Abstract: Circuits, methods, and apparatus that allow signals that are compliant with multiple standards to share a common connector on an electronic device. An exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides a connector that provides signals compatible with a legacy standard in one mode and a newer standard in another mode.
Type:
Application
Filed:
June 30, 2011
Publication date:
January 5, 2012
Applicant:
Apple Inc.
Inventors:
William P. Cornelius, William O. Ferry, James E. Orr
Abstract: Embodiments of a system that includes one or more integrated circuits are described. During operation, the system receives a video image, that when displayed, includes a picture portion, a non-picture portion, and a subtitle which is superimposed on at least a subset of the non-picture portion, where the non-picture portion has an initial brightness value. Then, the system scales the brightness of pixels corresponding to a remainder of the non-picture portion of the video image to have a new brightness value that is greater than the initial brightness value to reduce user-perceived changes in the video image associated with backlighting of a display that displays the video image, where the remainder of the non-picture portion excludes the subset of the non-picture portion.
Type:
Application
Filed:
September 12, 2011
Publication date:
January 5, 2012
Applicant:
APPLE INC.
Inventors:
Ulrich T. Barnhoefer, Wei H. Yao, Wei Chen, Barry J. Corlett, Jean-Didier Allegrucci
Abstract: An activity monitor, comprises housing for attachment to a person; at least one accelerometer disposed within the housing; and a processor disposed within the housing, for processing signals from the accelerometer to assess activity of the person. A method assesses activity of a person, including: sensing acceleration at a first location on the person; processing the acceleration, over time, to assess activity of the person; and wirelessly communicating information indicative of the activity to a second location.
Type:
Application
Filed:
September 13, 2011
Publication date:
January 5, 2012
Applicant:
APPLE INC.
Inventors:
Curtis A. Vock, Peter Flentov, Dennis M. Darcy
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:
Application
Filed:
September 12, 2011
Publication date:
January 5, 2012
Applicant:
Apple Inc.
Inventors:
Gregory T. Lydon, Jay S. Laefer, John Ananny, Terry Tikalsky
Abstract: A method and apparatus for intelligently routing and managing audio signals within an electronic device is disclosed. The routing is responsive to a set of logical and physical policies which are stored in data tables which can be updated as needed.
Type:
Application
Filed:
September 9, 2011
Publication date:
January 5, 2012
Applicant:
APPLE INC.
Inventors:
James D. Batson, Meriko L. Borogove, Gregory R. Chapman, Patrick L. Coffman, Anthony J. Guetta, Aram Lindahl, Andrew Rostaing
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:
Application
Filed:
September 12, 2011
Publication date:
January 5, 2012
Applicant:
Apple Inc.
Inventors:
Gregory T. Lydon, Jay S. Laefer, John Ananny, Terry Tikalsky
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:
Application
Filed:
September 12, 2011
Publication date:
January 5, 2012
Applicant:
Apple Inc.
Inventors:
Gregory T. Lydon, Jay S. Laefer, John Ananny, Terry Tikalsky
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:
Application
Filed:
September 12, 2011
Publication date:
January 5, 2012
Applicant:
APPLE INC.
Inventors:
Michael N. Rosenblatt, Michael M. Lee, Justin L. Gregg
Abstract: Circuits, methods, and apparatus that provide for the powering of active components in connector inserts at each end of a cable may in various ways. For example, where a host is coupled to a device that is not self-powered, the host may provide power for circuitry at each end of the cable. In various embodiments of the present invention, the device may request higher voltage from the host, such that more power can be delivered. In these cases, the device may regulate the voltage received from the host to a lower voltage, and then provide the lower voltage to circuitry at one or both ends of the cable. Where the host is connected to a device that is self-powered, the host and the self-powered device may power their respective connector insert circuits.
Type:
Application
Filed:
June 30, 2011
Publication date:
January 5, 2012
Applicant:
Apple Inc.
Inventors:
Paul A. Baker, William O. Ferry, James Orr
Abstract: Disclosed embodiments relate to the alignment of images, particularly in HDR imaging applications. In one embodiment, image pyramids may be generated using a reference image and a source image. A difference bitmap is generated for each level of the image pyramids and is evaluated over nine possible one-pixel shift combinations in the x and y directions {?1, 0, 1 }. The difference bitmap is divided into tiles and analyzed and, for each pyramid level beginning from the top level, an optimal shift direction is determined as the shift exhibiting the fewest pixel difference counts across all tiles. The tiles are then pruned using a threshold such that only the tiles contributing up to the threshold are projected to the subsequent pyramid level. The alignment vector for each level is aggregated, and a final alignment vector is determined and used to shift the source image.
Abstract: Embodiments provide various apparatus and techniques for deflecting or redirecting a flow of ionized air generated from an ionic wind generator. In general, a deflection field generator can be located proximate to the path of the flow of ionized air. The deflection field generator is configured to generate an electromagnetic field, which deflects a least a portion of the flow of ionized air to a different path and may possibly increase local heat transfer.
Abstract: A power function is approximated over an applicable data interval with polynomials determined by means of a Chebyshev minimax approximation technique. In some cases, multiple polynomials may be used to approximate the function over respective ranges of the desirable interval, in a piecewise manner. The appropriate polynomial that approximates the power function over the range of interest is derived and stored. When the power function is to be applied to a particular data value, the data value is first evaluated to determine where it lies within the applicable interval. The constants for the polynomial associated with that range of the interval are then retrieved and used to calculate the power of that data value.
Abstract: High speed connector inserts and cables having improved heat conduction, high strength, and may be manufactured in a reliable manner. One example may provide a connector insert having several paths by which heat may be removed from circuitry in the cable insert. In one example, heat may be removed from one or more circuits by forming a thermal path between a circuit and a shield of the connector insert. Another path may include one or more pads on a side of an integrated circuit board that are soldered directly to the shield. A braiding surrounding a cable may be soldered or otherwise thermally connected to the shield. Another example may provide a cable having a braiding that includes one or more types of fibers, such as aramid fibers. Another example may provide for increased manufacturability by using a wire comb and a solder bar.
Type:
Application
Filed:
February 23, 2011
Publication date:
January 5, 2012
Applicant:
Apple Inc.
Inventors:
Min Chul Kim, Paul Yuan, Josh Pong, Joseph Tang
Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, are described for immersive navigation and for rendering of dynamically reassembled panoramas, e.g., for rendering panoramas corresponding to user specified views of a scene depicted in a captured sequence of timed digital images. By dynamically altering reassembly of panoramic slices, a viewer can in effect navigate and pivot in and about a represented space, and can experience new viewing perspectives not apparent in individual panoramic frames.
Abstract: Techniques are described for providing a display of visual elements representing various media elements on a composite media presentation, wherein the display may be altered such that the visual elements transition from an overlapping arrangement to an arrangement where the overlap is minimized or eliminated. Once in the non-overlapping arrangement, a particular element may be selected or manipulated, for example applying an effect to the underlying media element, and the display returns to the original overlapping arrangement of visual elements, in some embodiments ending with the selected visual element at the top of the overlapping arrangement where before the visual elements may have been partially or completely obstructed from view.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
April 13, 2007
Date of Patent:
January 3, 2012
Assignee:
Apple Inc.
Inventors:
Richard Salvador, Nathalie Castel, Charles J. Migos, Philippe Panzini
Abstract: A wireless communication headset having both wired and wireless modes is provided. The wireless headset can include a headset connector assembly that can be coupled to a cable connector of a cable, which can in turn be connected to a telephone. When the wireless headset is coupled to the telephone, it can advantageously be operable to exchange audio information with the telephone through the cable, receive electrical power from the telephone through the cable, or both. In addition, the cable connector can advantageously be coupled to the wireless headset without obstructing airflow to a microphone that is located in the headset connector assembly, through use of apparatus of the invention located on the cable connector, such as an acoustic tunnel, a microphone-speaker pair, or a microphone that is coupled to control circuitry operable to disable the microphone of the headset.
Abstract: Graphics resources are virtualized through an interface between graphics hardware and graphics clients. The interface allocates the graphics resources across multiple graphics clients, processes commands for access to the graphics resources from the graphics clients, and resolves conflicts for the graphics resources among the clients.
Inventors:
Bartley K. Andre, Daniel J. Coster, Daniele De Iuliis, Evans Hankey, Richard P. Howarth, Jonathan P. Ive, Duncan Robert Kerr, Shin Nishibori, Matthew Dean Rohrbach, Peter Russell-Clarke, Douglas B. Satzger, Christopher J. Stringer, Eugene Antony Whang, Rico Zorkendorfer