Research in Motion Corporation

Blackberry Corporation

North Corporation

Michael Purdy

Marc Drader

Ken Wu

Marc A Drader

Michael Lorne Purdy

Robert James Lowles

Stefan Alexander

James Alexander Robinson

Vance R Morrison

Andrew Douglas Bocking

Jerry Mailloux

Bergen Albert Fletcher

Conrad Aleksander Kreek

Dale K Brubacher-Cressman

Eric Gary Malo

Bruce Edward Winter

Ahmed Hashi

Chao Chen

Lawrence Edward Kuhl

Keizo Marui

Colin Mark Werner

Ming Guo

Bruce Winter

Colin Werner

Christopeher Ying Wai Ho

Systems, devices, and methods for laser projectors with variable luminance that are well-suited for use in a wearable heads-up display ('WHUD') are described. Such laser projectors include a laser light source(s) and a scan mirror(s) to generate an image in the field of view of a user, and a liquid crystal element between the light source(s) and the scan mirror(s) to adjust the luminance of the image. The liquid crystal element is on an optical path between the laser light source(s) and the scan mirror and is communicatively coupled to a controller that modulates an opacity of the liquid crystal element. The opacity of the liquid crystal element determines the luminance of the image and may be altered in response to different factors, such as ambient light. Particular applications of the laser projector systems, devices, and methods in a wearable heads-up display are described.

Systems, devices, and methods for variable luminance in wearable heads-up displays

A method of determining user-selections from at least one touch at a touch-sensitive input surface of an electronic device includes determining a first user-selection based on touch attributes, detecting changes in the touch attributes including a change in size and a change in the location, and determining a second user-selection based on a direction of the change in location.

Electronic device including touch-sensitive input device and method of determining selection

A portable electronic device capable of assuming an open configuration and a closed configuration comprises a primary light sensor and a secondary light sensor. When the portable electronic device is in the open configuration, a light sensor signal is selected from the primary light sensor, and when the portable electronic device is in the closed configuration, a light sensor signal is selected from the secondary light sensor.

Dual light sensors on a portable electronic device

An improved handheld electronic device and camera apparatus upon which can be executed an improved method enable a modular camera to be used in conjunction with a flash. In one implementation, compensation parameters that are intended for use in a non-flash situation are overwritten with compensation parameters that are configured to compensate for the combined effects of the camera and the flash and are used by an embedded compensation routine executed on the camera. In another implementation, an image signal is processed by the embedded compensation routine using the original compensation parameters, but if it is determined that the image signal is a flash image signal, the image signal is further processed by the embedded compensation routine employing an additional set of parameters which compensate the image signal for the effect of the flash.

Handheld electronic device and camera providing flash compensation of images, and associated method

A method and an apparatus enabling use of a light source emitting a light of changing intensity and changing spectrum as a flash with a camera module having a white-balance routine and an exposure routine, wherein an initial value representative of a color spectrum emitted by the light source is transmitted to the camera module, the light source is turned on, and the camera module is signaled to scan a plurality of images of the scene while the light source is turned on, allowing the white-balance and exposure algorithms to be employed with each image scanned to refine the first initial value to refine the degree of compensation employed in correcting a color and a light level in the last one of the images of the plurality of images scanned.

Method and apparatus for controlling a camera module to compensate for the light level of a white LED

A method and an apparatus enabling use of a light source emitting a spectrum of light not following characteristics of a blackbody source of light with a camera module programmed for use with light sources following characteristics of blackbody sources of light, wherein a white-balance patch is transmitted to the camera module to cause the camera module to accept color coordinates representing a point on a chromaticity chart that partly defines a region of color coordinates on the chromaticity chart into which color coordinates of the light source fall and to which color coordinates of a reference white color derived by a white-balance routine of the camera module are constrained.

Method and apparatus for controlling a camera module to compensate for the color spectrum of a white LED

A method is set forth for automatically adjusting screen and keypad brightness on a mobile electronic device having a light sensor, display screen and keypad, for optimum legibility under varying lighting conditions, with minimal eye strain and distraction. The method includes obtaining light level samples from the light sensor, and independently adjusting backlight intensity of the display screen and keypad responsive to the light level samples. Preferably, correct screen and keypad adjustments are made responsive to pulling the handheld device out of its holster notwithstanding non-optimal ambient light detection while the device is being removed from the holster. According to another aspect, the described method allows for ambient light detection in a handheld device where the light sensor and a message notification indicator share a common light pipe.

Automatic screen and keypad brightness adjustment on a mobile handheld electronic device

A method and device are provided for preventing unintended activation of one or more hard keys on a mobile device. A capacitive sensor senses a capacitance level at a location on the keyboard, to detect whether a hard key is being actuated by a human hand or human skin. If the sensed capacitance level exceeds a key activation capacitance threshold, a key circuit connection is identified as being associated with an intended hard key activation. If the measured capacitance level is within an uncertainty tolerance below the key activation capacitance threshold, a secondary capacitance level is measured at a non-keyboard location. The key circuit connection is identified as being associated with an intended hard key activation when the measured secondary capacitance level exceeds a key activation confirmation threshold. Additional secondary indicators can be obtained based on size and shape capacitance pattern, timing information, and an active application or device state.

Detection of intended key activation on a mobile device

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Burlington, Canada

Ken Wu