Blackberry Corporation

Research in Motion Corporation

Jacek S Idzik

Cornel Mercea

Peter Mankowski

Robert James Lowles

Andrew Ashraf Fergusson

Siong Litingtun

James Alexander Robinson

Ryan Alexander Geris

Siong (shawn) Litingtun

Jason Tyler Griffin

Marc A Drader

Dusan Veselic

Robert W Phillips

Michael Franz Habicher

Jonathan Thomas Malton

Rohan Michael Nandakumar

Siong LiTingTun

Krzysztof Zawada

Iouri Petrovitch Besperstov

Adam Sosnowski

Siong LiTungTun

Siong (Shawn) Litingtun

Ralph Allan Stacey

Ryan Mitchell Bayne

Ben Boomhour

Litingtun Siong

Raymond Michael Dikun

Krzystof Zawada

Machael F Habicher

A device and method to control measurements of light intensity are described. The device includes two or more ambient light sensors arranged at respective surface locations of the device, each of the two or more ambient light sensors measuring the light intensity at the respective surface location. The device also includes a processor to control operation of the two or more ambient light sensors.

Performance control of ambient light sensors

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

The present disclosure provides an electronic device configured to detect an object positioned at a distance. The electronic device includes a reference oscillator generating a reference signal having a reference frequency; and a first measurement oscillator coupled to a first antenna located at a first position of the electronic device. The first measurement oscillator generates a first measurement signal having a first measurement frequency corresponding to a distance of an object from the first antenna. The first antenna has a first antenna load corresponding to the distance of the object from the first antenna, and the first measurement frequency varies in dependence on the first antenna load. The electronic device also includes a comparator coupled to the reference oscillator and the first measurement oscillator which generates a comparator output including a difference between the reference frequency and the first measurement frequency which represents the distance of the object from the first antenna.

Contact-free interaction with an electronic device

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 device and method to detect a gesture performed by an object in touch-less communication with the device are described. The device includes two or more ambient light sensors arranged at respective first surface locations of the device, each of the two or more ambient light sensors sensing light intensity at the respective first surface location. The device also includes one or more processors to operate one or more light sources at respective second surface locations of the device based on the light intensity sensed by the two or more ambient light sensors, and detect the gesture based on the light intensity sensed by each of the two or more ambient light sensors.

Backlight for touchless gesture detection

A solar cell and a portable electronic device are provided. The solar cell includes a semiconductor material configured to absorb light for generating a current. The solar cell further includes a positive contact and a negative contact. In addition, the negative contact is configured to couple with an external interface. The portable electronic device includes an energy storage unit. The portable electronic device also includes a semiconductor material configured to absorb light for generating a current, a positive contact, and a negative contact. The negative contact of the portable electronic device is configured to couple with an external interface.

Solar cell and portable electronic device

A device and method to detect a gesture made by an object in touch-less communication with the device are described. The device includes two or more ambient light sensors arranged at respective surface locations of the device, each of the two or more ambient light sensors configured to measure light intensity at the respective surface location. The device also includes a processor configured to detect the gesture based on a comparison of the light intensity measured at each of the respective surface locations at two or more time instants or measurement cycles.

Gesture detection using ambient light sensors

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 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 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 includes a stylus housing that supports a control circuit. The control circuit is configured automatically compare data quality as corresponds to stylus location-determination information being provided by at least two different stylus-based candidate non-passive location modalities to thereby select a particular stylus-based non-passive location modality and to then use that particular stylus-based non-passive location modality when transmitting stylus location-determination information to a corresponding electronic device.

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Waterloo, Canada

Jacek S Idzik