Patents Assigned to Apple
  • Patent number: 11948380
    Abstract: In one implementation, a method of determining an estimate of a position of a camera is performed at a device including one or more processors and non-transitory memory. The method includes obtaining a point cloud of a physical environment including a plurality of points, wherein each of the plurality of points is associated with set of three-dimensional coordinates in a three-dimensional coordinate system of the physical environment, wherein the plurality of points includes a first cluster of points associated with a first semantic label. The method includes obtaining a two-dimensional image of the physical environment associated with a point-of-view set of three-dimensional coordinates in the three-dimensional coordinate system of the physical environment. The method includes detecting, in the two-dimensional image of the physical environment, a representation of a first object corresponding to the first semantic label.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventor: Payal Jotwani
  • Patent number: 11950182
    Abstract: Embodiments of a User Equipment (UE) and methods of communication are generally described herein. The UE may be configurable to operate as an initiating UE for a vehicle-to-everything (V2X) application that includes PCS communication between the initiating UE and a receiving UE. The initiating UE may receive, from a base station, control signaling that indicates a default PCS radio access technology (RAT) for the V2X service. The default PCS RAT may be either a Long Term Evolution (LTE) PCS RAT or a New Radio (NR) PCS RAT. Based on the default PCS RAT and/or PCS RATs supported by the initiating UE, the initiating UE may select either the LTE PCS RAT or the NR PCS RAT. The selected PCS RAT may be proposed, in a negotiation with the receiving UE, for the V2X service.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Alexandre Saso Stojanovski, Chang Hong Shan, Meghashree Dattatri Kedalagudde
  • Patent number: 11946996
    Abstract: Accuracy for detecting and tracking one or more objects of interest can be improved using radar-based tracking systems. In some examples, multiple radars implemented in a device can be used to transmit signals to, and receive signals from, the one or more objects of interest. To disambiguate an object of interest from undesired objects such as the hand of a user, the object of interest can include a transponder that applies a delay element to a signal received from a radar, and thereafter transmits a delayed return signal back to the radar. The delay produced by the delay element can separate the return signal from undesired reflections and enable disambiguation of those signals. Clear identification of the desired return signal can lead to more accurate object distance determinations, more accurate triangulation, and improved position detection and tracking accuracy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Apple, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Kerner, John Zhonghua Wu, Michael Delishansky, Zohar Agon, Shachar Shayovitz, Michael Ney, Shay I. Freundlich
  • Patent number: 11945048
    Abstract: Laser-based techniques for cutting and drilling of transparent components are disclosed. These laser-based techniques rely on laser modification of transparent substrates followed by chemical etching and are suitable for use with a variety of transparent substrates. Transparent components and enclosures and electronic devices including the transparent components are also disclosed herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Matthew N. Van Dyke, Michael M. Li, Thomas Johannessen
  • 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: 11947005
    Abstract: In one implementation, a method includes: obtaining a first depth estimation characterizing a distance between the device and a surface in a real-world environment, wherein the first depth estimation is derived from image data including a representation of the surface; receiving, using the audio transceiver, an acoustic reflection of an acoustic wave, wherein the acoustic wave is transmitted in a known direction relative to the device; and determining a second depth estimation based on the acoustic reflection, wherein the second depth estimation characterizes the distance between the device and the surface in the real-world environment; and determining a confirmed depth estimation characterizing the distance between the device and the surface based on resolving any mismatch between the first depth estimation and the second depth estimation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Christopher T. Eubank, Ryan S. Carlin
  • Patent number: 11944172
    Abstract: An earbud includes a housing that includes a driver assembly positioned within the housing forming a front volume in front of the driver and a back volume behind the driver. An acoustic insert is positioned behind the driver assembly and attached to an interior surface of the housing such that it forms a bass channel that is routed from the back volume to a vent in the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Arun D. Chawan, Kurt Stiehl, Benjamin A. Cousins, Jonathan S. Aase, Yacine Azmi, Paul Choiniere, Scott W. Slabaugh
  • Patent number: 11947784
    Abstract: An electronic device with a touch-sensitive display, one or more processors, and memory detects a first user input. In response to detecting the first user input, the device displays on the touch-sensitive display a user interface screen including a first affordance and a second affordance. The device detects a second user input including a contact on the touch-sensitive display. In accordance with a determination that the contact corresponds to selection of the first affordance, the electronic device is caused to turn off. In accordance with a determination that the contact corresponds to selection of the second affordance, the device causes initiation of a telephone call to a determined number.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Aled Hywel Williams, Jonathan P. Ive, Bronwyn Jones, Ieyuki Kawashima, Kevin Lynch, Natalia Maric, Andreas E. Schobel, Molly Pray Wiebe
  • 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: 11949613
    Abstract: An apparatus of a network (NW) configured to: encode a new radio (NR) Discovery Reference Signal (DRS) transmission, the NR DRS transmission including a synchronization signal block (SSB) and channel state information (CSI) reference signal (RS) (CSI-RS). The apparatus is further configured to configure the NW to transmit the NR DRS transmission. The RS-CSI may be a fragmented RS-CSI including a first fragmented portion and a second fragmented portion, where the apparatus is configured to encode a symbol of the NR DRS transmission to comprise the first fragmented portion, a symbol of the SSB, and the second fragmented portion, where the symbol of the SSB is encoded on a physical broadcast channel (PBCH) portion of the NR DRS transmission.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Bishwarup Mondal, Salvatore Talarico, Seau S. Lim, Dae Won Lee, Jeongho Jeon
  • Patent number: 11947724
    Abstract: An electronic device with a touch-sensitive surface, a display, and one or more tactile output generators displays, on the display, a respective user interface element within a user interface region. The device detects a gesture on the touch-sensitive surface for moving the respective user interface element by a respective amount. In response, in accordance with a determination that moving the respective user interface element by the respective amount would cause the respective user interface element to move beyond a predefined limit, the device generates a respective tactile output via the tactile output generators and moves the respective user interface element by the respective amount and beyond the predefined limit. In response to detecting liftoff of a contact used to perform the gesture, the device at least partially reverses the movement of the respective user interface element, such that the respective user interface element is moved to the predefined limit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Jeffrey Traer Bernstein, Julian Missig, Avi E. Cieplinski, May-Li Khoe, Bianca C. Costanzo
  • Patent number: 11950259
    Abstract: To extend a physical broadcast channel (PBCH) in wireless communications, an extended physical broadcast channel (EPBCH) transmission is generated with one or more legacy PBCH blocks and one or more EPBCH blocks within an extension window. A size of the extension window is determined based at least in part on a PBCH repetition number and a number of the legacy PBCH blocks relative to a number of the EPBCH blocks. The EPBCH transmission is transmitted by a base station (BS) to one or more user equipment (UE).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Hong He, Dawei Zhang, Wei Zeng, Chunhai Yao, Haitong Sun, Yuchul Kim, Yushu Zhang, Chunxuan Ye, Oghenekome Oteri, Weidong Yang, Yang Tang, Jie Cui, Haijing Hu, Zhibin Wu, Fangli Xu
  • 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: 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: 11947733
    Abstract: Techniques for displaying a virtual object in an enhanced reality setting in accordance with a physical muting mode being active are described. In some examples, a system obtains context data for one or more physical elements in a physical setting, wherein the context data includes first context data and second context data that is different from the first context data. In some examples, in response to obtaining the context data for the one or more physical elements in the physical setting, a system causes display of a virtual object that represents the one or more physical elements using the first context data without using the second context data, in accordance with a determination that a physical muting mode is active.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Clément Pierre Nicolas Boissière, Shaun Budhram, Tucker Bull Morgan, Bruno M. Sommer, Connor A. Smith
  • Patent number: 11946969
    Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods for implementing a multi-die clock stop trigger are described. A computing system includes a plurality of semiconductor dies connected together and sharing a global clock stop trigger signal which is pulled high via a resistor tied to a supply voltage. Each semiconductor die has a clock generation unit which generates local clocks for the die. Each clock generation unit monitors for local clock stop triggers, and if one of the local triggers is detected, the clock generation unit stops local clocks on the die and pulls the global clock stop trigger signal low. When the other clock generation units on the other semiconductor dies detect the global clock stop trigger at the logic low level, these clock generation units also stop their local clocks. Captured data is then retrieved from the computing system for further analysis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Charles J. Fleckenstein, Tal Lazmi, Ori Isachar
  • Patent number: 11949938
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure present devices, methods, and computer readable medium for enabling controller device to control proprietary digital media players, network accessories, and virtual assistants, providing an overall improved user experience. The techniques disclosed herein reduce clutter because a single controller can control various different devices and accessories. The techniques discloses also can include identifying a change in the configuration information for the computing device. The technique for accessory control can include transmitting updated configuration information for the controller, the configuration information associating a function for the computing device with a user interface element value for the controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Zaka Ur Rehman Ashraf, Anush G. Nadathur, Jared S. Grubb, Srinivas Rama
  • Patent number: 11950242
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to providing system information for cell access to link budget limited devices. According to some embodiments, a base station may transmit an announcement information block (MB) in a downlink shared data channel (e.g., PDSCH), wherein the AIB contains information useable by a UE in determining the location of system information in the downlink shared data channel. The UE can thus determine the location of and decode system information without having to decode a downlink control channel (e.g., PDCCH). This may be important for certain classes of devices, such as link budget limited devices, which have issues in decoding the downlink control channel. Improved paging scheduling techniques are also disclosed which more efficiently use PDCCH paging resources.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Tarik Tabet, Awais M. Hussain, Syed Aon Mujtaba, Moustafa M. Elsayed
  • Patent number: 11947792
    Abstract: An electronic device with a display and a touch-sensitive surface displays, on the display, a first visual indicator. The electronic device receives a first single touch input on the touch-sensitive surface at a location that corresponds to the first visual indicator; and, in response to detecting the first single touch input on the touch-sensitive surface at a location that corresponds to the first visual indicator, replaces display of the first visual indicator with display of a first menu. The first menu includes a virtual touches selection icon. In response to detecting selection of the virtual touches selection icon, the electronic device displays a menu of virtual multitouch contacts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Eric T. Seymour, Christopher B. Fleizach
  • Patent number: 11948332
    Abstract: A system for determining the gaze endpoint of a subject, the system comprising: a eye tracking unit adapted to determine the gaze direction of one or more eyes of the subject; a head tracking unit adapted to determine the position comprising location and orientation of the eye tracker with respect to a reference coordinate system; a 3D Structure representation unit, that uses the 3D structure and position of objects of the scene in the reference coordinate system to provide a 3D structure representation of the scene; based on the gaze direction, the eye tracker position and the 3D structure representation, calculating the gaze endpoint on an object of the 3D structure representation of the scene or determining the object itself.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Jan Hoffmann, Tom Sengelaub, Denis Williams