Apple Patents

Apple Inc. designs, manufactures and markets smartphones, tablets and personal computers, including the iPhone, iPad, Mac. It also produces the iPod, Apple Watch and Apple TV, as well as the operating systems and applications that support these devices. The company also sells digital content and applications through its iTunes Store, App Store, Mac App Store, iBooks Store and Apple Music.

Apple Patents by Type
  • Apple Patents Granted: Apple patents that have been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
  • Apple Patent Applications: Apple patent applications that are pending before the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
  • Patent number: 11968730
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure describe methods, apparatuses, storage media, and systems for cell identification (ID) and beam ID detections in new radio (NR). The detections comprise NR primary synchronization signal (PSS)/secondary synchronization signal (SSS) detection, PBCH DMRS detection, SS reference signal received power (RSRP) measurement, and slot/SS burst boundary timing acquiring. Various embodiments describe how to detect a cell ID and a beam ID in millimeter wave (mmWave) operation. Other embodiments describe further details regarding how to detect NR cell and beam ID during intra-frequency measurements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Rui Huang, Jie Cui, Yang Tang, Hua Li, Yuhan Zhou
  • Patent number: 11968383
    Abstract: Techniques are presented for inserting markers into a video stream. For each frame of an encoded video stream, disclosed techniques may determine a structure of macroblocks from a code of the frame, and then, select macroblocks to be replaced from the determined structure of macroblocks. Inserting a marker into a frame may be carried out by replacing codes of the selected macro blocks with a code of a marker that identifies the frame. Marking frames of the video stream may facilitate finding correspondence between frames from the video stream before transmission over a channel and the video stream received from the channel, based on the inserted markers. Knowledge of frame correspondence may enable a video quality metric estimation based on a comparison between the found corresponding frames.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Zeina Sinno, Steven E. Saunders
  • Patent number: 11968471
    Abstract: Embodiments relate to extracting features from images, such as by identifying keypoints and generating keypoint descriptors of the keypoints. An apparatus includes a pyramid image generator circuit, a keypoint descriptor generator circuit, and a pyramid image buffer. The pyramid image generator circuit generates an image pyramid from an input image. The keypoint descriptor generator circuit processes the pyramid images for keypoint descriptor generation. The pyramid image buffer stores different portions of the pyramid images generated by the pyramid image generator circuit at different times and provides the stored portions of the pyramid images to the keypoint descriptor generator circuit for keypoint descriptor generation. When first portions of the pyramid images are no longer needed for the keypoint descriptor generation, the first portions are removed from the pyramid image buffer to provide space for second portions of the pyramid images that are needed for the keypoint descriptor generation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: David R. Pope, Liran Fishel, Assaf Metuki, Muge Wang
  • Patent number: 11968574
    Abstract: A UE for a 5G system is to perform a measurement during a network controlled small gap (NCSG). The NCSG includes a first visible interruption length (VIL1), a measurement length (ML), a second visible interruption length (VIL2), and a visible interruption repetition period (VIRP). A UE capability indicates a length of one or both the VIL1 and the VIL2. NCSG pattern information provides the NCSG for the UE, in which the VIL1 and the VIL2 indicate when the UE is not expected to transmit and receive data on a serving carrier, the ML indicates when the UE is expected to transmit and receive data on the serving carrier, and the VIRP indicates a period in which to repeat the NCSG.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Qiming Li, Dawei Zhang, Huaning Niu, Jie Cui, Manasa Raghavan, Yang Tang, Yushu Zhang
  • Patent number: 11968479
    Abstract: A method of tracking a mobile device comprising at least one camera in a real environment comprises the steps of receiving image information associated with at least one image captured by the at least one camera, generating a first geometrical model of at least part of the real environment based on environmental data or mobile system state data acquired in an acquisition process by at least one sensor of a mobile system, which is different from the mobile device, and performing a tracking process based on the image information associated with the at least one image and at least partially according to the first geometrical model, wherein the tracking process determines at least one parameter of a pose of the mobile device relative to the real environment. The invention is also related to a method of generating a geometrical model of at least part of a real environment using image information from at least one camera of a mobile device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Peter Meier, Sebastian Lieberknecht
  • Patent number: 11968551
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure describe methods, apparatuses, storage media, and systems for configuring and implementing radio resource management (RRM) measurements for monitoring neighboring cells based on synchronization signal block (SSB) timing groups in an radio resource control (RRC) connected (RRC_CONNECTED) state. Various embodiments describe how to determine a set of SSB timing groups, and how to generate a receiver switching pattern based on the set of SSB timing groups and/or SSB scanning measurements. The embodiments also describe determination and implementation of an SSB scanning mode and an SSB Other embodiments may be described and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Zhibin Yu, Rui Huang, Yang Tang, Jie Cui
  • Patent number: 11966556
    Abstract: In some embodiments, an electronic device present user interfaces for initializing a remote locator object. In some embodiments, an electronic device presents notifications when a remote locator object is separated from the user. In some embodiments, an electronic device presents notifications when an unknown remote locator object is tracking the user. In some embodiments, an electronic device presents a user interface for a short distance locator user interface for finding a remote locator object. In some embodiments, an electronic device presents user interfaces for finding a remote locator object using a map user interface or using a short distance locator user interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Arian Behzadi, Marcel Van Os, Nicole R. Ryan, Corey K. Wang, Frank De Jong, Patrick L. Coffman
  • Patent number: 11964584
    Abstract: A power ecosystem is disclosed that includes a premises power interface associated with a premises, a moving object power interface associated with a moving object, and an accessory power pack comprising an accessory sensor. The accessory power pack is configured to receive an electrical charge from the premises power interface, supply an electrical charge to the moving object power interface, and be releasably secured to the moving object. The accessory power pack is configured to send accessory sensor information captured by the accessory sensor to at least one of the premises or the moving object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Steven MacManus, Matthew J. Allen, Paul D. Yeomans, Paul D. Kaufhold
  • Patent number: 11966315
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for advising a user when an energy storage device in a computing system needs charging. State of charge data of the energy storage device can be measured and stored at regular intervals. The historic state of charge data can be queried over a plurality of intervals and a state of charge curve generated that is representative of a user's charging habits over time. The state of charge curve can be used to generate a rate of charge histogram and an acceleration of charge histogram. These can be used to predict when a user will charge next, and whether the energy storage device will have an amount of energy below a predetermined threshold amount before the next predicted charging time. A first device can determine when a second device typically charges and whether the energy storage device in the second device will have an amount of energy below the predetermined threshold amount before the next predicted charge time for the second device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Cyril De La Cropte De Chanterac, Phillip Stanley-Marbell, Kartik Venkatraman, Gaurav Kapoor
  • Patent number: 11966510
    Abstract: A method includes displaying a plurality of computer-generated objects, and obtaining finger manipulation data from a finger-wearable device via a communication interface. In some implementations, the method includes receiving an untethered input vector that includes a plurality of untethered input indicator values. Each of the plurality of untethered input indicator values is associated with one of a plurality of untethered input modalities. In some implementations, the method includes obtaining proxy object manipulation data from a physical proxy object via the communication interface. The proxy object manipulation data corresponds to sensor data associated with one or more sensors integrated in the physical proxy object. The method includes registering an engagement event with respect to a first one of the plurality of computer-generated objects based on a combination of the finger manipulation data, the untethered input vector, and the proxy object manipulation data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Adam G. Poulos, Aaron M. Burns, Arun Rakesh Yoganandan, Benjamin R. Blachnitzky, Nicolai Georg
  • Patent number: 11964807
    Abstract: Packaging may include a base box and a lid having a tamper-evident seal. The tamper-evident seal may include a paper substrate having a first adhesive portion configured to attach to a side panel of the base box, a second adhesive portion configured to attach to a second side panel of the lid. The first and second adhesive portions may be disposed on opposing sides of the paper substrate, and a tab configured to be accessible on an exterior of a package when the tamper-evident seal is applied may be a part of the paper substrate. When the tab is pulled with sufficient force, the paper substrate tears such that the first adhesive portion and the second adhesive portion remain fixed to the first and second side panels, respectively, while the remainder of the paper substrate tears free so that the packaging may be opened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Amanda Y. Lin, David Samuel Kumka, Bartley K. Andre, Abidur Rahman Chowdhury, Wei Dai, Isaac Hayes, Geng Luo
  • Patent number: 11966053
    Abstract: Systems and methods of dispersion compensation in an optical device are disclosed. A holographic optical element may include a set of different holograms in a grating medium. Each hologram in the set may have a corresponding grating vector with a grating frequency and direction. The directions of the grating vectors may vary as a function of the grating frequency. Different holograms in the set may diffract light in a particular direction so that the light emerges from a boundary of the grating medium in a single given direction regardless of wavelength. A prism may be used to couple light into the grating medium. The prism may be formed using materials having dispersion properties that are similar to the dispersion properties of the grating material. The prism may have an input face that receives perpendicular input light. The prism may include multiple portions having different refractive indices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan B. Pfeiffer, Adam C. Urness, Friso Schlottau, Mark R. Ayres, Vikrant Bhakta
  • Patent number: 11965944
    Abstract: Disclosed is a compact, multi-user magnetic tracking system. In an embodiment, a compactness is achieved by using a single coil and inertial sensors at the transmitter and magnetometers and inertial sensors at the receiver for sensing the magnetic field generated by the single coil and for determining a position and attitude of the receiver relative to the transmitter. The transmitter and receiver each include a wireless transceiver for exchanging clock synchronization data and sending transmitter attitude data to the receiver. In another embodiment, frequency or time division multiplexing is used to differentiate between multiple users of the multi-user magnetic tracking system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Guangwu Duan, Jian Guo, John Greer Elias, Savas Gider
  • Patent number: 11967146
    Abstract: Various implementations disclosed herein include devices, systems, and methods for normal estimation using a directional measurement, such as a gravity vector. In various implementations, a device includes a non-transitory memory and one or more processors coupled with the non-transitory memory. In some implementations, a method includes identifying planar surfaces in an environment represented by an image. Each planar surface is associated with a respective orientation. A directional vector associated with the environment is determined. A subset of the planar surfaces that have a threshold orientation relative to the directional vector is identified. For each planar surface in the subset of the planar surfaces, a normal vector for the planar surface is determined based on the orientation of the planar surface and the directional vector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Oliver Thomas Ruepp, Pedro Antonio Pinies Rodriguez
  • Patent number: 11963795
    Abstract: A wearable electronic device includes a body, a housing component, a band operable to attach the body to a body part of a user, and a force sensor coupled to the housing component. The force sensor is operable to produce a force signal based on a force exerted between the body part of the user and the housing component. A processing unit of the wearable electronic device receives the force signal from the force sensor and determines the force exerted on the housing component based thereon. The processing unit may use that force to determine a tightness of the band, determine health information for the user, adjust determined force exerted on a cover glass, and/or to perform various other actions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Tyler S. Bushnell, Steven J. Martisauskas, Erik G. de Jong, Andrzej T. Baranski, Serhan O. Isikman, Steven J. Banaska, Todd K. Whitehurst, Ming L. Sartee
  • Patent number: 11966578
    Abstract: An electronic device displays, on a touch-sensitive display, a user interface for an application. The electronic device, while displaying the user interface for the application, detects a touch gesture that includes movement of a contact on the touch-sensitive display at least partially over the user interface for the application. The electronic device, in response to detecting the touch gesture, in accordance with a determination that the touch gesture meets first system navigation criteria and video is playing in the application when the touch gesture is detected, concurrently displays a home screen user interface and a representation of the video that is playing in the application. The electronic device, in accordance with a determination that the touch gesture meets the first system navigation criteria and there is not video playing in the application when the touch gesture is detected, displays the home screen user interface without displaying representation of the video.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventor: Nathan de Vries
  • Patent number: 11965927
    Abstract: Thermal conditions can be simulated for an electronic device. Application developers may want to test how applications perform under various thermal conditions on a device that includes thermal management. The application developers can use the tests to determine whether the application should take proactive measures to maintain application performance, and which proactive measures should be taken. For example, an application can reduce its use of resources to ensure that an application maintains a desired quality of user experience (and at a minimum remains responsive) under adverse thermal conditions. Creating adverse conditions can be difficult to replicate, costly to implement, and can potential cause damage to the electronic device being tested. In some examples, simulating thermal conditions can be used instead of placing the device in real-world adverse conditions to improve the testing process for developers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jay Mayur Khandhar, Karen Eckert, Cyril De La Cropte De Chanterac, John Ananny
  • Patent number: 11967781
    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with a phased antenna array that radiates at a frequency greater than 10 GHz through a display. The array may include a dielectric resonator antenna having a dielectric column. The dielectric column may have a first surface mounted to a circuit board and a second surface that faces the display. A conductive cap may be formed on the second surface. The conductive cap may allow the dimensions of dielectric column to be reduced while still allowing the dielectric resonator antenna to cover a frequency band of interest. If desired, the phased antenna array may include multiple sets of dielectric resonator antennas for covering different frequency bands. The sets may have different dielectric column heights and/or different conductive cap sizes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Subramanian Ramalingam, Harish Rajagopalan, Bilgehan Avser, Mattia Pascolini, Rodney A. Gomez Angulo
  • Patent number: 11966577
    Abstract: An electronic device concurrently displays: a first object that includes first content of an application, including updating the first content as a state of the application changes; and a user interface of software that is different from the application. In response to detecting an input directed to the first object: if the input is a first type of input, the device transitions from displaying the first object to displaying a second object that is smaller than the first object and that includes different, second content of the application, including updating the second content as the state of the application changes while continuing to display the user interface of the software; and, if the input is a second type of input that is different from the first type of input, the device replaces at least a portion of the user interface of the software with a user interface of the application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventor: William M. Tyler
  • Patent number: 11966579
    Abstract: An electronic device displays a messaging user interface of a message application, including a conversation transcript of a messaging session between a user of the electronic device and at least one other user, and a first message region that includes a current version of a first message in the messaging session. The conversation transcript includes an indication that the current version of the first message is a revised version of the first message in the conversation transcript. In response to detecting an input that corresponds to a request to see versions of the first message, the electronic device displays a versions user interface that includes the current version of the first message and one or more prior versions of the first message.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Imran A. Chaudhri, Freddy A. Anzures, Richard R. Dellinger, Nicholas V. King, Hoan Pham, Wan Si Wan, Darin B. Adler, Bethany Bongiorno, Justin N. Wood, Roberto Garcia, Soin Shedlosky
  • Patent number: 11968594
    Abstract: In some embodiments, an electronic device presents user interfaces for defining identifiers for remote locator objects. In some embodiments, an electronic device locates a remote locator object. In some embodiments, an electronic device provides information associated with a remote locator object. In some embodiments, an electronic device displays notifications associated with a trackable device. In some embodiments, a first device generates alerts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Frank De Jong, Nicole R. Ryan, Arian Behzadi, Corey Keiko Wang, Marcel Van Os, Craig M. Federighi
  • Patent number: 11967561
    Abstract: A fabric-based item may include fabric layers and other layers of material. An array of electrical components may be mounted in the fabric-based item. The electrical components may be mounted to a support structure such as a flexible printed circuit. The flexible printed circuit may have a mesh shape formed from an array of openings. Serpentine flexible printed circuit segments may extend between the openings. The electrical components may be light-emitting diodes or other electrical devices. Polymer with light-scattering particles or other materials may cover the electrical components. The flexible printed circuit may be laminated between fabric layers or other layers of material in the fabric-based item.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel D. Sunshine, Paul S. Drzaic, Daniel A. Podhajny, David M. Kindlon, Hoon Sik Kim, Kathryn P. Crews, Yung-Yu Hsu
  • Patent number: 11966560
    Abstract: In some embodiments, an electronic device presents media items from different media applications in a unified media browsing application. In some embodiments, an electronic device facilitates browsing of media from different media applications based on category of media (e.g., movies, television shows, etc.). In some embodiments, an electronic device facilitates setup of a unified media browsing application that presents media items from different media applications in a unified media browsing user interface. In some embodiments, an electronic device displays multiple episodes of a collection of episodic content (e.g., a television series) in a user interface for the collection of episodic content. In some embodiments, an electronic device displays representations of, and provides access to, live-event media items accessible on the electronic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Alexander W. Johnston, Dennis S. Park, Tito Lloyd Balsamo, Jonathan Lochhead, Yesmeen El-Shafey, Graham R. Clarke, Peter D. Anton, Jennifer L. C. Folse, William M. Bachman, Stephen O. Lemay, Gregg Suzuki, Alan C. Dye, Jeff Tan-Ang, Policarpo B. Wood
  • Patent number: 11968530
    Abstract: A network may authenticate a user equipment (UE) to access an edge data network. The network generates a first credential based on a second credential, the second credential generated for a procedure between the UE and a cellular network corresponding to the network component, receives an identifier associated with the first credential from a further network component in response to the UE transmitting an application registration request to a server associated with an edge data network and retrieves the first credential based on the identifier. The network also receives a multi-access edge computing (MEC) authorization parameter, verifies the MEC authorization parameter and transmits an authentication verification response to a second network component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Shu Guo, Dawei Zhang, Fangli Xu, Haijing Hu, Huarui Liang, Mona Agnel, Ralf Rossbach, Sudeep Manithara Vamanan, Xiangying Yang, Yuqin Chen
  • Patent number: 11966048
    Abstract: A head-mounted device may have a head-mounted support structure. Gaze tracking systems may be supported by the support structure so that the gaze of a user may be monitored. Lenses may be supported by the support structure. Display systems may provide computer-generated images to the user while the user is viewing real-world objects through the lenses. The gaze tracking systems may include image-sensor-based systems such as glint-based systems. A glint-based gaze tracking system may include light-emitting devices that emit light beams that create eye glints on the surface of a user's eyes and may include an image sensor that measures the eye glints to gather information on the user's gaze. A low-power gaze tracking system may be included in the head-mounted device. The low-power gaze tracking system may use light detectors to measure the magnitudes of respective light reflections of the light beams.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Michael J. Oudenhoven, Brian S. Lau, David A. Kalinowski
  • Patent number: 11967528
    Abstract: Systems that include integrated circuit dies and voltage regulator units are disclosed. Such systems may include a voltage regulator module and an integrated circuit mounted in a common system package. The voltage regulator module may include a voltage regulator circuit and one or more passive devices mounted to a common substrate, and the integrated circuit may include a System-on-a-chip. The system package may include an interconnect region that includes wires fabricated on multiple conductive layers within the interconnect region. At least one power supply terminal of the integrated circuit may be coupled to an output of the voltage regulator module via a wire included in the interconnect region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Vidhya Ramachandran, Jun Zhai, Chonghua Zhong, Kunzhong Hu, Shawn Searles, Joseph T. DiBene, II, Mengzhi Pang
  • Patent number: 11966544
    Abstract: An electronic device may have a display with touch sensors. One or more shielding layers may be interposed between the display and the touch sensors. The display may include transistors with gate conductors, a first planarization layer formed over the gate conductors, one or more contacts formed in a first source-drain layer within the first planarization layer, a second planarization layer formed on the first planarization layer, one or more data lines formed in a second source-drain layer within the second planarization layer, a third planarization layer formed on the second planarization layer, and a data line shielding structure formed at least partly in a third source-drain layer within the third planarization layer. The data line shielding structure may be a routing line, a blanket layer, a mesh layer formed in one or more metal layers, and/or a data line covering another data line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Shinya Ono, Suhwan Moon, Dong-Gwang Ha, Jiaxi Hu, Hao-Lin Chiu, Kwang Soon Park, Hassan Edrees, Wen-I Hsieh, Jiun-Jye Chang, Chin-Wei Lin, Kyung Wook Kim
  • Patent number: 11967015
    Abstract: The subject technology provides a framework for learning neural scene representations directly from images, without three-dimensional (3D) supervision, by a machine-learning model. In the disclosed systems and methods, 3D structure can be imposed by ensuring that the learned representation transforms like a real 3D scene. For example, a loss function can be provided which enforces equivariance of the scene representation with respect to 3D rotations. Because naive tensor rotations may not be used to define models that are equivariant with respect to 3D rotations, a new operation called an invertible shear rotation is disclosed, which has the desired equivariance property. In some implementations, the model can be used to generate a 3D representation, such as mesh, of an object from an image of the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Qi Shan, Joshua Susskind, Aditya Sankar, Robert Alex Colburn, Emilien Dupont, Miguel Angel Bautista Martin
  • Patent number: 11967290
    Abstract: An electronic display device has a panel that operates in conjunction with a light-emitting diode (LED) backlight. The device “slopes” or gradually ramps a change in brightness of an LED based on a target brightness value of the LED, a current brightness value of the LED, and temperature at the LED. The device also may limit power to the backlight based on an estimated power consumption of a current row of LEDs of the backlight and power consumption of the other rows of LEDs. The device also may determine a reduced voltage to supply to an LED based on a current to supply to the LED to cause the LED to operate. The device also may send an interrupt to the backlight to block updates to the backlight while image content is written to pixels of the panel. The device further compensates for aging of and temperature at an LED.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Mahesh B. Chappalli, Assaf Menachem, Daniel Yechiel Dar, Ido Yaacov Soffair
  • Patent number: 11967018
    Abstract: Rendering an avatar in a selected environment may include determining as inputs into an inferred shading network, an expression geometry to be represented by an avatar, head pose, and camera angle, along with a lighting representation for the selected environment. The inferred shading network may then generate a texture of a face to be utilized in rendering the avatar. The lighting representation may be obtained as lighting latent variables which are obtained from an environment autoencoder trained on environment images with various lighting conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew P. Mason, Olivier Soares, Haarm-Pieter Duiker, John S. McCarten
  • Patent number: 11967039
    Abstract: Electronic devices are often equipped with a camera for capturing video content and/or a display for displaying video content. However, amateur users often capture video content without regard to composition, framing, or camera movement, resulting in video content that can be jarring or confusing to viewers. There is a need to automate the processing and presentation of video content in an aesthetically pleasing manner. The embodiments described herein provide a method of automatically cropping video content for presentation on a display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: May-Li Khoe, Avi E. Cieplinski, David Joshua Hart
  • Patent number: 11967836
    Abstract: Metal object detection may be performed in a wireless power system by monitoring the 5th or other order harmonic current of a dual-frequency power transmitter driven by a voltage-fed inverter with square-wave output. While power transfer is maintained by tuning at the fundamental frequency, the transmitter circuit is tuned simultaneously at the 5th order frequency or other harmonic frequencies to increase or decrease the flow of the harmonic current for when a metal object is present. The receiver circuit may include a notch filter to filter out the 5th order frequency. With the dual-frequency tuning configuration, the presence of a metal object causes a significant drop of the increase in the harmonic current at the transmitter side while the receiver behaves as an open circuit with no effect on power transfer. The harmonic tuning circuit may be switched off as necessary to leave only the fundamental frequency for power transfer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Aiguo Patrick Hu, Bo Long, Qi Zhu, Wynand Malan, Patrin Illenberger, Andrew R Connell
  • Patent number: 11967291
    Abstract: A display may have a pixel array such as a liquid crystal pixel array. The pixel array may be illuminated by a backlight unit that includes an array of light-emitting diodes (LEDs). The backlight unit may determine the type of content in the image data. The backlight unit may decide to prioritize either mitigating halo or mitigating clipping based on the type of content. The determination of the type of content in the image data may be used to determine the brightness values for the LEDs in the LED array. If the content is determined to be a first type of content, at least one given LED in the LED array may have a different brightness value than if the content is determined to be a second, different type of content. Classifying content in the image data may be useful in optimizing visible artifacts such as visible halo and clipping.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Mohammad Tofighi, Meng Cao, Pierre-Yves Emelie, Duane M Petrovich, Shuo Han, Zhendong Hong, Tobias Jung, Marc Albrecht, Jiulong Shan, Wei H Yao
  • Patent number: 11967586
    Abstract: Light emitting structures and methods of fabrication are described. In an embodiment, LED coupons are transferred to a carrier substrate and then patterned to LED mesa structures. Patterning may be performed on heterogeneous groups of LED coupons with a common mask set. The LED mesa structure are then transferred in bulk to a display substrate. In an embodiment, a light emitting structure includes an arrangement of LEDs with different thickness, and corresponding bottom contacts with different thicknesses bonded to a display substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Dmitry S. Sizov, Ion Bita, Jean-Jacques P. Drolet, John T. Leonard, Jonathan S. Steckel, Nathaniel T. Lawrence, Xiaobin Xin, Ranojoy Bose
  • Patent number: 11967246
    Abstract: A configuration for a breathing sequence may be defined using a user interface of a user device. The user interface may also be used to begin the breathing sequence. During the breathing sequence, a fluctuating user interface element may fluctuate at a cyclic rate. Such fluctuation may include repeated growing and repeated shrinking of the fluctuating user interface element. During the breathing sequence, heart rate data may be collected and used to present heart rate information at a conclusion of the breathing sequence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jay Kriz Blahnik, Erno H. Klaassen, Julie A. Arney, Alan C. Dye, Gary I. Butcher, Kevin M. Lynch, Nader E. Bagherzadeh, Gracee Agrawal, Stephen J. Waydo, Christopher J. Brouse
  • Patent number: 11968056
    Abstract: Avatars may be displayed in a multiuser communication session using various spatial modes. One technique for presenting avatars includes presenting avatars such that an attention direction of the avatar is retargeted to match the intent of the remote user corresponding to the avatar. Another technique for presenting avatars includes a pinned mode in which a spatial relationship between one or more avatars remains displayed in a consistent spatial relationship to a local user regardless of movements of the local user. Another technique for presenting avatars includes providing user-selectable presentation modes between a room scale mode and a stationary mode for presenting a representation of a multiuser communication session.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Connor A. Smith, Bruno M. Sommer, Jonathan R. Dascola, Nicholas W. Henderson, Timofey Grechkin
  • Patent number: 11968051
    Abstract: Some aspects of this disclosure relate to apparatuses and methods for implementing techniques for a user equipment (UE) to multiplex a first HARQ of a first priority and a second HARQ of a second priority to form an initial UCI payload. The UE can select a PUCCH resource accordingly to a PUCCH configuration, and generate a second UCI payload by removing or replacing at least a portion of the initial UCI payload when a size of the initial UCI payload is larger than a size of the PUCCH resource. The UE can encode at least a part of the second UCI payload including the first HARQ to generate an error correction code word. Afterwards, the UE can add the error correction code word to the second UCI payload to generate a transmission UCI payload, and transmit the transmission UCI payload to the base station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Seyed Ali Akbar Fakoorian, Yushu Zhang, Huaning Niu, Haitong Sun, Hong He, Sigen Ye, Wei Zeng, Dawei Zhang, Oghenekome Oteri, Chunxuan Ye, Weidong Yang
  • Patent number: 11968275
    Abstract: A server network accepts asynchronous notification messages from multiple application servers and efficiently routes notification messages in the form of notification taps to a user device, which can operate in a low power mode. The user device may or may not be a cellular device. The server network maintains states for the user devices in terms of identifiers useful for routing. A network server proximate to the user device registers the identifiers useful for routing the notifications. When the server network receives a notification from a source application, the proximate network server determines a routing based on the registration and sends a notification tap to the user device. The user device can obtain notification content sourced by the source application. The user device can delegate the role of receiving notification taps to a delegate device, where the delegate device may have wall-power and/or a wired or wireless network connection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher M. Bell, Christoph Paasch
  • Patent number: 11968070
    Abstract: A transmission apparatus includes a transmission signal generator which, in operation, generates a transmission signal having an aggregate physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) that includes a legacy preamble, a legacy header, a non-legacy preamble, a plurality of non-legacy headers and a plurality of data fields; and a transmitter which, in operation, transmits the generated transmission signal, wherein the legacy preamble, the legacy header and the plurality of non-legacy headers are transmitted using a standard bandwidth, the non-legacy preamble and the plurality of data fields are transmitted using a variable bandwidth that is larger than the standard bandwidth and wherein a plurality of sets of each of the plurality of non-legacy headers and each of the plurality of data fields are transmitted sequentially in a time domain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Lei Huang, Hong Cheng Michael Sim, Takenori Sakamoto
  • Patent number: 11968678
    Abstract: Methods and wireless communication systems are provided for uplink control information (UCI) multiplexing with physical layer (PHY) priority and logical channel (LCH) based prioritization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Weidong Yang, Ralf Rossbach, Fangli Xu, Amir Aminzadeh Gohari, Chunxuan Ye, Dawei Zhang, Haijing Hu, Oghenekome Oteri, Sigen Ye, Wei Zeng, Wenshu Zhang
  • Patent number: D1023646
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jean-Marc Gady, Kameron Gad, Martynas Laurita, Oladapo Onikuyide, Jake A. Nelson, Adrian E. Magrina, Stephen Yustiono, Colin E. Murphy
  • Patent number: D1023647
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jean-Marc Gady, Kameron Gad, Martynas Laurita, Simona M. Szabados, Joshua Robert Edwards, Gabriel J. Lamb, Gregory Guillaume Lespinard, Oladapo Onikuyide, Seung Chae Kang, Indhu V. Solayappan, Hyun Jin Kim, Jake A. Nelson
  • Patent number: D1023649
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jake A. Nelson, Tracey Adam Finger, Constantino Siampos, Gregory Guillaume Lespinard, Scott J. Gardenhire, Jean-Marc Gady, Gabriel J. Lamb, Seung Chae Kang, Stephen Yustiono, Richard Coward
  • Patent number: D1023814
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jody Akana, Molly Anderson, Bartley K. Andre, Shota Aoyagi, Anthony Michael Ashcroft, Marine C. Bataille, Jeremy Bataillou, Markus Diebel, M. Evans Hankey, Julian Hoenig, Richard P. Howarth, Jonathan P. Ive, Julian Jaede, Duncan Robert Kerr, Marc A. Newson, Peter Russell-Clarke, Benjamin Andrew Shaffer, Joe Sung-Ho Tan, Clement Tissandier, Eugene Antony Whang, Rico Zörkendörfer
  • Patent number: D1023815
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jody Akana, Molly Anderson, Bartley K. Andre, Shota Aoyagi, Anthony Michael Ashcroft, Marine C. Bataille, Jeremy Bataillou, Abidur Rahman Chowdhury, Clara Geneviève Marine Courtaigne, Markus Diebel, Jonathan Gomez Garcia, M. Evans Hankey, Julian Hoenig, Richard P. Howarth, Jonathan P. Ive, Julian Jaede, Duncan Robert Kerr, Peter Russell-Clarke, Benjamin Andrew Shaffer, Joe Sung-Ho Tan, Clement Tissandier, Eugene Antony Whang, Rico Zörkendörfer
  • Patent number: D1024017
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Brunner, Gregoire Vandenbussche
  • Patent number: D1024105
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher John Ellingford, Lucio Moreno Rufo, Kevin Sandlow, Brian K. Shiraishi, Fredric Vinna
  • Patent number: D1024129
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Jennifer Wien
  • Patent number: D1024131
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Sebastian Boltz, Sascha Höhne, Ole Lagemann, Thorsten Quandt, Jennifer Wien
  • Patent number: D1024132
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin Will Chen, Benjamin James Crick, Richard R. Dellinger, YunJae Kim, Eileen Y. Lee, Joseph Mark Willoughby Luxton