Patents Assigned to Apple
  • Publication number: 20120023060
    Abstract: An electronic device for predicting or anticipating a user's operational desires. The electronic device is ready to perform the anticipated function without input from the user by using sensors to sense environmental attributes. The sensors can include an ambient light sensor, a force sensor, a temperature sensor, an ambient noise sensor, and a motion sensor. The electronic device also includes a control mechanism for switching between modes for the device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 1, 2011
    Publication date: January 26, 2012
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Fletcher R. ROTHKOPF
  • Publication number: 20120023351
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for dynamically allocating power for a system having non-volatile memory. A power budgeting manager of a system can determine if the total amount of power available for the system is below a pre-determined power level (e.g., a low power state). While the system is operating in the low power state, the power budgeting manager can dynamically allocate power among various components of the system (e.g., a processor and non-volatile memory).
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2010
    Publication date: January 26, 2012
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Nir J. Wakrat, Kenneth Herman, Matthew Byom
  • Publication number: 20120022943
    Abstract: The present technology provides a purchasing interface within an application that allows users to purchase a product from another source without leaving the application. The application offers a product for purchase, and a user, desiring to purchase the product can provide an input effective to cause a purchasing interface to be displayed. While the purchasing interface, or information presented therein, comes from the product source, which is different than the application source, it is presented in such a fashion that gives the impression to the user that they are purchasing the product directly from the application.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2011
    Publication date: January 26, 2012
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: James Alexander Howard, William Bedford Turner, Christopher Blumenberg, Richard Williamson
  • Publication number: 20120023348
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for limiting power consumption of a non-volatile memory (NVM) using a power limiting scheme that distributes a number of concurrent NVM operations over time. This provides a “current consumption cap” that fixes an upper limit of current consumption for the NVM, thereby eliminating peak power events. In one embodiment, power consumption of a NVM can be limited by receiving data suitable for use as a factor in adjusting a current threshold from at least one of a plurality of system sources. The current threshold can be less than a peak current capable of being consumed by the NVM and can be adjusted based on the received data. A power limiting scheme can be used that limits the number of concurrent NVM operations performed so that a cumulative current consumption of the NVM does not exceed the adjusted current threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2010
    Publication date: January 26, 2012
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew Byom, Vadim Khmelnitsky, Hugo Fiennes, Arjun Kapoor
  • Publication number: 20120021196
    Abstract: Certain embodiments disclosed herein relate to a smooth finish composite structure and methods for making the composite structure. In particular, in one embodiment, a method is provided that includes creating a first layer of a composite structure. The creation of the first layer includes positioning the first layer in a mold and curing the first layer. Additional layers of the composite structure are created and bonded to the first layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2010
    Publication date: January 26, 2012
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Kevin M. Kenney
  • Publication number: 20120019494
    Abstract: A method, system, and apparatus that can be used to operate a display device in an energy efficient manner. The energy efficient display device can effectively and efficiently compensate for changes in ambient light incident at a display screen of the display device using an internal ambient light sensor to provide control signals to a backlight driver.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2011
    Publication date: January 26, 2012
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: David W. Lum, Ulrich Barnhoefer, Nyok Khiam Lam, Paolo Sacchetto
  • Publication number: 20120023439
    Abstract: Methods, program products, and systems of chunking data records are described. In general, in one aspect, a mobile device can provide for display on a display screen a scrollable window. The scrollable window can display first display content (e.g., a first segment of formatted data) stored in a first display buffer. The mobile device can determine that the scrollable window will cross a boundary of the first display buffer. Upon the determining, the mobile device can create second display content (e.g., a second segment of formatted data) in a second display buffer. The second display content can include display content that borders the first display content at the boundary. The mobile device can provide for display the second display content when the scrollable window crosses the boundary.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2010
    Publication date: January 26, 2012
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventor: Christopher Crim
  • Patent number: 8102931
    Abstract: A method is provided for generating precoder data (600), comprising: obtaining transmit power data indicative of a transmit power of a plurality of multiple-input/multiple-output signals (610); obtaining signal quality data, the signal quality data including at least one measure of a quality of the plurality of multiple-input/multiple-output signals (620, 630); obtaining channel data with respect to a wireless channel, the channel data including a measure of respective channel parameters of each of a plurality of channel paths in the wireless channel (620, 630); constraining one or more system performance parameters (640); and determining first and second precoder diagonal values (wA and wB) based on the signal quality data, the transmit power data, the channel data, and the one or more constrained system performance parameters (650).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Taeyoon Kim, Jayesh H. Kotecha
  • Patent number: 8103505
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for speech synthesis in a computer-user interface using random paralinguistic variation is described herein. According to one aspect of the present invention, a method for synthesizing speech comprises generating synthesized speech having certain prosodic features. The synthesized speech is further processed by applying a random paralinguistic variation to the acoustic sequence representing the synthesized speech without altering the linguistic prosodic features. According to one aspect of the present invention, the application of the paralinguistic variation is correlated with a previously applied paralinguistic variation to reflect a gradual change in the computer voice, while still maintaining a random quality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Kim Silverman, Donald Lindsay
  • Patent number: 8103793
    Abstract: Improved techniques for automatic (or dynamic) updating (or maintaining) of playlists for a media system that stores and plays media content for a user of the media system. The automatic update to playlists can occur when additional media content is added to or removed from the media system. The automatic update to playlists can also occur when previously stored media content is otherwise altered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: David Heller, Jeffrey L. Robbin
  • Patent number: 8102321
    Abstract: A cavity antenna for an electronic device such as a portable computer is provided. The antenna may be formed from a conductive cavity and an antenna probe that serves as an antenna feed. The conductive cavity may have the shape of a folded rectangular cavity. A dielectric support structure may be used in forming the antenna cavity. A fin may protrude from one end of the dielectric support structure. The antenna probe may be formed from conductive structures mounted on the fin. An inverted-F antenna configuration or other antenna configuration may be used in forming the antenna probe. The electronic device may have a housing with conductive walls. When the cavity antenna mounted within an electronic device, a planar rectangular end face of the fin may protrude through a thin rectangular opening in the conductive walls to allow the antenna to operate without being blocked by the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Bing Chiang, Gregory A. Springer
  • Patent number: 8103893
    Abstract: The present invention provides both a peripheral device that regulates its own temperature by adjusting its power consumption, and a method to accomplish the same. The method generally includes monitoring the temperature of the mass storage device and reducing power consumption when the temperature exceeds a certain threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Joel S. Burton
  • Patent number: 8103951
    Abstract: In a database application executing on a computer system, a database table view is represented by a structured object located on a storage device coupled to the computer system. Responsive to a user pasting content (e.g., spreadsheet data) onto the view of the table, the database application determines if the content to be pasted extends beyond the number of rows (records in a database) or columns (database fields) currently displayed in the table view. If the content extends beyond the number of rows or columns currently displayed, the database application automatically adds one or more records or fields to the structured object on the storage device, and updates the table view to display one or more rows or columns corresponding to the records or fields added to the structured object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Geoff Schuller, Yan Guo
  • Patent number: 8100544
    Abstract: An LED backlight method for display systems comprising receiving a plurality of light emitting diodes categorized into a plurality of bins, wherein each bin references a separate range of white point colors, and determining an optimal order for mounting the plurality of light emitting diodes at spatially distributed positions, the plurality of light emitting diodes comprising white point colors associated with separate bins, wherein the optimal order of the plurality of light emitting diodes produces a light of a desired white point color when the light outputs of the plurality of light emitting diodes are mixed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Wei Chen, Jun Qi, Victor Yin, John Zhong
  • Patent number: 8102319
    Abstract: A portable electronic device is provided that has a hybrid antenna. The hybrid antenna may include a slot antenna structure and a planar inverted-F antenna structure. The planar inverted-F antenna structure may be formed from traces on a flex circuit substrate. A backside trace may form a series capacitance for the planar inverted-F antenna structure. The antenna slot may have a perimeter that is defined by the location of conductive structures such as flex circuits, metal housing structures, a conductive bezel, printed circuit board ground conductors, and electrical components. Springs may be used in electrically connecting these conductive elements. A spring-loaded pin may be used as part of an antenna feed conductor. The pin may connect a transmission line path on a printed circuit board to the planar inverted-F antenna structure while allowing the planar inverted-F antenna structure to be removed from the device for rework or repair.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Robert W. Schlub, Qingxiang Li, Juan Zavala, Robert J. Hill
  • Patent number: 8101859
    Abstract: This invention is directed to mechanical and electromagnetic shielding features of an electronic device case. An electronic device case is formed of two housings, each housing having integrated snaps, channels, or other retaining features used to secure the housings together. The housings additionally include integrated retaining features used to secure electronic components within the device case. The housings and retaining features are formed of amorphous metals or other materials with high elasticities. Because the retaining features necessary to assemble the case and secure the electronic components to the case form integral parts of the housings, no external retaining features are required to assemble the electronic device in the case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Stephen Zadesky
  • Patent number: 8102365
    Abstract: Remote control systems that can distinguish predetermined light sources from stray light sources, e.g., environmental light sources and/or reflections are provided. The predetermined light sources can be disposed in asymmetric substantially linear or two-dimensional patterns. The predetermined light sources also can be configured to exhibit signature characteristics. The predetermined light sources also can output light at different signature wavelengths. The predetermined light sources also can emit light polarized in one or more predetermined polarization axes. Remote control systems of the present invention also can include methods for adjusting an allocation of predetermined light sources and/or the technique used to distinguish the predetermined light sources from the stray light sources.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Brett G. Alten
  • Patent number: 8102728
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a memory circuit includes one or more memory cells that include transistors having a first nominal threshold voltage, and interface circuitry such as word line drivers and bit line control circuitry that includes one or more transistors having a second nominal threshold voltage that is lower than the first nominal threshold voltage. For example, the word line driver circuit may be driven by signals from a lower voltage domain than the memory circuit's voltage domain. Lower threshold voltage transistors may be used for those signals, in some embodiments. Similarly, lower threshold voltage transistors may be used in the write data driver circuits. Other bit line control circuits may include lower threshold voltage transistors to permit smaller transistors to be used, which may reduce power and integrated circuit area occupied by the memory circuits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Brian J. Campbell, Greg M. Hess, Hang Huang
  • Patent number: D652843
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Marcel van Os
  • Patent number: RE43144
    Abstract: A system to manage network resources of a network so that network performance is predictable and manageable is disclosed. According to the system, network resource utilization is monitored and then computer systems seeking to transmit or receive data over the network as requested to do so at times that serve to more efficiently utilize the network resources. A method for managing network resources is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: David Z. Creemer