Patents Assigned to Apple
  • Publication number: 20110298811
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices relating to directly bonding electrode pads of a flexible printed circuit (FPC) to electrode pads of a glass substrate are provided. In one example, such a system may include a glass substrate with electrode pads and an FPC with corresponding electrode pads. A joining edge of each electrode pad of the FPC may couple directly to a joining edge of a corresponding electrode pad of the glass substrate, without an intervening conductive adhesive layer or an anisotropic conductive film (ACF) layer, or a combination thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2010
    Publication date: December 8, 2011
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Ahmad Al-Dahle, Wei H. Yao
  • Publication number: 20110298704
    Abstract: A three-dimensional imaging and display system is provided in which user input is optically detected in an imaging volume by measuring the path length of an amplitude modulated scanning beam as a function of the phase shift thereof. Visual image user feedback concerning the detected user input is presented.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2011
    Publication date: December 8, 2011
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Christoph H. KRAH
  • Publication number: 20110298785
    Abstract: Systems and methods for preventing parasitic capacitances within liquid crystal displays are provided. A display panel according to an embodiment may include, for example, a pixel with a pixel electrode and a transistor coupled to a gate line. Additionally, the pixel may include a shielding conductor interposed between the pixel electrode and the gate line. The shielding conductor may shield the pixel electrode from a parasitic capacitance with the gate line by causing a parasitic capacitance to form between the gate line and the shielding conductor instead of between the gate line and the pixel electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2010
    Publication date: December 8, 2011
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Ahmad Al-Dahle, Wei H. Yao
  • Publication number: 20110301948
    Abstract: A method for performing a call between a near-end user and a far-end user, which includes the following operations performed during the call by the near-end user's communications device. Automatic gain control (AGC) is performed to update a gain applied to an uplink speech signal. A frame is detected in a downlink signal that contains speech; in response, the updating of the gain is frozen. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2010
    Publication date: December 8, 2011
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Shaohai Chen
  • Publication number: 20110298945
    Abstract: A technique for applying black level compensation to image data is provided. In one embodiment, an image processing system includes a first image processing pipeline configured to receive frames of image data generated by an image sensor and to alter the frames of image data to compensate for black level shift. The image processing system may also include a feed-forward loop having a second image processing pipeline configured to receive at least one of the frames of image data, to process the at least one frame, and to adjust a black level compensation parameter of the first image processing pipeline. Additional methods, systems, and devices relating to black level compensation are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2010
    Publication date: December 8, 2011
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Ting Chen, Jay David Zipnick, Andrew Yanowitz, Haitao Guo
  • Publication number: 20110299588
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a video encoding system that may include a coding engine to code an input video signal according to a video compression process, compression of each portion of the input signal performed according to coding parameters assigned to the respective portion. The video encoding system may also include a rate controller to select coding parameters of each portion of the input signal, the rate controller estimating delay of delivery of coded video data by a delivery network according to a leaky bucket modeling process and selecting coding parameters of a portion to be coded based at least in part on the estimated delay.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2010
    Publication date: December 8, 2011
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Xiaosong ZHOU, Hsi-Jung WU
  • Publication number: 20110299605
    Abstract: A system and method for gradually changing the resolution of a video signal to avoid a large spike in the video data transmitted between an encoder and a decoder. Upon detection of a change in the quality of source video, of the quality of the encoding process, or of the channel conditions, any of which may negatively impact the rate of frame transmission from encoder to decoder, or the quality of frames transmitted, a responsive change in the resolution of the video frame may be gradually implemented. To change the resolution by increasing the effective image size, each successive frame in a sequence of frames may contain additional pixel blocks in the expansion image area at the new resolution. In an embodiment, the decoder displays the video image at the original resolution until the resolution switch has been completed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2010
    Publication date: December 8, 2011
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Douglas Scott PRICE, Xiaosong ZHOU, Hsi-Jung WU, James Oliver NORMILE
  • Publication number: 20110297183
    Abstract: To prevent foreign particles from adhering to an external surface of an electronic device and adversely affecting a user's enjoyment of the device, and to remove adhered foreign particles, a source of mechanical waves can be incorporated within the device. The source can provide mechanical waves tuned to prevent foreign particles from adhering, or to remove foreign particles adhered to the external surface of the device, for example by increasing the contact angle between the foreign particles and the outer component. In some cases, the electronic device can dynamically tune, modify, or adjust emitted waves to direct foreign particles towards particular regions of the device, or to provide waves better adapted at removing different types of particles. In some embodiments, the electronic device can include a reservoir for receiving and holding foreign particles until they are removed from the device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2011
    Publication date: December 8, 2011
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventor: Gordon Cameron
  • Publication number: 20110301902
    Abstract: An electronic device can include an inertial measurement unit (IMU) operative to monitor the movement of the electronic device. The IMU used in the device can be inaccurate due to the manufacturing process used to construct the IMU and to incorporate the IMU in the electronic device. To correct the IMU output, the electronic device in which the IMU is incorporated can be placed in a testing apparatus that moves the device to known orientations. The IMU output at the known orientations can be compared to an expected true IMU output, and correction factors (e.g., sensitivity and offset matrices) can be calculated. The correction factors can be stored in the device, and applied to the IMU output to provide a true output. The testing apparatus can include a fixture placed in a gimbal movable around three axes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2010
    Publication date: December 8, 2011
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Peter Panagas
  • Publication number: 20110301901
    Abstract: An electronic device can include an inertial measurement unit (IMU) operative to monitor the movement of the electronic device. The IMU used in the device can be inaccurate due to the manufacturing process used to construct the IMU and to incorporate the IMU in the electronic device. To correct the IMU output, the electronic device in which the IMU is incorporated can be placed in a testing apparatus that moves the device to known orientations. The IMU output at the known orientations can be compared to an expected true IMU output, and correction factors (e.g., sensitivity and offset matrices) can be calculated. The correction factors can be stored in the device, and applied to the IMU output to provide a true output. The testing apparatus can include a fixture placed in a gimbal movable around three axes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2010
    Publication date: December 8, 2011
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Peter Panagas
  • Publication number: 20110298814
    Abstract: The disclosed embodiments provide a system that facilitates driving a display in a computer system. During operation, the system receives an input video stream from a graphics source, wherein the input video stream comprises a sequence of video frames. Next, the system directs the input video stream through a set of two or more memory buffers including a front buffer and a back buffer to produce an output video stream, which is used to drive the display. While directing the input video stream through the set of memory buffers, the system writes a video frame from the input video stream into the back buffer, and concurrently drives the output video stream from a preceding video frame in the front buffer. When the writing of the video frame completes, the system switches buffers so that the back buffer becomes the front buffer, which drives the output video stream, and the front buffer becomes either a spare buffer or the back buffer, which receives a subsequent frame from the input video stream.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2010
    Publication date: December 8, 2011
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Binu Mathew, William C. Athas, Nils E. Mattisson
  • Publication number: 20110300805
    Abstract: A method of mitigating interference in a mobile wireless communication device by adaptively adjusting transmit power levels of a wireless cellular transceiver. A receive signal quality for a wireless non-cellular transceiver that includes interference from signals transmitted by the wireless cellular transceiver is estimated. The wireless non-cellular and wireless cellular transceivers are co-located in the mobile wireless communication device, and both transceivers are active. An actual transmit power of the wireless cellular transceiver is adjusted based on the estimated receive signal quality to a level less than a requested transmit power. The estimation of the receive signal quality and the adjusting of the actual transmit power is periodically repeated. The estimation accounts for operational properties of the wireless cellular and non-cellular transceivers as well as operational characteristics of wireless connections through the transceivers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2010
    Publication date: December 8, 2011
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Amit Gaikwad, Indranil Sen
  • Publication number: 20110298947
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices for obtaining a properly exposed strobe-illuminated image are provided. One method for doing so may include, for example, gathering image capture statistics during a first period when a strobe is not emitting light and during a second period when the strobe emits a preflash. These image capture statistics may include distinct image capture control statistics and luma values associated with the periods. Final image capture control statistics then may be determined based at least in part on the first luma value normalized to the first image capture control statistics and the second luma value normalized to the second image capture control statistics. Thereafter, the final image capture control statistics may be used to capture a properly exposed strobe-illuminated image when the strobe emits a main flash.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2010
    Publication date: December 8, 2011
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Haitao Guo, David Daming Kuo
  • Publication number: 20110302556
    Abstract: Art editor within an integrated development environment displays a related file automatically. When a user enters a command to open a first file in the editor, the editor not only displays the first file's content (in a “primary editor”) but also automatically displays a second file's content (in a “related editor”), where the second file is related to the first file. In other words, when a first file is displayed in the editor, a file that is related to the first file is automatically displayed also. If the primary editor later displays a different file, then the file shown in the related editor will likely change as well, since the file shown in the related editor will be related to the “new” file in the primary editor. In other words, whatever is displayed in the related editor “tracks” whatever is displayed in the primary editor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2011
    Publication date: December 8, 2011
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Maxwell O. Drukman, Andreas W. Wendker, D. Matthew Firlik, Todd R. Fernandez, Michael S. Ferris, Anders I. Bertelrud
  • Publication number: 20110298716
    Abstract: A computer keyboard includes a plurality of keys arranged in a pattern contained within a plane, a webbed structure defining openings for each of the keys, an illumination source, and one or more light pipes positioned along the webbed structure and arranged to deliver light from the illumination source to the keys, wherein each of the keys is illuminated thereby. Although the keys have the appearance of being backlit similar to traditional illuminated keyboards, the illumination source is actually located along at least one side of and within the same plane as the pattern of keys, rather than beneath the keys. The keyboard can thus be made thinner in such arrangements where the illumination source does not need to be located beneath the keys.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2010
    Publication date: December 8, 2011
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Peter H. MAHOWALD, Patrick KESSLER, Harold J. WELCH
  • Publication number: 20110298944
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices for applying lens shading correction to image data captured by an image sensor are provided. In one embodiment, multiple lens shading adaptation functions, each modeled based on the response of a color channel to a reference illuminant, are provided. An image frame from the image data may be analyzed to select a lens shading adaptation function corresponding to a reference illuminant that most closely matches a current illuminant. The selected lens shading function may then be used to adjust a set of lens shading parameters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2010
    Publication date: December 8, 2011
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: David Daming Kuo, Haitao Guo, Jay David Zipnick, Ting Chen, Sumit Chawla
  • Publication number: 20110301777
    Abstract: A computing system has a thermal manager that changes a power consuming activity limit in the device based on an estimate of temperature of a target location in the system. There are several temperature sensors that are not at the target location. An estimator computes the target location temperature estimate using a thermal model and, as input to the thermal model, data from the sensors. The thermal model produces different estimates of the target location temperature at different ambient temperatures but without computing or measuring the ambient temperatures. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2010
    Publication date: December 8, 2011
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Keith Cox, Gaurav Kapoor, Frank Faqiu Liang
  • Publication number: 20110302588
    Abstract: Systems and processes may be implemented to receive threads of execution and assign priorities to the threads of execution. Threads of execution may include nonvolatile memory input/output threads, other input/output threads, and/or other non-input/output threads. A lower priority may be assigned to nonvolatile memory input/output threads than other input/output threads. An algorithm may determine an order of execution of the threads of execution. An order of execution may be at least partially based on assigned priorities.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2011
    Publication date: December 8, 2011
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Michael J. Cornwell, Christopher P. Dudte
  • Publication number: 20110298433
    Abstract: A switching power supply circuit has a controller, a power switch, and an inductor circuit that is coupled to a power node of the power switch and to a capacitor. The inductor circuit has several discrete component conductors that are connected to each other in parallel and laid out side-by-side and wired such that each of the inductors is oriented with opposite polarity relative to another adjacent one of the inductors. Each inductor has associated first and second traces that are used to wire it to the power node and the capacitor. These traces for one inductor have matched characteristics with those of an adjacent inductor. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2010
    Publication date: December 8, 2011
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Ching Yu John Tam
  • Publication number: 20110298618
    Abstract: A user interface on a device allows a user to set their remote user status for viewing by other individuals on their devices. The user or an application can select from a number of predefined remote user status indicators representing remote user status, and the user can optionally include a text message to be displayed with the remote user status indicator. The selected remote user status indicator and optional text message can be stored on a network and made available to other devices that have a contact database that includes the user as a contact. In some implementations, the remote user status indicator can be displayed proximate the user's name in a user interface, such as a favorites list, e-mail interface, text messaging interface, chat room, or any other user interface associated with an application.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2010
    Publication date: December 8, 2011
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Geoff Stahl, Michael Dale Lampell, Laurent Baumann, Thomas Goossens