Patents by Inventor APPLE INC.

APPLE INC. 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).

  • Publication number: 20130227647
    Abstract: An electronic device receives a request for access to the infrastructure network (and, more generally, a ‘resource’) from the other electronic device via a peer-to-peer link. In response to the request, the electronic device determines that it has access to the infrastructure network, and provides a response to the other electronic device via the peer-to-peer link indicating that the electronic device has access to the infrastructure network. Then, the electronic device establishes secure communication with the other electronic device, and provides access information to the other electronic device via the peer-to-peer link using the secure communication. This access information facilitates access to the infrastructure network.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2013
    Publication date: August 29, 2013
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventor: APPLE INC.
  • Publication number: 20130227179
    Abstract: Peripherals and data processing systems are disclosed which can be configured to interact based upon sensor data. In one embodiment, a peripheral, which is configured to be used with a data processing system, includes an interface to couple the peripheral to the data processing system, and at least one sensor, such as a proximity sensor, to sense a user of the peripheral, and a processor coupled to the interface and to the at least one sensor, wherein the processor configures the peripheral in response to data from the at least one sensor. The peripheral may communicate sensor data from its sensors to the data processing system, which may be a wireless PDA, and the data processing system analyzes the sensor data from its sensors and from the peripheral's sensors to decide how to configure the peripheral and/or the data processing system based on the sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2013
    Publication date: August 29, 2013
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Apple Inc.
  • Publication number: 20130227019
    Abstract: An apparatus, method, and machine-readable medium are described for establishing peer-to-peer (“P2P”) communication channels. In particular, in one embodiment, an invitation service performs a series of transactions to enable P2P communication between two or more mobile data processing devices. Prior to attempting to establish a P2P network communication channel, the invitation service may first collect network information for each of the mobile devices and use the network information to determine if a direct P2P network communication channel is feasible. If a direct connection is feasible, then the invitation service provides for direct P2P communication, pushing the necessary network information to each of the mobile devices. If, however, a direct connection is infeasible or if a direct connection is attempted and fails, then the invitation service may identify network information associated with a relay service.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2013
    Publication date: August 29, 2013
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Apple Inc.
  • Publication number: 20130227448
    Abstract: A method of defining a dynamically adjustable user interface (“UI”) of a device is described. The method defines multiple UI elements for the UI, where each UI element includes multiple pixels. The method defines a display adjustment tool for receiving a single display adjustment parameter and in response adjusting the appearance of the UI by differentiating display adjustments to a first set of saturated pixels from the display adjustments to a second set of non-saturated pixels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2013
    Publication date: August 29, 2013
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Apple Inc.
  • Publication number: 20130225100
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for compensating for the effects of interference between multiple wireless communication apparatus. In one embodiment, the method comprises providing a first wireless communication apparatus operating in a first band and a second wireless communication apparatus operating at least partly in the first band, where the second wireless communication apparatus operates according to a different communication protocol than the first wireless communication apparatus. Interference is compensated for between the first wireless communication apparatus and the second wireless communication apparatus by selecting and operating according to one of a plurality of operational protocols. In another embodiment, the first wireless communication apparatus and the second wireless communication apparatus operate in a closed-loop relationship to cooperatively compensate for communication interference.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2013
    Publication date: August 29, 2013
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Apple Inc
  • Publication number: 20130225161
    Abstract: An electronic device receives a list of available networks and associated access credentials via a cellular-telephone network. These available networks may be other than the cellular-telephone network and may use a communication technique other than a cellular-telephone communication technique, such as an IEEE 802.11 protocol. For example, a base station in the cellular-telephone network may track the location of the electronic device, and may provide the list to the electronic device when the cellular-telephone network performance is constrained or degraded. In response to receiving the list, the electronic device may select a network from the available networks based on a communication criterion, such as: proximity to the electronic device, a signal strength, security, and/or communication quality.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2013
    Publication date: August 29, 2013
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventor: Apple Inc.
  • Publication number: 20130214887
    Abstract: A magnetic attachment mechanism and method is described. The magnetic attachment mechanism can be used to releasably attach at least two objects together in a preferred configuration without fasteners and without external intervention. The magnetic attachment mechanism can be used to releasably attach an accessory device to an electronic device. The accessory device can be used to augment the functionality of usefulness of the electronic device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2013
    Publication date: August 22, 2013
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventor: APPLE INC.
  • Publication number: 20130218901
    Abstract: In one embodiment, the correlation filter can use one of several data structure to track each migration unit and reject successive accesses within a period of time to each migration unit. In one embodiment, the correlation filter uses a space efficient data structure, such as a hash indexed correlation array to store the address of referenced migration units, and to filter accesses to a single migration unit that are correlated accesses resulting from multiple accesses to the same migration unit during a sequential I/O stream. In one embodiment, the correlation array contains a global timeout, which resets each element to a default value, clearing all store migration unit address values from the correlation array. In one embodiment, each element of the migration array can time-out separately.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2012
    Publication date: August 22, 2013
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Apple Inc.
  • Publication number: 20130215937
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus that seek to increase the diversity seen in wireless communication systems by intelligently implementing a joint multi-dimensional permutation approach. In an exemplary embodiment, this is accomplished by combining the permutation of various transmitter antennas, various data streams (for example, in a MIMO configuration) and various constellation-bit mappings into a coherent multi-dimensional permutation scheme. Subsequent retransmissions in combination with an initial transmission are utilized to obtain substantial signal flattening at a receiver which increases the likelihood that retransmissions that follow detected errors will successfully convey the transmitted data to the receiver. Both open and closed-loop approaches are contemplated which take advantage of the multi-dimensional permutation schemes. In addition, embodiments utilized in the context of retransmission mechanisms such as HARQ are also contemplated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2013
    Publication date: August 22, 2013
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Apple Inc.
  • Publication number: 20130215846
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for preferring connections between networks. In one embodiment, a mobile device is capable of hybrid network operation (e.g. LTE and CDMA 1X operation), allowing the mobile device to be registered to a CDMA 1X network for voice calls while receiving and sending data traffic over a LTE network. However, any data sent by the LTE network may be lost if the data was transmitted during a tune-away to the CDMA 1X network to perform maintenance operations. In one variant, the mobile device can disable the idle voice connection to the CDMA 1X network based on a request from resident applications requiring real-time data streaming, which are more likely to experience data loss. Consequently, potential data loss due to a network tune-away is prevented, thereby improving data performance of the resident applications. In another embodiment, an adaptive transmit receive mode can be selectively disabled/enabled for data traffic.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2013
    Publication date: August 22, 2013
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Apple Inc.
  • Publication number: 20130218996
    Abstract: Systems, methods and computer readable media for synchronization of electronic message accounts. In one embodiment, a method includes receiving information to establish an electronic message account on a first data processing system, the electronic message account being defined by setup information, and synchronizing the setup information onto a store on a second data processing system. In another embodiment, a method includes receiving information to establish an electronic message account, defined by first setup information, on a host and synchronizing the first setup information onto a device when the device is coupled to the host for synchronization. Systems, other methods and computer readable media are also described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2013
    Publication date: August 22, 2013
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Apple Inc.
  • Publication number: 20130219322
    Abstract: Information is presented to a user by accessing a library of electronic publications that includes a first publication, generating a representation of the first publication in an electronic bookshelf, determining a state for the first publication and modifying the representation of the first publication to reflect the state of the first publication.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2013
    Publication date: August 22, 2013
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Apple Inc.
  • Publication number: 20130219270
    Abstract: Information is presented to a user by accessing a library of electronic publications that includes a first publication, generating a representation of the first publication in an electronic bookshelf, determining a state for the first publication and modifying the representation of the first publication to reflect the state of the first publication.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2013
    Publication date: August 22, 2013
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Apple Inc.
  • Publication number: 20130218839
    Abstract: A system for synchronization whereby metadata repository maintains information regarding the history and status of data items in a data repository. Data items are associated with states and such states changes (e.g. increment) in response to changes to the data items. History statements associated with the same states describe the changes in a generic enough fashion that multiple data items may be associated with a single state (e.g. if multiple data items share a common history such as that they were all edited by a user on the same device). The history repository is synchronized with other history repositories so as to reflect the states of data items on multiple devices. The synchronized history stores are used during synchronization to identify and resolve data conflicts through ancestry of data item history.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2012
    Publication date: August 22, 2013
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Apple Inc.
  • Publication number: 20130216072
    Abstract: An optimal listening position for the multi-channel audio sound system is determined. A listening area and other audio playback controls may also be defined or modified by a listener. During subsequent audio playback, an imager captures images of at least a portion of the listener. When the listener has moved to a position that is different from a previous position, one or more audio parameters are adjusted for at least one channel in the multi-channel audio system in order to reposition the initial or previous optimal listening position to the current position of the listener. When the listener moves outside the listening area, an out of bounds response is initiated to disable or control the audio playback until the listener moves to a position within the listening area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2013
    Publication date: August 22, 2013
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Apple Inc.
  • Publication number: 20130219269
    Abstract: Information is presented to a user by accessing a library of electronic publications that includes a first publication, generating a representation of the first publication in an electronic bookshelf, determining a state for the first publication and modifying the representation of the first publication to reflect the state of the first publication.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2013
    Publication date: August 22, 2013
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Apple Inc.
  • Publication number: 20130215642
    Abstract: An electronic device such as a portable computer may have a housing with a rectangular recess in which layers of display structures such as a light guide panel layer and other light guide structures are directly mounted without intervening chassis members. Mating alignment features in the housing and display structures may be used to align the display structures relative to the housing. A display may be formed from glass layers such as a color filter glass layer and a thin-film transistor glass layer. Backlight for the display may be generated by an array of light-emitting diodes. The light guide panel may direct light from the light-emitting diodes through the glass layers. A clamp may be used to hold the light-emitting diodes and light guide structures in place in the recess. An undercut in the housing may also hold the light guide structures in place.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2013
    Publication date: August 22, 2013
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Apple Inc.
  • Publication number: 20130217246
    Abstract: Headset assemblies and headset connectors are provided. Headset connectors can include a magnetic mating face and a plurality of electrical contacts disposed within the mating face. Engaging assemblies and engaging connectors are also provided. The engaging connectors can include a housing having a mating side, a magnetic array structure, and a plurality of spring biased contact members. The magnetic array structure can be fixed within the housing and house a plurality of spring biased contact members. The spring biased contact members can include tips that extend out of the mating side. The tips can electrically couple with electrical contacts in a headset connector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2013
    Publication date: August 22, 2013
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Apple Inc.
  • Publication number: 20130219321
    Abstract: Information is presented to a user by accessing a library of electronic publications that includes a first publication, generating a representation of the first publication in an electronic bookshelf, determining a state for the first publication and modifying the representation of the first publication to reflect the state of the first publication.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2013
    Publication date: August 22, 2013
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Apple Inc.
  • Publication number: 20130219013
    Abstract: A new resource address is registered in response to input received from a user. The user is then notified when a visually non-empty portion of content from the resource address has been loaded into a viewing area of the content viewing application. The notification cues the user to direct his/her attention to the viewing area of the content viewing application.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2013
    Publication date: August 22, 2013
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Apple Inc.