Patents Assigned to Apple
  • Patent number: 11202164
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for predictive head-tracked binaural audio rendering in which a rendering device renders multiple audio streams for different possible head locations based on head tracking data received from a headset, for example audio streams for the last known location and one or more predicted or possible locations, and transmits the multiple audio streams to the headset. The headset then selects and plays one of the audio streams that is closest to the actual head location based on current head tracking data. If none of the audio streams closely match the actual head location, two closest audio streams may be mixed. Transmitting multiple audio streams to the headset and selecting or mixing an audio stream on the headset may mitigate or eliminate perceived head tracking latency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Juha O. Merimaa, Christopher T. Eubank, Martin E. Johnson, Stuart J. Wood, Deepak Natarajan
  • Patent number: 11201426
    Abstract: Methods of coating contacts to have a specific color. The color can be selected to match a color of a portion of a device enclosure for an electronic device housing the contacts. Examples can instead provide methods of coating contacts to have a color to contrast with a color of a portion of the device enclosure. These methods can provide electrical contacts having a low contact resistance and good corrosion and scratch resistance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Raymund W. M. Kwok, Hani Esmaeili, Robert Scritzky, Michael W. Barnstead, Xiaoqiang Huang, Ida Y. Lo, Sean R. Novak, Christoph Werner
  • Patent number: 11202098
    Abstract: A system comprises an encoder configured to compress attribute and/or spatial information for a point cloud and/or a decoder configured to decompress compressed attribute and/or spatial information for the point cloud. To compress the attribute and/or spatial information, the encoder is configured to convert a point cloud into an image based representation. Also, the decoder is configured to generate a decompressed point cloud based on an image based representation of a point cloud. In some embodiments, an encoder performs downscaling of an image frame prior to video encoding and a decoder performs upscaling of an image frame subsequent to video decoding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Khaled Mammou, Yeping Su, Jungsun Kim, Valery G. Valentin, David W. Singer, Fabrice A. Robinet, Hsi-Jung Wu, Alexandros Tourapis
  • Patent number: 11200309
    Abstract: Techniques are provided for giving access to restricted content on a first device from a second device through a wireless network. In one embodiment, the first device transmits an authorization request signal to the second device or to a server in the wireless network. The second device, having received the authorization request, prompts an authorized user to give authorization to the first device by inputting an authentication key such as a password or gesture on the second device. Upon verification of the authentication key, an authorization signal may be wirelessly transmitted to the first device, permitting access to the restricted content or functions on the first device. In some embodiments, the second device may be alerted to an authorization request and may select a request for authorization from a selectable queue of requests.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Stephen H. Cotterill
  • Patent number: 11200385
    Abstract: This disclosure is directed to an electronic identification card or electronic card having various features. The electronic card may include an integrated circuit and a contact plate for electrically interfacing with the integrated circuit. The contact plate may include an array of terminal electrodes that are offset with respect to the edges of the contact plate. The electronic card may be coated with a coating layer that extends at least partially over a ferromagnetic element or film. The electronic card may also include a metal substrate having exposed chamfer portions that may provide a visual contrast to the coating layer and also improve the handling and use of the electronic card.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Peter N. Russell-Clarke, Rafael L. Dionello
  • Patent number: 11200867
    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 14, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Maofeng Yang, Shengkui Gao, Paolo Sacchetto, Weijun Yao, Yongjun Li, Jiayi Jin, Pyungwoo Yeon, Michael Hong Yeol Lim, Peter F. Holland, Ross Thompson
  • Patent number: 11202178
    Abstract: Techniques for machine-to-machine device management are described. In some embodiments a method may comprise receiving information from a plurality of machine-to-machine (M2M) devices over one or more wireless channels, aggregating two or more of the M2M devices as an M2M group based on the received information, and multicasting data to the M2M devices in the M2M group over the one or more wireless channels. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Rui Huang, Honggang Li, Shantidev Mohanty
  • Patent number: 11201561
    Abstract: Systems and methods for power conversion are described. Symmetric topologies and modulation schemes are described that may reduce common-mode noise. For example, a system may include a transformer including a first secondary winding and a second secondary winding; a rectifier, including a set of switches, that connects taps of the first secondary winding and the second secondary winding to a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the rectifier is symmetric with respect to the first secondary winding and the second secondary winding; a battery connected between the first terminal and the second terminal; and a processing apparatus that is configured to control the set of switches to rectify a multilevel voltage signal on the transformer, including: selecting a modulation scheme from among two or more modulation schemes based on a measured voltage level of the battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Ashish K. Sahoo, Brandon Pierquet
  • Patent number: 11201484
    Abstract: Accessory devices for portable electronic devices are herein described. An accessory device may include a receptacle used to receive and carry an electronic device. Further, the accessory device may include a cover that is pivotally coupled to the receptacle. The cover is designed to protect a front surface of the electronic device, including a cover glass. The accessory device may further include a power supply (such as a battery) that is located on the cover. The power supply is designed to provide power to the electronic device, and subsequently charge a battery of the electronic device. The power supply can also provide power to different devices. In this regard, the accessory device may include an inductive charging coil that can inductively charge a battery of a device located on the accessory device. The inductive charging coil can be integrated into the receptacle or the cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Robert V. Weber, Patrick T. Ryan, Min Chul Kim, Ian P. Colahan
  • Patent number: 11201662
    Abstract: Systems and methods related to partial beam correspondence may be used to address potential limitations of beamforming wireless networks. A user equipment electronic device and/or wireless network identifies a subset of available transmitter beams for the user equipment electronic device that are indicated as similar to a downlink reference signal received at the user equipment electronic device from a wireless network node. The user equipment electronic device sweeps the subset of available transmitter beams for communication with the wireless network node and uses a best beam from the sweep to communicate with the wireless network node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Yakun Sun, Anatoliy S. Ioffe, Ehsan Haghani, Rohit U. Nabar
  • Patent number: 11202281
    Abstract: Provided are a radio transmission apparatus and a radio transmission method whereby the increase of number of signaling bits can be suppressed and further the flexibility of frequency scheduling can be improved. A notified RBG calculating unit (203) that adds a predetermined offset value of “1” or “?1” to one of the start RBG number and the end RBG number of allocated RBG number information (b?i) output by a scheduling unit (201), thereby calculating notified RBG number information (bi). An RBG total number setting unit (204) calculates the total number of RBGs, which is to be notified, by adding “1” to the total number of allocated RBGs. A notified information generating unit (205) applies the notified RBG number information (bi) and the notified total number of RBGs (Nrb?) to a predetermined formula, thereby generating and transmitting, to terminals, notified information (r).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Takashi Iwai, Daichi Imamura, Akihiko Nishio, Yoshihiko Ogawa, Shinsuke Takaoka
  • Patent number: 11202259
    Abstract: Apparatuses, systems, and methods for performing power saving for a wireless device. The wireless device may connect to a base station (BS). The wireless device may establish discontinuous reception (DRX) with the BS, where the DRX comprises a DRX cycle having a cycle length. The wireless device may receive reference signal information from the base station in association with the DRX cycle length, where the reference signal information is transmitted according to the cycle length. The wireless device may perform tracking using the reference signal information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Zhu Ji, Jia Tang, Dawei Zhang, Wei Zeng, Yuchul Kim, Pengkai Zhao, Beibei Wang, Haitong Sun, Wei Zhang
  • Patent number: 11201669
    Abstract: A directional free-space optical communication system includes a source device including a laser diode and an endpoint device including a photodiode. The endpoint device and the source device also include an adjustable optics subsystem that increases both angular and positional offset tolerance between the source device and the endpoint device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Omid Momtahan, Tong Chen
  • Patent number: 11199425
    Abstract: Magnetic sensing technology can be used to detect changes, or disturbances (e.g., changes in magnetic field strength), in magnetic fields and can be used to measure the precise location/positioning of an electronic device in proximity to a magnetic source. In order to avoid interference by earth's static magnetic field, a modulated magnetic field can be used for magnetic based proximity sensing. Received modulated magnetic field signals can be demodulated to determine a received magnetic field strength. A drive current of a magnetic transmitter coil can be varied to maintain the detected magnetic field strength at a target value or within a desirable range. The drive current can also be varied to remain below a burnout current level that can cause damage to the transmitter coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Savas Gider, Jian Guo, John Greer Elias
  • Patent number: D938202
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Alice Marlin Brugger, Manuel Dejesus, Joshua Robert Edwards, Jean-Marc Gady, Wesley Bryan Hamm, Russell John Kaaihue Heirakuji, Allison Inouye, Moritz Wilsberg
  • Patent number: D938210
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Allison Inouye, Jean-Marc Gady, Ismael Flores Trujano, Gregory Guillaume Lespinard, Mi Zou, Po Huang, Wesley Bryan Hamm, Russell John Kaaihue Heirakuji, Joshua Robert Edwards, Nicholas E. Corti, Manuel Dejesus
  • Patent number: D938211
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Allison Inouye, Jean-Marc Gady, Ismael Flores Trujano, Mi Zou, Po Huang, Wesley Bryan Hamm, Russell John Kaaihue Heirakuji, Joshua Robert Edwards, Nicholas E. Corti, Manuel Dejesus
  • Patent number: D938429
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jody Akana, Molly Anderson, Bartley K. Andre, Shota Aoyagi, Anthony Michael Ashcroft, Marine C. Bataille, Jeremy Bataillou, Tyler B. Cater, Abidur Rahman Chowdhury, Clara Geneviève Marine Courtaigne, Markus Diebel, Richard Hung Minh Dinh, Jonathan Gomez Garcia, M. Evans Hankey, Julian Hoenig, Richard P. Howarth, Jonathan P. Ive, Julian Jaede, Duncan Robert Kerr, Benjamin J. Pope, Peter Russell-Clarke, Benjamin Andrew Shaffer, Sung-Ho Tan, Clement Tissandier, Eugene Antony Whang, Rico Zörkendörfer
  • Patent number: D938445
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Patrick Lee Coffman, Elizabeth Caroline Cranfill, Vitalii Kramar, Marcel Van Os
  • Patent number: D938492
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Lee Broughton, Mischa McLachlan