Patents Assigned to Apple
  • Patent number: 10650737
    Abstract: Systems and apparatuses for hybrid micro-driver architectures having time multiplexing for driving displays are described. In one embodiment, a display (e.g., hybrid display architecture) includes a backplane and a micro-driver circuitry that is coupled to the backplane. The backplane includes circuitry (e.g., sample and hold circuitry) for sampling and holding analog data and for time multiplexing analog data. The micro-driver circuitry includes at least a capacitor of a ramp generator for generating a ramp voltage based on the analog data of the backplane and drive circuitry to cause at least one emission pulse for emitting a display element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Mohammad B. Vahid Far, Yafei Bi, Kapil V. Sakariya, Hopil Bae, Shinya Ono, Thomas Charisoulis, Chin-Wei Lin
  • Patent number: 10652646
    Abstract: A user content audio signal is converted into sound that is delivered into an ear canal of a wearer of an in-ear speaker, while the in-ear speaker is sealing off the ear canal against ambient sound leakage. An acoustic or venting valve in the in-ear speaker is automatically signaled to open, so that sound inside the ear canal is allowed to travel out into an ambient environment through the valve, while activating conversion of an ambient content audio signal into sound for delivery into the ear canal. Both user content and ambient content are heard by the wearer. The ambient content audio signal is digitally processed so that certain frequency components have been gain adjusted, based on an equalization profile, so as to compensate for some of the insertion loss that is due to the in-ear speaker blocking the ear canal. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Scott C. Grinker
  • Patent number: 10646121
    Abstract: The present invention generally relates to the measuring and monitoring of blood pressure. More specifically, embodiments may apply the theory of applanation tonometry for the measurement of blood pressure. Some embodiments provide a method for measuring mean arterial pressure. Some embodiments provide a device that may be worn by a user that may non-invasively measure and monitor blood pressure of a user. In some embodiments, the invention generally relates to sensor arrays for use with a wrist-worn device to measure blood pressure. Embodiments of the sensor array designs described may be configured to improve resolution by decoupling nodes of the sensor array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Ravi K. Narasimhan, Zijing Zeng, Zhipeng Zhang
  • Patent number: 10645991
    Abstract: A system assesses activity and displays a unitless activity value. A detector senses activity of a user. A processor reads sensed activity data from the detector. A display displays the unitless activity value. An enclosure houses the detector and the processor. The processor periodically reads the sensed activity data from the detector and processes the data to generate an activity number, the number being used to generate the unitless activity value based upon a maximum number and a display range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Curtis A. Vock, Perry Youngs
  • Patent number: 10649248
    Abstract: A display may have display layers such as liquid crystal display layers having a liquid crystal layer interposed between a color filter layer and a thin-film transistor layer or organic light-emitting diode layers having organic light-emitting diodes formed from thin-film transistor circuitry. The display layers may be configured to form an array of pixels that display images and may include a polarizer. An angle-of-view adjustment layer may overlap the display layers. The angle-of-view adjustment layer may include one or more liquid crystal layers. A first polarizer may be interposed between first and second liquid crystal layers and the second liquid crystal layer may be overlapped by a second polarizer. The first and second polarizers may have pass axes that are aligned with a pass axis of the polarizer in the display layers. One or more liquid crystal layers in the angle-of-view adjustment layer may include dichroic dye.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Shih-Chyuan Fan Jiang, Shih-Wei Chang, Yuan Chen, Zhibing Ge, Cheng Chen
  • Patent number: 10650112
    Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods for efficiently implementing clock gating circuitry. A multi-bit clock gating cell is placed on the die of an integrated circuit and replaces at least two single-bit clock gating cells that were to be placed on the die. Each single-bit clock gating cell receives a single clock enable signal and generates a single gated clock signal. Each multi-bit clock gating cell receives multiple clock enable signals and generates multiple gated clock signals based on a single common received clock signal. Conditions for determining whether two or more single-bit clock gating cells are replaced by a multi-bit clock gating cell include a distance between two single-bit clock gating cells, a load driven by any one of the two single-bit clock gating cells and an activity level of a common single clock received by at least two single-bit clock gating cells is above a respective threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Harsha Krishnamurthy
  • Patent number: 10650372
    Abstract: A system for provisioning credentials onto an electronic device is provided. The user device may include a secure element and a corresponding trusted processor. A contactless registry service (CRS) applet running on the secure element may be used to manage the activation of one or more associated payment applets during a mobile payment transaction. The CRS applet may include at least a user input received flag and an authorization received flag. The user input received flag may be asserted in response to detecting a required user input for initiating payment. The authorization received flag may be asserted when the trusted processor sends an activation request to the secure element. A payment applet should only be activated when at least one of the user input received flag and the authorization received flag has been asserted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Ahmer A. Khan
  • Patent number: 10652650
    Abstract: Loudspeakers are described that may reduce comb filtering effects perceived by a listener by either 1) moving transducers closer to a sound reflective surface (e.g., a baseplate, a tabletop or a floor) through vertical (height) or rotational adjustments of the transducers or 2) guiding sound produced by the transducers to be released into the listening area proximate to the reflective surface through the use of horns and openings that are at a prescribed distance from the reflective surface. The reduction of this distance between the reflective surface and the point at which sound emitted by the transducers is released into the listening area may lead to shorter reflected path that reduces comb filtering effects caused by reflected sounds that are delayed relative to the direct sound. Accordingly, the loudspeakers shown and described may be placed on reflective surfaces without severe audio coloration caused by reflected sounds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Martin E. Johnson, Simon K. Porter, Suzanne Hardy, John H. Sheerin
  • Patent number: 10651991
    Abstract: A technique of operating a wireless communication device includes receiving an assigned starting point index and an assigned reference signal bandwidth for a reference signal. The reference signal is then transmitted multiple times, beginning at an initial resource block that is associated with the assigned starting point index and in accordance with the assigned reference signal bandwidth, across a shared channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: James McCoy
  • Patent number: 10649489
    Abstract: An electronic device is disclosed. The electronic device may include an enclosure and a transparent cover. The electronic device may include a display assembly. The electronic device may further include an inductive charging unit designed to inductively charge a stylus, or other object suitable for use with the display assembly. The electronic device may further include audio modules, at least some of which are designed to cause resonation of the enclosure to produce acoustical energy in the form of audible sound. Some audio modules produce acoustical energy in relatively low frequencies, while other audio modules produce acoustical energy in relatively high frequencies. The electronic device may further include a vision system designed for facial recognition. The display assembly may include a metal chassis as well as antennae for wireless communication. In order to prevent antennae interference, the metal chassis can be electrically grounded to the enclosure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Melody L. Kuna, Ryan J. Mihelich, Taylor Harrison Gilbert, Joel N. Ruscher, Carli E. Oster, Alex Chun Lap Yeung
  • Patent number: 10649922
    Abstract: A system and method for efficiently scheduling requests. In various embodiments, a processor sends commands such as read requests and write requests to an arbiter. The arbiter reduces latencies between commands being sent to a communication fabric and corresponding data being sent to the fabric. When the arbiter selects a given request, the arbiter identifies a first subset of stored requests affected by the given request being selected. The arbiter adjusts one or more attributes of the first subset of requests based on the selection of the given request. In one example, the arbiter replaces a weight attribute with a value, such as a zero value, indicating the first subset of requests should not be selected. Therefore, during the next selection by the arbiter, only the requests in a second subset different from the first subset are candidates for selection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Shawn Munetoshi Fukami, Jaideep Dastidar, Yiu Chun Tse
  • Patent number: 10649935
    Abstract: A data processing system includes, in one embodiment, at least a first processor and a second processor and an interrupt controller, and the system provides a deferred inter-processor interrupt (IPI) that can be used to wake up the second processor from a low power sleep state. The deferred IPI is, in one embodiment, delayed by a timer in the interrupt controller, and the deferred IPI can be cancelled by the first processor if the first processor becomes available to execute a thread that was made runnable by an interrupt which triggered the deferred IPI.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Derek R. Kumar, Joshua Phillips de Cesare
  • Patent number: 10653034
    Abstract: An electronic device includes an outer housing having an upper enclosure and a foot coupled thereto, a heat generating component, and a fan assembly integrated into the foot and situated proximate a bottom surface of the heat generating component. The foot can include inlet and outlet vents. The fan assembly can include an inlet, outlet, impeller with blades, shroud and fin stack. The electronic device can also include a heat pipe, a heat transfer stage, a PCB, and a bottom shield. Airflow through the electronic device can be directed across the fin stack, heat pipe, heat transfer stage, and bottom shield. Airflow can occur over a substantially level path through the electronic device from the inlet to outlet vents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Eric R. Prather, Clark E. Waterfall, Reuben J. Williams, Vinh H. Diep
  • Patent number: 10652567
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for coding and decoding video data using object recognition and object modeling as a basis of coding and error recovery. A video decoder may decode coded video data received from a channel. The video decoder may perform object recognition on decoded video data obtained therefrom, and, when an object is recognized in the decoded video data, the video decoder may generate a model representing the recognized object. It may store data representing the model locally. The video decoder may communicate the model data to an encoder, which may form a basis of error mitigation and recovery. The video decoder also may monitor deviation patterns in the object model and associated patterns in audio content; if/when video decoding is suspended due to operational errors, the video decoder may generate simulated video data by analyzing audio data received during the suspension period and developing video data from the data model and deviation(s) associated with patterns detected from the audio data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Xing Wen, Dazhong Zhang, Peikang Song, Xiaosong Zhou, Sudeng Hu, Hsi-Jung Wu, Jae Hoon Kim
  • Patent number: 10647286
    Abstract: Occupant safety systems suitable for use in both traditional and opposed seating systems include various combinations of passive safety components: sensors that provides an output signal indicative of an imminent collision, seats selectively moveable relative to seat support structures in response to the output signal, inflatable restraints deployable from lap portions of a tensioned restraint based on the output signal, airbags deployable from a roof of a vehicle based on the output signal, cabin dividers deployable from a side of a cabin of the vehicle or the roof of the vehicle based on the output signal, and curtain airbags deployable between an occupant and the side of the cabin of the vehicle based on the output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Nathaniel J. Dennis, Arturo Llamazares Domper, Rikard Fredriksson, Alexander M. Zoellner, Lukas Satas, Jorge C. Fialho, John J. Baker, Jesse T. Buehler, Ronald A. Bowers
  • Patent number: 10649529
    Abstract: A feedback or a user-perceived feedback of an input device is modified using one or more output devices. The output devices include one or more speakers and/or one or more actuators. The output (e.g., acoustic and/or haptic) produced using the output device may enhance, amplify, mask, obscure, or cancel an inherent sound or tactile feedback produced by the input device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Kyle J. Nekimken, John A. Porcella, John S. Camp, Michael A. Damianakis, Robert L. Coish
  • Patent number: 10648210
    Abstract: A multi-linkage vehicle door hinge and door hinge system for use in passenger vehicle entry/exit doors. The door hinge includes a first four bar linkage connected to a second four bar linkage. The door hinge operates to move a vehicle door panel between a closed position and an open position along a path of travel in a movement envelope that is parallel to the exterior surface of the vehicle. In one aspect, the door hinge provides twice as much lift as is required to package the door hinge in the vehicle. In another aspect, the door panel further rotates toward the vehicle centerline for applications having low vertical clearance. In another aspect, the door hinge includes a six-bar linkage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Ali Tavakoli Targhi, Donald R. Monroe, Johan Karlsson, Steven H. Klotz
  • Patent number: 10650565
    Abstract: A device implementing a system for rendering animated user input strokes includes at least one processor configured to retrieve a user-specified mapping of physical characteristics of input strokes to ink parameters, and to receive input stroke data, the input stroke data including metadata corresponding to physical characteristics of the input stroke data. The at least one processor is configured to generate, based on the user-specified mapping, a set of ink parameters from the metadata corresponding to the physical characteristics of the input stroke data, and to render, using at least a portion of the generated set of ink parameters, a stroke based on the input stroke data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: William J. Thimbleby, Jennifer P. Chen, Peter L. Hajas
  • Patent number: 10652745
    Abstract: The present invention filters access points presented to a user and locks onto an access point and includes an access point filtering unit and an access point locking unit. The access point filtering unit determines the access points that are accessible by a client device and then filters them to present only the access points that are acceptable to under a security policy in force. The access point locking unit has a plurality of operating modes and can lock onto a user selected access point, a security policy prescribed access point, or the access point with the best signal profile. The present invention also includes a method for filtering access points and a method for locking onto an access point that is selected by the user, that has the best signal profile, or that is prescribed by a security policy for a given location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Brent Beachem, Peter Boucher, Gabe Nault, Richard Rollins, Jonathan Brett Wood, Michael Wright
  • Patent number: D883976
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    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