Patents Assigned to Apple
  • Patent number: 11676556
    Abstract: A method and light-emitting diode (LED) device configured to compensate for crosstalk between rows of the LED device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Vehbi Calayir, Rodrigo Calderon Rico, Bret Rothenberg, Chengrui Le
  • Patent number: 11674825
    Abstract: An electronic device is described. The electronic device may include a housing, a rotatable crown, and a self-mixing interferometry (SMI) sensor positioned within the housing. The rotatable crown may include an array of retroreflective surface features that reflect incident light back to a light source. Each retroreflective surface feature of the array of retroreflective surface features may be formed as a corner-cube with three perpendicular faces. The SMI sensor or associated processing electronics may compare originally emitted light with reflected light to identify a movement or distance of the rotatable crown with respect to the SMI sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Xin Li, Damon R. Lemmon, David D. Dashevsky, Dianbo Guo, Peng Zhao, Ruonan Yang
  • Patent number: 11675519
    Abstract: The embodiments set forth techniques for facilitating processing checkpoints between computing devices. A method can be performed by at least one first computing device configured to interface with a first server computing device cluster, and include (1) processing objects managed by the first server computing device cluster, where the objects are stored across at least two first partitions associated with the first server computing device cluster, (2) detecting a condition to facilitate a processing checkpoint with at least one second computing device configured to interface with a second server computing device cluster, where the objects are mirrored—but stored differently across at least two second partitions associated with the second server computing device cluster, (3) gathering, from each partition of the at least two first partitions, information associated with a particular number of last-processed objects, and (4) providing the information to the at least one second computing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Krishna G. Pai, Alexander D. Holmes, M. Mansur Ashraf, Alaukik Aggarwal
  • Patent number: 11677255
    Abstract: A wireless power transmitter can include a coil, an inverter coupled to the coil, and control circuitry coupled to the inverter that, responsive to receiving a burst request pulse from a wireless power receiver, initiates inverter operation, driving the coil and powering the receiver. The control circuitry can operate inverter switches so bandwidth of the wireless power transfer signal falls within a specified range by: (a) extending a minimum on time of the switches, (b) modifying pulse width modulation (PWM) drive signals supplied to the switches to shape a coil current burst envelope, and/or (c) modifying PWM signal amplitude supplied to the switches. Modifying the PWM drive signals can include using a symmetrical PWM scheme in which the positive and negative pulses are symmetrical in width on a cycle-by-cycle basis or using a complementary PWM scheme in which the positive and negative pulse widths are complementary on a cycle-by-cycle basis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Ye Li, Antoin J. Russell, Stephen C. Terry, Adam L. Schwartz, Sumant Ranganathan, Gianpaolo Lisi
  • Patent number: 11676953
    Abstract: A display module and system applications including a display module are described. The display module may include a display substrate including a front surface, a back surface, and a display area on the front surface. A plurality of interconnects extend through the display substrate from the front surface to the back surface. An array of light emitting diodes (LEDs) are in the display area and electrically connected with the plurality of interconnects, and one or more driver circuits are on the back surface of the display substrate. Exemplary system applications include wearable, rollable, and foldable displays.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Andreas Bibi, Kapil V. Sakariya, Vikram Pavate
  • Patent number: 11678191
    Abstract: Packet protection is described. Data of a group of packets is concatenated with a security key and a sequence number of the packet. A hash mark of the concatenated data is calculated and sent with data or control information in a packet. If each packet has reserved bits, at least some of the packets each has data, a least a portion of the hash mark, and a header having: a first bit that indicates if the hash mark is present, and a second bit that indicates if the packet is used to determine the hash mark. Otherwise, a separate control packet is sent that contains the hash mark, a first sequence number of the group of packets, and a PDU type indicating that the control packet is an integrity protection packet for the group of PDCP packets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Bharat Shrestha, Jaemin Han, Abhijeet Ashok Kolekar
  • Patent number: 11674245
    Abstract: This application relates to cable assemblies with an outer (exterior) layer formed from braiding materials together. To achieve a desired pattern, a machine tool forming the outer layer undergoes several modifications. For a machine tool with two tracks (e.g., inner and outer track) with multiple carriers of material to be braided, each carrier position may include multiple bobbins, with each bobbin carrying a spool/coil of the material. During a braiding operation performed by the machine tool, each track rotates in opposite directions. Moreover, some bobbins include an arm that guides the material in a particular manner. For example, during rotation of the track, the arm provides a swinging motion, causing the material carried by the arm to move in a periodic (e.g., sinusoidal) motion. An additional track may be used to guide the arms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Robert V. Weber, Min Chul Kim, Jay E. Sha
  • Patent number: 11675423
    Abstract: Embodiments are disclosed for user posture change detection for triggering re-centering of spatial audio. In an embodiment, a method comprises: obtaining source device motion data from a source device and headset motion data from a headset worn by a user; estimating a gravity vector from one of the source device or headset motion data; splitting the source device and headset motion data into vertical and horizontal planes, the vertical plane in the direction of the estimated gravity vector and the horizontal plane perpendicular to the estimated gravity vector; calculating similarity measures based on the source device motion data and headset motion data in the vertical and horizontal planes over a time window; detecting a posture change event based on the calculated similarity measures; and resetting a head tracker error after the detected user posture change event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Mehmet Akgul, Alexander Singh Alvarado, Xiaoyuan Tu, Margaret H. Tam
  • Patent number: 11675388
    Abstract: A top case assembly for a portable computer is disclosed. The assembly may include an integral unified (e.g., homogenous) top case formed from a single part. The integral top case provides an enclosure, frame and cosmetic exterior of the portable computer. The integral top case also serves as the primary structure of the portable computer. The assembly may include a variety of subassemblies such as keyboards, touchpads, circuit boards, and drives that are carried by the underside of the integral top case. The integral top case may be formed from aluminum slab that has been machined to form walls, openings, attachment areas and cosmetic areas of the top case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Matthew Theobald, Jonathan P. Ive, Bartley K. Andre, Christopher Stringer, Daniel J. Coster, John Raff, Ron Hopkinson, John Brock, Chris Ligtenberg, Michelle Rae Goldberg
  • Patent number: 11675416
    Abstract: A cross-domain power control circuit is disclosed. The circuit includes a first circuit branch having a first transistor coupled to a first supply voltage node and a second circuit branch having a second transistor coupled to the first supply voltage node. A third circuit branch is coupled between a second supply voltage node and a third supply voltage node. A second supply voltage conveyed on the second supply voltage node is less than a first supply voltage conveyed on the first supply voltage node. A fourth circuit branch is coupled between the first and third supply voltage nodes. In a first mode of operation, control circuitry causes the second supply voltage to be conveyed to the third supply voltage node. In a second mode of operation, the control circuitry causes the first supply voltage to be conveyed to the third supply voltage node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Shah M. Sharif
  • Patent number: 11677160
    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with a cover layer and a phased antenna array mounted against the cover layer. Each antenna in the array may include a first patch element that is directly fed using first and second feeds and a second patch element that is directly fed using third and fourth feeds. A slot element may be formed in the first patch element. The first patch element may radiate in a first frequency band through the cover layer. The slot element may radiate in a second frequency band that is higher than the first frequency band through the cover layer. The second patch element may indirectly feed the slot element. Locating the radiating elements for each frequency band in the same plane may allow the antenna to radiate through the cover layer in both frequency bands with satisfactory antenna efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Bilgehan Avser, Harish Rajagopalan, Simone Paulotto, Jennifer M. Edwards, Hao Xu, Rodney A. Gomez Angulo, Matthew A. Mow, Mattia Pascolini
  • Patent number: 11676188
    Abstract: An online store can transmit an online account token to an electronic device or to a biometric sensing device after a user successfully enters his or her account password. The electronic device or the biometric sensing device can countersign the online account token when the one or more biometric images match reference biometric images and the account password matches user identifier data stored in the electronic device or in the biometric sensing device. The countersigned online account token can then be transmitted to the online store. The user can then make one or more purchases after the online store receives the countersigned online account token.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas Alsina, Dallas B. De Atley, Augustin J. Farrugia, Byron B. Han, Sean B. Kelly, Craig A. Marciniak, Maxim Khutornenko, Raymond N. Walsh
  • Patent number: 11677512
    Abstract: A user equipment (UE) communicates with a further UE via a sidelink and communicates with a cell of a network via an uplink. The UE receives a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) acknowledgement (ACK) timing parameter from the network, generates a sidelink HARQ-ACK codebook based on a signaling exchange with the further UE, wherein the sidelink HARQ-ACK codebook is constructed in decreasing order of one or more physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH) transmission slots associated with a configured physical sidelink feedback channel (PSFCH) occasion, and transmits an indication of the sidelink HARQ-ACK codebook to the cell of the network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Chunxuan Ye, Dawei Zhang, Wei Zeng, Weidong Yang
  • Patent number: 11677120
    Abstract: Energy storage devices, battery cells, and batteries of the present technology may include a first circuit board defining a plurality of apertures through the first circuit board. The batteries may include a battery stack overlying the first circuit board and electrically coupled with the first circuit board. The battery stack may include a plurality of battery cells. The battery stack may define a plurality of apertures axially aligned with a corresponding aperture through the first circuit board. The batteries may include a second circuit board that defines a plurality of apertures through the second circuit board. The batteries may include a plurality of fasteners, each fastener extending through a separate channel of the plurality of channels. The batteries may include a plurality of conductive extensions electrically coupling each battery cell of the battery stack with one or more fasteners of the plurality of fasteners.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Dylan Erb, Abraham B. Caulk, Ross L. Johnstal, Paul W. Firehammer, Edward T. Hillstrom, Zhongying Shi, Ian E. O'Connor, Alexander J. Clarabut
  • Patent number: 11678278
    Abstract: Embodiments of a User Equipment (UE), Generation Node-B (gNB) and methods of communication are disclosed herein. The UE may attempt to decode sidelink synchronization signals (SLSSs) received on component carriers (CCs) of a carrier aggregation. In one configuration, synchronization resources for SLSS transmissions may be aligned across the CCs at subframe boundaries in time, restricted to a portion of the CCs, and restricted to a same sub-frame. The UE may, for multiple CCs, determine a priority level for the CC based on indicators in the SLSSs received on the CC. The UE may select, from the CCs on which one or more SLSSs are decoded, the CC for which the determined priority level is highest. The UE may determine a reference timing for sidelink communication based on the one or more SLSSs received on the selected CC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Ajit Nimbalker, Debdeep Chatterjee, Jeongho Jeon, Fatemeh Hamidi-Sepehr, Sergey Panteleev, Gang Xiong, Alexey Vladimirovich Khoryaev, Mikhail Shilov, Sergey Sosnin, Andrey Chervyakov
  • Patent number: 11673547
    Abstract: Some embodiments provide a vehicle that includes a protection system configured to mitigate hazards to vehicle occupants posed by dynamic elements located within proximity of the vehicle. The vehicle can, in response to determining that a dynamic element is moving along a trajectory that intersects a sweep volume of a vehicle portal, can selectively restrict operation of the portal so that an occupant is restricted from opening the portal into a volume through which the dynamic element may pass. The vehicle can restrict portal operation in response to detecting external dynamic elements that are not within an occupant's field of vision. The vehicle can communicate a limited selection of vehicle sensor data, including representations of a detected dynamic element, to a user device supporting an authorized user in response to detecting that the dynamic element is located within a certain proximity of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Tie-Qi Chen, Benjamin B. Lyon, Byron B. Han, Ahmad Al-Dahle
  • Patent number: 11675829
    Abstract: Systems and processes for operating an intelligent automated assistant are provided. In accordance with one example, a method includes, at an electronic device with one or more processors and memory, receiving a first natural-language speech input indicative of a request for media, where the first natural-language speech input comprises a first search parameter; providing, by a digital assistant, a first media item identified based on the first search parameter. The method further includes, while providing the first media item, receiving a second natural-language speech input and determining whether the second input corresponds to a user intent of refining the request for media. The method further includes, in accordance with a determination that the second speech input corresponds to a user intent of refining the request for media: identifying, based on the first parameter and the second speech input, a second media item and providing the second media item.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: David Chance Graham, Cyrus Daniel Irani, Aimee Piercy, Thomas Alsina
  • Patent number: D989087
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin Will Chen, Alan C. Dye, Christopher I. Wilson
  • Patent number: D989103
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Taylor Gerard Carrigan, Patrick Lee Coffman, Aled Williams
  • Patent number: D989108
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin Will Chen, Teofila Connor, Alan C. Dye, Aurelio Guzmán, Vincenzo Vuono, Christopher I. Wilson