Patents Assigned to Apple
  • Publication number: 20110243360
    Abstract: Thin plug assemblies and methods for constructing the same are disclosed. The plug assembly can include a plug portion, a cable portion, and an interfacing portion between the plug portion and the cable portion. The plug portion can include several conductive regions each connected to a conductor of the cable portion to form conductor/plug member coupling(s), for example via a plug extension member associated with each conductive region. The plug assembly is constructed such that a diameter of the plug portion, interface portion, and at least part of the cable portion have substantially the same diameter. Ring structures enhance one or more of the conductor/plug member couplings by providing a press or interference fit directly to the coupling(s). Ring structures are constructed to slide axially over at least one conductor and at least one plug member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2011
    Publication date: October 6, 2011
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventor: Jonathan Aase
  • Publication number: 20110246117
    Abstract: Sensor measurements are used to detect when a device incorporating the sensor is stationary. While the device is stationary, sensor measurements at a current device temperature are used to estimate model parameters. The model parameters can be used in a state estimator to provide an estimated attitude that can be provided to other applications. In some implementations, the estimated attitude can be used to mitigate interference in other sensor measurements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2010
    Publication date: October 6, 2011
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Christopher Moore, Brian Michael King, William Matthew Vieta, Xiaoyuan Tu, Patrick Piemonte
  • Publication number: 20110246964
    Abstract: An enhanced integrated development environment (IDE) is able to archive a build product and/or work with an archived build product in various ways. In one embodiment, a build product archive includes a manifest, a source code snapshot, a symbol table, and a build product. The manifest contains meta-data about the archive. The source code snapshot is a copy of the source code that was used in the build process. The symbol table is a copy of the symbol table that was generated by the build process. The build product is a copy of the build product that was generated by the build process. A developer can use the enhanced IDE to help share a build product with others and/or to understand system logs and reports that describe operation of the build product (e.g., crash logs and memory logs).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2011
    Publication date: October 6, 2011
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Clark S. Cox, III, Maxwell O. Drukman, Todd R. Fernandez, Marc Verstaen
  • Publication number: 20110242088
    Abstract: A method for reducing power consumption of an electronic display is provided. In one embodiment, the method includes transmitting data packets over a data channel between a timing controller and a column driver of the display. Data transmission modes may be read from headers of the data packets, and image data of the packets may be processed at the column driver based on their respective data transmission modes. Further, the data channel may be intermittently deactivated during transmission of the data packets based on their respective data transmission modes. Additional methods, systems, and devices relating to electronic displays are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2010
    Publication date: October 6, 2011
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventor: Taesung Kim
  • Publication number: 20110241656
    Abstract: A device coupled with a magnetometer and an angular rate sensor can determine a heading of the device using magnetometer data. When the device receives a notification that the magnetometer data may be inaccurate, the device can determine the heading of the device using angular rate data. When the device determines that the magnetometer data are accurate, the device can resume determining the heading of the device using the magnetometer data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2010
    Publication date: October 6, 2011
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Patrick Piemonte, Christopher Moore, Brian Michael King, William Matthew Vieta, Xiaoyuan Tu
  • Publication number: 20110242986
    Abstract: Controlling a wireless connection of a mobile wireless communication device to a wireless communication network. When the mobile wireless communication device is connected to a base transceiver station through a radio frequency link, the mobile wireless communication device detects a signal quality of the radio frequency link. If the detected signal quality is at or below a first threshold and decreasing over a first detection time interval, then the mobile wireless communication device estimates a maximum response time interval until the detected signal quality of the radio frequency link is below a second threshold. The mobile wireless communication device delays transmitting only those control messages that cause the wireless communication network to respond to subsequent control messages beyond the estimated maximum response time interval.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2010
    Publication date: October 6, 2011
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Sanjeevi Balasubramanian, Ricardo R. Velasco
  • Publication number: 20110241442
    Abstract: This is directed to a dome switch that includes a capacitive sensor. A dome switch can include a dome operative to deform to provide tactile feedback to a user. To provide an electrical instruction to the device, the region underneath the dome can define a free space separating conductive regions forming a capacitor. For example, a tip of the dome, a button placed between the dome and a circuit board, or a user's finger can form a first conductor of a capacitor, and a support structure for the dome can include a terminal forming a second conductor completing the capacitor. When the dome deflects, the distance between the conductors can change and provide a measurable capacitance variation, which the device can detect. To protect the dome switch from damage due to contaminants, the terminal can be integrated within a volume of the circuit board such that it is not exposed to the environment of the dome switch. In one implementation, the terminal may not be exposed to air.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2010
    Publication date: October 6, 2011
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Adam Mittleman, Nicholas Merz
  • Publication number: 20110243346
    Abstract: A headset can include a cable structure connecting non-cable components such as jacks and headphones. The cable structure can include several legs connected at a bifurcation such as, for example, a main leg splitting into left and right legs. To prevent tangling of the cable structure, one or more rods constructed from a super-elastic material can be embedded in each of the legs. For example, a first set of superelastic rods can extend from the main leg to the left leg, a second set of superelastic rods can extend from the main leg to the right leg, and a third set of superelastic rods can extend from the left leg to the right leg. In some cases, the super-elastic rods can be incorporated in a conductor bundle used to transfer signals through the cable structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2011
    Publication date: October 6, 2011
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Jonathan Aase, Craig Stanley
  • Publication number: 20110242756
    Abstract: A hinge assembly having a hollow clutch is arranged to pivotally couple a portable computer base portion to a portable computer lid portion. The hinge assembly includes at least a hollow cylindrical portion that includes an annular outer region and a central bore region, the central bore region suitably arranged to provide support for electrical conductors between the base and lid portions. The hinge assembly also includes a plurality of fastening components that couple the hollow clutch to the base portion and the lid portion of the portable computer, with at least one of the fastening regions being integrally formed with the hollow cylindrical portion such that space, size and part count are minimized. The integrally formed fastening region(s) can be flat with holes dispersed therethrough for screws, bolts or the like. The central bore can also support a heat transfer element and can also serve as a lubricant reservoir.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2010
    Publication date: October 6, 2011
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Brett William DEGNER, John M. BROCK, Bradley Joseph HAMEL
  • Publication number: 20110246891
    Abstract: A graphical user interface (“GUI”) can be presented on a remote control accessory device that has user input and display devices. The portable media device can provide the accessory with a GUI image to be displayed. The accessory can specify the configuration of the remote GUI image and send that information to the portable media device. The portable media device can generate a GUI image based on the configuration and send the GUI image to the accessory. The accessory can display the GUI image on one part of its display and other information on another part of its display. The portable media device can define different GUI image types for use with different types of input controls of the accessory. Based on which input control is currently active, the portable media device can send the corresponding GUI image to the accessory for display on the accessory display.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2011
    Publication date: October 6, 2011
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Emily Schubert, Shyam Toprani, Thomas M. Alsina, Szu-Wen Huang
  • Publication number: 20110246618
    Abstract: The present technology presents targeted content, such as a targeted application, in multiple different configurations to correspond to multiple display orientations. In one example, a primary application having a view reserved to present the targeted application is configured to be presented in either a landscape or a portrait presentation format depending on the orientation of the display. The primary application is further configured to switch from either the landscape or portrait presentation format to the other presentation format when the orientation of the display is changed. Accordingly, the targeted application can be downloaded in multiple configurations so that the configuration that is appropriate for the displayed presentation format of the primary application can be presented with the reserved view.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2010
    Publication date: October 6, 2011
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: James Alexander Howard, William Bedford Turner, Christopher Blumenberg, Richard Williamson
  • Publication number: 20110246787
    Abstract: In a first computer (digital) data obfuscation process, data which is conventionally arranged in a data structure called an array (e.g., a table) and conventionally stored in computer or computer device memory is obfuscated (masked) by logically or mathematically combining the data, entry-by-entry, with a masking value which is computed as a logical or mathematical function of the entry itself or its index in the array, modulo a security value. The complementary unmasking value is a pointer to the entry's address in the table modulo the security value. In a second computer (digital) data obfuscation process, the addresses (location designations) in memory of a data array are themselves obfuscated (masked) by partitioning the array into blocks of entries and shuffling the order of the data entries in each block by a predetermined algorithm, resulting in a shuffled array also differing from the original array in terms of its size (the total number of entries).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2010
    Publication date: October 6, 2011
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Augustin J. Farrugia, Mathieu Ciet, Benoit Chevallier-Mames
  • Patent number: 8032565
    Abstract: The invention pertains to techniques for creating media asset illustrations for media assets are disclosed. The created media asset illustrations are useful for media assets that lack associated media asset illustrations. The techniques can analyze media asset data or media asset metadata when creating the create media asset illustrations. The created media asset illustrations can, for example, be used while playing, browsing or displaying associated media assets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Imran Chaudhri
  • Patent number: 8031569
    Abstract: Example embodiments provide various techniques for playing data from an optical media drive. The optical media drive may detect certain media access information for use in accessing optical media. This media access information is stored in a memory that is configured to retain the media access information after the optical media drive is deactivated. The optical media drive reads the data from an optical media and this data is transferred to a buffer until, with reference to some threshold parameter, the optical media drive is deactivated. The optical media drive may be reactivated in reference to another threshold parameter and the media access information is thereafter retrieved from the memory. The optical media drive may then read from the optical media using the provided media access information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Paul J. Wehrenberg
  • Patent number: 8031864
    Abstract: Some embodiments of the present invention provide a system which supports a dual-purpose aperture for an electronic device. This system includes a first component configured to perform an acoustic function through the aperture and a second component configured to perform a non-acoustic function through the aperture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Michael N. Rosenblatt, Michael M. Lee, Justin L. Gregg
  • Patent number: 8032670
    Abstract: In one embodiment, an apparatus comprises a first interface circuit, a direct memory access (DMA) controller coupled to the first interface circuit, and a host coupled to the DMA controller. The first interface circuit is configured to communicate on an interface according to a protocol. The host comprises at least one address space mapped, at least in part, to a plurality of memory locations in a memory system of the host. The DMA controller is configured to perform DMA transfers between the first interface circuit and the address space, and the DMA controller is further configured to perform DMA transfers between a first plurality of the plurality of memory locations and a second plurality of the plurality of memory locations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Dominic Go, Mark D. Hayter, Zongjian Chen, Ruchi Wadhawan
  • Patent number: 8031050
    Abstract: Situational location dependent information is transmitted from a server data processing system to a receiving data processing system. The server data processing system communicates with the receiving data processing system in a manner by pushing content when appropriate. A candidate delivery event associated with a current positional attribute of the receiving data processing system is recognized and a situational location of the remote data processing system is determined. The candidate delivery event may be a location and/or direction change, device state change, or movement exceeding a movement tolerance. The situational location of the remote data processing system may be its location, direction, location and direction, proximity to a location, state change, or location and/or direction relative to a previous location and/or direction, or combinations thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: William J. Johnson
  • Patent number: 8032673
    Abstract: A PIO transaction unit includes an input buffer, a response buffer, and a control unit. The input buffer may receive and store PIO write operations sent by one or more transactons sources. Each PIO write operation may include a source identifier that identifies the transaction source. The response buffer may store response operations corresponding to respective PIO write operations that are to be transmitted to the transaction source identified by the identifier. The control unit may store a particular response operation corresponding to the given PIO write operation in the response buffer prior to the given PIO write operation being sent from the input buffer. The control unit may store the particular response operation within the response buffer if the given PIO write operation is bufferable and there is no non-bufferable PIO write operation having a same source identifier stored in the input buffer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Sanjay Mansingh
  • Patent number: 8031777
    Abstract: An encoder includes an encoder engine, a storage device and a controller to implement an iterative coding process. The encoder engine compresses a selected portion of a data sequence. The storage device stores the compressed portion of the data sequence after each iteration. The controller selects the portion of the data sequence to compress for each iteration. The controller gathers statistics from the compressed portion of the data sequence. The gathered statistics include statistics generated by the selected frames and statistics extrapolated from the selected frames for the non-selected frames. The controller adjusts coding parameters of the encoder engine on each iteration until the gathered statistics meet a specified performance requirement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Barin Haskell, Adriana Dumitras, Hsi-Jung Wu, Xin Tong, Thomas Pun
  • Patent number: 8031962
    Abstract: The disclosed implementations relate generally to improved workflows for color correcting digital images. In some implementations, a method of correcting images includes: presenting a user interface on a display device, the user interface including a display area; presenting a digital image in the display area; overlaying a correction interface on the digital image; and performing a correction operation on at least a portion of the digital image in response to a user interaction with the correction interface, where the correction operation is performed with real-time responsiveness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel Pettigrew, Jean-Pierre Mouilleseaux, Dan Candela