Patents Assigned to Apple
  • Publication number: 20120117105
    Abstract: Methods, program products, and systems implementing collaborative database operations are disclosed. Collaborative database operations can be facilitated by data notification, where a server notifies a client when data being viewed at the client are updated. Notification can be achieved through registration and polling. A client of a database can request data from a server. The request can include a data request and a registration request. The data request can include a query into a database. The registration request can include a specification on conditions upon which the client is to be notified. The condition can include an event type. Upon registration, the client can poll the server periodically to determine whether a result of the query has changed, and if so, what data record in the result has changed. If a data record has changed, the client can request the changed data using an identifier of the data record.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2010
    Publication date: May 10, 2012
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Les Thomas, Eric Jacobson, Wesley Powell, Adam Ward, Edward L. Ford
  • Publication number: 20120117120
    Abstract: Methods, program products, and systems implementing integrated repository of structured and unstructured data are disclosed. An integrated environment is provided for accessing, structured data (e.g., data of a relational database) and unstructured data (e.g., data stored in a text or binary file), including creating, managing, modifying, and searching the structured data and unstructured data. The integrated environment can include an integrated user interface, a set of commands and application programming interface (API), and storage for a relational database and a document repository. The integrated environment can include a database abstraction layer that allows database operations on both the structured data and the unstructured data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2010
    Publication date: May 10, 2012
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Eric Jacobson, Les Thomas, Gang Zhang
  • Publication number: 20120114251
    Abstract: A method, device, system, and computer program for object recognition of a 3D object of a certain object class using a statistical shape model for recovering 3D shapes from a 2D representation of the 3D object and comparing the recovered 3D shape with known 3D to 2D representations of at least one object of the object class.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2011
    Publication date: May 10, 2012
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Jan Erik Solem, Fredrik Kahl
  • Publication number: 20120116778
    Abstract: A system and method is disclosed that uses screen reader like functionality to speak information presented on a graphical user interface displayed by a media presentation system, including information that is not navigable by a remote control device. Information can be spoken in an order that follows a relative importance of the information based on a characteristic of the information or the location of the information within the graphical user interface. A history of previously spoken information is monitored to avoid speaking information more than once for a given graphical user interface. A different pitch can be used to speak information based on a characteristic of the information. Information that is not navigable by the remote control device can be spoken after time delay. Voice prompts can be provided for a remote-driven virtual keyboard displayed by the media presentation system. The voice prompts can be spoken with different voice pitches.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2010
    Publication date: May 10, 2012
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Christopher B. Fleizach, Reginald Dean Hudson, Eric Taylor Seymour
  • Publication number: 20120117282
    Abstract: A method and system is disclosed for passing data processed by a DMA controller through a transmission filter. The method includes the DMA controller accessing data for transfer between an origination location in the system and a destination location in the system. The accessed data is passed through the DMA controller before being sent to the destination location. While the data is being passed through the DMA controller, it is passed through a transmission filter for processing. This processing may include the addition or removal of transmission protocol headers and footers, and determination of the destination of the data. This processing may also include hash-based packet classification and checksum generation and checking. Upon completion of the processing, the data is sent directly to a prescribed destination location, typically either a memory circuit or an I/O device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2012
    Publication date: May 10, 2012
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Timothy J. Millet, David G. Conroy, Michael Culbert
  • Publication number: 20120117462
    Abstract: Methods, program products, and systems implementing dynamic data association are described. Relations between a first data item and a second data item can be created in an ad hoc manner. The first data item can include a row of data in a table in a relational database. The second data item can include a row of data in the same table, in another table in the relational database, or a document outside the relational database. Configurable metadata can be created to link the first data item and the second data item. The link can be directional. The configurable metadata can include data specified by a user. The configurable metadata can be stored in one or more system tables in the relational database. The configurable metadata can be specific to the user, or to a work group of the user. The configurable metadata can change when the first data item or the second data item is modified.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2010
    Publication date: May 10, 2012
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Eric Jacobson, Les Thomas, Peter Nelson
  • Publication number: 20120114227
    Abstract: A method, system and device for enhancing detail in areas of saturated color in an image are described. As areas of saturated color are detected in an image the opponent color channel is used to calculate a factor to apply to the original pixel value. By calculating this factor to adjust the pixel values of the image detail may be enhanced in the color saturated areas. A user supplied value may also be included to control the amount of automatic adjustment to the pixel values.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 11, 2011
    Publication date: May 10, 2012
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventor: Mark Zimmer
  • Publication number: 20120115414
    Abstract: Wireless transmission of media from a media player is provided. A handheld media player includes a storage medium for storing a plurality of media items, a user interface for selecting one or more of the media items, a playback device for playing a selected media item for a user of the handheld media player, and a wireless transmitter configured to wirelessly transmit the selected media item to one or more media devices. The wireless transmitter can be configured to wirelessly transmit the selected media item while the playback device plays the selected media item for the user of the handheld media player.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 11, 2011
    Publication date: May 10, 2012
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Anthony M. Fadell, Stephen Paul Zadesky, John Benjamin Filson
  • Publication number: 20120117454
    Abstract: Preventing the inclusion of a reference to a host cell in a formula to avoid a circular reference in the formula is disclosed. In some embodiments, an indication of an attempted user gesture for inserting into a formula being entered into a host cell a reference to the host cell is received, and the attempted user gesture for inserting a reference to the host cell is disallowed to prevent a circular reference from being inserted into the formula being entered into the host cell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2012
    Publication date: May 10, 2012
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventor: Peter William Rapp
  • Publication number: 20120114236
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, are described for transforming an image at least in part by using a gamma transformation that maximizes information in the transformed image. In one aspect, a digital image is received and brightness of the digital image is determined. The brightness of the digital image can include luminance or color. Maximum available detail in the digital image is brought out at least in part by applying to the brightness of the digital image a first gamma exponent that is equal to one divided by a negative of an average logarithm of the brightness of the digital image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2011
    Publication date: May 10, 2012
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Graham Finlayson, Ruixia Xu
  • Publication number: 20120117121
    Abstract: Methods, program products, and systems implementing browser-based database manipulation are described. A browser on a client device can receive a form definition that is generated based on a schema of a relational database and a layout. The schema in the form definition can specify properties of data fields. The browser can display the data fields and other components of the layout in a list. The browser can receive a drag-and-drop input, the drag-and-drop input selecting a data field or a layout component from the list and dropping the selected data field or layout component in a drop zone in a form area in the browser. The browser can determine the drop location, and use the drop location as a parameter to modify the form definition. The layout and the schema can be modified based on the modified form definition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2010
    Publication date: May 10, 2012
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Les Thomas, Eric Jacobson, Wesley Powell, Edward L. Ford, Gang Zhang, Adam Ward
  • Publication number: 20120113154
    Abstract: Present techniques involve methods and systems of inversion patterns for pixels in a display. Inversion techniques involve driving image signals having a first polarity to data lines of a pixel matrix during a first time period and driving image signals having an opposite polarity to the data lines during a second time period. In some embodiments, the pixels may be configured to have electrodes having only two finger electrodes, thus widening the distance between electrodes and decreasing the susceptibility for crosstalk between pixels. In some embodiments, horizontal cross-talk of electromagnetic fields between pixels may be further reduced by configuring the data line driving scheme such that voltage polarity is flipped for the pixels along every two, three, or more data line columns. Furthermore, a Z inversion pattern may be employed to reduce the occurrence of undesirable display artifacts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2010
    Publication date: May 10, 2012
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Zhibing Ge, Yongman Lee, Shih Chang Chang, Cheng Chen, Hopil Bae, Ming Xu, Shawn Robert Gettemy, Wei H. Yao
  • Publication number: 20120114133
    Abstract: A system detects the repositioning of an earphone that is worn by a user, and changes an operation mode of a host coupled to the earphone. Within the earphone is a pressure transducer that detects a pressure change caused by the repositioning of the earphone. A signaling mechanism sends a repositioning detection signal to the host in response to a signal from the pressure transducer indicating the detection of the pressure change.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2012
    Publication date: May 10, 2012
    Applicant: APPLE INC
    Inventors: Jae Han Lee, Wendell B. Sander
  • Publication number: 20120117274
    Abstract: Improved techniques for communicating between a portable electronic device and an accessory (or auxiliary) device are disclosed. The accessory device can augment or supplement the functionality or capabilities of the portable electronic device. For example, in one embodiment, the accessory device can provide wireless communication capabilities to the portable electronic device. In one embodiment, the portable electronic device pertains to a portable media player and thus provide media data for storage, playback or transmission. In one embodiment, the accessory device is attachable to the portable electronic device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2011
    Publication date: May 10, 2012
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Gregory Thomas Lydon, Scott Krueger
  • Publication number: 20120115512
    Abstract: A mobile device can monitor a current location using a multi-tier approach. A baseband subsystem can monitor a coarse location of the mobile device using various course location parameters, such as a mobile country code (MCC), a location area code (LAC), or a cell identifier (cell ID), as the mobile device moves closer to the geographic region. Upon determining that the mobile device is in a cell that intersects the geographic region, the baseband subsystem can transfer the monitoring to the application subsystem. The task can be performed when the application subsystem determines that the mobile device is currently located in the geographic region. A beacon network can provide more accurate estimates of mobile device location and advertise location based services available to the mobile device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2010
    Publication date: May 10, 2012
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Morgan Grainger, Robert Mayor, Ronald K. Huang
  • Publication number: 20120117509
    Abstract: Methods, program products, and systems implementing intelligent data caching are disclosed. A client can send a request for data to a server. The request can include a query and a query context. The query can retrieve more data than can be displayed in a current page. The query context can specify a quantity of data records that can be displayed in the current page. The client can receive from the server two sets of data in response to the request. The first set of data can include row identifiers of data records that satisfy the query. The second set of data can include data records that can be displayed in the current page. The client can store the two sets of data in one or more buffers (e.g., two buffers) and update buffer(s) when different data records are displayed (e.g., when a user scrolls through pages).
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2010
    Publication date: May 10, 2012
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Wesley Powell, Adam Ward, Edward L. Ford, Peter Nelson
  • Publication number: 20120117116
    Abstract: Methods, program products, and systems implementing integrated repository of structured and unstructured data are disclosed. An integrated environment is provided for accessing, structured data (e.g., data of a relational database) and unstructured data (e.g., data stored in a text or binary file), including creating, managing, modifying, and searching the structured data and unstructured data. The integrated environment can include an integrated user interface, a set of commands and application programming interface (API), and storage for a relational database and a document repository. The integrated environment can include a database abstraction layer that allows database operations on both the structured data and the unstructured data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2010
    Publication date: May 10, 2012
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Eric Jacobson, Les Thomas, Gang Zhang
  • Publication number: 20120117400
    Abstract: A local device broadcasts a service advertisement in a wireless network, where the service advertisement includes one or more service identifiers (IDs) identifying one or more services being advertised and an availability schedule of the local device. Optionally, the local device reduces power to at least a portion of the local device and wakes up at a time according to the availability schedule. The local device listens in the wireless network according to the availability schedule of the local device. In response to a service request received from a remote device during the availability window, the local device transmits a service response to the remote device. The service request includes one or more service IDs identifying one or more services being inquired by the remote device and the service response includes detailed information associated with one or more services identified by the one or more service IDs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2011
    Publication date: May 10, 2012
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Pierre Vandwalle, Tito Thomas, Charles Francis Dominguez
  • Patent number: 8176257
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a cache comprises a data memory comprising a plurality of data entries, each data entry having capacity to store a cache block of data, and a cache control unit coupled to the data memory. The cache control unit is configured to dynamically allocate a given data entry in the data memory to store a cache block being cached or to store data that is not being cache but is being staged for retransmission on an interface to which the cache is coupled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Ruchi Wadhawan, Jason M. Kassoff, George Kong Yiu
  • Patent number: 8175802
    Abstract: Adaptive route guidance can include analyzing route progressions associated with one or more routes based on multiple user preferences. The adaptive route guidance can provide one or more preferred routes based on the user preferences including those derived from historical selection or use, which can be presented to a user for navigation purposes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Scott Forstall, Gregory N. Christie, Robert E. Borchers, Kevin Tiene