Patents by Inventor Bryce T. Bradford

Bryce T. Bradford 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).

  • Patent number: 11442503
    Abstract: An electronic device such as a wearable electronic device may have a band. The band may form a stand-alone device or a strap for a wristwatch unit or other device. Electrical components may be mounted on flexible printed circuit substrates. A substrate may be encapsulated by elastomeric polymer material or other material forming the band. The elastomeric polymer material may form cavities that receive the electrical components. Components such as light-emitting diodes may be mounted to the flexible printed circuit substrates so that the light-emitting diodes are located in the cavities. Reflective sidewalls in the cavities may reflect light from the light-emitting diodes outwardly through a thinned portion of the band. Light-diffusing material in the cavities may be formed from clear polymer with light-scattering particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Yung-Yu Hsu, Shubham A. Gandhi, Mingjing Ha, Paul S. Drzaic, Chang-Chia Huang, Han-Chieh Chang, Bryce T. Bradford, David W. Lum, Bhaskar Banerjee, Adam Adjiwibawa, David A. Doyle, Hong Luo, Michael J. Brown
  • Patent number: 11003289
    Abstract: Flexible touch sensor panels can be implemented on a strap of a wearable device. A flexible touch sensor panel can provide an additional touch sensitive surface for a user to activate functions on the wearable device without covering a touch screen of the wearable device. In some examples, the flexible touch sensor panels can include electrode connectors configured to electrically couple touch electrodes of the flexible touch sensor panel. In some examples, the electrode connectors can have a serpentine routing pattern configured to allow the touch electrodes to move closer together or farther apart while maintaining electrical coupling between the touch electrodes. In some examples, the touch electrodes can have gaps configured to allow light to pass through the gaps. In some examples, an LED panel can be formed below or one or more waveguide layers can be formed above the flexible touch sensor panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Yung-Yu Hsu, Mingjing Ha, Paul S. Drzaic, David W. Lum, Bryce T. Bradford, Shubham Gandhi
  • Patent number: 10908361
    Abstract: An apparatus for driving and position sensing in a comb-drive actuator includes a generator, a driver circuit, sensing circuitry, and signal processing circuitry. The generator is configured to apply a sensing-voltage to a first electrode of the comb-drive actuator. The driver circuit is configured to apply a drive-voltage to a second electrode of the comb-drive actuator, having an opposite polarity relative to the first electrode. The sensing circuitry is configured to measure at the second electrode a sensed-waveform resulting from the sensing-voltage applied to the first electrode. The signal processing circuitry is configured to estimate a position of the first electrode relative to the second electrode based on the sensed-waveform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Sebastian Fluegel, Andrew J. Sutton, Bryce T Bradford, Yuval Gerson
  • Patent number: 10715168
    Abstract: A display device may include rows of pixels that displays image data on a display, data lines coupled to the rows of pixels, and a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) that outputs a ramp voltage signal including a data voltage to be depicted on a first pixel of the rows of pixels. The display device may also include a capacitor that receives the ramp voltage signal via the DAC and a circuit that sends a control signal to a circuit component that causes the DAC to couple to the capacitor via one of the data lines for a duration of time that comprises a first time when the ramp voltage signal is below the data voltage and a second time when the ramp voltage signal is approximately equal to the data voltage. The capacitor is coupled to the DAC when the ramp voltage signal is greater than zero.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Adam Adjiwibawa, David W. Lum, Wonjae Choi, Hynwoo Nho, Hopil Bae, Injae Hwang, Bryce T. Bradford, Jie Won Ryu, Hung Sheng Lin
  • Publication number: 20200192423
    Abstract: An electronic device such as a wearable electronic device may have a band. The band may form a stand-alone device or a strap for a wristwatch unit or other device. Electrical components may be mounted on flexible printed circuit substrates. A substrate may be encapsulated by elastomeric polymer material or other material forming the band. The elastomeric polymer material may form cavities that receive the electrical components. Components such as light-emitting diodes may be mounted to the flexible printed circuit substrates so that the light-emitting diodes are located in the cavities. Reflective sidewalls in the cavities may reflect light from the light-emitting diodes outwardly through a thinned portion of the band. Light-diffusing material in the cavities may be formed from clear polymer with light-scattering particles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2018
    Publication date: June 18, 2020
    Inventors: Yung-Yu Hsu, Shubham A. Gandhi, Mingjing Ha, Paul S. Drzaic, Chang-Chia Huang, Han-Chieh Chang, Bryce T. Bradford, David W. Lum, Bhaskar Banerjee, Adam Adjiwibawa, David A. Doyle, Hong Luo, Michael J. Brown
  • Publication number: 20190377136
    Abstract: An apparatus for driving and position sensing in a comb-drive actuator includes a generator, a driver circuit, sensing circuitry, and signal processing circuitry. The generator is configured to apply a sensing-voltage to a first electrode of the comb-drive actuator. The driver circuit is configured to apply a drive-voltage to a second electrode of the comb-drive actuator, having an opposite polarity relative to the first electrode. The sensing circuitry is configured to measure at the second electrode a sensed-waveform resulting from the sensing-voltage applied to the first electrode. The signal processing circuitry is configured to estimate a position of the first electrode relative to the second electrode based on the sensed-waveform.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2018
    Publication date: December 12, 2019
    Inventors: Sebastian Fluegel, Andrew J. Sutton, Bryce T. Bradford, Yuval Gerson
  • Publication number: 20180337687
    Abstract: A display device may include rows of pixels that displays image data on a display, data lines coupled to the rows of pixels, and a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) that outputs a ramp voltage signal including a data voltage to be depicted on a first pixel of the rows of pixels. The display device may also include a capacitor that receives the ramp voltage signal via the DAC and a circuit that sends a control signal to a circuit component that causes the DAC to couple to the capacitor via one of the data lines for a duration of time that comprises a first time when the ramp voltage signal is below the data voltage and a second time when the ramp voltage signal is approximately equal to the data voltage. The capacitor is coupled to the DAC when the ramp voltage signal is greater than zero.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2017
    Publication date: November 22, 2018
    Inventors: Adam Adjiwibawa, David W. Lum, Wonjae Choi, Hynwoo Nho, Hopil Bae, Injae Hwang, Bryce T. Bradford, Jie Won Ryu, Hung Sheng Lin