Patents Assigned to Apple
  • Patent number: 10665181
    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with a display. The display may include a backlight having an array of locally dimmable light sources. Control circuitry may provide control signals to the backlight to produce light at different brightness levels. When the brightness level is below a threshold, the control circuitry may use pulse-width-modulation control signals to control the light sources in the backlight. When the brightness level is above the brightness threshold, the control circuitry may use analog control signals to control the light sources in the backlight. The control circuitry may adjust the threshold to achieve different dimming ranges for different brightness settings. A low brightness setting, for example, may have a lower threshold and lower dimming range than a high brightness setting, which may help produce darker darks when the display operates in a low brightness setting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Marc Albrecht, Teun R. Baar, Nicolas P. Bonnier, Sean Chang, ByoungSuk Kim, David S. Zalatimo
  • Patent number: 10666334
    Abstract: In one example, an apparatus of an e-NodeB (eNB) capable to establish a communication connection with a user equipment (UE) in a communication network, the eNB comprising processing circuitry to transmit a downlink (DL) beamforming training reference signal (BF-TRS) to a user equipment (UE) using transmit beamforming weights that are the same. Other examples are also disclosed and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Gang Xiong, Yushu Zhang, Yuan Zhu, Ralf Bendlin, Jong-Kae Fwu, Seunghee Han
  • Patent number: 10666084
    Abstract: An electronic device may be configured to detect an external charging device when the external charging device is initially engaged with, or connected to, the electronic device. The electronic device, or an alert unit operably connected to the electronic device, can produce one or more alerts for the user if the charging device is in an unpowered state. The alert or alerts can be provided to the electronic device engaged with the charging device and/or to another electronic device or alert unit that is in communication with the electronic device that is engaged with the charging device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventor: Kevin M. Lynch
  • Patent number: 10667341
    Abstract: An optical module includes a diffractive optical element (DOE) with a transparent conductive trace disposed over a surface of the DOE. An emitter is configured to direct a beam of optical radiation through the DOE. Control circuitry is coupled to measure a resistance of the transparent conductive trace and to control operation of the emitter responsively to the resistance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Moshe Kriman, Adar Magen, Arun Kumar Nallani Chakravartula, Zhenbin Ge, Gregory A. Cohoon, Eamon H. O'Connor, Calvin K. Wong, Colleen F. Mischke, Christopher Hu, Yazan Z. Alnahhas
  • Patent number: 10664963
    Abstract: Artistic styles extracted from one or more source images may be applied to one or more target images, e.g., in the form of stylized images and/or stylized video sequences. The extracted artistic style may be stored as a plurality of layers in a neural network, which neural network may be further optimized, e.g., via the fusion of various elements of the network's architectures. An optimized network architecture may be determined for each processing environment in which the network will be applied. The artistic style may be applied to the obtained images and/or video sequence of images using various optimization methods, such as the use of scalars to control the resolution of the unstylized and stylized images, temporal consistency constraints, as well as the use of dynamically adjustable or selectable versions of Deep Neural Networks (DNN) that are responsive to system performance parameters, such as available processing resources and thermal capacity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Francesco Rossi, Xiaohuan C. Wang, Bartlomiej W. Rymkowski, Xiaojin Shi, Marco Zuliani, Alexey Marinichev
  • Patent number: 10666345
    Abstract: A device and method for a user equipment (UE) to perform packet detection using multiple receive antennas. The UE receives a first signal at two or more of the plurality of receive antennas. The UE determines a first combined signal parameter based on the first signal received at the two or more receive antennas. The UE receives a second signal at the two or more receive antennas. The UE determines a second combined signal parameter based on the second signal received at the two or more receive antennas. The UE detects a packet based on at least identifying a correlation between the first combined signal parameter and the second combined signal parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Kerner, Shay Gershoni, Ido Kalderon
  • Patent number: 10666491
    Abstract: In a communication device and corresponding methods to determine a phase offset imbalance, an input signal (e.g. oscillator signal) is phase shifted to generate a set of phase-shifted values. The set of phased-shifted values and the input signal are mixed to generate a respective set of mixed signals. The phase offset imbalance (e.g. phase error) is calculated based on the set of mixed signals and a gradient value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Florian Mrugalla
  • Patent number: 10667158
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to radio link monitoring techniques. According to some embodiments, a wireless device may establish a radio link with a cellular base station according to a radio access technology. The base station may provide reference signals, control signals, and data signals to the wireless device via the radio link. The wireless device may perform radio link monitoring of the radio link using characteristics of decoding performance for one or more of the control signals and the data signals. Performing radio link monitoring of the radio link may include determining whether the radio link is in-sync or out-of-sync and determining whether radio link failure has occurred.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Sami M. Almalfouh, Li Su, Sai Sravan Bharadwaj Karri, Chiranjeevi M. Kosuri, Karthik Chockalingam, Swaminathan Balakrishnan
  • Patent number: 10666920
    Abstract: A method of altering audio output from an electronic device based on image data is provided. In one embodiment, the method includes acquiring image data and determining one or more characteristics of the image data. Such characteristics may include sharpness, brightness, motion, magnification, zoom setting, and so forth, as well as variation in any of the preceding characteristics. The method may also include producing audio output, wherein at least one characteristic of the audio output is determined based on one or more of the image data characteristics. Various audio output characteristics that may be varied based on the video data characteristics may include, for instance, pitch, reverberation, tempo, volume, filter frequency response, added sound effects, or the like. Additional methods, devices, and manufactures are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Aram Lindahl, Kelvin Chiu
  • Patent number: 10664095
    Abstract: A device that can autonomously scan a sensor panel is disclosed. Autonomous scanning can be performed by implementing channel scan logic. In one embodiment, channel scan logic carries out many of the functions that a processor would normally undertake, including generating timing sequences and obtaining result data; comparing scan result data against a threshold value (e.g., in an auto-scan mode); generating row count; selecting one or more scanning frequency bands; power management control; and performing an auto-scan routine in a low power mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Minh-Dieu Thi Vu, Thomas James Wilson, Christoph H. Krah
  • Patent number: 10667294
    Abstract: Carrier-sensing techniques for LTE-based transmissions over unlicensed carriers are described. In one embodiment, for example, an apparatus may comprise at least one memory and logic for user equipment (UE), at least a portion of the logic comprised in circuitry coupled to the at least one memory, the logic to cause the UE to receive an uplink (UL) grant indicating a transmit subframe, the transmit subframe to comprise a subframe during which the UE is authorized to perform UL transmission via an unlicensed carrier, the logic to cause the UE to determine whether the UL grant comprises a listen-before-talk (LBT)-contingent UL grant and in response to a determination that the UL grant comprises an LBT-contingent UL grant, identify an LBT interval for the transmit subframe and perform an LBT procedure during the LBT interval to determine whether the unlicensed carrier is idle. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Youn Hyoung Heo, Hwan-Joon Kwon
  • Patent number: 10665141
    Abstract: Source content super-sampled to a first resolution in an extended range space is obtained. A representation of a subpixel geometry of a display panel displaying the source content is obtained. The display panel includes, for every pixel, plural subpixel elements for three or more color primaries. A native resolution of the display panel is lower than the first resolution of the source content. An optimization operation is performed based on a set mode of the display panel and the representation of the subpixel geometry to derive a global optimization for determining, for a given pixel value based on the source content, an energy distribution between the plurality of subpixel elements of a corresponding pixel of the display panel. The source content in the extended range space is converted into intermediate content in a display space based on the global optimization. The intermediate content is further optimized based on error minimization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth I. Greenebaum, Robert L. Ridenour, Marc Albrecht
  • Patent number: 10667157
    Abstract: A source device can transmit initial streaming content to a playback device (e.g., wireless ear buds) using first settings and measure playback performance of the content at a plurality of times. The measured performance values can relate to a quality of communication of the initial streaming content between the source device and the playback device, e.g., relating to packet loss, retransmission rates and patterns, fluctuations in a playback (jitter) buffer, and/or other values. The measured performance values can be used to determine one or more second settings to be used for a playback of subsequent streaming content between the source device and the playback device. In this manner, each source device can account for variations in communication behavior specific to a user (e.g., due to differences in body type as electromagnetic waves travel through the body when a source device is in a pocket).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Ahmad Rahmati, Natalia A. Fornshell, Aarti Kumar
  • Patent number: 10664012
    Abstract: Accessory devices for portable electronic devices are described. An exemplary accessory device can include a first segment coupled to a second segment via a first hinge assembly. The accessory can include a third segment coupled to the second segment via a second hinge assembly such that the second segment is positioned between the first and third segments. The accessory device can be arranged between a closed configuration and a configuration of a stand that supports the portable electronic device at a viewing angle. At the support configuration, the second segment can be at an acute angle relative to the first segment to shift the center of gravity of the system towards the middle. The third segment can be suspended above the first segment and be inclined outwards. The hinge assemblies of the system can be sufficiently stiff to withstand the weight of the electronic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Aidan N. Zimmerman, Bradley J. Hamel, Christopher J. Stringer, Markus Diebel, Sung-Ho Tan, Mikael M. Silvanto, Kevin M. Robinson, Daniel L. McBroom, Michael D. McBroom
  • Patent number: 10666343
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are apparatuses, systems, and methods for reference signal design for initial acquisition, by receiving a first primary synchronization signal (PSS) and a first secondary synchronization signal (SSS) from a first transmit (Tx) beam, in first contiguous orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols of a downlink subframe. A UE can receive at least a second PSS and a second SSS from a second Tx beam in contiguous OFDM symbols of the downlink subframe. A UE can then detect beamforming reference signals (BRSs) corresponding to the first Tx beam and the second Tx beam, based on identification of physical cell ID information and timing information processed from the first PSS, the second PSS, the first SSS, and the second SSS. The UE can select the first Tx beam or the second Tx beam that was received with the highest power, based on the BRSs. Other embodiments are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Gang Xiong, Huaning Niu, Yushu Zhang, Jong-Kae Fwu, Yuan Zhu, Ralf Matthias Bendlin
  • Patent number: 10666874
    Abstract: Techniques of reducing or eliminating artifact pixels in high dynamic range (HDR) imaging are described. One embodiment includes obtaining a first image of a scene at a first time with first exposure settings and obtaining a second image of the scene at a second time with second exposure settings that differ from the first exposure settings. The obtained images may be downsampled. The images may be compared to each other to assist with determining a number of potential artifact pixels in the scene. Depending on a relationship between the number of potential artifact pixels and a threshold value, the first image or second image may be selected as a reference image for registering the images with each other. A type of registration performed between the images may depend on which of the two images is the selected reference image. The registered images may be used to generate an HDR image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Hao Sun, Fabio Riccardi, Garrett M. Johnson, Farhan A. Baqai
  • Patent number: 10666485
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to providing synchronization signal block index signaling in a cellular communication system. A cellular base station may provide synchronization signals according to a periodic pattern, including transmitting one or more synchronization signal bursts each including one or more synchronization signal blocks. A wireless device may detect a synchronization signal block. The wireless device may determine a synchronization signal block index of the detected synchronization signal block. The wireless device may provide an indication of the synchronization signal block index of the detected synchronization signal block to the cellular base station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Wei Zeng, Yuchul Kim, Dawei Zhang
  • Patent number: 10664856
    Abstract: Techniques and systems for beacon triggered code redemption are disclosed. Such a technique can include causing a mobile device to listen for beacon messages broadcast by a beacon device over a short-range communication link; receiving a beacon message from the beacon device; and exchanging information with a content provider to retrieve a redemption code associated with the beacon message. A beacon message can include a beacon identifier and an activity parameter specifying a code redemption action. The beacon identifier can be associated with an event that will occur, is occurring, or has occurred in the vicinity of the beacon device. The technique can further include displaying on a screen of the mobile device, a notification in regard to redeeming the redemption code configured for redeeming content associated with the event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Gregory S. Robbin, Oliver Krevet, Jeremy C. Norberg, Claes S. Nygren
  • Patent number: D885348
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jody Akana, Molly Anderson, Bartley K. Andre, Shota Aoyagi, Anthony Michael Ashcroft, Marine C. Bataille, Jeremy Bataillou, Robert Y. Cao, James M. Cuseo, Daniele De Iuliis, Markus Diebel, Kevin Scott Fetterman, M. Evans Hankey, Julian Hoenig, Richard P. Howarth, Jonathan P. Ive, Julian Jaede, Duncan Robert Kerr, Dinesh Mathew, Sabrina Paseman, Peter Russell-Clarke, Benjamin Andrew Shaffer, Mikael Silvanto, Christopher J. Stringer, Joe Sung-Ho Tan, Clement Tissandier, Eugene Antony Whang, Rico Zörkendörfer
  • Patent number: D885431
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Bradley William Griffin, Aurelio Guzmán, Christopher Wilson, Giancarlo Yerkes