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).
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Patent number: 10610157Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: November 16, 2018Date of Patent: April 7, 2020Assignee: Apple Inc.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
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Publication number: 20200081284Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: November 13, 2019Publication date: March 12, 2020Inventors: Martin Melcher, James R. Wilson, Clarisse Mazuir, David E. Kingman
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Publication number: 20200015390Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: May 3, 2019Publication date: January 9, 2020Inventors: Khadijeh Bayat, Yoshitaka Matsui, Naomi Sugawara, Daisuke Nozu, Xianwei Zhao, Avery P. Yuen, Martin Melcher, James R. Wilson, Di Fan
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Publication number: 20190383091Abstract: A system such as a vehicle system or building system may have an enclosing structure such as a wall that surrounds an interior region and separates the interior region from an exterior region. An occupant of the system may be located in the interior region. An adjustable window in the enclosing structure may be located between the interior and exterior regions. Control circuitry in the system may use an exterior sensor system in the exterior region to capture an image of the environment surrounding the system, to locate external objects such as light sources, and to make other measurements. User input can be gathered from the occupant of the system and the location of the occupant and inanimate objects in the interior region can be gathered using an interior sensor system. The control circuitry can adjust the window based on the gathered information.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 3, 2019Publication date: December 19, 2019Inventors: James R. Wilson, Martin Melcher, Christopher D. Jones
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Patent number: 10488686Abstract: 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: June 27, 2017Date of Patent: November 26, 2019Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Martin Melcher, James R. Wilson, Clarisse Mazuir, David E. Kingman
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Patent number: 10466392Abstract: A window or other component may have glass layers and an interposed polymer layer in which a textured light-scattering layer with a diffuse reflectivity is embedded. The textured light-scattering layer may have a textured polymer carrier film coated with a partially reflective layer such as a metal layer. The polymer carrier film may be textured to cause gaps to form within the partially reflective layer. The gaps may be patterned to form ohmic heating current paths or other signal paths through the partially reflective layer. The partially reflective layer may also serve as an electrode in a light modulator such as a liquid crystal light modulator or other light modulator. Images may be projected onto the textured light-scattering layer. The light-scattering layer may also help extract light from a light guiding layer adjacent to the partially reflective layer.Type: GrantFiled: August 16, 2017Date of Patent: November 5, 2019Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Martin Melcher, Christopher D. Jones, James R. Wilson, Matthew S. Rogers, Clarisse Mazuir, Gregory A. Cohoon, Matthew E. Last
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Patent number: 10453580Abstract: A system such as a vehicle may have windows. A window may have rigid clear layers such as layers of glass or rigid polymer. A polymer layer may be interposed between the rigid clear layers to form a laminated window structure. A conductive layer such as a silver layer or other metal layer in the window may be configured to block infrared light. The conductive layer may be patterned to form signal paths, a radio-transparent region, and other structures in a window. The conductive layer may be formed as a coating on a rigid clear window layer or may be formed on other window structures. The conductive layer may be patterned by removing conductive material from areas of the conductive layer. An insulating layer that visually matches the conductive layer may be formed in these areas without overlapping the conductive area.Type: GrantFiled: June 23, 2017Date of Patent: October 22, 2019Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: James R. Wilson, Christopher D. Jones, Martin Melcher
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Publication number: 20190263315Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: November 9, 2017Publication date: August 29, 2019Inventors: Martin MELCHER, Li-Ya YEH, Martin ARNDT, Christian EFFERTZ
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Patent number: 10336298Abstract: A transparent pane with a conductive coating extending at least over a part of the transparent pane surface, in particular over a visual field of the transparent pane is described. The conductive coating is electrically connected to at least two strip-shaped bus bars such that after application of a supply voltage, a current flows over a heating field formed by the conductive coating. The conductive coating has an electrical resistance such that upon application of a supply voltage in the range from more than 100 volts to 400 volts, a heating output from the heating field is in the range from 300 watt/m2 to 1000 watt/m2. The at least two strip-shaped bus bars have a maximum width of less than 5 mm and are dimensioned such that a maximum electrical power loss per unit of length is 10 watt/m. Moreover, the at least two strip-shaped bus bars have a specific resistivity ranging from 2 ?ohm·cm to 4 ?ohm·cm.Type: GrantFiled: July 6, 2011Date of Patent: July 2, 2019Assignee: SAINT-GOBAIN GLASS FRANCEInventors: Susanne Lisinski, Martin Melcher, Volkmar Offermann, Andreas Schlarb
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Patent number: 10314116Abstract: A heating system includes a conductive layer disposed on a pane surface of a glass pane, a first busbar extending along a first pane edge portion of the glass plane in electrical contact with the conductive layer, and a second busbar extending along a second pane edge portion of the glass plane in electrical contact with the conductive layer. Applying power to the first busbar causes current to travel from the first busbar along the conductive layer to the second busbar, heating the pane surface.Type: GrantFiled: May 15, 2017Date of Patent: June 4, 2019Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: David E. Kingman, Ibuki Kamei, James R. Wilson, John Raff, Martin Melcher
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Patent number: 10287207Abstract: The present invention relates to a pane with thermal radiation reflecting coating, comprising a substrate (1) and at least one thermal radiation reflecting coating (2) on at least one of the surfaces of the substrate (1), wherein the coating (2), proceeding from the substrate (1), comprises at least one lower dielectric layer (3), one functional layer (4) that contains at least one transparent, electrically conductive oxide, and one upper dielectric layer (5), and wherein at least one darkening layer (10) is arranged below the lower dielectric layer (3), between the lower dielectric layer (3) and the functional layer (4), between the functional layer (4) and the upper dielectric layer (5), and/or above the upper dielectric layer (5), and wherein the darkening layer (10) contains at least one metal, one metal nitride, and/or one metal carbide with a melting point greater than 1900° C. and a specific electrical resistivity less than 500 ?ohm*cm.Type: GrantFiled: December 19, 2013Date of Patent: May 14, 2019Assignee: SAINT-GOBAIN GLASS FRANCEInventors: Martin Melcher, Jan Hagen, Julia Vincent
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Patent number: 10286839Abstract: A system includes a space with at least one window separating an interior space from an exterior space; band-pass filter layers provided in the window and configured to block narrowband light; and a light source provided in the interior space and including at least red, green and blue light emitting diodes. The light source is configured to selectively provide broad spectrum white light and narrowband light blocked by the filter layers in the window, such that the interior space is visible from the exterior space through the window when illuminated by the broad spectrum light, but not visible when illuminated by the narrowband light.Type: GrantFiled: July 17, 2017Date of Patent: May 14, 2019Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Clarisse Mazuir, David E. Kingman, Martin Melcher
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Publication number: 20190101870Abstract: 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: November 16, 2018Publication date: April 4, 2019Inventors: 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
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Publication number: 20190072912Abstract: 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: August 30, 2018Publication date: March 7, 2019Inventors: 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
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Publication number: 20190069848Abstract: This disclosure describes a portable electronic device that includes a first housing component having an exterior-facing surface and an interior-facing surface; and a second housing component cooperating with the first housing component to define an interior volume. A seal fills an interface between the first and second housing components. Electrically conductive material that forms an electrically conductive pathway extends across portions of the interior and exterior-facing surfaces of the first housing component. The electrically conductive pathway is configured to transmit and/or receive signals or power between an exterior and interior of the portable electronic device.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 11, 2018Publication date: March 7, 2019Applicant: Apple Inc.Inventors: Adam T. Clavelle, Martin Melcher
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Patent number: 10177447Abstract: Methods and devices useful in radio frequency (RF) signal transmission are provided. By way of example, a wireless electronic device may include a transceiver, and an enclosure in which the transceiver is disposed. The enclosure may include an RF transparent layer and an RF opaque coating disposed on the RF transparent layer, where the RF opaque coating includes a pattern formed therein to enable RF signals to pass therethrough.Type: GrantFiled: September 20, 2017Date of Patent: January 8, 2019Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Yi Jiang, Jiangfeng Wu, Siwen Yong, Lijun Zhang, Mattia Pascolini, Martin Melcher, James Wilson
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Publication number: 20180244242Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: April 27, 2018Publication date: August 30, 2018Inventors: Susanne LISINSKI, Martin MELCHER, Andreas SCHLARB
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Patent number: 9981633Abstract: 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: May 3, 2012Date of Patent: May 29, 2018Assignee: SAINT-GOBAIN GLASS FRANCEInventors: Susanne Lisinski, Martin Melcher, Andreas Schlarb
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Publication number: 20180090825Abstract: Methods and devices useful in radio frequency (RF) signal transmission are provided. By way of example, a wireless electronic device may include a transceiver, and an enclosure in which the transceiver is disposed. The enclosure may include an RF transparent layer and an RF opaque coating disposed on the RF transparent layer, where the RF opaque coating includes a pattern formed therein to enable RF signals to pass therethrough.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 20, 2017Publication date: March 29, 2018Inventors: Yi Jiang, Jiangfeng Wu, Siwen Yong, Lijun Zhang, Mattia Pascolini, Martin Melcher, James Wilson
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Patent number: 9596719Abstract: A composite pane having an electrically heatable coating is described. The composite pane comprises: at least two individual panes; an intermediate layer, which connects the individual panes to one another; at least one transparent, electrically conductive coating on at least one side of at least one of the at least two individual panes, the at least one side faces the intermediate layer; and at least two bus bars, which are connected to the at least one transparent, electrically conductive coating, wherein a first bus bar is electrically connected to a first feed line provided for connection to one pole of a voltage source and a second bus bar is electrically connected to a second feed line provided for connection to the second pole of the voltage source.Type: GrantFiled: July 6, 2011Date of Patent: March 14, 2017Assignee: Saint-Gobain Glass FranceInventors: Volkmar Offermann, Andreas Schlarb, Martin Melcher, Susanne Lisinski