Patents by Inventor Derek K. Shaeffer

Derek K. Shaeffer 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: 12683613
    Abstract: A level-shifter circuit that uses a gating signal is disclosed. The level-shifter circuit may initialize a shift node in response to a deactivation of a gating signal and an input signal. When the gating signal is activated, the level-shifter circuit may float the shift node, which can then be charged to a voltage level greater than that of an input signal. The level-shifter circuit may use the voltage level of the shift node to generate at least one output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2025
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2026
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Arjunsimha Chaturbhuj, Chen Chen, Ling Zhang, Nikhil Acharya, Stanley B. Wang, Derek K. Shaeffer, Henry C. Jen
  • Publication number: 20260087974
    Abstract: Content-addressable memory-in-display (CAMiD) electronic displays and circuitry are provided. An electronic display may include a pixel active array and content-addressable control cells to control display pixels of the pixel active array using control signals propagated to the pixel active array on column lines by column driver circuits of the content-addressable control cells.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2025
    Publication date: March 26, 2026
    Inventors: Pablo Moreno Galbis, Arjunsimha Chaturbhuj, Kanghoon Jeon, Bilin Wang, Derek K. Shaeffer, Hopil Bae, Kameshwar Kaushik Chavali, Ali RostamPisheh, Nikhil Acharya, Stanley B. Wang, Chun-Yao Huang, Dongwon Kwon, Henry C. Jen, Xiang Lu, Rajesh Velayuthan, Bruce C. Gamache, Marko Aleksic
  • Publication number: 20260087964
    Abstract: Content-addressable memory-in-display (CAMiD) electronic displays and circuitry are provided. An electronic display may include a pixel active array to display an image frame over a series of subframes content-addressable control circuitry. The content-addressable control circuitry may control the pixel active array. The content-addressable control circuitry may include circuitry to perform subframe dithering to generate control signals to control the display pixels of the pixel active array. The control signals may correspond to different gray levels for different subframes of the series of subframes of the image frame to be displayed on the pixel active array.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2025
    Publication date: March 26, 2026
    Inventors: Pablo Moreno Galbis, Arjunsimha Chaturbhuj, Kanghoon Jeon, Bilin Wang, Derek K. Shaeffer, Hopil Bae, Kameshwar Kaushik Chavali, Ali RostamPisheh, Nikhil Acharya, Stanley B. Wang, Chun-Yao Huang, Dongwon Kwon, Henry C. Jen, Xiang Lu, Rajesh Velayuthan, Bruce C. Gamache, Marko Aleksic
  • Publication number: 20260087963
    Abstract: Content-addressable memory-in-display (CAMiD) electronic displays and circuitry are provided. An electronic display may include a pixel active array and a number of content-addressable control cells. Each control cell controls a respective display pixel of the pixel active array. Each control cell includes a comparator to generate a control signal to control the respective display pixel of the pixel active array based on a comparison between pixel data for the respective display pixel and one or more counters corresponding to a gray level.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2025
    Publication date: March 26, 2026
    Inventors: Pablo Moreno Galbis, Arjunsimha Chaturbhuj, Kanghoon Jeon, Bilin Wang, Derek K. Shaeffer, Hopil Bae, Kameshwar Kaushik Chavali, Ali RostamPisheh, Nikhil Acharya, Stanley B. Wang, Chun-Yao Huang, Dongwon Kwon, Henry C. Jen, Xiang Lu, Rajesh Velayuthan, Bruce C. Gamache, Marko Aleksic
  • Publication number: 20240420615
    Abstract: An electronic device may include a display panel and a display driver. The display panel may include multiple pixels each receiving a supply voltage and a respective data voltage to emit light. The display driver may include a low drop-out regulator (LDO) to provide the supply voltage to the pixels. The LDO may operate in a normal operation mode and a hard park mode. In the normal operation mode, the LDO may generate the supply voltage based on receiving a reference voltage and a bias voltage within a bias voltage range to operate in the normal operation mode. In the hard park mode, the LDO may become idle (e.g., shut-down mode) based on receiving a hard park mode voltages from dedicated replacement circuits. For example, including the dedicated reference voltage replacement circuit with the display driver may improve reliability and efficiency of the electronic device when de-energizing the LDO.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2024
    Publication date: December 19, 2024
    Inventors: Hasan Akyol, Henry C. Jen, Stanley B. Wang, Baris Cagdaser, Rahul Shukla, John T. Wetherell, Bin Huang, Derek K. Shaeffer, Pablo Moreno Galbis, Johan L. Piper, Lawrence C. Tan, Adam Adjiwibawa, Manu Mishra
  • Patent number: 12159574
    Abstract: Local passive matrix displays and methods of operation are described. In an embodiment, the display includes a pixel driver chip coupled with a matrix of rows and columns of LEDs. The pixel driver chips may be arranged in rows across the display with separate portions to operate separate matrices of LEDs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Derek K. Shaeffer, Mahdi Farrokh Baroughi, Xiaofeng Wang, Sam S. Li, John T. Wetherell, Henry C. Jen, Xiang Lu, Hasan Akyol, Hopil Bae, Xiang Fang, Hjalmar Edzer Ayco Huitema, Tore Nauta
  • Patent number: 12100333
    Abstract: Hybrid architectures and method methods of operating a display panel are described. In an embodiment, row driver and pixel driver functions are combined in a group of backbone hybrid pixel driver chips, wherein global signal lines are distributed to the backbone hybrid pixel driver chips, where the global signals are manipulated and distributed to a row of pixel driver chips.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2023
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Xiang Lu, Mahdi Farrokh Baroughi, Xiaofeng Wang, Derek K. Shaeffer, Henry C. Jen, Hopil Bae
  • Patent number: 12080201
    Abstract: An integrated touchscreen can include light emitting diodes or organic light emitting diodes (LEDs/OLEDs), display chiplets and touch chiplets disposed in a visible area of the integrated touch screen. For example, the LEDs/OLEDs, display chiplets and touch chiplets can be placed on a substrate by a micro-transfer tool. The integrated touchscreen can also include electrodes disposed in the visible area of the integrated touch screen. The electrodes can be capable of providing display functionality via the one or more display chiplets during display operation (e.g., operating as cathode terminals of the LEDs during the display operation) and capable of providing touch functionality via the touch chiplets during touch operation (e.g., touch node electrodes can be formed from groups of the electrodes and sensed). In some examples, the touch node electrodes can be formed and coupled to touch chiplets via the display chiplets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2023
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Christian M. Sauer, Christoph H. Krah, Derek K. Shaeffer, Hasan Akyol, Henry C. Jen, John T. Wetherell
  • Publication number: 20240038129
    Abstract: Hybrid architectures and method methods of operating a display panel are described. In an embodiment, row driver and pixel driver functions are combined in a group of backbone hybrid pixel driver chips, wherein global signal lines are distributed to the backbone hybrid pixel driver chips, where the global signals are manipulated and distributed to a row of pixel driver chips.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2023
    Publication date: February 1, 2024
    Inventors: Xiang Lu, Mahdi Farrokh Baroughi, Xiaofeng Wang, Derek K. Shaeffer, Henry C. Jen, Hopil Bae
  • Publication number: 20240012515
    Abstract: Touch sensitive display technologies (e.g., integrated touch-display pixel-based systems) are evolving to contain more analog and digital circuits inside the panel itself instead of the traditionally simple thin-film transistors. This improves the display characteristics but makes those circuits more vulnerable to the impact of external ESD strikes, which can degrade the user experience. This disclosure describes a series of circuits and techniques to mitigate the impact of these discharges on front of screen artifacts and potential false touches. These circuits and techniques may include: performing configuration-only panel updates independently of the image refresh rate, improving the in-panel memory circuits to make them resistant to unexpected pin toggles via disabling of a write path in response to a read clock, implementing a pin corruption detector and implementing a supply injection detector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2023
    Publication date: January 11, 2024
    Inventors: Pablo Moreno Galbis, Xiang Lu, Bin Huang, Ling Zhang, Nikhil Acharya, Derek K. Shaeffer, Stanley B. Wang, Yongjie Jiang, Hopil Bae, Jiayi Jin, Ce Zhang, Young Don Bae, Giovanni Azzellino, Wooseung Yang, Mahdi Farrokh Baroughi, Weijun Yao, Rajesh Velayuthan, Eric A. Hildebrandt, Henry C. Jen
  • Publication number: 20240004491
    Abstract: An integrated touchscreen can include light emitting diodes or organic light emitting diodes (LED s/OLEDs), display chiplets and touch chiplets disposed in a visible area of the integrated touch screen. For example, the LEDs/OLEDs, display chiplets and touch chiplets can be placed on a substrate by a micro-transfer tool. The integrated touchscreen can also include electrodes disposed in the visible area of the integrated touch screen. The electrodes can be capable of providing display functionality via the one or more display chiplets during display operation (e.g., operating as cathode terminals of the LEDs during the display operation) and capable of providing touch functionality via the touch chiplets during touch operation (e.g., touch node electrodes can be formed from groups of the electrodes and sensed). In some examples, the touch node electrodes can be formed and coupled to touch chiplets via the display chiplets.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2023
    Publication date: January 4, 2024
    Inventors: Christian M. SAUER, Christoph H. KRAH, Derek K. SHAEFFER, Hasan AKYOL, Henry C. JEN, John T. WETHERELL
  • Publication number: 20230316998
    Abstract: Local passive matrix displays and methods of operation are described. In an embodiment, the display includes a pixel driver chip coupled with a matrix of rows and columns of LEDs. The pixel driver chips may be arranged in rows across the display with separate portions to operate separate matrices of LEDs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2023
    Publication date: October 5, 2023
    Inventors: Derek K. Shaeffer, Mahdi Farrokh Baroughi, Xiaofeng Wang, Sam S. Li, John T. Wetherell, Henry C. Jen, Xiang Lu, Hasan Akyol, Hopil Bae, Xiang Fang, Hjalmar Edzer Ayco Huitema, Tore Nauta
  • Patent number: 11775095
    Abstract: An integrated touchscreen can include light emitting diodes or organic light emitting diodes (LEDs/OLEDs), display chiplets and touch chiplets disposed in a visible area of the integrated touch screen. For example, the LEDs/OLEDs, display chiplets and touch chiplets can be placed on a substrate by a micro-transfer tool. The integrated touchscreen can also include electrodes disposed in the visible area of the integrated touch screen. The electrodes can be capable of providing display functionality via the one or more display chiplets during display operation (e.g., operating as cathode terminals of the LEDs during the display operation) and capable of providing touch functionality via the touch chiplets during touch operation (e.g., touch node electrodes can be formed from groups of the electrodes and sensed). In some examples, the touch node electrodes can be formed and coupled to touch chiplets via the display chiplets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Christian M. Sauer, Christoph H. Krah, Derek K. Shaeffer, Hasan Akyol, Henry C. Jen, John T. Wetherell, Thierry S. Divel
  • Patent number: 11727850
    Abstract: Hybrid architectures and method methods of operating a display panel are described. In an embodiment, row driver and pixel driver functions are combined in a group of backbone hybrid pixel driver chips, wherein global signal lines are distributed to the backbone hybrid pixel driver chips, where the global signals are manipulated and distributed to a row of pixel driver chips.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Xiang Lu, Mahdi Farrokh Baroughi, Xiaofeng Wang, Derek K. Shaeffer, Henry C. Jen, Hopil Bae
  • Patent number: 11645976
    Abstract: Local passive matrix displays and methods of operation are described. In an embodiment, the display includes a pixel driver chip coupled with a matrix of rows and columns of LEDs. The pixel driver chips may be arranged in rows across the display with separate portions to operate separate matrices of LEDs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Derek K. Shaeffer, Mahdi Farrokh Baroughi, Xiaofeng Wang, Sam S. Li, John T. Wetherell, Henry C. Jen, Xiang Lu, Hasan Akyol, Hopil Bae, Xiang Fang, Hjalmar Edzer Ayco Huitema, Tore Nauta
  • Patent number: 11417250
    Abstract: A method of adjusting a test gray voltages applied to a component of an electronic display during a test frame between image frames, wherein the adjustment is based at least in part on the control signal to the component during a prior image frame. The method may reduce hysteresis effects on the extraction of sensed currents of the component during the test frame, which may increase the accuracy and/or consistency of determined parameters evaluated from the sensed currents. The determined parameters may include temperature and/or aging of the component. The determined parameters may be used to adjust control signals for the component and other components in a region near the component during the next image frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Yongjun Li, Jiayi Jin, Maofeng Yang, Jun Li, Weijun Yao, Derek K. Shaeffer, Baris Cagdaser
  • Publication number: 20220246082
    Abstract: Hybrid architectures and method methods of operating a display panel are described. In an embodiment, row driver and pixel driver functions are combined in a group of backbone hybrid pixel driver chips, wherein global signal lines are distributed to the backbone hybrid pixel driver chips, where the global signals are manipulated and distributed to a row of pixel driver chips.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2022
    Publication date: August 4, 2022
    Inventors: Xiang Lu, Mahdi Farrokh Baroughi, Xiaofeng Wang, Derek K. Shaeffer, Henry C. Jen, Hopil Bae
  • Publication number: 20220208091
    Abstract: Local passive matrix displays and methods of operation are described. In an embodiment, the display includes a pixel driver chip coupled with a matrix of rows and columns of LEDs. The pixel driver chips may be arranged in rows across the display with separate portions to operate separate matrices of LEDs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2022
    Publication date: June 30, 2022
    Inventors: Derek K. Shaeffer, Mahdi Farrokh Baroughi, Xiaofeng Wang, Sam S. Li, John T. Wetherell, Henry C. Jen, Xiang Lu, Hasan Akyol, Hopil Bae, Xiang Fang, Hjalmar Edzer Ayco Huitema, Tore Nauta
  • Patent number: 11341893
    Abstract: Hybrid architectures and method methods of operating a display panel are described. In an embodiment, row driver and pixel driver functions are combined in a group of backbone hybrid pixel driver chips, wherein global signal lines are distributed to the backbone hybrid pixel driver chips, where the global signals are manipulated and distributed to a row of pixel driver chips.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Xiang Lu, Mahdi Farrokh Baroughi, Xiaofeng Wang, Derek K. Shaeffer, Henry C. Jen, Hopil Bae
  • Patent number: 11263963
    Abstract: Local passive matrix displays and methods of operation are described. In an embodiment, the display includes a pixel driver chip coupled with a matrix of rows and columns of LEDs. The pixel driver chips may be arranged in rows across the display with separate portions to operate separate matrices of LEDs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Derek K. Shaeffer, Mahdi Farrokh Baroughi, Xiaofeng Wang, Sam S. Li, John T. Wetherell, Henry C. Jen, Xiang Lu, Hasan Akyol, Hopil Bae, Xiang Fang, Hjalmar Edzer Ayco Huitema, Tore Nauta