Apple Patents

Apple Inc. designs, manufactures and markets smartphones, tablets and personal computers, including the iPhone, iPad, Mac. It also produces the iPod, Apple Watch and Apple TV, as well as the operating systems and applications that support these devices. The company also sells digital content and applications through its iTunes Store, App Store, Mac App Store, iBooks Store and Apple Music.

Apple Patents by Type
  • Apple Patents Granted: Apple patents that have been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
  • Apple Patent Applications: Apple patent applications that are pending before the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
  • Patent number: 12223540
    Abstract: Improved techniques and systems for delivery and acquisition of digital assets are disclosed. The techniques and systems are especially suitable and useful for delivering digital assets (e.g., media assets) that are available for acquisition and electronic delivery from online stores to electronic devices. In accordance with one aspect, when a digital asset is acquired from an online store via an electronic device associated with a user, the digital asset can be arranged for delivery to a number of other of electronic devices also associated with the user. It will be appreciated that the digital asset can be delivered and acquired without requiring explicit user input or instruction in accordance with another aspect. Other aspects of the techniques and systems include customization of configuration and user interfaces that are provided to facilitate acquisition of digital assets in a more efficient manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2024
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher B. Chang, Sean B. Kelly, Olagappan Manickam, Thomas Alsina, Payam Mirrashidi, Michael Kuohao Chu, Kevin R. Lafferty
  • Patent number: 12223110
    Abstract: A software defined button includes a force sensor and a haptic output element. The button further includes an immutable logic core and a mutable logic core. The mutable logic core is configured to define one or more thresholds against which input received from the force sensor can be compared to determine whether a user input has been provided. The immutable logic core is configured to verify actual force input has been received when the mutable logic core signals that user input has been received. In response to receiving a verified force input, the haptic output element can be caused to be driven by one of the mutable or immutable logic cores to provide a haptic output to a user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Denis G. Chen, Matthew T. Metzler, Eric M. Innis, Darya Amin-Shahidi, Shingo Yoneoka, Chi Kin Ho, Adriane S. Niehaus, Matthew N. Weege, Michael S. Weinstein, Tristan R. Hudson, Parin Patel, Jonathan A. Gordon
  • Patent number: 12223117
    Abstract: In some implementations, a method includes: obtaining uncorrected hand tracking data; obtaining a depth map associated with a physical environment; identifying a position of a portion of the finger within the physical environment based on the depth map and the uncorrected hand tracking data; performing spatial depth smoothing on a region of the depth map adjacent to the position of the portion of the finger; and generating corrected hand tracking data by performing point of view (POV) correction on the uncorrected hand tracking data based on the spatially depth smoothed region of the depth map adjacent to the portion of the finger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Emmanuel Piuze-Phaneuf, Ali Ercan, Julian K. Shutzberg, Paul A. Lacey
  • Patent number: 12223495
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for transmitting, as part of a polling loop, a value added services (VAS) command that includes capability data corresponding to a payment terminal. For example, the payment terminal can transmit a VAS command that advertises the payment terminal's capabilities as part of a polling loop. The payment terminal can listen for a response to the VAS command and, after receiving a response, the payment terminal may initiate a VAS protocol. The VAS command can also specify a mode in which the payment terminal is operating, such as a payment-only mode, a VAS mode, a payment-plus-VAS mode, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Ahmer Ali Khan, Brian J. Tucker, Ho Cheung Chung, Joakim Linde, Zachary A. Rosen, Gordon Y. Scott
  • Patent number: 12223938
    Abstract: An acoustic device comprising: an enclosure defining an acoustic port and an acoustic pathway between the acoustic port and a transducer coupled to the enclosure; and an array of attenuators acoustically coupled to the acoustic pathway to absorb ultrasonic acoustic waves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Peter C. Hrudey, Gokhan Hatipoglu, Anthony D. Minervini
  • Patent number: 12222875
    Abstract: A cache memory supports a plurality of insertion/promotion vectors (IPVs) and a replacement control circuit configured to update replacement data for the cache memory based on the plurality of IPVs. In one embodiment, the IPV is selected for a given request based a criticality status of a cache line accessed by the given request. For example, cache lines deemed important or critical for performance reasons may be replaced less frequently via a first IPV, while non-critical cache lines are replaced more frequently via a second IPV.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Tyler J. Huberty, Henry A. Pellerin, Daniel A. Jimenez
  • Patent number: 12222794
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for managing near field communications during a low power express mode of an electronic device are provided that may make credentials of a near field communication (“NFC”) component appropriately secure and appropriately accessible while also limiting the power consumption of the NFC component and of other components of the electronic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Yong Wang, Gordon Y. Scott, Andrew C. Chang, Scott A. Williams
  • Patent number: 12223612
    Abstract: An avatar editing environment is disclosed that allows users to create custom avatars for use in online games and other applications. Starting with a blank face the user can add, rescale and position different elements (e.g., eyes, nose, mouth) on the blank face. The user can also change the shape of the avatar's face, the avatar's skin color and the color of all the elements. In some implementations, touch input and gestures can be used to manually edit the avatar. Various controls can be used to create the avatar, such as controls for resizing, rotating, positioning, etc. The user can choose between manual and automatic avatar creation. The avatar editing environment can be part of a framework that is available to applications. One or more elements of the avatar can be animated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2024
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Marcel Van Os, Thomas Goossens, Laurent Baumann, Michael Dale Lampell, Alexandre Carlhian
  • Patent number: 12223669
    Abstract: Various implementations disclosed herein include devices, systems, and methods that determine a wrist measurement or watch band size using depth data captured by a depth sensor from one or more rotational orientations of the wrist. In some implementations, depth data captured by a depth sensor including at least two depth map images of a wrist from different angles is obtained. In some implementations, an output is generated based on inputting the depth data into a machine learning model, the output corresponding to circumference of the wrist or a watch band size of the wrist. Then, a watch band size recommendation is provided based on the output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Aditya Sankar, Qi Shan, Shreyas V. Joshi, David Guera Cobo, Fareeha Irfan, Bryan M. Perfetti
  • Patent number: 12225751
    Abstract: Pixels in an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display may be microcavity OLED pixels having optical cavities. The optical cavities may be defined by a partially transparent cathode layer and a reflective anode structure. The anode of the pixels may include both the reflective anode structure and a supplemental anode that is transparent and that is used to tune the thickness of the optical cavity for each pixel. Organic light-emitting diode layers may be formed over the pixels and may have a uniform thickness in each pixel in the display. Pixels may have a conductive spacer between a transparent anode portion and a reflective anode portion, without an intervening dielectric layer. The conductive spacer may be formed from a material such as titanium nitride that is compatible with both anode portions. The transparent anode portions may have varying thicknesses to control the thickness of the optical cavities of the pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Gloria Wong, Jaein Choi, Sunggu Kang, Hairong Tang, Xiaodan Zhu, Wendi Chang, Kanuo C. Kustra, Rui Liu, Cheng Chen, Teruo Sasagawa, Wookyung Bae, Yusuke Fujino, Michael Slootsky
  • Patent number: 12223943
    Abstract: Various implementations disclosed herein include devices, systems, and methods for synthesizing virtual speech. In various implementations, a device includes a display, an audio sensor, a non-transitory memory and one or more processors coupled with the non-transitory memory. A computer-generated reality (CGR) representation of a fictional character is displayed in a CGR environment on the display. A speech input is received from a first person via the audio sensor. The speech input is modified based on one or more language characteristic values associated with the fictional character in order to generate CGR speech. The CGR speech is outputted in the CGR environment via the CGR representation of the fictional character.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventor: Ian M. Richter
  • Patent number: 12224484
    Abstract: Two shot knuckles include a first shot component and a second shot component. Both shot components are composed of different dielectric materials, where the first shot is composed of a relatively high strength structural material and the second is composed of a cosmetic material. The first shot component can physically couple two conductive sections together by interfacing with a coupling structure of that section. The first shot component includes second shot retaining regions and a cosmetic region. The second shot component occupies the cosmetic region and anchors itself to the first shot component using the second shot retaining regions. The second shot may be the only part of the two-shot knuckle visible to a user of an electronic device and can exhibit any desired color.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventor: Daniel William Jarvis
  • Patent number: 12225443
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods for provisioning live media services. For example, a method may include receiving, at a user equipment (UE), configuration data for the UE. The configuration data may be based on one or more parameters from among a plurality of different types of parameters and generated in response to a UE configuration update being initiated. The method may also include executing, at the UE, the configuration data to enable the UE to provision a live media production service.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Ching-Yu Liao
  • Patent number: 12225495
    Abstract: User equipment (UE), an enhanced NodeB (eNB) and method of improving positioning accuracy and enabling vertical domain positioning of the UE are generally described. The UE may receive a prsInfo control signal having at least one PRS configuration and subsequently a plurality of Reference Signals (RSs). The RSs may have a first Positioning Reference Signal (PRS) pattern in a first set of PRS subframes and a second PRS pattern in a second set of PRS subframes received prior to a subsequent first set of PRS subframes. The RSs may have a vertical positioning RS and a lateral positioning RS. The UE may measure PRS resource elements (REs), each having a PRS, in the first and second PRS pattern. The UE may transmit a measurement of the PRS in the first and second PRS pattern. The patterns may enable horizontal and vertical positioning to be determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Seunghee Han, Shafi Bashar, Yuan Zhu, Yang Tang
  • Patent number: 12224920
    Abstract: A method for managing a QoE for a UE in a communications network is provided. The method includes determining, based at least on data received in a communications session, one or more parameters affecting the QoE. The method includes determining weights corresponding to the one or more parameters. The method includes computing an expected QoE for the UE based on the determined weights corresponding to the one or more parameters. The method includes determining that the expected QoE satisfies a threshold. The method includes transmitting, to one or more network nodes in the communications network, the determined weights corresponding to the one or more parameters. The method also includes adjusting the communications session at the UE.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Sarma V. Vangala, Seyedamirhossein Hosseini, Sreevalsan Vallath, Tarik Tabet
  • Patent number: 12224816
    Abstract: Apparatus, systems, and methods to implement enhanced sounding reference signaling for uplink (UL) beam tracking in communication systems are described. In one example, an apparatus of an evolved Node B (eNB) comprising processing circuit to broadcast system information about one or more sets of uplink transmit time intervals and bandwidths available for a sounding reference signal (SRS) transmission from a first user equipment (UE), configure one or more UE-specific SRS processes for the first UE for uplink beam tracking, and configure one or more millimeter wave access points (mmW APs) to transmit a mmW signal to the first UE and receive a mmW signal from the first UE. Other examples are also disclosed and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Honglei Miao, Hyejung Jung, Michael Faerber
  • Patent number: 12224828
    Abstract: Some embodiments of this disclosure include apparatuses and methods for reporting channel state information (CSI) for multiple spatial layers. The apparatuses and methods can include at least: determining, by a user equipment (UE), a precoding matrix indicator (PMI) for a set of precoding matrixes, wherein the PMI is determined based on a combination of digital Fourier transformation (DFT) spatial domain (SD) vectors, or based on DFT-based frequency domain (FD) compression; and transmitting, by the UE, the PMI to a next-generation NodeB (gNB).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Victor Sergeev, Alexei Davydov, Bishwarup Mondal, Dmitry Dikarev
  • Patent number: 12224843
    Abstract: Some aspects relate to apparatuses and methods for selecting a receiving beam based on hybrid channel based beamforming and codebook based beamforming. A user equipment (UE) can determine, based on a first measurement related to signal to noise ratio (SNR) and predetermined threshold values, whether the UE is in a low SNR state. If the UE is in a low SRN state, the UE can derive an estimated channel covariance matrix RCH for channels at a set of antenna elements of the UE based on channel based bearmforming (CHBF). Afterwards, a set of test bears {0, . . . Ntest?1} is selected based on the channel covariance matrix RCH, and a set of codebook measurement beams is further selected based on the set of test beams. A receiving beam is selected based on a set of measurements performed on the set of codebook measurement beams at the measurement opportunity for codebook based beamforming (CBBF).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Franz J. Eder, Adrian Carlos Loch Navarro, Andre Janssen, Holger Neuhaus, Kenan Kocagoez
  • Patent number: 12222512
    Abstract: A head-mounted device may determine contextual information by analyzing sensor data. The head-mounted device may use computer vision analysis to determine contextual information from images of the physical environment around the head-mounted device. Instead or in addition, the head-mounted device may determine contextual information by receiving state information directly from external equipment within the physical environment. Based on the received state information, the head-mounted device may display content, play audio, change a device setting on the head-mounted device, the external equipment, and/or additional external equipment, and/or may open an application. The head-mounted device may receive the state information in accordance with identifying the external equipment in images of the physical environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Gregory Lutter
  • Patent number: 12225521
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and circuitries are provided for configuring HARQ feedback for semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) communication. In one example, a method includes identifying a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) resource in a first slot for communicating a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) codebook. The method includes determining a set of SPS PDSCH receptions for which feedback is multiplexed in the HARQ codebook based on SPS PDSCH configurations for each component carrier and each slot, a UE capability for number of SPS PDSCH receptions per slot, and a prioritization protocol. The method includes selecting a codebook type based on whether a PDSCH is scheduled by way of a dynamic grant for any of the plurality of slots, constructing the HARQ codebook based on the set of SPS PDSCH receptions and the selected codebook type, and transmitting the HARQ codebook to a next generation node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Yushu Zhang, Weidong Yang, Jie Cui, Haitong Sun, Chunhai Yao, Hong He, Chunxuan Ye, Wei Zeng, Dawei Zhang, Oghenekome Oteri, Yang Tang, Sigen Ye
  • Patent number: 12225146
    Abstract: A portable electronic device may include a touch-sensitive display, a housing at least partially enclosing the touch-sensitive display, the housing defining an audio port along a side of the housing, the audio port defining a partially enclosed volume, and an acoustic module positioned within the housing and including an audio enclosure defining a first passage and a second passage, a microphone operably coupled to the partially enclosed volume of the audio port by the first passage, a pressure sensor operably coupled to the partially enclosed volume of the audio port by the second passage, and an acoustic mesh positioned between an end of the second passage and the audio port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Jason M. Gillier, Jiachen Xu, Yi Xu, Griffin L. Schmitt, Nicholas Merz, Daniel Jarvis, Marwan Rammah
  • Patent number: 12224829
    Abstract: Configuring channel state information (CSI) reporting at a user equipment (UE) in a high speed train scenario may include, in response to being within range of a first transmission and reception point (TRP) of a plurality of TRPs associated with an HST, decoding a CSI reporting configuration communication received from a network. The CSI reporting configuration indicating that CSI reporting is to be performed in an HST scenario and being configured for the HST scenario. Measurements based on the decoded CSI reporting configuration received from the network may be performed. A CSI report communication associated with the HST scenario based on the measurements may be encoded for transmission to the network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Haitong Sun, Chunxuan Ye, Dawei Zhang, Hong He, Oghenekome Oteri, Wei Zeng, Weidong Yang, Yushu Zhang
  • Patent number: 12224830
    Abstract: Embodiments include a computer readable storage medium, a user equipment, a method and an integrated circuit that perform operations. The operations include receiving a downlink channel information (DCI) format 2_0 from a g-NodeB (gNB) connected to the 5G NR network, wherein the DCI format 2_0 includes channel occupancy time (COT) duration and a gap threshold value, determining if a nonzero power channel state information reference signal (NZP-CSI-RS) resource is valid, wherein the NZP-CSI-RS resource is valid if the NZP-CSI-RS resource is within the COT duration and if a gap between a last symbol of the DCI format 2_0 and a first symbol of the NZP-CSI-RS resource is greater than the gap threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Hong He, Chunhai Yao, Dawei Zhang, Haitong Sun, Jie Cui, Wei Zeng, Yang Tang, Yushu Zhang
  • Patent number: 12224861
    Abstract: Embodiments are presented herein of apparatuses, systems, and methods for a user equipment device (UE) to perform PUCCH repetition based on signaling from at least one base station. The UE may connect to at least one base station. The UE may receive signaling from the at least one base station configuring physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) transmission. The signaling may indicate a plurality of PUCCH resources for PUCCH repetition. The signaling may indicate a plurality of beams for PUCCH repetition. Based on the signaling from the at least one base station, the UE may transmit the PUCCH a plurality of times using the plurality of PUCCH resources and the plurality of beams.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Yushu Zhang, Wei Zeng, Dawei Zhang, Haitong Sun, Weidong Yang, Sigen Ye, Jie Cui, Yang Tang
  • Patent number: 12224811
    Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, methods, and computer-readable media are provided for framework of layer 1 signal-to-interference plus noise ratio (L1-SINR) measurement and reporting based on channel measurement and interference measurement. The channel measurement is performed on a first set of reference signal (RS) resources, and the interference measurement is performed on a second set of RS resources. Each of the second set of RS resources is mapped to each of the first set of RS resources. The L1-SINR is determined from a first RS resource of the first set of RS resources and a second RS resource of the send set of RS resources, where the first RS resource is mapped to the second RS resource. A message including the L1-SINR is generated and transmitted to the access node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Yushu Zhang, Yingzhu Zhao, Guotong Wang, Victor Sergeev, Alexei Davydov
  • Patent number: 12225401
    Abstract: Systems and methods provide user equipment (UE) coordinated channel state information (CSI) measurement and reporting. One or both of a first UE and a second UE may perform CSI measurement, but only the first UE sends a CSI report to a base station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Yushu Zhang, Chunhai Yao, Chunxuan Ye, Dawei Zhang, Haitong Sun, Hong He, Huaning Niu, Wei Zeng, Weidong Yang
  • Patent number: 12225393
    Abstract: Some embodiments of this disclosure include systems, apparatuses, methods, and computer-readable media for use in a wireless network for radio link monitoring for high speed user equipment (UE). For example, some embodiments are directed to the UE including radio front end circuitry and processor circuitry coupled to the radio front end circuitry. The processor circuitry can be configured to monitor a downlink associated with a cell using a reference signal and estimate a downlink radio link quality associated with the downlink. The processor circuitry can further be configured to compare the estimated downlink radio link quality with a threshold. The processor circuitry can further be configured to trigger an out-of-sync operation in response to the downlink radio link quality being worse than the threshold. The threshold can include a value less than 10%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Yuhan Zhou, Qiming Li, Shuang Tian, Jie Cui, Rui Huang, Yang Tang
  • Patent number: 12223928
    Abstract: Privacy control can be provided for displays that output content for users within an enclosed space. Display systems can include sensors that detect an external illuminance of an external environment outside the enclosed space. Based on the external illuminance and the brightness output by the display, the display system can control one or more of a variety of operating parameters to enhance privacy for the user within the enclosed space. For example, the display can be controlled with a reduced brightness when the external illuminance is low. By further example, windows separating the enclosed space from the external environment can be provided with an ability to adjust a transmissivity thereof and thereby reduce transmission of light from the display to the external environment. By further example, the display can be operated to change or omit certain content that has a relatively high privacy threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Olivier C. Barthomeuf, Christopher B. Lyons, Joshua A. Spechler
  • Patent number: 12222210
    Abstract: A method includes determining a routing graph based on a map, wherein the routing graph represents locations from the map; determining a routing horizon based on the routing graph, wherein the routing horizon defines a portion of the routing graph that is usable for routing; determining a cost-action structure that includes, for each location of the routing horizon, a cost-to-go value for travel from a respective location from the routing horizon to a destination, wherein the cost-to-go values implicitly describe an optimal route for travel from each of the respective locations from the routing horizon to the destination; receiving, from an autonomous agent, a request that specifies one of the locations from the routing horizon; and providing, to the autonomous agent, information from the cost-action structure based on the specified location from the routing horizon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Srichand Pendyala, Marlene Wan, Craig M. Hiller, Lukas M. Marti, Josh Redding
  • Patent number: 12222514
    Abstract: A wearable electronic device includes a head-mounted display (HMD) and a retention band connected to the HMD. The retention band can include a display assembly positioned within the retention band for displaying visual information on an exterior of the retention band.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Ivan S. Maric, Paul X. Wang
  • Patent number: 12222491
    Abstract: An optical device includes first and second planar substrates having respective first and second faces and including first and second diffractive structure disposed respectively on the first and second faces. First and second planar electrodes are disposed respectively on the first and second faces. A mount holds the second planar substrate parallel to the first planar substrate, with the second face adjacent to the first face and with the first and second planar electrodes in mutual proximity, while permitting the second planar substrate to move transversely relative to the first planar substrate. A control circuit is coupled to apply an electrical potential between the first and second planar electrodes with a voltage sufficient to shift the second diffractive structure transversely relative to the first diffractive structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Sebastien Bolis, Arnaud Pouydebasque
  • Patent number: 12222506
    Abstract: In one implementation, a method of controlling a dimming level of dimmable optical element based on a predicted ambient light level is performed at a device including one or more processors, non-transitory memory, and a dimmable optical element. The method includes predicting a change, in a first direction, in an ambient light level at a future time. The method includes changing, at a first time in advance of the future time and in the first direction, a transmission coefficient of the dimmable optical element based on the predicted change in the ambient light level. The method includes changing, at a second time after the first time and in a second direction opposite the first direction, the transmission coefficient of the dimmable optical element based on the ambient light level at the second time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventor: Anselm Grundhoefer
  • Patent number: 12223228
    Abstract: A method includes receiving data indicating a current media playback state of an external media playback device. The method includes, in response to receiving the data and in accordance with a determination that a set of external media playback device control criteria are met, displaying, via the display generation component, a user interface for controlling media playback at the external media playback device that includes one or more selectable user interface objects based on whether the data indicates that the external media playback device is currently performing a media playback operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Taylor G. Carrigan, Patrick L Coffman, Christopher P. Foss
  • Patent number: 12223606
    Abstract: Various implementations disclosed herein include devices, systems, and methods for modifying a visual property of an object based on a geographic location associated with a device. In some implementations, a method includes obtaining a request to display an object that is associated with a set of one or more visual properties including a visual property that is dependent on a theme. Based on a particular theme, a set of one or more physical elements is identified that corresponds to the object. The one or more physical elements are associated with respective values for the visual property. A value for the visual property associated with the object is determined based on the respective values associated with the set of one or more physical elements. The object is displayed in accordance with the value for the visual property.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Scott Rick Jones, Ronald Vernon Ong Siy, Christopher Harlan Paul
  • Patent number: 12223282
    Abstract: Systems and processes for operating an intelligent automated assistant are provided. In one example process, discourse input representing a user request is received. The process determines whether the discourse input relates to a device of an established location. In response to determining that the discourse input relates to a device of an established location, a data structure representing a set of devices of the established location is retrieved. The process determines, using the data structure, a user intent corresponding to the discourse input, the user intent associated with an action to be performed by a device of the set of devices, and a criterion to be satisfied prior to performing the action. The action and the device are stored in association with the criterion, where, in accordance with a determination that the criterion is satisfied, the action is performed by the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Garett R. Nell, Roshni Malani, Sean P. Brown, Benjamin L Brumbaugh
  • Patent number: 12224051
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to computer user interfaces, and more specifically to techniques for presenting activity trends and managing workouts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Eamon F. Gilravi, Julie A. Arney
  • Patent number: 12225253
    Abstract: Systems and methods for a media content delivery service. A media content provider includes a data store for storing and serving media content to subscribers. The media content provider continually records and or otherwise stores video and audio content from around the world. Stored content will generally correspond to a large number of other media content providers, such as cable television operators, Internet based media content providers, television networks, and so on. Subscribers to the media provider interact with the media content provider via hardware and/or software mechanisms either provided by the media content provider or conforming to specifications of the media content provider. Based on these subscriber's subscriptions to the other content providers, the subscribers will have viewing, listening, or application execution privileges for content maintained in the data store. Content of a subscriber corresponding to multiple video content providers is maintained and served by a single provider.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Gregory N. Christie, Alessandro Sabatelli, William M. Bachman, Imran Chaudhri, Jeffrey Robbin, Jim Young, Joe Howard, Marcel Van Os, Patrick L Coffman, Stephen O. Lemay, Jeffrey Ma, Lynne Kress
  • Patent number: 12222024
    Abstract: A ball screw spline actuator includes a shaft, a ball nut, and a ball spline. The shaft includes a helical groove and a spline groove intersecting the helical groove forming intersections having a least one ridge including a first surface finish formed by a first manufacturing operation. The ridge is subsequently reformed through a second manufacturing operation to include a second surface finish to reduce stress concentrations in the ridge from cyclical loading from at least one of the ball nut or the ball spline. In one example, the second manufacturing operation reforms the ridge to include a surface finished edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2024
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Sina Mobasher Moghaddam, Troy A. Carter, Jonathan L. Hall
  • Patent number: 12225506
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are disclosed for high-bandwidth stations in a WiFi environment. In embodiments, a bandwidth of communications supported by the access point is divided into multiple frequency segments. In an embodiment, bandwidths up to 320 MHz are supported, which can be subdivided into four frequency segments of 80 MHz each. Different stations park on different frequency segments, whereas the access point has its primary channel located on the first frequency segment. With this configuration, uplink and downlink channel access can be provided to the different stations using a primary channel hopping pattern, which is provided to the stations from the AP. This pattern provides time windows for each frequency segment, during which the stations in that segment are able to freely communicate. Several other aspects of the disclosure further support this configuration and other high-bandwidth configurations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Jinjing Jiang, Yong Liu, Tianyu Wu, Qi Wang, Su Khiong Yong, Jarkko L. Kneckt, Lochan Verma
  • Patent number: 12220213
    Abstract: Methods and devices for obtaining a blood pressure measurement of a subject measure a transit time of a blood pulse of the subject. A method includes sensing, with a pulse ejection sensor of a wrist-worn device, ejection of blood from the left ventricle. Arrival of a resulting blood pressure pulse at the wrist is sensed via a pulse arrival sensor of the wrist-worn device. A transit time of the blood pressure pulse from the left ventricle to the wrist is determined. A relative blood pressure value of the subject is determined based on the transit time. A reference absolute blood pressure value associated with the relative blood pressure value is received. An absolute blood pressure value for the relative blood pressure value is determined based on the reference absolute blood pressure value and the relative blood pressure value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Erno H. Klaassen, Wren Nancy Dougherty, Richard C. Kimoto, Ravi K. Narasimhan, Thomas J. Sullivan, Stephen J. Waydo, Todd K. Whitehurst, Santiago Quijano, Derek Park-Shing Young, Zijing Zeng
  • Publication number: 20250046955
    Abstract: A flexible busbar comprises a first busbar layer including a first plurality of busbar segments and a first bend between first busbar segments of the first plurality of busbar segments and a second busbar layer coupled to the first busbar layer. The second busbar layer includes a second plurality of busbar segments and a second bend between second busbar segments of the second plurality of busbar segments. The first plurality of busbar segments is substantially colinear with the second plurality of busbar segments and the second bend is substantially parallel with the first bend.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2023
    Publication date: February 6, 2025
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Pengchuan Wang, Brian J. Haskins, Claire E. Dalke, Matthew A. Mayer, Michael H. Tsai, Nathan J. Bohney, Sam Pan
  • Publication number: 20250046043
    Abstract: Some embodiments provide a mapping application that displays a rotation of a 3D map and corresponding rotation of a set of map labels overlaying the 3D map in response to receiving input to rotate the 3D map. When a particular map label in the set of map labels rotates towards an upside down orientation, the mapping application also replaces the particular map label with a version of the particular map label arranged in a right side up orientation to prevent the particular map label from being displayed in the upside down orientation in the 3D map.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2024
    Publication date: February 6, 2025
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Erik Anders Mikael Adlers, Christopher F. Marrin, Elisabeth Lindkvist, Jeffrey Paul McCurdy Hultquist, Ian MacDonald Henderson, II
  • Publication number: 20250047996
    Abstract: Systems and methods for down-scaling are provided. In one example, a method for processing image data includes determining a plurality of output pixel locations using a position value stored by a position register, using the current position value to select a center input pixel from the image data and selecting an index value, selecting a set of input pixels adjacent to the center input pixel, selecting a set of filtering coefficients from a filter coefficient lookup table using the index value, filtering the set of source input pixels to apply a respective one of the set of filtering coefficients to each of the set of source input pixels to determine an output value for the current output pixel at the current position value, and correcting chromatic aberrations in the set of source input pixels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2024
    Publication date: February 6, 2025
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Guy Cote, Simon Wolfenden Butler, Joseph Anthony Petolino, JR., Joseph P. Bratt
  • Publication number: 20250048255
    Abstract: The present application relates to devices and components including apparatus, systems, and methods for performance of candidate beam detection operations with discontinuous transmission implementation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2024
    Publication date: February 6, 2025
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jie Cui, Chunxuan Ye, Dan Wu, Dawei Zhang, Peng Cheng, Yang Tang
  • Patent number: D1061290
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2024
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jody Akana, Molly Anderson, Bartley K. Andre, Shota Aoyagi, Anthony Michael Ashcroft, Marine C. Bataille, Jeremy Bataillou, Abidur Rahman Chowdhury, Clara Geneviève Marine Courtaigne, Markus Diebel, Alexandre B. Girard, Jonathan Gomez Garcia, M. Evans Hankey, Anne-Marie Heck, Moises Hernandez Hernandez, Richard P. Howarth, Jonathan P. Ive, Julian Jaede, Duncan Robert Kerr, Kainoa Kwon-Perez, Nicolas Pedro Lylyk, Marc A. Newson, Peter Russell-Clarke, Benjamin Andrew Shaffer, Clement Tissandier, Eugene Antony Whang
  • Patent number: D1061301
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Molly Anderson, Bartley K. Andre, Shota Aoyagi, Marine C. Bataille, Abidur Rahman Chowdhury, Clara Geneviève Marine Courtaigne, Markus Diebel, Alexandre B. Girard, M. Evans Hankey, Anne-Marie Heck, Moises Hernandez Hernandez, Richard P. Howarth, Julian Jaede, Duncan Robert Kerr, Kainoa Kwon-Perez, Nicolas Pedro Lylyk, Peter Riering-Czekalla, Peter Russell-Clarke, Benjamin Andrew Shaffer, Robert V. Tang, Clement Tissandier
  • Patent number: D1061302
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Molly Anderson, Bartley K. Andre, Shota Aoyagi, Marine C. Bataille, Abidur Rahman Chowdhury, Clara Geneviéve Marine Courtaigne, Markus Diebel, Alexandre B. Girard, Jonathan Gomez Garcia, M. Evans Hankey, Anne-Marie Heck, Moises Hernandez Hernandez, Richard P. Howarth, Julian Jaede, Duncan Robert Kerr, Kainoa Kwon-Perez, Nicolas Pedro Lylyk, Peter Russell-Clarke, Benjamin Andrew Shaffer, Robert V. Tang, Clement Tissandier
  • Patent number: D1061520
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Molly Anderson, Bartley K. Andre, Shota Aoyagi, Marine C. Bataille, Abidur Rahman Chowdhury, Clara Geneviève Marine Courtaigne, Markus Diebel, Alexandre B. Girard, Jonathan Gomez Garcia, M. Evans Hankey, Anne-Marie Heck, Moises Hernandez Hernandez, Richard P. Howarth, Julian Jaede, Duncan Robert Kerr, Kainoa Kwon-Perez, Nicolas Pedro Lylyk, Peter Russell-Clarke, Benjamin Andrew Shaffer, Robert V. Tang, Clement Tissandier
  • Patent number: D1061576
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Dylan Ross Edwards, Brett Pollack
  • Patent number: D1061579
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Benjamin Thomas Christie, Alden Maxwell Haley, Per Lindgren, Alexander Charles MacLean, Wyatt R. Mitchell, Diego Monzon Del Pino, Allison Styer