Logitech Europe S.a.

Logitech, Inc.

Guy Tiphane

Laurent Plancherel

Florian Max Kehlstadt

David Ernest Wegmuller

Hugh J McLarty

Jan Edbrooke

Julien Piot

Baptiste Merminod

Antoine A Merminod

Jean-Luc Dupraz

Olivier Campiche

Samantha Moy

A web cam with an interlude switch, wherein the interlude switch can be toggled between a view and an interlude mode. In its view mode, the web cam captures images of a scene for their transmittal to a web cam page hosted at a web site. With the switch in its interlude mode, the web cam system replaces the live images with interlude content which is prerecorded content which may include still and video images, slide shows, or advertisements. The prerecorded interlude content may be stored locally at the host computer, or it may be stored at and/or provided from a remote site. A user viewing a web cam page in its interlude mode, will see prerecorded interlude content as if it was provided by the digital camera. The interlude switch may be a manual or an automatic switch configured to switch between its view and interlude modes based on the occurrence of external events. The external events may include an outgoing or an incoming telephone call. Alternately, external events such as motion, light, sound levels, movement of doors and windows could be used to cause the interlude switch to toggle from the interlude to the view mode and vice versa. The interlude switch may be a tethered switch or one which is configured to wirelessly receive input and cause the web cam to switch between a view and an interlude mode.

Web cam with an interlude switch

An input device having a housing; a pointing device coupled with the housing having a plurality of buttons; a scrolling element coupled with the housing; and a module for detecting user input for operating the input device in at least a first mode and a second mode, where in the first mode, the input device operates as a tabletop computer pointing device, and where in the second mode, the input device operates as a hand-held presentation device used to control a computer-based presentation.

Hybrid presentation controller and computer input device

A system with a main monitor for a host computer and a second, mini monitor for displaying a portion of the display normally intended for the main monitor. In one embodiment, the mini monitor is connected to the computer over a shared, peripheral bus, such as the universal serial bus (USB). The smaller size of the mini monitor and either compression or slower refresh rates allow it to be connected to the USB just like other peripheral devices.

Mini monitor on shared peripheral bus

The method and system serve to notify the user of an event through a control device. Active notification takes place even when the computer sound and screen are disabled, for example, when in a power saving mode or screen saving mode. Notification may include visual notification, audio notification, vibratory notification, or tactile notification. Tactile notification can also serve to provide a private notification system which will not alert or disturb other people in the vicinity of the user. Such tactile notification can be provided by means of a texture change in the surface of the control device. One way in which this could be done is by raising a plurality of pegs through the surface of a control device to change its texture.

Notification mechanisms on a control device

An input device includes a replaceable support for the user's hand which can be selected to provide improved comfort and support for the hand for operating the input device. The replaceable support allows the user to select a shell to fit his or her hand and to provide the desired functionality. In specific embodiments, the adaptable computer input device comprises a core module including an input element for a user to provide input to a computer. An outer shell is selected from a group of different outer shells which are detachably connectable to the core module to support a user's hand for manipulating the input element of the core module to provide input to the computer. The core module automatically detects operational information of the outer shell upon coupling of the outer shell with the core module and adapts operation of the core module to the outer shell connected thereto in response to detected operational information of the outer shell.

Adaptable input device support

An input device with a user-selectable key that includes a proximity detector associated with the key. The proximity detector detects the proximity or touch of a user's finger and provides user feedback related to the function of the key, without actually activating the function of the key. This allows a user to determine what a particular key on a keyboard or other device will do by simply hovering the user's finger near the top of the key, or lightly touching the key without depressing it.

Proximity detector to indicate function of a key

A system to jump a pointer to a scroll box and lock the pointer to an elevator of the scroll box comprises a pointing device subsystem, a menu subsystem, a jump subsystem, and a lock subsystem. The pointing device subsystem is coupled to each of the menu subsystem, the jump subsystem, and the lock subsystem. In addition, the jump subsystem is coupled to the menu subsystem and the lock subsystem. The pointing device subsystem uses its pointer to select a button for horizontal or vertical scrolling from a pop-up box menu displayed by the menu subsystem. After the button is selected, the jump subsystem jumps the pointer from the button to an elevator bar of the selected scroll box. The lock subsystem locks the pointer to the elevator bar of the scroll box. The pointer may now be moved along the directions permitted by the scroll box so that the screens of the computer application scroll in such a direction. When a desired screen location is found through the scrolling function, the pointer is unlocked by the lock subsystem from the elevator bar. The present invention includes an ergonomic system for scrolling by automating the jump and lock of a pointer to an elevator bar in a scroll box. Further, the present invention includes a method for jumping and locking a pointer to an elevator bar in a scroll box.

Growing community of inventors

Atherton, CA, United States of America

Guy Tiphane