Patents Assigned to Apple
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Patent number: 10595112Abstract: Seamless earbud structures and methods for making the same are disclosed. Seamless earbud structures can be constructed using an insert molding construction method, which overmolds a cosmetic material over two sub-enclosures that are mated together. The two sub-enclosures form a housing that can encompass a driver assembly (e.g., woofer and tweeter), a conductor bundle, and provide one or more acoustic volumes. The housing has a non-occluding member and a neck member, and has a seamless or nearly seamless construction. The cosmetic material is insert molded around the housing to provide a smooth and seamless surface disposed around the periphery of the housing.Type: GrantFiled: December 1, 2017Date of Patent: March 17, 2020Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventor: Jonathan S. Aase
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Patent number: 10590600Abstract: An item such as a fabric-based item may have a layer of fabric with openings that are illuminated by a light source. The openings may form symbols or other shapes and may serve as labels for keyboard keys or other components. The fabric may be formed from transparent strands of material that are coated with opaque material or may be formed from opaque strands of material in which openings are formed by laser drilling. The openings may be covered with a transparent coating layer such as a translucent polymer coating. Translucent material on the fabric may be patterned to form parts of the labels or other shapes created by the illuminated openings.Type: GrantFiled: January 17, 2017Date of Patent: March 17, 2020Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Paul Xiaopeng Wang, Christopher T. Lebedeff, Joel N. Ruscher, Zheng Gao, Siddhartha Hegde, Zhengyu Li
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Patent number: 10593941Abstract: Mixed-metal oxides and lithiated mixed-metal oxides are disclosed that involve compounds according to, respectively, NixMnyCozMe?O? and Li1+?NixMnyCozMe?O?. In these compounds, Me is selected from B, Na, Mg, Al, Si, K, Ca, Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Fe, Cu, Zn, Ga, Ge, Zr, Nb, Mo, Ru, Ag, In, and combinations thereof; 0?x?1; 0?y?1; 0?z<1; x+y+z>0; 0???0.5; and x+y+?>0. For the mixed-metal oxides, 1???5. For the lithiated mixed-metal oxides, ?0.1???1.0 and 1.9???3. The mixed-metal oxides and the lithiated mixed-metal oxides include particles having an average density greater than or equal to 90% of an ideal crystalline density.Type: GrantFiled: August 7, 2018Date of Patent: March 17, 2020Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Hongli Dai, Huiming Wu, Dapeng Wang
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Patent number: 10592367Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods for efficiently increasing reliability of memory accesses are described. In various embodiments, write data and write mask data are shifted by redundancy logic in a memory. The redundancy logic receives write data bits, which are segmented into one or more write groups in addition to one or more mask bits and one or more shift bits per write group. If the redundancy logic detects a first shift bit assigned to a first write group is asserted, then the redundancy logic selects a second mask bit assigned to a second write group different from the first write group. Otherwise, a first mask bit assigned to the first write group is selected. Following, the redundancy logic combines the selected mask bit with the first data bit of the first write group.Type: GrantFiled: March 28, 2018Date of Patent: March 17, 2020Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Steven Frederick Schicht, William R. Weier
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Patent number: 10594445Abstract: A method and system to improve the link budget of a wireless system using fast Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) protocol. In one embodiment of the invention, the Medium Access Control (MAC) logic in a base station determines whether the quality of the communication link with a mobile station is bad. When the MAC logic in the base station determines that the quality is bad, the base station uses a fast Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) protocol to indicate to the mobile station to send identical information to the base station in each of a plurality of successive or consecutive communication intervals before processing any received identical information from the mobile station. The fast HARQ protocol reduces the latency of receiving the identical information correctly, as compared with the current HARQ protocol.Type: GrantFiled: January 8, 2018Date of Patent: March 17, 2020Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventor: Aran Bergman
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Patent number: 10591351Abstract: An electronic device may have a display with a cover layer. An ambient light sensor may be aligned with an ambient light sensor window formed from an opening in a masking layer on the cover layer in an inactive portion of the display. To help mask the ambient light sensor window from view, the ambient light sensor window may be provided with a black coating that matches the appearance of surrounding masking layer material while allowing light to reach the ambient light sensor. The black coating may be formed from a black physical vapor deposition thin-film inorganic layer with a high index of refraction. An antireflection layer formed from a stack of dielectric layers may be interposed between the black thin-film inorganic layer and the display cover layer.Type: GrantFiled: April 4, 2019Date of Patent: March 17, 2020Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Zhang Jia, Naoto Matsuyuki, Matthew S. Rogers
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Patent number: 10595107Abstract: An electronic device includes a housing having an opening comprising an audio port and a speaker assembly carried by the device housing. The speaker assembly includes a water ejection system having a diaphragm coupled to a magnetic driver and a mesh that covers the audio port where the diaphragm and the mesh together define an acoustic volume. When a water ejection signal is received at the magnetic driver, the magnetic driver is caused to move the diaphragm in a manner that ejects water contained within the acoustic volume out of the acoustic volume and through the mesh.Type: GrantFiled: September 20, 2017Date of Patent: March 17, 2020Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Nikolas T. Vitt, David M. Pelletier, Miodrag Pejin, Christopher Wilk, Mark A. Murphy, Brad G. Boozer
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Patent number: 10593295Abstract: A video quality comparison tool provides for direct visual perceptual comparison of video sequences. Two inputs are presented at the same position and size, with no-look user choice of which to see and easy back-and-forth comparison while the videos are playing, single-stepping, or paused.Type: GrantFiled: March 30, 2015Date of Patent: March 17, 2020Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Krasimir D. Kolarov, Steven E. Saunders
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Patent number: 10592021Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with a display. The display may be a variable frame rate display capable of adaptively adjusting a frame rate at which display frames are displayed in response to information associated with the current state of operation of the device. The information may be gathered using control circuitry in the electronic device. The control circuitry may gather the information for adjusting the frame rate by monitoring the electronic device power supply configuration, other device components, the type of content to be displayed, and user-input signals. The control circuitry may adjust the frame rate based on the gathered information by increasing or decreasing the frame rate. The control circuitry may be formed as a portion of display control circuitry for the device such as a display driver integrated circuit or may be formed as a portion of storage and processing circuitry external to the display.Type: GrantFiled: July 5, 2018Date of Patent: March 17, 2020Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Brijesh Tripathi, Jean-Pierre S. Guillou
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Patent number: 10592460Abstract: Methods and apparatus for virtual channel allocation within an electronic device. In one exemplary embodiment, the device is a consumer electronics device having multiple camera sensors uses a modified high-speed protocol (e.g., DisplayPort Multi-Stream Transport (MST) protocol) to process camera data via one or more virtual channels. Unlike traditional solutions which rely on an intelligent source device to manage a network of devices, the present disclosure describes in one aspect a network of nodes internal to a consumer electronic device that is managed by the sink node (i.e., a “smart sink”). Additionally, since the full suite of protocol (e.g., DisplayPort) capabilities are unnecessary for certain design scenarios, certain further disclosed simplifications improve performance for sink nodes having very modest capabilities.Type: GrantFiled: January 7, 2019Date of Patent: March 17, 2020Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Colin Whitby-Strevens, Sreeraman Anantharaman
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Patent number: 10595073Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure present devices, methods, and computer readable medium for enabling controller device to control proprietary digital media players, network accessories, and virtual assistants, providing an overall improved user experience. The techniques disclosed herein reduce clutter because a single controller can control various different devices and accessories. The techniques discloses also can include identifying a change in the configuration information for the computing device. The technique for accessory control can include transmitting updated configuration information for the controller, the configuration information associating a function for the computing device with a user interface element value for the controller.Type: GrantFiled: September 24, 2018Date of Patent: March 17, 2020Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Zaka Ur Rehman Ashraf, Anush G. Nadathur, Jared S. Grubb, Srinivas Rama
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Patent number: 10591774Abstract: A display may have display layers that form an array of pixels. The display layers may include a first layer that includes a light-blocking matrix and a second layer that overlaps the first layer. The first layer may include quantum dot elements formed in openings in the light-blocking matrix. The light-blocking matrix may be formed from a reflective material such as metal. The second layer may include color filter elements that overlap corresponding quantum dot elements in the first layer. Substrate layers may be used to support the first and second layers and to support thin-film transistor circuitry that is used in controlling light transmission through the array of pixels. The display layers may include a liquid crystal layer, polarizer layers, filter layers for reflecting red and green light and/or other light to enhance light recycling, and layers with angularly dependent transmission characteristics.Type: GrantFiled: August 31, 2017Date of Patent: March 17, 2020Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Jean-Jacques P. Drolet, Yuan Chen, Jonathan S. Steckel, Ion Bita, Dmitry S. Sizov, Chia Hsuan Tai, John T. Leonard, Lai Wang, Ove Lyngnes, Xiaobin Xin, Zhibing Ge
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Patent number: 10594028Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with a phased antenna array for conveying millimeter wave signals. The array may be mounted to a substrate that includes transmission line layers having a first dielectric permittivity and antenna layers having a second dielectric permittivity that is less than the first dielectric permittivity. A ground plane may be interposed between the antenna layers and the transmission line layers. The array may be mounted to the antenna layers and transceiver circuitry may be mounted to the transmission line layers. Transmission line traces may be formed on the transmission line layers. The relatively high permittivity of the first set of dielectric layers may allow the transmission line traces to be routed relatively close together with minimal electromagnetic interference. The relatively low permittivity of the second set of dielectric layers may allow the array to operate with satisfactory antenna efficiency, gain, and bandwidth.Type: GrantFiled: February 13, 2018Date of Patent: March 17, 2020Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Siwen Yong, Yi Jiang, Jiangfeng Wu, Lijun Zhang, Mattia Pascolini
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Patent number: 10593252Abstract: An electronic device may include an electronic display to display an image, based in part on display image data that indicates target luminance of the image using a first bit-depth, and a display pipeline. The display pipeline may include dither processing circuitry to determine a pixel cluster of multiple pixel groups of input image data that indicates target luminance using a second bit-depth greater than the first bit-depth. The dither processing circuitry may also determine a phase combination which associates a different dither phase to each of the pixel groups. The dither processing circuitry may also determine and apply a dither pattern and a dither phase to each pixel group to generate dithered image data corresponding with the display image data with the first bit-depth. The dither pattern may be based in part on the least significant bits of input image data of the pixel groups.Type: GrantFiled: March 12, 2018Date of Patent: March 17, 2020Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventor: Mahesh B. Chappalli
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Patent number: 10591957Abstract: A portable computing device is disclosed. The portable computing device can take many forms such as a laptop computer, a tablet computer, and so on. The portable computing device can include a single piece housing and a display module. The display module can include a protective top glass cover that is bonded to a plastic display frame and surrounded by a seal frame. The display module can also include a display panel and its associated circuitry suspended from the display frame below the protective glass cover. The display module is coupled to the single piece housing using mounting clips in a manner that allows the display module to move relative to the single piece housing during an impact event. The plastic display frame can include inserts that provide structural support near openings in the single piece housing.Type: GrantFiled: July 13, 2016Date of Patent: March 17, 2020Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Stephen R. McClure, Joshua D. Banko, Jonathan Ternus, Matthew B. Morris, Peter M. Thompson, Kevin Gibbs, Timothy G. Van Vorhis, Martin B. Adamcyk, Arthur J. Lucchesi, Brian Scott Carpenter
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Patent number: 10591976Abstract: Methods and apparatus for isolation of sub-system resources (such as clocks, power, and reset) within independent domains. In one embodiment, each sub-system of a system has one or more dedicated power and clock domains that operate independent of other sub-system operation. For example, in an exemplary mobile device with cellular, WLAN and PAN connectivity, each such sub-system is connected to a common memory mapped bus function, yet can operate independently. The disclosed architecture advantageously both satisfies the power consumption limitations of mobile devices, and concurrently provides the benefits of memory mapped connectivity for high bandwidth applications on such mobile devices.Type: GrantFiled: July 11, 2017Date of Patent: March 17, 2020Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Saurabh Garg, Karan Sanghi, Vladislav Petkov, Richard Solotke
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Patent number: 10592679Abstract: Representative embodiments set forth herein disclose techniques for modifying encryption classes of files. According to some embodiments, a technique can include receiving a request to update an encryption configuration of a file from a current encryption class to an updated encryption class. In response, the technique involves obtaining (i) a first class key associated with the current encryption class, and (ii) a second class key associated with the updated encryption class. Next, the technique involves identifying file extents of the file, where each file extent is encrypted by a respective extent key that is encrypted by the first class key. Finally, the technique involves, for each file extent of the file: (i) decrypting the respective extent key using the first class key to produce a decrypted respective extent key, and (ii) encrypting the decrypted respective extent key using the second class key to produce an updated respective extent key.Type: GrantFiled: September 23, 2016Date of Patent: March 17, 2020Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Eric B. Tamura, Kelly B. Yancey
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Patent number: 10593468Abstract: An inductive power transfer assembly comprising a magnetic core having a base portion, a first limb, and a second limb, wherein the first limb and the second limb extend, in a direction, from a surface of the base portion a first power transfer coil and a second power transfer coil, wherein the first power transfer coil is wound about the first limb, and wherein the second power transfer coil is wound about the second limb; and inverter circuitry connected to the first power transfer coil and the second power transfer coil, wherein the inverter circuitry, during operation, causes the first power transfer coil and the second power transfer coil to generate flux having opposing polarity.Type: GrantFiled: September 18, 2018Date of Patent: March 17, 2020Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Liang Chen, Saining Ren
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Patent number: 10590559Abstract: Substrates having laser textured surfaces and methods for forming the same are described. The methods involve using a laser to form three-dimensional features on a surface of the substrate. The laser three-dimensional features can be designed to interact with incident light to create unique visual effects. In some embodiments, the substrate is further treated with a pre-anodizing process and an anodizing process to form a protective metal oxide coating. In some cases, the type of pre-anodizing and anodizing process are chosen based on the geometry of the three-dimensional features and to enhance the visual effects.Type: GrantFiled: August 25, 2015Date of Patent: March 17, 2020Assignee: APPLE INC.Inventors: Max A. Maloney, Michael S. Nashner, Sean R. Novak
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Patent number: 10592041Abstract: An electronic device displays selectable user interface elements, detects a touch input on a first user interface element, and in response to detecting a first portion of the touch input, which reaches a first intensity threshold, changes an appearance of the first selectable user interface element to indicate that the input has been detected. The device then detects a second portion of the touch input, including an increase in intensity of the touch input followed by a decrease in intensity, and in response to detecting the second portion of the touch input: displays or forgoes displaying a representation of content corresponding to the first user interface element, including a plurality of selectable controls for interacting with the content, depending on whether the intensity of the touch input increases above the second intensity threshold during the second portion of the touch input.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2018Date of Patent: March 17, 2020Assignee: APPLE INC.Inventors: Jeffrey Traer Bernstein, Julian Missig, Avi E. Cieplinski, Matthew I. Brown, May-Li Khoe, Nicholas Zambetti, Bianca C. Costanzo, David J. Hart, B. Michael Victor