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: 10978777Abstract: A system such as a vehicle may have windows. A window may have a structural window layer formed from one or more glass layers. A conductive coating such as an infrared-light blocking coating or other optical filter layer may be formed on the window. The conductive coating may include one or more silver layers or other conductive material. Unpatterned portions of the conductive coating are conductive along orthogonal dimensions. A region of the conductive coating may have parallel line-shaped openings that render the coating conductive in only a single dimension while enhancing radio transparency. Another region of the conductive coating may have a two-dimensional pattern of openings such as a mesh-shaped opening formed from intersecting straight and/or curved lines. In this region, the coating is locally rendered insulating and radio-frequency transparent. Antennas and ohmic heating elements may be formed in the coating.Type: GrantFiled: July 11, 2018Date of Patent: April 13, 2021Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Yi Jiang, Jiangfeng Wu, Siwen Yong, Lijun Zhang, Mattia Pascolini, James R. Wilson, Martin Melcher
-
Publication number: 20210076525Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: September 9, 2019Publication date: March 11, 2021Inventors: Jiahui Liang, Anirban Das, Jungyup Kim, Martin Melcher, Srinivasan Varadharajan, Wolf Oetting
-
Publication number: 20210048565Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: July 17, 2020Publication date: February 18, 2021Inventors: Brian S. Tryon, Lijie Bao, Martin Melcher, Sonja R. Postak
-
Publication number: 20200387723Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: August 21, 2020Publication date: December 10, 2020Applicant: Apple Inc.Inventors: Clarisse Mazuir, Malcolm J. Northcott, Jack E. Graves, James R. Wilson, Christopher D. Jones, Martin Melcher
-
Patent number: 10852573Abstract: A system such as a vehicle may have window that exhibit adjustable transparency. The windows may include liquid crystal devices and polymer dispersed liquid crystal devices that exhibit adjustable amounts of light transmission and haze. An optical property of a window such as window transparency may be modulated using an alternating-current modulation waveform. Modulation of the transparency of the window may be synchronized with modulated light output from a light source. The light source may be located inside the vehicle or may be located outside of the vehicle. By synchronizing the modulation of the transparency of the window with the light source output, privacy may be enhanced or glare may be reduced.Type: GrantFiled: November 13, 2019Date of Patent: December 1, 2020Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Martin Melcher, James R. Wilson, Clarisse Mazuir, David E. Kingman
-
Patent number: 10850666Abstract: A system such as a vehicle may have windows. A window may be provided with a light modular or other active layer having an electrically adjustable optical property. The active layer may have a pair of electrodes. The electrodes may be used to apply electric fields across the active layer to adjust the active layer. A lower sheet resistance electrode may be supplied with a current to ohmically heat the active layer. A higher sheet resistance electrode may be supplied with a voltage gradient to create a gradient in light transmission or other optical property as a function of distance across the higher sheet resistance electrode. The electrodes may be provided with terminals that are formed from elongated strips of metal or other terminal structures. The terminals may run along the peripheral edges of the electrodes.Type: GrantFiled: June 23, 2017Date of Patent: December 1, 2020Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Martin Melcher, James R. Wilson, Khadijeh Bayat
-
Publication number: 20200363362Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: August 4, 2020Publication date: November 19, 2020Inventors: Martin Melcher, Christopher D. Jones, James R. Wilson
-
Publication number: 20200346527Abstract: A system such as a vehicle may have windows. A window may have a structural window layer such as a structural window layer formed from laminated glass layers. A thin chemically strengthened glass layer may be coupled to an inwardly facing surface of the structural window layer. A guest-host liquid crystal light modulator layer or other electrically adjustable optical component layer may be interposed between the chemically strengthened glass layer and the structural window layer. An infrared light-blocking coating may be formed on an inwardly facing surface of one of the pair of laminated glass layers. The inwardly facing surface of the thin chemically strengthened glass layer may be provided with a coating that includes a low emissivity layer to block heat and that serves as an antireflection coating.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 15, 2020Publication date: November 5, 2020Inventors: Peter F. Masschelein, Martin Melcher, Derek C. Scott, David E. Kingman
-
Patent number: 10787153Abstract: A composite pane is described. The composite pane has a first pane, at least one intermediate layer, a second pane, a transparent, electrically conductive first coating between the intermediate layer and the first pane and/or between the intermediate layer and the second pane, a first busbar and a second busbar, and a transparent, electrically conductive second coating.Type: GrantFiled: April 27, 2018Date of Patent: September 29, 2020Assignee: SAINT-GOBAIN GLASS FRANCEInventors: Susanne Lisinski, Martin Melcher, Andreas Schlarb
-
Patent number: 10755123Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: May 15, 2018Date of Patent: August 25, 2020Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Clarisse Mazuir, Malcolm J. Northcott, Jack E. Graves, James R. Wilson, Christopher D. Jones, Martin Melcher
-
Patent number: 10739292Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: July 14, 2017Date of Patent: August 11, 2020Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Martin Melcher, Christopher D. Jones, James R. Wilson
-
Patent number: 10730368Abstract: A system such as a vehicle may have windows. A window may have a structural window layer such as a structural window layer formed from laminated glass layers. A thin chemically strengthened glass layer may be coupled to an inwardly facing surface of the structural window layer. A guest-host liquid crystal light modulator layer or other electrically adjustable optical component layer may be interposed between the chemically strengthened glass layer and the structural window layer. An infrared light-blocking coating may be formed on an inwardly facing surface of one of the pair of laminated glass layers. The inwardly facing surface of the thin chemically strengthened glass layer may be provided with a coating that includes a low emissivity layer to block heat and that serves as an antireflection coating.Type: GrantFiled: June 28, 2018Date of Patent: August 4, 2020Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Peter F. Masschelein, Martin Melcher, Derek C. Scott, David E. Kingman
-
Publication number: 20200229761Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: April 6, 2020Publication date: July 23, 2020Inventors: 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: 10703253Abstract: A vehicle window for separating a vehicle interior from outer surroundings, includes glass pane with a light guide body made of glass on a region of the interior-side surface of the glass pane, wherein the surface of the light guide body facing the glass pane and the surface facing away from the glass pane enclose a wedge angle such that the thickness of the light guide body decreases in the direction from a lower edge to an upper edge of the glass pane, wherein the light guide body is secured to the interior-side surface of the glass pane by means of laser welding.Type: GrantFiled: November 9, 2017Date of Patent: July 7, 2020Assignee: SAINT-GOBAIN GLASS FRANCEInventors: Martin Melcher, Li-Ya Yeh, Martin Arndt, Christian Effertz
-
Publication number: 20200207188Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: March 11, 2020Publication date: July 2, 2020Inventors: Christopher D. Jones, Ibuki Kamei, James R. Wilson, Clarisse Mazuir, John Raff, Budhadipta Dan, David E. Kingman, Martin Melcher
-
Publication number: 20200211795Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: May 9, 2019Publication date: July 2, 2020Inventors: 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: 20200181007Abstract: An electronic device may include electrical components mounted within a housing. The device may have a display on a front face of the device that is covered with a glass structure and may have a glass structure that forms part of the housing on a rear face of the device. The housing may also have a sidewall formed from glass, metal, or other materials. The glass structures of the electronic device may have a surface that is covered with an antiscratch layer, an antireflection layer, or other coating. A spiral grain polycrystalline material may form a coating on the surface of the glass structures to help avoid fracturing of the glass structures when the electronic device is dropped or otherwise subjected to stress.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 28, 2019Publication date: June 11, 2020Inventors: Tyler A. Marshall, Martin Melcher, Matthew S. Rogers
-
Patent number: 10625580Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: July 17, 2017Date of Patent: April 21, 2020Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Christopher D. Jones, Ibuki Kamei, James R. Wilson, Clarisse Mazuir, John Raff, Budhadipta Dan, David E. Kingman, Martin Melcher
-
Patent number: D894192Type: GrantFiled: September 17, 2018Date of Patent: August 25, 2020Assignee: 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: D899429Type: GrantFiled: August 30, 2018Date of Patent: October 20, 2020Assignee: 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