Patents Assigned to Apple
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Patent number: 7924231Abstract: A handheld electronic device may be provided that contains wireless communications circuitry. The handheld electronic device may have a housing and a display. The display may be attached to the housing a conductive bezel. The handheld electronic device may have one or more antennas for supporting wireless communications. A ground plane in the handheld electronic device may serve as ground for one or more of the antennas. The ground plane and bezel may define a opening. A rectangular slot antenna or other suitable slot antenna may be formed from or within the opening. One or more antenna resonating elements may be formed above the slot. An electrical switch that bridges the slot may be used to modify the perimeter of the slot so as to tune the communications bands of the handheld electronic device.Type: GrantFiled: November 5, 2010Date of Patent: April 12, 2011Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Robert J. Hill, Robert W. Schlub, Ruben Caballero
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Patent number: 7921572Abstract: Multiple instances of a geomagnetic field are calculated. Multiple instances of an average magnitude of a subset of the instances of the geomagnetic field are also calculated. When the average magnitude changes by more than a first predetermined threshold, the user is informed that compass accuracy has degraded. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.Type: GrantFiled: June 5, 2009Date of Patent: April 12, 2011Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Robert Mayor, Patrick S. Piemonte, Ronald K. Huang, Parin Patel
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Patent number: 7925905Abstract: The invention is directed towards minimizing power consumption in computer systems. One embodiment of the invention is a power management system that is used for a computer system that has at least one device and one power domain. This embodiment uses two different power managers to manage the power consumption of the device and the power domain. Specifically, this embodiment has (1) a first power manager that determines when to change power state of the device, and (2) a second power manager that determines when to change power state of the power domain. Each of these power managers decides to change the power state of its corresponding device or domain based on information from several different sources. These sources can include power-management clients and power managers of related domains or devices.Type: GrantFiled: March 9, 2009Date of Patent: April 12, 2011Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventor: David Suurballe
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Patent number: 7924291Abstract: A display color-correcting system is provided. Color response values are measured that go into the vertices of polyhedra in a cubic color output space of the display. A set of corresponding values for the display is built from intermediate values determined between the measured color response values. The intermediate values are determined by decomposition and interpolation of interpolation volumes in the cubic color output space. Each of the interpolation volumes is the combined volume of a selected polyhedron within the cubic color output space and a predetermined volume of space between the selected polyhedron and the next polyhedron within the cubic color output space. The set of corresponding values is converted into decoupled RGB adjustment values that specify the RGB signals independently for the display to produce corrected colors. The RGB adjustment values are saved into one or more look-up tables.Type: GrantFiled: June 23, 2010Date of Patent: April 12, 2011Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Gabriel G. Marcu, Wei Chen
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Patent number: 7925809Abstract: Methods and systems for storage management in a data processing device. The data processing device may be connected to a host computer and it can be in one of two states: disk mode (e.g., docked) or device mode (e.g., undocked). According to an embodiment, a mass storage device associated with a data processing device is divided into two or more segments or virtual volumes, and at least one volume is managed by the device even in a disk mode. In some cases, this makes the device usable while in the docked state and hence it improves the user experience. In some embodiments, an extra software component other than the file system is employed on the device to manage the storage device. Certain volumes may be dynamically increased or decreased while the data processing device is in a disk mode.Type: GrantFiled: October 24, 2006Date of Patent: April 12, 2011Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventor: Russell Dean Reece
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Patent number: 7924271Abstract: A user interface method is disclosed. The method can include detecting gestures on or above a multi-event sensor panel and performing an action associated with detected gestures. Such action can include activating or changing a state of one or more GUI objects and emulate functions performed by a mouse or trackball input device.Type: GrantFiled: June 13, 2007Date of Patent: April 12, 2011Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Greg Christie, Wayne Carl Westerman
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Publication number: 20110080699Abstract: Electronic devices are provided with ejectable component assemblies that can be substantially flush with the external surfaces of the housings of the devices, despite variations in their manufacture. The ejectable component assemblies may include connectors coupled to circuit boards of the devices, and trays that can be loaded with removable modules, inserted through openings in the housings of the devices, and into the connectors for functionally aligning the removable modules with the circuit boards. The ejectable component assemblies may also include ejectors coupled to the housings of the devices for ejecting the trays from the connectors and, thus, from the devices themselves.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 14, 2010Publication date: April 7, 2011Applicant: Apple Inc.Inventors: Erik L. Wang, Sean Murphy, Tang Yew Tan, Jeffrey Eugene Neaves, Lawrence E. Davis, Sung Kim
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Publication number: 20110083098Abstract: Systems and methods for providing a user interface including earlier versions of data. In one implementation, computer program product is provided. The computer program product generates a user interface. The user interface includes a view display area for presenting a current view and a history view display area for presenting a history view associated with the current view. The history view includes one or more first visual representations of corresponding earlier versions of the current view. The user interface also includes an input control for initiating a restoration of the current view according to at least a portion of an earlier version of the one or more earlier versions.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 14, 2010Publication date: April 7, 2011Applicant: APPLE INC.Inventors: Pavel Cisler, Mike Matas, Gregory N. Christie, Marcel MWA van Os, Kevin Tiene, Gene Zyrl Ragan, Scott Forstall
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Publication number: 20110081837Abstract: A complex geographical edge finishing system includes a fixture that holds an external part having a complex three-dimensional edge, a track disposed around the fixture and surrounding the edge of the part held in the fixture, and one or more finishing apparatuses that can sand, polish, buff, paint and/or apply coatings to the complex three-dimensional edge. The finishing apparatuses move about the track such that the three-dimensional edge of the part can be polished. The path of the track can substantially match, mimic or otherwise correspond to the path of the three-dimensional edge, such that special requirements for the finishing apparatuses are not required.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 9, 2010Publication date: April 7, 2011Applicant: Apple Inc.Inventor: Thomas Johannessen
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Publication number: 20110081839Abstract: A method and an apparatus for polishing a curved edge of a molded part. A surface of the curved edge is abraded by contacting a polishing surface of a first polishing wheel to the curved edge repeatedly in a first direction concurrent with a rotational spinning direction of the first polishing wheel. The abraded surface of the curved edge is polished by contacting a polishing surface of a second polishing wheel to the curved edge in the first direction and in a second direction opposite to the first direction. The polishing surfaces of the first and second polishing wheels are shaped to conform to a portion of the surface of the curved edge of the molded part. The polishing wheel is maintained at a constant rotational speed by a controller when contacting the curved edge. The polished surface of the curved edge is visually smoothly uniform in reflective appearance.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 16, 2009Publication date: April 7, 2011Applicant: APPLE INC.Inventors: Simon Lancaster, Thomas Johannessen
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Publication number: 20110080417Abstract: Systems and methods for switching between an electronic paper display and a video display are provided. Control circuitry in an electronic device can analyze visual content to determine one or more features of the visual content. For example, the control circuitry can analyze visual content to determine the rate of change and/or color composition of the visual content. Based on the one or more features, the control circuitry can selectively enable the device's electronic paper display or the device's video display.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 1, 2009Publication date: April 7, 2011Applicant: Apple Inc.Inventors: Gloria Lin, Andrew Hodge
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Publication number: 20110082789Abstract: Several related entities can owe payments to a single vendor. For example, several related companies can owe payments to developers who sell software using several storefronts operated by the related companies. To limit the number of payments made to the developer, a third-party payment processing entity can receive individual payments from each of storefronts for a developer, can aggregate he payments and convert their respective currencies if necessary, and provide a single payment on behalf of all of the storefronts to the developer. Because the payment processing entity is a third party (e.g., a bank) and not related to the storefronts, the tax or other advantages procured from having several storefronts can be preserved while reducing the costs of paying the developer (e.g., fewer transaction fees).Type: ApplicationFiled: October 6, 2010Publication date: April 7, 2011Applicant: Apple Inc.Inventor: Michael Boyd
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Publication number: 20110079496Abstract: This is directed to a dome switch that may prevent liquid from coming into contact with circuit elements of the switch. A deformable dome may include a conductive inner surface region and may be placed over a conductive contact pad such that the dome may deform and the conductive elements may contact each other. At least one sheath may be positioned between the conductive region of the dome and the contact pad positioned below the dome for preventing liquid external to the one or more sheaths from contacting the conductive portions of the switch. In some embodiments, a first sheath may be coupled to the inner surface of the dome about the conductive inner surface region and a second sheath may be coupled to a mounting surface about the conductive contact pad, such that when a user deforms the dome, one of the sheaths may extend into the other sheath.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 1, 2009Publication date: April 7, 2011Applicant: Apple Inc.Inventors: Gloria Lin, Bruno Germansderfer
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Publication number: 20110082902Abstract: Systems, methods and machine-readable media are disclosed for providing media pools in a communications network. For example, a media pool application on an electronic device can generate media pools (e.g., static media pools and temporary media pools) in a communications network. In addition, the media pool application can provide one or options for a user to manage the media pools. In some embodiments, the media pool application can provide one or more candidate media pools that a user may join. For example, the one or more candidate media pools can be generated based on metadata associated with media items that are located on one or more electronic devices in the communications network.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 1, 2009Publication date: April 7, 2011Applicant: Apple Inc.Inventors: Benjamin Rottler, Jorge Fino, Anton Davydov, Policarpo Wood
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Publication number: 20110080348Abstract: Systems and methods for selectively illuminating a secondary display are provided. An electronic device can include a primary display (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD) screen) and a printed segmented electroluminescence (secondary) display. The primary display can be used to convey visual content to a user, and the secondary display can be used to guide a user providing inputs to the device. For example, the secondary display can be selectively illuminated to provide one or more indicators that represent where or how a user can provide inputs to the device.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 1, 2009Publication date: April 7, 2011Applicant: Apple Inc.Inventors: Gloria Lin, Andrew Hodge, Taido Nakajima, Bruno Germansderfer, Saumitro Dasgupta
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Publication number: 20110081142Abstract: Input from a user is received, to take a picture. A camera flash is signaled to produce multiple flash pulses during a single shutter cycle of the picture. The amplitudes of at least two of the flash pulses are different relative to each other. The picture is stored, including in its metadata information that describes the variable amplitude of the flash pulses that illuminated the scene when taking the picture. The information describing the variable amplitude of the flash pulses is used to deblur the picture. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 6, 2009Publication date: April 7, 2011Applicant: Apple Inc.Inventor: Richard Tsai
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Publication number: 20110083088Abstract: Systems and methods for navigating within snapshots are provided. In one implementation a method is provided. The method includes receiving, while a current view is displayed in a user interface, a first user input requesting that a history view associated with the current view be displayed. The history view is displayed in response to the first user input, the history view including at least a first visual representation of an earlier version of the current view, the earlier version including a hierarchical structure wherein a first element of the earlier version includes a second element. There is received, while the history view is displayed, a second user input requesting that the current view be modified according to the second element. The method includes modifying, in response to the second user input, the current view according to the second element.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 9, 2010Publication date: April 7, 2011Applicant: APPLE INC.Inventors: Pavel Cisler, Gene Zyrl Ragan, Mike Matas, Gregory N. Christie, Kevin Tiene, David Hart, Loic Vandereyken, Robert M. Chinn, Marcel MWA van Os
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Publication number: 20110081828Abstract: A method and an apparatus for shaping an edge at a juncture of two adjoining surfaces of a part. A first surface and a second surface of the part are abraded by contacting a polishing surface of a polishing wheel to the first surface and to the second surface. The polishing surface spins in opposite rotational directions about an axis parallel to the edge when contacting the first and second surfaces respectively. The polishing surface moves at different translational speeds and the polishing wheel spins at different rotational speeds along straight segments and along curved segments of the edge. The shaped edge has a visually smooth and geometrically uniform appearance.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 26, 2010Publication date: April 7, 2011Applicant: APPLE INC.Inventors: Edward T. Sweet, Roberto Ortega, Andrew Davidson, Simon Lancaster, Thomas Johannessen
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Patent number: 7918019Abstract: A method for fabricating thin DITO or SITO touch sensor panels with a thickness less than a minimum thickness tolerance of existing manufacturing equipment. In one embodiment, a sandwich of two thin glass sheets is formed such that the combined thickness of the glass sheets does not drop below the minimum thickness tolerance of existing manufacturing equipment when thin film process is performed on the surfaces of the sandwich during fabrication. The sandwich may eventually be separated to form two thin SITO/DITO panels. In another embodiment, the fabrication process involves laminating two patterned thick substrates, each having at least the minimum thickness tolerance of existing manufacturing equipment. One or both of the sides of the laminated substrates are then thinned so that when the substrates are separated, each is a thin DITO/SITO panel having a thickness less than the minimum thickness tolerance of existing manufacturing equipment.Type: GrantFiled: January 9, 2009Date of Patent: April 5, 2011Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Shih Chang Chang, John Z. Zhong, Lili Huang, Seung Jae Hong, Lynn Youngs
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Patent number: D635853Type: GrantFiled: June 23, 2010Date of Patent: April 12, 2011Assignee: 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, Peter Russell-Clarke, Douglas B. Satzger, Christopher J. Stringer, Eugene Antony Whang, Rico Zorkendorfer