Patents by Inventor Douglas J. Weber

Douglas J. Weber 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: 10144669
    Abstract: Apparatus, systems and methods for improving strength of a thin glass member for an electronic device are disclosed. In one embodiment, the glass member can be strengthened chemically using a monitored ion exchange process in which the glass member is disposed in a glass ion exchange bath. In one embodiment, the glass member can pertain to a cover glass for housings of electronic devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventor: Douglas J. Weber
  • Patent number: 10133156
    Abstract: Apparatus, systems and methods for windows integration with cover glass and for processing cover glass to provide windows for electronic devices are disclosed. Transparent windows such as a transparent camera window, a transparent illuminator window and/or a transparent display window can be integrated into the cover glass. The apparatus, systems and methods are especially suitable for cover glasses, or displays (e.g., LCD displays), assembled in small form factor electronic devices such as handheld electronic devices (e.g., mobile phones, media players, personal digital assistants, remote controls, etc.). The apparatus, systems and methods can also be used for cover glasses or displays for other relatively larger form factor electronic devices (e.g., portable computers, tablet computers, displays, monitors, televisions, etc.).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Michael K. Pilliod, Peter N. Russell-Clarke, Douglas J. Weber
  • Patent number: 10133351
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a system and method for providing haptic output for an electronic device. In certain embodiments, a type of haptic output is provided based on a determined orientation, position, and/or operating environment of the electronic device. Specifically, the electronic device may receive input from one or more sensors associated with electronic device. Once the input from the one or more sensors is received, an orientation, position and/or operating environment of the electronic device is determined. Based on the determined orientation of the electronic device, a type of haptic output is selected and provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas J. Weber, Motohide Hatanaka
  • Publication number: 20180321571
    Abstract: Apparatus, systems and methods for camera integration with cover glass and for processing cover glass to provide a camera window for an electronic device are disclosed. A camera window can be integrated into the cover glass. The apparatus, systems and methods are especially suitable for cover glasses, or displays (e.g., LCD displays), assembled in small form factor electronic devices such as handheld electronic devices (e.g., mobile phones, media players, personal digital assistants, remote controls, etc.). The apparatus, systems and methods can also be used for cover glasses or displays for other relatively larger form factor electronic devices (e.g., portable computers, tablet computers, displays, monitors, televisions, etc.).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2018
    Publication date: November 8, 2018
    Inventor: Douglas J. Weber
  • Publication number: 20180213896
    Abstract: Clasp assemblies for bands (e.g., for watches) are disclosed. In some embodiments, a clasp assembly may include a plurality of pivotally interconnected links, where respective links are releasably coupled to one another, and spring assemblies disposed between respective links impart biasing forces between the respective links. In some embodiments, a clasp assembly may include a clasp body, a clasp cover, and a connecting arm pivotally coupled to the clasp body at a first end of the connecting arm, and pivotally coupled to the clasp cover at a second end of the connecting arm. The clasp assembly may include springs, magnets, elastomer members, and/or other mechanisms, components, or assemblies that impart a biasing force between the clasp body, the connecting arm, and/or the clasp cover.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2018
    Publication date: August 2, 2018
    Inventors: Motohide HATANAKA, Hsiang Hung CHEN, Erik L. WANG, Michael J. WEBB, Douglas J. WEBER, Daniele DE LULIIS, Kah Sim QUAH
  • Patent number: 10018891
    Abstract: Apparatus, systems and methods for camera integration with cover glass and for processing cover glass to provide a camera window for an electronic device are disclosed. A camera window can be integrated into the cover glass. The apparatus, systems and methods are especially suitable for cover glasses, or displays (e.g., LCD displays), assembled in small form factor electronic devices such as handheld electronic devices (e.g., mobile phones, media players, personal digital assistants, remote controls, etc.). The apparatus, systems and methods can also be used for cover glasses or displays for other relatively larger form factor electronic devices (e.g., portable computers, tablet computers, displays, monitors, televisions, etc.).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventor: Douglas J. Weber
  • Patent number: 10000837
    Abstract: Embodiments herein relate to methods and apparatuses for casting of BMG-containing parts. The surfaces of the mold that come into contact with the molten amorphous alloy comprise an amorphous material. In accordance with the disclosure, the mold may be coated with an amorphous material, e.g., to reduce, minimize, or eliminate crystallization of the molded BMG-containing part. The surfaces of the mold are coated, in certain aspects, so as to reduce or eliminate potential grain-boundary nucleation sites for BMG crystallization. The amorphous material may be selected based on the particular molten amorphous alloy to be cast, e.g., based on the wetting properties, the melting and cooling properties, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas J. Weber, Kazuya Takagi, Theodore A. Waniuk
  • Patent number: 9974122
    Abstract: An electronic device may include a display. The display may be an organic light-emitting diode display. The organic light-emitting diode display may have a substrate layer, a layer of organic light-emitting diode structures, and a layer of sealant. Vias may be formed in the substrate layer. The vias may be formed before completion of the display or after completion of the display. The vias may be filled with metal using electroplating or other metal deposition techniques. The vias may be connected to contacts on the rear surface of the display. The vias may be located in active regions of the display or inactive regions of the display. The display may include a top surface emission portion and a bottom surface emission portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas J. Weber, Fletcher R. Rothkopf, Paul S. Drzaic, Teodor Dabov, Derek W. Wright, Scott A. Myers
  • Patent number: 9949537
    Abstract: Clasp assemblies for bands (e.g., for watches) are disclosed. In some embodiments, a clasp assembly may include a plurality of pivotally interconnected links, where respective links are releasably coupled to one another, and spring assemblies disposed between respective links impart biasing forces between the respective links. In some embodiments, a clasp assembly may include a clasp body, a clasp cover, and a connecting arm pivotally coupled to the clasp body at a first end of the connecting arm, and pivotally coupled to the clasp cover at a second end of the connecting arm. The clasp assembly may include springs, magnets, elastomer members, and/or other mechanisms, components, or assemblies that impart a biasing force between the clasp body, the connecting arm, and/or the clasp cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Motohide Hatanaka, Hsiang Hung Chen, Erik L. Wang, Michael J. Webb, Douglas J. Weber, Daniele De Iuliis, Kah Sim Quah
  • Patent number: 9938646
    Abstract: A wearable band includes a woven material having two or more stretch regions. The different stretch regions can be formed by varying the tension on subsets of the warp threads, the weft threads, or both the warp and weft threads. A system for producing the woven material can include two or more tension control devices operably connected to a processing device. Each tension control device is configured to adjust the amount of tension in a respective subset of threads (e.g., warp threads) in the woven material during a weaving operation. The processing device is configured to select thread tension patterns for the subsets of threads used during the weaving operation. Each thread tension pattern includes tension settings for the subsets of threads, where at least one tension setting in one thread tension pattern differs from the tension settings in the other tension patterns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Yoji Hamada, Matthew D. Rohrbach, Daniel A. Podhajny, Ying-Liang Su, Douglas J. Weber, Benjamin A. Shaffer, Motohide Hatanaka
  • Publication number: 20180050960
    Abstract: An opaque cover for a capacitive sensor is provided. The cover includes a transparent substrate and a black color stack disposed adjacent the transparent substrate. The black color stack includes a pigment stack having a first dielectric layer, a second dielectric layer, and a first light absorbing layer positioned between the first and second dielectric layers. The first dielectric layer has a first refractive index. The second dielectric layer has a second refractive index different from the first refractive index. The black color stack also includes a plurality of second light absorption layers interleaved with a plurality of third dielectric layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2017
    Publication date: February 22, 2018
    Inventors: Naoto Matsuyuki, Douglas J. Weber
  • Publication number: 20170360171
    Abstract: An item may be provided with a body that forms an enclosure. The body (12) may have body portions (16, 18) that open and close along a seam (14). An elongated magnetic fastener (36) may run along the seam. The magnetic fastener may have first (38) and second (40) portions on opposing sides of the seam. The first and second portions may include magnets. When the magnetic fastener is operated in a closed state, the magnets in the first and second portions attract each other and pull the first and second portions of the fastener together to close the seam. When the magnetic fastener is operated in an open state, the magnets in the first and second portions repel each other and push the first and second portions of the fastener apart to open the seam.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2015
    Publication date: December 21, 2017
    Inventor: Douglas J. WEBER
  • Publication number: 20170357350
    Abstract: An opaque cover is provided for a capacitive sensor. The cover includes a transparent substrate, and at least one white coating layer including white pigments disposed over at least one portion of the transparent substrate. The cover also includes a non-conductive mirror structure disposed over the at least one white coating layer. The non-conductive mirror structure includes a number of first dielectric layers having a first refractive index interleaved with second dielectric layers having a second refractive index. The first and second dielectric layers have dielectric constants below a threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2017
    Publication date: December 14, 2017
    Inventors: Naoto Matsuyuki, Douglas J. Weber
  • Patent number: 9828668
    Abstract: Systems and methods for strengthening a sapphire part are described herein. One embodiment may take the form of a method including orienting a first surface of a sapphire member relative to an ion implantation device and performing a first implantation step. The implanting step may include directing ions at the first surface of the sapphire member to embed them under the first surface. The systems and methods may also include one or more of heating the sapphire member to diffuse the implanted ions into deeper layers of sapphire member, cooling the sapphire member, and performing at least a second implantation step directing ions at the first surface of the sapphire member to embed the ions under the first surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Dale N. Memering, Scott A. Myers, Douglas J. Weber
  • Publication number: 20170334774
    Abstract: Embodiments disclosed therein generally pertain to selectively strengthening glass. More particularly, techniques are described for selectively strengthening cover glass, which tends to be thin, for electronic devices, namely, portable electronic devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2017
    Publication date: November 23, 2017
    Inventor: Douglas J. Weber
  • Patent number: 9790126
    Abstract: An opaque cover for a capacitive sensor is provided. The cover includes a transparent substrate and a black color stack disposed adjacent the transparent substrate. The black color stack includes a pigment stack having a first dielectric layer, a second dielectric layer, and a first light absorbing layer positioned between the first and second dielectric layers. The first dielectric layer has a first refractive index. The second dielectric layer has a second refractive index different from the first refractive index. The black color stack also includes a plurality of second light absorption layers interleaved with a plurality of third dielectric layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Naoto Matsuyuki, Douglas J. Weber
  • Patent number: 9727178
    Abstract: An opaque cover is provided for a capacitive sensor. The cover includes a transparent substrate, and at least one white coating layer including white pigments disposed over at least one portion of the transparent substrate. The cover also includes a non-conductive mirror structure disposed over the at least one white coating layer. The non-conductive mirror structure includes a number of first dielectric layers having a first refractive index interleaved with second dielectric layers having a second refractive index. The first and second dielectric layers have dielectric constants below a threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Naoto Matsuyuki, Douglas J. Weber
  • Patent number: 9725359
    Abstract: Embodiments disclosed therein generally pertain to selectively strengthening glass. More particularly, techniques are described for selectively strengthening cover glass, which tends to be thin, for electronic devices, namely, portable electronic devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventor: Douglas J. Weber
  • Publication number: 20170156815
    Abstract: Apparatus and method for surgeon-assisted rapid surgical implantation of devices into soft tissue. The apparatus comprises several subsystems that enable the referencing of the spatial position and orientation of the device being implanted with respect to the soft tissue into which it is being implanted and then the controlled implantation of the device at a predefined speed with higher positional accuracy and precision and a reduction in soft tissue damage, provided by ultrasonic assisted motion, compared to current state-of-the-art implantation methods and devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2016
    Publication date: June 8, 2017
    Applicants: CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY, a Pennsylvania Non-Profit Corporation, University of Pittsburgh - Of the Commonwealth System of Higher Education
    Inventors: Peter J. Gilgunn, O. Burak Ozdoganlar, Takashi Daniel Yoshida Kozai, Gary Fedder, Xinyan Cui, Douglas J. Weber
  • Patent number: 9648928
    Abstract: An expandable band includes one or more expandable links and one or more expansion mechanisms. The expandable link is movable between expanded and contracted positions. The expandable link is biased toward the contracted position. The expansion mechanism can be manipulated to transition the expandable link between the expanded and contracted positions, thus expanding and/or contracting the expandable band. The expandable links may be X links, pantographs, and/or other linkages. The expansion mechanism may include one or more restrictors operable to restrict expansion of the expandable band. The expansion mechanism may also include one or more lock mechanisms operable to prevent and/or resist contracting of the expandable band.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Motohide Hatanaka, Douglas J. Weber