus also has at least one signal adjustment mechanism for changing the at least one signal and also has at least one transmitter (e.g., thermocouple junction) configured to transmit the at least one signal for receipt by the at least one sensor of the mobile device. | 05-30-2013 |
20130135262 | Mobile Device for Interacting with an Active Stylus - A mobile device or a method performed by a mobile device for interacting with a stylus, wherein the stylus has at least one sensor (e.g., a thermocouple junction), and wherein the mobile device has at least one signal source (e.g., an analog heat source) that produces at least one signal (e.g., at least one analog heat signal), wherein the at least one signal is configured to be detectable by the at least one sensor of the stylus. The mobile device also has at least one signal adjustment mechanism for changing the at least one signal and also has at least one transmitter (e.g., thermal active touch screen display) configured to transmit the at least one signal for receipt by the at least one sensor of the stylus. | 05-30-2013 |
20130176265 | TOUCH SCREEN DEVICE WITH SURFACE SWITCH - A portable electronic device comprising an external surface of a user interface, a piezoelectric transducer coupled to the external surface, and a controller. The piezoelectric transducer generates an electrical output originating at the piezoelectric transducer in response to mechanical actuation applied at the external surface. The controller performs an electronic function of the portable electronic device in response to the piezoelectric transducer generating the electrical output. | 07-11-2013 |
20130202130 | Motion Based Compensation of Uplinked Audio - Embodiments relate to apparatuses for, and methods of, compensating for distance | 08-08-2013 |
20130202132 | Motion Based Compensation of Downlinked Audio - Embodiments relate to systems for, and methods of, compensating for movement of a loudspeaker relative to a user's head, where the loudspeaker is present in a mobile device. Example systems and methods produce ( | 08-08-2013 |
20130344862 | Mobile Device with User Interaction Capability and Method of Operating Same - In one embodiment a method of operating a mobile device includes sensing either an orientation or a movement of the mobile device, determining a command based on the sensed orientation or sensed movement, sensing a proximity of an object in relation to at least a portion of the mobile device, and executing the command upon the proximity of the object being sensed. In another embodiment, a method of operating a mobile device governs a manner of interaction of the mobile device relative to one or more other mobile devices. In at least some embodiments, at least one of the mobile devices includes an accelerometer and an infrared proximity sensor, and operation of the mobile device is determined based upon signals from those components. | 12-26-2013 |
20140218330 | Touch Sensitive Surface for an Electronic Device with False Touch Protection - A touch sensitive surface ( | 08-07-2014 |
20140267133 | Off-Center Sensor Target Region - In embodiments of an off-center sensor target region, a capacitive sensor can include a target region that is located off-center relative to a center of the sensor. A touch input to the target region of the capacitive sensor can be determined to be valid sensor input and a touch contact that correlates to the center of the capacitive sensor can be determined to be false sensor input. The target region of the capacitive sensor can correspond to a selectable control that is selectable by a user to initiate a device function. | 09-18-2014 |
20140267136 | Touch Sensitive Surface with Recessed Surface Feature for an Electronic Device - An electronic device ( | 09-18-2014 |
20140267139 | Touch Sensitive Surface with False Touch Protection for an Electronic Device - An electronic device ( | 09-18-2014 |