Patents by Inventor Christopher D. Prest

Christopher D. Prest 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: 10757805
    Abstract: An electronic device may include electrical components and other components mounted within an interior of a housing. The device may have a display on a front face of the device and may have a glass layer that forms part of the housing on a rear face of the device. The glass layer may be provided with regions having different appearances. The regions may be textured, may have coatings such as thin-film interference filter coatings formed from stacks of dielectric material having alternating indices of refraction, may have metal coating layers, and/or may have ink coating layers. Textured surfaces may be formed on thin glass layers and polymer films that are coupled to the glass layer. A glass layer may be formed from a pair of coupled glass layers. The coupled layers may have one or more recesses or other structures to visually distinguish different regions of the glass layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: James R. Wilson, Christopher D. Prest, Marta M. Giachino, Matthew S. Rogers, Que Anh S. Nguyen
  • Patent number: 10696235
    Abstract: An electronic device having a unitary housing is disclosed. The device can include a first housing component having an open cavity, an internal electronic part disposed within the cavity, a second housing component disposed across the cavity, and a support feature disposed within the cavity and arranged to support the second housing component. The first housing component can be formed from metal, while the second housing component can be formed from a plurality of laminated foil metal layers. The second housing component can be attached to the first housing component via one or more ultrasonic welds, such that a fully enclosed housing is created. The fully enclosed housing can be hermetically sealed, and the outside surfaces thereof can be machined or otherwise finished after the ultrasonic welding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Christopher D. Prest, Stephen P. Zadesky, Trent Weber, Lucy E. Browning
  • Publication number: 20200203668
    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with a display mounted in a housing. The display may have an array of display pixels that provide image light to a user. The array of display pixels may form an active display structure with a rectangular shape. The rectangular active display structure may be surrounded by an inactive border region. Optical structures such as a sheet of glass or another optical member may have portions that are configured to bend light from the display pixels along the periphery of the active display structure. The optical member may have an area that is larger than the area of the active display structure, so that the presence of the optical member may serve to enlarge the apparent size of the display. Solidified liquid polymer may be used to support the optical structures and may be interposed between the optical structures and the active display structures.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2020
    Publication date: June 25, 2020
    Inventors: Tseng-Mau Yang, Christopher D. Prest, Dale N. Memering
  • Publication number: 20200159286
    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with a display mounted in a housing. The display may have an array of display pixels that provide image light to a user. The array of display pixels may form an active display structure with a rectangular shape. The rectangular active display structure may be surrounded by an inactive border region. Optical structures such as upper structures formed from a sheet of glass and lower optical structures that lie beneath the sheet of glass may be configured to bend light from the display pixels along the periphery of the active display structure. The upper optical structures may have an area that is larger than the area of the active display structure, so that the presence of the optical structures may serve to enlarge the apparent size of the display. The lower and upper optical structures may have curved surfaces for bending the light.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2020
    Publication date: May 21, 2020
    Inventors: Christopher D. Prest, Tseng-Mau Yang, Dale N. Memering
  • Publication number: 20200153092
    Abstract: A housing for an electronic device, including an aluminum layer enclosing a volume that includes a radio-frequency (RF) antenna is provided. The housing includes a window aligned with the RF antenna; the window including a non-conductive material filling a cavity in the aluminum layer; and a thin aluminum oxide layer adjacent to the aluminum layer and to the non-conductive material; wherein the non-conductive material and the thin aluminum oxide layer form an RF-transparent path through the window. A housing for an electronic device including an integrated RF-antenna is also provided. A method of manufacturing a housing for an electronic device as described above is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2020
    Publication date: May 14, 2020
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Colin M. Ely, Christopher D. Prest, Lucy E. Browning, Stephen B. Lynch, Eric S. Laakmann, Paul L. Nangeroni
  • Patent number: 10600997
    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with a display mounted in a housing. The display may have an array of display pixels that provide image light to a user. The array of display pixels may form an active display structure with a rectangular shape. The rectangular active display structure may be surrounded by an inactive border region. Optical structures such as a sheet of glass or another optical member may have portions that are configured to bend light from the display pixels along the periphery of the active display structure. The optical member may have an area that is larger than the area of the active display structure, so that the presence of the optical member may serve to enlarge the apparent size of the display. Solidified liquid polymer may be used to support the optical structures and may be interposed between the optical structures and the active display structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Tseng-Mau Yang, Christopher D. Prest, Dale N. Memering
  • Publication number: 20200084533
    Abstract: An apparatus for charging a portable wireless listening device including a housing having a socket to receive the portable wireless listening device; a battery; wireless circuitry that enables the apparatus to communicate wirelessly with a host device; power transmitting circuitry configured to provide power to the portable wireless listening device when the device is received in the socket to charge a battery within the portable wireless listening device; and a processor configured to configured to establish a wireless communication protocol between the portable wireless listening device and the host device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2019
    Publication date: March 12, 2020
    Inventors: M. Evans Hankey, Emery A. Sanford, Christopher D. Prest, Way Chet Lim
  • Publication number: 20200084885
    Abstract: An electronic device may include electrical components and other components mounted within an interior of a housing. The device may have a display on a front face of the device and may have a glass layer that forms part of the housing on a rear face of the device. The glass layer may be provided with regions having different appearances. The regions may be textured, may have coatings such as thin-film interference filter coatings formed from stacks of dielectric material having alternating indices of refraction, may have metal coating layers, and/or may have ink coating layers. Textured surfaces may be formed on thin glass layers and polymer films that are coupled to the glass layer. A glass layer may be formed from a pair of coupled glass layers. The coupled layers may have one or more recesses or other structures to visually distinguish different regions of the glass layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 11, 2019
    Publication date: March 12, 2020
    Inventors: James R. Wilson, Christopher D. Prest, Marta M. Giachino, Matthew S. Rogers, Que Anh S. Nguyen
  • Publication number: 20200071838
    Abstract: An electronic device such as a wristwatch may include a conductive housing. A corrosion-resistant coating may be deposited on the conductive housing. The coating may include transition layers and an uppermost alloy layer. The transition layers may include a chromium seed layer on the conductive housing and a chromium nitride layer on the chromium seed layer. The uppermost alloy layer may include TiCrCN or other alloys and may provide the coating with desired optical reflection and absorption characteristics. The transition layers may include a minimal number of coating defects, thereby eliminating potential sites at which visible defects could form when exposed to salt water. This may allow the electronic device to exhibit a desired color and to be submerged in salt water without producing undesirable visible defects on the conductive housing structures.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2019
    Publication date: March 5, 2020
    Inventors: Brian S. Tryon, Isabel Yang, Todd Mintz, Jeremy Li, Brian Gable, Lijie Bao, Yi Chen, Christopher D. Prest, James Yurko
  • Publication number: 20200057525
    Abstract: An electronic device includes a six-sided glass enclosure defining an interior volume and comprising a first glass member and a second glass member. The first glass member defines at least a portion of a first major side of the six-sided glass enclosure, at least a portion of a peripheral side of the six-sided glass enclosure, a first region along the peripheral side and having a first thickness, and a second region along the peripheral side and having a second thickness different from the first thickness. The second glass member is attached to the first glass member and defines at least a portion of a second major side of the six-sided glass enclosure. The electronic device further includes a touchscreen display within the interior volume and positioned adjacent at least a portion of each of the six sides of the six-sided glass enclosure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2019
    Publication date: February 20, 2020
    Inventors: Christopher D. Prest, Peter N. Russell-Clarke
  • Patent number: 10566687
    Abstract: A housing for an electronic device, including an aluminum layer enclosing a volume that includes a radio-frequency (RF) antenna is provided. The housing includes a window aligned with the RF antenna; the window including a non-conductive material filling a cavity in the aluminum layer; and a thin aluminum oxide layer adjacent to the aluminum layer and to the non-conductive material; wherein the non-conductive material and the thin aluminum oxide layer form an RF-transparent path through the window. A housing for an electronic device including an integrated RF-antenna is also provided. A method of manufacturing a housing for an electronic device as described above is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Colin M. Ely, Christopher D. Prest, Lucy E. Browning, Stephen B. Lynch, Eric S. Laakmann, Paul L. Nangeroni
  • Patent number: 10562274
    Abstract: A glass fastening system includes a fastener having a first portion embedded along an interlayer within a laminated glass portion and a second portion extending outward from an exterior surface of the laminated glass portion for use in attachment to a support structure. Another glass fastening system includes a fastener having a first portion adhered to an exterior surface of a glass pane and a second portion extending from the first portion away from the exterior surface for use in attachment to a support structure. A glass sealing system includes a pair of glass panes having offset edge portions and a seal including an overmold portion capturing the edge portions. Another glass sealing system includes a seal having an internal portion embedded within a laminated glass portion and an external portion extending along an exterior surface of the laminated glass portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: David E. Kingman, Derek C. Scott, Donald R. Monroe, Phil M. Hobson, Juan A. Lazaro, Ibuki Kamei, John Raff, Stephen B. Lynch, Albert J. Golko, Christopher D. Prest, Dale N. Memering, James A. Yurko, Christopher D. Jones
  • Patent number: 10551874
    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with a display mounted in a housing. The display may have an array of display pixels that provide image light to a user. The array of display pixels may form an active display structure with a rectangular shape. The rectangular active display structure may be surrounded by an inactive border region. Optical structures such as upper structures formed from a sheet of glass and lower optical structures that lie beneath the sheet of glass may be configured to bend light from the display pixels along the periphery of the active display structure. The upper optical structures may have an area that is larger than the area of the active display structure, so that the presence of the optical structures may serve to enlarge the apparent size of the display. The lower and upper optical structures may have curved surfaces for bending the light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher D. Prest, Tseng-Mau Yang, Dale N. Memering
  • Patent number: 10542628
    Abstract: A housing or enclosure for an electronic device is formed from a shell and chassis may positioned along an interior of the shell. The shell may be formed from a hard or cosmetic material and the chassis may be formed from a machinable material. The chassis may define one or more machined surfaces that are configured to receive or mount a component of the electronic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Christopher D. Prest, Colin M. Ely, Naoto Matsuyuki, Joseph C. Poole
  • Patent number: 10537023
    Abstract: An electronic device may include electrical components and other components mounted within an interior of a housing. The device may have a display on a front face of the device and may have a glass layer that forms part of the housing on a rear face of the device. The glass layer may be provided with regions having different appearances. The regions may be textured, may have coatings such as thin-film interference filter coatings formed from stacks of dielectric material having alternating indices of refraction, may have metal coating layers, and/or may have ink coating layers. Textured surfaces may be formed on thin glass layers and polymer films that are coupled to the glass layer. A glass layer may be formed from a pair of coupled glass layers. The coupled layers may have one or more recesses or other structures to visually distinguish different regions of the glass layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: James R. Wilson, Christopher D. Prest, Marta M. Giachino, Matthew S. Rogers, Que Anh S. Nguyen
  • Patent number: 10527765
    Abstract: Surfaces having structured optical appearances are disclosed. The surface can include substrate, a first optical coating disposed on the substrate having a first refractive index; and a second optical coating disposed on the first optical coating having a second refractive index. The first refractive index is different than the second refractive index. Other surfaces can include a substrate having a visible surface, wherein the visible surface comprises a plurality of structural features, wherein each of the structural features is configured to transmit a light wave that optically interacts with waves of light of other structural features to create a visual appearance. Still other surfaces can include a substrate and an optical coating disposed on the substrate. The optical coating comprising particles in an ordered array within a matrix, wherein the matrix has a first refractive index and the particles have a second refractive index.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: James R. Wilson, Christopher D. Prest, Matthew S. Rogers
  • Publication number: 20190391326
    Abstract: A display may have an array of display pixels that generate an image. A coherent fiber bundle may be mounted on the display pixels. The coherent fiber bundle may have a first surface that is adjacent to the display pixels and a second surface that is visible to a viewer. The coherent fiber bundle may contain fibers that carry light from the first surface to the second surface. The second surface may be planar or may have a central planar region and curved edge regions that run along opposing sides of the central planar region. The fibers may have cross-sectional surface areas with a first aspect ratio on the first surface and a second aspect ratio that is greater than the first aspect ratio on the second surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2019
    Publication date: December 26, 2019
    Inventors: Tseng-Mau Yang, Christopher D. Prest, Dale N. Memering
  • Patent number: 10516931
    Abstract: An apparatus for charging a portable wireless listening device including a housing having a socket to receive the portable wireless listening device; a battery; wireless circuitry that enables the apparatus to communicate wirelessly with a host device; power transmitting circuitry configured to provide power to the portable wireless listening device when the device is received in the socket to charge a battery within the portable wireless listening device; and a processor configured to configured to establish a wireless communication protocol between the portable wireless listening device and the host device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2019
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: M. Evans Hankey, Emery A. Sanford, Christopher D. Prest, Way Chet Lim
  • Patent number: 10508350
    Abstract: Anodized electroplated aluminum structures and methods for making the same are disclosed. Cosmetic structures according to embodiments of the invention are provided by electroplating a non-cosmetic structure with aluminum and then anodizing the electroplated aluminum. This produces cosmetic structures that may possess desired structural and cosmetic properties and that may be suitable for use as housing or support members of electronic devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2019
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Ken Silverman, Ronald Moller, Peter Russell-Clarke, Christopher D. Prest, Rimple Bhatia, Paul Choiniere, Lucy Elizabeth Browning, Masashige Tatebe
  • Publication number: 20190331940
    Abstract: A glass component of an electronic device housing may define a textured surface having micro-scale tactile friction features that provide a specified friction between a user's finger and the glass component. More specifically, the tactile friction features may reduce a contact surface area that is in contact with the user's finger in order to produce a reduced or specified coefficient of friction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2019
    Publication date: October 31, 2019
    Inventors: Joseph C. Poole, Christopher D. Prest, Kyle J. Nekimken, Samuel O. Schneider