Patents Assigned to Apple
  • Patent number: 11025098
    Abstract: A wireless power transmission system has a wireless power receiving device with a wireless power receiving coil that is located on a charging surface of a wireless power transmitting device with a wireless power transmitting coil array. Control circuitry in the wireless power transmitting device may use inverter circuitry to supply alternating-current signals to coils in the coil array, thereby transmitting wireless power signals. The control circuitry may also be used to detect foreign objects on the coil array such as metallic objects without wireless power receiving coils. For example, control circuitry may use inductance measurements from the coils in the coil array to determine a probability value indicative of whether a foreign object is present on the charging surface. The control circuitry may compare the probability value to a threshold and take suitable action in response to the comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Behrooz Shahsavari, Sneha Kadetotad, Weiyu Huang, Baboo V. Gowreesunker
  • Patent number: 11022840
    Abstract: An array of pixels in a display may be illuminated by a backlight having an array of light-emitting diodes in an array of respective cells. A reflector is used to reflect light from the light-emitting diodes through the array of pixels. Within the cells, the reflector has cross-sectional profiles that help distribute light emitted from the light-emitting diodes toward edges of the cells. A light diffuser layer for the backlight may have a partially reflective layer such as a thin-film interference filter with an angularly dependent transmission. Within each cell, the reflector may have cross-sectional profiles with portions that are parabolic or elliptical.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Rong Liu, Yu P. Sun, Abdeslam Hafidi, Erik A. Zweigle, Jun Qi, Mingxia Gu, Victor H. Yin, Xiangtong Li, Yanming Li, Yi Huang, Ziruo Hong
  • Patent number: 11025644
    Abstract: A content request communication, e.g., generated using a first processor of a device, can be transmitted to a web server. A response communication including content identifying a first value can be received from the web server. The first processor can facilitate presentation of the content on a first display of the device. A communication can be received at a second processor of the device from a remote server. The communication can include data representing a second value and can be generated at the remote server using information received from the web server. Further, the second processor can produce a secure verification output that can be presented on a separate, second display, representing at least the second value. The presentation on first display can at least partially overlap in time with the presentation on the second display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Gianpaolo Fasoli, Matthew C. Byington, Christopher Sharp, Anton K. Diederich, Nicholas J. Shearer, Roberto G. Yepez, Petr Kostka, Gianluca Barbieri, Abhinav Gupta
  • Patent number: 11024135
    Abstract: A haptic button assembly may be used for detecting inputs and providing haptic outputs at an electronic device. The haptic outputs may be provided in response to detected inputs or in response to other conditions at the electronic device. The haptic button assembly may define an input surface along an exterior of the electronic device. Inputs may be provided to the input surface of the haptic button assembly. An input may include a touch input on or along the input surface and/or a force input directed substantially perpendicularly to the input surface. The haptic button assembly may provide a haptic output by moving an input member of the haptic button assembly laterally (e.g., substantially parallel to the input surface).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jared P. Ostdiek, Jesse P. Harris, Richard H. Koch
  • Patent number: 11026018
    Abstract: An audio speaker having a speaker housing surrounding a back volume that is divided into a rear cavity behind a speaker driver and an adsorption cavity separated from the rear cavity by a permeable partition, is disclosed. More particularly, the adsorption cavity may be defined between the speaker housing and the permeable partition, and may be directly filled with adsorptive particles to adsorb gas during sound generation. The permeable partition may allow the gas to flow between the rear cavity and the adsorption cavity, and may retain the adsorptive particles within the adsorption cavity. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Christopher Wilk, Ruchir M. Dave, Scott P. Porter
  • Patent number: 11026011
    Abstract: An earbud includes a housing that includes a driver assembly positioned within the housing forming a front volume in front of the driver and a back volume behind the driver. An acoustic insert is positioned behind the driver assembly and attached to an interior surface of the housing such that it forms a bass channel that is routed from the back volume to a vent in the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Arun D. Chawan, Kurt Stiehl, Benjamin A. Cousins, Jonathan S. Aase, Yacine Azmi, Paul Choiniere, Scott W. Slabaugh
  • Patent number: 11023245
    Abstract: Closed loop performance controllers of asymmetric multiprocessor systems may be configured and operated to improve performance and power efficiency of such systems by adjusting control effort parameters that determine the dynamic voltage and frequency state of the processors and coprocessors of the system in response to the workload. One example of such an arrangement includes applying hysteresis to the control effort parameter and/or seeding the control effort parameter so that the processor or coprocessor receives a returning workload in a higher performance state. Another example of such an arrangement includes deadline driven control, in which the control effort parameter for one or more processing agents may be increased in response to deadlines not being met for a workload and/or decreased in response to deadlines being met too far in advance. The performance increase/decrease may be determined by comparison of various performance metrics for each of the processing agents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Aditya Venkataraman, Bryan R. Hinch, John G. Dorsey
  • Patent number: 11025310
    Abstract: Technology for a user equipment (UE) operable to assist a Next Generation NodeB (gNB) for beamforming is disclosed. The UE can determine a covariance matrix for a channel between the UE and the gNB. The UE can quantize the covariance matrix to obtain a quantized covariance matrix. The quantized covariance matrix can include M best diagonal entries that are selected from the covariance matrix, wherein M is an integer. The UE can encode the quantized covariance matrix as feedback for transmission to the gNB.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Alexei Davydov, Gregory V. Morozov, Victor Sergeev, Wook Bong Lee
  • Patent number: 11023587
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a system supports an external trust cache. That is, the trust cache is separate from the kernel image on the non-volatile storage in the system. During boot, the boot code may read the trust cache from the storage and write it to the working memory of the system (e.g. the Random Access Memory (RAM) forming the memory system in the system). The boot code may also validate the kernel image and write it to the memory system. The boot code may program a region register in the processor to define a region in the working memory that encompasses the kernel image and the trust cache, to protect the region from modification/tampering.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Julien Oster, Eric S. Harmon, Mitchell K. Allison, Pierre-Olivier J. Martel, Damien P. Sorresso, Dallas B. De Atley, Ryan P. Nielsen
  • Patent number: 11023513
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a method and apparatus for searching using an active ontology. One embodiment of a method for searching a database includes receiving a search string, where the search string comprises one or more words, generating a semantic representation of the search string in accordance with an ontology, searching the database using the semantic representation, and outputting a result of the searching.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Adam Cheyer
  • Patent number: 11023905
    Abstract: This application relates to techniques for recommending content to a user of a content distribution system. A server device can generate recommendations as part of a user interface for the content distribution system. The server device can be configured to: calculate a trend score for each of a plurality of digital assets managed by a content distribution system, calculate a recommendation score for a subset of digital assets that are not installed on a client device of a target user, calculate a breakout score for a subset of digital assets managed by the content distribution system each having a cumulative number of downloads below a threshold value, rank the digital assets according to the trend scores, the recommendation scores, or the breakout scores, and generate a visual representation of one or more digital assets to recommend to the user based on the ranking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Brian D. Choi
  • Patent number: 11025921
    Abstract: Streaming image data includes receiving a request for a video stream of a scene of a live event, generate a background portion of the scene, obtaining a model of an object in the scene, transmitting the background portion and the model of the object, generating a serialized data stream indicating a modification of the object from the model, and transmitting the serialized data stream for the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Geoffrey Stahl
  • Patent number: 11026051
    Abstract: Wireless communications may be established between mobile computing devices via wireless protocols in asymmetric modes, using the orientation of the mobile devices to determine the asymmetric modes in which the mobile devices are operated. Requests may be received to initiate wireless communications using a wireless protocol that supports at least two asymmetric communication modes. The orientation of the mobile devices may be determined, and the asymmetric communication modes to be used by the mobile devices may be based on the orientations of the mobile device. Each mobile device may be configured to operate in the determined asymmetric communication mode of the wireless protocol, for establishing communications via the wireless protocol with other mobile devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Robert S. Mozayeni
  • Patent number: 11024449
    Abstract: A multipole permanent magnet may be provided with a magnetic-field shunt. The multipole permanent magnet may be formed from compression-molded magnetic particles such as magnetically anisotropic rare-earth particles in an elastomeric polymer. The magnetic-field shunt may be formed from magnetic members in a polymer binder that are separated by gaps to allow the shunt to flex or from magnetic particles in a polymer binder. The magnetic particles in the polymer binder may be ferrite particles or other magnetic particles. The polymer binder may be formed from an elastomeric material and may be integral with the elastomeric polymer of the multipole permanent magnet or separated from the elastomeric polymer of the multipole permanent magnet by a polymer separator layer. Conductive particles may be formed in polymer such as the elastomeric polymer with the magnetic particles. The conductive particles may be configured to form electrical connector contacts and other signal paths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Shravan Bharadwaj, David S. Herman, Rafael L. Dionello
  • Patent number: 11025406
    Abstract: A system and method to mitigate the temporary loss of the input sampling clocks when receiving audio data over the ARC or eARC interface of HDMI are provided. A media device may substitute an externally generated clock derived from a local crystal oscillator of the media device for the missing input sampling clock. The external clock may be synchronized to the frequency of the input sampling clock. The media device may synchronize the external clock to the audio data when there is a loss of the input sampling clock. When the input sampling clock of the audio data reappears, the media device may switch back from the external clock to the input sampling clock. When transitioning between the input sampling clock and the external clock, the media device may insert zero padding into the audio data samples to mute any potential glitch in the sound from an audio playback device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Michael F. Jean, Adam E. Kriegel, Brett D. George, Daniel C. Klingler, Girault W. Jones, Felipe Ferreri Tonello
  • Patent number: 11023994
    Abstract: Embodiments relate to image signal processors (ISP) that include one or more auto-focus circuits. Each of the auto-focus circuits may be connected to an image sensor and may be separate from a statistics circuit and other image processing pipelines of the ISP. An image sensor may include one or more focus pixels that are used to generate data for auto-focusing. The auto-focus circuit may extract the focus pixel values and generate a signal to control the lens position of the image sensor. Each image sensor may include a separate auto-focus circuit. When other image processing pipelines of the ISP are processing the image data from one image sensor, the auto-focus circuit for another image sensor may continue to generate focus signals that control the lens position of the other image sensor. The other image sensor may be in standby but may continue to remain in focus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Sheng Lin, David R. Pope, D. Amnon Silverstein
  • Patent number: 11023995
    Abstract: Methods and systems for reducing power consumption of a display link by compacting image data to allow the display link to be deactivated for a longer duration. For instance, pixels that correspond to a preset or default value for a display may be omitted from pixel data sent over the display link. Additionally or alternatively, the display link may be divided into multiple lanes that function independently so that a lane of the display link may be deactivated while other lanes are actively transmitting image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Hopil Bae
  • Patent number: 11025326
    Abstract: Herein described are apparatuses, systems, and methods for measurement and reporting of channel state information within wireless network systems. In embodiments, an apparatus for a user equipment (UE) may include memory to store a rank indicator (RI), a precoding matrix index (PMI), and a channel quality indicator (CQI) of channel state information (CSI) for the UE. The apparatus may further include circuitry to concatenate the RI, the PMI, and the CQI to produce a concatenated CSI element, generate a CSI report that includes the concatenated CSI element, and cause the CSI report to be transmitted to a base station within a single slot. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Alexei Davydov, Sameer Pawar, Wook Bong Lee, Yushu Zhang, Victor Sergeev, Joonyoung Cho, Dmitry Dikarev
  • Patent number: 11023997
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed relating to low-level instruction storage in a processing unit. In some embodiments, a graphics unit includes execution circuitry, decode circuitry, hazard circuitry, and caching circuitry. In some embodiments the execution circuitry is configured to execute clauses of graphics instructions. In some embodiments, the decode circuitry is configured to receive graphics instructions and a clause identifier for each received graphics instruction and to decode the received graphics instructions. In some embodiments, the caching circuitry includes a plurality of entries each configured to store a set of decoded instructions in the same clause. A given clause may be fetched and executed multiple times, e.g., for different SIMD groups, while stored in the caching circuitry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew M. Havlir, Dzung Q. Vu, Liang Kai Wang
  • Patent number: 11023091
    Abstract: An electronic device displays a user interface that includes a plurality of affordances including a first affordance. The first affordance is selectable to perform a respective operation. The first affordance is displayed at a first size. The device receives a user input at a location corresponding to the first affordance. In response to receiving the user input and in accordance with a determination that a text display setting has a first value, the device displays an overlay that includes an enlarged representation of the first affordance. The enlarged representation of the first affordance has a second size that is bigger than the first size. In response to receiving the user input and in accordance with a determination that the text display setting has a second value that is different from the first value, the device forgoes display of the enlarged representation of the first affordance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Elizabeth Caroline Cranfill, Conor Hughes, Lauren Trottier, Clare Kasemset, Christopher B. Fleizach