Patents Represented by Attorney Treyz Law Group
  • Patent number: 8174452
    Abstract: Wireless portable electronic devices such as laptop computers are provided with cavity-backed monopole antennas. A wireless device may have a housing. Conductive portions of the housing such as a conductive outer metal layer and internal frame structures may form a cavity having conductive walls. An antenna resonating element structure may be formed from monopole antenna resonating element arms of dissimilar lengths. One of the arms may be straight and another of the arms may be implemented using a meandering path. The antenna resonating element may be mounted over the cavity to form a cavity-backed monopole antenna. A display within the device may be covered by a cover glass. An opaque bezel region around the periphery of the cover glass may cover the antenna and block it from view. The antenna resonating element arms may run parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Enrique Ayala Vazquez, Hao Xu, Gregory A. Springer, Bing Chiang, Eduardo Lopez Camacho, Douglas B. Kough
  • Patent number: 8175556
    Abstract: Electronic devices such as cellular telephones may include wireless communications circuitry such as power amplifiers. Power amplifiers, transmission lines, and other circuit associated the power amplifiers may generate different amounts of heat depending on their operating frequency. High-heat-producing power amplifiers may be biased at lower bias voltages than low-heat-producing amplifiers to equalize temperatures and enhance performance. Performance may also be optimized by placing power amplifiers on a printed circuit board so that the high band amplifiers are placed in regions that can dissipate more heat, whereas low band amplifiers are placed in regions that dissipate less heat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Ronald William Dimpflmaier, William Jean Noellert
  • Patent number: 8170266
    Abstract: Portable computer structures are provided. The portable computer structures may include speaker grill structures. A speaker grill structure may be formed by creating an array of small holes (perforations) in a portable computer housing structure such as a planar housing wall. A speaker may be mounted adjacent to the array of holes. The planar housing wall may be formed in a block of milled aluminum and may have a thickness of less than 1 mm. The speaker holes may have with small diameters without overly attenuating sound from a speaker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Ron Hopkinson, John Raff, Bartley K. Andre, Chris Ligtenberg, Ruchi Goel
  • Patent number: 8171563
    Abstract: Systems and methods for secure messaging are provided. A sender may encrypt content and send the encrypted content to a recipient over a communications network. The encrypted content may be decrypted for the recipient using a remote decryption service. Encrypted message content may be placed into a markup language form. Encrypted content may be incorporated into the form as a hidden form element. Form elements for collecting recipient credential information such as username and password information may also be incorporated into the form. At the recipient, the recipient may use the form to provide recipient credential information to the remote decryption service. The recipient may also use the form to upload the encrypted content from the form to the decryption service. The decryption service may provide the recipient with access to a decrypted version of the uploaded content over the communications network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Voltage Security, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew J. Pauker, Rishi R. Kacker, Terence Spies, Lucas C. Ryan, Guido Appenzeller
  • Patent number: 8168319
    Abstract: Portable computer battery structures are provided. The portable computer battery structures may include a battery with a metal enclosure and a battery cable with a floating end. The battery may have six cells. Three pairs of parallel-connected cells may be connected together in series. The six cells may be substantially planar in shape. The battery may have a connector with at least five conductive pins and six recesses. The battery cable may have a cable with at least five conductive pins that mate with the five pins of the battery's connector and with six support pins that slide into the six recesses of the battery's connector. The batter connector may be formed on a printed circuit board substrate that folds over on itself.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Bradley L. Spare, Michael D. Hillman, Robert L. Coish, Chris Ligtenberg
  • Patent number: 8169374
    Abstract: A handheld electronic device may be provided that contains wireless communications circuitry. The handheld electronic device may have a housing and a display. The display may be attached to the housing using a conductive bezel. The handheld electronic device may have one or more antennas for supporting wireless communications. A ground plane in the handheld electronic device may serve as ground for one or more of the antennas. The ground plane and bezel may define a opening. A rectangular slot antenna or other suitable slot antenna may be formed from or within the opening. One or more antenna resonating elements may be formed above the slot. An electrical switch that bridges the slot may be used to modify the perimeter of the slot so as to tune the communications bands of the handheld electronic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Robert J. Hill, Robert W. Schlub, Ruben Caballero
  • Patent number: 8167126
    Abstract: A case for electronic devices having buttons may include button mechanisms that allow the case slide over an electronic device without impacting the buttons. Each button mechanism may include a sheet spring that biases the button mechanism away from the buttons. When a user presses the button mechanism, the button mechanism may transmit force from the user to one of the buttons and actuate that button. One type of button mechanism may transmit force that actuates a single push-button. A second type of button mechanism may transmit forces that actuate a rocker switch with two actuation modes such as a volume rocker with a volume up mode and a volume down mode. The button mechanisms may be configured to provide tactile feedback to the user that is similar to the tactile feedback of the electronic device's buttons when the electronic device is not mounted in the case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Kurt Stiehl
  • Patent number: 8171322
    Abstract: An electronic device may operate in standby and active modes. A headset may be coupled to the electronic device. The electronic device may have audio codec circuitry. The audio codec circuitry may use general purpose input-output circuitry in handling button and headset activity during active mode. Processing circuitry may be used to reconfigure the audio codec in real time. When the electronic device is in the standby mode and activity is detected, the codec may be configured to provide an interrupt signal to a power management unit that wakes the device. When the electronic device is in active mode and no user inputs are received within a given period of time, the central processor in the electronic device may place the device in standby mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Hugo Fiennes, Michael Victor Yeh, Xingqun Li
  • Patent number: 8171443
    Abstract: Computer-aided-design tools are provided that support real-time phase-locked loop reconfiguration with a single design compilation. Each design compilation may involve operations such as logic synthesis and place and route operations. A circuit designer who is designing an integrated circuit may supply circuit design data. The circuit design data may include design data for multiple configurations of a phase-locked loop. By using a phase-locked loop scan chain initialization file generator engine located in a CAD tool design input wizard, the computer-aided-design tools may produce multiple phase-locked loop initialization files without performing a design compilation. The CAD tools may process one or more initialization files and the circuit design data to produce output data. The output data may include configuration data to implement the circuit design.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventors: Ian Eu Meng Chan, Kumara Tharmalingam
  • Patent number: 8169806
    Abstract: Electronic devices such as portable electronic devices are provided. Power converters are provided that convert alternating-current power into direct-current power for powering the electronic devices. A power converter may rectify an alternating current line signal to produce a rectified alternating current signal having peaks and valleys. The power converter may have a capacitor and transformer coupled across the rectifier circuit. Power regulation switching circuitry in the power converter or the electronic device may regulate how much power is delivered to the electronic device. Relatively more power may be delivered during the peaks in the rectified signal than during the valleys. Pulsed power delivery may be controlled using control resources in the power converter, in the electronic device, or in both the power converter and electronic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Nicholas A. Sims, Jeffrey Terlizzi
  • Patent number: 8169373
    Abstract: Handheld electronic devices are provided that contain wireless communications circuitry. The wireless communications circuitry may include antenna structures. To accommodate manufacturing variations, the antenna structures and handheld electronic devices may be characterized by performing measurements such as antenna performance measurements. Appropriate antenna adjustments may be made during manufacturing of a handheld electronic device based on the characterizing measurements. An antenna may be formed using an inverted-F design in which an antenna flex circuit is mounted to a dielectric antenna support structure. Cavities in the support may be selectively filled with dielectric material and dielectric patches may be added to the antenna flex circuit to adjust the dielectric loading of the antenna. The length of a ground return path in the antenna may be adjusted by appropriate positioning of an electrical connector within the ground return path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Robert W. Schlub, Dean F. Darnell, Robert J. Hill, Teodor Dabov, Hui Leng Lim
  • Patent number: 8165642
    Abstract: Wireless circuitry in an electronic device may contain output power amplifier circuitry for amplifying transmitted radio-frequency signals. The power amplifier circuitry may be powered using a bias voltage. The magnitude of the bias voltage can be selectively reduced to conserve power. Control circuitry can maintain a table of bias voltage settings to use under various conditions. These conditions may include required output powers as determined by link quality, transmission mode status, and required data rates. When link quality is low or when high data rates are required, the bias voltage can be maintained at a relatively high level to ensure that the power amplifier operates linearly and does not exhibit excessive noise. When link quality is high or when data rates are low as with voice calls, the bias voltage can be reduced to conserve power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Ronald W. Dimpflmaier, Daniel C. Kong
  • Patent number: 8164932
    Abstract: A power converter is provided that has an alternating-current (AC) to direct-current (DC) switched-mode power converter circuit that converts alternating-current power into direct-current power for powering an attached electronic device. Power can be conserved by automatically placing the power converter circuit in a low-power standby mode of operation whenever the electronic device is detached from the power converter. A monitoring circuit can be powered by a capacitor or other energy storage element while the power converter is operating in the standby mode. If the monitoring circuit detects an output voltage change that is indicative of attachment of the electronic device or if the storage element needs to be replenished, the monitoring circuit can place the power converter circuit in an active mode of operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Nicholas A. Sims, Jeffrey Terlizzi
  • Patent number: 8159044
    Abstract: An integrated circuit is provided with a spiral inductor and a transition zone surrounding the spiral inductor. The transition zone may have a geometry that is substantially eight-sided or octagonal. Metal layers in the transition zone may have metal fill that is substantially octagonal and arranged in rows and columns. If desired, square or rectangular metal fill be tiled with the substantially octagonal metal fill. Metal layers may also contain halved or quartered octagonal metal fill. Substrate in the transition zone may have octagonal substrate regions separated by shallow trench isolation regions. A polysilicon layer above the substrate may have square regions of polysilicon fill directly above the shallow trench regions in the substrate. Such arrangements may provide more uniform densities in transition zones with certain geometries.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventors: Shuxian Chen, Fangyun Richter, Bradley Jensen, Yowjuang (Bill) Liu
  • Patent number: 8159399
    Abstract: Antenna diversity systems are provided for portable electronic devices that have wireless communications circuitry and environment sensors. The wireless communications circuitry may include multiple redundant antennas that operate in one or more overlapping radio-frequency communications bands. The environment sensors and redundant antennas may be used in implementing an antenna diversity system. For example, an electronic device may use environment sensors to select an antenna for use in handling wireless communications. The electronic devices may monitor the wireless performance of an active antenna. When the wireless performance of the active antenna degrades, the electronic devices may select a new antenna for wireless communications using the antenna diversity system and environment sensors. Antenna selection may also be made based on which features are being used in the electronic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: John G. Dorsey, Douglas B. Kough
  • Patent number: 8159777
    Abstract: A hard drive for a portable electronic device is provided that contains a multipurpose circuit board. The multipurpose circuit board may be mounted within a hard drive housing. System components and hard drive controller components may be mounted to the multipurpose circuit board. The multipurpose circuit board may be formed from a rigid flex structure or other structure that is able to accommodate translation of the multipurpose circuit board relative to the remainder of the portable electronic device in the event of an impact event. Components may be mounted to the multipurpose board in accordance with their heights. The portable electronic device may include components such as a battery, display, buttons, and other input-output devices that are connected to the multipurpose circuit board via flex circuit portions of a rigid flex or other electrical paths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen P. Zadesky, Christopher D. Prest, Stephen Brian Lynch
  • Patent number: 8161429
    Abstract: A serial communications protocol is provided that has optional link initialization features such as an optional automatic lane polarity reversal feature and an optional automatic lane order reversal feature. A user that desires to create a protocol-compliant integrated circuit design can either choose to include or to not include the optional features. Integrated circuits in which the optional serial communications link features are implemented are able to perform the lane polarity reversal and lane order reversal functions. Integrated circuits in which the optional serial communications link features have not been implemented are not able to perform these functions, but can be fabricated using fewer circuit resources.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventors: Allen Chan, Faisal Dada, Karl Lu, Bryon Moyer, Samson Tan, Venkat Yadavalli, Arye Ziklik
  • Patent number: 8152565
    Abstract: A portable electronic device may have a sealed connector secured within a device housing. The sealed connector may have a metal shell. A plastic contact housing may be insert molded within the shell. Conductive signal contacts may be laterally spaced in the contact housing. An elastomeric gasket may be assembled or compression molded onto the metal shell. Left and right metal brackets may be welded onto the metal shell to moisture-seal latch windows. A water-resistant sealing layer may be attached to the bottom plate of the metal shell to moisture-seal alignment rail windows. The sealed connector may be pressed against the device housing to place the gasket in a compressed state. The connector may be secured to the device housing by screwing down the metal brackets to a circuit board assembled within the housing while the gasket is in the compressed state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Mathias Schmidt, Eric Jol
  • Patent number: 8154942
    Abstract: Circuitry on an integrated circuit is provided that may be used to program fuses such as polysilicon fuses. Fuse programming may be performed using an elevated power supply voltage. Other circuitry on the integrated circuit may be powered using a standard power supply voltage that is less than the elevated power supply voltage. Fuse sensing may be performed using the standard power supply voltage. A control block may be used to produce a fuse programming control signal. Power-on-reset circuitry may monitor the elevated power supply voltage and may produce a corresponding elevated power supply voltage power-on-reset signal indicative of whether the elevated power supply voltage is valid. The power-on-reset circuitry may also produce a standard power supply power-on-reset signal indicative of whether the standard power supply voltage is valid. The power-on-reset signals may be used in controlling fuse programming and fuse sensing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventors: Ping Xiao, Weiying Ding, Myron Wai Wong, Mario E. Guzman
  • Patent number: 8154912
    Abstract: Memory elements are provided that exhibit immunity to soft error upset events when subjected to high-energy atomic particle strikes. The memory elements may each have ten transistors including two address transistors and four transistor pairs that are interconnected to form a bistable element. Clear lines such as true and complement clear lines may be routed to positive power supply terminals and ground power supply terminals associated with certain transistor pairs. During clear operations, some or all of the transistor pairs can be selectively depowered using the clear lines. This facilitates clear operations in which logic zero values are driven through the address transistors and reduces cross-bar current surges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventor: Bruce B. Pedersen