Patents Assigned to Apple
  • Publication number: 20070286282
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for performing motion estimation in a digital video system is disclosed. Specifically, the present invention discloses a system that quickly calculates estimated motion vectors in a very efficient manner. In one embodiment, a first multiplicand is determined by multiplying a first display time difference between a first video picture and a second video picture by a power of two scale value. This step scales up a numerator for a ratio. Next, the system determines a scaled ratio by dividing that scaled numerator by a second first display time difference between said second video picture and a third video picture. The scaled ratio is then stored calculating motion vector estimations. By storing the scaled ratio, all the estimated motion vectors can be calculated quickly with good precision since the scaled ratio saves significant bits and reducing the scale is performed by simple shifts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2007
    Publication date: December 13, 2007
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Barin Haskell, David Singer, Adriana Dumitras, Atul Puri
  • Publication number: 20070288886
    Abstract: A digital rights management system permits an application owner to cause code to be injected into the application's run-time instruction stream so as to restrict execution of that application to specific hardware platforms. In a first phase, an authorizing entity (e.g., an application owner or platform manufacturer) authorizes one or more applications to execute on a given hardware platform. Later, during application run-time, code is injected that performs periodic checks are made to determine if the application continues to run on the previously authorized hardware platform. If a periodic check fails, at least part of the application's execution string is terminated—effectively rendering the application non-usable. The periodic check is transparent to the user and difficult to circumvent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2007
    Publication date: December 13, 2007
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: James Mensch, Jerry Hauck, Ronnie Misra
  • Patent number: 7307641
    Abstract: Methods and systems for transforming data in a system are provided. In one implementation, the method includes providing a first frame buffer, and providing a second frame buffer that is separate from the first frame buffer. The first frame buffer is configured to support a first format compatible with a format associated with an application program interacting with the system, and the second frame buffer is configured to support a second format compatible with a format associated with an output device coupled to the system. The method further includes transforming data provided by the application program from the first format supported by the first frame buffer to the second format supported by the second frame buffer for output on the output device to provide compatibility between the application program and the output device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2007
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas E. Dowdy
  • Patent number: 7308517
    Abstract: A method of optimizing communication over a high-speed serial bus by minimizing the delay between packets transmitted over the bus is disclosed. The method comprises: calculating the round trip delay between PHYs connected on the bus by pinging; a bus manager sending a configuration packet to all PHYs connected on the bus, the configuration packet containing a minimum gap_count parameter value; and all PHYs connected on the bus sending packets over the bus using the minimum gap_count parameter value as a delay between packets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2007
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Jerrold Von Hauck
  • Patent number: 7307228
    Abstract: A data processing system including a data storage device having data stored on a data storage medium. Within said data processing system, a system electronics is operatively coupled to a sensor and to said data storage device. When the sensor senses a change in gravitational or inertial acceleration of said data processing system, it alerts system electronics to temporarily park a read/write head in a safe position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2007
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Paul James Wehrenberg
  • Publication number: 20070279394
    Abstract: Techniques for providing input to interactive and multitasking applications are disclosed. A game input area (surface or plane) receives input for multiple applications including an interactive application executed in connection with a scene. The input received is directed to the appropriate application based on one or more locations (e.g., points, positions, regions, portions) of the input area effectively identified when input is received (or entered). In addition, the manner in which input is received (or entered) can be used to determine which application should receive the input. The input area can additionally resemble or approximate the shape of a scene (e.g., game scene) to allow a person to provide input in a more intuitive way. Accordingly, input can be provided in a simple and more intuitive manner by effectively allowing the user to interact with the input area in a way that mimics or approximates a desired action (e.g., moving a ball or bat around by inputting a rotational movement).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2006
    Publication date: December 6, 2007
    Applicant: APPLE COMPUTER, INC.
    Inventors: Michael D. Lampell, Francois-Yves Bertrand, Alan Berfield, Leo Lee, Eric Snider
  • Patent number: 7305540
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for a data processing system are described herein. In one aspect of the invention, an exemplary apparatus includes a chip interconnect, a memory controller for controlling the host memory comprising DRAM memory, the memory controller coupled to the chip interconnect, a scalar processing unit coupled the chip interconnect wherein the scalar processing unit is capable of executing instructions to perform scalar data processing, a vector processing unit coupled the chip interconnect wherein the vector processing unit is capable of executing instructions to perform vector data processing, and an input/output (I/O) interface coupled to the chip interconnect wherein the I/O interface receives/transmits data from/to the scalar and/or vector processing units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2007
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Sushma Shrikant Trivedi, Joseph P. Bratt, Jack Benkual, Vaughn Todd Arnold, Derek Fujio Iwamoto
  • Patent number: 7305538
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a system for transparent local and distributed memory management. The invention overcomes the prior art's requirement of keeping track of whether a memory space allocated to a new object or a new program or data structure can be reclaimed. According to the present invention an autorelease pool is created at the beginning of a new duty cycle. The autorelease pool retains the newly allocated memory space during the duty cycle. The autorelease pool is automatically disposed of at the end of the duty cycle. As a result of disposing the autorelease pool, the newly allocated memory space is reclaimed (i.e., deallocated). The present invention is useful in distributed networks where different programming conventions on remote and local machines made the prior art's memory management task particularly difficult. The present invention is also useful in an object-oriented programming environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2007
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Blaine Garst, Ali Ozer, Bertrand Serlet, Trey Matteson
  • Patent number: 7305506
    Abstract: A method, system, and connector interface for transferring status information between a media player and an accessory. The method includes determining, by the accessory, when a button event occurs; and transmitting, by the accessory, at least one button status command to the media player, where the one or more button status commands comprise a context-specific button status command and at least one command associated with a particular media type. According to the method and system disclosed herein, the media player and accessory may utilize a plurality of commands in a variety of environment such as within a connector interface system environment to facilitate the transfer of status information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2007
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Gregory T. Lydon, Lawrence G. Bolton, Emily C. Schubert, Jesse Dorogusker, Donald J. Novotney, John B. Filson, David Tupman
  • Publication number: 20070277060
    Abstract: A system and method, including computer software, allows reading data from a flash memory cell. Voltages from a group of memory cells are detected. The group of memory cells have associated metadata for error detection, and each memory cell stores a voltage representing a data value selected from multiple possible data values. Each possible data value corresponds to one range of multiple non-overlapping ranges of analog voltages. Memory cells having uncertain data values are identified based on the detected voltages. Alternative data values for the memory cells having the uncertain data values are determined, and a combination of alternative data values is selected. An error detection test is performed using the metadata associated with the multiple memory cells and the selected combination of alternative data values.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2007
    Publication date: November 29, 2007
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Michael J. Cornwell, Christopher P. Dudte
  • Publication number: 20070276525
    Abstract: A media device for storing and playing media such as audio, video or images, includes a memory device configured to store a plurality of media items in a digital format. The media device also includes a display configured to present a group of media items from the plurality of stored media items and to present a visual indicator that is capable of scrolling through the displayed group of media items in order to designate a specific media item from the group of media items. The media device further includes a touch pad configured to receive input from a sliding motion or a tapping motion of a finger. The sliding motion of the finger controls the movement of the visual indicator through the group of media items. The tapping motion of the finger selects the specific media item that is designated by the visual indicator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2007
    Publication date: November 29, 2007
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen Zadesky, Tang Tan
  • Patent number: 7302648
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for resizing buffered windows. In one aspect of the invention, a method to resize a buffered window on a data processing system includes: determining an estimated size for a window which has a first pixel image of a first size buffered in a first window buffer; allocating a second window buffer which is large enough to buffer the window in the estimated size; and buffering a second pixel image of the window in a second size in the second window buffer. In one example according to this aspect, a portion of a frame buffer is updated to the second pixel image to display the window in the second size. A portion of the second window buffer, storing the data that represents the second pixel image, is clipped to update the corresponding portion of the frame buffer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2007
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Ralph Brunner, Peter Graffagnino, Andrew Barnes
  • Patent number: 7301761
    Abstract: A computing device is disclosed. The computing device includes a shock mount assembly that is configured to provide impact absorption to sensitive components such as a display and an optical disk drive. The computing device also includes an enclosureless optical disk drive that is housed by an enclosure and other structures of the computing device. The computing device further includes a heat transfer system that removes heat from a heat producing element of the computing device. The heat transfer system is configured to thermally couple the heat producing element to a structural member of the computing device so as to sink heat through the structural member, which generally has a large surface area for dissipating the heat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2007
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Nick Merz, John DiFonzo, Michael Prichard
  • Patent number: 7302595
    Abstract: A dynamic power management system includes an operating system (OS) that causes a processor to operate in one of multiple run states that have different performance and/or power dissipation levels. The OS selects the run state in response to processor information (e.g., processor load) being monitored by the OS. The OS can predict future states of the processor information based on sampled processor information. The OS can take an average of the predicted and actual samples for comparison with a threshold to select a run state. The OS can track the number of consecutive saturated samples that occur during a selected window of samples. The OS can predict future processor information samples based on the number of consecutive saturated samples.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2007
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Josh de Cesare, Michael Culbert, Keith Cox
  • Publication number: 20070270119
    Abstract: A wireless network system can be provided with a one-way communication link for communicating a beacon signal between beacon circuitries of two electronic devices. According to information stored in the beacon signal, the device that receives the beacon signal can activate a primary communication circuitry to enable communication of primary communication data signals with a primary communication circuitry of the device that transmitted the beacon signal. The beacon circuitries of the two devices may require less power than the primary communication circuitries of the two devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2007
    Publication date: November 22, 2007
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jesse Dorogusker, Anthony Fadell, Robert Borchers
  • Publication number: 20070271577
    Abstract: A compactable disc adapter having a substrate capable of effectively extending the diameter of a disc having a compacted position and an extended position. The diameter of the compacted substrate is less than the diameter of the disc whereas the diameter of the expanded substrate is greater than the diameter of the disc.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2006
    Publication date: November 22, 2007
    Applicant: APPLE COMPUTER, INC.
    Inventor: Anthony M. Fadell
  • Publication number: 20070268274
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods are disclosed for simultaneously tracking multiple finger and palm contacts as hands approach, touch, and slide across a proximity-sensing, multi-touch surface. Identification and classification of intuitive hand configurations and motions enables unprecedented integration of typing, resting, pointing, scrolling, 3D manipulation, and handwriting into a versatile, ergonomic computer input device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2007
    Publication date: November 22, 2007
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: WAYNE WESTERMAN, John Elias
  • Publication number: 20070270663
    Abstract: An integrated system for handling physiologic data includes a portable device (such as a portable media player) configured to wirelessly receive the physiologic data of a person. A host computer is configured to be detachedly coupled to the portable device, to receive the physiologic data from the portable device and to provide, to the portable device, a result of processing the physiologic data (such as suggested behavior of the user).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2006
    Publication date: November 22, 2007
    Applicant: APPLE COMPUTER, INC.
    Inventors: Stanley C. NG, Anthony M. FADELL, Greg MARRIOTT
  • Publication number: 20070268273
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods are disclosed for simultaneously tracking multiple finger and palm contacts as hands approach, touch, and slide across a proximity-sensing, multi-touch surface. Identification and classification of intuitive hand configurations and motions enables unprecedented integration of typing, resting, pointing, scrolling, 3D manipulation, and handwriting into a versatile, ergonomic computer input device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2007
    Publication date: November 22, 2007
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: WAYNE WESTERMAN, John Elias
  • Patent number: D556155
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2007
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Bartley K. Andre, Daniel J. Coster, Daniele De Iuliis, Richard P. Howarth, Jonathan P. Ive, Duncan Robert Kerr, Shin Nishibori, Matthew Dean Rohrbach, Douglas B. Satzger, Calvin Q. Seid, Christopher J. Stringer, Eugene Antony Whang, Rico Zorkendorfer