Patents Assigned to Apple
  • Patent number: 10749568
    Abstract: An electronic device that communicates with a second electronic device using adaptive frequency hopping across different spectral bands is described. An integrated circuit in the electronic device includes processing logic that determines an adaptive spectral map that specifies channels across multiple spectral bands. During communication with a second electronic device that includes a second integrated circuit using a communication protocol (such as Bluetooth or Bluetooth Low Energy), the integrated circuit selects channels in the adaptive spectral map, where selection can be based on a predefined frequency-hopping sequence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Joachim S. Hammerschmidt, Robert G. Lorenz, Tad J. Dreier
  • Patent number: 10750595
    Abstract: LED backlight circuits for a display and methods for operating the circuits are disclosed. The LED backlight circuit includes a set of drivers and a set of LED strings. A driver can control a light output level of the LED strings. The LED strings can be controlled by a mixed-mode LED driver that utilizes a PWM control signal over a first range of light output levels and an analog control signal over a second range of light output levels. Clock signals used for PWM control and for frequency-to-current or frequency-to-voltage conversion for analog control can both be generated from a phase locked loop (PLL).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Erhan Ozalevli, Evaldo M. Miranda, Jr., Mohammad J. Navabi-Shirazi
  • Patent number: 10749577
    Abstract: Embodiments of enabling a secondary cell in a massive MIMO system are generally described herein. An example apparatus of UE may include memory and processing circuitry to configure a MIMO transceiver to establish primary cell transmit and receive channels for communication with an eNodeB, and to receive a secondary cell addition signal that includes a preamble index for a secondary cell. The processing circuitry further configures the MIMO transceiver to receive beam reference signals (BRS), and select one of the BRS from the eNodeB as a secondary cell transmit channel for the secondary cell based on detected BRS receive power. The processing circuitry further configures the MIMO transceiver to provide information for the selected BRS, and provide xPRACH transmissions that include a transmit index to the eNodeB. The processing circuitry further configures the MIMO transceiver to receive selection of one of the xPRACH transmissions as a secondary cell receive channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Yushu Zhang, Wenting Chang, Yuan Zhu, Huaning Niu, Gang Xiong
  • Patent number: 10750394
    Abstract: Techniques for channel state information (CSI) reporting are discussed. One example apparatus at a user equipment can derive, for one or more subframes of a license assisted access (LAA) secondary cell (SCell), one or more channel measurements based on reference signals (e.g., cell-specific reference signals (CRS) or CSI reference signals (CSI-RS)), in those subframes; generate CSI that comprises a channel quality indicator (CQI) based on an average of the one or more channel measurements from multiple subframes comprising a first subframe and a later second subframe, wherein each orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol of a second slot of the first subframe is occupied, wherein each of a first three OFDM symbols of the second subframe are occupied, and wherein each OFDM symbol between the first subframe and the second subframe is occupied; and generate a CSI report that indicates the set of CSI parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Abhijeet Bhorkar, Hwan-Joon Kwon, Jeongho Jeon, Qiaoyang Ye
  • Patent number: 10747332
    Abstract: An interface device includes a movable button connected to a frame structure by resilient structures positioned laterally between the button and the frame structure. Multiple layers or diaphragms of material can be used to make the button, frame, and resilient structures. Movement of the button can trigger a switch or sensor in a manner allowing an electronic device to detect interaction with the button. The interface device can be implemented in an electronic device such as a keyboard that has a low number of parts yet also providing tactile, stabilized key travel, support for various sensor or switch types for the keys, and, in some cases, haptic feedback.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Paul X. Wang, Craig C. Leong, Alex J. Lehmann
  • Patent number: 10750392
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure describe systems, devices, and methods for radio resource control in an aggregation of cellular and wireless local area networks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Alexander Sirotkin, Shadi Iskander, Jerome Parron, Karim E. Morsy
  • Patent number: 10750398
    Abstract: Apparatuses, systems, and methods for a wireless device to perform a method including performing one or more of periodic beam quality measurements and/or event-based beam quality measurements, determining, based at least in part on one or more of the periodic beam quality measurements and/or the event-based beam quality measurements, a recommended beam quality measurement configuration, and transmitting, to a base station serving the UE, the recommended beam quality measurement configuration. In addition, the UE may perform receiving, from the base station, instructions regarding the beam quality measurement configuration. The instructions may include instructions to activate, deactivate, and/or modify at least one beam quality measurement configuration. In addition, the instructions may be based, at least in part, on the recommended beam quality measurement configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Wei Zhang, Tianyan Pu, Yang Li, Haitong Sun, Wei Zeng, Jia Tang, Beibei Wang, Sami M. Almalfouh, Zhu Ji, Johnson O. Sebeni, Yuchul Kim, Dawei Zhang
  • Patent number: 10750483
    Abstract: An apparatus of a user equipment (UE) may include a memory and one or more processors operatively coupled to the memory. The processors may process a scheduling trigger to provide channel state information (CSI) and beam information using extra-large physical uplink shared channel (xPUSCH). The processing device may also generate a reporting message comprising CSI and beam information. The processing device may then encode xPUSCH data to include the reporting message.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Yushu Zhang, Yuan Zhu, Wenting Chang, Sungho Moon, Bishwarup Mondal
  • Patent number: 10748546
    Abstract: Systems and processes for operating an intelligent automated assistant to provide extension of digital assistant services are provided. An example method includes, at an electronic device having one or more processors, receiving, from a first user, a first speech input representing a user request. The method further includes obtaining an identity of the first user; and in accordance with the user identity, providing a representation of the user request to at least one of a second electronic device or a third electronic device. The method further includes receiving, based on a determination of whether the second electronic device or the third electronic device, or both, is to provide the response to the first electronic device, the response to the user request from the second electronic device or the third electronic device. The method further includes providing a representation of the response to the first user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Yoon Kim, Charles Srisuwananukorn, David A. Carson, Thomas R. Gruber, Justin G. Binder
  • Patent number: 10749155
    Abstract: A battery cell compartment is formed with the device enclosure of an electronic device. Bare cell stacks are placed within the cell compartment. The resulting battery powers the electronic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Bookeun Oh, Richard M. Mank
  • Patent number: 10748331
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for displaying a graphical element in a manner that simulates three-dimensional (3D) visibility (including parallax and shadowing). More particularly, a number of images, each captured with a known spatial relationship to a target 3D object, may be used to construct a lighting model of the target object. In one embodiment, for example, polynomial texture maps (PTM) using spherical or hemispherical harmonics may be used to do this. Using PTM techniques a relatively small number of basis images may be identified. When the target object is to be displayed, orientation information may be used to generate a combination of the basis images so as to simulate the 3D presentation of the target object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Ricardo Motta, Lynn R. Youngs, Minwoong Kim
  • Patent number: 10748422
    Abstract: A portable computing device can be used to locate a vehicle in a parking structure. In particular, the portable computing device can communicate with a parking system that manages the parking structure and/or with a vehicle in order to locate the vehicle. Communications between the portable computing device, parking system and vehicle can be based on one or more wireless connections, such as Bluetooth and/or Bluetooth LE connections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Brian J. Tucker, Emily C. Schubert, Jesse L. Dorogusker, Joakim Linde, Stephen Chick
  • Patent number: 10747519
    Abstract: A compiler and library provide the ability to compile a programming language according to a defined language model into a programming language independent, machine independent intermediate representation, for conversion into an executable on a target programmable device. The language model allows writing programs that perform data-parallel graphics and non-graphics tasks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Aaftab A. Munshi, Kenneth C. Dyke, Rahul U. Joshi, Richard W. Schreyer
  • Patent number: 10747539
    Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods for instruction next fetch prediction. A scan-on-fill target predictor in a processor generates a predicted next fetch address for the instruction fetch unit. When a group of instructions is used to fill an instruction cache but is not currently being retrieved from the instruction cache for processing by other pipeline stages, the group of instructions are scanned to identify exit points of basic blocks within the group. An entry of a table in the scan-on-fill target predictor is allocated for an instruction in a basic block in the group when the basic block has an exit point with a target address that can be resolved within a single clock cycle. The scan-on-fill target predictor may perform a lookup of the table with the current fetch address. The prediction may be compared to a main branch predictor at a later pipeline stage for training purposes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: James Robert Howard Hakewill, Constantin Pistol
  • Patent number: 10747274
    Abstract: A portable electronic device, having a single piece housing to carry operational components having a front opening, an integral bottom and sidewalls that cooperate to form a cavity in cooperation with the front opening. The operational components can include a display to present visual content disposed within the front opening and having an outermost protective layer, a main logic board that extends along a central portion of the cavity having a size and shape that bisects the cavity into a first portion and a second portion each having substantially the same size and shape, a power storage system supported at the bottom wall and comprising a first power storage unit located in the first portion and second power storage unit located in the second portion, each being coupled to the main logic board, and self-contained audio components positioned at each corner of the single piece housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Erik A. Uttermann, John Raff, Melody L. Kuna, Jason S. Keats, G. Kyle Lobisser, John R. Kamorowski, Oliver C. Ross, Guangtao Zhang, Santhana Krishnan Balaji, Jiang Ai, Robert Scritzky, Stephen R. McClure
  • Patent number: 10750436
    Abstract: One or more wireless stations operate according to Neighbor Awareness Networking (NAN)—direct communication with neighboring wireless stations, e.g., direct communication between the wireless stations without utilizing an intermediate access point. In a NAN system, NAN devices may operate to establish a datapath and multiple NAN devices may operate with one another in the form of a NAN cluster to facilitate communications processes. Portions of the disclosure relate to systems and methods for one or more wireless device (e.g., NAN devices) to transition into a cluster (e.g., a NAN cluster). In particular, wireless devices, having established a datapath, may be further organized into a data cluster (e.g., a NAN data cluster) within a cluster, which may be usable to facilitate the transitioning of a group of connected wireless devices (e.g., data clusters) between clusters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Maksim Shmukler, Lilach Zukerman, Oren Shani
  • Patent number: D893314
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Alissa Anderson, Jonathan Berk, Margaret Madigan Burke, Jack Wanderman, Kevin Scott Fetterman
  • Patent number: D893491
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jody Akana, Bartley K. Andre, Kristina A. Babiarz, Jeremy Bataillou, Eugene Cheung, Sean Stewart Corbin, Daniel J. Coster, Daniele De Iuliis, M. Evans Hankey, Julian Hoenig, Richard P. Howarth, Jonathan P. Ive, Duncan Robert Kerr, Stephen McClure, Shin Nishibori, John Raff, Matthew Dean Rohrbach, Peter Russell-Clarke, Mikael Silvanto, Christopher J. Stringer, Eugene Antony Whang, Rico Zörkendörfer
  • Patent number: D893512
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Patrick Lee Coffman, Elizabeth Caroline Cranfill, Vitalii Kramar, Marcel Van Os
  • Patent number: D893607
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Jeremy Vanslette