Patents by Inventor Eric N. Nyland

Eric N. Nyland 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: 11838432
    Abstract: A portable electronic device includes a housing defining an internal volume and a circuit board assembly within the internal volume. The circuit board assembly includes a first circuit board, a wall structure soldered to the first circuit board, and a second circuit board soldered to the wall structure and supported above the first circuit board by the wall structure. The second circuit board defines an exterior top surface of the circuit board assembly. A processor is coupled to the first circuit board and positioned within an internal volume defined between the first circuit board and the second circuit board and at least partially surrounded by the wall structure. A memory module is coupled to the exterior top surface of the circuit board assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Bryan D. Keen, Devon A. Monaco, Sherry Lee, Ihtesham H. Chowdhury, Eric N. Nyland, Matthew D. Hill, Arun R. Varma, Lucy E. Browning, Sawyer I. Cohen, Benjamin J. Pope, Abhishek Choudhury, James W. Bilanski, Yaodong Wang, Daniel J. Morizio, Nicholas W. Ruhter, David A. Karol, Sean M. Gordoni
  • Publication number: 20230261695
    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with an antenna module having a substrate. A phased antenna array of dielectric resonator antennas and a radio-frequency integrated circuit for the array may be mounted to one or more surfaces of the substrate. The dielectric resonator antennas may include dielectric columns excited by feed probes. The feed probes may be printed onto sidewalls of the dielectric columns or may be pressed against the sidewalls by biasing structures. A plastic substrate may be molded over each dielectric column and each of the feed probes in the array. The feed probes may cover multiple polarizations. The array may include elements for covering multiple frequency bands. The dielectric columns may be aligned a longitudinal axis and may be rotated at a non-zero and non-perpendicular angle with respect to the longitudinal axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2023
    Publication date: August 17, 2023
    Inventors: Harish Rajagopalan, Bilgehan Avser, David Garrido Lopez, Forhad Hasnat, Mattia Pascolini, Mikal Askarian Amiri, Rodney A. Gomez Angulo, Thomas W. Yang, Jiechen Wu, Eric N. Nyland, Simone Paulotto, Jennifer M. Edwards, Matthew D. Hill, Ihtesham H. Chowdhury, David A. Hurrell, Siwen Yong, Jiangfeng Wu, Daniel C. Wagman, Soroush Akbarzadeh, Robert Scritzky, Subramanian Ramalingam
  • Patent number: 11700035
    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with an antenna module having a substrate. A phased antenna array of dielectric resonator antennas and a radio-frequency integrated circuit for the array may be mounted to one or more surfaces of the substrate. The dielectric resonator antennas may include dielectric columns excited by feed probes. The feed probes may be printed onto sidewalls of the dielectric columns or may be pressed against the sidewalls by biasing structures. A plastic substrate may be molded over each dielectric column and each of the feed probes in the array. The feed probes may cover multiple polarizations. The array may include elements for covering multiple frequency bands. The dielectric columns may be aligned a longitudinal axis and may be rotated at a non-zero and non-perpendicular angle with respect to the longitudinal axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Harish Rajagopalan, Bilgehan Avser, David Garrido Lopez, Forhad Hasnat, Mattia Pascolini, Mikal Askarian Amiri, Rodney A. Gomez Angulo, Thomas W. Yang, Jiechen Wu, Eric N. Nyland, Simone Paulotto, Jennifer M. Edwards, Matthew D. Hill, Ihtesham H. Chowdhury, David A. Hurrell, Siwen Yong, Jiangfeng Wu, Daniel C. Wagman, Soroush Akbarzadeh, Robert Scritzky, Subramanian Ramalingam
  • Patent number: 11579024
    Abstract: Aspects of the subject technology relate to electronic devices having sensors such as pressure sensors. A pressure sensor may be integrated into an audio component of an electronic device such that the pressure sensor is fluidly coupled to an environment external to a device housing via at least a portion of an internal cavity of the audio component housing. The audio component housing may include an opening. The pressure sensor may be mounted adjacent to or within the opening. The opening may be sealed to prevent passage of gas or liquid through the opening. The pressure sensor may be integrally formed with an inner wall of the audio component housing. The audio component may be a speaker or a microphone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: William S. Lee, Tyler B. Cater, Shannon X. Yang, Justin D. Crosby, Timothy S. Lui, Eric N. Nyland
  • Patent number: 11371953
    Abstract: This application relates to an electronic device that includes a processor and a display assembly overlaid by a protective cover. The display assembly can include a touch detection system capable of detecting a touch event at the protective cover. The touch detection system can include a capacitance detector capable of detecting a change in capacitance and a location corresponding to the change in capacitance, and an applied force detector capable of detecting an amount and a location of a force applied to the protective cover that is associated with the touch event. The electronic device can include a moisture detector capable of detecting an amount of moisture present at the protective cover, where when the amount of moisture is greater than a threshold amount, the processor determines a position of the touch event based on detection signals provided by the capacitance detector and the applied force detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Ihtesham H. Chowdhury, Eric N. Nyland, Scott A. Myers, Christopher T. Mullens, Bingrui Yang
  • Patent number: 11333566
    Abstract: This application relates to a portable electronic device that includes an integrated pressure sensor. The portable electronic device includes a housing that defines a cavity with a number of components disposed therein. The cavity is sealed to form a volume of air within the cavity that is vented to the external environment through a barometric vent fluidly coupled to a first opening in the housing. A sensor measures a characteristic of a second volume of air within an isolated chamber that is vented to the external environment through a second opening in the housing. The second volume of air is isolated from the first volume of air within the housing of the portable electronic device. In some embodiments, the portable electronic device is a mobile phone and the sensor is a pressure transducer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Eric N. Nyland, Devon A. Monaco, Christopher R. Xydis, Alan Wu, Dominic P. Cincione, Timothy S. Lui, Aaron H. Squier, Lindsay M. Alanen, Lucy Elizabeth Browning, Richard Hung Minh Dinh
  • Publication number: 20220006486
    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with an antenna module having a substrate. A phased antenna array of dielectric resonator antennas and a radio-frequency integrated circuit for the array may be mounted to one or more surfaces of the substrate. The dielectric resonator antennas may include dielectric columns excited by feed probes. The feed probes may be printed onto sidewalls of the dielectric columns or may be pressed against the sidewalls by biasing structures. A plastic substrate may be molded over each dielectric column and each of the feed probes in the array. The feed probes may cover multiple polarizations. The array may include elements for covering multiple frequency bands. The dielectric columns may be aligned a longitudinal axis and may be rotated at a non-zero and non-perpendicular angle with respect to the longitudinal axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2020
    Publication date: January 6, 2022
    Inventors: Harish Rajagopalan, Bilgehan Avser, David Garrido Lopez, Forhad Hasnat, Mattia Pascolini, Mikal Askarian Amiri, Rodney A. Gomez Angulo, Thomas W. Yang, Jiechen Wu, Eric N. Nyland, Simone Paulotto, Jennifer M. Edwards, Matthew D. Hill, Ihtesham H. Chowdhury, David A. Hurrell, Siwen Yong, Jiangfeng Wu, Daniel C. Wagman, Soroush Akbarzadeh, Robert Scritzky, Subramanian Ramalingam
  • Publication number: 20210181137
    Abstract: This application relates to an electronic device that includes a processor and a display assembly overlaid by a protective cover. The display assembly can include a touch detection system capable of detecting a touch event at the protective cover. The touch detection system can include a capacitance detector capable of detecting a change in capacitance and a location corresponding to the change in capacitance, and an applied force detector capable of detecting an amount and a location of a force applied to the protective cover that is associated with the touch event. The electronic device can include a moisture detector capable of detecting an amount of moisture present at the protective cover, where when the amount of moisture is greater than a threshold amount, the processor determines a position of the touch event based on detection signals provided by the capacitance detector and the applied force detector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2021
    Publication date: June 17, 2021
    Inventors: Ihtesham H. CHOWDHURY, Eric N. NYLAND, Scott A. MYERS, Christopher T. MULLENS, Bingrui YANG
  • Publication number: 20210167487
    Abstract: A mobile phone includes a housing structure, the housing structure defining a side surface of the mobile phone, a front cover coupled to the housing structure and defining a front surface of the mobile phone, a rear cover coupled to the housing structure and defining a rear surface of the mobile phone, a display positioned below the front cover, a first directional antenna defining a first radiation pattern extending through the front surface of the mobile phone, a second directional antenna defining a second radiation pattern extending through the rear surface of the mobile phone, and a third directional antenna defining a third radiation pattern extending through the side surface of the mobile phone.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2020
    Publication date: June 3, 2021
    Inventors: Arun R. Varma, David Hurrell, Eric N. Nyland, Ihtesham H. Chowdhury, Jennifer M. Edwards, Matthew D. Hill, Benjamin J. Kallman, Trent Canales, Daniel C. Wagman, Bilgehan Avser, Elisabeth Lang
  • Publication number: 20210168226
    Abstract: A portable electronic device includes a housing defining an internal volume and a circuit board assembly within the internal volume. The circuit board assembly includes a first circuit board, a wall structure soldered to the first circuit board, and a second circuit board soldered to the wall structure and supported above the first circuit board by the wall structure. The second circuit board defines an exterior top surface of the circuit board assembly. A processor is coupled to the first circuit board and positioned within an internal volume defined between the first circuit board and the second circuit board and at least partially surrounded by the wall structure. A memory module is coupled to the exterior top surface of the circuit board assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2020
    Publication date: June 3, 2021
    Inventors: Bryan D. Keen, Devon A. Monaco, Sherry Lee, Ihtesham H. Chowdhury, Eric N. Nyland, Matthew D. Hill, Arun R. Varma, Lucy E. Browning, Sawyer I. Cohen, Benjamin J. Pope
  • Patent number: 10976278
    Abstract: This application relates to an electronic device that includes a processor and a display assembly overlaid by a protective cover. The display assembly can include a touch detection system capable of detecting a touch event at the protective cover. The touch detection system can include a capacitance detector capable of detecting a change in capacitance and a location corresponding to the change in capacitance, and an applied force detector capable of detecting an amount and a location of a force applied to the protective cover that is associated with the touch event. The electronic device can include a moisture detector capable of detecting an amount of moisture present at the protective cover, where when the amount of moisture is greater than a threshold amount, the processor determines a position of the touch event based on detection signals provided by the capacitance detector and the applied force detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Ihtesham H. Chowdhury, Eric N. Nyland, Scott A. Myers, Christopher T. Mullens, Bingrui Yang
  • Patent number: 10837772
    Abstract: Aspects of the subject technology relate to electronic devices with pressure sensors. A pressure sensor may be mounted within a device housing in a pressure sensor cavity at or near an opening in the housing. A barometric vent between a main cavity within the housing and the pressure sensor cavity allows pressure changes in the main cavity to generate airflow through the pressure sensor cavity and out through the opening in the device housing. The generated airflow may clear debris that has occluded the opening in the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: David MacNeil, William S. Lee, Eric N. Nyland
  • Patent number: 10767927
    Abstract: This application relates to a portable electronic device including a processor and an operational component assembly, the operational component assembly including a frame. The frame carries a sensor that is coupled to the frame, where the sensor is capable of (i) receiving an environmental stimulus, and (ii) subsequently, generating an environmental parameter based on the environmental stimulus. The operational components further include a speaker that includes a magnetic driver that is capable of generating a magnetic field in response to receiving the instructions, and a diaphragm that is capable of actuating in response to the magnetic field being generated by the magnetic driver. An opening is disposed at an external surface of the frame such that when an amount of moisture is present within the volume, the magnetic driver receives the instructions from the processor to generate a magnetic field that actuates the diaphragm so as to expel the moisture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Brian A. Argyres, Matthew A. Donarski, Eric N. Nyland, Tyler B. Cater, Oliver Leonhardt
  • Publication number: 20200080775
    Abstract: This application relates to a portable electronic device including a processor and an operational component assembly, the operational component assembly including a frame. The frame carries a sensor that is coupled to the frame, where the sensor is capable of (i) receiving an environmental stimulus, and (ii) subsequently, generating an environmental parameter based on the environmental stimulus. The operational components further include a speaker that includes a magnetic driver that is capable of generating a magnetic field in response to receiving the instructions, and a diaphragm that is capable of actuating in response to the magnetic field being generated by the magnetic driver. An opening is disposed at an external surface of the frame such that when an amount of moisture is present within the volume, the magnetic driver receives the instructions from the processor to generate a magnetic field that actuates the diaphragm so as to expel the moisture.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2019
    Publication date: March 12, 2020
    Inventors: Brian A. Argyres, Matthew A. Donarski, Eric N. Nyland, Tyler B. Cater, Oliver Leonhardt
  • Publication number: 20200080908
    Abstract: This application relates to a portable electronic device that includes an integrated pressure sensor. The portable electronic device includes a housing that defines a cavity with a number of components disposed therein. The cavity is sealed to form a volume of air within the cavity that is vented to the external environment through a barometric vent fluidly coupled to a first opening in the housing. A sensor measures a characteristic of a second volume of air within an isolated chamber that is vented to the external environment through a second opening in the housing. The second volume of air is isolated from the first volume of air within the housing of the portable electronic device. In some embodiments, the portable electronic device is a mobile phone and the sensor is a pressure transducer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2018
    Publication date: March 12, 2020
    Inventors: Eric N. NYLAND, Christopher R. XYDIS, Alan WU, Dominic P. CINCIONE, Timothy S. LUI, Aaron H. SQUIER, Lindsay M. ALANEN, Lucy Elizabeth BROWNING, Richard Hung Minh DINH, Devon A. MONACO
  • Patent number: 10271127
    Abstract: This disclosure describes a speaker assembly suitable for use in a portable electronic device utilizing water resistant ports. The speaker assembly can have an open back that subjects a back volume of the speaker to pressure differentials within a device housing of the portable electronic device. The speaker assembly can utilize a speaker surround having a varying thickness. The varying thickness speaker surround allows the speaker to maintain an acceptable frequency response profile while limiting the travel of the diaphragm it is coupled with. The disclosure also describes how electrically conductive pathways can be integrated within a housing of the speaker assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: David A. Hurrell, Tyler B. Cater, Scott P. Porter, Salome Bavetta, Anthony P. Grazian, Benjamin J. Pope, Scott A. Myers, Ashutosh Y. Shukla, Benjamin M. Russo, Christopher Wilk, David MacNeil, Eric N. Nyland, Ihtesham H. Chowdhury, Joseph F. Maldonado, Kevin M. Froese, Richard Hung Minh Dinh, Ruchir M. Dave, Teemu P. Sipila, Yang Liu
  • Publication number: 20190072384
    Abstract: Aspects of the subject technology relate to electronic devices with pressure sensors. A pressure sensor may be mounted within a device housing in a pressure sensor cavity at or near an opening in the housing. A barometric vent between a main cavity within the housing and the pressure sensor cavity allows pressure changes in the main cavity to generate airflow through the pressure sensor cavity and out through the opening in the device housing. The generated airflow may clear debris that has occluded the opening in the housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2018
    Publication date: March 7, 2019
    Inventors: David MACNEIL, William S. LEE, Eric N. NYLAND
  • Publication number: 20190064998
    Abstract: This application relates to an electronic device that includes a processor and a display assembly overlaid by a protective cover. The display assembly can include a touch detection system capable of detecting a touch event at the protective cover. The touch detection system can include a capacitance detector capable of detecting a change in capacitance and a location corresponding to the change in capacitance, and an applied force detector capable of detecting an amount and a location of a force applied to the protective cover that is associated with the touch event. The electronic device can include a moisture detector capable of detecting an amount of moisture present at the protective cover, where when the amount of moisture is greater than a threshold amount, the processor determines a position of the touch event based on detection signals provided by the capacitance detector and the applied force detector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2018
    Publication date: February 28, 2019
    Inventors: Ihtesham H. CHOWDHURY, Eric N. NYLAND, Scott A. MYERS, Christopher T. MULLENS, Bingrui YANG
  • Publication number: 20190025133
    Abstract: Aspects of the subject technology relate to electronic devices having sensors such as pressure sensors. A pressure sensor may be integrated into an audio component of an electronic device such that the pressure sensor is fluidly coupled to an environment external to a device housing via at least a portion of an internal cavity of the audio component housing. The audio component housing may include an opening. The pressure sensor may be mounted adjacent to or within the opening. The opening may be sealed to prevent passage of gas or liquid through the opening. The pressure sensor may be integrally formed with an inner wall of the audio component housing. The audio component may be a speaker or a microphone.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2018
    Publication date: January 24, 2019
    Inventors: William S. LEE, Tyler B. CATER, Shannon X. YANG, Justin D. CROSBY, Timothy S. LUI, Eric N. NYLAND
  • Publication number: 20190020943
    Abstract: This disclosure describes a speaker assembly suitable for use in a portable electronic device utilizing water resistant ports. The speaker assembly can have an open back that subjects a back volume of the speaker to pressure differentials within a device housing of the portable electronic device. The speaker assembly can utilize a speaker surround having a varying thickness. The varying thickness speaker surround allows the speaker to maintain an acceptable frequency response profile while limiting the travel of the diaphragm it is coupled with. The disclosure also describes how electrically conductive pathways can be integrated within a housing of the speaker assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2017
    Publication date: January 17, 2019
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: David A. Hurrell, Tyler B. Cater, Scott P. Porter, Salome Bavetta, Anthony P. Grazian, Benjamin J. Pope, Scott A. Myers, Ashutosh Y. Shukla, Benjamin M. Russo, Christopher Wilk, David MacNeil, Eric N. Nyland, Ihtesham H. Chowdhury, Joseph F. Maldonado, Kevin M. Froese, Richard Hung Minh Dinh, Ruchir M. Dave, Teemu P. Sipila, Yang Liu