Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

T-Mobile USA, Inc.

Hugh Edward McLoone, Jr

Carl J Ledbetter

Aditha May Adams

Steven T Kaneko

Edward Charles Giaimo, Iii

Edward V Cruz

Stanley Hiroshi Wada

John Richard Arbak

Leroy B Keely

Gregory G Jones

Jonathan David Friedman

Wei Guo

Michael Kemery

David B Perry

William Lauby

Eric Paul Filer

Richard Henry Irving

Jeffery M Reents

Maura C Collins

Sally Liu

Manuel Bronstein

Albert J Pennello, Jr

James Damon Trim

William Lawrence

Handheld devices are described herein with display portions and with key input portions having curved form factors. The key input portions have form factors that are concave or convex with respect to a plane formed by two edges of a surface of the display portion.

Curved key input form factors of handheld devices

A video game controller is equipped with an electronic input that can read a game identification code from an electronic key. When the user presents the key to the game controller, it relays the game ID to the game console. This electronic key may be read via RFID from a detachable faceplate for the controller. The game console utilizes the game ID to quickly find and launch the game from game storage. The game console itself may also be equipped with such an electronic input. The game storage can be built into the console, or on a server accessed through a home network or through the internet. Such use of an electronic key and detachable faceplate is extended to rapid and easy personalization, customization, and function enhancement of entertainment and other consumer electronics devices as well.

Systems and methods for quickly selecting video games

A processing device may include a display screen and one or more buttons located near the display screen. Pressing one of the one or more buttons may cause the processing device to perform a first function and pressing and holding the one of the one or more buttons may cause the processing device to perform a second function. When the one of the one or more buttons is pressed, the processing device may provide a first feedback describing the first function. When the one of the one or more buttons is pressed and held for at least a predetermined amount of time, the processing device may provide a second feedback describing the second function. In some implementations, a time indicator may be displayed indicating an amount of passing time until the one of the one or more buttons is pressed and held for the predetermined amount of time.

Button discoverability

Apparatus and methods are provided for enabling a microphone module that connects to a headset jack on a game controller. The microphone may include directional or omni-directional microphone element(s) that pick up voice input from people near a peripheral, such as a game controller, but reject background sounds from the room. User controls may also be available to set the microphone gain level, either manually or automatically, and/or to mute or unmute the microphone. The microphone of the invention can be used on a wired or wireless game controller. When used with a wireless game controller, wireless microphone capabilities and freedom of movement are provided without headdress requirements imposed by headsets.

Voice input in a multimedia console environment

A plurality of embodiments of improved ergonomic keyboards for interfacing with a user's arms, wrists, hands and fingers in a more natural way, i.e., in ways that are optimally suited to human typing. In various non-limiting embodiments, the invention provides optimal finger pressing angles, provides optimal range(s) for 'gable' angling, flattens the outer edges of the gable, thins key patterns of split key arrangements, raises (or lowers) the wrist rest to an optimal position, and/or splits the wrist rest into two (or more) components.

Ergonomic keyboard apparatus

The device comfortably supports the hand of the user while the thumb and fingers are associated with keys, a trackball, and a scrolling wheel carried on the device. The overall configuration of the device and the arrangement of these actuators permits the user to operate all of the functions provided by the actuators while the forearm is in a neutral posture zone between pronation and supination of the forearm, and the wrist and fingers are minimally extended and comfortably flexed, respectively.

Ergonomic input device

Growing community of inventors

Bellevue, WA, United States of America

Hugh Edward McLoone, Jr