Celebrity Inventors
Mark Twain (Samuel L. Clemens) received Patent No. 121,992 for "An Improvement in Adjustable and Detachable Straps for Garments." He later received two more patents: one for a self-pasting scrapbook and one for a game to help players remember important historical dates.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8151188 | Intelligent user interface using on-screen force feedback and method of use Certain embodiments of the present invention provide methods and systems combining user interface features with force feedback techniques in clinical applications. Certain embodiments provide a user interface providing clinical software tools and information access ... | 04/03/2012 |
| 8136027 | Method and apparatus for providing conditional customization for generating a web site A technique for generating a web site in accordance with received data entry by: presenting a prompt for data entry; receiving a data entry in response to the prompt; presenting at least one additional prompt for data entry that is determined at least in part based ... | 03/13/2012 |
| 8020095 | Force feedback system including multi-tasking graphical host environment A force feedback system provides components for use in a force feedback system including a host computer and a force feedback interface device. An architecture for a host computer allows multi-tasking application programs to interface with the force feedback device ... | 09/13/2011 |
| 7979797 | Device having selective directional tactile feedback capability Directional haptic feedback for a haptic feedback interface device. A haptic feedback interface device, in communication with a host computer, includes a housing physically contacted by a user operating the interface device, and a plurality of actuators producing in... | 07/12/2011 |
| 7752544 | Method, system, and apparatus for remote interactions A method of communicating physical human interactions over a communications network can include detecting physical movement of a user, generating data specifying the physical movement, and determining at least one action indicated by the data. The method further can... | 07/06/2010 |
| 7730400 | Display unit with touch panel, method of controlling the same, and computer products A display unit includes a touch point locus detector that detects a locus of a touch point on the touch panel, and a suspended touch detector that detects that the touch is suspended when the touch point remains at rest at one spot for at least a predetermined time ... | 06/01/2010 |
| 7694222 | Document composition system and method A user-friendly technique is described for assisting users to compose original documents, such as essays, research papers, literary papers, historical papers, memoranda, and the like. Interactive software provides document-specific active assistance with creating, r... | 04/06/2010 |
| 7607087 | Input device An input device, e.g., for a motor vehicle, includes: a touch screen for the input of commands by touching a control panel or by pressing on the control panel; an actuator for moving the touch screen in at least one direction with respect to a reference body; and an... | 10/20/2009 |
| 7439951 | Power management for interface devices applying forces A method and apparatus for providing safe and low-cost force feedback peripherals for consumer applications. A device microprocessor local to an interface device is coupled to the host by a first interface bus. The microprocessor receives host commands from the host... | 10/21/2008 |
| 7437671 | Computer system control with user data via interface and sensor with identifier A method and system for enabling user interaction with computer software running in a computer system. The user is provided with an interface surface containing information relating to the computer software and including coded data indicative of at least one interac... | 10/14/2008 |
| 7432910 | Haptic interface device and actuator assembly providing linear haptic sensations An interface device and method providing haptic sensations to a user. A user physically contacts a housing of the interface device, and a sensor device detects the manipulation of the interface device by the user. An actuator assembly includes an actuator that provi... | 10/07/2008 |
| 7420539 | Method of stabilizing haptic interface and haptic system using the same A method of stabilizing a haptic interface and a haptic system using the same, are provided. The method comprises detecting a value of a physical parameter related to a motion generated by a human operator's action in an actual element included in the haptic device ... | 09/02/2008 |
| 7420480 | Methods, systems, and computer program products for iteratively providing feedback via a user interface for multi-character, multi-mode alphanumeric data entry Disclosed are methods, systems, and computer program products for receiving input from a multi-function momentary switch by providing feedback from a user interface for each function associated with the switch. According to one method, alphanumeric input values are ... | 09/02/2008 |
| 7412651 | Computer system interface surface with reference points and sensor with identifier A method and system for enabling user interaction with computer software running in a computer system. A user is provided with an interface surface containing information relating to the computer software and including coded data indicative of an identity of the int... | 08/12/2008 |
| 7379048 | Human-computer interface including efficient three-dimensional controls The present invention provides a method of human-computer interfacing that provides efficient implementation of intuitive controls in a three-dimensional space. The method comprises providing a three-dimensional space, characterized by x and y dimensions, together d... | 05/27/2008 |
| RE40341 | Controller A mouse controller includes a platform mounted on a base for a range of movement in a plane relative to the base of at least ½ inch (12.5 mm) in each of two different directions (preferably mutually perpendicular directions). A pair of flat, elongated coils (Lorent... | 05/27/2008 |
| 7376903 | 3D display system and method A 3D volumetric display system is configured to generate 3D diagnostic displays of 3D volumetric data acquired from a patient by an imaging system in a virtual-reality environment and to permit a user to conduct diagnostic interpretation of images in the virtual-rea... | 05/20/2008 |
| 7370522 | Sensor system for tire A sensor system for a tire, which enables the installation condition of a sensor unit in a tire's air chamber to be know. A sensor system where a sensor unit is installed in a tire's air chamber has detecting means for detecting a relative change in the distance bet... | 05/13/2008 |
| 7363282 | Search system using user behavior data Context-based user feedback is gathered regarding searches performed on a search mechanism. The search mechanism is monitored for user behavior data regarding an interaction of a user with the search mechanism. The response data provided by the search mechanism is a... | 04/22/2008 |
| 7356769 | Method and apparatus for providing inputs to a communication or computing device A miniaturized user input device or input button (14) for a computing or communication device, such as a personal digital assistant device or a mobile phone. A user provides inputs to the computing or communication device by inserting an end (12) of a ... | 04/08/2008 |
| 7339578 | Multi-layer touch display device comprising electromagnetic actuators A touch-sensitive display device (10) is characterized in that it is constituted by a stack of layers (1, 4), an insulating layer (2) comprising recesses (21) for the displacement of blades (12) connected to a touch plate (1... | 03/04/2008 |
| 7337014 | Teach pendant control method and device When a teach pendant is passed from one hand to the other hand in operating the teach pendant having two enable devices (three-position switches) at right and left sides, a problem arises that an operation is inhibited when the teach pendant is shifted from one hand... | 02/26/2008 |
| 7327348 | Haptic feedback effects for control knobs and other interface devices The present invention provides haptic sensations for a haptic feedback device and especially for a rotational device such as a knob. Force effects such as a hill force effect and barrier force effect allow easier selection of menu items, menus, values, or other opti... | 02/05/2008 |
| 7324094 | Method and device for generating multi-functional feedback A method, a dynamic user interface and an electronic device for generating user-detectable multi-functional feedback using a single component in response to a stimulus signal. One or more resonating vibrating elements, such for example as a piezo-bender, are attache... | 01/29/2008 |
| 7293246 | System and method for aligning objects using non-linear pointer movement The present invention provides a system, method, and computer-readable medium that adjusts pointer movement when an input device causes the pointer to intersect one or more alignment areas. Pointer movement is adjusted in the alignment areas to allow users to easily... | 11/06/2007 |
| 7283123 | Textures and other spatial sensations for a relative haptic interface device A low-cost haptic feedback device that provides spatially-based sensations such as textures in correlation with a displayed graphical environment. The device includes a housing, a sensor device, and an actuator for applying a force to the user. A local processor rep... | 10/16/2007 |
| 7277083 | Ergonomically designed computer gaming device An ergonomically designed gaming device for a user that includes a semi-flattened hemispherical ovoid base, that is contoured into a general hand imprint shape with finger and thumb grooves and fingertip provisions to accommodate the user's index finger, middle fing... | 10/02/2007 |
| 7274354 | Portable electronic apparatus A portable electronic apparatus disclosed has excellent operability, being capable of zooming, scrolling, moving a cursor, selecting an icon and others with one small operation unit. This portable electronic apparatus includes a display unit, the operation unit and ... | 09/25/2007 |
| 7259761 | Systems and methods for sculpting virtual objects in a haptic virtual reality environment A user of a virtual object or computer model uses a haptic interface device in the real world to manipulate a virtual tool in a virtual environment to interact and modify the virtual object. The user uses the virtual tool in a sculpting mode to modify the shape of t... | 08/21/2007 |
| 7254775 | Touch panel system and method for distinguishing multiple touch inputs Touch panel systems and methods are disclosed that can distinguish temporally overlapping touch inputs from single touch inputs so that valid touch position coordinates can be determined. Touch panel systems and methods of the present invention can distinguish overl... | 08/07/2007 |
| 7239992 | Apparatus for simulating the deformation of materials, notably of soft body tissues The invention relates to the simulation of the deformation of materials, notably of soft body tissues. An apparatus comprises a memory (MEM, NT) storing data as to the position of an object, recorded at the vertices of a grid pattern, and data for force to be exerte... | 07/03/2007 |
| 7225404 | Method and apparatus for determining forces to be applied to a user through a haptic interface A method and apparatus for determining forces to be applied to a user through a haptic interface. The method includes the steps of generating a representation of an object in graphic space, sensing the position of the user in real space and calculating a force to be... | 05/29/2007 |
| 7217881 | Control apparatus with operator member controllable by reactive force There is provided an operator member displaceable, in response to operation by a human operator, relative to at least one displacement axis (more preferably, multi-dimensionally). Operating state of the operator member is detected and model operation information, in... | 05/15/2007 |
| 7219123 | Portable browser device with adaptive personalization capability A mobile information network browser device with audio feedback and adaptive personalization capability that is capable of transmitting a request for information via a wireless communication interface from one or more servers in an information network. The browser d... | 05/15/2007 |
| 7218310 | Providing enhanced haptic feedback effects Method and apparatus for providing high strength, low frequency tactile sensations using an inertial actuator in a haptic feedback interface device, such as an actuator driving an oscillating inertial mass. A commanded low frequency is modulated or combined with a h... | 05/15/2007 |
| 7216296 | Method and apparatus for controlled force deployment of user interface devices User interface devices, such as displays and keyboards, are automatically deployed using pulse-width-modulated controlled force in a first safety period. Once safe, force and speed are increased to full deployment. At full deployment, electrical braking dissipates m... | 05/08/2007 |
| 7215326 | Physically realistic computer simulation of medical procedures An apparatus for interfacing the movement of a shaft with a computer includes a support, a gimbal mechanism having two degrees of freedom, and three electromechanical transducers. When a shaft is engaged with the gimbal mechanism, it can move with three degrees of f... | 05/08/2007 |
| 7209117 | Method and apparatus for streaming force values to a force feedback device A method and apparatus for shaping force signals for a force feedback device. A source wave is provided and is defined by a set of control parameters (including a steady state magnitude, a frequency value and a duration value) and modified by a set of impulse parame... | 04/24/2007 |
| 7205978 | Mobile apparatus having tactile feedback function A haptic display includes at least one haptic device that can give tactile feedback instead of visible feedback. Each of the haptic devices converts a signal from a signal producing unit into force or tactile pattern. The haptic device does not require a large mass,... | 04/17/2007 |
| 7205981 | Method and apparatus for providing resistive haptic feedback using a vacuum source A method and apparatus is described for applying haptic feedback using a vacuum source. A housing includes a cavity. The cavity can be positioned near a moveable member such that the cavity of the housing and the moveable member define a volume. The volume has an as... | 04/17/2007 |
