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: 11589152
    Abstract: An earbud design is disclosed that is configured to sit securely within an ear of a user. The earbud can be secured within the ear by an anchoring feature formed from an elastomeric material. The anchoring feature has a size and shape in accordance with an interior geometry of an ear of a user. Because the anchoring feature positions the earbud with respect to the ear, geometries of the earbud can be focused upon audio performance and/or device aesthetics. In some embodiments, the earbud housing can have a linear design which allows an audio driver within the earbud housing to be positioned close to an opening defined by the earbud housing. In this way, acoustic degradation associated with a long audio path from the audio driver to the opening can be avoided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Glenn K. Trainer, Scott C. Grinker, Craig M. Stanley
  • Patent number: 11588751
    Abstract: Methods and devices for creating and operating a combined network and computational slice instance (NCSI) in a Multi-access Edge Computing (MEC) scenario. Communication and computational resources may be reserved by a NCSI controller for the NCSI. The communication resources may include network slices and the computational resources may include MEC computational resources of one or more MEC servers. The reserved resources may be selected based on quality of service (QoS) requirements of UEs that will utilize the NCSI. During operation, reserved resources for the NCSI may be dynamically renegotiated based on an aggregate load of the NCSI, the QoS of data traffic, and/or updated QoS requirements of the UEs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Mikhail Vilgelm, Babar Qaisrani, Biljana Badic, Christian Drewes, Krisztian Kiss, Matthias Sauer, Vijay Venkataraman, Ralph Hasholzner, Robert Zaus, Teck Yang Lee
  • Patent number: 11588155
    Abstract: Energy storage devices, battery cells, and batteries of the present technology may include a first battery cell. The first battery cell may include an anode current collector, and an anode active material disposed on the anode current collector. The first battery cell may include a cathode current collector and a cathode active material disposed on the cathode current collector. The current collectors may be polymeric materials. The batteries may include a first conductive band electrically coupled with the first battery cell. The first conductive band may be seated on the second surface of one of the anode current collector or the cathode current collector. The first conductive band may extend about a perimeter of the one of the anode current collector or the cathode current collector. The batteries may include a cell module including a first flexible extension electrically coupled with the first conductive band.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Dylan Erb, Abraham B. Caulk, Ross L. Johnstal, Paul W. Firehammer, Edward T. Hillstrom, Christopher T. Campbell, Andrew C. Chu
  • Patent number: 11587909
    Abstract: Package structure with folded die arrangements and methods of fabrication are described. In an embodiment, a package structure includes a first die and vertical interposer side-by-side. A second die is face down on an electrically connected with the vertical interposer, and a local interposer electrically connects the first die with the vertical interposer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Chonghua Zhong, Jun Zhai, Kunzhong Hu
  • Patent number: 11588492
    Abstract: An analog to digital converter (ADC) receives first and second analog input signals. A charge sampling demultiplexer includes multiple capacitors that sample the first and second analog input signals, and generates multiple input samples representative of charge stored on the capacitors. A plurality of sub-ADCs each include first and second charge-to-time converters, which receive from the charge sampling demultiplexer respective first and second input sample of the first and second analog input signals and output respective first and second pulse-width-modulated (PWM) signals responsively to the respective first and second input samples. Temporal processing circuitry processes the PWM signals to generate a digital value indicative of a temporal difference between the first and second PWM signals. Output reordering circuitry receives the digital value from each of the sub-ADCs and generates a digital output indicative of a difference between the first and second analog input signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Andrei Levi, Tiberiu Carol Galambos
  • Patent number: 11586348
    Abstract: A portable multifunction device displays a first user interface object and a second user interface object on a touch screen display. Upon detecting a finger-down event at the first user interface object and one or more finger-dragging events on the touch screen display, the device moves the first user interface object on the touch screen display along a path determined by the finger-dragging events until the first user interface object at least in part overlaps the second user interface object. Upon detecting a finger-up event at the second user interface object, the device visually replaces the second user interface object with the first user interface object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew Emilio Platzer, Charles J. Pisula, Imran Chaudhri, Steven P. Jobs, Gregory Christie, Scott Forstall, Stephen O. Lemay, Michael Matas, Gregory Novick, Marcel Van Os
  • Patent number: 11586552
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a cache memory circuit configured to store a cache lines, and a cache controller circuit. The cache controller circuit is configured to receive a read request to an address associated with a portion of a cache line. In response to an indication that the portion of the cache line currently has at least a first sub-portion that is invalid and at least a second sub-portion that is modified relative to a version in a memory, the cache controller circuit is further configured to fetch values corresponding to the address from the memory, to generate an updated version of the portion of the cache line by using the fetched values to update the first sub-portion, but not the second sub-portion, of the portion of the cache line, and to generate a response to the read request that includes the updated version of the portion of the cache line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Ilya Granovsky, Tom Greenshtein
  • Publication number: 20230051718
    Abstract: A mobile device can include ranging circuitry to determine distance to another mobile device. A first wireless protocol can establish an initial communication session to perform authentication and/or exchange ranging settings. A second protocol can perform ranging, and other wireless protocols can transmit content. In one example, the distance information can be used to display a relative position of another device on a user interface of a sending device. The user interface can allow a user to quickly and accurately select the recipient device for sending the data item. As another example, the distance information obtained from ranging can be used to trigger a notification (e.g., a reminder) to be output from a first mobile device or used to display a visual indicator on a receiving device. Proximity of a device (e.g., as determined by a distance) can be used to suggest recipient for a new communication.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2022
    Publication date: February 16, 2023
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Brent M. Ledvina, Marc J. Krochmal, Robert W. Brumley, Sriram Hariharan
  • Publication number: 20230050228
    Abstract: In some implementations, a user device can coordinate adjustments to a composite GUI generated in cooperation with an accessory device that presents the composite graphical user interface. For example, the user device can receive configuration data that defines the maximum GUI display area (e.g., size, dimensions) of the accessory device, various view areas within the GUI display area of the accessory device into which the user device can render GUIs, and/or transitions between the various view areas. The user device can generate a display buffer based on the maximum GUI display area, generate a graphical user interface in an area of the buffer corresponding to a current view area specified by the accessory device, and send to the accessory device video frames corresponding to the display buffer. The accessory device can generate a composite GUI based on the received video frames that include the user device generated GUI.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2022
    Publication date: February 16, 2023
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Brian D. Pietsch, Jianhong Jiang, Kevin W. Mar, Thomas R. Powell, Glenn A. Anderson
  • Publication number: 20230050767
    Abstract: Wireless communications may be established between mobile computing devices via wireless protocol communication modes, using the orientation of the mobile devices to determine the communication modes in which the mobile devices are operated. Requests may be received to initiate wireless communications using a wireless protocol that supports at least two communication modes. The orientation of the mobile devices may be determined, and the communication modes to be used by the mobile devices may be based on the orientations of the mobile device. Each mobile device may be configured to operate in the determined communication mode of the wireless protocol, for establishing communications via the wireless protocol with other mobile devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2022
    Publication date: February 16, 2023
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Robert S. Mozayeni
  • Patent number: 11579722
    Abstract: Display layers and touch sensor layers may be overlapped by enclosure walls in an electronic device. The electronic device may have a front wall and opposing rear wall and curved sidewalls. The front wall and the curved sidewalls may be formed from a glass layer or other transparent member. A touch sensor layer and display layer may extend under the glass layer with curved sidewalls. A touch sensor layer may also extend under the opposing rear wall. A foldable electronic device may have a flexible transparent wall portion that joins planar transparent walls. Components may be interposed between the transparent planar walls and opaque walls. Display and touch layers may be overlapped by the transparent walls and the transparent flexible wall portion. Touch sensor structures may also be overlapped by the opaque walls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Isaac W. Chan, Chun-Hao Tung, Fletcher R. Rothkopf, Sunggu Kang, John Z. Zhong
  • Patent number: 11582215
    Abstract: Some embodiments of the invention provide a method for a trusted (or originator) device to modify the security state of a target device (e.g., unlocking the device) based on a securing ranging operation (e.g., determining a distance, proximity, etc.). The method of some embodiments exchanges messages as a part of a ranging operation in order to determine whether the trusted and target devices are within a specified range of each other before allowing the trusted device to modify the security state of the target device. In some embodiments, the messages are derived by both devices based on a shared secret and are used to verify the source of ranging signals used for the ranging operation. In some embodiments, the method is performed using multiple different frequency bands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Wade Benson, Marc J. Krochmal, Alexander R. Ledwith, John Iarocci, Jerrold V. Hauck, Michael Brouwer, Mitchell D. Adler, Yannick L. Sierra
  • Patent number: 11580905
    Abstract: A display may include an array of pixels that receive control signals from a chain of gate drivers. Each gate driver may include a logic sub-circuit and an output buffer sub-circuit. The output buffer sub-circuit may include depletion mode semiconducting oxide transistors with high mobility. The logic sub-circuit may include semiconducting oxide transistors, some of which can be depletion mode transistors and some of which can be enhancement mode transistors with lower mobility. The logic sub-circuit may include at least a carry circuit, a voltage setting circuit, an inverting circuit, a discharge circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Rungrot Kitsomboonloha, Chin-Wei Lin, Shinya Ono, Gihoon Choo, Hao-Lin Chiu, Kyung Wook Kim, Pei-En Chang, Szu-Hsien Lee, Zino Lee
  • Patent number: 11579721
    Abstract: A device includes a touch-sensitive display, one or more processors, and memory storing one or more programs including instructions for receiving data from an external device representing user input received over a duration of time at the external device. The programs may include instructions for determining whether the electronic device is actively executing an application for playback. The programs may further include instructions for in accordance with a determination that the electronic device is not actively executing an application for playback: displaying an indication of the receiving of the data; and displaying an affordance, wherein the affordance when selected launches the application for playback and causes the electronic device to playback the received data according to the duration of time of the user input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Freddy Allen Anzures, Imran Chaudhri, Alan C. Dye, Jonathan P. Ive, Duncan Robert Kerr, Nicholas V. King, Kevin Lynch, Gregory Novick, Daniel Trent Preston, Monica Jenkins, Lawrence Y. Yang
  • Patent number: 11579506
    Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure involve a transparent structure. The structure may include at least one light source, a transparent light-carrying guide layer optically coupled with the at least one light source. The structure may include refractive layers where a light absorbing feature is operably associated with the light-carrying guide layer to absorb any light not internally reflected in the light guide layer, at least adjacent the light source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Clarisse Mazuir, Matthew E. Last, Ryan J. Garrone, Budhadipta Dan, Khadijeh Bayat, Gregory A. Cohoon, Jack E. Graves
  • Patent number: 11580444
    Abstract: The subject technology receives information associated with a machine learning model. The subject technology determines a set of metrics based at least in part on the information associated with the machine learning model, where the set of metrics corresponds to respective indicators of performance of the machine learning model based on input data from a data set, the set of metrics further including a number of errors produced by the machine learning model when applied to the input data from the data set. Further, the subject technology displays a user interface based at least in part on the set of metrics, where the user interface includes a set of graphical elements, and the set of graphical elements further includes representations of the set of metrics, and representations of the input data from the data set utilized by the machine learning model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Aaron B. Franklin, Kanit Wongsuphasawat, Naga Rama Abhishek Pratapa, Srikrishna Sridhar, Zachary A. Nation
  • Patent number: 11582229
    Abstract: A method and apparatus of a device that authorizes a device for a service is described. In an exemplary embodiment, the device intercepts a request for a web page from a web browser executing on the device, wherein the request includes an indication associated with an authorization request for the service and the web page provides the service. In addition, the device presents an authorization user interface on the device. The device further performs a local authorization using a set of user credentials entered via the authorization user interface. The device additionally performs a server authorization with a server. Furthermore, the device redirects the web browser to the requested web page, wherein the web browser is authorized for the service provided by the web page.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Dmitry V. Belov, Brent A. Fulgham, Sudhakar N. Mambakkam, Richard J. Mondello, Kalyan C. Gopavarapu, Edgar Tonatiuh Barragan Corte, Libor Sykora
  • Patent number: 11581351
    Abstract: A hybrid sensor shift platform for an optical image stabilization (OIS) actuator mechanism in compact camera modules includes two or more substrates. A top substrate is composed of an organic material (e.g., a resin) to reduce mass, reduce magnetic interaction with permanent magnets, and improve reliability. One or more lower substrates of the hybrid sensor shift platform are ceramic substrates that provide the benefits of ceramics for connection to the image sensor. The organic substrate is connected via a solder bond process to the lower ceramic substrate(s). The connection between the substrates is reinforced with an under-fill of epoxy that surrounds the solder bonds, thus creating a full interface between the substrates within the overlap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Aurelien R. Hubert, Jee Tung Tan, Steven Webster, Douglas S. Brodie, Qiang Yang, Masahito Morita
  • Patent number: 11579024
    Abstract: Aspects of the subject technology relate to electronic devices having sensors such as pressure sensors. A pressure sensor may be integrated into an audio component of an electronic device such that the pressure sensor is fluidly coupled to an environment external to a device housing via at least a portion of an internal cavity of the audio component housing. The audio component housing may include an opening. The pressure sensor may be mounted adjacent to or within the opening. The opening may be sealed to prevent passage of gas or liquid through the opening. The pressure sensor may be integrally formed with an inner wall of the audio component housing. The audio component may be a speaker or a microphone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: William S. Lee, Tyler B. Cater, Shannon X. Yang, Justin D. Crosby, Timothy S. Lui, Eric N. Nyland
  • Patent number: 11582669
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed relating to a mobile device that initiates handovers from short-range networks to long-range networks. In various embodiments, a mobile device includes one or more radios that communicate using a plurality of radio access technologies (RATs) including a cellular RAT and a short-range RAT. In such an embodiment, the mobile device stores an indication that the cellular RAT is a preferred RAT for a communication session. The mobile may establish the communication session using the preferred RAT, and in response to determining that a quality of the preferred RAT fails to satisfy a set of quality criteria, may request that the communication session use the short-range RAT. In some embodiments, the mobile device analyzes average packet error rate for the communication session and in response to the average packet error rate satisfying a threshold, requests that the communication session use the cellular RAT.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Ajoy K. Singh, Wen Zhao
  • Patent number: 11580934
    Abstract: An electronic device may have a display with an array of pixels. The device may have an array of components such as an array of light sensors for capturing fingerprints of a user through an array of corresponding transparent windows in the display. A capacitive touch sensor, proximity sensor, force sensor, or other sensor may be used by control circuitry in the device to monitor for the presence of a user's finger over the array of light sensors. In response, the control circuitry can direct the display to illuminate a subset of the pixels, thereby illuminating the user's finger and causing reflected light from the finger to illuminate the array of light sensors for a fingerprint capture operation. The display may have display driver circuitry that facilitates the momentary illumination of the subset of pixels with uniform flash data while image data is displayed in other portions of the display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Koorosh Aflatooni, Minhyuk Choi, Mohammad Ali Jangda, Sang Y. Youn, Yafei Bi, Jean-Pierre Guillou, Wei H. Yao
  • Patent number: 11582342
    Abstract: In some implementations, a computing device can be configured to automatically turn off notifications when generating a notification would cause a disturbance or be unwanted by a user. The device can be configured with quiet hours during which notifications that would otherwise be generated by the computing device can be suppressed. In some implementations, quiet hours can be configured as a time period with a start time and an end time. In some implementations, quiet hours can be derived from application data. For example, calendar data, alarm clock data, map data, etc. can be used to determine when quiet hours should be enforced. In some implementations, the device can be configured with exceptions to quiet hour notification suppression. In some implementations, the user can identify contacts to which the quiet hours notification suppression should not be applied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Imran A. Chaudhri, Gregory Novick, Scott Forstall, Morgan Grainger, George R. Dicker, Tyler Hawkins
  • Patent number: 11582388
    Abstract: In some embodiments, a camera actuator includes an actuator base, an autofocus voice coil motor, and an optical image stabilization voice coil motor. In some embodiments, the autofocus voice coil motor includes a lens carrier mounting attachment moveably mounted to the actuator base, a plurality of shared magnets mounted to the base, and an autofocus coil fixedly mounted to the lens carrier mounting attachment for producing forces for moving a lens carrier in a direction of an optical axis of one or more lenses of the lens carrier. In some embodiments, the optical image stabilization voice coil motor includes an image sensor carrier moveably mounted to the actuator base, and optical image stabilization coils moveably mounted to the image sensor carrier within the magnetic fields of the shared magnets, for producing forces for moving the image sensor carrier in a plurality of directions orthogonal to the optical axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Aurelien R. Hubert, Qiang Yang, Douglas S. Brodie, Scott W. Miller, Shashank Sharma
  • Patent number: 11582554
    Abstract: A system for sound localization can include a first electronic device having a microphone to detect a sound, and a second electronic device. A processor can be in communication with the first electronic device and the second electronic device. The processor can receive a first signal from the first electronic device corresponding to the detected sound, determine a location of origin of the detected sound based at least in part on the first signal, and provide a second signal to the second electronic device based at least in part on the location of origin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Paul G. Puskarich, Fiona P. O'Leary
  • Patent number: 11580608
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to contact management and communication with contacts. On a portable electronic device having a display a plurality of affordances associated with a plurality of contacts are displayed. A first user input is received selecting a first affordance of the plurality of affordances for a first contact of the plurality of contacts. In response to receiving the first user input and in accordance with a determination that a first communication application is in a set of communication applications installed on the portable electronic device, a contact information interface is displayed for the first contact. The contact information interface includes a first contact identification field for the first contact. The first contact identification field is associated with the first contact and the first communication application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Marcel Van Os, Sebastian Bauer, Tiffany S. Jon, Nicole R. Ryan
  • Patent number: 11580328
    Abstract: Systems and methods for semantic labeling of point clouds using images. Some implementations may include obtaining a point cloud that is based on lidar data reflecting one or more objects in a space; obtaining an image that includes a view of at least one of the one or more objects in the space; determining a projection of points from the point cloud onto the image; generating, using the projection, an augmented image that includes one or more channels of data from the point cloud and one or more channels of data from the image; inputting the augmented image to a two dimensional convolutional neural network to obtain a semantic labeled image wherein elements of the semantic labeled image include respective predictions; and mapping, by reversing the projection, predictions of the semantic labeled image to respective points of the point cloud to obtain a semantic labeled point cloud.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Huy Tho Ho, Jingwei Wang, Kjell Fredrik Larsson
  • Patent number: 11582517
    Abstract: In some embodiments, an electronic device can guide the user in setting up the device for the first time or after a factory reset. In some embodiments, an electronic device facilitates suggesting and installing applications on the electronic device during device setup. In some embodiments, an electronic device facilitates transferring settings and information from another electronic device during device setup.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Tito Lloyd Balsamo
  • Patent number: 11580867
    Abstract: Exercise-based watch faces and complications for use with a portable multifunction device are disclosed. The methods described herein for exercise-based watch faces and complications provide indications of time and affordances representing applications (e.g., a workout application or a weather application). In response to detecting a user input corresponding to a selection of the affordance (e.g., representing a workout application), a workout routine can optionally be begun. Further disclosed are non-transitory computer-readable storage media, systems, and devices configured to perform the methods described herein, as well as electronic devices related thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher Wilson, Aled Hywel Williams, Kevin Will Chen, Chester H. Chipperfield, Stanley Carl Ng
  • Patent number: 11582573
    Abstract: Embodiments are disclosed for disabling/re-enabling head tracking for spatial audio applications. In an embodiment, a method comprises: obtaining, using one or more processors of an auxiliary device worn by a user, motion data; tracking, using the one or more processors, the user's head based at least in part on the motion data; determining, using the one or more processors, whether or not the user is walking based at least in part on the motion data; in accordance with determining that the user is walking, determining if a source device configured to deliver spatial audio to the auxiliary device is static for a specified period of time; and in accordance with determining that the user is walking and the source device is static for the specified period of time, disabling the head tracking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Xiaoyuan Tu, Umamahesh Srinivas, Seyyedeh Mahsa Mirzargar, Keyu Chen, Alexander Singh Alvarado, Ronald K. Huang, Aditya Sarathy
  • Patent number: 11579751
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for intelligently managing a playlist of digital media provide an intelligent dynamic queue that is configured to manage the playback of digital media. The queue can transition between passive playback mode, active playback mode, and mixed playback mode. The queue can handle the playback of the songs in the queue according to the playback mode and/or a queue status field that is associated with each song in the queue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher John Sanders, Anne Jones, Jeffrey L. Robbin, William Martin Bachman, Timothy B. Martin
  • Patent number: 11580518
    Abstract: If a user loses an electronic device that has the capability to conduct financial transactions, the user may report that the electronic device is lost using a lost-device software application to a management electronic device associated with a provider of the electronic device. In response to receiving this information, a disabling command is sent to a payment network associated with the financial account of the user to temporarily disable use of the electronic device to conduct the financial transactions. In particular, the electronic device may include a secure element that stores a payment applet for a financial account, and the disabling command may disable a mapping from a virtual identifier for the financial account to a financial primary account number. Subsequently, if the user finds the electronic device, the user may re-enable the capability (and, thus, the mapping) by providing authentication information to the electronic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: David T. Haggerty, George R. Dicker, Ahmer A. Khan, Christopher B. Sharp, Timothy S. Hurley, Vineet Chadha
  • Patent number: 11582110
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for generating device cluster capability information for a cluster of devices in a network environment. Capability information can specify capabilities of the devices in the cluster. A first user device can generate device capabilities for the first user device and obtain device capabilities for other devices in the cluster. The first user device can generate cluster capability information providing an intersection of the first set of device capabilities and device capabilities of the other user devices in the cluster. The first user device can obtain cluster capability information for other clusters in the network environment and receive a request from a service user device to perform a specific task. The first user device can transmit cluster capability information relating to a selected cluster that corresponds with the request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Scott M. Marshall, Jeremy A. Wyld, Jiten L. Mehta, Darren Litzinger, John J. Iarocci
  • Patent number: 11581633
    Abstract: An electronic device may include a transceiver, first and second antennas, and a passive radio-frequency power distribution circuit. The distribution circuit may have a first port coupled to the transceiver, a second port coupled to the first antenna, and a third port coupled to the third antenna. The distribution circuit may include a transformer coupled between the ports. The transformer may have at least two intertwined inductors formed from conductive traces on a dielectric substrate. The intertwined inductors may be concentric about a common point. The intertwined inductors may extend from the common point to the second and third ports. The intertwined inductors may have a coil or spiral shape and may wind around the common point at least once. Intertwining the inductors may serve to minimize the lateral footprint of the distribution circuit in the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Song Hu, Sohrab Emami-Neyestanak
  • Patent number: 11580692
    Abstract: Various implementations disclosed herein include devices, systems, and methods that generates a three-dimensional (3D) model based on a selected subset of the images and depth data corresponding to each of the images of the subset. For example, an example process may include acquiring sensor data during movement of the device in a physical environment including an object, the sensor data including images of a physical environment captured via a camera on the device, selecting a subset of the images based on assessing the images with respect to motion-based defects based on device motion and depth data, and generating a 3D model of the object based on the selected subset of the images and depth data corresponding to each of the images of the selected subset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Rafael Saracchini, Tobias Rick, Zachary Z. Becker
  • Patent number: 11581809
    Abstract: A power converter circuit included in a computer system that regulated a power supply voltage used by other circuits in the computer system. The power converter includes a primary control circuit that selectively activates multiple phase circuits coupled to respective driver circuits, which are coupled to a power supply node via respective inductors. Some of the driver circuits are located on a separate integrated circuit from the primary control circuit and the multiple phase circuits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Debashish Mahapatra, Vincenzo Bisogno, Francesco Griseta, Sarfraz Shaikh
  • Patent number: 11579693
    Abstract: An electronic device, while the electronic device is worn over a predefined portion of the user's body, displays, via a display generation component arranged on the electronic device opposite the predefined portion of the user's body, a graphical representation of an exterior view of a body part that corresponds to the predefined portion of the user's body. The electronic device detects a change in position of the electronic device with respect to the predefined portion of the user's body. The electronic device, in response to detecting the change in the position of the electronic device with respect to the predefined portion of the user's body, modifies the graphical representation of the exterior view of the body part that corresponds to predefined portion of the user's body in accordance with the detected change in position of the electronic device with respect to the predefined portion of the user's body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Thomas S. Hulbert, Karlin Y. Bark, Alfred B. Huergo Wagner, Felipe Bacim De Araujo E Silva, Seung Wook Kim, William A. Sorrentino, III
  • Patent number: 11581813
    Abstract: A voltage regulator circuit included in a computer system may include multiple phase circuits each coupled to a regulated power supply node via a corresponding inductor. The phase circuits may modify a voltage level of the regulated power supply node using respective control signals generated by a digital control circuit that processes multiple data bits. An analog-to-digital converter circuit may compare the voltage level of the regulated power supply node to multiple reference voltage levels and sample the resultant comparisons to generate the multiple data bits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Sanjay Pant, Fabio Gozzini, Hubert Attah, Jonathan F. Bolus, Wenxun Huang
  • Patent number: 11580973
    Abstract: A device implementing a system for providing content in response to a request includes a processor configured to receive a voice request for content associated with a home environment, the voice request corresponding to a user account, and determine, based on the voice request, not to provide the content via the device. The processor is further configured to select, in response to the determining, a second device from among multiple devices associated with the home environment, wherein the selecting is based at least in part on configuration settings associated with the home environment, and provide for the second device to output the content based on a profile of the user account.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Vijay Sundaram, Thomas Alsina, Anush G. Nadathur
  • Patent number: 11579789
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are techniques for managing context information for data stored within a non-volatile memory of a computing device. According to some embodiments, the method can include (1) loading, into a volatile memory of the computing device, the context information from the non-volatile memory, where the context information is separated into a plurality of silos, (2) writing transactions into a log stored within the non-volatile memory, and (3) each time a condition is satisfied: (i) identifying a next silo of the plurality of silos to be written into the non-volatile memory, (ii) updating the next silo to reflect the transactions that apply to the next silo, and (iii) writing the next silo into the non-volatile memory. In turn, when an inadvertent shutdown of the computing device occurs, the silos of which the context information is comprised can be sequentially accessed and restored in an efficient manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Alexander Paley, Andrew W. Vogan
  • Patent number: 11581980
    Abstract: Some embodiments of this disclosure include apparatuses and methods for implementing block acknowledgment (BA) operations for multi-link wireless communication networks. For example some embodiments relate to an electronic device including a transceiver and one or more processors communicatively coupled to the transceiver. The one or more processors transmit, using the transceiver and to a second electronic device, a first set of one or more frames on a first link and a second set of one or more frames on a second link. The one or more processors receive, using the transceiver and from the second electronic device, a first block acknowledgment (BA) frame on the first link and a second BA frame on the second link. The one or more processors further determine, based on received first BA frame and the second BA frame, a failed or missing frame of the first set of one or more frames transmitted on the first link.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jarkko L. Kneckt, Jinjing Jiang, Su Khiong Yong, Tianyu Wu, Yong Liu
  • Patent number: 11580652
    Abstract: One exemplary implementation facilitates object detection using multiple scans of an object in different lighting conditions. For example, a first scan of the object can be created by capturing images of the object by moving an image sensor on a first path in a first lighting condition, e.g., bright lighting. A second scan of the object can then be created by capturing additional images of the object by moving the image sensor on a second path in a second lighting condition, e.g., dim lighting. Implementations determine a transform that associates the scan data from these multiple scans to one another and use the transforms to generate a 3D model of the object in a single coordinate system. Augmented content can be positioned relative to that object in the single coordinate system and thus will be displayed in the appropriate location regardless of the lighting condition in which the physical object is later detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Vincent Chapdelaine-Couture, Mohamed Selim Ben Himane
  • Patent number: D978138
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jody Akana, Molly Anderson, Bartley K. Andre, Shota Aoyagi, Anthony Michael Ashcroft, Marine C. Bataille, Jeremy Bataillou, Markus Diebel, M. Evans Hankey, Julian Hoenig, Richard P. Howarth, Jonathan P. Ive, Julian Jaede, Duncan Robert Kerr, Peter Russell-Clarke, Benjamin Andrew Shaffer, Mikael Silvanto, Sung-Ho Tan, Clement Tissandier, Eugene Antony Whang, Rico Zörkendörfer
  • Patent number: D978139
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jody Akana, Molly Anderson, Bartley K. Andre, Shota Aoyagi, Anthony Michael Ashcroft, Marine C. Bataille, Jeremy Bataillou, Markus Diebel, M. Evans Hankey, Julian Hoenig, Richard P. Howarth, Jonathan P. Ive, Julian Jaede, Duncan Robert Kerr, Peter Russell-Clarke, Benjamin Andrew Shaffer, Mikael Silvanto, Sung-Ho Tan, Clement Tissandier, Eugene Antony Whang, Rico Zörkendörfer
  • Patent number: D978153
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jody Akana, Bartley K. Andre, Jeremy Bataillou, Daniel J. Coster, Daniele De Iuliis, M. Evans Hankey, Julian Hoenig, Richard P. Howarth, Jonathan P. Ive, Duncan Robert Kerr, Shin Nishibori, Matthew Dean Rohrbach, Peter Russell-Clarke, Christopher J. Stringer, Eugene Antony Whang, Rico Zörkendörfer
  • Patent number: D978169
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin Will Chen, Yeo Been Chung, Andrew Patrick Clymer, Alan C. Dye, Aurelio Guzmán
  • Patent number: D978182
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Lee Broughton, Kevin Will Chen, Alan C. Dye, Christopher Wilson, Eric Lance Wilson
  • Patent number: D978190
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Imran Chaudhri, Jonathan P. Ive, Joe Marianek, Christopher Daryl Soli, Christopher Wilson
  • Patent number: D978192
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan Cho, Gary William Gehiere, Wyatt R. Mitchell
  • Patent number: D978886
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin Will Chen, Yeo Been Chung, Aurelio Guzmán, Eileen Y. Lee, Vincenzo Vuono
  • Patent number: D978894
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Arian Behzadi, Alan C. Dye, Pedro Mari