Patents Assigned to Apple
  • Patent number: 11936707
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and storage media are described for providing codec mode notification (CMN) messages for speech to be signaled from a sender to a receiver. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Ozgur Oyman, Thomas Luetzenkirchen, Usharani Ayyalasomayajula, Sudhir Shankar Pola, Fabrice Plante, Ganesh Vijayan
  • Patent number: 11934941
    Abstract: A neural processor circuit includes one or more planar engine circuits that perform non-convolution operations in parallel with convolution operations performed by one or more neural engine circuits. The neural engine circuits perform the convolution operations on neural input data corresponding to one or more neural engine tasks to generate neural output data. The planar engine circuits perform non-convolution operations on planar input data corresponding to one or more planar engine tasks to generate planar output data. A data processor circuit in the neural processor circuit addresses data dependency between the one or more neural engine tasks and the one or more planar engine tasks by controlling reading of the neural output data as the planar input data by the planar engine circuits or reading of the planar output data as the neural input data by the neural engine circuits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Christopher L. Mills, Kenneth W. Waters
  • Patent number: 11934090
    Abstract: Various embodiments include a camera with folded optics and lens shifting capabilities. Some embodiments include voice coil motor (VCM) actuator arrangements to provide autofocus (AF) and/or optical image stabilization (OIS) movement. Some embodiments include suspension arrangements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Scott W. Miller, Alfred N. Mireault, Brad V. Johnson, Nicholas D. Smyth, Rummel R. Adriano, Shashank Sharma, Steven Webster
  • Patent number: 11931147
    Abstract: Robust estimation of a characteristic of a user's physiological signals can be achieved by filtering or classifying samples. Rather than estimating the characteristic of the user's physiological signals based on each sample at a first wavelength and a second wavelength, a robust system and method can, in some examples, estimate the characteristic using samples at the first wavelength and the second wavelength that meet one or more criteria and filter out samples that fail to meet the one or more criteria. In some examples, the system and method can weight samples based on the one or more criteria, and estimate the characteristic using the weighted samples. Samples failing to meet the one or more criteria can be given less weight or no weight in the estimation. The one or more criteria can include a criterion based on at least the physiological signal at a third wavelength.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Saeed Mohammadi, Albert E. Cerussi, Paul D. Mannheimer
  • Patent number: 11937331
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to methods for improving the DRX operation of a UE by introducing an additional DRX wake-up cycle, which runs in parallel to the short and/or long DRX cycle. The DRX wake-up cycle defines time intervals after which the UE starts monitoring the PDCCH for a wake-up duration of time; the UE does not perform any other operation during the wake-up duration apart from monitoring the PDCCH. The time intervals of the wake-up cycle between the wake-up durations are preferably shorter than the one of the DRX long cycle, and may have the same or a shorter length than the ones of the DRX short cycle. The wake-up duration may be as long as the on-duration of the DRX short/long cycle, or may be preferably much shorter, such as only one or a few subframes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Martin Feuersaenger, Christian Wengerter, Joachim Loehr, Alexander Golitschek Edler von Elbwart
  • Patent number: 11937132
    Abstract: Some embodiments of this disclosure include apparatuses and methods for managing a fast return of a user equipment (UE) to 5G systems (5GS) after handover to Evolved Packet System (EPS) due to EPS fallback from 5GS. The method can include at least generating a handover request including an indication indicating a handover reason of no presence of quality of service (QoS) flow for a voice signal to the UE; receiving a handover command generated by an access and mobility management function (AMF) to transfer the UE from the 5GS to the EPS based on the handover request; transmitting the handover command to the UE for the UE to establish a connection with the EPS; and after the flow of the voice signal has terminated, reestablishing a connection with the UE to reconnect the UE to the 5GS, wherein the connection with the BS is re-established based on a target ID of the BS.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Changhong Shan
  • Patent number: 11937511
    Abstract: Aspects of the subject disclosure include a pressure-sensing device consisting of a housing including a membrane and one or more piezoresistive elements disposed on the membrane to sense a displacement due to a deflection of the membrane. A first set of electrodes is disposed over the membrane, and a second set of electrodes is disposed on a permeable port of the device at a distance from the membrane. The first and second sets of electrodes form an electrostatic actuator to exert a repulsive force onto the membrane to reduce the deflection of the membrane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Majid Khan, Roberto M. Ribeiro, Savas Gider
  • Patent number: 11935503
    Abstract: A method includes sensing a plurality of luminance values associated with ambient light from a physical environment. The plurality of luminance values quantifies the ambient light arriving at a see-through display. The method includes obtaining a plurality of semantic values respectively associated with a plurality of portions within image data. The plurality of portions includes a first portion of the image data and a second portion of the image data. The method includes identifying a first one of the plurality of semantic values that satisfies a criterion. The first one of the plurality of semantic values is associated with the first portion of the image data. The method includes mapping, based on a function of a portion of the plurality of luminance values, the image data to predetermined display characteristics of the first portion of the image data within a performance threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Sivalogeswaran Ratnasingam, Anselm Grundhoefer, Ralf Habel
  • Patent number: 11935113
    Abstract: Improved techniques and systems for delivery and acquisition of digital assets are disclosed. The techniques and systems are especially suitable and useful for delivering digital assets (e.g., media assets) that are available for acquisition and electronic delivery from online stores to electronic devices. In accordance with one aspect, when a digital asset is acquired from an online store via an electronic device associated with a user, the digital asset can be arranged for delivery to a number of other of electronic devices also associated with the user. It will be appreciated that the digital asset can be delivered and acquired without requiring explicit user input or instruction in accordance with another aspect. Other aspects of the techniques and systems include customization of configuration and user interfaces that are provided to facilitate acquisition of digital assets in a more efficient manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher B. Chang, Sean B. Kelly, Olagappan Manickam, Thomas Alsina, Payam Mirrashidi, Michael Kuohao Chu, Kevin R. Lafferty
  • Patent number: 11937286
    Abstract: The present application relates to devices and components including apparatus, systems, and methods to provide SCell activation. In one example, an SCell activation procedure may be extended by a duration based on cancelation of CSI-RS reception. In another example, a base station may use particular configuration parameters to avoid cancelation of CSI-RS reception. In yet another example, a UE and a base station may use particular information for a CSI-RS reception/transmission on an SCell that is being activated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jie Cui, Yushu Zhang, Yang Tang, Dawei Zhang, Hong He, Manasa Raghavan, Huaning Niu, Haitong Sun, Chunhai Yao, Wenshu Zhang
  • Patent number: 11936983
    Abstract: A camera including a camera enclosure; a fixed optics portion having a prism fixedly coupled to the camera enclosure by a voice coil motor base; a moving sensor portion having an image sensor package coupled to the camera enclosure by a voice coil motor carrier that extends around the image sensor package and is operable to cause a displacement of the image sensor package relative to the fixed optics portion; and a damper coupled to the fixed optics portion or the moving sensor portion to absorb an impact between the fixed optics portion and the moving sensor portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Nitin Kumar Chennupati, Nicholas D. Smyth, Justin C. Brunnett, Hiran R. Rathnasinghe
  • Patent number: 11934160
    Abstract: A mobile device can provide predictive user assistance based on various sensor readings, independently of or in addition to a location of the mobile device. The mobile device can determine a context of an event. The mobile device can store the context and a label of the event on a storage device. The label can be provided automatically by the mobile device or by the external system without user input. At a later time, the mobile device can match new sensor readings with the stored context. If a match is found, the mobile device can predict that the user is about to perform the action or recognize that the user has performed the action again. The mobile device can perform various operations, including, for example, providing user assistance, based on the prediction or recognition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Lukas M. Marti, Lili Cao, Michael P. Dal Santo
  • Patent number: 11936352
    Abstract: Embodiments relate to an amplifier circuit. The amplifier circuit includes multiple transistors. Each transistor is configured to receive an input signal and output an amplified signal. The amplifier circuit additionally includes a set of input chopper circuits and a set of output chopper circuits. Each output chopper circuit corresponds to one input chopper of the set of input choppers. Each input chopper circuit and its corresponding output chopper are controlled by one or more control signals from a set of control signals. Each input chopper circuit is configured to selectively connect each transistor of a transistor pair to a first input terminal or a second input terminal based on a value of the one or more control signals. Moreover, each output chopper circuit is configured to selectively connect each transistor of the transistor pair to a first output terminal or a second output terminal based on the value of the one or more control signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Erhan Ozalevli, Evaldo M. Miranda, Jr.
  • Patent number: 11935285
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to techniques for synthesizing out of focus highlighting effects in images in real-time. Digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) cameras and other cameras having wide aperture lenses typically capture images with a shallow depth of field (SDOF). So-called SDOF photography may be particularly fit for portrait photography, since it nicely emphasizes the subject, while essentially deemphasizing the background via blurring. Simulating this kind of blurring, particularly around background light sources, using a comparatively larger depth of field (LDOF) camera, may require a high dynamic range (HDR) image capture system, to accurately determine the color of background light sources, which are prone to saturation. However, small form-factor cameras having smaller lens apertures may not have the bandwidth or processing power to process full HDR images in real time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Frederic Cao, Philip G. Lee
  • Patent number: 11936895
    Abstract: An image decoding method according to the present invention comprises the steps of: referring to a first flag for indicating whether intra block-based delta pulse code modulation (BDPCM) signaled through a sequence parameter set is permitted, so as to determine whether a second flag for indicating whether the intra BDPCM is applied to a current block is parsed; determining whether the intra BDPCM is applied to the current block on the basis of the second flag; determining an intra BDPCM mode of the current block when it is determined that the intra BDPCM is applied to the current block; and acquiring a residual sample of the current block on the basis of the intra BDPCM mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Bae Keun Lee
  • Patent number: 11936269
    Abstract: In one embodiment of the present disclosure a haptic actuator is disclosed. The haptic actuator includes a housing, a movable mass, and a pivot assembly attaching the movable mass to the housing. The pivot assembly defines a pivot axis, and the movable mass has a mass center offset from the pivot axis along a lever arm extending perpendicular to the pivot axis. The haptic actuator includes a spring extending between the movable mass and the housing. The spring stores and releases energy received from movement of the movable mass. The spring prevents full rotation of the movable mass about the pivot axis. The haptic actuator includes an electric coil attached to the movable mass. The electric coil intersects the lever arm. The haptic actuator includes at least one magnet attached to the housing. The magnet is at least partially aligned with the electric coil. The movable mass moves with respect to the at least one magnet when a signal is applied to the coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Darya Amin-Shahidi, Alex M. Lee, Denis G. Chen
  • Patent number: 11935190
    Abstract: Some embodiments provide a mapping application that has a novel way of displaying traffic congestion along roads in the map. The mapping application in some embodiments defines a traffic congestion representation to run parallel to its corresponding road portion when the map is viewed at a particular zoom level, and defines a traffic congestion representation to be placed over its corresponding road portion when the map is viewed at another zoom level. The mapping application in some embodiments differentiates the appearance of the traffic congestion representation that signifies heavy traffic congestion from the appearance of the traffic congestion representation that signifies moderate traffic congestion. In some of these embodiments, the mapping application does not generate a traffic congestion representation for areas along a road that are not congested.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher D. Moore, Aroon Pahwa, Yaohua Hu
  • Patent number: 11934313
    Abstract: A system including a plurality of processor cores, a plurality of graphics processing units, a plurality of peripheral circuits, and a plurality of memory controllers is configured to support scaling of the system using a unified memory architecture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Per H. Hammarlund, Lior Zimet, James Vash, Gaurav Garg, Sergio Kolor, Harshavardhan Kaushikkar, Ramesh B. Gunna, Steven R. Hutsell
  • Patent number: 11936053
    Abstract: The disclosed technology relates to electrical feedthroughs for thin battery cells. A battery cell enclosure includes a terraced portion having a reduced thickness relative to another portion of the enclosure. The enclosure includes an opening disposed on a horizontal surface of the terraced portion for receiving the electrical feedthrough. Because the feedthrough is disposed on the horizontal surface of the terraced portion, the feedthrough may be over-sized thereby reducing the resistance and impedance of the feedthrough without increasing the height or thickness of the enclosure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Brian K. Shiu, Christopher R. Pasma, Andrew Meyers, Haran Balaram
  • Patent number: D1018594
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin Will Chen, Hanwen Fan, Aurelio Guzmán, Lauren Kim Trottier, Christopher I. Wilson