Patents Assigned to Apple
  • Patent number: 11172249
    Abstract: Aspects include systems, computer readable media and methods for remotely updating properties of Audio/Visual (A/V) performance nodes that can receive A/V content through a wireless network from a central content source. The central content source can maintain information about properties of such nodes, providing such information to a device configured with remote control software, upon request. The remote control device can accept user inputs relating to properties updates, indications of such being provided to the central content source for distribution to nodes whose properties were updated. Examples of updatable properties include on/off toggling, and volume controls. Updating such properties can be protected by passwords. The central content source can be configured as software executing on a personal computer operable to communicate over the Internet for obtaining access to streaming and/or downloadable A/V content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Alan Cannistraro, Jeffrey L. Robbin, Amandeep S. Jawa
  • Patent number: 11172101
    Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure pertain to multifunctional accessory cases for electronic devices (e.g., a pair of wireless earbuds). Embodiments pertain to a case for a portable listening device, such as a pair of headphones or a pair of wireless earbuds. The case can include one or more cavities to hold the listening device and charging circuitry to provide power to a rechargeable battery within the listening device (or within each of the pair of earbuds). The embodiments of the case can include a digital camera. The digital camera can include a lens mounted on the housing, digital processing circuitry, and a memory. In some embodiments the digital camera can be powered by a case battery. Embodiments of the case can include a strobe, a microphone, a speaker, a radio frequency transmitter/receiver, and a display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Brad G. Boozer, Ryan C. Perkins, Colin M. Ely
  • Patent number: 11172320
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to techniques for generating physically accurate auralization of sound propagation in complex environments, while accounting for important wave effects, such as sound absorption, sound scattering, and airborne sound insulation between rooms. According to some embodiments, techniques may be utilized to determine more accurate, e.g., “acoustically-effective” room volumes that account for open windows, open doors, acoustic dead space, and the like. According to other embodiments disclosed herein, techniques may be utilized to perform optimized hybrid acoustical ray tracing, including grouping coherent rays by processing core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Soenke Pelzer, Dirk Schroeder
  • Patent number: 11169650
    Abstract: A method of operating a UI for controlling a virtual musical instrument can include receiving a first input corresponding to a selection of an array of cells within a cell matrix, each array of the cell matrix assigned to audio sample data stored in a computer-readable medium that, when triggered, causes the audio sample data to output corresponding audio, and each cell within its particular array of the cell matrix, in response to being selected for playback and upon being triggered to begin playback, causes the audio sample data corresponding to the cell's particular array to be played. The method can further include receiving a second input corresponding to a changing of a number of cells within the particular selected array; and changing the number of cells within the selected array based on the second input and maintaining a number of cells in other arrays within the cell matrix.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Joshua W. Decker, Robert W. Baker
  • Patent number: 11170139
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to techniques for generating physically accurate auralization of sound propagation in complex environments, while accounting for important wave effects, such as sound absorption, sound scattering, and airborne sound insulation between rooms. According to some embodiments, techniques may be utilized to determine more accurate, e.g., “acoustically-effective” room volumes that account for open windows, open doors, acoustic dead space, and the like. According to other embodiments disclosed herein, techniques may be utilized to perform optimized hybrid acoustical ray tracing, including grouping coherent rays by processing core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Dirk Schroeder, Soenke Pelzer
  • Patent number: 11172350
    Abstract: This Application sets forth techniques for provisioning and activating electronic subscriber identity modules (eSIMs) for mobile wireless devices. An eSIM is reserved during a sales order process and later activated during device activation after receipt by a user. An option for eSIM installation in place of (or in addition to) physical SIM installation is provided when purchasing the mobile wireless device. The reserved eSIM can replace a previous SIM/eSIM or be a new eSIM. During device activation, installation and activation of the eSIM occurs. Activation of the eSIM can occur before or after deactivation of a transferred SIM/eSIM. The mobile wireless device accounts for propagation delay of eSIM activation through MNO servers by disabling and re-enabling the eSIM until initial attachment to an MNO cellular wireless network succeeds or a maximum number of retry attempts is reached.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Raj S. Chaugule, Li Li, Vikram Bhaskara Yerrabommanahalli, Chandiramohan Vasudevan, Damien R. Holzapfel, Avinash Narasimhan, Ameya R. Kasbekar
  • Patent number: 11172536
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to transmitting an emergency message to a user equipment device (UE) over a wireless local area network (WLAN). The UE may establish a connection with an access point through WLAN. The UE may transmit, via the access point and to a network entity, an indication that the UE supports receiving emergency messaging through the WLAN. At least in part in response to communicating the indication, the UE may receive, from the network entity and via the access point, an emergency message and location information. The UE may compare the location information with a location of the UE to determine whether the UE is located within a first region specified by the location information. Based on a determination that the location of the UE is within the first region, the UE may display the emergency message on a display of the UE.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Farouk Belghoul, Krisztian Kiss, Rafael L. Rivera-Barreto, Rohan C. Malthankar, Sherman X. Jin
  • Patent number: 11171744
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure describe methods, apparatuses, storage media, and systems for uplink non-orthogonal multiple access transmission schemes employed by transmit circuitry. A transmitter circuitry in a User Equipment (UE) may include an encoder circuitry to generate an encoded sequence, a first scrambling circuitry to perform first-part scrambling on the encoded sequence to generate a first scrambled sequence, and a second scrambling circuitry to perform second-part scrambling on a spread modulated symbols to generate a second scrambled sequence. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Gang Xiong, Yongjun Kwak, Sergey Sosnin, Hwan-Joon Kwon
  • Patent number: 11172371
    Abstract: Machines or networked devices such as internet of things (IoT) devices operate to generate an unlicensed narrowband (U-NB) IoT communication based on time domain multiple carrier aggregation operations with component carriers. These component carriers can comprise a component carrier that is anchored to a long term evolution (LTE) licensed band, or entirely comprise unlicensed carrier components that are unanchored to the LTE component carrier in a standalone configuration. Communication circuitry such as a radio frequency interface can transmit the U-NB IoT communication in standalone communications over a low power IoT network in an unlicensed band.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Stefania Sesia, Jose A. Cesares Cano, Christian Drewes, Sabine Roessel
  • Patent number: 11172553
    Abstract: An accessory strobe device for a mobile device may operate to provide illumination at the same time as an internal built-in strobe (flash) of the mobile device. The accessory strobe device may receive a single, unidirectional signal from the mobile device that provides signals related to the timing of the internal strobe. The accessory strobe device may process the received signal to control its illumination using the timing and relative intensity levels of the internal strobe during metering and main (normal) flash operations associated with a camera on the mobile device. With the accessory strobe device operating using timing and relative intensity levels in a predetermined relationship with the timing and relative intensity levels of the internal strobe, the accessory strobe device may be used to complement the internal strobe during the metering and main (normal) flash operations for the camera.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Richard L. Baer, Edwin W. Foo, Michael F. Jean, Mohamad H. Suleiman, Parin Patel
  • Patent number: 11170578
    Abstract: Various implementations disclosed herein include devices, systems, and methods that determines changes in depth category of pixels from one image to the next. For example, changes in depth category may include determining that a given pixel has changed from foreground to background or vice versa. The technique is based on creating a histogram or other model using a mask identifying a depth category of pixels in the first image. The histogram or model is used to assess a pixel in the first frame and the second frame and identify a change in its depth category. One use of this technique is to determine a change in occlusion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Daniele Casaburo
  • Patent number: 11166572
    Abstract: A system for displaying a product is disclosed. The system includes a wall having a recess therein and a display structure that defines the recess. The display structure extends through a front surface of the wall and includes a frame having a top panel, a bottom panel, and two side panels. The top and bottom panels are longer than the side panels. The system further includes a plurality of modular display units disposed within the display structure. Each modular display unit extends from the bottom panel to the top panel. At least a first one of the modular display units includes a frame open to a front exterior of the display structure and at least a second one of the modular display units is not open to the front exterior of the display structure. The system further includes a plurality of display elements disposed within the plurality of display units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Vasco Agnoli, James Andrus, Sam Brown, James Casey Feeney, Christopher M. Green, Kully Kraig Mandon, Christopher Daniel Peak, Jonathan P. Siegel, Stefan Behling, Kevin Fenton Smeds, Andrew Charles Deffenbaugh, Gregory James Ranes, Charles A. Schwalbach, Sheng Yang, Graham O'Brien
  • Patent number: 11169691
    Abstract: A portable multifunction device displays a first user interface object and a second user interface object on a touch screen display. Upon detecting a finger-down event at the first user interface object and one or more finger-dragging events on the touch screen display, the device moves the first user interface object on the touch screen display along a path determined by the finger-dragging events until the first user interface object at least in part overlaps the second user interface object. Upon detecting a finger-up event at the second user interface object, the device visually replaces the second user interface object with the first user interface object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew Emilio Platzer, Charles J. Pisula, Imran Chaudhri, Steven P. Jobs, Gregory Christie, Scott Forstall, Stephen O. Lemay, Michael Matas, Gregory Novick, Marcel Van Os
  • Patent number: 11172298
    Abstract: While a first wearable audio output component of a wearable audio output device is in a first position relative to a first ear of a user and a second wearable audio output component of the wearable audio output device is in the first position relative to a second ear, a computer system operates the wearable audio output device in a first mode. While doing so, the computer system detects a change in position of the first component from the first position to a second position; and, in response, while the second component is maintained in the first position, the computer system transitions the wearable audio output device from the first mode to a different, second mode that is a pass-through mode in which audio outputs provided via the wearable audio output device include pass-through audio components that include at least a portion of ambient sound from the physical environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Taylor G. Carrigan, David C. Graham, Andrew E. Greenwood, Thomas S. Hulbert, Hugo D. Verweij
  • Patent number: 11171518
    Abstract: A wireless power system has a wireless power transmitting device and a wireless power receiving device. The wireless power transmitting device may be a wireless charging mat or other device with coils for transmitting wireless power signals. The wireless power receiving device may be a cellular telephone or other device with coils for receiving the transmitted wireless power signals. The wireless power receiving device has adjustable rectifier circuitry coupled to a pair of coils. The pair of coils is coupled in series at a node. A transistor is coupled between ground and the node and is controlled by control circuitry. The state of the transistor can be changed to place the adjustable rectifier circuitry in either a first mode of operation in which the adjustable rectifier circuitry forms a full-bridge rectifier or a second mode of operation in which the adjustable rectifier circuitry forms a pair of parallel half-bridge rectifiers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Saining Ren, Ho Fai Leung
  • Patent number: 11169611
    Abstract: A method, including receiving, by a computer, a two-dimensional image (2D) containing at least a physical surface and segmenting the physical surface into one or more physical regions. A functionality is assigned to each of the one or more physical regions, each of the functionalities corresponding to a tactile input device, and a sequence of three-dimensional (3D) maps is received, the sequence of 3D maps containing at least a hand of a user of the computer, the hand positioned on one of the physical regions. The 3D maps are analyzed to detect a gesture performed by the user, and based on the gesture, an input is simulated for the tactile input device corresponding to the one of the physical regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Eran Guendelman, Ofir Or, Eyal Bychkov, Oren Brezner, Adi Berenson
  • Publication number: 20210345403
    Abstract: Some embodiments include an apparatus, method, and computer program product for Extremely High Throughput (EHT) medium reservation. Some embodiments include a first station configured to exchange EHT-Request to Send (RTS) and/or EHT-Clear to Send (CTS) capabilities with a second station, and determine CTS response mode (e.g., rules) for the first station based at least on the RTS and CTS capabilities of the first and the second stations. Some embodiments include transmitting RTS frames and receiving CTS frames in the presence of punctured channels, implementing a flexible channel reservation scheme, reserving punctured bandwidths, and receiving CTS frames even when a primary channel is busy. Some embodiments include an RTS or an CTS frame that includes an EHT bandwidth puncture (BnP) signaling address and/or a modified scrambler seed that enable channel reservations for an EHT bandwidth.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2021
    Publication date: November 4, 2021
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jarkko L. KNECKT, Jinjing JIANG, Lochan VERMA, Qi WANG, Su Khiong YONG, Tianyu WU, Yong LIU
  • Publication number: 20210341705
    Abstract: Various embodiments include a camera having one or more base cutouts for a position sensing arrangement. For example, the position sensing arrangement may be used to determine a position of a moveable lens group and/or a moveable image sensor. According to some embodiments, a base structure of the camera may include a cutout that allows for a protrusion of a lens carrier to extend (e.g., in a direction parallel to an optical axis of the camera) past at least a portion of the base structure. A probe magnet may be attached to the protrusion of the lens carrier, and a position sensor for sensing magnetic fields of the probe magnet may be attached to the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2021
    Publication date: November 4, 2021
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Zachary W. Birnbaum, Nicholas D. Smyth
  • Publication number: 20210344433
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and storage media are described for the Embodiments discussed herein may relate to enhancements to radio link monitoring (RLM) for new radio (NR) systems. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2019
    Publication date: November 4, 2021
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Qiming LI, Hua LI, Manasa RAGHAVAN, Jie CUI, Yang TANG
  • Patent number: D935436
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Ryan Ott, Carlos M. Santana, William R. Rochowicz, Robert Boyd, Martin Gschwandtl, Guillaume Raoult, Christopher Kuh, Robert Brunner