Patents by Inventor Adam D. Mittleman
Adam D. Mittleman has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Publication number: 20140132463Abstract: A handheld electronic device may be provided that contains a conductive housing and other conductive elements. The conductive elements may form an antenna ground plane. One or more antennas for the handheld electronic device may be formed from the ground plane and one or more associated antenna resonating elements. Transceiver circuitry may be connected to the resonating elements by transmission lines such as coaxial cables. Ferrules may be crimped to the coaxial cables. A bracket with extending members may be crimped over the ferrules to ground the coaxial cables to the housing and other conductive elements in the ground plane. The ground plane may contain an antenna slot. A dock connector and flex circuit may overlap the slot in a way that does not affect the resonant frequency of the slot. Electrical components may be isolated from the antenna using isolation elements such as inductors and resistors.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 17, 2014Publication date: May 15, 2014Applicant: Apple Inc.Inventors: Phillip Michael Hobson, Erik L. Wang, Kenneth A. Jenks, Robert J. Hill, Robert W. Schlub, Richard H. Dinh, Tang Yew Tan, Adam D. Mittleman, Bartley K. Andre, Daniel J. Coster, Daniele De Iullis, Richard P. Howarth, Jonathan P. Ive, Steve Jobs, Ducan Robert Kerr, Shin Nishibori, Matthew Dean Rohrbach, Douglas B. Satzger, Calvin Q. Seid, Christopher J. Stringer, Eugene Antony Whang, Rico Zorkendorfer
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Patent number: 8681056Abstract: A handheld electronic device may be provided that contains a conductive housing and other conductive elements. The conductive elements may form an antenna ground plane. One or more antennas for the handheld electronic device may be formed from the ground plane and one or more associated antenna resonating elements. Transceiver circuitry may be connected to the resonating elements by transmission lines such as coaxial cables. Ferrules may be crimped to the coaxial cables. A bracket with extending members may be crimped over the ferrules to ground the coaxial cables to the housing and other conductive elements in the ground plane. The ground plane may contain an antenna slot. A dock connector and flex circuit may overlap the slot in a way that does not affect the resonant frequency of the slot. Electrical components may be isolated from the antenna using isolation elements such as inductors and resistors.Type: GrantFiled: February 4, 2011Date of Patent: March 25, 2014Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Philip M. Hobson, Erik L. Wang, Kenneth A. Jenks, Robert J. Hill, Robert W. Schlub, Richard Hung Minh Dinh, Tang Yew Tan, Adam D. Mittleman
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Patent number: 8620162Abstract: An electronic device may include wireless circuitry such as infrared sources that control external equipment such as televisions and set-top boxes. An infrared source may be mounted within an electronic device housing in a visually inconspicuous location such as in a connector port. A button may be provided with transparent structures that allow infrared light to pass through the button. A removable accessory port may be provided with an infrared transmitter accessory that allows an electronic device to serve as a remote control device. Portions of an electronic device housing may be provided with thin housing walls or holes that are too small to be noticeable to the naked eye to serve as windows for infrared light. An audio port may serve as an infrared light window. Gasket structures, bezel structures, and the edges of displays and other planar glass members may be used in transmitting infrared light.Type: GrantFiled: March 25, 2010Date of Patent: December 31, 2013Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventor: Adam D. Mittleman
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Publication number: 20130335899Abstract: Portable electronic devices are provided. Each device may be formed from two parts. A first part may be provided with components such as a display, a touch screen, a cover glass, and a frame. A second part may be provided with a plastic housing, circuit boards containing electrical components, and a bezel. Engagement members may be connected to the first and second parts. The engagement members may be formed from metal clips with holes and springs with flexible spring prongs that mate with the holes in the clips. The metal clips may be welded to frame struts on the frame and the springs may be welded to the bezel. Hard stop structures may be used to vertically align the first and second parts. A frame in the device may have an integral gasket.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 20, 2013Publication date: December 19, 2013Applicant: Apple Inc.Inventors: Erik L. Wang, Phillip M. Hobson, Kenneth A. Jenks, Adam D. Mittleman
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Patent number: 8591667Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for cleaning jacks in portable electronic components. In one embodiment of the present invention, an adaptor plug is designed having a hollow shaft and the end of the plug is designed with holes that communication with the hollow shaft. The plug can be inserted into a jack, which can operate to open one or more switches within the jack, thereby freeing any debris that may have accumulated under the switches. Compressed air can then be applied down the hollow shaft and out the holes in the plug to displace the debris and clean the jack. In another embodiment, the end of the plug can be constructed such that it rotates about an axis to increase the likelihood that the jack will be cleaned.Type: GrantFiled: November 21, 2012Date of Patent: November 26, 2013Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Adam D. Mittleman, Stephen Zadesky
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Patent number: 8537543Abstract: Portable electronic devices are provided. Each device may be formed from two parts. A first part may be provided with components such as a display, a touch screen, a cover glass, and a frame. A second part may be provided with a plastic housing, circuit boards containing electrical components, and a bezel. Engagement members may be connected to the first and second parts. The engagement members may be formed from metal clips with holes and springs with flexible spring prongs that mate with the holes in the clips. The metal clips may be welded to frame struts on the frame and the springs may be welded to the bezel. Hard stop structures may be used to vertically align the first and second parts. A frame in the device may have an integral gasket.Type: GrantFiled: June 6, 2008Date of Patent: September 17, 2013Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Erik L. Wang, Phillip M. Hobson, Kenneth A. Jenks, Adam D. Mittleman
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Publication number: 20130237289Abstract: A portable electronic device such as a handheld electronic device is provided. The device may have upper and lower portions. The upper portion may have clips that attach to springs on the lower portion. The device may have a housing with a bezel. A prong on the springs may ground the bezel. A vibrator mounting bracket may hold a vibrator in place within the housing. The vibrator mounting bracket may have an end that engages the housing. A threaded insert may be welded to the spring. A screw that passes through a hole in the vibrator mounting bracket may be screwed into the threaded insert to attach the vibrator to the housing. An elastomeric member may bias the vibrator towards the bracket. An acoustic module may serve as a subassembly for the device. Components such as an antenna, dock connector, microphone, and speaker may be attached to the acoustic module.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 8, 2013Publication date: September 12, 2013Applicant: Apple Inc.Inventors: Adam D. Mittleman, Kenneth A. Jenks, Karen Y. Cheng
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Patent number: 8488817Abstract: A portable electronic device may have acoustic ports such as microphone and speaker ports. Acoustic devices such as microphones and speakers may be associated with the acoustic ports. An acoustic port may have an opening between an interior and exterior of the portable electronic device. The opening may be covered by a metal mesh. An acoustic fabric may be interposed between the metal mesh and the opening. The opening may be formed from a hole in a glass member having outer and inner chamfers. A microphone boot may be provided that forms front and rear radial seals with a housing of the device and a microphone unit respectively. The microphone boot may also form multiple face seals with the microphone unit. A speaker for the speaker port may be enclosed in a sealed speaker enclosure. The speaker enclosure may have a pressure-equalizing vent slit covered with an acoustic mesh.Type: GrantFiled: November 3, 2011Date of Patent: July 16, 2013Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Adam D. Mittleman, Richard P. Howarth, Chad Seguin
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Patent number: 8417298Abstract: A portable electronic device such as a handheld electronic device is provided. The device may have upper and lower portions. The upper portion may have clips that attach to springs on the lower portion. The device may have a housing with a bezel. A prong on the springs may ground the bezel. A vibrator mounting bracket may hold a vibrator in place within the housing. The vibrator mounting bracket may have an end that engages the housing. A threaded insert may be welded to the spring. A screw that passes through a hole in the vibrator mounting bracket may be screwed into the threaded insert to attach the vibrator to the housing. An elastomeric member may bias the vibrator towards the bracket. An acoustic module may serve as a subassembly for the device. Components such as an antenna, dock connector, microphone, and speaker may be attached to the acoustic module.Type: GrantFiled: May 1, 2008Date of Patent: April 9, 2013Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Adam D. Mittleman, Kenneth A. Jenks, Karen Y. Cheng
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Patent number: 8395555Abstract: A handheld electronic device may be provided that contains a conductive housing and other conductive elements. The conductive elements may form an antenna ground plane. One or more antennas for the handheld electronic device may be formed from the ground plane and one or more associated antenna resonating elements. Transceiver circuitry may be connected to the resonating elements by transmission lines such as coaxial cables. Ferrules may be crimped to the coaxial cables. A bracket with extending members may be crimped over the ferrules to ground the coaxial cables to the housing and other conductive elements in the ground plane. The ground plane may contain an antenna slot. A dock connector and flex circuit may overlap the slot in a way that does not affect the resonant frequency of the slot. Electrical components may be isolated from the antenna using isolation elements such as inductors and resistors.Type: GrantFiled: January 18, 2011Date of Patent: March 12, 2013Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Phillip M. Hobson, Stephen P. Zadesky, Erik L. Wang, Tang Yew Tan, Richard Hung Minh Dinh, Adam D. Mittleman, Kenneth A. Jenks, Robert J. Hill, Robert W. Schlub
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Patent number: 8367958Abstract: A portable electronic device may have an inverted dome switch assembly. The switch assembly may have an inverted dome that has a base and a conductive underside. The base may be attached to a button member. Two electrical contacts in the button member may face the conductive underside. Corresponding conductive traces may be connected to the contacts. The dome may bear against a housing member. The button member may be movable with respect to the housing member from an unactuated position to an actuated position. The dome switch may form a footprint based upon the dome base area. The housing member may extend into a portion of the footprint and not into the remaining portion of the footprint allowing that space to be otherwise utilized.Type: GrantFiled: February 17, 2011Date of Patent: February 5, 2013Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Adam D. Mittleman, Robert Scritzky, Bradley Hamel
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Patent number: 8290546Abstract: A connector for receiving a cylindrical plug includes a body defining a plug aperture and a cavity for receiving the cylindrical plug. A plurality of electrical contacts in communication with the cavity make electrical connections with the cylindrical plug and retain the cylindrical plug. A microphone is coupled to the body such that the plug aperture and the cavity provide an acoustic path to the microphone. The microphone may be at an end of the connector opposite the plug aperture or on a side of the connector adjacent the plug aperture. The connector allows a microphone to be added to a device, such as a mobile telephone, without the need for an additional external aperture. The microphone in the connector may operate with a second microphone and processing electronics in the device to provide audio processing functions such as noise cancellation or audio beamforming.Type: GrantFiled: February 23, 2009Date of Patent: October 16, 2012Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Shaohai Chen, Phillip George Tamchina, Richard Hung Minh Dinh, Jae Han Lee, Trent Weber, Michelle Yu, Adam D. Mittleman
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Publication number: 20120257341Abstract: Portable electronic devices are provided. Each device may be formed from two parts. A first part may be provided with components such as a display, a touch screen, a cover glass, and a frame. A second part may be provided with a plastic housing, circuit boards containing electrical components, and a bezel. Engagement members may be connected to the first and second parts. The engagement members may be formed from metal clips with holes and springs with flexible spring prongs that mate with the holes in the clips. The metal clips may be welded to frame struts on the frame and the springs may be welded to the bezel. During assembly, the first part may be rotated into place within the second part. Retention clips attached to the frame may be used to secure the two parts together. Assembly instructions and associated connector numbers may be provided within the devices.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 18, 2012Publication date: October 11, 2012Inventors: Erik L. Wang, Phillip M. Hobson, Kenneth A. Jenks, Adam D. Mittleman
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Patent number: 8229153Abstract: In one aspect, a boot located inside a mobile device holds a microphone. The boot has a straight, front chamber section whose mouth is aligned (vertically and horizontally) with a microphone-associated, acoustic case opening in a sidewall of the outer housing of the device. In another aspect, the front chamber section is defined by a front sidewall on whose outer surface a circumferential rib is formed. This portion of the boot sidewall is disposed within a tube section (which may be formed in the sidewall of the device's outer case), to form an acoustic seal around the mouth of the boot. Other embodiments are also described.Type: GrantFiled: December 23, 2008Date of Patent: July 24, 2012Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Adam D. Mittleman, Richard P. Howarth, Chad G. Seguin
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Publication number: 20120053711Abstract: An integrated audible sound output system incorporated in a personal media device is described. The integrated audible sound output system includes a first audio output port, the first audio output port acoustically coupled with the audible sound generator unit by way of a first air path and a second audio output port. In the described embodiments, the second audio output port is acoustically coupled with the audible sound generator unit by way of a second air path. The first and the second air paths cooperate to pass the audible sound generated by the audible sound generator unit to the external environment by way of the first audio port and the second audio port.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 19, 2010Publication date: March 1, 2012Applicant: APPLE INC.Inventors: Anna-Katrina Shedletsky, Adam D. Mittleman, Fletcher R. Rothkopf, Phillip M. Hobson, Eric S. Jol, Stephen Brian Lynch
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Publication number: 20120050114Abstract: Electronic devices are provided that contain wireless communications circuitry. The wireless communications circuitry may include radio-frequency transceiver circuitry and antenna structures. The antenna structures may include antennas such as inverted-F antennas that contain antenna resonating elements and antenna ground elements. Antenna resonating elements may be formed from patterned conductive traces on substrates such as flex circuit substrates. Antenna ground elements may be formed from conductive device structures such as metal housing walls. Support and biasing structures such as dielectric support members and layer of foam may be used to support and bias antenna resonating elements against planar device structures. The planar device structures against which the antenna resonating elements are biased may be planar dielectric members such as transparent layers of display cover glass or other planar structures.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 27, 2010Publication date: March 1, 2012Inventors: Qingxiang Li, Robert W. Schlub, Fletcher R. Rothkopf, Adam D. Mittleman, Yi Jiang, Emily McMilin, Lijun Zhang
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Publication number: 20120045081Abstract: A portable electronic device may have acoustic ports such as microphone and speaker ports. Acoustic devices such as microphones and speakers may be associated with the acoustic ports. An acoustic port may have an opening between an interior and exterior of the portable electronic device. The opening may be covered by a metal mesh. An acoustic fabric may be interposed between the metal mesh and the opening. The opening may be formed from a hole in a glass member having outer and inner chamfers. A microphone boot may be provided that forms front and rear radial seals with a housing of the device and a microphone unit respectively. The microphone boot may also form multiple face seals with the microphone unit. A speaker for the speaker port may be enclosed in a sealed speaker enclosure. The speaker enclosure may have a pressure-equalizing vent slit covered with an acoustic mesh.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 3, 2011Publication date: February 23, 2012Inventors: Adam D. Mittleman, Richard P. Howarth, Chad Seguin
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Patent number: 8112130Abstract: A mobile communications device has an outer housing with a front wall in which an acoustic opening is formed. A tub is disposed inside the housing, wherein an acoustic opening is formed in a bottom of the tub and is positioned to be aligned with the acoustic opening in the outer housing. A receiver is disposed within the tub so that a sound port hole of the receiver faces an inside face of the tub and is aligned with the acoustic openings in the outer housing and in the tub. A plate piece is disposed between an inside face of the housing and the face of the receiver in which the sound port hole is formed. An acoustic opening is formed in the plate piece and positioned to be aligned with the sound port hole of the receiver and the acoustic openings in the outer housing and in the tub. Other embodiments are also described.Type: GrantFiled: December 23, 2008Date of Patent: February 7, 2012Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Adam D. Mittleman, Kenneth A. Jenks, Richard P. Howarth, Chad G. Seguin
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Patent number: 8055003Abstract: A portable electronic device may have acoustic ports such as microphone and speaker ports. Acoustic devices such as microphones and speakers may be associated with the acoustic ports. An acoustic port may have an opening between an interior and exterior of the portable electronic device. The opening may be covered by a metal mesh. An acoustic fabric may be interposed between the metal mesh and the opening. The opening may be formed from a hole in a glass member having outer and inner chamfers. A microphone boot may be provided that forms front and rear radial seals with a housing of the device and a microphone unit respectively. The microphone boot may also form multiple face seals with the microphone unit. A speaker for the speaker port may be enclosed in a sealed speaker enclosure. The speaker enclosure may have a pressure-equalizing vent slit covered with an acoustic mesh.Type: GrantFiled: May 13, 2008Date of Patent: November 8, 2011Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Adam D. Mittleman, Richard P. Howarth, Chad Seguin
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Publication number: 20110235281Abstract: An electronic device may include wireless circuitry such as infrared sources that control external equipment such as televisions and set-top boxes. An infrared source may be mounted within an electronic device housing in a visually inconspicuous location such as in a connector port. A button may be provided with transparent structures that allow infrared light to pass through the button. A removable accessory port may be provided with an infrared transmitter accessory that allows an electronic device to serve as a remote control device. Portions of an electronic device housing may be provided with thin housing walls or holes that are too small to be noticeable to the naked eye to serve as windows for infrared light. An audio port may serve as an infrared light window. Gasket structures, bezel structures, and the edges of displays and other planar glass members may be used in transmitting infrared light.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 25, 2010Publication date: September 29, 2011Inventor: Adam D. Mittleman