Patents by Inventor David A. Pakula

David A. Pakula 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: 20250120031
    Abstract: Housings for electronic devices are disclosed. According to one aspect, adjoining surfaces of electronic device housings can be mounted or arranged such that adjoining surfaces are flush to a high degree of precision. The electronic devices can be portable and in some cases handheld.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2024
    Publication date: April 10, 2025
    Inventors: David Pakula, Richard Hung Minh Dinh, Scott Myers, Tang Yew Tan
  • Publication number: 20250103103
    Abstract: This is directed to providing a cosmetic finish on a component constructed by connecting several elements. A single manufacturing process, such as machining or grinding, can be applied to the connected elements to remove material from some or all of the elements and to form a smooth and continuous surface across interfaces between the individual elements of the component. In some cases, settings of the material removal process can be adjusted based on the material of the component elements. For example, the settings can be adjusted based on the manufacturing or mechanical properties of each element material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2024
    Publication date: March 27, 2025
    Inventors: Scott Myers, Richard Heley, Matthew Theobald, Adam Stagnaro, Tang Tan, Richard Dinh, David Pakula
  • Patent number: 12256032
    Abstract: A portable electronic device may include a housing having a wall defining an opening in the housing and at least a portion of four side surfaces of the portable electronic device. The portable electronic device may further include a display at least partially within the housing, a front cover positioned in the opening in the housing and over the display, the front cover defining a front surface, a peripheral side surface extending from the front surface and at least partially surrounded by the wall of the housing, and a notch that, together with a portion of the wall of the housing, defines an acoustic port of the portable electronic device. The electronic device may further include an acoustic port cover positioned at least partially in the acoustic port and a speaker at least partially within the housing and configured to direct sound through the acoustic port cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2025
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Ethan R. Stobbe, Cameron Bauer, Samuel J. Pliska, Macey E. Dade, Baris Ozgen, Lee E. Hooton, Benjamin S. Bustle, Jason M. Gillier, Stoyan P. Hristov, Anthony B. Sinclair, Nicholas Merz, Daniel Jarvis, Ian A. Spraggs, Mitchell T. Hoertz, Michael D. Quinones, David A. Pakula, Brandon R Collins-Smoot, Matthew R. McGuire, Richard H. Koch, Simon C. Helmore, Gareth L. Rose, Marwan Rammah, Zachary S. Scott, Jonathan M. Lee, Melissa A. Wah, Jacob Barton, Laura M. Burke, Jesse P. Harris, Samruddhi A. Deshpande, Ekaterina Pease, David J. Dunsmoor, Nawaf Al-Baghly
  • Patent number: 12238882
    Abstract: Various components of an electronic device housing and methods for their assembly are disclosed. The housing can be formed by assembling and connecting two or more different sections together. The sections of the housing may be coupled together using one or more coupling members. The coupling members may be formed using a two-shot molding process in which the first shot forms a structural portion of the coupling members, and the second shot forms cosmetic portions of the coupling members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2024
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2025
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Bryan P. Kiple, Charles B. Woodhull, David A. Pakula, Tang Y. Tan
  • Publication number: 20250060784
    Abstract: An electronic device having a display assembly is disclosed. Several layers may combine to form the display assembly. For example, the display assembly may include a touch sensitive layer (or touch detection layer), a display layer that present visual information, and a force sensitive layer (or force detection layer). The display layer may include a bend or curve that allows a portion of the display layer to bend around the force sensitive layer. Also, the connectors (that provide electrical and mechanical connections) may be positioned at different locations of the layers. For example, the display layer may include a connector on a first edge region, and the force sensitive layer may include a connector on a second edge region that is perpendicular, or at least substantially perpendicular, to the first edge region. By positioning the connectors on perpendicular edge regions, the display assembly may reduce its footprint.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2024
    Publication date: February 20, 2025
    Inventors: Douglas G. FOURNIER, James R. KROGDAHL, Daniel W. JARVIS, Edward S. HUO, Lee E. HOOTON, Srikanth V. THIRUPPUKUZHI, Garret R. OWOC, Michael NGO, David A. PAKULA, Robert F. MEYER
  • Patent number: 12189423
    Abstract: An electronic device having a display assembly is disclosed. Several layers may combine to form the display assembly. For example, the display assembly may include a touch sensitive layer (or touch detection layer), a display layer that present visual information, and a force sensitive layer (or force detection layer). The display layer may include a bend or curve that allows a portion of the display layer to bend around the force sensitive layer. Also, the connectors (that provide electrical and mechanical connections) may be positioned at different locations of the layers. For example, the display layer may include a connector on a first edge region, and the force sensitive layer may include a connector on a second edge region that is perpendicular, or at least substantially perpendicular, to the first edge region. By positioning the connectors on perpendicular edge regions, the display assembly may reduce its footprint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2025
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Douglas G. Fournier, James R. Krogdahl, Daniel W. Jarvis, Edward S. Huo, Lee E. Hooton, Srikanth V. Thiruppukuzhi, Garrett R. Owoc, Michael Ngo, David A. Pakula, Robert F. Meyer
  • Patent number: 12185489
    Abstract: Housings for electronic devices are disclosed. According to one aspect, adjoining surfaces of electronic device housings can be mounted or arranged such that adjoining surfaces are flush to a high degree of precision. The electronic devices can be portable and in some cases handheld.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2024
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: David Pakula, Richard Hung Minh Dinh, Scott Myers, Tang Yew Tan
  • Publication number: 20240431057
    Abstract: Various components of an electronic device housing and methods for their assembly are disclosed. The housing can be formed by assembling and connecting two or more different sections together. The sections of the housing may be coupled together using one or more coupling members. The coupling members may be formed using a two-shot molding process in which the first shot forms a structural portion of the coupling members, and the second shot forms cosmetic portions of the coupling members.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2024
    Publication date: December 26, 2024
    Inventors: Bryan P. KIPLE, Charles B. WOODHULL, David A. PAKULA, Tang Y. TAN
  • Patent number: 12174673
    Abstract: This is directed to providing a cosmetic finish on a component constructed by connecting several elements. A single manufacturing process, such as machining or grinding, can be applied to the connected elements to remove material from some or all of the elements and to form a smooth and continuous surface across interfaces between the individual elements of the component. In some cases, settings of the material removal process can be adjusted based on the material of the component elements. For example, the settings can be adjusted based on the manufacturing or mechanical properties of each element material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2024
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Scott Myers, Richard Heley, Matthew Theobald, Adam Stagnaro, Tang Tan, Richard Dinh, David Pakula
  • Patent number: 12166911
    Abstract: A mobile phone may include a housing, a battery at least partially within the housing, and a circuit board assembly at least partially within the housing and positioned along a side of the battery. The circuit board assembly may include a first circuit board defining a first hole, a second circuit board defining a second hole, a wall structure between the first circuit board and the second circuit board and attached to an inner surface of the first circuit board and an inner surface of the second circuit board, and a fastener assembly configured to retain the first circuit board to the second circuit board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2024
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Owen D. Hale, Dale T. Morgan, Andrew U. Leopold, Yifan Zhao, Nicholas Merz, Daniel Jarvis, James B. Smith, Macey E. Dade, Samuel J. Pliska, Ethan R. Stobbe, Cameron Bauer, Ian A. Spraggs, Marwan Rammah, Bryan D. Keen, David A. Pakula
  • Patent number: 12137529
    Abstract: Various components of an electronic device housing and methods for their assembly are disclosed. The housing can be formed by assembling and connecting two or more different sections together. The sections of the housing may be coupled together using one or more coupling members. The coupling members may be formed using a two-shot molding process in which the first shot forms a structural portion of the coupling members, and the second shot forms cosmetic portions of the coupling members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2023
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2024
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Bryan P. Kiple, Charles B. Woodhull, David A. Pakula, Tang Y. Tan
  • Patent number: 12088748
    Abstract: A portable electronic device includes a housing, a sensor array including a first camera module having a first field of view, a second camera module having a second field of view different from the first field of view, and a light source, and a rear cover formed from a glass material and defining a raised sensor array region positioned over the sensor array. The raised sensor array region defines a first hole extending through the rear cover and positioned proximate a first corner region of the raised sensor array region, and a second hole extending through the rear cover and positioned proximate a second corner region diagonal from the first corner region. The first camera module includes a first camera housing defining a recess at a corner of the first camera housing, and the second camera module includes a second camera housing extending into the recess.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2024
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Xuyang Zhang, Jason P. Shannon, Jon F. Housour, Robert F. Meyer, Owen D. Hale, Dale T. Morgan, Daniel Jarvis, Nicholas Merz, Benjamin Morse, Rasamy Phouthavong, Michael B. Wittenberg, David A. Pakula, Simon C. Helmore, Gareth L. Rose, Marwan Rammah, Melissa A. Wah, Jacob Barton, Ian A. Spraggs
  • Publication number: 20240188243
    Abstract: Various components of an electronic device housing and methods for their assembly are disclosed. The housing can be formed by assembling and connecting two or more different sections together. The sections of the housing may be coupled together using one or more coupling members. The coupling members may be formed using a two-shot molding process in which the first shot forms a structural portion of the coupling members, and the second shot forms cosmetic portions of the coupling members.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2024
    Publication date: June 6, 2024
    Inventors: Bryan P. KIPLE, Charles B. WOODHULL, David A. PAKULA, Tang Y. TAN
  • Patent number: 12003657
    Abstract: A portable electronic device may include a housing member, a rear cover coupled to the housing member, and a top module coupled to the housing member and including a front cover defining an exterior surface and an interior surface opposite to the exterior surface, a display stack attached to the interior surface of the front cover and comprising a flexible circuit element extending from a side of the display stack, a frame member attached to the interior surface of the front cover and extending at least partially around a periphery of the display stack, and an encapsulating structure positioned between the frame member and the display stack and at least partially encapsulating a portion of a peripheral side of the display stack and the flexible circuit element. The encapsulating structure may cover at least a portion of a bottom side of the display stack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2024
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Richard H. Koch, Jonathan M. Lee, Laura M. Burke, Ekaterina Pease, Nicholas Merz, Daniel Jarvis, Ian A. Spraggs, Lee E. Hooton, Kodiak D. Burke, David A. Pakula, Marwan Rammah
  • Patent number: 11988347
    Abstract: A strobe module can include a Fresnel lens that defines an external surface of the strobe module and a sidewall at least partially defining an internal volume and defining an external channel. A gasket can be disposed in the external channel. A substrate can be coupled to the sidewall to further define the internal volume and a light source can be disposed on the substrate in the internal volume.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2024
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Garrett R. Owoc, Stoyan P. Hristov, Jason B. Neevel, Ian A. Spraggs, Daniel W. Jarvis, David A. Pakula, Mikael S. Wagner, Blake M. Coughenour, Gikku J. George
  • Patent number: 11963425
    Abstract: An electronic device may have a display overlapped by a cover layer. Portions of the surface of the display and cover layer may have curved profiles. The display may include a flexible substrate and may have bent edge portions protruding from a central region. Gaps may be formed between regions of pixels on a common substrate or between separate display panels. Gap-overlapping structures may overlap the gaps to hide internal components from view or to blend the appearance of gaps with the appearance of adjoining portions of a display layer. The gap-overlapping structures may include light sources such as crystalline semiconductor light-emitting diodes. The diodes may emit light through light diffusing structures. Protruding display layer fingers and other structures may be used to accommodate display cover layer surfaces with curved profiles such as corner surfaces of compound curvature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Michael B. Wittenberg, Jean-Pierre S. Guillou, Tyler R. Kakuda, Christopher D. Prest, Marwan Rammah, Rasamy Phouthavong, Richard H. Dinh, David A. Pakula
  • Patent number: 11898808
    Abstract: An electronic device can include a housing and a support component joined to the housing. The support component can include a thermal conduction layer defining a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface. The support component can also include a first support layer overlying the first surface and a second support layer overlying the second surface. A ratio of the thickness of the thermal conduction layer to the combined thickness of the first support layer and the second support layer can be at least 1.5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Robert F. Meyer, William A. Counts, Michael D. Quinones, Jason P. Shannon, David A. Pakula
  • Patent number: D1021892
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jody Akana, Bartley K. Andre, Shota Aoyagi, Anthony Michael Ashcroft, Jeremy Bataillou, Daniel J. Coster, Daniele De Iuliis, M. Evans Hankey, Julian Hoenig, Richard P. Howarth, Jonathan P. Ive, Duncan Robert Kerr, Scott A. Myers, David A. Pakula, Rasamy Phouthavong, Matthew Dean Rohrbach, Peter Russell-Clarke, Benjamin Andrew Shaffer, Ashutosh Y. Shukla, Mikael Silvanto, Christopher J. Stringer, Eugene Antony Whang, Rico Zörkendörfer
  • Patent number: D1050129
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2023
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jody Akana, Molly Anderson, Bartley K. Andre, Shota Aoyagi, Anthony Michael Ashcroft, Marine C. Bataille, Jeremy Bataillou, James A. Bertin, Daniele De Iuliis, Markus Diebel, David J. Dunsmoor, M. Evans Hankey, Matthew David Hill, Julian Hoenig, Richard P. Howarth, Stoyan P. Hristov, Jonathan P. Ive, Julian Jaede, Duncan Robert Kerr, David A. Pakula, Peter Russell-Clarke, Benjamin Andrew Shaffer, Mikael Silvanto, Ian Spraggs, Christopher J. Stringer, Joe Sung Ho Tan, Tang Yew Tan, Clement Tissandier, Melissa A. Wah, Eugene Antony Whang, Rico Zörkendörfer
  • Patent number: D1061528
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Richard Hung Minh Dinh, Richard P. Howarth, Scott A. Myers, David A. Pakula, Tang Yew Tan