Qualcomm Incorporated

Ecoatm, LLC

Ted Ray Gooding

Babak Forutanpour

David L Bednar

Robert S Tartz

Jonathan Kies

Robert Sean Daley

Jeffrey Ploetner

Brian Lee Momeyer

Samuel Jacob Horodezky

Aniket Arun Vartak

Christian Oliver Thelen

Anthony Blow

Joemari Enriquez

David Mersten

Mazen Labban

Robert O'Neill

Jeremiah Bunao Salamante

Derchang Chao

Samuel J Horodezky

Robert Scott Tartz

Jonathan Karl Kies

Various embodiments of kiosks for purchasing mobile phones and other mobile electronic devices from users are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, the kiosks include an apparatus to position an electrical connector for connection to a mobile device. This apparatus enables the kiosk to connect to the mobile device to electrically inspect the mobile device, and the associated electrical connectors and cables are not subjected to repeated pulling and other rough handling that can lead to premature wear and tear. Accordingly, use of connector carriers configured in accordance with the present technology can lead to longer connector/cable service life, reduced maintenance, and greater kiosk up-time. In some embodiments, the apparatus can include a camshaft having one or more cam lobes positioned to act against one or more cam followers, e.g., carrying one or more electrical connectors.

Connector carrier for electronic device kiosk

Described are systems and methods to verify the identity of an evaluated device that has been previously identified and evaluated remotely from a reader device. The reader device obtains from an evaluated device temporally changing information, where the temporally changing information includes a unique identifier associated with the evaluated device and a proximity indication. The reader device verifies the temporally changing information by verifying that the unique identifier is contained in the temporally changing information, that the unique identifier is stored in a database associated with the reader device, and that the temporally changing information includes the proximity indication indicating that the evaluated device and the reader device are proximate to each other. Upon verifying the temporally changing information, the reader device obtains the price of the evaluated device, based on the unique identifier associated with the evaluated device. Upon obtaining the price of the evaluated device, the system compensates a user associated with the evaluated device.

Identifying electronic devices using temporally changing information

Kiosk systems and methods for vending mobile phones and other electronic devices to, and/or for purchasing mobile phones and other electronic devices from, consumers are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, such systems can include subsystems for preparing purchased mobile phones for resale, moving mobile phones between different processing stations, transferring data from, e.g., an old phone to a newly purchased phone, etc. In some embodiments, the kiosk systems disclosed herein can purchase a mobile phone from one consumer, process the mobile phone for resale (e.g., by removing personal data, etc.), and then sell the mobile phone to another consumer.

Systems and methods for vending and/or purchasing mobile phones and other electronic devices

Methods, apparatus, and systems for generating a price of a target device. An evaluator device obtains technical properties associated with the target device. The technical properties include a make and a model of the target device. Physical properties associated with the target device are obtained. The physical properties include information related to wear and tear of the target device. Obtaining the physical properties includes indicating to a user that the user should position the target device in multiple predetermined positions and that the evaluator device records an image of the target device in each of the multiple predetermined positions. A video of the target device is recorded while the target device is positioned in the multiple predetermined positions. The obtained physical properties are evaluated to generate a condition metric value of the target device. Based on the generated condition metric value, the price of the target device is determined.

Evaluating and recycling electronic devices

Disclosed here are various embodiments to evaluate a device and present a price quote to the user by detecting a presence of a device in proximity to a wireless charger. The system can utilize a wireless charger to obtain information about the device while charging the device. The information can include the make of the device. The system can guide the user to navigate the device to provide additional information such as model, memory capacity, unique identifier, and carrier associated with the device. Based on the unique identifier, the system can determine whether device has been stolen. If the device has not been stolen, the system can determine a price based on information obtained from the device and can facilitate presenting the price to the user. If the user accepts the price, the system can facilitate purchase of the device.

Evaluating an electronic device using a wireless charger

Kiosk for processing electronic devices

Various embodiments of kiosks for purchasing mobile phones and other mobile electronic devices from users are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, the kiosks include an apparatus to turn a mobile phone over on an inspection surface. This apparatus can enable the kiosk to visually inspect both the front and back sides of the mobile device on the inspection surface with an inspection system (e.g., imaging devices, lighting devices, etc.) positioned above the inspection surface, and can eliminate the need to position a second inspection system below a transparent inspection surface to visually inspect, e.g., the back side of the mobile device through the transparent inspection surface. In some embodiments, the kiosk also includes a wireless mobile phone charging device that can be used for, e.g., phone charging and identification.

Kiosk for evaluating and purchasing used electronic devices

Disclosed herein are various embodiments of systems and methods for evaluating a device and presenting a price quote for the device by using an optical character recognition (OCR) system and/or other associated devices and systems. The system can utilize a wireless charger to obtain information about the device while charging the device. The information can include the make of the device. The system can guide the user to navigate the device to provide additional information such as model, memory capacity, unique identifier, and carrier associated with the device, which can be extracted from the device using OCR. Based on, e.g., the unique identifier, the system can determine whether the device has been stolen. If the device has not been stolen, the system can determine a price based on information obtained from the device and can present the price to the user. If the user accepts the price, the system can facilitate purchase of the device.

Evaluating an electronic device using optical character recognition

Methods and devices for providing access to a wireless network through a network access point secured with a network password may include receiving a request to provide access to the wireless network for a device on the network access point. A virtual access point may be established to provide access to the wireless network for the device in response to receiving the request to provide access for the device on the network access point. A virtual access point password may be established for the device and associated with a unique identifier of the device. The virtual access point password may be different from the network password. The device may be provided with access to the network when an entered password matches the virtual access point password and the device identifier matches the unique identifier of the device associated with the virtual access point password.

Methods, devices and systems for dynamic network access administration

Methods, systems, computer-readable media, and apparatuses for adjusting the manner in which haptic feedback is provided to the user based on physical characteristics of the user. Physical characteristics may include stable physical characteristics that are non-changing with respect to a level of physical activity of the user. Examples of such stable physical characteristics may include age, gender, race, visual impairments and/or other physical characteristics. In some embodiments, the mobile device may adjust the haptic feedback by adjusting the intensity of the haptic feedback, frequency of the haptic feedback, duration for which the haptic feedback is provided to the user and changing a type of haptic feedback provided to the user of the device.

System and method for optimizing haptic feedback

A biometric security method and apparatus for a capacitive sensor system is provided herein, where the method may include capturing a set of raw capacitive frames for a body part via the capacitive sensor system, wherein each raw capacitive frame includes a distribution of a plurality of capacitance levels measured from the body part; creating a capacitive profile based on the set of raw capacitive frames; comparing a first value in the capacitive profile to a second value in a biometric template generated from an enrolled body part, wherein the first value and the second value are located at a similar location with respect to the capacitive profile; and, generating an authentication signal based on a difference between the first value and the second value.

Method and apparatus for biometric-based security using capacitive profiles

Methods, systems, and devices are described for identifying images to a user. Mobile devices are used to provide position information that may be used to identify a set of images associated with the position information. The position information may include location, ordinal direction, and orientation information of the mobile device, all of which can be used to identify an object or location where a user of the mobile device desires an image. A data store of images is queried to identify a set of images having location information similar to that provided by the mobile device. Images from the set of images are provided to the user, such as through a display at the mobile device and/or a separate system such as a personal computer of the user. A user may select one or more images for local storage, in some cases making a payment for the received image.

Mobile device access of location specific images from a remote database

Methods and systems are provided for detecting a grip event on a touchscreen display and adjusting the displayed content based on the location of the grip event. The content that is covered by a grip event is identified and moved out from under the grip event by adjusting the displayed content layout. The area of the grip event may be determined to allow for adjusting the layout of the displayed. Alerts may be implemented to alert a user when there is a change in a content that is covered by a grip event. The grip event outline may be estimated and menu icons or icons may be positioned and displayed in close contour profile to estimated outline of the grip event. A grip event location may be suggested based on a user's touch habits or display content layout.

Method and system for adjusting display content

Methods and devices provide a gesture activated file sharing functionality enabling users to share files with other nearby computing devices. The file sharing functionality may include establishing wireless links with nearby devices and determine their relative locations. The computing device may detect a file sharing motion of the computing device from accelerometers and transmit files to or request files from a nearby device in response. Base on motion parameters, e.g., direction, speed and/or shape, the computing device may identify a targeted device to which a file may be transmitted or from which a file may be requested. The computing device may request user verification of the identified device and send a request to transmit files to the targeted device. The computing devices may transmit files using networks and addresses provided over the device-to-device communication links.

Device movement user interface gestures for file sharing functionality

Methods and systems implement touch sensors or force sensitive materials disposed on the case of a computing device in order to enable user input gestures to be performed on portions of the device case. The force sensitive elements may generate an electrical signal in response to a gesture, such as a tap, squeeze, swipe or twist. The properties of the generated electrical signal may be compared to various reference templates to recognize particular input gestures. The force sensitive elements may operate in conjunction with more traditional input methods, such as touch-screen display and electromechanical buttons. By enabling user input gestures on the case of computing devices, the various aspects permit one hand operation of the devices including intuitive gestures that do not require the users focused attention to accomplish. Thus the various aspects may enable users to utilize their computing devices in situations not suitable to conventional user input technologies.

Growing community of inventors

San Diego, CA, United States of America

Ted Ray Gooding