Patents Assigned to Apple
  • Patent number: 11049457
    Abstract: A display may include an array of pixels, where each pixel in the array includes an organic light-emitting diode coupled to a drive transistor and other associated thin-film transistors. The array may be grouped into column pairs, where each column pair includes a first pixel column and a second pixel column that is mirrored with respect to the first pixel column. The drive transistors within each column pair may be formed towards the center of that column pair, whereas the data lines associated with that column pair may be formed along the outer peripheral edges of that column pair. Configured in this way, parasitic coupling between the data lines and any sensitive/floating nodes of the drive transistor may be substantially reduced, which mitigates pixel column crosstalk and ensures luminance uniformity across the display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Shinya Ono, Chin-Wei Lin, Chen-Ming Chen, Chun-Chieh Lin, Gihoon Choo, Hassan Edrees, Zino Lee
  • Patent number: 11048977
    Abstract: In one implementation, a method of training a type-agnostic object segmentation system is performed in a type-agnostic object segmentation system including one or more processors, and a non-transitory memory. The method includes obtaining a data set; generating a respective embedding vector for each of a plurality of pixels of the image frame; mapping a plurality of embedding vector representations into a dataspace defined by a dimensionality of the plurality of embedding vector representations; comparing the at least one object instance representation candidate against the respective segmentation mask; and adjusting the type-agnostic object segmentation system in order to satisfy an error threshold across the plurality of image data frames according to a determination that the at least one object instance representation candidate and the respective segmentation mask differ by a threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Daniel Ulbricht, Mohammed Haris Baig, Amit Kumar K C
  • Patent number: 11051165
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods to support authentication failure handling by network elements and by a wireless communication device when attempting access to services through non-cellular wireless networks by the wireless communication device are disclosed. Error messages received from evolved packet core (EPC) network elements, such as an authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) server, are mapped to failure messages provided to wireless communication devices by internetworking equipment, such as an evolved packet data gateway (ePDG). The wireless communication device determines a failures cause based on the failure messages and disallows retry attempts until select criteria are satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Krisztian Kiss, Thomas F. Pauly, Ajoy K. Singh, Rohan C. Malthankar, Vikram Bhaskara Yerrabommanahalli, Rafael L. Rivera-Barreto
  • Patent number: 11051105
    Abstract: Systems, methods, devices and non-transitory, computer-readable storage mediums are disclosed for location-tracking wireless devices. In an embodiment, a method performed by an electronic device comprises: playing, or initiating the playing of, a sound through a loudspeaker of an accessory device via a communication link. The sound is played at a specified frequency that utilizes a frequency response of the loudspeaker (or loudspeaker plus speaker enclosure). The sound is received through two or more microphones of the electronic device and filtered by one or more filters. The one or more filters are configured to pass the sound at or around the specified frequency and to reduce masking of the sound by ambient noise. The filtered sound is associated with direction data generated from sensor data provided by one or more inertial sensors of the electronic device. In another embodiment, the specified frequency is higher than the maximum human hearing range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Sorin V. Dusan, Raghunandan K. Pai, Scott Lopatin, Tommy Rochette, Navin Bindiganavile Suparna, Emmanuel Lalande, Siva Ganesh Movva, Robert Watson, Scott Grinker
  • Patent number: 11050044
    Abstract: An electronic device is provided with a display and a light sensor that receives light that passes through the display. The display includes features that increase the amount of light that passes through the display. The features may be translucency enhancement features that allow light to pass directly through the display onto a light sensor mounted behind the display or may include a light-guiding layer that guides light through the display onto a light sensor mounted along an edge of the display. The translucency enhancement features may be formed in a reflector layer or an electrode layer for the display. The translucency enhancement features may include microperforations in a reflector layer of the display, a light-filtering reflector layer of the display, or a reflector layer of the display that passes a portion of the light and reflects an additional portion of the light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Anna-Katrina Shedletsky, Paul S. Drzaic, Erik G. de Jong, Fletcher R. Rothkopf
  • Patent number: 11050504
    Abstract: A base station can obtain channel quality conditions for mobile devices in a scheduling interval and identify a channel quality, a target transmission scheme, and a transmission power level for each of the mobile devices. The base station can assign a unique orthogonal CDMA code and can force the mobile devices to transmit K repeated bursts of uplink data such that each of the mobile devices has a rotated phase shift based on the unique orthogonal CDMA code assigned to each of the mobile devices with each of the mobile devices multiplexed on a same physical channel using an overlaid CDMA operation. The base station can process K repeated bursts that are multiplexed on the same physical channel using the overlaid CDMA operation. The base station can separate the mobile devices according to the unique orthogonal CDMA code and use IQ accumulation according to combine the K repeated bursts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Kathiravetpillai Sivanesan, Yaser Fouad, Vesh Raj Sharma Banjade, Joonbeom Kim, Balkan Kecicioglu, Yanzeng Fu, Rath Vannithamby
  • Patent number: 11050463
    Abstract: A first device such as a wristwatch may include a front face at which a display is disposed and a rear face at which a rear housing wall is mounted. Antenna structures may overlap the rear housing wall and may be operable to transit and receive relatively high frequency signals through the rear housing wall to a communication with a second device such as a wireless power transmitting device for the wristwatch. The second device may also include antenna structures that overlap a top surface housing. Respective sets of magnetic structures may be provided in the first and second devices to align the two devices and to form a reliable wireless communication link between the two devices. The first and second devices may include respective antenna arrays that include pairs of antenna elements that are selectively used to form a reliable wireless communication link.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel J. Hiemstra, Jorge L. Rivera Espinoza, Timothy B. Ogilvie, Timothy M. Johnson
  • Patent number: 11049503
    Abstract: In an embodiment, an integrated circuit may include one or more CPUs, a memory controller, and a circuit configured to remain powered on when the rest of the SOC is powered down. The circuit may be configured to receive audio samples from a microphone, and match those audio samples against a predetermined pattern to detect a possible command from a user of the device that includes the SOC. In response to detecting the predetermined pattern, the circuit may cause the memory controller to power up so that audio samples may be stored in the memory to which the memory controller is coupled. The circuit may also cause the CPUs to be powered on and initialized, and the operating system (OS) may boot. During the time that the CPUs are initializing and the OS is booting, the circuit and the memory may be capturing the audio samples.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy J. Millet, Manu Gulati, Michael F. Culbert
  • Patent number: 11050865
    Abstract: Electronic devices are provided with ejectable component assemblies that can be substantially flush with the external surfaces of the housings of the devices, despite variations in their manufacture. The ejectable component assemblies may include connectors coupled to circuit boards of the devices, and trays that can be loaded with removable modules, inserted through openings in the housings of the devices, and into the connectors for functionally aligning the removable modules with the circuit boards. The ejectable component assemblies may also include ejectors coupled to the housings of the devices for ejecting the trays from the connectors and, thus, from the devices themselves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Erik L. Wang, Robert Sean Murphy, Tang Yew Tan, Jeffrey Eugene Neaves, Lawrence E. Davis, Sung H. Kim
  • Patent number: 11050737
    Abstract: The embodiments set forth a technique for enabling a computing device to securely configure a peripheral computing device. According to some embodiments, the method can include the steps of (1) approving a request received from the peripheral computing device to engage in a setup procedure for the peripheral computing device, (2) receiving, from the peripheral computing device: (i) an audio signal that encodes a password and timing information, and (ii) a light signal. Additionally, the method can involve, in response to identifying that the timing information correlates with the light signal: (3) extracting the password from the audio signal, and (4) establishing a communication link with the peripheral computing device based on the password. In turn, the method can involve (5) providing configuration information to the peripheral computing device over the communication link.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jay S. Coggin, Daniel C. Klingler, Kyle C. Brogle, Johannes P. Schmidt, Eric A. Allamanche, Thomas Alsina, Bob Bradley, Alex T. Nelson, Rudolph Van Der Merwe, Joseph M. Triscari, Keun Sup Lee, Pedro Mari, Aaron M. Elder, Richard M. Powell
  • Patent number: 11051202
    Abstract: Technology for a user equipment (UE) operable to determine a transport block size (TBS) is disclosed. The UE can determine a number of assigned resource elements (REs) in one or more symbols for a transport block. The UE can determine a reference number of REs per physical resource block (PRB) in the transport block based on a reference number of REs for the transport block corresponding to each PRB and an assigned number of PRBs for the transport block. The UE can determine a TBS for the transport block based at least on the reference number of REs per PRB in the transport block. The UE can encode information in a selected transport block for transmission via a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) to a Next Generation NodeB (gNB) in accordance with the TBS determined at the UE.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Alexei Davydov, Seung Hee Han, Debdeep Chatterjee, Hong He, Gregory V. Morozov, Ajit Nimbalker, Fatemeh Hamidi-Sepehr, Dae Won Lee, Yongjun Kwak
  • Patent number: 11046330
    Abstract: A vehicle actuator system includes an actuator, a first actuator controller that is operable to control operation of the actuator and is operable to determine a first value for a parameter that relates to operation of the actuator, a second actuator controller that is operable to control operation of the actuator and is operable to determine a second value for the parameter, and at least one additional component that is operable to determine a third value for the parameter. A fault is identified in response to determining that the first value does not agree with at least one of the second value or the third value. In response to identification of the fault, the first actuator controller changes from an activated state to a deactivated state and the second actuator controller changes from a deactivated state an activated state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Diomidis Katzourakis, Huibert Mees, Robert M. Cammarata, Bo Guo
  • Patent number: 11049448
    Abstract: An electronic display may include an active area having a first pixel formed in the active area, where the first pixel emits light in response to image data. The electronic display may also include a controller to transmit the image data to the first pixel. The first pixel may include an organic light-emitting diode that emits the light in response to the image data, memory to digitally store the image data received from the controller, and driver circuitry to receive the image data from the memory. The driver circuitry may cause the organic light-emitting diode to emit the light in response to the image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Ivan Knez, Tien-Chien Kuo, Yingkan Lin, Bilin Wang, Kanghoon Jeon, Mitchell Herman Kline, Hopil Bae, Jose Antonio Dominguez-Caballero, Chun-Yao Huang, Syed Farhan Mohiuddin
  • Patent number: 11047702
    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with control circuitry for locating lost items. The control circuitry may determine where an item is located and may use the display or other output device to guide a user to the item. The display may display a visual guide such as an arrow, a sphere, a circle, a compass, or other visual aid that points the user in the direction of the item. The control circuitry may change the size or other characteristic of the visual aid on the display as the distance between the electronic device and the object changes. The control circuitry may change the location of the visual aid on the display as the orientation of the electronic device relative to the object changes. The display may overlay the visual aid onto live images of the user's surroundings as they are captured by a camera.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Adam S. Meyer, Duncan Robert Kerr, Martha Evans Hankey, Peter C. Tsoi, John B. Morrell, James H. Foster
  • Patent number: 11048873
    Abstract: At an electronic device, detect a first input on the touch-sensitive surface that represents selection of a first ideogram. Identify at least one attribute of the first ideogram. Select a plurality of suggested one or more characters to display, where at least a first set of suggested one or more characters is selected based on a set of selection criteria, the set of selection criteria including the identified at least one attribute of the first ideogram. Display at least the first set of suggested one or more characters. Detect a second input on the touch-sensitive surface that represents selection of the displayed first set of suggested one or more characters. In response to detecting the second input, displaying a composed electronic message, the composed electronic message including the first ideogram and the selected first set of suggested one or more characters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Tiffany S. Jon, Imran Chaudhri, Chanaka G. Karunamuni, Kenneth Kocienda, Giancarlo Yerkes, Woo-Ram Lee
  • Patent number: 11050452
    Abstract: An electronic device housing may be formed from housing members. A first housing member may form a display cover layer that overlaps pixels. During operation, the pixels may display an image that is viewable through the display cover layer. The second housing member may have a rear wall portion and a sidewall. A band may be coupled to the sidewall or other portion of the second housing member. The first and second housing members may be attached together using a housing member attachment structure. The housing member attachment structure may have layers of adhesive and printed circuit structures. The printed circuit structures may include metal traces that form an antenna and that form capacitive force sensor electrodes on opposing sides of a compressible member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: James G. Horiuchi, Tyler S. Bushnell, Brad G. Boozer, Mario Martinis, YoungHoon Kim
  • Patent number: D923615
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jody Akana, Molly Anderson, Bartley K. Andre, Shota Aoyagi, Anthony Michael Ashcroft, Marine C. Bataille, Jeremy Bataillou, 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, Joe Sung Ho Tan, Clement Tissandier, Eugene Antony Whang, Rico Zörkendörfer
  • Patent number: D923622
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jody Akana, Bartley K. Andre, Shota Aoyagi, Anthony Michael Ashcroft, Jeremy Bataillou, Daniel J. Coster, Daniele De Iuliis, M. Evans Hankey, Julian Hoenig, Richard P. Howarth, Jonathan P. Ive, Duncan Robert Kerr, Marc A. Newson, Matthew Dean Rohrbach, Peter Russell-Clarke, Benjamin Andrew Shaffer, Mikael Silvanto, Christopher J. Stringer, Eugene Antony Whang, Rico Zörkendörfer
  • Patent number: D923642
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Alan C. Dye, Aurelio Guzmán
  • Patent number: D923658
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Taylor Gerard Carrigan, Aled Williams