Patents by Inventor Donald Somerset McCulloch Mckenzie

Donald Somerset McCulloch Mckenzie 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: 9310889
    Abstract: A communication device includes a display with a layout including key locations with associated characters. The communication device detects an input gesture and determines one or more committed characters based at least in part on a change in the input gesture. The device presents one or more strings on the layout in association with key locations that are selected based at least in part on a relationship between each presented string and non-committed characters of each presented string.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Jason Tyler Griffin, Gil Pinheiro, Donald Somerset McCulloch McKenzie, Jerome Pasquero, David Ryan Walker
  • Patent number: 9261973
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for detecting a touch of a first key associated with a first character on the keyboard, detecting a touch of a second key corresponding to a second character on the keyboard, determining an order for previewing the first and second characters in response to the detecting, and previewing the first and second characters in the determined order in an information entry field of the electronic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Donald Somerset McCulloch McKenzie, Jerome Pasquero, Jason Tyler Griffin
  • Publication number: 20160041966
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are provided for improving word prediction candidate selection in an electronic device. Input of one or more characters is received via a capacitive physical keyboard. A word prediction process generates a set of word prediction candidates, determines a unique character in each word prediction candidate, and displays the word prediction candidates along with visual indicia to indicate the unique character. A second input is then received comprising a tap input of a single character on the keyboard. The electronic device determines whether the second input corresponds to a unique character associated with any of the word prediction candidates, and if so, displays the selected word in an input field on the display.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2015
    Publication date: February 11, 2016
    Applicant: BLACKBERRY LIMITED
    Inventors: Jerome Pasquero, Donald Somerset McCulloch Mckenzie, Jason Tyler Griffin
  • Patent number: 9239631
    Abstract: A method for processing input from a keyboard of a hand-held computing device includes receiving a plurality of key input events and, from the plurality of key input events, determining whether there is a double selection event corresponding to a specified key from the keyboard. Further, the method includes, when it is determined that there is the double selection event corresponding to the specified key, determining a key selection offset between a first and second key selection action of the double selection. The method also includes deciding whether the key selection offset is substantially equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold and, when it is decided that the key selection offset is substantially equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold, using at least a first key as key input of the double selection event. The first key and the specified key are different.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2016
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Jerome Pasquero, Donald Somerset McCulloch McKenzie, Jason Tyler Griffin
  • Publication number: 20150378552
    Abstract: A portable electronic device is provided. The portable electronic device includes a memory configured to store instructions, and a screen configured to display data. The portable electronic device also includes a keyboard including a plurality of physical keys configured to receive key inputs. Each of the physical keys is associated with inputting a primary character and a secondary character. The portable electronic device further includes a processor configured to execute the instructions to detect an input of a physical key, determine whether the input is a press input or a tap input, the press input being associated with inputting the primary character, and the tap input being associated with inputting the secondary character. The processor is further configured to execute the instructions to enable display on the screen of the secondary character associated with the physical key based on the determination that the input is a tap input.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2014
    Publication date: December 31, 2015
    Inventors: Jerome PASQUERO, Donald Somerset McCulloch MCKENZIE
  • Publication number: 20150378982
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method and apparatus for entering characters into an electronic device. Character inputs from a keyboard are displayed on a display of an electronic device and a set of suggested character sequences are also presented on the display in proximity to the displayed text. When a user digit position is sensed in a region of the keyboard, a suggested character sequence of the set of suggested character sequences that is associated with that region of the keyboard is visually indicated or highlighted. Responsive to a sensed motion gesture beginning at the sensed user digit position, the suggested character sequence indicated by the sensed user digit position is selected for input to the electronic device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2014
    Publication date: December 31, 2015
    Applicant: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Donald Somerset McCulloch MCKENZIE, Jerome PASQUERO, Jennifer Xin BIN
  • Patent number: 9208583
    Abstract: A device with enhanced augmented reality functionality and methods therefor, are provided. An identifier of an object is rendered, at a display of a device, at a first position associated with the object. An object tracked device is used to track the object. When the object moves, a processor of the device smoothly transitions the identifier from the first position to a second position at the display using animation, the second position associated with a new position of the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: BLACKBERRY LIMITED
    Inventors: Steven Henry Fyke, David Ryan Walker, Donald Somerset McCulloch McKenzie
  • Patent number: 9189157
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are provided for improving word prediction candidate selection in an electronic device. Input of one or more characters is received via a capacitive physical keyboard. A word prediction process generates a set of word prediction candidates, determines a unique character in each word prediction candidate, and displays the word prediction candidates along with visual indicia to indicate the unique character. A second input is then received comprising a tap input of a single character on the keyboard. The electronic device determines whether the second input corresponds to a unique character associated with any of the word prediction candidates, and if so, displays the selected word in an input field on the display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Jerome Pasquero, Donald Somerset McCulloch McKenzie, Jason Tyler Griffin
  • Patent number: 9152323
    Abstract: A virtual keyboard providing an indication of received input and method of controlling the same is provided. The method comprises receiving an input of a character from a virtual keyboard displayed on a display, and highlighting a key in the virtual keyboard which corresponds to the input character when the input character belongs to a current set of characters which is incomplete.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Jason Tyler Griffin, Jerome Pasquero, Donald Somerset McCulloch Mckenzie
  • Publication number: 20150271444
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method is performed by a communications device having a processor operatively coupled to a memory and a data transceiver for transmitting and receiving video data of a video call between a user of the device and one or more other parties to the call. The method entails receiving and displaying video images of the one or more other parties within a main video window on a display of the device, identifying one or more faces in the video images, determining a minimally obscuring position for a picture-in-picture (PIP) window that minimally obscures the one or more faces of the other parties, capturing video of the user with a camera on the device, and displaying a PIP window from the video of the user in the minimally obscuring position within the main video window.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2014
    Publication date: September 24, 2015
    Applicant: BLACKBERRY LIMITED
    Inventors: Michael Joseph DEFAZIO, Donald Somerset McCulloch MCKENZIE
  • Patent number: 9134810
    Abstract: A method including receiving an input of a character from a virtual keyboard displayed on a display, generating one or more sets of predicted input characters based on the input character, wherein each set of predicted input characters corresponds to a subsequent candidate input character, and displaying a visual indication of at least some of the one or more sets of predicted input characters, wherein the visual indication is displayed at keys of the virtual keyboard associated with subsequent candidate input characters corresponding to the sets of predicted input characters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Jason Tyler Griffin, Jerome Pasquero, Donald Somerset McCulloch Mckenzie
  • Publication number: 20150253894
    Abstract: A portable electronic device is provided. The portable electronic device includes a memory storing instructions. The portable electronic device also includes a processor executing the instructions to perform a plurality of operations. The operations may include detecting a key pressing action associated with a component of the portable electronic device. The operations may also include determining that the key pressing action reflects a request to activate the portable electronic device based on a measurement of an area associated with the key pressing action being less than or equal to a predetermined threshold area measurement. The operations may further include activating the portable electronic device based on the determination.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2014
    Publication date: September 10, 2015
    Applicant: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Donald Somerset McCulloch Mckenzie, Michael Joseph Defazio, Joseph Michael Hofer
  • Patent number: 9128921
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a touchscreen keyboard with corrective word prediction. A method for correcting text input on an electronic device is described. The method comprises: displaying a virtual keyboard on a touchscreen, the virtual keyboard including a plurality of keys; receiving input from the virtual keyboard; generating one or more predicted sets of characters in accordance with the received input; and displaying a predicted set of characters at a designated location when the received input does not match one of the predicted sets of characters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Jason Tyler Griffin, Alistair Robert Hamilton, Donald Somerset McCulloch McKenzie, Jerome Pasquero
  • Patent number: 9063653
    Abstract: A method that includes receiving an input string, ranking, by the processor, a predicted string associated with the input string, wherein the ranking depends on whether the input string is a substring of the predicted string and at least on one of a typing speed and a typing confidence, and displaying the ranked predicted string.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Jerome Pasquero, Jason Tyler Griffin, Donald Somerset McCulloch McKenzie
  • Patent number: 8995948
    Abstract: A location-based call forwarding method comprises, in response to determining that an intended call recipient is unavailable to receive a call from a caller, identifying an alternate call recipient located within a predetermined proximity of a current location of the intended call recipient, and forwarding the call to the alternate call recipient. The alternate call recipient may be identified by determining a person with whom the intended recipient is meeting or an establishment where the intended recipient is situated. This information may be extracted from various sources such as a calendar, social network site, or device-generated location data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: David Ryan Walker, Jerome Pasquero, Donald Somerset McCulloch McKenzie
  • Publication number: 20150066368
    Abstract: A video route-previewing system includes a route-previewing device for receiving input defining a starting point and a destination point and for identifying a route based on the starting point and the destination point. A preview-generating device receives the route from the route-previewing device and generates an image request for the route. A street-level imagery server receives the image request from the preview-generating device and communicates imagery of the route to the preview-generating device in response to the image request. The preview-generating device generates a time-compressed nonlinear route preview from the imagery of the route and communicates the preview to the route-previewing device. The route-previewing device displays the preview video of the route. The preview video may time-compress segments without navigational decision points and present in slow-motion segments around navigational decision points.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2013
    Publication date: March 5, 2015
    Applicant: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Donald Somerset McCulloch MCKENZIE, David Ryan WALKER
  • Publication number: 20140373115
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for operating an electronic device, the method comprising storing data related to at least one selected language used during password creation. At password entry prompt, the stored data related to the at least one selected language may be used to select a character mapping based on the stored data related to the at least one selected language, and the character mapping may be applied to the keyboard so that a password may be entered using that character mapping.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2013
    Publication date: December 18, 2014
    Inventors: Robert Arthur HARTMAN, Rahul PATWA, Donald Somerset McCulloch MCKENZIE
  • Publication number: 20140361993
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for detecting a touch of a first key associated with a first character on the keyboard, detecting a touch of a second key corresponding to a second character on the keyboard, determining an order for previewing the first and second characters in response to the detecting, and previewing the first and second characters in the determined order in an information entry field of the electronic device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2013
    Publication date: December 11, 2014
    Inventors: Donald Somerset McCulloch MCKENZIE, Jerome PASQUERO, Jason Tyler GRIFFIN
  • Publication number: 20140267056
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are provided for improving word prediction in an electronic device. User input of one or more characters is received via a capacitive physical keyboard having a plurality of input members. Concurrently, the device determines the location of a non-typing digit, such as the user's finger or a stylus. Word prediction candidates are generated and weighted, and candidates that have subsequent characters associated with the input member proximal to the location of the non-typing digit are given more weight. The word prediction candidates are displayed, a second user input is then received comprising a selection of one of the candidates, and the device displays the selected word prediction candidate on the display.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Inventors: Jerome PASQUERO, Donald Somerset McCulloch MCKENZIE
  • Publication number: 20140282203
    Abstract: A method for an electronic device having a display, including, displaying, on the display, a first virtual keyboard including a set of keys, wherein each key of the set of keys is associated with one or more characters, receiving an input reflecting selection of one or more keys of the set of keys, determining, based on the selection, one or more subsequent candidate input characters and one or more word predictions corresponding to the one or more subsequent candidate input characters, displaying, on the display, a second virtual keyboard including a second set of keys, wherein the second set of keys comprises one or more keys associated with the one or more word predictions positioned based, at least in part, on the one or more subsequent candidate input characters. An electronic device including a display, a memory, and a processor, the processor being configured to execute the method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: RESEARCH IN MOTION LIMITED
    Inventors: Jerome PASQUERO, Donald Somerset McCulloch MCKENZIE, Jason Tyler GRIFFIN