Patents Assigned to Apple
  • Publication number: 20110305875
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods for assembling an electronic device and components thereof are provided. The electronic device may include a housing and a cover inserted into an opening in the housing. The electronic device may also include a first assembly that may be inserted into the housing through a first end, and a second assembly that may be inserted into the housing through a second end. The electronic device may also include end cap assemblies. In some embodiments, the electronic device may include an input mechanism coupled to the housing and a plate coupled to the housing. In some embodiments, a connector of the electronic device may be mounted on a circuit board by inserting a fixture into the connector, mounting the connector to a portion of the circuit board, removing the fixture from the connector, and separating the portion of the circuit board from another portion of the circuit board.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2011
    Publication date: December 15, 2011
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Emery Sanford, Stephen Brian Lynch, Anthony Sagala Montevirgen, Fletcher Rothkopf, Mathias Schmidt, Hamid Mohammadinia, R. Sean Murphy
  • Publication number: 20110307385
    Abstract: The present technology allows reliable and accurate tracking of conversions of invitational content by storing token identifying items of invitational content presented to the user within a cookie jar of a local occurrence of an online-store application. When a purchase or download is made from the online store, the cookies are sent to the online store, which can match the purchase or download with the tokens. Thus, conversions can be tracked as they are completed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2010
    Publication date: December 15, 2011
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jason James St. Pierre, Ravikiran Chittari, Kenley Sun
  • Publication number: 20110304968
    Abstract: An aesthetically pleasing small form factor desktop computer is described. The small form factor desktop computer can be formed of a single piece seamless housing that in the described embodiment is machined from a single billet of aluminum. The single piece seamless housing includes an aesthetically pleasing foot support having at least a portion formed of RF transparent material that provides easy user access to selected internal components as well as offers electromagnetic (EM) shielding. This simplicity of design can accrue many advantages to the small form factor desktop computer besides those related to aesthetic look and feel. Fewer components and less time and effort can be required for assembly of the small form factor desktop computer and the absence of seams in the single piece housing can provide good protection against environmental contamination of internal components as well as EM shielding.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2010
    Publication date: December 15, 2011
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Eric A. Knopf, David P. Tarkington
  • Publication number: 20110304976
    Abstract: A small form factor desktop computing device having a suitable internal cooling arrangement is disclosed. The device can be formed of a single piece seamless housing machined from a single billet of aluminum. The single piece seamless housing includes an aesthetically pleasing foot support having at least a portion formed of RF transparent material that provides easy user access to selected internal components as well as offers electromagnetic shielding. The device can also include a removable foot, a heat producing element, a fan, an air processing manifold having a plurality of angled fins, and a heat exchanger.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2010
    Publication date: December 15, 2011
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Eric A. Knopf, David P. Tarkington, Matthew D. Rohrbach
  • Publication number: 20110304972
    Abstract: An aesthetically pleasing small form factor desktop computer is described. The small form factor desktop computer can be formed of a single piece seamless housing that in the described embodiment is machined from a single billet of aluminum. The single piece seamless housing includes an aesthetically pleasing foot support having at least a portion formed of RF transparent material that provides easy user access to selected internal components as well as offers electromagnetic (EM) shielding. This simplicity of design can accrue many advantages to the small form factor desktop computer besides those related to aesthetic look and feel. Fewer components and less time and effort can be required for assembly of the small form factor desktop computer and the absence of seams in the single piece housing can provide good protection against environmental contamination of internal components as well as EM shielding.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2010
    Publication date: December 15, 2011
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Chiew-Siang Goh, Joseph B. Moak, Matthew S. Theobald, Houtan R. Farahani, Ricardo A. Mariano, Eric A. Knopf
  • Publication number: 20110307084
    Abstract: The disclosed technology provides for determining whether an audio stream is monophonic or polyphonic. An exemplary method includes analyzing and detecting frequency peaks in a portion of the audio stream. The method includes determining whether the portion of the audio stream is monophonic, by determining if all detected peaks are integer intervals of a lowest detected frequency peak. The method then includes determining that the audio stream portion is monophonic if a greatest common devisor frequency exists between a threshold frequency and the lowest detected frequency peak, wherein each detected peak is an integer multiple of the greatest common devisor frequency. The method includes determining that the portion of the audio stream is polyphonic if any one of the detected peaks is not substantially an integer multiple of the lowest detected frequency and if no greatest common devisor frequency exists between the threshold frequency and the lowest detected frequency peak.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2010
    Publication date: December 15, 2011
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Steffen Gehring, Christof Adam
  • Publication number: 20110304597
    Abstract: There are provided systems, devices and methods for controlling backlighting in an electronic device. In one embodiment, an electronic device an electronic device having a processor and a display assembly coupled to the processor. The display assembly being configured to provide visual output. The display assembly includes a backlight layer having one or more light sources. At least one of the one or more light sources is coupled to ground via a switch. The switch is configured to selectively operate the one or more light sources to adjust a brightness of the visual output.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2010
    Publication date: December 15, 2011
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Edward Craig Hyatt
  • Publication number: 20110303741
    Abstract: A method for identifying an application usable with an accessory is provided. The method includes receiving an accessory identifier associated with the accessory, identifying an application protocol associated with the accessory identifier, identifying an application that supports the application protocol, and providing information about the application to a user device. A method for identifying an accessory usable with an application is also provided. The method includes receiving information about an application, determining an application protocol associated with the application, determining an accessory that supports the application protocol, and providing information about the accessory to a user device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2010
    Publication date: December 15, 2011
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Lawrence G. Bolton, Peter T. Langenfeld, Shyam S. Toprani
  • Publication number: 20110304485
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing keycap includes applying a first coating layer on a surface of a keycap layer, applying a second coating layer on top of the first coating layer, etching at least a portion of the first coating layer to a first depth to form a first etched area, and etching at least a portion of the first etched area to a second depth to form a second etched area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2010
    Publication date: December 15, 2011
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Peter H. Mahowald, Omar Sze Leung
  • Publication number: 20110304974
    Abstract: An aesthetically pleasing small form factor desktop computer is described. The small form factor desktop computer can be formed of a single piece seamless housing that in the described embodiment is machined from a single billet of aluminum. The single piece seamless housing includes an aesthetically pleasing foot support having at least a portion formed of RF transparent material that provides easy user access to selected internal components as well as offers electromagnetic (EM) shielding. This simplicity of design can accrue many advantages to the small form factor desktop computer besides those related to aesthetic look and feel. Fewer components and less time and effort can be required for assembly of the small form factor desktop computer and the absence of seams in the single piece housing can provide good protection against environmental contamination of internal components as well as EM shielding.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2010
    Publication date: December 15, 2011
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Eric A. Knopf, David P. Tarkington, Houtan R. Farahani
  • Publication number: 20110304984
    Abstract: A battery assembly includes at least a plurality of battery cells that includes at least a first and a second battery cell each attached to a distributed battery monitoring unit, the second battery cell being associated with an external circuit, the second battery cell connected to a battery management unit (BMU) by way of a pre-formed battery contact shaped to accommodate the external circuit. The plurality of battery cells are electrically connected to at least the BMU such that each of the plurality of battery cells are substantially aligned with each other thereby preserving a battery profile corresponding to unconnected battery cells.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2010
    Publication date: December 15, 2011
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Stephen R. McClure, Scott J. Hagadone, Sheba Devan, Val Valentine
  • Publication number: 20110304973
    Abstract: An optical drive dust guard can include an elongated strip of silicone having a front surface, a back surface and an adhesive along one of the surfaces, an elongated slit formed along and through a center portion of the elongated strip, and one or more elongated notches formed along the elongated strip. The elongated notches result in at least a portion of the elongated strip becoming hinged to another portion of the elongated strip about the notches, so as to allow a hinged frontwards or backwards passage of an optical media therethrough. The elongated slit can be formed after the silicone dust guard is already installed in the host device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2010
    Publication date: December 15, 2011
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Houtan R. Farahani, Matthew D. Rohrbach
  • Publication number: 20110307873
    Abstract: Disclosed are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for detecting changes in a source of entropy. A system configured to practice the method generates a cyclic graph based at least in part on the values in the entropy pool. Using the cyclic graph and one or more starting points, the system establishes one or more baseline properties for the cyclic graph. These properties can include the number of steps required to identify a cycle in the graph or the number of steps required to traverse the graph from one or more starting points to a selected end point. The computed properties are then stored for later use. As execution progresses, the system monitors the entropy pool to detect a change by regenerating the cyclic graph and using the stored properties.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2010
    Publication date: December 15, 2011
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jon McLachlan, Julien Lerouge, Nicholas T. Sullivan, Ganna Zaks, Augustin J. Farrugia
  • Publication number: 20110304847
    Abstract: Embodiments described herein relate to a light sensing system. In one embodiment, the light sensing system may include a microprocessor including an input pin configured to receive a first voltage from a light sensor. The light sensing system may also include a pull-up resistor coupled to the input pin. The pull-up resistor may include a first gate. The light sensing system may further include a pull-down resistor coupled to the input pin. The pull-down resistor may include a second gate. The first and second gates may allow for connecting or disconnecting the pull-up and pull-down resistors based on the amount or intensity of light detected by the light sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2010
    Publication date: December 15, 2011
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Peter H. Mahowald
  • Patent number: 8078776
    Abstract: A connector interface system for a communication device is disclosed. The interface includes a docking connector. The docking connector includes first make/last break contacts that minimize internal damage to the internal electronics. The docking connector also includes specific keying arrangement to prevent noncompliant connectors from being plugged in, and thereby minimizes potential damage to the multi-communication device. The connector interface system also includes a remote connector which provides for the ability to output audio, input audio, provides I/O serial protocol, and to provide an output video. Embodiments of the present invention allow for a standard headphone cable to be plugged in but also for special remote control cables, microphone cables, video cables could be utilized in such a system. The connector interface system also includes a serial protocol to control device features. These controls help a user sort and search for data more efficiently within the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Donald J. Novotney, John B. Filson, David Tupman
  • Patent number: 8078787
    Abstract: A host device and an accessory exchange information (e.g., commands and data) via an intermediate device. The host device and accessory can each connect to the intermediate device through a direct wired path and can exchange commands and data with the intermediate device. The host device and the accessory can also “tunnel” information to each other through the intermediate device, by packaging the tunneled information as a payload of a command recognizable by the intermediate device; the intermediate device can repackage and forward the payload. In some embodiments, the tunneled information relates to configuring a wireless link (e.g., a Bluetooth pairing) between the host device and the accessory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Gregory T. Lydon, Jay S. Laefer, John Ananny, Terry Tikalsky
  • Patent number: 8078982
    Abstract: The disclosed implementations allow automatic and transparent creation of data relationships in a database application or other application in response to user generated trigger events. Related data records can be stored and displayed in layouts, screens, forms and user interfaces provided by the database application or other application. Additional or extended information corresponding to the related data can be stored and displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey Caldwell Fried, Geoff Schuller, John Lorin Welshofer, Steven Marcek, Brian Barrick
  • Patent number: 8078747
    Abstract: The present invention provides several methods and apparatuses for transmitting multimedia data using streaming media protocols such as real-time transfer protocols (RTP) and real-time streaming protocols (RTSP) in a computer network environment. In one exemplary embodiment, a request for RTP data and its associated extension is sent from the caching proxy server to the server. The request may be for one specific type of data or multiple unrelated types of data. The server responds to the request indicating its support for the requested RTP extension data. The caching proxy server determines whether to proceed or terminate the data transmission process based on the response provided by the server. If it is determined to proceed with the data transmission process, the caching proxy informs the server to send the requested and supported RTP data. The server sends the requested data in a variable and extendible header format.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Denis Serenyi, Chris LeCroy
  • Patent number: 8077256
    Abstract: A scene-aware auto-exposure control process stabilizes changes in a camera's auto-exposure settings so as to reduce lighting and color flicker during image capture operations. A metric, referred to as the Modified Adjusted Luminance (MAL) metric, is defined to remain relatively constant as long as the lighting of the scene being captured remains relatively constant. Thus, scene changes such as an object moving into, out of, or around in a scene do not significantly affect the MAL metric's value and do not, therefore, trigger an exposure adjustment. Once the MAL metric indicates a scene's lighting is stable, the camera's auto-exposure operation may be suppressed. As long as incoming frames indicate a stable lighting condition (based on the MAL metric), auto-exposure operation may remain suppressed. When incoming frames result in a substantially different MAL over a specified number of frames, auto-exposure operation may be restored.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: Apple, Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas Price, Xiaosong Zhou, Hsi-Jung Wu, James Oliver Normile
  • Patent number: D650354
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Bartley K. Andre, Daniel J. Coster, Daniele De Iuliis, Richard P. Howarth, Jonathan P. Ive, Steve Jobs, Duncan Robert Kerr, Shin Nishibori, Matthew Dean Rohrbach, Douglas B. Satzger, Calvin O. Seid, Christopher J. Stringer, Eugene Antony Whang, Rico Zorkendorfer