International Business Machines Corporation

James Lewis Levine

Richard L Garwin

Michael Alan Schappert

Evan G Colgan

Gregory Fraser Russell

Eisuke Kanzaki

Mikio Kurihara

Duane Scott Miller

Satoshi Karube

David Carroll Challener

Nalini Kanta Ratha

Rudolf Maarten Bolle

Peter Gustav Fairweather

Janusz S Wilczynski

Robert S Germain

Kevin Hunter Vorhees

James Gabriel Brewington

James Clinton Spohrer

Anthony Wayne Miles

Nathan Sauders Caswell

George J Fan

Roland Y Hung

Klaus P Gungl

Susan Ann Luerich

Kazumi Sakai

Hiroshi Mishima

Sharathchandra Umpathirao Pankanti

Charles H Bowman

Jeffrey A Farringer

Larry L Greene

A user is provided with the capability to view only those segments of TV broadcast programs and/or pre-recorded digital programs that are identified by the user (or other persons, e.g., parents) as acceptable. Preferences for the types of material that is desired for viewing are provided. The provider analyzes a selected program and creates a user specific segmentation file that, when played along with the recorded program, causes the program to automatically skip specific types of material (e.g., commercials, violence, pornography, etc.) and/or jumps to specific material desirable without the user having to intercede during the viewing. The segmentation file is distributed to the user and the user provides a fee to the provider for making and distributing this customized segmentation file.

Enhanced program viewing method

A touch-sensitive display device includes a display. A transparent plate is provided in front of the display. A tactile sensor senses a touch event. One or more infrared sensors are positioned in front of the transparent plate. The one or more infrared sensors identify a location of the touch event when the tactile sensor detects a touch event.

Infrared touch screen gated by touch force

There is provided a hand held cursor controller system for use particularly with interactive television and computer presentation graphics. The system uses a hand held device with infrared light emitting diodes which transmits to a detector attached to a processor. The information from the processor is transmitted to a television or video cassette recorder. The system allows for the positioning of a cursor on a television screen with the only input of the user being the aiming of the controller. It includes push-button activation and provides for the transmission of the usual controller codes.

Wireless pointing device for remote cursor control

A system and method of improving the accessibility of Web sites and pages through the use of accessibility descriptors that can be assigned to a Web site and/or each page of a Web site. The descriptors enable the page(s) of the site to be assessed and then displayed according to a particular user's needs, or if appropriate may notify the user if a page cannot be used or rendered more accessible. The system can be set up to require a user fee for the service, thus encouraging Web creators to design Web pages that can be modified in accordance with the accessibility descriptors.

System and method for improving web site accessibility

A presence detector includes an optical emitter for emitting optical radiation, an optical detector for detecting a presence of an object based on receiving the optical radiation, and a microcontroller for controlling the optical emitter and processing the optical detector output, such that a range adjustment and range hysteresis based on the object are provided by software in the microcontroller.

Active infrared presence sensor

Assistive motion data processing and/or button data processing is performed in an adapter on user inputted variable data produced by a pointing device prior to communication to a computer. This processing may include one or more of processing to filter coordinate deviations from a desired path caused by unintended movements of the pointing device; removal of unintentional rapid button transitions of the pointing device; look-back processing to correct for unintentional pointer coordinate motion induced by operation of buttons on the pointing device; and detection of button double-clicks using relaxed requirements on motion and timing. The adapter's processing is transparent to the computer. Provision for user input of selected parameters is provided, as well as switching to allow for user deactivation of the adapter for conventional use of the pointing device.

Method and adapter for performing assistive motion data processing and/or button data processing external to a computer

The invention is embodied in a wireless stylus that incorporates, for example, an infrared emitter for communicating with a receiver associated with a computer. The stylus is provided with push-buttons near its tip that can be actuated by the user during the course of pointing the stylus at a touch screen location. Accordingly, by the combined actuation of the touch screen and a concurrent actuation of one or more of the push buttons, a mouse input to the computer is accomplished.

Touch screen stylus with IR-coupled selection buttons

A liquid crystal display, in accordance with the present invention, includes a first substrate having a first conductive layer formed thereon. A linearization pattern is formed on the first conductive layer for applying voltage gradients across the first conductive layer. A flexible polarizer is included having a second conductive layer formed thereon facing the first conductive layer across a gap formed therebetween, the polarizer providing a contact surface such that a touched position on the polarizer causes contact between the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer thereby identifying a location of the touched position.

Liquid crystal display with integrated resistive touch sensor

The present invention provides a liquid crystal display device having a position detecting function with a high sensitivity and a high resolution. The position detecting function comprises a position detecting electrically conductive film on a polarizer or a color filter glass substrate of the liquid crystal display device. The present invention also can suppress the undesired generation of an air gap between the polarizer and color filter glass substrate by using a polarizer that is smaller in size relative to the position detecting electrically conductive film.

Liquid crystal display device

The present invention provides for a liquid crystal display device with a signal layer integrated onto a substrate. Circuitry derives touch position based upon response to signals applied to the signal layer. At least one resistor is integrated onto the substrate. The resistor is coupled between the signal layer and the circuitry. The resistor is formed in conjunction with the signal layer. Preferably, the resistor is part of a resistor network for linearizing resistance of the signal layer in a vertical direction and horizontal direction.

Integrated resistor for measuring touch position in a liquid crystal display device

The present invention provides for touch input functionality in a liquid crystal display having a plurality of cells each comprising a first substrate having a common electrode integrated thereon, a second substrate having a pixel electrode integrated thereon, and liquid crystal material disposed between the common electrode and pixel electrode. A first conductive layer (signal layer) and second conductive layer (guard plane layer) are integrated onto the first substrate and disposed between the first substrate and the common electrode. Contact position of a touch input device with the first substrate is determined by applying a first signal to the signal layer. A second signal is applied to the guard plane layer to thereby lower capacitive coupling between the signal layer and the common electrode. The second signal may be generated by scaling amplitude and/or phase shifting the first signal. Response to the first signal is measured to determine contact position of the touch input device. Preferably, the portion of the signal layer disposed opposite the pixel electrode is a patterned layer of black matrix material, and the guard plane layer may be a transparent ITO layer. Alternatively, portions of the signal layer and guard plane layer disposed opposite the pixel electrode may be a patterned layer of black matrix material. A resistor network may be coupled to the signal layer to linearize resistance of the signal layer in a horizontal and vertical direction. By lowering the capacitive coupling between the signal layer and the common electrode, the guard plane layer and signal applied thereto enables the determination of contact position of a portion of the human body (such as a finger or a toe) based upon the measured response to the source signal. The present invention may be in display systems wherein a matrix of display elements are viewed from above a first side of a substrate and the display elements are disposed on the second side (i.e., the opposite side) of the substrate.

Liquid crystal display device employing a guard plane between a layer for measuring touch position and common electrode layer

A computer-input stylus which provides visual color feedback when utilized in conjunction with a computer-implemented software-based drawing application. The input stylus includes a cylindrical body in a conical tip. A color display within the stylus is utilized to illuminate the conical tip with a color indicative of a currently selected color within the software-based drawing application, providing visual color feedback. The color display is implemented utilizing multiple light-emitting diodes or an active matrix liquid crystal display mounted within an optically transparent portion of the conical tip.

Computer input stylus and system

A computer system and method determines the force and/or torque applied during the image acquisition stage of a biometric characteristic. Images with very high or very low pressure or high shear torque are rejected and user/operator is notified to re-acquire the image. Alternatively, the application of force and torque by the subject is restricted mechanically so that the images are acquired while the force and/or torque are within acceptable ranges.

System and method for distortion control in live-scan inkless

The present invention provides for touch input functionality in a liquid crystal display having a plurality of cells each comprising a first substrate having a common electrode integrated thereon, a second substrate having a pixel electrode integrated thereon, and liquid crystal material disposed between the common electrode and pixel electrode. A first conductive layer (signal layer) and second conductive layer (guard plane layer) are integrated onto the first substrate and disposed between the first substrate and the common electrode. Contact position of a touch input device with the first substrate is determined by applying a first signal to the signal layer. A second signal is applied to the guard plane layer to thereby lower capacitive coupling between the signal layer and the common electrode. Response to the first signal is measured to determine contact position of the touch input device. Preferably, the portion of the signal layer disposed opposite the pixel electrode is a patterned layer of black matrix material, and the guard plane layer may be a transparent ITO layer. Alternatively, portions of the signal layer and guard plane layer disposed opposite the pixel electrode may be a patterned layer of black matrix material.

Liquid crystal display device employing a guard plane between a layer

This invention provides an optical pointing device, such as those used to control devices such as televisions, VCRs, video games and computers, which have improved accuracy and lower sensitivity to detrimental effects, such as noise and user hand unsteadiness, than prior art devices. Such pointing devices emit light beams, such as infrared light, which when received by a receiver are used to position cursors or other symbolic shapes, such as sliding volume controls. An advantage of the pointing device of the invention is that light emitting diodes of conventional manufacture, known to have poor optical precision and hence variable angular emission profiles, may nevertheless be used in the pointing device of the invention.

Growing community of inventors

Yorktown Heights, NY, United States of America

James Lewis Levine