Patents by Inventor Caleb J. Flori

Caleb J. Flori 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: 20250123697
    Abstract: A computer stylus may have a shaft with a metal tube and a cap slidable between open and closed positions. A connector port may be exposed in the open position and hidden in the closed position. An antenna element may be formed from conductive traces on a printed circuit board in the shaft and aligned with a window in the metal tube. The cap may include a metal hook extending from a conductive wall into the shaft. The hook may overlap the antenna element in the closed position. The shaft may include a dielectric bumper in an opening of the hook. The hook and wall may slide relative to the shaft along the dielectric bumper. The cap may include a metal sleeve around the port. The cap may include a conductive bumper on the wall. The conductive bumper may contact the sleeve when the cap is in the closed position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2023
    Publication date: April 17, 2025
    Inventors: Brandon Y Leung, Zhe Zhang, Caleb J Flori, Lu Zhang, Stephen J Marrone, Harish Rajagopalan, Colin J Abraham, Kevin Bui, Stephanie Chou
  • Publication number: 20250112403
    Abstract: Connector receptacles and related structures that can be hidden and protected, and that have a low-profile or shallow depth. An example can provide an electronic device having a connector receptacle, where the connector receptacle can be hidden using a cover. The cover can hide the connector receptacle and protect it from debris. The connector receptacle can also have a shallow depth making it suitable for use in small devices. Various cover mechanisms can be used. These cover mechanisms can be bistable, that is they can have a stable open position and a stable closed position. There can be tactile feedback provided to a user as the user moves the cover from the open position to the closed position and from the closed position to the open position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2023
    Publication date: April 3, 2025
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Mahmoud R. Amini, James M. Jeon, Ayoub Yari Boroujeni, Jack B. Rector, III, Caleb J. Flori, Colin J. Abraham, Youqun Dong, Brandon Y. Leung, Kevin Bui
  • Patent number: 11298611
    Abstract: A user input device may include a shaft carried by a housing and having a first end extending outwardly beyond the housing for manipulation by a user and a second end within the housing. A set of one or more sensors may be carried by the housing to sense shaft movement. A first contact member may be within the housing, and a spring may be coupled between the first contact member and the shaft to urge the first contact member and the shaft apart. A motor may be carried within the housing and may have a rotatable output extending therefrom. A second contact member may be coupled to the rotatable output and may be in contact with the first contact member to be selectively moveable based upon motor rotation to set a spring compression and thereby set a return-to-center bias for the shaft while being manipulated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Caleb J. Flori, Colin J. Abraham, Min C. Kim, Xuan Liu, Joshua J. Pong
  • Publication number: 20210402290
    Abstract: A user input device may include a shaft carried by a housing and having a first end extending outwardly beyond the housing for manipulation by a user and a second end within the housing. A set of one or more sensors may be carried by the housing to sense shaft movement. A first contact member may be within the housing, and a spring may be coupled between the first contact member and the shaft to urge the first contact member and the shaft apart. A motor may be carried within the housing and may have a rotatable output extending therefrom. A second contact member may be coupled to the rotatable output and may be in contact with the first contact member to be selectively moveable based upon motor rotation to set a spring compression and thereby set a return-to-center bias for the shaft while being manipulated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2021
    Publication date: December 30, 2021
    Inventors: Caleb J. Flori, Colin J. Abraham, Min C. Kim, Xuan Liu, Joshua J. Pong
  • Patent number: 11065534
    Abstract: A thumbstick user input device may include a shaft carried by a housing and having an upper end extending outwardly beyond the housing for manipulation by the user's thumb and a lower end within the housing. Sensors may be carried by the housing to sense shaft movement. A first contact member may be within the housing, and a spring may be between the first contact member and the shaft to urge the first contact member and the shaft apart. A motor may be carried at a bottom of the housing and may have a rotatable output extending upwardly therefrom. A second contact member may be coupled to the rotatable output and in contact with the first contact member to be selectively moveable upward or downward based upon motor rotation to set a spring compression and thereby set a return-to-center bias for the shaft while being manipulated by the user's thumb.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Caleb J. Flori, Colin J. Abraham, Min C. Kim, Xuan Liu, Joshua J. Pong