Blackberry Corporation

Research in Motion Corporation

Imax Theatres International Limited

Imax Corporation

Antanas Matthew Broga

Hsin Chin Lee

Bergen Albert Fletcher

Yu Gao

Andrew Frederick Kurtz

Barry David Silverstein

James Alexander Robinson

Steven Charles Read

Denis Gilles Tremblay

Thomas James Crugnale

Jesse Donald McMullen-Crummey

Priyadarshini Krishnaswamy

Fredrik Martin Stenmark

Jens Kristian Poulsen

Michael Lorne Purdy

Arnett Ryan Weber

Amit Pal Singh

Mohamad El-Hage

Fredrik Stenmark

William Donald Santo

ZhongMing Ma

Ka Ho Liu

Nikesh Parsotam

Denis Tremblay

Light emitting displays can be used in cinemas for cinema presentations that integrate a sound system to achieve immersive conditions in cinema theatres. The cinema screen can include a matrix of light emitters and a diffuser sheet. The matrix of light emitters is configured to form a light-emitting area of the cinema screen. The diffuser sheet includes one or more perforations, and can be positioned between the matrix of light emitters and an audience area in the theatre. The diffuser sheet is positioned with respect to the matrix of light emitters such that the one or more perforations are configured to prevent light outputted by the light emitters from being viewable in the audience area.

Cinema light emitting screen and sound system

Light emitting displays and sound systems can be used in cinemas for cinema presentations that integrates a sound system to achieve the same or better immersive conditions in cinema theatres with front projection cinema screens. The screen can be active with light emitters, rather than passive and reflect light projected from a projector. Spaces are formed between adjacent light emitters in the display to allow for sound waves to pass from sound wave emitters positioned behind the screen to a cinema seating area in front of the screen. Loudspeakers may be positioned in the spaces. Diffusers or other structures may be positioned proximate to a front of the screen to facilitate visual performance. In addition or in the alternative, loudspeakers can be positioned in each seat of the viewing seating area that produce sound waves that appear to be coming from a non-seating location in the theatre.

A mobile communication device includes a processor operably coupled to a memory and to a wireless communication subsystem operable to send and receive data, a camera operably coupled to the processor, a sensor operably connected to provide to the processor a distance between the camera and an element viewable by the camera. Instructions are stored in the memory; when these instructions are executed by the processor, the mobile communication device takes an image with the camera, uses the sensor to determine a distance between the camera and at least one object recorded in the image, receives a request for a desired measurement comprising one of a desired length measurement and a desired area measurement of an element in the image, calculates the desired measurement, and provides the desired measurement to the user.

Method to determine length and area measurements within a smartphone camera image

A proximity sensor for an electronic device comprises a proximity module, a lens and an optical module secured in an air gap therebetween. The proximity module has an emitter and a detector and is configured to generate a signal that is a function of light emitted by the emitter, and light detected by the detector, some portion of the detected light having been reflected by a target external to the electronic device. A transmissive-reflective surface of the optical module is aligned with the emitter field of view (FOV) and the detector FOV. The optical module guides emitted light through a transmissive portion of the lens to the exterior of the electronic device, and guides target-reflected light collected by the transmissive portion to the detector. The emitter FOV and the detector FOV are substantially aligned with one another.

Proximity sensor having an optical routing module for guiding emitted light and target-reflected light

A keypad with optical sensors is provided. The keypad comprises keycaps, each keycap having a top surface. One or more optical sensors are located beneath top surfaces of adjacent keycaps. One or more light guides extend from a respective optical sensor towards the top surfaces.

Keypad with optical sensors

A light assembly for providing a notification light on an electronic device is described. The light assembly comprises a first light source for providing a background portion for the notification light, a second light source for providing a patterned portion for the notification light, and at least one pattern element to generate the pattern portion.

System and method for displaying visual notifications on an electronic device

Methods, devices and sensors for detecting a gesture are described. In an embodiment, a gesture sensor includes a time of flight sensor having a sensing element configured to generate an electrical signal responsive to received light. The time of flight sensor also includes a light source for emitting a burst of light. The sensing element has a sensing side for receiving light and a non-sensing side which is opposite the sensing side. The gesture sensor also includes one or more light inhibitors positioned relatively nearer the sensing side of the sensing element than the non-sensing side. The light inhibitors are asymmetric about a first center line of the sensing element. The first center line is located midway between first and second sides of the sensing element. The gesture sensor further includes a processor coupled to the time of flight sensor configured to detect a gesture.

Contactless gesture recognition with sensor having asymmetric field of view

A method of adjusting electromagnetic radiation transmitted by an optical element is described. The method includes sensing the electromagnetic radiation transmitted by the optical element to produce sensed electromagnetic radiation information, and adjusting the sensed electromagnetic radiation information to produce adjusted electromagnetic radiation information based on the a spectral transmission of the optical element.

Device and method of adjusting electromagnetic radiation transmitted by an optical element

A light guide guides light from a light emitter that is adjacent to an aperture of an electronic device. The light is eventually emitted from the aperture, to thereby provide lighting. The light guide can include a plurality of prisms which can thereby permit reduction in the overall thickness of the electronic device.

Light guide for improving device lighting

A user input device for an electronic device includes an illumination source and image sensor module. A translucent layer is disposed above the illumination source and the image sensor module. The translucent layer includes at least a first set of patterns disposed thereon. A deformable layer is disposed above the translucent layer. The deformable layer includes at least a second set of patterns. The illumination source is configured to illuminate at least the portion of the translucent layer. The image sensor module includes a field of view that corresponds to at least a portion of the translucent layer. The image sensor module being configured to detect a third set of patterns when the first set of patterns and the second set of patterns are displaced with respect to each other.

Optical interference based user input device

A mobile device includes at least one speaker and an audio subsystem for providing an audio signal to the at least one speaker for playback by the at least one speaker. The audio subsystem operates by detecting a distance to a user of the mobile device using a proximity sensor and controlling volume output of the at least one speaker based on the distance to the user of the mobile device and the operational status of the proximity sensor. If it is determined that the proximity sensor is functional, the audio subsystem applies a gain factor to the audio signal that varies based on the distance to the user or limits the maximum allowable speaker output based on the distance. A high or low gain setting may be applied for when the user is far away or in close proximity to the mobile device.

Proximity sensing for user detection and automatic volume regulation with sensor interruption override

A display arrangement includes a decoration layer, a light source underneath the decoration layer, and a lens layer arranged between the decoration layer and the light source. The decoration layer includes at least one void formed in the shape of a character when viewed from above. The lens layer is at least semi-transparent to permit transmission of light from the light source through the void. An optical structure is arranged in alignment with the void and is adapted to reduce intensity of the light in a peripheral region of the void so as to reduce a halo effect. The decoration layer may be formed as an external layer of a key or a button of a portable electronic device, or an outer casing of a portable electronic device.

Display arrangement with optical structure for reducing halo effect

Systems and method to generate more readable modified images that are presented on electronic displays in bright ambient light, such as direct sunlight. Images normally presented in lower ambient light are modified to generate modified images that have higher contrast and that contain less information. For example, modified images contain pixels that are either 'on' or 'off' and may be inverted to present a black on white background image on the display. Some information, such as text fields or icons, is removed from the modified image to increase readability in bright ambient light. A backlight level of the display is also able to be increased in bright ambient light.

Data display adapted for bright ambient light

A method is set forth for automatically adjusting keypad brightness on a mobile electronic device having a light sensor, a keypad and a backlight for the keypad, comprising obtaining light level samples from the light sensor, turning the backlight from off to on in the event a current light level sample is less than a threshold value below which backlight illumination becomes necessary in order to read the keypad, and from off to on after a predetermined time period in the event the current light level sample is greater than the threshold value.

Automatic keypad backlight adjustment on a mobile handheld electronic device

A light guide apparatus for an electronic device is described. The light guide apparatus includes a light guide having a first surface and an second surface; a light source, the light guide and the light source being arranged to couple light from the source into the light guide through the second surface of the light guide, the second surface and the light source defining a gap therebetween; and a reflector positioned above the light source and the light guide, and extending over at least a portion of the gap and at least a portion of the front surface of the light guide.

Growing community of inventors

Cambridge, Canada

Antanas Matthew Broga