International Business Machines Corporation

Dwayne R James

William G O'Farrell

Arthur Gary Ryman

Alexander Steven Ross

Some aspects of the invention provide an interactive, touch-sensitive user interface device. A user interface device for a data processing system is provided, which includes a sensor having a surface configured to contactingly receive a pointing device and further configured to detect physical contact by a living human and to differentiate between said physical contact and movement of the pointing device when the pointing device is engaged with the surface. The user interface device is operable to transmit information corresponding to said physical contact to the data processing system.

Interactive, touch-sensitive user interface device

A portable teleconference phone system includes a plurality of portable computers each having a microphone disposed therein, the microphone configured to receive a plurality of analog audio signals from a plurality of users at a first location, the analog audio signals being converted into one of a plurality of digital audio signals at the portable computers; and a portable teleconference unit located at the first location configured to receive the digital audio signals from the portable computers over a wireless link using a Bluetooth communication protocol, the portable teleconference unit configured to multiplex the digital audio signals into a single digital audio signal, convert the single digital audio signal into a single analog audio signal representative of the analog audio signals, and send the single analog audio signal over a communication wire to a remote communication device operated by a plurality of users at a second location forming a teleconference.

Growing community of inventors

Peterborough, Canada

Dwayne R James