Patents Assigned to Apples Inc.
  • Patent number: 10738787
    Abstract: The described embodiments relate to improving efficiency of a low-profile cooling fan. In one embodiment, an impeller of the cooling fan includes a shroud which covers a central portion of the impeller, thereby allowing a central inlet portion of the blades to have an increased fan blade height when compared to a cooling fan constrained by minimum part tolerances between the fan blades and a portion of the fan housing. In some embodiments, the impeller includes splitter blades that can improve performance of the low-profile cooling fan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jesse T. Dybenko, Anthony Joseph Aiello, Nicholas D. Mancini, Jay S. Nigen, Arash Naghib Lahouti
  • Patent number: 10739599
    Abstract: A Predictive, Foveated Virtual Reality System may capture views of the world around a user using multiple resolutions. The Predictive, Foveated Virtual Reality System may include one or more cameras configured to capture lower resolution image data for a peripheral field of view while capturing higher resolution image data for a narrow field of view corresponding to a user's line of sight. Additionally, the Predictive, Foveated Virtual Reality System may also include one or more sensors or other mechanisms, such as gaze tracking modules or accelerometers, to detect or track motion. A Predictive, Foveated Virtual Reality System may also predict, based on a user's head and eye motion, the user's future line of sight and may capture image data corresponding to a predicted line of sight. When the user subsequently looks in that direction the system may display the previously captured (and augmented) view.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Alexander Shpunt
  • Patent number: 10741588
    Abstract: An electronic device may include a display having an array of display pixels on a substrate. The display pixels may be organic light-emitting diode display pixels or display pixels in a liquid crystal display. In an organic light-emitting diode display, hybrid thin-film transistor structures may be formed that include semiconducting oxide thin-film transistors, silicon thin-film transistors, and capacitor structures. The capacitor structures may overlap the semiconducting oxide thin-film transistors. Organic light-emitting diode display pixels may have combinations of oxide and silicon transistors. In a liquid crystal display, display driver circuitry may include silicon thin-film transistor circuitry and display pixels may be based on oxide thin-film transistors. A single layer or two different layers of gate metal may be used in forming silicon transistor gates and oxide transistor gates. A silicon transistor may have a gate that overlaps a floating gate structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Vasudha Gupta, Jae Won Choi, Shih Chang Chang, Tsung-Ting Tsai, Young Bae Park
  • Patent number: 10739638
    Abstract: An electronic device may have a display with a backlight. The backlight provides backlight illumination for an array of pixels that is displaying images. The backlight may include an array of cells. Each cell may contain a light source with one or more light-emitting diodes and a cavity reflector that reflects light from the light source outwardly through a diffuser for use in forming the backlight illumination. The light sources may be mounted to a printed circuit. Support posts on the printed circuit may be used to maintain the diffuser at a fixed distance from the printed circuit. Sensors on the printed circuit may be used to measure separation distances between the printed circuit and diffuser. Adjustments to pixel gain profiles can be made based on the measured separation distances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Rong Liu, Yu P. Sun, Erik A. Zweigle, Jun Qi, Victor H. Yin, Ziruo Hong, Sungwon Bae
  • Patent number: 10742050
    Abstract: Simplified interfaces for charging and communication between accessories and docking stations. One example may provide an interface for charging and communication between an accessory and docking station where data and a charging voltage are provided over the same pins. An accessory may determine that it is in a powered docking station by receiving a charging voltage. The accessory may determine that it is in an unpowered docking station by providing a voltage to the unpowered docking station, where the unpowered docking station uses the voltage to power an oscillator. The oscillator signal may be received by the accessory, which may use the presence of the signal to determine that it is in an unpowered docking station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Zachary C. Rich, Daniel S. Naito, Kirill Kalinichev, Jahan C. Minoo, James L. McPeak, Jason W. Brinsfield
  • Patent number: 10740383
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for determining at least one valid mood for a collection of media content items of a media library are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Eric Circlaeys, James Alan Queen, Killian Huyghe, Zachary H. Smith
  • Patent number: 10739882
    Abstract: An electronic device may include a display. The display may be formed by an array of light-emitting diodes mounted to the surface of a substrate. The substrate may be a silicon substrate. Circuitry may be located in spaces between the light-emitting diodes. Circuitry may also be located on the rear surface of the silicon substrate and may be coupled to the array of light-emitting diodes using through-silicon vias. The circuitry may include integrated circuits and other components that are attached to the substrate and may include transistors and other circuitry formed within the silicon substrate. Touch sensor electrodes, light sensors, and other components may be located in the spaces between the light-emitting diodes. The substrate may be formed from a transparent material that allows image light to reach a lens and image sensor mounted below the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Wei Chen, Steven P. Hotelling, John Z. Zhong, William C. Athas, Wei H. Yao
  • Patent number: 10743147
    Abstract: A network controller, a user equipment (UE) device, and associated methods for conducting intelligent enhanced multimedia broadcast multicast services (eMBMS). A network controller receives user preference information and location information from a plurality of UEs. The network controller selects one or more data packages to transmit using eMBMS in one or more broadcast regions based on the user preference information and the location information. The one or more data packages may comprise an updated machine learning model in a distributed learning application. The network controller provides an indication to a remote device to broadcast the one or more data packages in the respective one or more broadcast regions using eMBMS.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Farouk Belghoul, Christian W. Mucke, Rafael L. Rivera-Barreto, Ayman F. Naguib, Rohan C. Malthankar, Ben-Heng Juang, Kushal M. Chawda, Sumit Saxena
  • Patent number: 10739971
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to techniques accessing and displaying information pertaining to past times and future times. In some embodiments, a device displays a first current-time indicator and a user interface object configured to display information corresponding to a first information source and to the current time. In some embodiments, in response to and in accordance with detecting a rotation of a rotatable input mechanism, the device displays a non-current-time indicator indicating a non-current time, and updates the first user interface object to display information corresponding to the first information source and the non-current time. In some embodiments, the device continues to display an indication of the current time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Lance Wilson, Aurelio Guzman, Paul W. Salzman, Kevin Will Chen, Lee S. Broughton, Christopher Wilson
  • Patent number: 10743288
    Abstract: Embodiments use the principles of self-organizing networks to allocate resources to allow spectrum owners to share spectrum with wireless carriers according to defined license conditions. A spectrum licensee holds the licensing conditions of the spectrum licensed by the spectrum owners. This licensed spectrum is referred to as secondary spectrum. A self-organizing network server requests access to secondary spectrum. The spectrum licensee grants access to the secondary spectrum along with the licensing conditions for access. The self-organizing network server monitors the conditions associated with the license and/or delegates the responsibility for monitoring conditions associated with the license to others. When the license conditions are met, enhanced Node B systems may begin using the secondary spectrum according to the license conditions. When the license conditions are no longer met, enhanced Node B systems discontinue use of the secondary spectrum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Joey Chou, Muthaiah Venkatachalam
  • Patent number: 10739292
    Abstract: A system such as a vehicle may have windows with one or more conductive layers. The conductive layers may form part of an infrared-light-blocking layer or other layer. The infrared-light-blocking layer or other layer may be formed as a coating on a transparent structural window layer such as an outer or inner glass layer in a laminated window or may be embedded in a polymer layer between the outer and inner layers. Segmented terminals and elongated terminals that may extend past two or more segmented terminals may be coupled to the edges of the conductive layers. Using these terminals, control circuitry can apply localized ohmic heating currents and can make resistance measurements on the conductive layers to detect cracks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Martin Melcher, Christopher D. Jones, James R. Wilson
  • Patent number: 10739911
    Abstract: A method of emulating an input device. The method receives a set of data associated with a touch input. The set of data includes a set of coordinates of each data point, the force applied at each data point, and the time the data for each data point is received. The method adds several data points to the first set of data points to create a second set of data points. For each data point in the second set of data points, the method calculates a set of parameters based on the set of data associated with the data point. The method provides a subset of the calculated parameters and the data associated with a subset of the second set of data to an application to emulate the input device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Brandon M. Tennant, Conrad R. Carlen, Bradley W. Griffin, William J. Thimbleby, Patrick O. Heynen, Ryan S. Dixon
  • Patent number: 10739855
    Abstract: An input device can be integrated within an electronic device and/or operably connected to an electronic device through a wired or wireless connection. The input device can include one or more force sensors positioned below a cover element of the input device or an input surface of the electronic device. The input device can include other components and/or functionality, such as a biometric sensor and/or a switch element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Sora Kim, Martin P. Grunthaner, Rui Jin, Michael B. Wittenberg, Michael K. McCord, Henric Larsson, Giovanni Gozzini, Lucy Browning, Scott A. Myers
  • Patent number: 10741344
    Abstract: An input mechanism is disclosed. The input mechanism includes a dome support structure defining an opening that extends through the dome support structure, a collapsible dome positioned in the opening and engaged with the dome support structure, and a cover member coupled to the dome support structure and covering the collapsible dome, thereby retaining the collapsible dome within the opening of the dome support structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Eric A. Knopf, Matthew P. Casebolt, Craig C. Leong, Robert Y. Cao, Bradford J. Zercoe, Dinesh C. Mathew, Zheng Gao, Ryan P. Brooks, Paul X. Wang, Bruce E. Berg
  • Patent number: 10742278
    Abstract: An orthogonalization matrix calculation circuit may include a scaling coefficient calculation circuit configured to calculate a scaling coefficient for each of a plurality of candidate update operations for the orthogonalization matrix, wherein each of the plurality of candidate update operations comprises combining linearly at least one of a first column or a second column of the orthogonalization matrix previously utilized to update the orthogonalization matrix, an update operation selection circuit configured to select an optimum candidate update operation from the plurality of candidate update operations, and a matrix update circuit configured to update the orthogonalization matrix according to the scaling coefficient of the optimum candidate update operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Farhana Sheikh, Alexios Konstantinos Balatsoukas Stimming
  • Patent number: 10743178
    Abstract: Reduced resolution location determination for improved anonymity of a user location is disclosed. In some implementations, a first location of a computing device operating in a geographic area is determined. A population density of the geographic area is estimated. A grid overlay is generated, including a number of cells based on the estimated population density. Using the grid overlay, a second location is generated for the computing device that is less precise than the first location. The less precise second location can be used in a local search or other application to improve the anonymity of the user location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Ronald K. Huang, Lukas M. Marti, Stephen J. Rhee, Robert Mayor, Tadaaki Shimada
  • Patent number: 10739924
    Abstract: A touch-sensitive textile device that is configured to detect the occurrence of a touch, the location of a touch, and/or the force of a touch on the touch-sensitive textile device. In some embodiments, the touch-sensitive textile device includes a first set of conductive threads oriented along a first direction, and a second set of conductive threads interwoven with the first set of conductive threads and oriented along a second direction. The device may also include a sensing circuit that is operatively coupled to the first and second set of conductive threads. The sensing circuit may be configured to apply a drive signal to the first and second set of conductive threads. The sensing circuit may also be configured to detect a touch or near touch based on a variation in an electrical measurement using the first or second set of conductive threads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel A. Podhajny, Kathryn P. Crews, Daniel D. Sunshine
  • Patent number: 10742457
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure describe apparatuses, systems, and methods for initialization of pseudo noise (PN) sequences for reference signals and data scrambling. Some embodiments may be to initialize the first M-sequence of the PN sequence with a fixed value; and initialize the second M-sequence of the PN sequence with a compressed value. Some embodiments may be to initialize the first M-sequence of the PN sequence with a fixed value; initialize the second M-sequence of the PN sequence with a part of the initialization parameters; and shift the PN sequence by another part of the initialization parameters. Some embodiments may be to initialize the first M-sequence of the PN sequence with a part of the initialization parameters; and initialize the second M-sequence of the PN sequence with another part of the initialization parameters. The embodiments may lead to a more efficient hardware design.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Yongjun Kwak, Avik Sengupta, Dae Won Lee, Alexei Davydov, Seunghee Han, Gregory Morozov, Sameer Pawar
  • Patent number: D892821
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Sebastian Johannes Bauer, Samuel Howard Bebbington, Gary Butcher, Joseph Chan, Alan C. Dye, Aurelio Guzmán, Jonathan P. Ive, Behkish Johnnie Manzari, Pedro Mari, Henrique Penha, Aled Williams, Christopher Wilson
  • Patent number: D892823
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Gary Butcher, Alan C. Dye, Chance Graham