Abstract: A method and system to control an alarm application being executed by a device using a touch-less gesture are described. The system includes two or more ambient light sensors arranged at respective surface locations on a same side of a device, each of the two or more ambient light sensors measuring light intensity at the respective surface location. The system also includes a processor to detect a gesture as a detected gesture based on the light intensity measured by the ambient light sensors and output a control signal to the alarm application based on the detected gesture, wherein at least one other gesture also corresponds with the control signal.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: A device and method to use a password by touch-less gesture 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 light intensity at the respective surface location. The device also includes a first processor to execute a password application on the device, and a second processor to detect two or more gestures performed by an object in touch-less communication with the device and define or verify a password based on the two or more gestures.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: A mobile computing device may include a biometric sensor in proximity with a color-controlled layer. Where the color of the color-controlled layer may be changed, a processor of the mobile computing device may control the color of the color-controlled layer responsive to sensing various conditions. For example, the color of the color-controlled layer may be controlled, by default, to match the housing of the mobile computing device. Responsive to sensing an approaching user finger, the color-controlled layer may be controlled to change color. The color-controlled layer may be controlled to change color again upon contact of the finger, upon removal of the finger and upon determining authentication success. The color-controlled layer may be structured as a mix of heating elements and thermochromic polymer elements.

Abstract: 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 control 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, calibrate the two or more ambient light sensors based on the one or more light sources, and detect the gesture based on the light intensity sensed by each of the two or more ambient light sensors.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method entails capturing a digital fingerprint of a finger using a fingerprint-capturing device, collecting pressure measurements using pressure sensors associated with the fingerprint-capturing device as the finger contacts the fingerprint-capturing device, determining a finger-sensor contact direction from the pressure measurements and storing the finger-sensor contact direction in association with the digital fingerprint for subsequent biometric authentication.

Abstract: An electronic device, method and interface for the device, for performing an action with a processor through a three-dimensional desktop environment is disclosed. A three-dimensional desktop environment is generated by a display and projected into a real space. At least one ultrasonic transducer propagates an ultrasonic pulse into the real space and receives a reflection of the ultrasonic pulse from a user object in the real space. A user action of the user object within the three-dimensional desktop environment is determined using the reflection of the ultrasonic pulse. The processor performs the action based on the determined user action.

Abstract: A mobile communication device and method of communication is disclosed. A communication signal having a message class is received at the mobile communication device conveyed by a vehicle. A message class of the received communication at the mobile communication device is obtained. A station of motion of the vehicle is determined at the mobile communication device. The message class and the determined state of motion is used to select an action to relay the communication to a driver of the vehicle.

Abstract: A device and method to detect a gesture made by an object in touch-less communication with the device are described. The device includes a collection engine to collect light intensity measurements of light intensity at two or more measurement cycles from two or more ambient light sensors arranged at respective surface locations of the device. The device also includes a processor to identify the gesture based on the light intensity measurements at each of the two or more ambient light sensors at two or more of the two or more measurement cycles, and a memory device to store a gesture library that associates the gesture with an output signal.

Abstract: A function of an electronic device is selected by detecting a resonant frequency generated by a tapping on a selection region of a device housing. The function of the device is selected based on the detected resonant frequency.

Abstract: A device for detecting a carrying case using orientation signatures, and method therefor, is provided. The device includes: at least one orientation sensor; a memory storing one or more carrying-case insertion signatures; and, a processor configured to: receive output from the at least one orientation sensor as a function of time; and place the device in a carrying case mode when a time-dependent pattern in the output matches the one or more carrying-case insertion signatures.

Abstract: An electronic watch is provided in which multiple features of the watch with each other in at least one other display thereof such that the features are integrated with the module, band, and/or clasp.

Abstract: Method, system and apparatus for cooling a mobile device is provided. The device comprises: a housing comprising one or more apertures; a heat producing device; a cooling apparatus adjacent the heat producing device, the cooling apparatus comprising: an inlet; an outlet; and, a thermal pump configured to: draw air from the inlet to the heat producing device to form heated air, and exhaust the heated air from the outlet; and, one or more carbon nanotubes, a respective entrance of each of the one or more carbon nanotubes located at the outlet of the cooling apparatus, and a respective exit of each of the one or more carbon nanotubes terminating at a respective aperture of the one or more apertures, so that the heated air is vented through the one or more apertures.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: Systems and methods of adjusting camera image data include receiving image data from a visible light camera module are described. A quality factor of the image data can be determined based on at least one predetermined characteristic. The quality factor can be compared to a predetermined threshold. Image data from a non-visible light camera module can be requested when the quality factor is below the predetermined threshold. Image data from the non-visible light camera module can be received in response to the request. The received image data from the visible light camera module can be augmented with the received image data from the non-visible light camera module to form hybrid image data. The image sensor can be adjusted based on a quality factor of the hybrid image such that the visible light camera captures a subsequent image having a quality factor that meets or is greater than the predetermined threshold.

Abstract: A mobile computing device may include a biometric sensor in proximity with a color-controlled layer. Where the color of the color-controlled layer may be changed, a processor of the mobile computing device may control the color of the color-controlled layer responsive to sensing various conditions. For example, the color of the color-controlled layer may be controlled, by default, to match the housing of the mobile computing device. Responsive to sensing an approaching user finger, the color-controlled layer may be controlled to change color. The color-controlled layer may be controlled to change color again upon contact of the finger, upon removal of the finger and upon determining authentication success. The color-controlled layer may be structured as a mix of heating elements and thermochromic polymer elements.

Abstract: A mobile computing device including a biometric scanning interface that changes color in response to a predetermined condition. The biometric scanning interface comprises a layer of heat-sensing elements and a multi-element layer comprising heating elements and thermochromic polymer elements. When the predetermined condition is detected, a driver is adapted to control the thermochromic layer to change color.