Patents Assigned to Apple
  • Patent number: 11204774
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed relating to a thread-group-scoped gate instruction. In some embodiments, graphics processor circuitry is configured to execute, for multiple SIMD groups of a thread group, a graphics program that includes a gate instruction. During execution of the gate instruction for a first SIMD group, the processor accesses state information to determine that a threshold number of other SIMD groups in the thread group have not yet executed the gate instruction. Based on the determination, the processor executes a particular set of instructions of the graphics program for the first SIMD group (that is not executed by one or more other SIMD groups that reach the gate instruction after the first SIMD group). For example, the particular set of instructions may be a utility program that performs one or more operations for the entire thread group but is only executed by a subset of the SIMD groups.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Benjiman L. Goodman, Anjana Rajendran, Jeffrey A. Lohman, Terence M. Potter
  • Patent number: 11205834
    Abstract: An electronic device may include a conductive housing and an antenna. The antenna may include an arm formed from a first segment of the housing. A gap may separate the first segment from a second segment. The antenna may include a feed coupled to a transmission line having a signal conductor. The feed may include first and second positive terminals on the first segment and a third positive terminal on the second segment. An adjustable component may be coupled between the first and third terminals. The signal conductor may be coupled to the first terminal. A wide conductive trace may be coupled between the signal conductor and the second terminal. A switch may be interposed on the signal conductor. The second terminal may cover a cellular low band when the switch is open. The first terminal may cover the cellular low band and higher bands when the switch is closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Enrique Ayala Vazquez, Hongfei Hu, Mattia Pascolini, Nanbo Jin, Kevin M. Froese, Erica J. Tong, Xu Han
  • Patent number: 11206004
    Abstract: Automatic equalization for consistent headphone may take place in a playback mode of operation in which ANC is turned off and there is no direct feedback from an internal microphone (to the input of a speaker). An automatic user content equalization process is active during that mode of operation which adapts a filter AEQ to restore a flat or other desired frequency response at the output of the speaker despite variation in headphone fit. An estimate of a transfer function of a path S is determined, wherein the path S is from i) the input of the speaker of the headphone to the internal microphone signal. The filter AEQ is adapted based on the estimate of the transfer function of the path S while it filters user content audio that drives the input of the speaker of the headphone. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventor: Navneet Gandhi
  • Patent number: 11206309
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to techniques for managing a remote authorization to proceed with an action, such as creating a secure network connection. In some examples, a requesting device receives selection of one or more options. The requesting device transmits a request to proceed with an action to an authenticating device. The authenticating device concurrently displays an indication of the request to proceed with the action, information about the selected one or more options, and an indication of the requesting device. The authenticating device receives authorization to proceed with the action and transmits a response to the requesting device regarding the request to proceed with the action.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Marcel Van Os, Oluwatomiwa B. Alabi, Peter D. Anton, George R. Dicker, Anton K. Diederich, Donald W. Pitschel, Nicholas J. Shearer
  • Patent number: 11206201
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for detecting network device configurations using a single device. The methods and system include establishing a first connection to a network device using a first device identifier. Upon detecting that a condition has been satisfied; a second connection to the network device can be established. A data packet can be transmitted over one of the first connection or the second connection, the data packet being addressed to the network address associated with the other connection. Upon detecting whether the data packet is received over the other connection, an error message can be transmitted when the data packet is not received over the other connection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Marc J. Krochmal
  • Patent number: 11204534
    Abstract: To minimize the width of a non-light-emitting border region around an opening in the active area, data lines may be stacked in the border region. Data line portions may be formed using three metal layers in three different planes within the border region. A metal layer that forms a positive power signal distribution path in the active area may serve as a data line portion in the border region. A metal layer may be added in the border region to serve as a data line portion in the border region. Data line signals may also be provided to pixels on both sides of an opening in the active area using supplemental data line paths. A supplemental data line path may be routed through the active area of the display to electrically connect data line segments on opposing sides of an opening within the display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Shin-Hung Yeh, Warren S. Rieutort-Louis, Abbas Jamshidi Roudbari, Chien-Ya Lee, Lun Tsai
  • Patent number: 11205363
    Abstract: An electronic display may include pixel circuitry to display an image based on image data compensated for voltage variations within the pixel circuitry. Image processing circuitry may generate a compensation value to compensate the image data for cross-talk (e.g., electromagnetic coupling between an electrode of touch sensor circuitry and an electrode of the pixel circuitry) that may cause the voltage variations. Additionally or alternatively, the image processing circuitry may generate another compensation value to compensate the image data for another cross-talk (e.g., electromagnetic coupling between two electrodes of the pixel circuitry). The image processing circuitry may generate the compensated image data based on the first compensation value and/or the second compensation value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Myungjoon Choi, Kingsuk Brahma, Li-Xuan Chuo, Mohammad Ali Jangda, Hyunsoo Kim, Hyunwoo Nho, Alex H. Pai, Jesse Aaron Richmond, Jie Won Ryu, Shiping Shen, Chaohao Wang
  • Patent number: 11204787
    Abstract: Systems and processes for application integration with a digital assistant are provided. In accordance with one example, a method includes receiving an audio input including a natural-language user input and identifying an intent object of a set of intent objects. The intent object may be derived from the natural-language user input. The method further includes identifying a software application associated with the intent object of the set of intent objects, providing the intent object to the software application to cause the software application to perform a task associated with the intent object, receiving a result response indicating whether the task was successfully performed, and providing an output indicating whether the task was performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Carey E. Radebaugh, Brandon J. Newendorp, Corey J. Peterson, Rohit Dasari, Trungtin Tran, Vineet Khosla
  • Patent number: 11204695
    Abstract: The systems described herein provide a remote keyboard service for a media device on a computing device without having to invoke an application or unlock the computing device. The computing device can receive a message indicating that a text input field on the other device is selected and present a notification to the user prompting the user to invoke the virtual keyboard on the computing device to provide text input to the selected text input field. The computing device can receive user input selecting the notification and present a virtual keyboard for providing text input to the other device. The computing device can receive keyboard input from the user selecting characters and send the characters to the other device. The other device can then user the characters as text input to the selected text input field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Alexander D. Sanciangco, Bob Bradley, Marc Krochmal, Graham Clarke
  • Patent number: 11205039
    Abstract: In some embodiments, an option to lock one or more associated cells is provided with respect to each different group of cells in a single sheet of a spreadsheet application. One or more locked cells of a group of cells do not scroll out of view at least while a portion of the group of cells is viewable in a given display view.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew Ross Lehrian, Christopher Douglas Weeldreyer, Tsurishaddai Williamson
  • Patent number: 11206582
    Abstract: Embodiments for performing a fast return to Wi-Fi following completion of a cellular voice call are provided. These embodiments include detecting that a device has switched from communicating over a Wi-Fi interface to communicating over a cellular interface; determining the earliest time that the device can switch back to Wi-Fi; and instituting the switch. In some embodiments, the process of performing a fast return to Wi-Fi is carried out by devices having small form factors, such as smartwatches and other wearables, which may be susceptible to coexistence and peak power problems. The fast return to Wi-Fi embodiments disclosed herein allow a device to perform a voice call over a cellular interface when Wi-Fi calling is not available, and switch over to a Wi-Fi interface immediately upon completion of the voice call in order to conserve battery life, achieve higher data speeds, and avoid high costs associated with cellular data transmissions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Venkateswara Rao Manepalli, Paul V. Flynn, Artiom Shamis, Thanigaivelu Elangovan, Vijay Venkataraman, Ajoy K. Singh, Veerendra Boodannavar
  • Patent number: 11205021
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed relating to securing an accessory interface on a computing device. In various embodiments, a computing device detects a connection of an accessory device to an accessory interface port and, in response to the detected connection, evaluates a policy defining one or more criteria for restricting unauthorized access to the accessory interface port. Based on the evaluating, the computing device determines whether to disable the accessory interface port to prevent communication with the connected accessory device. In some embodiments, the computing device includes an interconnect coupled between the processor and the accessory interface port, and the interconnect includes a hub circuit configured to facilitate communication between a plurality of devices via the interconnect. In some embodiments, the computing device, in response to determining to disable the accessory interface port, instructs the hub circuit to prevent traffic from being conveyed from the accessory interface port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Loukas Kalenderidis, Ivan Krstic, Brian J. Dawbin, Filip Stoklas, Carmen A. Bovalino, III, Shyam S. Toprani, Christopher B. Zimmermann, Libor Sykora, Arnold S. Liu, Lucia E. Ballard
  • Patent number: 11205378
    Abstract: A system may include an electronic display panel having pixels, where each pixel emits light based on a respective programming signal applied to the pixel. The system may also include processing circuitry to determine a respective control signal upon which the respective programing signal for each pixel is based. The processing circuitry may determine each respective control signal based at least in part on approximations of respective pixel brightness-to-data relationship as defined by a function having variables stored in memory accessible to the processing circuitry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Maofeng Yang, Shengkui Gao, Paolo Sacchetto, Weijun Yao, Yongjun Li, Jiayi Jin
  • Patent number: D938850
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jody Akana, Molly Anderson, Bartley K. Andre, Shota Aoyagi, Anthony Michael Ashcroft, Marine C. Bataille, Jeremy Bataillou, Daniel J. Coster, Daniele De Iuliis, Markus Diebel, M. Evans Hankey, Julian Hoenig, Richard P. Howarth, Jonathan P. Ive, Julian Jaede, Duncan Robert Kerr, Peter Russell-Clarke, Benjamin Andrew Shaffer, Mikael Silvanto, Christopher J. Stringer, Sung-Ho Tan, Clement Tissandier, Eugene Antony Whang, Rico Zörkendörfer
  • Patent number: D938921
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher J. Birgers, Michael Joseph Solomon, Charles Werley
  • Patent number: D938952
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jody Akana, Molly Anderson, Bartley K. Andre, Shota Aoyagi, Anthony Michael Ashcroft, Marine C. Bataille, Jeremy Bataillou, Adam T. Clavelle, Erik Geddes Pieter De Jong, Markus Diebel, Tyler Ehman, M. Evans Hankey, Julian Hoenig, Richard P. Howarth, Jonathan P. Ive, Julian Jaede, Duncan Robert Kerr, Michael R. Parker, Peter Russell-Clarke, Benjamin Andrew Shaffer, Mikael Silvanto, Sung-Ho Tan, Clement Tissandier, Eugene Antony Whang, Rico Zörkendörfer
  • Patent number: D938962
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Arian Behzadi, Alan C. Dye, Jonathan P. Ive, Nicole R. Ryan, Eric Lance Wilson
  • Patent number: D938968
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Behkish Johnnie Manzari, Andre Souza Dos Santos
  • Patent number: D938969
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Guillaume P. Barlier, Aurelio Guzmán, Deanna Marsigliese, Joumana Marie Medlej, Jason D. Rickwald, Christopher J. Romney, Nicolas V. Scapel, Christopher I. Wilson
  • Patent number: D938970
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Dmitri Cavander, Matthew Wagner Crowley, Allison W. Dryer, Alan C. Dye, Nicholas Felton, Charmian Naguit