Patents by Inventor Brian R. Twehues
Brian R. Twehues has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
-
Publication number: 20240155281Abstract: An earphone includes a housing that defines a force input surface opposite a touch input surface. A spring member in the housing includes a first arm that biases a touch sensor toward the touch input surface. The spring member also includes a second arm that biases a first force electrode toward the housing and allows the first force electrode to move toward a second force electrode when a force is applied to the force input surface. A non-binary amount of the force is determinable using a change in a mutual capacitance between the first force electrode and the second force electrode. The mutual capacitance between the first force electrode and the second force electrode may be measured upon detecting a touch using the touch sensor.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 5, 2024Publication date: May 9, 2024Inventors: Nahid Harjee, Brian R. Twehues, Teera Songatikamas
-
Patent number: 11917354Abstract: An earphone includes a housing that defines a force input surface opposite a touch input surface. A spring member in the housing includes a first arm that biases a touch sensor toward the touch input surface. The spring member also includes a second arm that biases a first force electrode toward the housing and allows the first force electrode to move toward a second force electrode when a force is applied to the force input surface. A non-binary amount of the force is determinable using a change in a mutual capacitance between the first force electrode and the second force electrode. The mutual capacitance between the first force electrode and the second force electrode may be measured upon detecting a touch using the touch sensor.Type: GrantFiled: August 27, 2022Date of Patent: February 27, 2024Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Nahid Harjee, Brian R. Twehues, Teera Songatikamas
-
Patent number: 11917355Abstract: An earphone includes a housing that defines a force input surface opposite a touch input surface. A spring member in the housing includes a first arm that biases a touch sensor toward the touch input surface. The spring member also includes a second arm that biases a first force electrode toward the housing and allows the first force electrode to move toward a second force electrode when a force is applied to the force input surface. A non-binary amount of the force is determinable using a change in a mutual capacitance between the first force electrode and the second force electrode. The mutual capacitance between the first force electrode and the second force electrode may be measured upon detecting a touch using the touch sensor.Type: GrantFiled: August 27, 2022Date of Patent: February 27, 2024Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Nahid Harjee, Brian R. Twehues, Teera Songatikamas
-
Patent number: 11910149Abstract: An earphone includes a speaker housing; a speaker positioned in the speaker housing; a stem extending from the speaker housing, the stem defining an input surface; a conductive object disposed within the stem; a flexible circuit positioned between the stem and the conductive object; a member positioned between the flexible circuit and the conductive object operable to allow the flexible circuit to move with respect to the stem; a force sensor electrode disposed within the flexible circuit; and a controller operable to determine an input to the earphone using a change in capacitance detected using the force sensor electrode, the change in capacitance corresponding to a non-binary amount of a force applied to the input surface. In some examples, the earphone further includes a touch sensor electrode disposed within the flexible circuit.Type: GrantFiled: August 27, 2022Date of Patent: February 20, 2024Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Nahid Harjee, Brian R. Twehues, Teera Songatikamas, Aonan Li, Travis N. Owens, Kyle J. Campiotti
-
Publication number: 20230345166Abstract: An earphone includes a speaker housing; a speaker positioned in the speaker housing; a stem extending from the speaker housing, the stem defining an input surface; a conductive object disposed within the stem; a flexible circuit positioned between the stem and the conductive object; a member positioned between the flexible circuit and the conductive object operable to allow the flexible circuit to move with respect to the stem; a force sensor electrode disposed within the flexible circuit; and a controller operable to determine an input to the earphone using a change in capacitance detected using the force sensor electrode, the change in capacitance corresponding to a non-binary amount of a force applied to the input surface. In some examples, the earphone further includes a touch sensor electrode disposed within the flexible circuit.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 29, 2023Publication date: October 26, 2023Inventors: Nahid Harjee, Brian R. Twehues, Teera Songatikamas, Aonan Li, Travis N. Owens, Kyle J. Campiotti
-
Patent number: 11665455Abstract: An acoustic mesh comprising a first portion that is acoustically closed; and a second portion that surrounds the first portion and is acoustically open, wherein a surface area of the second portion is at least one percent a total surface area of the acoustic mesh.Type: GrantFiled: June 15, 2020Date of Patent: May 30, 2023Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Thanh P. Hua, Jarrett B. Lagler, Brian R. Twehues, Ethan L. Huwe, Mei Zhang
-
Patent number: 11589150Abstract: A portable acoustic device comprising: a device housing that defines an internal cavity, the device housing comprising a speaker housing portion and a stem portion extending away from the speaker housing portion; a first acoustic port formed through a wall of the speaker housing; an audio driver disposed within the speaker housing portion and aligned to emit sound through the acoustic first port; a battery disposed within the speaker housing portion and positioned an opposite side of the audio driver than the acoustic port; an antenna disposed in the stem; a user input region disposed along the stem; and a system in a chip disposed in the stem, the system in a chip comprising: a processor that controls operation of the portable wireless acoustic device, charging circuitry, an accelerometer, a wireless communication controller, support components for the antenna and support components for the user input region.Type: GrantFiled: October 7, 2021Date of Patent: February 21, 2023Assignee: APPLE INC.Inventors: Lee M. Panecki, Arun D. Chawan, Julia C. Canning, Michael B. Minerbi, Pengchuan Wang, Kyle Tse, Brian R. Twehues, Sean T. Bong, Eric X. Zhou, Ethan L. Huwe, Scott C. Grinker, Haochuan Sang, Martin Kuster, Sean J. Docherty, Ryan Buck, Yuta Kuboyama
-
Patent number: 11523205Abstract: Embodiments describe an eartip including an eartip body having an attachment end and an interfacing end opposite from the attachment end, and including an inner eartip body and an outer eartip body. The inner eartip body has a sidewall that extends between the interfacing end and the attachment end, and includes a groove formed in an outer surface of the sidewall. The outer eartip body is sized and shaped to be inserted into an ear canal and extends from the interfacing end toward the attachment end of the eartip.Type: GrantFiled: April 19, 2021Date of Patent: December 6, 2022Assignee: APPLE INC.Inventors: Dustin A. Hatfield, Shota Aoyagi, Timothy E. Emmott, Ethan L. Huwe, Mitchell R. Lerner, Sean T. McIntosh, Yi-Fang D. Tsai, Jason C. Della Rosa, Patrick W. Sheppard, Samuel G. Parker, David J. Feathers, Brian R. Twehues, Daniel Strongwater
-
Patent number: 11463797Abstract: An earphone includes a speaker housing; a speaker positioned in the speaker housing; a stem extending from the speaker housing, the stem defining an input surface; a conductive object disposed within the stem; a flexible circuit positioned between the stem and the conductive object; a member positioned between the flexible circuit and the conductive object operable to allow the flexible circuit to move with respect to the stem; a force sensor electrode disposed within the flexible circuit; and a controller operable to determine an input to the earphone using a change in capacitance detected using the force sensor electrode, the change in capacitance corresponding to a non-binary amount of a force applied to the input surface. In some examples, the earphone further includes a touch sensor electrode disposed within the flexible circuit.Type: GrantFiled: March 31, 2021Date of Patent: October 4, 2022Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Nahid Harjee, Brian R. Twehues, Teera Songatikamas, Aonan Li, Travis N. Owens, Kyle J. Campiotti
-
Patent number: 11463799Abstract: An earphone includes a housing that defines a force input surface opposite a touch input surface. A spring member in the housing includes a first arm that biases a touch sensor toward the touch input surface. The spring member also includes a second arm that biases a first force electrode toward the housing and allows the first force electrode to move toward a second force electrode when a force is applied to the force input surface. A non-binary amount of the force is determinable using a change in a mutual capacitance between the first force electrode and the second force electrode. The mutual capacitance between the first force electrode and the second force electrode may be measured upon detecting a touch using the touch sensor.Type: GrantFiled: June 17, 2021Date of Patent: October 4, 2022Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Nahid Harjee, Brian R. Twehues, Teera Songatikamas
-
Patent number: 11463796Abstract: An earphone includes a housing that defines a force input surface opposite a touch input surface. A spring member in the housing includes a first arm that biases a touch sensor toward the touch input surface. The spring member also includes a second arm that biases a first force electrode toward the housing and allows the first force electrode to move toward a second force electrode when a force is applied to the force input surface. A non-binary amount of the force is determinable using a change in a mutual capacitance between the first force electrode and the second force electrode. The mutual capacitance between the first force electrode and the second force electrode may be measured upon detecting a touch using the touch sensor.Type: GrantFiled: February 16, 2021Date of Patent: October 4, 2022Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Nahid Harjee, Brian R. Twehues, Teera Songatikamas
-
Publication number: 20220217462Abstract: A portable acoustic device comprising: a device housing that defines an internal cavity, the device housing comprising a speaker housing portion and a stem portion extending away from the speaker housing portion; a first acoustic port formed through a wall of the speaker housing; an audio driver disposed within the speaker housing portion and aligned to emit sound through the acoustic first port; a battery disposed within the speaker housing portion and positioned an opposite side of the audio driver than the acoustic port; an antenna disposed in the stem; a user input region disposed along the stem; and a system in a chip disposed in the stem, the system in a chip comprising: a processor that controls operation of the portable wireless acoustic device, charging circuitry, an accelerometer, a wireless communication controller, support components for the antenna and support components for the user input region.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 7, 2021Publication date: July 7, 2022Inventors: Lee M. Panecki, Arun D. Chawan, Julia C. Canning, Michael B. Minerbi, Pengchuan Wang, Kyle Tse, Brian R. Twehues, Sean T. Bong, Eric X. Zhou, Ethan L. Huwe, Scott C. Grinker, Haochuan Sang, Martin Kuster, Sean J. Docherty, Ryan Buck, Yuta Kuboyama
-
Patent number: 11240591Abstract: A driver assembly including a driver module having a driver frame and a diaphragm coupled to the driver frame, the driver frame defining a front volume chamber coupled to a first side of the diaphragm and a back volume chamber; an internal control leak formed through the driver frame to couple the front volume chamber to the back volume chamber; and a first driver vent and a second driver vent formed through the driver frame to couple a second side of the diaphragm to the back volume chamber, wherein a centroid of the first driver vent is aligned with a centroid of the second driver vent.Type: GrantFiled: September 26, 2019Date of Patent: February 1, 2022Assignee: APPLE INC.Inventors: Scott C. Grinker, Claudio Notarangelo, Cole A. McCaughan, Ethan L. Huwe, Brian R. Twehues
-
Patent number: 11206472Abstract: Embodiments describe an acoustic shielding component including a stiffener formed of a rigid material providing structural integrity to the acoustic shielding component, a cosmetic mesh comprising a plurality of interlaced wires, and an acoustic mesh disposed between the stiffener and the cosmetic mesh. The stiffener includes first and second walls extending along a length of the stiffener and a plurality of ribs spaced apart from each other and extending between the first and second walls. The cosmetic mesh includes a mesh cover disposed over the stiffener and having an outer surface and an inner surface, and a mesh wall extending from an outer periphery of the inner surface of the mesh cover and defining a tab.Type: GrantFiled: September 26, 2019Date of Patent: December 21, 2021Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Benjamin A. Cousins, Esge Andersen, Mei Zhang, Brian R. Twehues, Ethan L. Huwe, Thanh P. Hua
-
Publication number: 20210314696Abstract: An earphone includes a housing that defines a force input surface opposite a touch input surface. A spring member in the housing includes a first arm that biases a touch sensor toward the touch input surface. The spring member also includes a second arm that biases a first force electrode toward the housing and allows the first force electrode to move toward a second force electrode when a force is applied to the force input surface. A non-binary amount of the force is determinable using a change in a mutual capacitance between the first force electrode and the second force electrode. The mutual capacitance between the first force electrode and the second force electrode may be measured upon detecting a touch using the touch sensor.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 17, 2021Publication date: October 7, 2021Inventors: Nahid Harjee, Brian R. Twehues, Teera Songatikamas
-
Patent number: 11096657Abstract: A laser light source transmits laser light to a tip of an interventional instrument such as a needle via an optical fiber. The laser light is absorbed at the distal tip of the instrument and generates a photoacoustic signal. The laser light source is configured to receive a trigger signal from an ultrasound machine when a laser pulse is to be produced. The light source signals the ultrasound machine when an optical connector is connected to the laser light source to automatically begin a needle tip (NTV) visualization mode. If the optical connector is removed from the laser light source, the laser light source stops producing laser light pulses.Type: GrantFiled: June 2, 2017Date of Patent: August 24, 2021Assignee: FUJIFILM SONOSITE, INC.Inventors: Qinglin Ma, Paul Thurman Dunham, Keith David Williams, Hiroshi Murakami, Wealth Salvador, Carl Fabian, Brian R. Twehues
-
Patent number: 11102563Abstract: Embodiments describe an attachment mechanism including a wire bent in various directions forming a spring compressible in lateral directions. The wire includes a first wireform feature and a second wireform feature extending from the first wireform feature, where the first wireform feature and the second wireform feature each include: an intermediate segment; a u-shaped segment extending from the intermediate segment; and an end segment extending from the u-shaped segment.Type: GrantFiled: September 26, 2019Date of Patent: August 24, 2021Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Craig M. Stanley, Sean T. McIntosh, Ethan L. Huwe, Brian R. Twehues, Mohammad Soroush Ghahri Sarabi
-
Publication number: 20210243514Abstract: Embodiments describe an eartip including an eartip body having an attachment end and an interfacing end opposite from the attachment end, and including an inner eartip body and an outer eartip body. The inner eartip body has a sidewall that extends between the interfacing end and the attachment end, and includes a groove formed in an outer surface of the sidewall. The outer eartip body is sized and shaped to be inserted into an ear canal and extends from the interfacing end toward the attachment end of the eartip.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 19, 2021Publication date: August 5, 2021Inventors: Dustin A. Hatfield, Shota Aoyagi, Timothy E. Emmott, Ethan L. Huwe, Mitchell R. Lerner, Sean T. McIntosh, Yi-Fang D. Tsai, Jason C. Della Rosa, Patrick W. Sheppard, Samuel G. Parker, David J. Feathers, Brian R. Twehues, Daniel Strongwater
-
Patent number: 11070904Abstract: An earphone includes a housing that defines a force input surface opposite a touch input surface. A spring member in the housing includes a first arm that biases a touch sensor toward the touch input surface. The spring member also includes a second arm that biases a first force electrode toward the housing and allows the first force electrode to move toward a second force electrode when a force is applied to the force input surface. A non-binary amount of the force is determinable using a change in a mutual capacitance between the first force electrode and the second force electrode. The mutual capacitance between the first force electrode and the second force electrode may be measured upon detecting a touch using the touch sensor.Type: GrantFiled: August 13, 2019Date of Patent: July 20, 2021Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Nahid Harjee, Brian R. Twehues, Teera Songatikamas
-
Publication number: 20210219042Abstract: An earphone includes a speaker housing; a speaker positioned in the speaker housing; a stem extending from the speaker housing, the stem defining an input surface; a conductive object disposed within the stem; a flexible circuit positioned between the stem and the conductive object; a member positioned between the flexible circuit and the conductive object operable to allow the flexible circuit to move with respect to the stem; a force sensor electrode disposed within the flexible circuit; and a controller operable to determine an input to the earphone using a change in capacitance detected using the force sensor electrode, the change in capacitance corresponding to a non-binary amount of a force applied to the input surface. In some examples, the earphone further includes a touch sensor electrode disposed within the flexible circuit.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 31, 2021Publication date: July 15, 2021Inventors: Nahid Harjee, Brian R. Twehues, Teera Songatikamas, Aonan Li, Travis N. Owens, Kyle J. Campiotti