Patents by Inventor Alexander Robinson

Alexander Robinson has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20140051481
    Abstract: A mobile wireless communications device includes a housing and circuit board carried by the housing and includes radio frequency (RF) circuitry and a processor carried by the circuit board and operative with each other. A display connector for an LCD connector is mounted on the circuit board and adapted to be connected to a display. Display connection lines are carried by the circuit board and interconnect the display connector and processor for carrying signals from the processor to the display connector and a connected display. Filters are carried by the circuit board and connected to the display connection lines and reduce any interfering energy from the processor and display.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2013
    Publication date: February 20, 2014
    Applicant: BLACKBERRY LIMITED
    Inventors: LIZHONG ZHU, MICHAEL STEPHEN CORRIGAN, PERRY JARMUSZEWSKI, LIVIU GEORGE, GEORGE SOLIMAN MANKARUSE, JAMES ALEXANDER ROBINSON, MARC A. DRADER
  • Publication number: 20140050516
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2012
    Publication date: February 20, 2014
    Applicant: RESEARCH IN MOTION LIMITED
    Inventors: Mihal LAZARIDIS, James Alexander ROBINSON, Amit Pal SINGH, Cornel MERCEA
  • Publication number: 20140049479
    Abstract: An electronic device, computer-readable medium and method provide for line smudging in electronic drawing. The electronic device has a touch sensitive display screen that is responsive to user touch and stylus input. A graphics module is operable to render a line on the touch sensitive display screen in response to motion of the stylus. If a trajectory of the touch input intersects with the line within a set time period after the line is rendered, the line is replaced by a representation of a smudged line. The electronic device may be controllable by instructions stored on a computer-readable medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2012
    Publication date: February 20, 2014
    Applicant: RESEARCH IN MOTION LIMITED
    Inventors: James Alexander ROBINSON, Amit Pal SINGH, Premal PAREKH
  • Publication number: 20140038524
    Abstract: A stylus includes a stylus housing that contains a location-beacon transmitter, a wireless receiver, and a control circuit that operably couples to the preceding. By one approach the control circuit is configured to use the location-beacon transmitter to transmit signals as a function of at least one signal received via the wireless receiver. The aforementioned wireless receiver can comprise a Bluetooth™-compatible wireless transceiver that pairs with the corresponding display-based device. The signal received via this wireless receiver can comprise transmission-synchronization information that represents a video-display event for the display-based device such as refreshing the display of the display-based device. In such a case, the signal can comprise a vertical synchronization pulse as sourced by the display-based device. So configured, the stylus can time the transmission of its location-beacon signals to arrive at the display-based device just prior to when the latter refreshes its display.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2012
    Publication date: February 6, 2014
    Applicant: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Amit Pal SINGH, James Alexander ROBINSON, Premal PAREKH
  • Publication number: 20140028563
    Abstract: A method includes displaying a selectable feature on a touch-sensitive display of an electronic device, detecting a touch at a location within a target area associated with the selectable feature, and adjusting the target area based on a contact area of the touch and a magnitude of at least one signal when the touch is detected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2012
    Publication date: January 30, 2014
    Applicant: RESEARCH IN MOTION LIMITED
    Inventors: Amit Pal SINGH, James Alexander Robinson, John Edward Dolson
  • Patent number: 8600451
    Abstract: A mobile wireless communications device includes a housing and circuit board carried by the housing and includes radio frequency (RF) circuitry and a processor carried by the circuit board and operative with each other. A display connector for an LCD connector is mounted on the circuit board and adapted to be connected to a display. Display connection lines are carried by the circuit board and interconnect the display connector and processor for carrying signals from the processor to the display connector and a connected display. Filters are carried by the circuit board and connected to the display connection lines and reduce any interfering energy from the processor and display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Lizhong Zhu, Michael Stephen Corrigan, Perry Jarmuszewski, Liviu George, George Soliman Mankaruse, James Alexander Robinson, Marc Drader
  • Publication number: 20130307787
    Abstract: A method includes detecting, by a touch-sensitive display of a first electronic device, presence of a touch-sensitive display of a second electronic device. A data signal is transmitted from the first electronic device to the second electronic device by applying a drive signal to drive lines of the touch-sensitive display of the first electronic device. The touch-sensitive display of the second electronic device may the received a signal associated with the applied drive signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2012
    Publication date: November 21, 2013
    Applicant: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: James Alexander Robinson, John Edward Dolson, William Turlay Stacy, Robert James Lowles
  • Publication number: 20130293484
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2012
    Publication date: November 7, 2013
    Applicant: RESEARCH IN MOTION LIMITED
    Inventors: Amit Pal SINGH, James Alexander ROBINSON, John Edward DOLSON, Jeffery John Paul DIPPEL, Michael Lorne PURDY
  • Patent number: 8570246
    Abstract: A system for operating a color flat panel display (FPD) is provided that includes a color FPD, a light source, and a display processing device. The color FPD has an adjustable color depth and is configured to reflect ambient light. The light source transmits light through the bottom surface of the color FPD. The display processing device is coupled to the color FPD and decreases the color depth of the color FPD when the light source is activated and increases the color depth of the color FPD when the light source is turned off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Robert J. Lowles, James Alexander Robinson
  • Publication number: 20130265239
    Abstract: A method includes detecting a touch on a touch-sensitive display of an electronic device, displaying information on the touch-sensitive display utilizing touch data of the detected touch, filtering the touch data to produce filtered data, and updating the information displayed based on the filtered data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2012
    Publication date: October 10, 2013
    Applicant: RESEARCH IN MOTION LIMITED
    Inventors: Premal PAREKH, Amit Pal Singh, James Alexander Robinson
  • Patent number: 8537311
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Bergen Albert Fletcher, Michael Lorne Purdy, Glover Ruiz Prieto, James Alexander Robinson
  • Patent number: 8508465
    Abstract: A method is set forth for automatically adjusting display brightness on a mobile electronic device having a light sensor, display screen and orientation sensor, for legibility under varying lighting conditions and orientations of the device. The method includes obtaining light level samples from the light sensor, and orientation from the orientation sensor, and adjusting backlight intensity of the display responsive to the light level samples and orientation of the device. Preferably, backlight adjustments are made from dim to bright notwithstanding orientation of the device whereas adjustments from bright to dim are made only for orientations of the device where the light sensor is unlikely to be covered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Antanas Matthew Broga, Bergen Albert Fletcher, James Alexander Robinson, Thomas James Crugnale
  • Publication number: 20130092838
    Abstract: An optical navigation device, such as an optical navigation joystick or mouse, includes an internal redirector which may be separate or formed from material of a touch surface of the optical device. The redirector is disposed at an angle with respect to a plane of the touch surface, operative to reflect light which would otherwise strike the touch surface at a low angle and be internally reflected. The light may be reflected in a direction away from a light sensor of the device, reducing sensed internally reflected light, or may be reflected into the touch surface at a higher angle, potentially increasing a quantity of good signal. The redirector may also include portions which block light directly emitted from a light emitter, or reflected off other surfaces of the navigation device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2011
    Publication date: April 18, 2013
    Applicant: RESEARCH IN MOTION LIMITED
    Inventors: Arnett Ryan WEBER, James Alexander ROBINSON, Robert James LOWLES, Derek Raymond SOLVEN, Kuo-Feng TONG, Yun Seok CHOI
  • Publication number: 20130069924
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2012
    Publication date: March 21, 2013
    Applicant: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: James Alexander ROBINSON, Michael Lorne PURDY, Antanas Matthew BROGA, Nikesh PARSOTAM
  • Publication number: 20120327014
    Abstract: A touch-sensitive display includes a display, a capacitive touch sensor disposed on the display, a cover spaced from the capacitive touch sensor, and a liquid disposed in a cavity between the capacitive touch sensor and the cover.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2011
    Publication date: December 27, 2012
    Applicant: RESEARCH IN MOTION LIMITED
    Inventors: John Edward DOLSON, James Alexander ROBINSON, Amit Pal SINGH, Christopher Ying Wai HO, Kevin Paul TIMMERMAN
  • Publication number: 20120325227
    Abstract: A vaporizer and method of vaporizing a botanical material is described. Embodiments of the apparatus include a self-contained, fully enclosed, battery operated vaporizer having an air inlet and a mouthpiece. The vaporizer includes a window for viewing a botanical material contained therein and a heating element that is also visible through the window and through an air inlet. The vaporizer also includes a push-button switch that rapidly provides power to heat air, which is then drawn through the botanical material by inhaling. Embodiments of the method include utilizing a push-button switch for heating vaporizer air and viewing the glow of the heating element as a signal that the vaporizer is ready for use.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2011
    Publication date: December 27, 2012
    Inventors: Alexander Robinson, Joseph Taylor, Mark Williams
  • Publication number: 20120292169
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2011
    Publication date: November 22, 2012
    Applicant: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Michael Lorne PURDY, Bergen Albert Fletcher, James Alexander Robinson
  • Publication number: 20120218314
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2011
    Publication date: August 30, 2012
    Applicant: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Michael Lorne Purdy, Bergen Albert Fletcher, James Alexander Robinson
  • Publication number: 20120105774
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2010
    Publication date: May 3, 2012
    Applicant: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Bergen Albert Fletcher, Michael Lorne Purdy, Glover Ruiz Prieto, James Alexander Robinson
  • Patent number: D664636
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Assignee: NWT Holdings, LLC.
    Inventors: Alexander Robinson, Joseph Taylor, Mark Williams