Patents Assigned to Apple
  • Patent number: 10691685
    Abstract: The subject technology provides for converting natural language input to structured queries. The subject technology receives a user input query in a natural language format. The subject technology determines scores for candidate entities derived from the user input query. The subject technology selects an entity with a highest score among the candidate entities, and converts, using a context-free grammar, the user input query to a structured query based at least in part on the selected entity. The subject technology classifies the structured query to an expected answer type, the expected answer type corresponding to a type of an expected answer of the structured query. The subject technology queries a database based on the expected answer type and the structured query, the database including information corresponding to a knowledge graph. The subject technology provides, for display, an answer to the user input query based on a result of querying the database.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Vishal Verma, Gang Xiang, Vishnu Konda, Chetan V. Kale
  • Patent number: 10691321
    Abstract: A value of a display property of an affordance changes based a value of the same display property of the portion of content over which the affordance is displayed. The value of the display property of the affordance is constrained to vary within a second value range smaller than a first value range over which the value of the display property of the content is permitted to vary. A decrease of the value of the display property of the content causes an increase of the value of the display property of the affordance based on the magnitude of the value change for the content and the second value range. An increase of the value of the display property of the content causes a decreases of the value of the display property of the affordance based on a magnitude of the value change for the content and the second value range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Wan Si Wan, Chanaka G. Karunamuni, Marcos Alonso Ruiz, Bartosz Ciechanowski, Benjamin E. Nielsen
  • Patent number: 10690488
    Abstract: An optoelectronic device includes a semiconductor substrate and a monolithic array of light-emitting elements, including first and second sets of the light-emitting elements arranged on the substrate in respective first and second two-dimensional patterns, which are interleaved on the substrate. First and second conductors are respectively connected to separately drive the first and second sets of the light-emitting elements so that the device selectably emits light in either or both of the first and second patterns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Benny Pesach, Zafrir Mor
  • Patent number: 10694562
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to techniques for supporting narrowband device-to-device wireless communication, including possible techniques for performing discovery in an off grid radio system. According to some embodiments, a wireless device may determine a number of synchronization signal repetitions to use for a narrowband device-to-device transmission. The wireless device may perform the transmission, including transmitting the determined number of synchronization signal repetitions. The transmission may include an indication of the number of synchronization signal repetitions used in the transmission.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Li Su
  • Patent number: 10689783
    Abstract: A fabric-based item may include a housing that is covered in fabric. Areas of the fabric may overlap input circuitry such as button switches, touch sensors, force sensors, proximity sensors, and other sensing circuitry and may overlap other components such as light-emitting components and haptic output devices. The fabric-based item may include control circuitry that gathers user input from the input circuitry and wireless communications circuitry that the control circuitry uses to transmit remote control commands and other wireless signals in response information from the input circuitry. The fabric-based item may have a weight that is located in the housing to orient the housing in a desired direction when the housing rests on a surface. A movable weight may tilt the housing in response to proximity sensor signals or other input. Portions of the fabric may overlap light-emitting components and optical fiber configured to emit light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel A. Podhajny, Daniel D. Sunshine, Kathryn P. Crews
  • Patent number: 10691330
    Abstract: An electronic device with a front side including a touch-sensitive display, a back side that does not include a display, and sensor(s) to detect contact intensities on the front and back side displays, on the touch-sensitive display, a user interface including objects. While displaying the user interface, the device detects an input on a side of the electronic device. In response, for a front side input with intensity that meets first criteria, the device performs a first operation corresponding to a first object; for front side input with intensity that meets second criteria, the device performs a second operation corresponding to the first object; for back side input with intensity that meets third criteria, the device performs a third operation that changes the user interface; and for back side input with intensity that does not meet the third criteria, the device maintains display of the user interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Golnaz Abdollahian, Wayne C. Westerman
  • Patent number: 10694284
    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 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher Wilk, Ruchir M. Dave, Scott P. Porter
  • Patent number: 10694603
    Abstract: An LED driver circuit is disclosed. The LED driver circuit includes an amplifier having a first input coupled to receive a reference voltage and a second input coupled to receive a feedback voltage. The circuit further includes first and second transistors each having respective gate terminals coupled to an output of the first amplifier. In a first mode, a first switch alternately couples a source terminal of the first transistor to the second input of the amplifier (when the pulse is asserted) and a source terminal of the second transistor to the second input (when the pulse is de-asserted). A third transistor includes a gate terminal that is coupled to ground, by a second switch, when operating in the first mode. When operating in the second mode, the switch couples the third transistor to the output of the amplifier, while the pulse remains asserted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Cristian Grecu, Bogdan-Eugen Matei, Angelo Bassi, Andrei-Cosmin Gaidam, Alessandro Molari
  • Patent number: 10694465
    Abstract: In some embodiments, a user equipment device (UE) implements improved communication methods which include radio resource time multiplexing, dynamic sub-frame allocation, and UE transmit duty cycle control. In some embodiments, the UE may communicate with base stations using radio frames that include multiple sub-frames, transmit information regarding allocation of a portion of the sub-frames of a respective radio frame for each of a plurality of the radio frames, and transmit and receive data using allocated sub-frames and not using unallocated sub-frames. In some embodiments, the UE may operate according to a sub-frame allocation based on its current power state. The UE may transmit information to the base station and receive the sub-frame allocation based on at least the information. In some embodiments, the UE may switch transmit duty cycles based on an occurrence of a condition at the UE. The UE may inform the network of the switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Li Su, Stephan V. Schell, Jianxiong Shi, Sami M. Almalfouh
  • Patent number: 10694624
    Abstract: Electronic devices may be provided that contain multiple housing portions. The housing portions may be coupled together using hinges. The hinges may include hinges based on a three-bar linkage, hinges based on a four-bar linkage, hinges with slotted members, hinges formed from flexible support structures, and hinges based on flexible housing structures. Flexible displays may be mounted to the housing portions overlapping the hinges. When the housing portions in a device are rotated relative to each other, the flexible display may bend. The hinge may be configured to allow the flexible display to be placed in a front-to-front configuration in which an active side of the display faces itself or a back-to-back configuration. Engagement structures may be used to help the housing grip external objects and to hold the housing portions together. The hinges may be provided with rotational detents to help hold the flexible display in desired positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Fletcher R. Rothkopf, Andrew J. M. Janis, Teodor Dabov
  • Patent number: 10692537
    Abstract: A method to author music. The method includes generating, based on a collection of media clips stored on a device, an audio component for an audio/video (A/V) presentation, determining a plurality of locations within the audio component where a beat, onset, segment boundary, or stinger occurs within the audio component, selecting a particular location in the plurality of locations as a transition location, generating, based the collection of media clips and the transition location within the audio component, a video component for the A/V presentation, and generating the A/V presentation based on the audio component and the video component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Aaron M. Eppolito, Conner Stuart Richardson, Wendy L. DeVore
  • Patent number: 10693545
    Abstract: Post-amble processing of a beam forming packet may utilize different sector rotation speeds at different wireless communication devices. Power measurements may be captured for individual sectors of an antenna array with respect to a complete rotation of antenna sectors at another wireless communication device. The power measurements may be evaluated to identify a sector for directing a millimeter wave beam between the different wireless communication devices. In some embodiments, a second packet may be transmitted back using the identified sector to determine another sector for directing the millimeter wave beam between the different wireless communication devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: Apple inc.
    Inventors: Keangpo R. Ho, Ling Su
  • Patent number: 10694282
    Abstract: An earphone comprising an earphone housing having a wall comprising (1) a front side that joins (2) an end portion in which a primary sound output opening is formed, which joins (3) a face portion in which a secondary output opening is formed, which joins (4) a back side which joins the front side and encloses a driver, wherein the primary output opening is dimensioned to output sound generated by a diaphragm of the driver contained within the earphone housing into the ear and the secondary output opening is dimensioned to vent the ear to a surrounding environment, and wherein the primary output opening and the secondary output opening face different directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Michael B. Howes, Yacine Azmi, Scott P. Porter, Jonathan S. Aase, Andrew P. Bright, Christopher R. Wilk
  • Patent number: 10692191
    Abstract: Embodiments relate to enhancing local contrast in an image. A bilateral high pass filter generates a high frequency value for each pixel of an input image, based on a convolution using photometric kernel coefficients associated with other pixels around the pixel. A noise control circuit generates a modulated high frequency value for the pixel based on a noise model for the image defining a noise threshold value for modifying the high frequency value. The modulated high frequency value for the pixel is then combined with a pixel value of the pixel to generate an enhanced value for the pixel. Enhanced values for pixels of the image may be generated to provide the local contrast enhancement for the input image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Maxim Smirnov
  • Patent number: 10692169
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer readable media to perform out-of-order command scheduling for a graphics processor are described. A graphics driver receives commands committed to a graphics processor for execution. The graphics driver queues a first command to a first graphics driver virtual channel that submits commands to the graphics processor for execution. The first command is associated with a first set of resources. The graphics driver determines whether a second set of resources associated with the second command depends on the first set of resources. The graphics driver queues the second command to the first graphics driver virtual channel based on a determination that the second set of resources depends on the first set of resources. The graphics driver queues the second command to a second virtual channel based on a determination that the second set of resources does not depend on the first set of resources.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jason P. Jane, Michael J. Swift
  • Patent number: 10692177
    Abstract: Embodiments relate to a first demosaicing circuit and a second demosaicing circuit that can perform demosaicing of image data. The first demosaicing circuit processes received image data to generate a first demosaiced image for obtaining statistic information on the received image data. The second demosaicing circuit performs demosaicing of the received image data to generate a second demosaiced image. A processing circuit pipeline performs at least one of resampling, noise processing, color processing and output rescaling performed on the second demosaiced image based on the statistics information obtained from the first demosaiced image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Muge Wang, David R. Pope
  • Patent number: 10691286
    Abstract: Dynamic window and cursor shadows are described. In some implementations, graphical user interface display objects can be configured with elevation offset information to give the display objects a three-dimensional surface that can have pixels of varying height. In some implementations, shadows that are rendered upon display objects configured with pixel elevation offset information can be adjusted to reflect the three-dimensional surface of the objects thereby better approximating real-life shadows. In some implementations, shadows can be dynamically rendered in real-time and adjusted according to the elevations of display objects onto which they are cast.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Nicholas V. King, Duncan Robert Kerr
  • Patent number: 10692668
    Abstract: An accessory device having a first and second body is described. The second body may include a force feedback mechanism that responds to an input received at the first body causing a force feedback. The force feedback mechanism includes coils distributed throughout the second body, with each coil configured to receive an electrical current such that each coil provides an external magnetic field to magnetically couple with one or more magnets disposed in the first body, causing the first body to move in a direction toward the second body. The first body may return to its original position when the external magnetic field is no longer applied. In this regard, the movement of the first body defines the force feedback. Also, the first body may include a keyboard or a touch screen functioning with the force feedback mechanism. The accessory device may be used in conjunction with an electronic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: James A. Stryker
  • Patent number: 10691473
    Abstract: Systems and processes for operating an intelligent automated assistant in a messaging environment are provided. In one example process, a graphical user interface (GUI) having a plurality of previous messages between a user of the electronic device and the digital assistant can be displayed on a display. The plurality of previous messages can be presented in a conversational view. User input can be received and in response to receiving the user input, the user input can be displayed as a first message in the GUI. A contextual state of the electronic device corresponding to the displayed user input can be stored. The process can cause an action to be performed in accordance with a user intent derived from the user input. A response based on the action can be displayed as a second message in the GUI.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Petr Karashchuk, Tomas A. Vega Galvez, Thomas R. Gruber
  • Patent number: D888097
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Gary Butcher, Alan C. Dye, Chance Graham, Jonathan P. Ive, Christopher Wilson