Michael DeVries

Idea: If you put your own background on your mobile phone, and there are a lot of icons on it, like the G1, then it may be difficult to see the icons on your screen.

Abstract: A method, system, and media are provided for enhancing viewability of information presented on a mobile device. The media includes presenting a user interface on a mobile device that includes foreground information that overlaps a background image. The background image may be converted into a first set of color values and the foreground information into a second set of color values. A dominant color may be determined for the background image and foreground information. The dominant colors may be used to calculate a contrast ration that may be compared to a threshold value. At least a portion of the color values may be modified when a contrast ration is less than the threshold value. A set of modified color values may then be derived and a modified presentation may be presented to the user that includes the modified color values.


This One Didn't Make It

I've put this one here to show that patents have to get started before they can be approved. They don't all get approved of course, and that's Legal's job, but that doesn't mean the constructs are not unique.

Abstract Title: Wireless Mobile Device Keypad Having Certain Key Groupings:

Idea: While an emoticon button on a phone makes it easy to find emotions you might use in a text message, there are many others that people invent or could access quicker with key strokes. Symbols have been organized on the keyboard to support that need.

Abstract: A method, system, and medium are provided for a wireless mobile device having a keypad with a plurality keys arranged into groups, each of the groups associated with a set of symbols. The groups include at least sets of parenthetical symbols, mathematical symbols, and punctuation symbols. The groups of parenthetical symbols, mathematical symbols, and punctuation symbols are located at least partially adjacent to each other on the keypad such that a user of the wireless mobile device can more easily generate an emoticon using the symbols.

1. Appliance and method for communicating and viewing multiple captured images


2. Appliance and method of using same having a user help capability


3. Appliance and method of using same having a delete capability


4. Appliance and method of menu navigation


5. Appliance and method for navigating among multiple captured images and functional menus


6. Appliance and method for capturing images having a user error interface


7. System and method of establishing communication between an appliance and an external device


8. Scanning appliance and method having user help capability


9. System and method of selecting pages that an appliance is sending


10. Appliance and method of using same having a capability to graphically associate and disassociate data with and from one another


11. Appliance and method of using same for capturing images


12. Appliance and method for viewing captured images


13. Appliance and method of using same having a send capability for stored data

• DeVries, M.J. & Gordon, S.E. (1994). COG-C: A tool for estimating cognitive complexity and the need for cognitive task analysis. Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society 38th Annual Meeting, (943).


• DeVries, M.J. & Gordon, S.E. (1994). Estimating cognitive complexity and the need for cognitive task analysis. Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society 38th Annual Meeting, (1023-1027).


• DeVries, M.J. & Sorensen, D.L. (1994). Creating conceptual graph structures (Monograph). Moscow, ID: University Press.