Patents Assigned to Apple, Inc.
  • Patent number: 11950084
    Abstract: An audio engine is provided for acoustically rendering a three-dimensional virtual environment. The audio engine uses geometric volumes to represent sound sources and any sound occluders. A volumetric response is generated based on sound projected from a volumetric sound source to a listener, taking into consideration any volumetric occluders in-between. The audio engine also provides for modification of a level of detail of sound over time based on distance between a listener and a sound source. Other aspects are also described and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: David Thall, Christopher A. Wolfe, James E. McCartney
  • Patent number: 11950354
    Abstract: This application relates to a layout of components within an electronic device. The electronic device includes a circuit board and one or more thermal components located on or proximate to each surface of the circuit board. As a result, thermal energy generated by components of the circuit board are drawn away from the circuit board in a more efficient manner. Additionally, the electronic device may include one or more air movers designed to draw ambient air into the electronic device in a manner that causes the ambient air to cool components upstream from the air movers. Further, the electronic device includes a fin stack that is thermally coupled to the aforementioned thermal components, and further receives air driven in by the air mover(s). Also, the electronic device is designed to receive the ambient air through openings that define a 360-degree air inlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Kristopher P. Laurent, Brett W. Degner, Jay S. Nigen, Eric R. Prather, David H. Narajowski
  • Patent number: 11950208
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and circuitries are provided for performing sidelink communication. An example method indicates a frequency resource reservation in sidelink control information (SCI). The method includes identifying a transport block (TB) for transmission to a UE; determining a total number of sub-channels (NSL) in a resource pool for sidelink communication, a number of sub-channels (Lsub) of the TB, a first starting sub-channel index x1 of a first retransmission of the TB, and a second starting sub-channel index x2 of a second retransmission of the TB. The method includes determining a frequency resource indication value (FRIV) based on NSL, LSUB, x1, and x2, wherein the FRIV represents a result of a predetermined function of Lsub, x1, and x2 that generates a unique value for possible combinations of Lsub, x1, and x2. The FRIV is encoded in SCI and the SCI is transmitted to the UE.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Chunhai Yao, Chunxuan Ye, Dawei Zhang, Wei Zeng, Yushu Zhang, Hong He, Haitong Sun, Weidong Ynag, Oghenekome Oteri, Yuchul Kim, Yang Tang, Jie Cui
  • Patent number: 11950230
    Abstract: The present application relates to devices and components including apparatus, systems, and methods for control signaling and reference signal transmission in wireless networks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Hong He, Chunhai Yao, Chunxuan Ye, Dawei Zhang, Haitong Sun, Huaning Niu, Jie Cui, Oghenekome Oteri, Seyed Ali Akbar Fakoorian, Sigen Ye, Wei Zeng, Weidong Yang, Yushu Zhang
  • Patent number: 11950263
    Abstract: A user equipment (UE) transmits concurrent channel state information (CSI) processing capability information to a base station. The capability information can take various forms, and is intended to constrain the base station in the types of CSI requests that can be made to the UE. For example, the UE may indicate different CSI processing capabilities for intra-CC and inter-CC cases and/or for different codebook types. The UE may also specify supported combinations of codebook types for concurrent CSI reporting. The UE may also specify maximum resources or weighting factors for different codebook types. The UE may further restrict the rank information it provides and use a priority rule for “dropping” CSI report data due to payload size restrictions. The base station may direct, or the UE may implement, improved utilization of CSI resources that are shared for multiple concurrent CSI reports. Minimum time requirements for CSI reporting may also be relaxed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Chunhai Yao, Chunxuan Ye, Dawei Zhang, Ghaith N Hattab, Haitong Sun, Hong He, Ismael Gutierrez Gonzalez, Oghenekome Oteri, Wei Zeng, Weidong Yang, Yeong-Sun Hwang, Yuchul Kim, Yushu Zhang
  • Patent number: 11950101
    Abstract: An embodiment includes a method to increase the efficiency of security checkpoint operations. A security checkpoint kiosk serves as a Relying Party System (RPS). The RPS establishes a secure local connection between the RPS and a User Mobile-Identification-Credential Device (UMD). The RPS sends a user information request to the UMD, via the secure local connection, seeking release of user information associated with a Mobile Identification Credential (MIC). The RPS obtains authentication of the user information received in response to the user information request. The RPS retrieves user travel information based on the user information. The RPS determines that the user travel information matches the user information. When the user travel information matches the user information, the RPS approves the user to proceed past the security checkpoint kiosk.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Haya Iris Villanueva Gaviola, Gianpaolo Fasoli, Vinay Ganesh, Irene M. Graff, Martijn Theo Haring, Ahmer A. Khan, Franck Farian Rakotomalala, Gordon Y. Scott, Ho Cheung Chung, Antonio Allen, Mayura Dhananjaya Deshpande, Thomas John Miller, Christopher Sharp, David W. Silver, Policarpo B. Wood, Ka Yang
  • Patent number: 11950146
    Abstract: Techniques to configure a user equipment (UE) for a multi-connectivity handover with a source base station (SBS) and a target base station (TBS) include encoding a measurement report for transmission to the SBS. The measurement report is triggered based on a measurement event configured by the SBS. Radio resource control (RRC) signaling from the SBS is decoded, the RRC signaling including a handover command in response to the measurement report. The handover command includes an indication for multi-connectivity support by the SBS and the TBS during the handover. A first protocol stack associated with the SBS and a second protocol stack associated with the TBS are configured at the UE. A packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) protocol data unit (PDU) received at the UE during the handover is processed using the first protocol stack or the second protocol stack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Candy Yiu, Yujian Zhang, Yi Guo, Jaemin Han
  • Patent number: 11950151
    Abstract: Some embodiments of this disclosure include apparatuses and methods for applying mobility robustness optimization (MRO) and automatic network slice creation in 5G Self-Organizing Networks (SON). A network system may identify user equipment (UE) performing a handover from a first node to a second node. The network system may apply a MRO function to identify a target parameter corresponding to the handover. The network system may monitor connection measurements and/or radio link failure reports to identify the handover as failing to meet the target parameter. The network system may then modify the target parameter to facilitate the handover to the second node. For the automatic creation of a network slice instance (NSI), a network system may receive network slice specifications and apply the specifications to an automatic NSI creation function. The network system may instantiate network functions according to the automatic NSI creation function to create an NSI.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Joey Chou, Yizhi Yao
  • Patent number: 11950154
    Abstract: The present application relates to devices and components including apparatus, systems, and methods to perform a switch of a TCI state from a serving cell to a neighbor cell. A UE determines whether the state of the neighbor cell is known or unknown and whether the neighbor cell's TCI state is known or unknown. The total delay time to perform the TCI state switch can impacted by this the known/unknown statuses. Other factors can also contribute to the total delay time. The UE may also signal its capability to monitor the TCI state of the neighbor cell and its capability to switch to such a TCI state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Manasa Raghavan, Yushu Zhang, Dawei Zhang, Haitong Sun, Huaning Niu, Jie Cui, Qiming Li, Xiang Chen, Yang Tang
  • Patent number: 11950183
    Abstract: Various embodiments are generally directed to network slice selector (NSS). In one embodiment, for example, an evolved node B (cNB) may include a processor circuit, and an NSS for execution by the processor circuit to allocate a network slice (NS) to a user equipment (UE). The NS may comprise one or more virtual network function(s) (VNF). In one implementation, a VNF takes on the responsibility of handing specific network functions run on one or more virtual machines (VM) associated with hardware networking infrastructures, such as routers, switches, etc. Individual VNFs may be combined or connected together to provide a complete networking communication service for UEs. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Meghashree Dattatri Kedalagudde, Ana Lucia Pinheiro, Puneet Jain, Vivek Gupta
  • Patent number: 11949462
    Abstract: A communication system may an optical signal generator and a signal path. The generator may generate one or more optical local oscillator (LO) signals and an optical frequency comb. Optical paths and an optical demultiplexer may distribute the optical LO signal(s) and the frequency comb to photodiodes in one or more access points. The photodiodes may be coupled to antenna radiating elements. The optical paths may illuminate each photodiode using a signal pair that includes one of the optical LO signals and one of the carriers from the frequency comb. The photodiodes may convey wireless signals using the antenna radiating elements at frequencies given by the differences in frequency between the signals in the signal pairs. The radiating elements may concurrently convey the wireless signals with different external devices at different frequencies, with different devices at the same frequency, and/or with the same device at the same frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Bertram R Gunzelmann, Zdravko Boos
  • Publication number: 20240104814
    Abstract: Embodiments of systems and methods for using electronic diffusers to implement message indicators are described. A segment of a diffuser attached to an electronic device is configured to indicate an informational message in response to signals that result in a change to an optical property. A set of information to be displayed using the segment is determined, and a signal is transmitted to the segment to display the information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2023
    Publication date: March 28, 2024
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Joel S. Armstrong-Muntner
  • Publication number: 20240105639
    Abstract: Structures, methods, and apparatus for protecting interconnections between components and boards in an electronic device from damage resulting from a physical shock. This damage can occur due to differential tensile forces being applied between the component and the board during a drop or other shock event. An example can reduce or prevent damage by providing differential compression forces between the component and board that can cancel differential tensile forces between the component and board during the shock event. Another example can reduce or prevent damage by reducing differential tensile forces between a component and board. Another example can secure a component to the board to directly reduce the differential force in order to prevent damage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2022
    Publication date: March 28, 2024
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Helia Rahmani, Stephane J. Marcadet, Scott J. Campbell, Zhiyong C. Xia, Stephen V. Jayanathan, Vineet Negi, Christian Kettenbeil
  • Publication number: 20240103840
    Abstract: Embodiments described herein provide a system and method for secure delivery of assets to a trusted device. Multiple levels of verification are implemented to enable components of a software update and asset delivery system to verify other components within the system. Furthermore, updates are provided only to client devices that are authorized to receive such updates. In one embodiment, the specific assets provided to a client device during a software update can be tailored to the client device, such that individual client devices can receive updated versions of software asset at a faster or slower rate than mass market devices. For example, developer or beta tester devices can receive pre-release assets, while enterprise devices can receive updates at a slower rate relative to mass market devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2023
    Publication date: March 28, 2024
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Dallas B. De Atley, Bailey E. Basile, Venkat V. Memula, Thomas P. Mensch, Robert M. Marini, David P. Remahl, Kelsey J. Skillman, Edward E. Thomas
  • Publication number: 20240103352
    Abstract: An electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes a camera module having an optical axis and a set of one or more lenses centered along the optical axis. The electronic device also includes a display panel including an enhanced light transmission region. The enhanced light transmission region permits a greater amount of light to pass therethrough compared to at least one other region of the display panel. The electronic device further includes a display printed circuit board (PCB). In addition, the electronic device includes an aperture stop positioned between the set of one or more lenses and the display panel. The electronic device includes a transparent cover positioned over the display panel on an opposite side of the display panel from the display PCB. The electronic device also includes a housing configured to retain the camera module, the display panel, the display PCB, and the aperture stop therein.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2023
    Publication date: March 28, 2024
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Noah D Bedard, Yoshikazu Shinohara, Ryan J Dunn
  • Publication number: 20240102712
    Abstract: Described herein are techniques for coordinated operation of refrigerant climate control systems in an optimized manner. In an example process, climate control information for a plurality of refrigerant climate control systems is maintained. An energy optimization signal is received that describes a characteristic associated with an electrical energy source. A set of control signals is generated for a set of refrigerant climate control systems based on climate control information and the energy optimization information. The set of control signals is then sent to a set of refrigerant climate control systems. Each control signal may be configured to cause a respective refrigerant climate control system to operate using the electricity from the electrical energy source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2022
    Publication date: March 28, 2024
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Nicholas A. Gregorich
  • Publication number: 20240103952
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes a device including an initiator, a target, a communication bus coupling the initiator to the target over a channel, a functional circuit, and an error logger circuit. The functional circuit is coupled to the channel and can perform a function associated with a transaction request from the initiator to the target. The functional circuit can include an error detection circuit to detect an error associated with the function performed by the functional circuit and to generate an error indicator signal to indicate that the error has been detected. The error logger circuit can be coupled to the functional circuit, in which the error logger circuit is configured to receive the error indicator signal from the error detection circuit and store information about the error.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2022
    Publication date: March 28, 2024
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Soeren SONNTAG, Vanja RADOS, Constantin Daniel CIORTESCU, Mirko SAUERMANN, Matthias HEINK
  • Publication number: 20240107433
    Abstract: The present application relates to apparatus, systems, and methods to provide a service based interface in wireless communication systems.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2023
    Publication date: March 28, 2024
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Sudeep Manithara Vamanan, Alexander Sirotkin, Behrouz Aghili, Haijing Hu, Krisztian Kiss, Naveen Kumar R. Palle Venkata, Peng Cheng, Ralf Rossbach, Vivek G. Gupta, Yuqin Chen, Zhibin Wu
  • Patent number: D1020866
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Teofila Connor, Thalia Jimena Echevarria Fiol, Vincenzo Vuono
  • Patent number: D1020867
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Teofila Connor, Thalia Jimena Echevarria Fiol, Vincenzo Vuono