Patents by Inventor Martin Melcher

Martin Melcher 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: 11851030
    Abstract: Various embodiments relate to sensing defects associated with a window. Furthermore, various embodiments relate to performing image processing to produce a corrected image of a scene based at least partly on data corresponding to the detected defects. In some examples, one or more lighting modules may be used to illuminate the window to facilitate detection of the defects by one or more sensor devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Clarisse Mazuir, Malcolm J. Northcott, Jack E. Graves, James R. Wilson, Christopher D. Jones, Martin Melcher
  • Patent number: 11833891
    Abstract: A laminated glazing includes a first glass layer, a second glass layer, and a third layer between the first glass layer and the second glass layer. The third layer has an optical property that differs in a first region as compared to a second region, the first region being within five inches of one side of the laminated glazing and the second region extending from the first region toward another side of the laminated glazing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: David E. Kingman, Derek C. Scott, Christopher L. Porritt, Marcelo B. da Silveira Magalhaes, Martin Melcher, Peter F. Masschelein, Donald R. Monroe
  • Patent number: 11747539
    Abstract: Light-control panels including layered optical components are described in this application. An example of a light-control panel includes first and second glazing layers and first and second switchable components extending between the first and second glazing layers. The light-control panel also includes a thermal coating extending between the first switchable component and the first glazing layer and a filter extending between the first and second switchable components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: David E. Kingman, Christopher D. Jones, James R. Wilson, Martin Melcher, Peter F. Masschelein
  • Patent number: 11739425
    Abstract: An electronic device may include conductive structures having a visible-light-reflecting coating. The coating may include a seed layer, transition layers, a neutral-color base layer, and an uppermost layer that forms a single-layer interference film. The neutral-color base layer may be opaque to visible light. The interference film may include silicon and may have an absorption coefficient between 0 and 1. The interference film may include, for example, CrSiN or CrSiCN. The composition of the interference film, the thickness of the interference film, and/or the composition of the base layer may be selected to provide the coating with a desired color near the middle of the visible spectrum (e.g., at green wavelengths). The color may be relatively stable even if the thickness of the coating varies across its area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Brian S. Tryon, Lijie Bao, Martin Melcher, Sonja R. Postak
  • Patent number: 11719865
    Abstract: An electronic device may include conductive structures having a visible-light-reflecting coating. The coating may include a seed layer, transition layers, a neutral-color base layer, and an uppermost layer that forms a single-layer interference film. The neutral-color base layer may be opaque to visible light. The interference film may include silicon and may have an absorption coefficient between 0 and 1. The interference film may include, for example, CrSiCN or CrSiC. The composition of the interference film, the thickness of the interference film, and/or the composition of the base layer may be selected to provide the coating with a desired color in the visible spectrum (e.g., at blue or purple wavelengths). The color may be relatively stable even if the thickness of the coating varies across its area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Brian S. Tryon, Lijie Bao, Martin Melcher, Sonja R. Postak
  • Publication number: 20230228921
    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with a display. The display may have a display cover layer. The display may have an active area with pixels and an inactive area adjacent to the active area. A reflective layer or a reflective portion of the cover layer may be formed in the inactive area and may have a reflectivity that matches a reflectivity of the active area of the display. The reflective portion may include texture or particles embedded in an ink layer. A PVD layer may be formed on the reflective layer and may have a color that matches a color of the active area. A polarizer layer may also extend across the active areas and inactive areas. In this way, an appearance of the inactive area may match an appearance of the active area when the display is off.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2022
    Publication date: July 20, 2023
    Inventors: Martin Melcher, Christopher E Glazowski, David L Wei, Michael B Wittenberg, Sebastian Knitter, Yu Wang
  • Publication number: 20230210461
    Abstract: An electronic device, such as a watch, has a housing to which a carrier is attached. The carrier has a first surface interior to the electronic device, and a second surface exterior to the electronic device. A set of electrodes is deposited on the exterior surface of the carrier. An additional electrode is operable to be contacted by a finger of a user of the electronic device while the first electrode is positioned against skin of the user. The additional electrode may be positioned on a user-rotatable crown of the electronic device, on a button of the electronic device, or on another surface of the housing of the electronic device. A processor of the electronic device is operable to determine a biological parameter of the user based on voltages at the electrodes. The biological parameter may be an electrocardiogram.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2023
    Publication date: July 6, 2023
    Inventors: Sameer Pandya, Adam T. Clavelle, Erik G. de Jong, Michael B. Wittenberg, Tobias J. Harrison-Noonan, Martin Melcher, Zhipeng Zhang, Steven C. Roach, Steven P. Cardinali
  • Patent number: 11641724
    Abstract: An electronic device can include a housing component that can define an interior surface and an exterior surface of the device, a metallic film deposited on the interior surface and extending at least partially onto the exterior surface, and a ceramic film deposited on the exterior surface and at least partially over a portion of the metallic film on the exterior surface. The ceramic film can be in electrical communication with a portion of the metallic film deposited on the interior surface to form an electrical pathway from the exterior surface to the interior surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2023
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Jiahui Liang, Anirban Das, Jungyup Kim, Martin Melcher, Srinivasan Varadharajan, Wolf Oetting
  • Publication number: 20230098960
    Abstract: An electronic device, such as a watch, has a housing to which a carrier is attached. The carrier has a first surface interior to the electronic device, and a second surface exterior to the electronic device. A set of electrodes is deposited on the exterior surface of the carrier. An additional electrode is operable to be contacted by a finger of a user of the electronic device while the first electrode is positioned against skin of the user. The additional electrode may be positioned on a user-rotatable crown of the electronic device, on a button of the electronic device, or on another surface of the housing of the electronic device. A processor of the electronic device is operable to determine a biological parameter of the user based on voltages at the electrodes. The biological parameter may be an electrocardiogram.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2022
    Publication date: March 30, 2023
    Inventors: Sameer Pandya, Adam T. Clavelle, Erik G. de Jong, Michael B. Wittenberg, Tobias J. Harrison-Noonan, Martin Melcher, Zhipeng Zhang, Steven C. Roach, Steven P. Cardinali
  • Publication number: 20230081222
    Abstract: A system such as a vehicle may have windows with one or more conductive layers. The conductive layers may form part of an infrared-light-blocking layer or other layer. The infrared-light-blocking layer or other layer may be formed as a coating on a transparent structural window layer such as an outer or inner glass layer in a laminated window or may be embedded in a polymer layer between the outer and inner layers. Segmented terminals and elongated terminals that may extend past two or more segmented terminals may be coupled to the edges of the conductive layers. Using these terminals, control circuitry can apply localized ohmic heating currents and can make resistance measurements on the conductive layers to detect cracks.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2022
    Publication date: March 16, 2023
    Inventors: Martin Melcher, Christopher D. Jones, James R. Wilson
  • Publication number: 20230013056
    Abstract: A system such as a vehicle may have adjustable structures such as adjustable windows. Adjustable windows may have adjustable layers such as adjustable tint layers, adjustable reflectivity layers, and adjustable haze layers. Adjustable window layers may be incorporated into a window with one or more transparent structural layers such as a pair of glass window layers. Adjustable components such as adjustable reflectivity layers, adjustable haze layers, and adjustable tint layers may be interposed between the pair of glass window layers. Fixed partially reflective mirrors, fixed tint layers, and/or fixed haze layers may be used in place of adjustable tint, haze, and reflectivity layers and/or may be incorporated into windows in addition to adjustable tint, haze, and reflectivity layers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2022
    Publication date: January 19, 2023
    Inventors: Christopher D. Jones, Ibuki Kamei, James R. Wilson, Clarisse Mazuir, John Raff, Budhadipta Dan, David E. Kingman, Martin Melcher
  • Publication number: 20230014610
    Abstract: A system such as a vehicle may have adjustable structures such as adjustable windows. Adjustable windows may have adjustable layers such as adjustable tint layers, adjustable reflectivity layers, and adjustable haze layers. Adjustable window layers may be incorporated into a window with one or more transparent structural layers such as a pair of glass window layers. Adjustable components such as adjustable reflectivity layers, adjustable haze layers, and adjustable tint layers may be interposed between the pair of glass window layers. Fixed partially reflective mirrors, fixed tint layers, and/or fixed haze layers may be used in place of adjustable tint, haze, and reflectivity layers and/or may be incorporated into windows in addition to adjustable tint, haze, and reflectivity layers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2022
    Publication date: January 19, 2023
    Inventors: Christopher D. Jones, Ibuki Kamei, James R. Wilson, Clarisse Mazuir, John Raff, Budhadipta Dan, David E. Kingman, Martin Melcher
  • Patent number: 11506623
    Abstract: A system such as a vehicle may have windows with one or more conductive layers. The conductive layers may form part of an infrared-light-blocking layer or other layer. The infrared-light-blocking layer or other layer may be formed as a coating on a transparent structural window layer such as an outer or inner glass layer in a laminated window or may be embedded in a polymer layer between the outer and inner layers. Segmented terminals and elongated terminals that may extend past two or more segmented terminals may be coupled to the edges of the conductive layers. Using these terminals, control circuitry can apply localized ohmic heating currents and can make resistance measurements on the conductive layers to detect cracks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Martin Melcher, Christopher D. Jones, James R. Wilson
  • Patent number: 11498397
    Abstract: A system such as a vehicle may have adjustable structures such as adjustable windows. Adjustable windows may have adjustable layers such as adjustable tint layers, adjustable reflectivity layers, and adjustable haze layers. Adjustable window layers may be incorporated into a window with one or more transparent structural layers such as a pair of glass window layers. Adjustable components such as adjustable reflectivity layers, adjustable haze layers, and adjustable tint layers may be interposed between the pair of glass window layers. Fixed partially reflective mirrors, fixed tint layers, and/or fixed haze layers may be used in place of adjustable tint, haze, and reflectivity layers and/or may be incorporated into windows in addition to adjustable tint, haze, and reflectivity layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher D. Jones, Ibuki Kamei, James R. Wilson, Clarisse Mazuir, John Raff, Budhadipta Dan, David E. Kingman, Martin Melcher
  • Publication number: 20220359133
    Abstract: Keycaps for keyboards that have transparent top portions have a set of layered components to define a top surface that provides key definition by curvature, texture, ridges, or other external structural features. Other portions of the keycaps define a glyph or support structure for the top layer. Features such as angle filters and partially reflective materials are implemented to improve the visibility, contrast, and reflectivity of the keycaps. Multiple methods are used to bend or otherwise modify rigid transparent materials such as glass in order to add surface features and to improve aesthetics of the keycaps of a keyboard.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2022
    Publication date: November 10, 2022
    Inventors: Paul X. Wang, Christopher D. Jones, Dinesh C. Mathew, Keith J. Hendren, Martin Melcher, Matthew S. Rogers, Naoto Matsuyuki, Simon R. Lancaster-Larocque, Avianne Marie B. Tuano
  • Publication number: 20220341585
    Abstract: A backlit partially reflective mirror may be used to form a logo or other structure in an electronic device. The electronic device may have a housing. The housing may have a wall with one or more openings configured to receive one or more corresponding logo-shaped portions of the partially reflective mirror. The partially reflective mirror may be illuminated using backlight illumination from a backlight that is overlapped by the partially reflective mirror. The partially reflective mirror may be formed from one or more protruding structures on a common substrate. One or more thin-film layers may be configured to provide the partially reflective mirror with desired visible light reflection spectrum, a desired visible light transmission spectrum, and a desired visible light absorption spectrum. The reflectivity of the mirror may be configure so that the mirror serves as a one-way mirror for the logo or other structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2022
    Publication date: October 27, 2022
    Inventors: Patrick R. Perry, Jun Cheng, Martin Melcher, Shravan Bharadwaj, Wanshan Li, Scott M. Stryker
  • Publication number: 20220340482
    Abstract: An electronic device may have a housing surrounding an interior in which electrical components are mounted. A display may be mounted to housing structures in the device. The housing may have a rear wall. The display cover layer and rear wall of the housing may be formed from transparent glass layers. Coatings may be formed on inwardly and/or facing surfaces of the transparent glass layers. A coating on a transparent glass layer may be formed from one or more PVD layers. A buffer layer that includes a hybrid material with an organic component may be interposed between the glass layer and the PVD layers to increase the retained bend strength of the glass layer. Alternatively or additionally, the PVD layers may form a thin-film interference filter, and some of the PVD layers may be formed from the hybrid material to increase the retained bend strength of the glass layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2022
    Publication date: October 27, 2022
    Inventors: Martin Melcher, Vijayen S. Veerasamy
  • Publication number: 20220312614
    Abstract: An electronic device may have transparent housing structures such as walls formed of glass or sapphire. Housing structures such as transparent housing structures may have a colored coating. The colored coating may include an absorptive layer and a metal layer. The coating may exhibit a color that can be adjusted by adjusting the thickness of the thin absorptive layer. A colored layer such as a layer of colored polymer may be incorporated into the colored coating to further adjust the color of the coating. The colored coating may be formed on an inner or outer housing structure surface. The surface may have a texture to provide the coating with a matte appearance. When formed on an outer surface, a diamond-like carbon layer may protect the colored coating. When formed on an inner surface, a passivation layer may be used to prevent oxidation of the metal layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2022
    Publication date: September 29, 2022
    Inventors: Khadijeh Bayat, Yoshitaka Matsui, Naomi Sugawara, Daisuke Nozu, Xianwei Zhao, Avery P. Yuen, Martin Melcher, James R. Wilson, Di Fan
  • Patent number: D995533
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jody Akana, Molly Anderson, Bartley K. Andre, Shota Aoyagi, Anthony Michael Ashcroft, Marine C. Bataille, Jeremy Bataillou, Adam T. Clavelle, Erik Geddes Pieter De Jong, Markus Diebel, M. Evans Hankey, Julian Hoenig, Richard P. Howarth, Jonathan P. Ive, Julian Jaede, Duncan Robert Kerr, Martin Melcher, Peter Russell-Clarke, Benjamin Andrew Shaffer, Mikael Silvanto, Sung-Ho Tan, Clement Tissandier, Eugene Antony Whang, Rico Zörkendörfer
  • Patent number: D1018548
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jody Akana, Molly Anderson, Bartley K. Andre, Shota Aoyagi, Anthony Michael Ashcroft, Marine C. Bataille, Jeremy Bataillou, Adam T. Clavelle, Erik Geddes Pieter De Jong, Markus Diebel, M. Evans Hankey, Julian Hoenig, Richard P. Howarth, Jonathan P. Ive, Julian Jaede, Duncan Robert Kerr, Martin Melcher, Peter Russell-Clarke, Benjamin Andrew Shaffer, Mikael Silvanto, Sung-Ho Tan, Clement Tissandier, Eugene Antony Whang, Rico Zörkendörfer