Patents Assigned to Apple
  • Patent number: 8155514
    Abstract: A portable device has a rear facing camera assembly and a front facing display assembly that includes at least a protective cover layer, a display stack that includes a plurality of display components arranged in a plurality of interconnected layers, the display stack providing an imaging service, and a flat support chassis arranged to provide support for the display stack. In the described embodiment, a protective cover can wrap around and protect at least the rear portion of the portable device without adversely affecting an image capture process carried out by the rear facing camera assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Chong Yip Chow, Hongqin Zhang, Shizhe Shen, Michael DiVincent
  • Patent number: 8154680
    Abstract: A display may be based on a display unit that is mounted within a chassis. The display unit may be a liquid crystal display unit. A backlight may be used to illuminate the display unit. The backlight may include a light guide plate. Light from a light source may be launched into an edge of the light guide plate. Scattered light from the light guide plate may travel vertically along a vertical axis that is perpendicular to the plane that contains the light guide plate. The scattered light may pass through the display unit and may serve as backlight for the display. The light guide plate may be mounted within a rectangular opening in the chassis. The edges of the rectangular opening and the edges of the light guide plate may be configured to reduce excessive reflections. These edges may have reflection-reducing coatings, non-planar surfaces, and other reflection-reducing configurations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: David A. Doyle, Joshua G. Wurzel, Shawn R. Gettemy
  • Patent number: 8155112
    Abstract: In a first embodiment, multi-speed concatenated packet strings are transmitted by a first node on a serial bus. To accommodate multi-speed packets, a speed signal is transmitted immediately prior to the packet. In a second embodiment, ACK-concatenation is used to allow a node to transmit a data packet immediately after transmitting an acknowledge signal on the bus. The data packet need not be related to the ACK packet. In a third embodiment, a node which receives a first data packet followed by a data end signal on a child port, concatenates a second data packet onto the first data packet during retransmission. The second data packet is also transmitted down the bus in the direction of the node which originally transmitted the first data packet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: William S. Duckwall, Michael D. Teener
  • Patent number: 8153016
    Abstract: The fabrication of a touch sensor panel having co-planar single-layer touch sensors fabricated on the back side of a cover glass is disclosed. It can be desirable from a manufacturing perspective to perform all thin-film processing steps on a motherglass before separating it into separate parts. To perform thin-film processing on a motherglass before separation, a removable sacrificial layer such as a photoresist can be applied over the thin-film layers. Next, the motherglass can be scribed and separated, and grinding and polishing steps can be performed prior to removing the sacrificial layer. In alternative embodiments, after the protective sacrificial layer is applied, the bulk of the coverglass can be dry-etched using a very aggressive anisotropic etching that etches primarily in the z-direction. In this embodiment, the etching can be patterned using photolithography to create rounded corners or any other shape. The photoresist can then be removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Steve Porter Hotelling, John Z. Zhong, Joseph Edward Clayton
  • Patent number: 8156271
    Abstract: Methods and systems for storage management in a data processing device. The data processing device may be connected to a host computer and it can be in one of two states: disk mode (e.g., docked) or device mode (e.g., undocked). According to an embodiment, a mass storage device associated with a data processing device is divided into two or more segments or virtual volumes, and at least one volume is managed by the device even in a disk mode. In some cases, this makes the device usable while in the docked state and hence it improves the user experience. In some embodiments, an extra software component other than the file system is employed on the device to manage the storage device. Certain volumes may be dynamically increased or decreased while the data processing device is in a disk mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Russell Dean Reece
  • Patent number: 8156123
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for processing metadata are described herein. In one embodiment, when a file (e.g., a text, audio, and/or image files) having metadata is received, the metadata and optionally at least a portion of the content of the file are extracted from the file to generate a first set of metadata. An analysis is performed on the extracted metadata and the content to generate a second set of metadata, which may include metadata in addition to the first set of metadata. The second set of metadata may be stored in a database suitable to be searched to identify or locate the file. Other methods and apparatuses are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Guy L. Tribble, Yan Arrouye, Dominic Giampaolo
  • Patent number: 8155063
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus adapted to address asymmetric conditions in a multi-antenna system. In one embodiment, the multi-antenna system comprises a wireless (e.g., 3G cellular) multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) system, and the methods and apparatus efficiently utilize transmitter and receiver resources based at least in part on a detected asymmetric condition. If an asymmetric condition is detected by the transmitter on any given data stream, the transmitter can decide to utilize only a subset of the available resources for that stream. Accordingly, the signal processing resources for that data stream are adapted to mirror the reduction in resources that are necessary for transmission. The transmitter signals the receiver that it will only be using a subset of the resources available, and the receiver adapts its operation according to the signaling data it receives. The multi-antenna system can therefore reduce power consumption as well as increasing spectral efficiency on the network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Hyung-Nam Choi
  • Patent number: 8155336
    Abstract: Additional functionality in a wireless headset allows it to be used during times that the external device with which it is wirelessly coupled is not being used, but when the headset is nevertheless being worn. This is accomplished by integrating a media player into the wireless headset. The media player may be an audio player, capable, e.g., of playing audio files such as MPEG-3 (“MP3”) files. Optionally, the media player may include a recording function as well, so that a user can record voice notes. In addition, if the external device is a telephone (mobile or landline), the availability of a recording function could make it possible for the user to record all or part of a conversation. Similarly, voicemail messages received on the user's telephone could be uploaded into the headset for later off-line playback. Media files recorded by the headset also could be downloaded to the external device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: John Tang
  • Patent number: 8156104
    Abstract: Systems and methods for managing data, such as metadata. In one exemplary method, metadata from files created by several different software applications are captured, and the captured metadata is searched. The type of information in metadata for one type of file differs from the type of information in metadata for another type of file. Other methods are described and data processing systems and machine readable media are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Yan Arrouye, Dominic Giampaolo, Bas Ording, Gregory Christie, Stephen Olivier Lemay, Marcel van Os, Imran Chaudhri, Kevin Tiene, Pavel Cisler
  • Patent number: 8155330
    Abstract: An audio communications device has a handset in which a touch sensing ear piece region is coupled to an acoustic leakage analyzer. The acoustic leakage analyzer is to analyze signals from the touch sensing ear piece region and on that basis adjust an audio processing parameter. The latter configures an audio processor which generates an audio receiver input signal for the device. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Shaohai Chen
  • Patent number: 8155505
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer-readable medium for playing media files of a playlist on a mobile device. The media files of the playlist include one or more audio files and one or more video files. Playing a first video file of the playlist on the mobile device includes playing an audio component and a video component of the first video file.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Steve Lemay, Charles Pisula, Sean Kelly, Patrick Coffman, Imran A. Chaudhri
  • Patent number: 8156275
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a timer unit may be provided that may be programmed to a selected time interval, or wakeup interval. A processor may execute a wait for event instruction, and enter a low power state for the thread that includes the instruction. The timer unit may signal a timer event at the expiration of the wakeup interval, and the processor may exit the low power state in response to the timer event. The thread may continue executing with the instruction following the wait for event instruction. In an embodiment, the processor/timer unit may be used to implement a power-managed lock acquisition mechanism, in which the processor is awakened a number of times to check the lock and execute the wait for event instruction if the lock is not free, after which the thread may block until the lock is free.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Josh P. de Cesare, Ruchi Wadhawan, Michael J. Smith, Puneet Kumar, Bernard J. Semeria
  • Patent number: 8156089
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses provide real-time or near real-time streaming of content using transfer protocols such as an HTTP compliant protocol. In one embodiment, a method includes providing a request for a playlist file (e.g. an updated playlist) and specifying a compression protocol with or for the request; the request can come from a client device which is requesting the playlist from a web server. The web server can provide the playlist in a compressed format.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Apple, Inc.
    Inventors: Roger Pantos, James David Batson
  • Patent number: 8153882
    Abstract: A computer implemented method allows a user to adjust tracks in a musical arrangement. The method involves a user selecting a musical position of an audio track, which the user desires to adjust in time, either by compressing it or expanding it, by indicating with a pointing device, such as a mouse, the position in the time line of the audio track that the user wishes to alter. A first marker is then displayed at the selected musical position in the audio track. Boundary markers defining transients in the audio signal surrounding the selected musical position are then automatically generated by analysis of the audio signal, and are displayed on the audio track. The two boundary markers define an audio segment that is to be adjusted in tempo by the user moving the first marker along the time line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Thorsten Adam, Oliver Reichhardt, Robert Hunt, Clemens Homburg
  • Patent number: 8156081
    Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system for updating resource records in a name-server database. During system operation, a network node creates an update-request message containing a set of resource-record updates, and a requested lease, which specifies the length of time for which the name server is being requested to store the resource-record updates. Next, the network node sends the update-request message to a name server, which is part of a distributed system that provides a global naming service. The network node then receives a response message from the name server, wherein the response message contains a granted lease, which specifies the length of time for which the name-server database will store the resource-record updates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Stuart D. Cheshire, Kiren Ravi Sekar
  • 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: 8154275
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for testing sense amplifier threshold voltages on an integrated circuit includes one or more sense amplifier modules each including a number of sense amplifier circuits, a voltage generator unit, and detection logic. The voltage generator unit may select a differential voltage to supply to at least some of the sense amplifier circuits, and each sense amplifier circuit may be configured to generate an output value that is dependent upon the applied differential voltage in response to receiving an enable signal. The detection logic may detect and capture an output value of each of the sense amplifier circuits. In one implementation, the voltage generator unit may iteratively select a different differential voltage in response to a control input. Accordingly, the detection logic may capture the output value of the sense amplifiers after each change in differential voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Ashish R. Jain, Edgardo F. Klass
  • Publication number: 20120081580
    Abstract: Certain embodiments disclosed herein relate to an image signal processing system includes overflow control logic that detects an overflow condition when a destination unit when a sensor input queue and/or front-end processing unit receives back pressure from a downstream destination unit. In one embodiment, pixels of a current frame are dropped when an overflow condition occurs. The number of dropped pixels may be tracked using a counter. Upon recovery of the overflow condition, the remaining pixels of the frame are received and each dropped pixel may be replaced using a replacement pixel value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2010
    Publication date: April 5, 2012
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Guy Côté, Jeffrey E. Frederiksen
  • Publication number: 20120081102
    Abstract: Circuits, methods, and apparatus that provide an audio receptacle that can detect the presence of an audio jack without using mechanical switches or other such mechanical mechanisms. One example provides an audio receptacle having two contacts that may be electrically connected when an audio jack is inserted. When no audio jack is inserted into the audio receptacle, the two ground contacts may not be connected. When an audio jack is inserted into the audio receptacle, the resulting closed circuit may be detected and used to activate or otherwise turn on one or more audio circuits in or associated with the audio receptacle. Conversely, when no audio jack is inserted, the resulting open circuit may be detected and used to deactivate or otherwise turn off or reduce power in one or more audio circuits in or associated with the audio receptacle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2010
    Publication date: April 5, 2012
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Zheng Gao, Nathan Johanningsmier, Casey Hardy, Eric Monsef, Chiachi Wu
  • Patent number: D657381
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jody Akana, Bartley K. Andre, Jeremy Bataillou, Daniel J. Coster, Teodor Dabov, Daniele De Iuliis, Evans Hankey, Richard P. Howarth, Jonathan P. Ive, Duncan Robert Kerr, Anthony Montevirgen, Shin Nishibori, Matthew Dean Rohrbach, Peter Russell-Clarke, Christopher J. Stringer, Eugene Antony Whang, Kyle Yeates, Rico Zorkendorfer