Patents by Inventor Robert James Lowles

Robert James Lowles 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: 12493354
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes a method for conserving power on a portable electronic device and a portable electronic device configured for the same. In accordance with one embodiment, there is provided a method for conserving power comprising: switching a portable electronic device to a low power mode in response to a trigger condition; and switching the portable electronic device from the low power mode to a full power mode on the portable electronic device in response to detection of a designated wake-up gesture on a touch-sensitive overlay of the portable electronic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2025
    Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited
    Inventors: Mihal Lazaridis, Robert James Lowles, Donald James Lindsay, John Edward Dolson, Danny Thomas Dodge
  • Publication number: 20230168747
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes a method for conserving power on a portable electronic device and a portable electronic device configured for the same. In accordance with one embodiment, there is provided a method for conserving power comprising: switching a portable electronic device to a low power mode in response to a trigger condition; and switching the portable electronic device from the low power mode to a full power mode on the portable electronic device in response to detection of a designated wake-up gesture on a touch-sensitive overlay of the portable electronic device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2023
    Publication date: June 1, 2023
    Applicant: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Mihal Lazaridis, Robert James Lowles, Donald James Lindsay, John Edward Dolson, Danny Thomas Dodge
  • Patent number: 11567582
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes a method for conserving power on a portable electronic device and a portable electronic device configured for the same. In accordance with one embodiment, there is provided a method for conserving power comprising: switching a portable electronic device to a low power mode in response to a trigger condition; and switching the portable electronic device from the low power mode to a full power mode on the portable electronic device in response to detection of a designated wake-up gesture on a touch-sensitive overlay of the portable electronic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Mihal Lazaridis, Robert James Lowles, Donald James Lindsay, John Edward Dolson, Danny Thomas Dodge
  • Publication number: 20210318758
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes a method for conserving power on a portable electronic device and a portable electronic device configured for the same. In accordance with one embodiment, there is provided a method for conserving power comprising: switching a portable electronic device to a low power mode in response to a trigger condition; and switching the portable electronic device from the low power mode to a full power mode on the portable electronic device in response to detection of a designated wake-up gesture on a touch-sensitive overlay of the portable electronic device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2021
    Publication date: October 14, 2021
    Inventors: Mihal Lazaridis, Robert James Lowles, Donald James Lindsay, John Edward Dolson, Danny Thomas Dodge
  • Patent number: 9977944
    Abstract: A photography subsystem is configured to be operated in fingerprint scanning mode and a normal mode. An autofocus module may be initialized to control a lens with an initial focal length set according to received instructions indicating one of the modes of operation. An image signal processor associated with the photography subsystem may process images received from the photography subsystem and, if necessary, process the images to form a candidate digital fingerprint for use in an authentication process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Colin Shiva Ramrattan, Robert James Lowles, Graham Charles Townsend
  • Publication number: 20160364594
    Abstract: A photography subsystem is configured to be operated in fingerprint scanning mode and a normal mode. An autofocus module may be initialized to control a lens with an initial focal length set according to received instructions indicating one of the modes of operation. An image signal processor associated with the photography subsystem may process images received from the photography subsystem and, if necessary, process the images to form a candidate digital fingerprint for use in an authentication process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2016
    Publication date: December 15, 2016
    Inventors: Colin Shiva RAMRATTAN, Robert James LOWLES, Graham Charles TOWNSEND
  • Patent number: 9471826
    Abstract: A photography subsystem is configured to be operated in fingerprint scanning mode and a normal mode. An autofocus module may be initialized to control a lens with an initial focal length set according to received instructions indicating one of the modes of operation. An image signal processor associated with the photography subsystem may process images received from the photography subsystem and, if necessary, process the images to form a candidate digital fingerprint for use in an authentication process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Colin Shiva Ramrattan, Robert James Lowles, Graham Charles Townsend
  • Patent number: 9274601
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a system for providing feedback signals to input signals provided to an electronic device is provided. The system comprises: a display; an input device; an input module to detect activation of the input device; and a input module to generate a feedback signal for the electronic device based on signals from the input module. In system, the input device is a transducer. The transducer may be a piezoelectric element and the input module may cause the transducer to vibrate upon receiving an activation signal from the input module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Perry Allan Faubert, Robert James Lowles, Edward Hui
  • Patent number: 8982063
    Abstract: A navigation module for a handheld communication device having a navigation pad, a chrome-like ring surrounding the navigation pad, an illumination ring surrounding the navigation pad, and at least one light source optically coupled to the at least the illumination ring. The illumination ring can be interposed between the chrome-like ring and the navigation pad. The chrome-like ring can be interposed between the illumination ring and the navigation pad. The light source can be a light emitting diode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Colin Shiva Ramrattan, Robert James Lowles
  • Patent number: 8937598
    Abstract: A navigation module for a handheld communication device having a navigation pad, a chrome-like ring surrounding the navigation pad, an illumination ring surrounding the navigation pad, and at least one light source is optically coupled to at least the illumination ring. The illumination ring can be interposed between the chrome-like ring and the navigation pad. The chrome-like ring can be interposed between the illumination ring and the navigation pad. The light source can be a light emitting diode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2015
    Assignee: Blackberry Limited
    Inventors: Robert James Lowles, Colin Shiva Ramrattan
  • Patent number: 8859971
    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: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Arnett Ryan Weber, James Alexander Robinson, Robert James Lowles, Derek Raymond Solven, Kuo-Feng Tong, Yun Seok Choi
  • Patent number: 8792683
    Abstract: An optical navigation subsystem may be used when obtaining a candidate fingerprint for a mobile communication device (e.g., for authentication purposes). To accommodate such use of the optical navigation subsystem, the optical navigation subsystem may be adapted to automatically adjust a processed image sensor window from a first set of window dimensions (e.g., suitable for optical navigation) to a second set of window dimensions (e.g., suitable for fingerprint capture). Alternatively, a single, static set of window dimension may be employed in conjunction with stitching algorithms, or other methods suitable for forming candidate fingerprint images by combining a plurality of images obtained using the static set of window dimension.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Colin Shiva Ramrattan, Hassan Hosseinpor, Graham Charles Townsend, Robert James Lowles, Rayhan Behin, Gregory William Jacobs
  • 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: 20130108068
    Abstract: An advanced headset is provided to enable two-way communication between a portable electronic device to the headset; a slave device located within the headset to receive and process the data; and at least one audio output device to transmit the data to a user. A method for transmitting data from a portable electronic device to a headset having a master device initialize a synchronization mechanism, transmitting the synchronization mechanism to a slave device within the digital headset via a bus, transmitting the data between the master device and slave device, and outputting the data as acoustic signals through an output device. The slave device may contain one or more speakers, controlled by one or more speaker amplifiers. The slave device may contain digital active noise cancellation, beam forming or audio enhanced circuits.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2011
    Publication date: May 2, 2013
    Applicant: RESEARCH IN MOTION LIMITED
    Inventors: Jens Kristian Poulsen, Mohamad El-Hage, Robert James Lowles
  • 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: 20130016059
    Abstract: A device includes a substrate having a first side and second side, a first set of touch-sensing electrodes disposed on the first side of the substrate, a force-sensing electrode disposed on the second side of the substrate, and a display including a ground shield. A change in capacitance between the force sensing electrode and the ground shield is utilized to determine a value related to a force imparted on the device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2011
    Publication date: January 17, 2013
    Applicant: RESEARCH IN MOTION LIMITED
    Inventors: Robert James LOWLES, Mykola GOLOVCHENKO, William Turlay STACY
  • Publication number: 20120154303
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes a method for conserving power on a portable electronic device and a portable electronic device configured for the same. In accordance with one embodiment, there is provided a method for conserving power comprising: switching a portable electronic device to a low power mode in response to a trigger condition; and switching the portable electronic device from the low power mode to a full power mode on the portable electronic device in response to detection of a designated wake-up gesture on a touch-sensitive overlay of the portable electronic device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2011
    Publication date: June 21, 2012
    Applicant: RESEARCH IN MOTION LIMITED
    Inventors: Mihal Lazaridis, Robert James Lowles, Donald James Lindsay, John Edward Dolson, Danny Thomas Dodge
  • Publication number: 20120133583
    Abstract: A navigation module for a handheld communication device having a navigation pad, a chrome-like ring surrounding the navigation pad, an illumination ring surrounding the navigation pad, and at least one light source optically coupled to the at least the illumination ring. The illumination ring can be interposed between the chrome-like ring and the navigation pad. The chrome-like ring can be interposed between the illumination ring and the navigation pad. The light source can be a light emitting diode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2011
    Publication date: May 31, 2012
    Inventors: Colin Shiva Ramrattan, Robert James Lowles
  • Publication number: 20110300830
    Abstract: An optical navigation subsystem may be used when obtaining a candidate fingerprint for a mobile communication device (e.g., for authentication purposes). To accommodate such use of the optical navigation subsystem, the optical navigation subsystem may be adapted to automatically adjust a processed image sensor window from a first set of window dimensions (e.g., suitable for optical navigation) to a second set of window dimensions (e.g., suitable for fingerprint capture). Alternatively, a single, static set of window dimension may be employed in conjunction with stitching algorithms, or other methods suitable for forming candidate fingerprint images by combining a plurality of images obtained using the static set of window dimension.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2010
    Publication date: December 8, 2011
    Applicant: RESEARCH IN MOTION LIMITED
    Inventors: Colin Shiva RAMRATTAN, Hassan HOSSEINPOR, Graham Charles TOWNSEND, Robert James LOWLES, Rayhan BEHIN, Gregory William JACOBS
  • Publication number: 20110286639
    Abstract: A photography subsystem is configured to be operated in fingerprint scanning mode and a normal mode. An autofocus module may be initialized to control a lens with an initial focal length set according to received instructions indicating one of the modes of operation. An image signal processor associated with the photography subsystem may process images received from the photography subsystem and, if necessary, process the images to form a candidate digital fingerprint for use in an authentication process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2010
    Publication date: November 24, 2011
    Inventors: Colin Shiva Ramrattan, Robert James Lowles, Graham Charles Townsend