Patents Assigned to Apple Computer
  • Blending arbitrary overlaying images into panoramas
    Patent number: 6359617
    Abstract: An improved apparatus and method for creating high quality virtual reality panoramas is disclosed that yields dramatic improvements during the authoring and projecting cycles, with speeds up to several orders of magnitude faster than prior systems. In a preferred embodiment, a series of rectilinear images taken from a plurality of rows are pairwise registered with one another, and locally optimized using a pairwise objective function (local error function) that minimizes certain parameters in a projective transformation, using an improved iterative procedure. The local error function values for the pairwise registrations are then saved and used to construct a quadratic surface to approximate a global optimization function (global error function). The chain rule is used to avoid the direct evaluation of the global objective function, saving computation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2002
    Assignee: Apple Computer, Inc.
    Inventor: Yalin Xiong
  • Housing for a computing device
    Patent number: 6357887
    Abstract: Improved housing for a computing device is disclosed. The improved housing is provided with one of an illuminable connector, a touch pad arrangement, and a palm rest stiffening plate. Normally, the illuminable connector and the touch pad arrangement are provided on external portions of a housing of the computing device such that they are available for user interaction. The palm rest stiffening plate is provided internal to a housing to provide stiffness or rigidity to a palm rest region of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2002
    Assignee: Apple Computers, Inc.
    Inventor: Chris J. Novak
  • Method and system for providing multiple glyphs at a time from a font scaler sub-system
    Patent number: 6356268
    Abstract: A method and system for providing multiple typographic glyph data items to a requesting client from a font scaler sub-system. The method and system includes accepting a request from the client that describes multiple glyphs and a destination memory in which to store the glyphs. From the request, a transaction message is formed and transmitted to a scaler server using an application program interface. The scaler server then generates the multiple glyph data items from the descriptions of the multiple glyphs, and stores the glyph data items directly into the destination memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2002
    Assignee: Apple Computer, Inc.
    Inventors: Alexander B. Beaman, Michael R. Reed
  • Method for dynamic presentation of the contents topically rich capsule overviews corresponding to the plurality of documents, resolving co-referentiality in document segments
    Patent number: 6353824
    Abstract: A method for the dynamic presentation of the contents of a plurality of documents on a display is disclosed. The method comprises receiving a plurality of documents and providing a plurality of topically rich capsule overviews corresponding to the plurality of documents. The method also includes dynamically delivering document content encapsulated in the plurality of capsule overviews. In so doing, the method in accordance with the present invention can present thematic capsule overviews of the documents to users. The capsule overviews, delivered in a variety of dynamic presentation modes, allow the user to quickly get a sense of what a document is about, and decide whether they want to read it in more detail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2002
    Assignee: Apple Computer, Inc.
    Inventors: Branimir Boguraev, Rachel Katherine Emma Bellamy, Yin Yin Wong
  • Encapsulated network entity reference of a network component system for integrating object oriented software components
    Patent number: 6344855
    Abstract: A network-oriented component system efficiently accesses information from a network resource located on a computer network by creating an encapsulated network entity that contains a reference to that resource. The encapsulated entity is preferably implemented as a network component stored on a computer remotely displaced from the referenced resource. In addition, the encapsulated entity may be manifested as a visual object on a graphical user interface of a computer screen. Such visual manifestation allows a user to easily manipulate the entity in order to display the contents of the resource on the screen or to electronically forward the entity over the network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2002
    Assignee: Apple Computer, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen Fisher, Michael A. Cleron, Timo Bruck
  • Method and system for supporting multiprocessor TLB-purge instructions using directed write transactions
    Patent number: 6345352
    Abstract: A method and system for purging translation lookaside buffers (TLB) of a computer system are described. Directed write transactions can be used to avoid deadlock and avoid the need for additional bridge buffers. Broadcast emulation can be achieved by linking the nodes in a doubly-linked list and having neighboring nodes notify each other of changes in TLB entries.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2002
    Assignee: Apple Computer, Inc.
    Inventors: David V. James, Donald N. North
  • Generation of tone reproduction curves using psychophysical data
    Patent number: 6345128
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to producing and reproducing an image using a tone reproduction curve which has been selected based on statistical evaluation of psychophysical data, such as psychophysically quantified subjective judgements. By providing a controlled acquisition and evaluation of psychophysical data to select a tone reproduction curve, visually improved imagery can be assured. Further, once a procedure for controlled acquisition and statistical evaluation of psychophysical data has been established for a given environment, lesser skilled technicians can be used to carry out selection of a tone reproduction curve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2002
    Assignee: Apple Computer, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael Stokes
  • Real-time signal processing system for serially transmitted data
    Patent number: 6343263
    Abstract: A data transmission system having a real-time data engine for processing isochronous streams of data includes an interface device that provides a physical and logical connection of a computer to any one or more of a variety of different types of data networks. Data received at this device is presented to a serial driver, which disassembles different streams of data for presentation to appropriate data managers. A device handler associated with the interface device sets up data flow paths, and also presents data and commands from the data managers to a real-time data processing engine. Flexibility to handle any type of data, such as voice, facsimile, video and the like, that is transmitted over any type of communication network with any type of real-time engine is made possible by abstracting the functions of each of the elements of the system from one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 1994
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2002
    Assignee: Apple Computer, Inc.
    Inventors: James B. Nichols, John Lynch
  • Method and apparatus for updating and synchronizing information between a client and a server
    Publication number: 20020010739
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for integrating applets running on a client with the application logic for applications running on a server. The mechanism of the present invention provides two significant advantages over the prior art: the synchronization of state, and the recognition of user actions in the browser including the invocation of the appropriate application logic in the server. Instead of using the FORM element available in HTML, individual active applets are available and may be created that obtain user input (e.g. a checkbox, textbox, button, etc.). A hidden applet called the Applet Group Controller is created which handles communication between the applets on the browser and the application logic on the server. The Applet Group Controller maintains an association with each applet that maintains the keys and values of any parameters and variables for the applet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2001
    Publication date: January 24, 2002
    Applicant: APPLE COMPUTER, INC.
    Inventors: Michael Ferris, Nicolas Popp, Scott Forstall, Charles D'Harcourt
  • Connector having a cable that is relatively moveable about an axis
    Patent number: 6338645
    Abstract: The invention includes a cable assembly housing. The cable assembly housing may include a main shell that defines a first cavity. The main shell may have a collar. The cable assembly may also include a cable shell that defines a second cavity. The cable shell may have a neck disposed between a mating surface and a flange. The flange of the cable shell may be disposed through the collar and inside the first cavity. The cable shell may be located in different positions relative to the main shell and locked against relative motion by detents and slots.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2002
    Assignee: Apple Computer, Inc.
    Inventors: Tang Yew Tan, Richard P. Howarth, Lawrence A. Barham, Gregory L. Tice, Steven G. Siefert, Donald J. Novotney
  • Memory control device with split read for ROM access
    Patent number: 6336166
    Abstract: In a computer memory system, memory access operations are significantly enhanced by employing a data path between the read only memory (ROM) and the system processor that is separate and independent from the data path or paths between the system processor and the random access memory (i.e., RAM or DRAM). The separate ROM data path includes a full cache line buffer which stores the ROM data until the system data bus is available to transport the ROM data. With a separate ROM data path, that includes a full cache line buffer, memory access operations are more efficiently conducted because a RAM access (i.e., a read or write operation) and a ROM access (i.e., a read operation) can be executed concurrently.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2002
    Assignee: Apple Computer, Inc.
    Inventor: James D. Kelly
  • Method and apparatus for generating an alignment control vector
    Patent number: 6334176
    Abstract: The data processing system loads three input operands, including two input vectors and a control vector, into vector registers and performs a permutation of the two input vectors as specified by the control vector, and further stores the result of the operation as the output operand in an output register. The control vector consists of sixteen indices, each uniquely identifying a single byte of input data in either of the input registers, and can be specified in the operational code or be the result of a computation previously performed within the vector registers. The control vector is specified by calculating the offset of a selected vector element of the input vector relative to a base address of the input vector and loading each element with an index equal to the relative offset. Alternatively, the generation of the alignment vector is made by performing a look-up within a look-up table.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2001
    Assignees: Motorola, Inc., International Business Machines Corporation, Apple Computer, Inc.
    Inventors: Hunter Ledbetter Scales, III, Keith Everett Diefendorff, Brett Olsson, Pradeep Kumar Dubey, Ronald Ray Hochsprung
  • Intelligent scrolling
    Patent number: 6331863
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for intelligent scrolling. In a computer system that has a user interface which allows for the movement of items from a first open window to a second open window or to a second region, such as a desktop, the present invention allows a user to select one or more items in the first window, move the selected item(s) to within a predetermined distance from an edge of the first window for a predetermined period of time and cause the viewable portion of the data and/or document within the first window to scroll in a corresponding direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2001
    Assignee: Apple Computer, Inc.
    Inventors: John R. Meier, John Sullivan, Paul Mercer
  • Table
    Patent number: D453082
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2002
    Assignee: Apple Computer, Inc.
    Inventors: Tim Kobe, Wilhelm Oehl, Mike Ely, Mike Dolan
  • User interface for a computer display
    Patent number: D453166
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2002
    Assignee: Apple Computer, Inc.
    Inventor: Bas Ording
  • User interface for computer display
    Patent number: D453937
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2002
    Assignee: Apple Computer, Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy E. Wasko, Bas Ording
  • Power adapter
    Patent number: D454110
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2002
    Assignee: Apple Computer, Inc.
    Inventors: Bartley K. Andre, Daniel J. Coster, Daniele De Iuliis, Richard P. Howarth, Jonathan P. Ive, Steven P. Jobs, Duncan Robert Kerr, Matthew Dean Rohrbach, Douglas B. Satzger, Calvin Q. Seid, Christopher J. Stringer, Eugene Anthony Whang
  • Keyboard
    Patent number: D454566
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2002
    Assignee: Apple Computer, Inc.
    Inventors: Bartley K. Andre, Daniel J. Coster, Daniele De Iuliis, Richard P. Howarth, Jonathan P. Ive, Duncan Robert Kerr, Matthew Dean Rohrbach, Douglas B. Satzger, Calvin Q. Seid, Christopher J. Stringer, Eugene Anthony Whang
  • Mouse
    Patent number: D454568
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2002
    Assignee: Apple Computer, Inc.
    Inventors: Bartley K. Andre, Daniel J. Coster, Daniele De Iuliis, Richard P. Howarth, Jonathan P. Ive, Duncan Robert Kerr, Matthew Dean Rohrbach, Douglas B. Satzger, Calvin Q. Seid, Christopher J. Stringer, Eugene Anthony Whang
  • User interface for computer display
    Patent number: D454574
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2002
    Assignee: Apple Computer, Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy E. Wasko, Bas Ording