Blackberry Corporation

Cornel Mercea

Jacek S Idzik

Peter Mankowski

Andrew Ashraf Fergusson

Amit Pal Singh

James Alexander Robinson

Yu Gao

Rohan Michael Nandakumar

Mihal Lazaridis

John Edward Dolson

Krzysztof Zawada

Melecio Leano Mortel

Armin Akhavan Fomani

Son Trung Huynh

Ralph Allan Stacey

A device having at least two 3-dimensional gesture sensors that employ differing gesture-sensing modalities as compared to one another further includes a control circuit that operably couples to both of these 3-dimensional gesture sensors and employs both to detect three-dimensional gestures. By one approach the control circuit employs both sensors in a temporally-overlapping manner to reliably and accurately detect the 3D gesture. As another illustrative example, the control circuit may employ different sensors during different portions of a given 3D gesture to detect those corresponding portions of the 3D gesture.

Apparatus and method pertaining to the use of a plurality of 3D gesture sensors to detect 3D gestures

A stylus comprises a barrel having a scribing nib disposed at one end thereof. The barrel supports at least one multi-level force-sensitive user interface. A control circuit operably couples to this control surface and responds differently to each of at least two different levels of applied force as applied to that control surface. For example, the control circuit can respond to one level of applied force by causing the transmission of a first signal to influence in a first way the scribing interaction between the stylus and the scribing surface and can respond to a second, different level of applied force by causing the transmission of a second, different signal to influence in a second, different way the scribing interaction between the stylus and the scribing surface.

Method and apparatus pertaining to a stylus having a multi-level force-sensitive user interface

A system and method supporting signature verification. An input signature from a contact point of a stylus at a touch-sensitive surface is received. At least one sensor detects a first set of characteristics of the input signature that represents how the stylus is used when a present security level is a first level, and a second set of characteristics is determined when a present security level is a second security level. The second set of characteristics is a subset of the first set with fewer characteristics than the first set. One of the first set of characteristics or the second set of characteristics is transmitted to a characteristic receiving device to permit the input signature to be authenticated as a function, at least in part, of the first set or the second set of characteristics.

System and method of authentication of an electronic signature

A handheld device and method of operation for determining motion of the handheld device relative to a stylus is presented, in which the stylus is used to provide a frame of reference for the handheld device rather than as a user input device. Stylus orientation data, descriptive of an absolute orientation of a stylus, and handheld device orientation data, descriptive of an absolute orientation of the handheld device, are used to determine motion of the handheld device relative to the stylus. The handheld device has orientation and/or motion sensors, a communication module operable to receive stylus orientation data, and a processor operable to determine the motion or orientation of the handheld device relative to the stylus and execute an application dependent thereon.

Method and apparatus for motion sensing of a handheld device relative to a stylus

An apparatus and method pertaining to detecting user input, such as a signature, with respect to a stylus and the transmission of information regarding that input. The detected input can comprise, for example, characteristics of the input and transmit them to a secondary device to verify the input matches a stored template.

The present disclosure provides a host electronic device, a stylus and a method for determining the location of a stylus with respect to a host electronic device. A magnetic field generator of the stylus is energized and a first magnetic field is sensed at two or more magnetometers of the host electronic device. The location of the stylus with respect to the host electronic device is determined dependent upon the first magnetic field. A second magnetic field may be sensed, while the magnetic field generator is either deactivated or energized with an opposite polarity, to correct for the presence of a background magnetic field. The magnetometers may be directional magnetometers and may be arranged in an array.

Stylus location utilizing multiple magnetometers

A computer-implemented method for use in an electronic device includes receiving a first handwritten input comprising at least one handwritten character, and obtaining a plurality of candidate words that correspond to at the least one handwritten character. A first electronic instruction is generated to display information identifying one or more of the candidate words on a display of the electronic device. A second handwritten input indicative of a selection of one or the displayed candidate words is received, and a second electronic instruction is generated to display the selected candidate word on the display of the electronic device.

Methods and devices for providing intelligent predictive input for handwritten text

A stylus, configured for interactive use with a surface such as but not limited to a display, includes a stylus housing that supports a control circuit. The control circuit is configured to selectively effect at least two different non-passive location modalities wherein each of the non-passive location modalities imparts location-determination information. The plurality of non-passive location modalities can be selectively used in combination with one another or in a singular fashion as desired.

Apparatus and method pertaining to a stylus having a plurality of non-passive location modalities

A stylus has a stylus barrel and a stylus nib that can move with respect to the stylus barrel. A first pressure sensor is configured to sense air pressure that corresponds to force being supplied to the stylus nib and a second pressure sensor serves to sense ambient air pressure. A control circuit operably couples to both pressure sensors and determines a gauge pressure value as corresponds to force being applied to the stylus nib. By one approach a temperature sensor can also operably couple to the control circuit and provide temperature information that the control circuit can utilize when determining the aforementioned gauge pressure value.

Apparatus to sense stylus nib pressures

A dual mode apparatus for writing on paper, inputting information to a host electronic device, and/or controlling applications on a host electronic device. The apparatus is preferably constructed and arranged as a combination pen and active stylus that includes a pen refill cartridge and an active stylus module. The pen refill cartridge comprises a body configured for storing ink and a ball-point assembly for dispensing the ink on a writing surface or physical media. The active stylus module is configured to transmit signals to the ball-point assembly of the pen refill cartridge. The ball-point assembly may include an antenna, optical transducer or ultrasonic transducer. In one expedient, the signals may be radio signals characterizing a force applied to the ball-point assembly, the level of a battery or the level of ink in the pen refill cartridge.

Combination pen refill cartridge and active stylus

A particular application is pre-associated with the detection of a predetermined stylus action that occurs while a given electronic device is in a standby mode of operation. Upon then detecting that predetermined stylus action these teachings provide for responsively opening that particular application. By one approach this opening of the particular application occurs in conjunction with switching the electronic device from the standby mode of operation to the active mode of operation. The pre-association can be based, at least in part, upon an automatic association based upon identifying the most-used application for the electronic device. As another example, the pre-association can be based, at least in part, upon a specific user-based selection.

Apparatus and method pertaining to the stylus-initiated opening of an application

An active stylus having a control circuit configured to wake up the stylus from a sleep mode to an active mode in response to pressure applied to a tip of the stylus. The stylus includes a force sensor electrically coupled to a power source, an operational amplifier, and a voltage level comparator, the voltage level comparator configured to output a digital wake up interrupt signal when pressure is applied to the tip when the control circuit is in the sleep mode. The operational amplifier is configured to provide an analog signal representative of varying pressure on the tip. This signal is processed by the control circuit such that the stylus goes into the sleep mode after a specified period of time following cessation of variations in the analog signal.

Active stylus force sensing mechanism for generating a wakeup interrupt to the controller

A stylus is used to modify the appearance of objects rendered on a touch-sensitive display. One of a plurality of objects on the display is selected by making contacting the object with the stylus. The stylus tilt and stylus contact pressure are determined. The appearance of the selected object is modified in response to the stylus tilt of the stylus and the stylus contact pressure.

Stylus based object modification on a touch-sensitive display

An electronic device includes a touch-sensitive display including a plurality of touch sensors configured to detect touches on the touch-sensitive display. The touch sensors include a plurality of touch sensor jumpers that are spaced apart in the touch-sensitive display. The touch-sensor jumpers include attributes to facilitate identification of a location of a stylus relative to the jumpers. The stylus includes a device configured to obtain data relating to an attribute of at least one of the touch sensor jumpers of the touch-sensitive display, a processor operably coupled to the device to receive the data, and a transmitter operably coupled to the processor and configured to transmit to the electronic device, information based on the data. The electronic device includes a receiver that receives the information and a processor that is configured to determine the location of the stylus based on the information.

System and method of determining stylus location on touch-sensitive display

Powered by a battery module, an active pen may transmit a signal that is intended for detection by a touch screen. The active pen may comprise an elongated clip member connected to an elongated body member, the free end of the clip member having a ground contact, and the body member having control and charging contacts opposite the ground contact. The free end may be biased such that the ground contact is normally in contact with the control and charging contacts, thereby maintaining the active pen in a signal-transmitting state until separation of the contacts. An electronic device may charge the battery module, optionally responsive to authorization thereof. The electronic device may comprise a partition member to separate the free end of the clip member from the body member, the partition member having contacts corresponding to those of the active pen for enabling charging of the battery module.

Growing community of inventors

Waterloo, Canada

Cornel Mercea