# Wayne C. Westerman — Patents explained on PatentBrief

Wayne C. Westerman has 3 landmark patents explained in plain English on PatentBrief.

- [How Smartphones Use Light Sensors to Detect When You Are Talking](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/8600430/imessage) — granted 2013
  Apple's patent on using light sensors to help a phone accurately detect when it is pressed against your ear, preventing accidental screen touches.
- [How Your Phone Knows When It's Against Your Ear](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/7957762/ios-app-store) — granted 2011
  This Apple patent describes how a phone uses both a proximity sensor and an ambient light sensor to accurately detect when it's held to your ear, preventing accidental screen touches during calls.
- [How Touchscreens Understand Your Finger Swipes and Scrolls](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/7479949/iphone-multi-touch) — granted 2009
  This patent describes how touchscreens use smart rules, called heuristics, to figure out if your finger movement means scrolling up, moving around a map, or flipping to the next photo, especially by looking at how you start your swipe.

**Full profile:** https://patentbrief.org/inventor/wayne-c-westerman

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_Source: PatentBrief — https://patentbrief.org. Plain-English explanations of US patents._