Patents Assigned to Apple
  • Patent number: 8170588
    Abstract: A source mobile telephone detects that a telephone number of the telephone has changed to a new number, and in response, sends a text or short message service (SMS) notice message to contacts identified in the mobile telephone to indicate that the source mobile telephone has a new telephone number. In response to receiving the text or SMS notice message, a contact telephony device may update its contact list to reflect the new number. Other embodiments are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Phillip George Tamchina, Michael M. Lee, Chad G. Seguin
  • Patent number: 8171277
    Abstract: Techniques for booting a computing device with a flash memory without knowledge of parametric information of the flash memory are described herein. In one embodiment of the invention, the computing device receives input requesting the computing device to begin operation and executes a set of one or more instructions stored in a non-volatile memory. The execution of the set of instructions configures a first read routine for accessing the flash memory based on a common denominator format of candidate flash memories, and the first read routine is not configured based on information located in a flash memory identification table. The computing device reads a bootstrapping code image based on the first read routine into a volatile memory and executes that first bootstrapping code image. Other methods and apparatuses are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Smith, Nir Wakrat, Tahoma Toelkes
  • Patent number: 8170606
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for dynamic thermal management and control within, e.g., small form-factor wireless devices such as laptop computers or cellular “smartphones”. In one embodiment, a thermal management system monitors the temperature (or other relevant criteria) for one or more components, and implements different operating states within the wireless transceiver (e.g., Wi-Fi™ or WiMAX transceiver) so as to both reduce thermal output and minimize disruption to the wireless link and/or user experience. In another embodiment, a wireless client may communicate with other clients, and/or access points, so as to cooperatively provide more options for thermal management. In addition, methods and apparatus employing “high performance” (e.g., high power output or high data rate) radios within aggressively small industrial designs are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: John G. Dorsey, William C. Athas
  • Patent number: 8171258
    Abstract: In an embodiment, an address generation unit (AGU) is configured to generate a pseudo sum from an index portion of two or more operands. The pseudo sum may equal the index if the carry-in of the actual sum to the least significant bit of the index is a selected value (e.g. zero). The AGU may also include circuitry coupled to receive the operands and to generate the actual carry-in to the least significant bit of the index. The AGU may transmit the pseudo sum and the carry-in to a decode block for a memory array. The decode block may decode the pseudo sum into one or more one-hot vectors. The one-hot vectors may be input to muxes, and the one-hot vectors rotated by one position may be the other input. The actual carry-in may be the selection control of the mux.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Rajat Goel, Chen-Ju Hsieh
  • Patent number: 8171293
    Abstract: Techniques for assuring a receiver's non repudiation of a communication are provided via cooperation with a secure device. A secure device operates within a local environment of a receiver and exchanges certificates with a sender via the receiver. The sender encrypts data in a communication with the receiver. Separately, the sender sends an encrypted version of a decryption key to the receiver. The receiver presents the encrypted version of the key to the secure device and the secure device supplies the decryption key for use by the receiver to decrypt the previously sent encrypted data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Gosukonda Naga Venkata Satya Sudhakar
  • Patent number: 8169235
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a receiver circuit is provide that may receive either a differential input or a single-ended input corresponding to an interface. The receiver circuit may include at least two current sources to control a gain of an amplification stage in the receiver. If the receiver circuit is receiving a differential input, one of the current sources may be used. If the receiver circuit is receiving a single-ended input, both of the current sources may be used. A larger gain may thus be provided for the single-ended input as compared to the differential input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Gregory S. Scott, Vincent R. von Kaenel
  • Patent number: 8170828
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a test method is implemented to test an integrated circuit that includes at least one processor. The method may include programming a memory to which the integrated circuit is coupled during testing with one or more test programs. The integrated circuit may be booted, and the processor may execute the test programs from the memory. In one embodiment, the memory may also store a control program that may manage the execution of the tests. In an embodiment, the control program may also implement a protocol to communicate with the ATE to perform the testing. The protocol may be implemented over a set of general purpose input/output (I/O) pins, for example. Using the protocol and test vectors on the ATE, the tests may be selected and executed, and test results may be reported.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Patrick D. McNamara, Douglas C. Lee, Alan R. Gilchrist, Sung-Wook Kang, Craig A. Pietrow
  • 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: 8171085
    Abstract: Methods and systems and machine readable media for processing email and other electronic messages. In one exemplary embodiment, a method includes storing a plurality of domain names, each of which correspond to a portion of a full email address; receiving a first email; determining whether a sender address specified by the first email is within a domain specified by the plurality of domain names; determining whether the first email is authentically from an entity which controls the domain specified by the plurality of domain names if the sender address is within the domain; and presenting an indication of nonauthenticity if the first email is not authentically from the entity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Avadis Tevanian, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8171177
    Abstract: A centralized resource manager manages the routing of audio or visual information within a device, including a handheld device such as a smartphone. The resource manager evaluates data-driven policies to determine how to route audio or visual information to or from various input or output components connected to the device, including headphones, built-in speakers, microphones, bluetooth headsets, cameras, and so on. Among the data considered in the policies are connection status data, indicating if a device is connected, routing status data, indicating if a device is permitted to route information to or from a component, and grouping data, indicating logical relationships between various components. Components may be considered inherently routable, automatically routable, or optionally routable. Numerous other uses exist for such data, including providing simpler and more logical management interfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew Rostaing, Anthony J. Guetta, Greg Chapman
  • Patent number: 8169764
    Abstract: In an embodiment, an integrated circuit comprises a plurality of temperature sensors and a power manager coupled thereto. The temperature sensors are physically distributed over an area of the integrated circuit that is occupied by logic circuitry implementing the operations for which the integrated circuit is designed. The power manager is configured to transmit a power supply voltage request to an external power supply module, the power supply voltage request indicating a requested magnitude of the power supply voltage for the integrated circuit. The power manager is configured to modify the requested magnitude responsive to indications from each of the plurality of temperatures sensors that represent a temperature of the integrated circuit sensed by each of the plurality of temperature sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Toshinari Takayanagi, Conrad H. Ziesler, Zongjian Chen, Vincent R. von Kaenel
  • 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: 8170216
    Abstract: Techniques for validating and sharing secrets are presented. A secret is divided into a plurality of parts. Each part is represented by a unique value. Each value is distributed to a unique user that shares in the secret. The secret is recreated when each user presents each user's unique value. Each unique value is then used to recreate its corresponding part of the key and when all parts are present and validated, the secret is reproduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Vardhan Itta Vishnu, H. B. Puthali
  • Patent number: 8167625
    Abstract: An electrical connector comprising an insulative body, a plurality of pins carried by the body and a ferromagnetic element that rides on one of the plurality of the pins. The ferromagnetic element provides a low pass filter capability for signals transmitted over the one pin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Anna-Katrina Shedletsky
  • Patent number: 8169236
    Abstract: A frequency detection mechanism for a clock generation unit on an integrated circuit includes a clock generation unit and a detection unit. The clock generation unit may generate an output clock signal at a predetermined frequency that corresponds to a frequency multiple of a reference clock signal provided as an input to the clock generation unit. The detection unit may determine whether the output clock signal is at the predetermined frequency. As such, the detection unit includes a first counter that may generate a first count value based upon the reference clock signal and a second counter that may generate a second count value based upon the output clock signal. The detection unit also includes comparison logic that may perform a plurality of multiplication operations on the first and second count values and generate a final result that indicates whether the output clock signal is at the predetermined frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Daniel C. Murray
  • Patent number: 8171240
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a processor comprises a circuit coupled to receive an indication of a memory operation to be executed in the processor. The circuit is configured to predict whether or not the memory operation is misaligned. A number of accesses performed by the processor to execute the memory operation is dependent on whether or not the circuit predicts the memory operation as misaligned. In another embodiment, a misalignment predictor is coupled to receive an indication of a memory operation, and comprises a memory and a control circuit coupled to the memory. The memory is configured to store a plurality of indications of memory operations previously detected as misaligned during execution in a processor. The control circuit is configured to predict whether or not a memory operation is misaligned responsive to a comparison of the received indication and the plurality of indications stored in the memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Tse-Yu Yeh, Po-Yung Chang, Eric Hao
  • Patent number: 8171194
    Abstract: An interface and protocol allow a media player to communicate with external accessories over a transport link. The protocol includes a core protocol functionality and a number of accessory lingoes. Examples of accessory lingoes include a microphone lingo, a simple remote lingo, a display remote lingo, an RF transmitter lingo, and an extended interface lingo.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Emily Clark Schubert, Wang Chun Leung, Gregory T. Lydon, Scott Krueger, Paul Phillip Holden, John Archibald, Lawrence G. Bolton, Donald J. Novotney, John Benjamin Filson, David Tupman
  • Patent number: 8171195
    Abstract: An interface and protocol allow a media player to communicate with external accessories over a transport link. The protocol includes a core protocol functionality and a number of accessory lingoes. Examples of accessory lingoes include a microphone lingo, a simple remote lingo, a display remote lingo, an RF transmitter lingo, and an extended interface lingo.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Emily Clark Schubert, Wang Chun Leung, Gregory T. Lydon, Scott Krueger, Paul Phillip Holden, John Archibald, Lawrence G. Bolton, Donald J. Novotney, John Benjamin Filson, David Tupman
  • Patent number: D658646
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jody Akana, Bartley K. Andre, Jeremy Bataillou, Daniel J. Coster, Daniele De Iuliis, Evans Hankey, Richard P. Howarth, Jonathan P. Ive, Duncan Robert Kerr, Shin Nishibori, Matthew Dean Rohrbach, Peter Russell-Clarke, Christopher J. Stringer, Eugene Antony Whang, Rico Zorkendorfer
  • Patent number: D658665
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jody Akana, Bartley K. Andre, Jeremy Bataillou, Daniel J. Coster, Daniele De Iuliis, Evans Hankey, Richard P. Howarth, Jonathan P. Ive, Duncan Robert Kerr, Shin Nishibori, Matthew Dean Rohrbach, Peter Russell-Clarke, Christopher J. Stringer, Eugene Antony Whang, Rico Zorkendorfer