Patents by Inventor Christopher S. Erickson
Christopher S. Erickson 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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Patent number: 11375306Abstract: This disclosure includes several different features suitable for use in circumaural and supra-aural headphones designs. Designs that include earpad assemblies that improve acoustic isolation are discussed. User convenience features that include automatically detecting the orientation of the headphones on a user's head are also discussed. Various power-saving features, design features, sensor configurations and user comfort features are also discussed.Type: GrantFiled: May 19, 2020Date of Patent: June 28, 2022Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Esge B. Andersen, Miikka O. Tikander, Jared M. Kole, Daniel R. Bloom, Onur I. Ilkorur, Eugene Antony Whang, Christopher S. Erickson, Rajesh Anantharaman, Edwin J. Corona Aparicio
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Patent number: 11134328Abstract: This disclosure includes several different features suitable for use in circumaural and supra-aural headphones designs. Designs that include earpad assemblies that improve acoustic isolation are discussed. User convenience features that include automatically detecting the orientation of the headphones on a user's head are also discussed. Various power-saving features, design features, sensor configurations and user comfort features are also discussed.Type: GrantFiled: May 19, 2020Date of Patent: September 28, 2021Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Jared M. Kole, Daniel R. Bloom, Audrey L. Sheng, Tian Shi Li, Eugene Antony Whang, Edward Siahaan, Phillip Qian, Alex C. Hellwig, Oliver M. Hewitt, Yuta Kuboyama, Christopher S. Erickson, Sneha Kadetotad, Edwin J. Corona Aparicio, Rajesh Anantharaman, Jacob E. Mattingley, Tsu-Hui Lin, Robert D. Zupke, Dustin A. Hatfield, Axit H. Patel
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Publication number: 20200280786Abstract: This disclosure includes several different features suitable for use in circumaural and supra-aural headphones designs. Designs that include earpad assemblies that improve acoustic isolation are discussed. User convenience features that include automatically detecting the orientation of the headphones on a user's head are also discussed. Various power-saving features, design features, sensor configurations and user comfort features are also discussed.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 19, 2020Publication date: September 3, 2020Applicant: Apple Inc.Inventors: Jared M. Kole, Daniel R. Bloom, Audrey L. Sheng, Tian Shi Li, Eugene Antony Whang, Edward Siahaan, Phillip Qian, Alex C. Hellwig, Oliver M. Hewitt, Yuta Kuboyama, Christopher S. Erickson, Sneha Kadetotad, Edwin J. Corona Aparicio, Rajesh Anantharaman, Jacob E. Mattingley, Tsu-Hui Lin, Robert D. Zupke, Dustin A. Hatfield, Axit H. Patel
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Publication number: 20200280801Abstract: This disclosure includes several different features suitable for use in circumaural and supra-aural headphones designs. Designs that include earpad assemblies that improve acoustic isolation are discussed. User convenience features that include automatically detecting the orientation of the headphones on a user's head are also discussed. Various power-saving features, design features, sensor configurations and user comfort features are also discussed.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 19, 2020Publication date: September 3, 2020Applicant: Apple Inc.Inventors: Esge B. Andersen, Miikka O. Tikander, Jared M. Kole, Daniel R. Bloom, Onur I. Ilkorur, Eugene Antony Whang, Christopher S. Erickson, Rajesh Anantharaman, Edwin J. Corona Aparicio
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Patent number: 10593291Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with a color sensing ambient light sensor. The color sensing ambient light sensor may measure the color of ambient light. Control circuitry in the electronic device may use information from the color sensing ambient light sensor in adjusting a display in the electronic device or taking other action. The color sensing ambient light sensor may have light detectors with different spectral responses. A test system may be used to calibrate the color sensing light sensor. The test system may have a tunable light source with light-emitting diodes that are turned on in sequence while gathering measured responses from the detectors. Numerical optimization techniques may be used to produce final versions of the spectral responses for the light detectors from the measured responses and corresponding calibration data that is stored in the electronic device.Type: GrantFiled: September 17, 2015Date of Patent: March 17, 2020Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Zhang Jia, Amy M. Winkler, Christopher S. Erickson, Zhen Zhang, David W. Ritter
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Patent number: 10580341Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with a display mounted in a housing. A color sensing ambient light sensor may measure the color of ambient light. The color sensing ambient light sensor may be mounted in alignment with an ambient light sensor window formed in an inactive area of the display. The color sensing ambient light sensor may be formed from detectors on a semiconductor substrate. The detectors may include detectors that have spectral sensitivity profiles matching those of color matching functions. The color sensing ambient light sensor may include an infrared light detector. Light redirecting structures such as a diffuser, prism film, negative lens film, or privacy film may be used in directing light into the ambient light sensor. The color sensing ambient light sensor may be calibrated by exposing the sensor to light sources of different types.Type: GrantFiled: September 30, 2015Date of Patent: March 3, 2020Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Zhang Jia, Christopher S. Erickson
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Patent number: 10094708Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with light sensors. The electronic device may have an electronic device housing in which a display is mounted. The display may have a transparent layer such as a transparent display cover layer, a thin-film transistor layer, or a color filter layer. An opaque masking layer such as a layer of black ink may be used to cover an inner surface of the transparent layer in an inactive area of the display. Sensor window openings may be formed in the black ink layer. A layer of ink may be formed in each sensor window opening. Each layer of ink may have a diffuse reflectivity that is matched to that of the black ink. A diffuser layer such as a polymer coating layer with light-scattering particles may be coated on the inner surface of the layer of ink in a sensor window opening.Type: GrantFiled: April 6, 2017Date of Patent: October 9, 2018Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Zhang Jia, Christopher S. Erickson, James J. Dudley, Kenichi Nakajima, Chunji Li
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Publication number: 20170211973Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with light sensors. The electronic device may have an electronic device housing in which a display is mounted. The display may have a transparent layer such as a transparent display cover layer, a thin-film transistor layer, or a color filter layer. An opaque masking layer such as a layer of black ink may be used to cover an inner surface of the transparent layer in an inactive area of the display. Sensor window openings may be formed in the black ink layer. A layer of ink may be formed in each sensor window opening. Each layer of ink may have a diffuse reflectivity that is matched to that of the black ink. A diffuser layer such as a polymer coating layer with light-scattering particles may be coated on the inner surface of the layer of ink in a sensor window opening.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 6, 2017Publication date: July 27, 2017Inventors: Zhang Jia, Christopher S. Erickson, James J. Dudley, Kenichi Nakajima, Chunji Li
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Patent number: 9645008Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with light sensors. The electronic device may have an electronic device housing in which a display is mounted. The display may have a transparent layer such as a transparent display cover layer, a thin-film transistor layer, or a color filter layer. An opaque masking layer such as a layer of black ink may be used to cover an inner surface of the transparent layer in an inactive area of the display. Sensor window openings may be formed in the black ink layer. A layer of ink may be formed in each sensor window opening. Each layer of ink may have a diffuse reflectivity that is matched to that of the black ink. A diffuser layer such as a polymer coating layer with light-scattering particles may be coated on the inner surface of the layer of ink in a sensor window opening.Type: GrantFiled: August 25, 2014Date of Patent: May 9, 2017Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Zhang Jia, Christopher S. Erickson, James J. Dudley, Kenichi Nakajima, Chunji Li
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Publication number: 20170084250Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with a color sensing ambient light sensor. The color sensing ambient light sensor may measure the color of ambient light. Control circuitry in the electronic device may use information from the color sensing ambient light sensor in adjusting a display in the electronic device or taking other action. The color sensing ambient light sensor may have light detectors with different spectral responses. A test system may be used to calibrate the color sensing light sensor. The test system may have a tunable light source with light-emitting diodes that are turned on in sequence while gathering measured responses from the detectors. Numerical optimization techniques may be used to produce final versions of the spectral responses for the light detectors from the measured responses and corresponding calibration data that is stored in the electronic device.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 17, 2015Publication date: March 23, 2017Inventors: Zhang Jia, Amy M. Winkler, Christopher S. Erickson, Zhen Zhang, David W. Ritter
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Publication number: 20160232828Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with a display mounted in a housing. A color sensing ambient light sensor may measure the color of ambient light. The color sensing ambient light sensor may be mounted in alignment with an ambient light sensor window formed in an inactive area of the display. The color sensing ambient light sensor may be formed from detectors on a semiconductor substrate. The detectors may include detectors that have spectral sensitivity profiles matching those of color matching functions. The color sensing ambient light sensor may include an infrared light detector. Light redirecting structures such as a diffuser, prism film, negative lens film, or privacy film may be used in directing light into the ambient light sensor. The color sensing ambient light sensor may be calibrated by exposing the sensor to light sources of different types.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 30, 2015Publication date: August 11, 2016Inventors: Zhang Jia, Christopher S. Erickson
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Publication number: 20160054175Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with light sensors. The electronic device may have an electronic device housing in which a display is mounted. The display may have a transparent layer such as a transparent display cover layer, a thin-film transistor layer, or a color filter layer. An opaque masking layer such as a layer of black ink may be used to cover an inner surface of the transparent layer in an inactive area of the display. Sensor window openings may be formed in the black ink layer. A layer of ink may be formed in each sensor window opening. Each layer of ink may have a diffuse reflectivity that is matched to that of the black ink. A diffuser layer such as a polymer coating layer with light-scattering particles may be coated on the inner surface of the layer of ink in a sensor window opening.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 25, 2014Publication date: February 25, 2016Inventors: Zhang Jia, Christopher S. Erickson, James J. Dudley, Kenichi Nakajima, Chunji Li