Patents by Inventor Christopher James Grant

Christopher James Grant 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).

  • Patent number: 9664539
    Abstract: Methods and devices for determining a timestamp that represents a time a sensor sample was generated are described. In one aspect, a method includes: obtaining a sampling rate estimate for the sensor; determining an expected sample time based on the sampling rate estimate; detecting a sensor sample and assigning a reporting time to the detected sensor sample, the reporting time representing the time when the sensor sample was detected; and determining the timestamp for the sensor sample based on the expected sample time and the reporting time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Christopher James Grant, Robert George Oliver, Nathan Daniel Pozniak Buchanan
  • Patent number: 9354080
    Abstract: In one aspect, the present disclosure provides a processor-implemented method of determining a bias for an axis of a gyroscope. The method includes: obtaining a temperature reading; maintaining a plurality of bias estimators for the axis, each bias estimator associated with a temperature and configured to estimate a bias at the associated temperature, the plurality of bias estimators including a number of short term bias estimators for estimating biases for recently obtained temperatures and a number of long term bias estimators for estimating biases for temperatures obtained over a comparatively longer period of time; and determining a bias for the axis of the gyroscope based on the temperature reading and one or more of the bias estimators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: BLACKBERRY LIMITED
    Inventors: Nathan Daniel Pozniak Buchanan, Robert George Oliver, Christopher James Grant
  • Patent number: 9021709
    Abstract: A method of indicating an interference magnetic field at an electronic device includes: displaying a first arrow indicating a direction of magnetic north on a display of the electronic device, the direction of the first arrow corrected to remove interference caused by an interference magnetic field; and displaying a second arrow indicating a direction of a source of the interference magnetic field on a display of the electronic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: Blackberry Limited
    Inventors: Robert George Oliver, Adam Louis Parco, Christopher James Grant
  • Patent number: 8970507
    Abstract: Methods of waking a portable electronic device are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method comprises: causing the portable electronic device to enter a sleep mode in which a touch-sensitive display is deactivated a force sensing transducer measures forces applied to the touch-sensitive display at a reduced rate relative to a rate of a full power mode when in the sleep mode; causing a force sensing transducer to measure forces applied to the touch-sensitive display at the rate of the full power mode in response to detection of an inertial event; causing the touch-sensitive display to be reactivated in response to detection of a force which is greater than a predetermined wake force threshold; and causing the portable electronic device to wake in response to detection of a touch event within a first predetermined duration of the detection of the force which is greater than a predetermined wake force threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Marc Edward Holbein, Kevin Howard Orr, Aleksandar Sasha Papo, Adam Louis Parco, Christopher James Grant
  • Publication number: 20140156227
    Abstract: Methods and devices for determining a timestamp that represents a time a sensor sample was generated are described. In one aspect, a method includes: obtaining a sampling rate estimate for the sensor; determining an expected sample time based on the sampling rate estimate; detecting a sensor sample and assigning a reporting time to the detected sensor sample, the reporting time representing the time when the sensor sample was detected; and determining the timestamp for the sensor sample based on the expected sample time and the reporting time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2012
    Publication date: June 5, 2014
    Applicant: RESEARCH IN MOTION LIMITED
    Inventors: Christopher James GRANT, Robert George OLIVER, Nathan Daniel Pozniak BUCHANAN
  • Publication number: 20140130361
    Abstract: A method of indicating an interference magnetic field at an electronic device includes: displaying a first arrow indicating a direction of magnetic north on a display of the electronic device, the direction of the first arrow corrected to remove interference caused by an interference magnetic field; and displaying a second arrow indicating a direction of a source of the interference magnetic field on a display of the electronic device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2012
    Publication date: May 15, 2014
    Applicant: RESEARCH IN MOTION LIMITED
    Inventors: Robert George OLIVER, Adam Louis PARCO, Christopher James GRANT
  • Patent number: 8692694
    Abstract: A method of detecting and recovering from stuck keys on an electronic device keyboard comprises receiving one or more messages by a processor based upon a predetermined periodic scan rate and each message corresponding to a pressed key, determining one of the pressed keys is a stuck key based upon the received one or more messages corresponding to a pressed key, sending a mock key-up message from the processor to a keyboard controller in response to the determined stuck key, operating the keyboard controller at a changed scan rate in response to the mock key-up message, detecting the electronic device keyboard is in a released key state by the processor; and operating the keyboard controller at the predetermined periodic scan rate in response to the detected released key state. The processor can include two components, such as a keyboard processor and a keyboard controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Conor O'Neill, Christopher James Grant
  • Publication number: 20140058685
    Abstract: In one aspect, the present disclosure provides a processor-implemented method of determining a bias for an axis of a gyroscope. The method includes: obtaining a temperature reading; maintaining a plurality of bias estimators for the axis, each bias estimator associated with a temperature and configured to estimate a bias at the associated temperature, the plurality of bias estimators including a number of short term bias estimators for estimating biases for recently obtained temperatures and a number of long term bias estimators for estimating biases for temperatures obtained over a comparatively longer period of time; and determining a bias for the axis of the gyroscope based on the temperature reading and one or more of the bias estimators.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2012
    Publication date: February 27, 2014
    Applicant: RESEARCH IN MOTION LIMITED
    Inventors: Nathan Daniel Pozniak BUCHANAN, Robert George OLIVER, Christopher James GRANT
  • Patent number: 8451255
    Abstract: A method includes detecting, at a first time, a first touch associated with a first touch value that meets one of a first touch threshold and a second touch threshold, detecting, at a second time, a second touch associated with a second touch value that meets one of the first touch threshold and the second touch threshold, providing first tactile feedback at the first time, and providing second tactile feedback at the second time when the time period between the first time and the second time meets a time threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Inventors: Arnett Ryan Weber, Kuo-Feng Tong, Christopher James Grant, Katarina Pavlikova, Yingying Lu
  • Patent number: 8159392
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for estimating oscillator signal variation due to temperature and for providing an estimated frequency to a GPS receiver in order to assist the GPS receiver to acquire the signals quickly is disclosed. A temperature sensor is closely thermally coupled with the crystal oscillator in the GPS receiver and during GPS tracking mode, when the error in the oscillator signal is known with precision, outer bounds of TCXO frequency at given temperatures are maintained, which may correspond to rising and falling temperature conditions. During acquisition mode, an estimated frequency value is provided to the GPS receiver based on a determined average of these bounds. Optionally, an uncertainty factor associated with the frequency estimated may also be provided. The two bounds take into account the hysteresis effects of the oscillator signal drift due to temperature so that a more accurate initial frequency estimate can be provided to the GPS receiver, thus reducing its average time to first fix.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Xin Jin, Christopher James Grant, Andrew Jonathan Gilbert Rosselet
  • Publication number: 20110279380
    Abstract: A method includes detecting, at a first time, a first touch associated with a first touch value that meets one of a first touch threshold and a second touch threshold, detecting, at a second time, a second touch associated with a second touch value that meets one of the first touch threshold and the second touch threshold, providing first tactile feedback at the first time, and providing second tactile feedback at the second time when the time period between the first time and the second time meets a time threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2010
    Publication date: November 17, 2011
    Applicant: RESEARCH IN MOTION LIMITED
    Inventors: Arnett Ryan Weber, Kuo-Feng Tong, Christopher James Grant, Katarina Pavlikova, Yingying Lu
  • Publication number: 20110248839
    Abstract: A method includes detecting a touch at a touch location on a touch-sensitive display of an electronic device, identifying a first threshold value associated with the touch location, comparing the first threshold value to a force value related to the touch, and providing a first tactile feedback in response to determining that the force value meets the first threshold value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2010
    Publication date: October 13, 2011
    Applicant: RESEARCH IN MOTION LIMITED
    Inventors: Jordanna KWOK, Christopher James GRANT, Kuo-Feng TONG
  • Publication number: 20110248931
    Abstract: An electronic device includes a touch-sensitive display, an actuator configured to impart a force on the touch-sensitive display to provide tactile feedback, and a controller configured to detect a touch based on input from the touch-sensitive display and to initiate the tactile feedback by the actuator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2010
    Publication date: October 13, 2011
    Applicant: RESEARCH IN MOTION LIMITED
    Inventors: Alon SHENFIELD, Kuo-Feng TONG, Christopher James GRANT, Arnett Ryan WEBER
  • Publication number: 20110248930
    Abstract: A method includes detecting a touch at a touch location on a touch-sensitive display of an electronic device, identifying a first tactile feedback associated with the touch location, and providing the first tactile feedback in response to determining that a force value related to the touch meets a first threshold value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2010
    Publication date: October 13, 2011
    Applicant: RESEARCH IN MOTION LIMITED
    Inventors: Jordanna KWOK, Christopher James GRANT
  • Publication number: 20110205113
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for estimating oscillator signal variation due to temperature and for providing an estimated frequency to a GPS receiver in order to assist the GPS receiver to acquire the signals quickly is disclosed. A temperature sensor is closely thermally coupled with the crystal oscillator in the GPS receiver and during GPS tracking mode, when the error in the oscillator signal is known with precision, outer bounds of TCXO frequency at given temperatures are maintained, which may correspond to rising and falling temperature conditions. During acquisition mode, an estimated frequency value is provided to the GPS receiver based on a determined average of these bounds. Optionally, an uncertainty factor associated with the frequency estimated may also be provided. The two bounds take into account the hysteresis effects of the oscillator signal drift due to temperature so that a more accurate initial frequency estimate can be provided to the GPS receiver, thus reducing its average time to first fix.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2011
    Publication date: August 25, 2011
    Applicant: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Xin Jin, Christopher James Grant, Andrew Jonathan Gilbert Rosselet
  • Publication number: 20110148608
    Abstract: A method includes generating an actuation signal for tactile feedback, wherein the tactile feedback comprises a ramp-up segment that comprises at least one ramp-up characteristic that changes during the ramp-up segment and providing tactile feedback to a display in response to the actuation signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2009
    Publication date: June 23, 2011
    Applicant: RESEARCH IN MOTION LIMITED
    Inventors: Christopher James Grant, Arnett Ryan Weber
  • Patent number: 7956804
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for estimating oscillator signal variation due to temperature and for providing an estimated frequency to a GPS receiver in order to assist the GPS receiver to acquire the signals quickly is disclosed. A temperature sensor is closely thermally coupled with the crystal oscillator in the GPS receiver and during GPS tracking mode, when the error in the oscillator signal is known with precision, outer bounds of TCXO frequency at given temperatures are maintained, which may correspond to rising and falling temperature conditions. During acquisition mode, an estimated frequency value is provided to the GPS receiver based on a determined average of these bounds. Optionally, an uncertainty factor associated with the frequency estimated may also be provided. The two bounds take into account the hysteresis effects of the oscillator signal drift due to temperature so that a more accurate initial frequency estimate can be provided to the GPS receiver, thus reducing its average time to first fix.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: Research in Motion Limited
    Inventors: Xin Jin, Christopher James Grant, Andrew Jonathan Gilbert Rosselet
  • Publication number: 20110080349
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method of waking a portable electronic device and a portable electronic device configured to perform the same.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2009
    Publication date: April 7, 2011
    Applicant: RESEARCH IN MOTION LIMITED
    Inventors: Marc Edward HOLBEIN, Kevin Howard ORR, Aleksandar Sasha PAPO, Adam Louis PARCO, Christopher James GRANT
  • Publication number: 20100328111
    Abstract: A method of detecting and recovering from stuck keys on an electronic device keyboard comprises receiving one or more messages by a processor based upon a predetermined periodic scan rate and each message corresponding to a pressed key, determining one of the pressed keys is a stuck key based upon the received one or more messages corresponding to a pressed key, sending a mock key-up message from the processor to a keyboard controller in response to the determined stuck key, operating the keyboard controller at a changed scan rate in response to the mock key-up message, detecting the electronic device keyboard is in a released key state by the processor; and operating the keyboard controller at the predetermined periodic scan rate in response to the detected released key state. The processor can include two components, such as a keyboard processor and a keyboard controller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2009
    Publication date: December 30, 2010
    Applicant: Research in Motion Limited
    Inventors: Conor O'Neill, Christopher James Grant
  • Patent number: D1035472
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2024
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Wen-Yo Lu, Alexsandra M. Bowers, Stephen James Grant, Christopher Loew, Vinay Sao, James Siminoff, Yen-Chi Tsai