Research in Motion Corporation

Blackberry Corporation

Michael Purdy

Marc Drader

Ken Wu

Michael Lorne Purdy

Marc A Drader

James Alexander Robinson

Ryan Mitchell Bayne

Bergen Albert Fletcher

Hsin Chin Lee

Choongho Lee

Roman Peter Rak

Robert James Lowles

David James Mak-Fan

Antanas Matthew Broga

Amit Pal Singh

Conrad Aleksander Kreek

John Edward Dolson

Steven Russell Green

Alexander Bersenev

Edward Hui

Jeffery John Paul Dippel

Glover Ruiz Prieto

Andrew Dewi Williams

Nikesh Parsotam

Ryan Gibson

A backlight module for illuminating a display or keypad is described. The backlight module may be provided in an electronic device along with a light source. In one embodiment, the backlight module comprises: a light diffuser; a light guide located directly below the light diffuser; a prism structure located directly below the light guide, the prism structure having a plurality of prisms extending towards the light guide, wherein an air gap is defined between the prism structure and the light guide; and a reflector located directly below the prism structure.

Backlight module having a prism structure

A method includes applying a first plurality of pulses to scanning electrodes during a first scan to detect touches on a touch-sensitive display, receiving an indication to scan in a reduced power condition, and when in the reduced power condition, applying a second plurality of pulses to scanning electrodes during a second scan to detect touches on the touch-sensitive display, wherein the second plurality of pulses comprises fewer pulses than the first plurality of pulses.

Electronic device and method of detecting touches on a touch-sensitive display

An improved mobile electronic device and camera provide an improved auto white balance system where constraints can be imposed the correlated color temperature (CCT) that is employed by the auto white balance system. For instance, if a distance between a subject and the camera is determined to exceed a threshold for closeness, the CCT can be constrained so that it is above a preset CCT that corresponds with sunrise or sunset. Other distance thresholds and the content of an image, as well as the brightness of the image, can be further employed in determining the CCT to employ.

Mobile electronic device having camera with improved auto white balance

A backlight module for illuminating a display is described. The backlight module may be provided in an electronic device along with a light source for illuminating an LCD display. The backlight module includes a diffuser, a light guide having a top surface and a bottom surface, a reflector, and a prism structure positioned between the light guide bottom surface and the reflector. The prism structure has a plurality of prisms extending towards the light guide. The prism structure may include a film or a top portion of the reflector having a plurality of prisms extending towards the light guide.

Backlight module having a prisim reflector

Various embodiments include devices, methods, circuits, data structures, and software that allow for rapid variation in the luminance of an OLED display panel. An OLED display driver circuit can include a first input, a second input, and a scaling circuit. The first input is to receive a scaling factor. The second input is to receive an image input signal including a digital representation of a desired output for a pixel. The scaling circuit is to multiply a pixel-level output voltage associated with the desired output for the pixel by the scaling factor.

Method and system to quickly fade the luminance of an OLED display

Applying quantum dots to surface features of an electronic device to augment or replace reflective and transmissive features. Applying quantum dots can yield more efficient illumination of those features and can permit use of diverse internal light sources to cause those features to emit any color of visible light. An electronic device, keyboard for same and method of applying features to areas of the exterior surface of an electronic device are provided. Quantum dots are applied to an area of the exterior surface that is illuminated by the device's internal light source. The quantum dots absorb incident light then emit predetermined longer wavelength light. The interior light may be a UV light, high energy light emitting diode, or back light. The quantum dots can be applied to exterior surfaces, buttons or key on electronic devices, mobile devices, and keyboards for mobile devices.

Quantum dots in electronic device exterior surface

A method and apparatus providing an autofocus routine in a camera apparatus having a processor is disclosed. The camera apparatus is adapted to detect a number of images and communicate image signals representative thereof to the processor. The method includes determining that a degree of change between a first image signal and a second image signal is below a predetermined threshold and responsive thereto, performing the autofocus routine.

Method and apparatus for reducing continuous autofocus power consumption

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 handheld communications device and method for transmitting an encryption key are provided. The method comprises: generating an encryption key via the data processor, the encryption key comprising a bit sequence; and varying an output of the display device over a period of time to transmit the encryption key from the handheld communications device by varying at least one of a sequence at least one of colour rendered on the display device or a sequence of brightness levels output by the display device.

Secure data transfer on a handheld communications device

A handheld communications device for transmitting an encryption key is provided. The device comprises a display device, and a data processor. The data processor of the handheld communications device is in communication with the display device. The data processor is configured to generate an encryption key, and to vary a visual output of the display device over time in accordance with a bit sequence of the encryption key. The varying visual output comprises a sequence of colors and/or brightness levels output by the display device.

A method and an apparatus providing a visual indication of the occurrence of video recording operations on an electronic device. The video recording operations including recording a plurality of frames according to a number of characteristics. The method comprising providing a time interval between the recording of two consecutive frames by modifying at least one of the characteristics of the video recording operations and providing the visual indication of video recording operations during the time interval.

Apparatus and method for utilizing a flash LED as a video indicator light

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 battery charger may include a charger connector to be coupled to a corresponding device connector of a portable device including a rechargeable battery. The battery charger may also include a charging circuit connected to the charger connector, and a controller connected to the charger connector and the charging circuit. The controller may be for causing a portable device connected to the charger connector to identify its corresponding portable device type and its corresponding rechargeable battery type from among a plurality of different portable device types and different battery types, and for causing the charging circuit to charge the rechargeable battery based thereon.

Battery charger for portable devices and related methods

Various embodiments include devices and methods that allow a display device to, among other things, substantially match reflected color or luminance, or both, between a lens border and an active area of the display device. In one embodiment, a circular polarizer located external to a display area of the device is used. In one embodiment an additional quarter wave retarder located external to the display area is used.

Growing community of inventors

Kitchener, Canada

Michael Lorne Purdy