US 9946369

US patent 9946369, titled "Input system for controlling electronic device," was issued to Power2B Inc. on April 17, 2018. The inventors are Robert Michael Lipman and Sarah Michelle Lipman. The application was filed on September 21, 2016.

Abstract:
The patent describes an electronic device featuring a display, input means, sensing means, and control means. The sensing means detects the three-dimensional position of the input means relative to the device. This three-dimensional position is then used by the control means to manage the data shown on the display. The input means utilizes a source of electromagnetic radiation, specifically an infrared conical beam directed onto the display. The sensing means is capable of detecting the elliptical eccentricity of this incident radiation to determine the angle at which it strikes the display, and can also sense the area of the incident electromagnetic radiation to ascertain the distance of the input means from the display.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims:

• Independent Claim 1 (Interactive device): This claim describes an interactive device with a housing and a display screen for showing selectable options. It includes multiple light sensors within the housing that detect portions of incident light and generate output signals. A processing unit in the device uses these signals to determine an object's three-dimensional (3D) position relative to the device. Based on the object's position in two dimensions (X and Y), the processor identifies which selectable option it corresponds to. It also detects movement of the object in the third dimension (Z, representing distance from the device) by analyzing changes in the sensor output signals. Finally, based on this detected 3D movement, the processing unit executes a function related to at least one of the selectable options.

• Independent Claim 11 (Method): This claim outlines a method involving an interactive device. It starts with one or more sensors detecting light from an object near the device. A processor then determines the object's 3D position relative to the device based on this detected light. The processor identifies if the object's position in two dimensions (X and Y) corresponds to a selectable element on the display. It also determines the object's position in the third dimension (Z) as a distance from the device. The method then involves calculating a change in this distance based on the detected light and, as a result, executing a function related to the selectable element based on this change in distance.

Legal Status and Litigation:
The patent US9946369B2 is listed as "Expired - Lifetime," with an adjusted expiration date of July 30, 2023.

The patent has been involved in litigation:

• A PTAB case, IPR2022-00325, was filed, resulting in a Final Written Decision.
• A US case was filed in the Texas Eastern District Court (case number 2:21-cv-00348).
• A US case was filed in the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (case number 23-2122).

As of the current date (April 26, 2026), the patent is expired. There were no specific CAFC 2026 dockets for US9946369 found in the search results, but the existing CAFC case (23-2122) indicates past or ongoing appellate proceedings related to the patent.