Patents Assigned to Apple
  • Patent number: 11327237
    Abstract: An electronic device includes a housing and a display. The housing defines an interior cavity and includes an optically-transmissive housing component. The display is disposed in the interior cavity and is viewable through the optically-transmissive housing component. An optoelectronic component is disposed in the interior cavity. An optical fiber extends between a first end positioned adjacent the optoelectronic component and a second end positioned adjacent the optically-transmissive housing component. The optical fiber defines a non-linear optical path between the first end and the second end. At least a portion of the optical fiber is laterally offset from a lateral edge of the display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Tong Chen, Mark T. Winkler, Michael K. McCord, Tingjun Xu, Xianwei Zhao
  • Patent number: 11325860
    Abstract: A colored sapphire material and methods for coloring sapphire material using lasers are disclosed. The method for coloring the sapphire material may include positioning the sapphire material over an opaque substrate material, exposing the opaque substrate material to a laser beam passing through the sapphire material to impact the substrate material, and inducing a chemical change in a portion of the sapphire material exposed to the laser beam. The method may also include creating a visible color in the portion of the sapphire material as a result of the chemical change. The colored sapphire material may include a first transparent portion, and a second, colored portion substantially surrounded by the first portion. The second, colored portion may have a chemical composition different than that of the first portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Michael M. Li, Christopher R. Fagan, Anubhav Prasad
  • Patent number: 11330351
    Abstract: A portable electronic device can include a housing defining an aperture and a display positioned in the aperture. The display and the housing can define an internal volume and a speaker assembly can be positioned in the internal volume. The speaker assembly can include a speaker enclosure sealed to the housing within the internal volume, the speaker enclosure and the housing defining a speaker volume, and a speaker module in fluid communication with the speaker volume, the speaker module including a diaphragm positioned at an aperture defined by the speaker volume, the diaphragm defining multiple ridges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Stephanie Y. Su, Brittany Judoprasetijo, Andrew Deng, Dale Setlak, Carli E. Oster, Melody L. Kuna, Andrew W. Joyce, Ran Xu
  • Patent number: 11328456
    Abstract: In one implementation, a method includes: while causing presentation of video content having a current plot setting, receiving a user input indicating a request to explore the current plot setting; obtaining synthesized reality (SR) content associated with the current plot setting in response to receiving the user input; causing presentation of the SR content associated with the current plot setting; receiving one or more user interactions with the SR content; and adjusting the presentation of the SR content in response to receiving the one or more user interactions with the SR content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Ian M. Richter, Daniel Ulbricht, Jean-Daniel E. Nahmias, Omar Elafifi, Peter Meier
  • Patent number: 11328497
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method of intermingling stereoscopic and conforming virtual content to a bounded surface is performed at a device that includes one or more processors, non-transitory memory, and one or more displays. The method includes displaying a bounded surface within a native user computer-generated reality (CGR) environment, wherein the bounded surface is displayed based on a first set of world coordinates characterizing the native user CGR environment. The method further includes displaying a first stereoscopic virtual object within a perimeter of a first side of the bounded surface, wherein the first stereoscopic virtual object is displayed in accordance with a second set of world coordinates that is different from the first set of world coordinates characterizing the native user CGR environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Clement P. Boissiere, Samuel L. Iglesias, Timothy Robert Oriol, Adam Michael O'Hern
  • Patent number: 11330241
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for focusing in virtual reality (VR) or augmented reality (AR) devices based on gaze tracking information are described. Embodiments of a VR/AR head-mounted display (HMD) may include a gaze tracking system for detecting position and movement of the user's eyes. For AR applications, gaze tracking information may be used to direct external cameras to focus in the direction of the user's gaze so that the cameras focus on objects at which the user is looking. For AR or VR applications, the gaze tracking information may be used to adjust the focus of the eye lenses so that the virtual content that the user is currently looking at on the display has the proper vergence to match the convergence of the user's eyes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: D. Amnon Silverstein
  • Patent number: 11329519
    Abstract: An inductive power transmitter 2 comprising: at least one power transmitting coil 7 configured to generate an inductive power transfer (IPT) field, and an object detection (OD) system 200 configured to detect the presence of an object based on a change in energy decay or change in resonant frequency of a resonant circuit integrated with or coupled to the transmitting coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Liang Chen
  • Patent number: 11330708
    Abstract: An electronic device may include electrical components and other components mounted within an interior of a housing. The device may have a display on a front face of the device and may have a glass layer that forms part of the housing on a rear face of the device. The glass layer may be provided with regions having different appearances. The regions may be textured, may have coatings such as thin-film interference filter coatings formed from stacks of dielectric material having alternating indices of refraction, may have metal coating layers, and/or may have ink coating layers. Textured surfaces may be formed on thin glass layers and polymer films that are coupled to the glass layer. A glass layer may be formed from a pair of coupled glass layers. The coupled layers may have one or more recesses or other structures to visually distinguish different regions of the glass layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: James R. Wilson, Christopher D. Prest, Marta M. Giachino, Matthew S. Rogers, Que Anh S. Nguyen
  • Publication number: 20220141694
    Abstract: A network element for configuring a Remote Interference Monitoring Reference Signal (RIM-RS) is disclosed. The network element transmits RIM-RS resource configuration and Information of Things (IoT) measurement and reporting configuration information to a base station. The base station conducts the IoT measurement and ducting phenomenon detection according to the received configuration, and transmits the results to the network element. The base station determines the number of repetition and/or near-far indication based on the received information and transmits the number of repetition and near-far indication to the base station. The base station then transmits the RIM-RS according to the received repetition and near-far indication.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2020
    Publication date: May 5, 2022
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Honglei MIAO
  • Publication number: 20220141662
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods for providing interactive services to a device. For example, a method may include determining service authorization information for a device, the service authorization information being associated with an interactive service on a wireless network. The method may also include determining device policies for the device based on the service authorization information. The method may also include transmitting the device policies to the device, wherein the device policies cause the device to select a cloud rendering server for the interactive service.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2020
    Publication date: May 5, 2022
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Ching-Yu LIAO
  • Publication number: 20220141078
    Abstract: Embodiments include devices and methods that improves quality in radio transmission/reception using a single-carrier scheme and/or a multi-carrier scheme.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2022
    Publication date: May 5, 2022
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Yutaka Murakami, Tomohiro Kimura, Mikihiro Ouchi
  • Publication number: 20220140971
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable medium are provided for utilizing a hybrid of ultra-wideband (UWB) and narrowband (NB) signaling to provide more efficient operating range and operating efficiency. For example, a first device may schedule transmission of a packet via a narrowband signal to a second device. The first device may then transmit the packet, whereby the packet conveys synchronization data that is used by the second device to schedule reception of a plurality of fragments, respectively, via an ultra-wideband (UWB) signal. The first device may then schedule and transmit the plurality of segments to the second device via the ultra-wideband signals, each fragment being time-spaced from other fragments of the plurality of fragments by at least a predefined time interval.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2021
    Publication date: May 5, 2022
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Joachim S. Hammerschmidt, Eren Sasoglu, Santhoshkumar Mani
  • Publication number: 20220141076
    Abstract: Techniques are provided for utilizing a hybrid of ultra-wideband (UWB) and narrowband (NB) signaling to provide more efficient operating range and operating efficiency. For example, a first device may transmit a packet via an NB signal to a second device, whereby the packet comprises information indicating a time period for reception of a plurality of fragments, respectively, via a UWB signal. The first device may then transmit a first fragment of the plurality of fragments to the second device via the UWB signal, whereby the first fragment comprises an intermediary base sequence, the intermediary base sequence being aperiodic and comprising a first set of first sequences and a second set of second sequences. In some embodiments, the intermediary base sequence may contain at least one gap interval that may be used to identify a signature of the link between the first device and the second device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2021
    Publication date: May 5, 2022
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Joachim S. Hammerschmidt, Santhoshkumar Mani, Eren Sasoglu
  • Publication number: 20220141684
    Abstract: A system, method, and apparatus is provided for performing testing using arrival of angles (AOA). The system, method, and apparatus can receive a first test signal from a first cell; receive a second test signal from a second cell; and perform a test based on AOA of the first test signal and the second test signal. At least one of the first test signal and the second test signal can include a channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS) signal or a synchronization signal block (SSB) signal. The first test signal can include a different number of SSBs transmitted during an Measurement Timing Configuration (MTC) window when compared to the second test signal. The system, method, and apparatus can receive the first test signal and the second test signal in a time division multiple access (TDMA) manner. The first cell can include a serving cell and the second cell can include a neighboring cell of the serving cell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2020
    Publication date: May 5, 2022
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Qiming LI, Jie CUI, Yang TANG, Hua LI, Andrey CHERVYAKOV
  • Publication number: 20220141623
    Abstract: In some implementations, a first computing device can send notifications at times that the first computing device is not in an expected location. A user of a second computing device can remotely configure an expected location for the first computing device, which may be a particular location for a certain period of time. During that time, the first computing device can monitor its own location and check whether it is within the expected location. If the first computing device unexpectedly leaves or fails to enter the expected location, the first computing device may transmit a notification to the second computing device. Similarly, if the first computing device loses connectivity with other devices, a server device may notify the second computing device that the location of the first computing device cannot be determined.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2022
    Publication date: May 5, 2022
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Andreas E. Schobel, Swaminathan Jayaraman, Paul W. Salzman, Kevin M. Lynch, Tommy Rochette, Albert R. Howard, Siva Ganesh Movva, Thomas Chathoth Abraham, Frank De Jong, Rachel F. Needle, David John Williams, Raghunandan K. Pai, Swadesh Bhattacharya
  • Publication number: 20220141751
    Abstract: Some embodiments of this disclosure include apparatuses and methods for identifying performance measurements for registration and handovers for user equipment (UE) and wireless network nodes. A service producer system may register a first wireless communication connection with a first UE using one or more access and mobility management functions (AMFs). The service producer system may monitor registration measurements corresponding to this registration, perform a handover for the first UE using the one or more AMFs, and monitor mobility measurements corresponding to the handover. The service producer system may select a node for a second wireless communication connection corresponding to a second UE based on the registration measurements and mobility measurements and transmit an indication of the selected node to the second UE.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2020
    Publication date: May 5, 2022
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Yizhi YAO, Joey CHOU
  • Publication number: 20220137177
    Abstract: Techniques are provided for utilizing a hybrid of ultra-wideband (UWB) and narrowband (NB) signaling to provide more efficient operating range and operating efficiency. In one example, a first subsystem of a first device may determine parameter data for a ranging round (e.g., UWB and/or NB-assisted (NBA) UWB multi-millisecond (MMS) ranging), and transmit the parameter data to a second subsystem of the first device. The parameter data may indicate a first time associated with a first time domain for performing ranging. The second subsystem may determine a second time based on the first time, whereby the second time is associated with a second time domain for performing NB signaling (e.g., via a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) protocol). The first device may transmit via an NB signal an advertisement packet that indicates the second time. The first device may then initiate the ranging round at the first time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2021
    Publication date: May 5, 2022
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Joachim S. Hammerschmidt, Santhoshkumar Mani, Eren Sasoglu
  • Publication number: 20220141566
    Abstract: A low-profile earbud is disclosed that sits securely within an ear of a user. The earbud includes a protruding portion that passes through a channel defined by the tragus and anti-tragus of the ear. In some embodiments, the protruding portion can take the form of a cable configured to supply power and transfer data to the earbud. In some embodiments, the protruding portion can provide additional space for electrical components and sensors supporting the earbud.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2022
    Publication date: May 5, 2022
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Glenn K. Trainer, Scott C. Grinker, Ethan L. Huwe, Craig M. Stanley
  • Patent number: D951204
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jody Akana, Bartley K. Andre, Jeremy Bataillou, Daniel J. Coster, Daniele De Iuliis, M. Evans Hankey, Julian Hoenig, Richard P. Howarth, Jonathan P. Ive, Duncan Robert Kerr, Shin Nishibori, Matthew Dean Rohrbach, Peter Russell-Clarke, Christopher J. Stringer, Eugene Antony Whang, Rico Zörkendörfer
  • Patent number: D951234
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jody Akana, Molly Anderson, Bartley K. Andre, Shota Aoyagi, Anthony Michael Ashcroft, Marine C. Bataille, Jeremy Bataillou, Markus Diebel, M. Evans Hankey, Julian Hoenig, Richard P. Howarth, Jonathan P. Ive, Julian Jaede, Duncan Robert Kerr, Peter Russell-Clarke, Benjamin Andrew Shaffer, Sung-Ho Tan, Clement Tissandier, Eugene Antony Whang, Rico Zörkendörfer