Patents by Inventor Eric W. Bates
Eric W. Bates 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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Publication number: 20240339245Abstract: A data communication cable includes a jacket layer surrounding a cable core, which includes at least one pair of twisted electric conductors electrically insulated with a flame-retardant polypropylene (FRPP)-based material. The FRPP-based material includes a char enhancer, a halogenated flame retardant; and a flame retardant additive. The FRPP-based material is free from flame-retardant hydrated mineral filler.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 10, 2023Publication date: October 10, 2024Inventors: Eric W. Bates, Stephen A. Thwaites, James D. Malkemus
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Publication number: 20240080976Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with a liquid crystal polymer (LCP) printed circuit having conductive trace and a hole. A conductive flange may be soldered to the conductive trace and may extend into the hole. The end of the conductive flange may laterally surround a central opening within the hole. A conductive contact may be inserted into the central opening. Solder may be deposited over the conductive flange and in the central opening. The solder may couple the conductive contact to the conductive flange and thus the conductive trace. This may ensure a robust mechanical and electrical connection between the conductive contact and the conductive trace on the printed circuit despite the printed circuit being formed from LCP, which may not support copper-plated through vias for coupling to the conductive contact.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 30, 2023Publication date: March 7, 2024Inventors: Peter A. Dvorak, Eric W. Bates, Ana Papio Toda, Yiren Wang, Hao Xu, Yuan Tao, Han Wang, Jack R Lanzi, Ronald Lam
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Publication number: 20240079778Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with an antenna having a resonating element formed from a segment of peripheral conductive housing structures. A speaker may be aligned with first openings in the segment. A vent may be aligned with second openings in the segment. A connector may protrude through the segment. A trace combiner for the antenna may be patterned onto the speaker and may be coupled to the segment. Tuners for the antenna may be disposed on first and second flexible printed circuits that extend along opposing sides of the connector. The tuners may be controlled through the speaker. The second flexible printed circuit may extend along the vent. The vent may have a vent cowling with a cut-out region next to the tuner on the second flexible printed circuit.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 30, 2023Publication date: March 7, 2024Inventors: Enrique Ayala Vazquez, Ming-Ju Tsai, Yiren Wang, Yuan Tao, Hao Xu, Sidharath Jain, Haozhan Tian, Yuancheng Xu, Eric W. Bates, Peter A. Dvorak, Harlan S. Dannenberg, Rees S. Parker, Obinna O. Onyemepu, Victor C. Lee, Han Wang, Hongfei Hu
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Publication number: 20240079790Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with peripheral conductive housing structures having a segment that forms a resonating element for an antenna. A speaker may be mounted to a mid-chassis of the electronic device. A printed circuit may be mounted to the speaker and may have a ground trace for the antenna. A conductive spring may extend through the printed circuit and the speaker to couple the ground trace to the mid-chassis. A conductive contact pad may be welded to an aluminum layer such as an aluminum layer used to form the mid-chassis. A conductive spring such as the conductive spring coupled to the ground traces may press against the contact pad. The contact pad may include gold or nickel-plated stainless steel. The contact pad may provide a strong electrical connection between the conductive spring and the aluminum layer.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 30, 2023Publication date: March 7, 2024Inventors: Peter A Dvorak, Eric W Bates, McKinley McQuaide, Ronald Lam, Ana Papio Toda, Yiren Wang, Hao Xu, Han Wang, Yuan Tao, Jack R Lanzi, Jingni Zhong
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Publication number: 20240079785Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with an antenna having a resonating element formed from a segment of peripheral conductive housing structures. A speaker may be aligned with first openings in the segment. A vent may be aligned with second openings in the segment. A connector may protrude through the segment. A trace combiner for the antenna may be patterned onto the speaker and may be coupled to the segment. Tuners for the antenna may be disposed on first and second flexible printed circuits that extend along opposing sides of the connector. The tuners may be controlled through the speaker. The second flexible printed circuit may extend along the vent. The vent may have a vent cowling with a cut-out region next to the tuner on the second flexible printed circuit.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 30, 2023Publication date: March 7, 2024Inventors: Yiren Wang, Yuan Tao, Hao Xu, Yuancheng Xu, Enrique Ayala Vazquez, Nikolaj P. Kammersgaard, Eric W. Bates, Peter A. Dvorak, Victor C. Lee, Han Wang
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Publication number: 20240079777Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with an antenna having a resonating element formed from a segment of peripheral conductive housing structures. A speaker may be aligned with first openings in the segment. A vent may be aligned with second openings in the segment. A connector may protrude through the segment. A trace combiner for the antenna may be patterned onto the speaker and may be coupled to the segment. Tuners for the antenna may be disposed on first and second flexible printed circuits that extend along opposing sides of the connector. The tuners may be controlled through the speaker. The second flexible printed circuit may extend along the vent. The vent may have a vent cowling with a cut-out region next to the tuner on the second flexible printed circuit.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 30, 2023Publication date: March 7, 2024Inventors: Yiren Wang, Yuan Tao, Hao Xu, Hongfei Hu, Enrique Ayala Vazquez, Ming-Ju Tsai, Sidharath Jain, Haozhan Tian, Yuancheng Xu, Harlan S Dannenberg, Eric W Bates, Peter A Dvorak, Nicole E Cazares, Obinna O Onyemepu, Victor C Lee, Han Wang
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Publication number: 20240079779Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with a sensor module and an antenna having an antenna arm, ground structures, and a tuner. The tuner may be mounted to a printed circuit overlapping the sensor module. A spring may be mounted to the printed circuit and may couple the tuner to a conductive chassis of the sensor module. The sensor module may include optical sensors that gather sensor data through a display and may form ground paths from the tuner to the ground structures. Conductive interconnect structures such as springs may exert biasing forces in different directions to couple the ground paths to different layers of the ground structures. This may serve to couple the antenna to the ground structures as close as possible to the tuner, thereby maximizing antenna performance, despite the presence of the sensor module.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 30, 2023Publication date: March 7, 2024Inventors: Yuan Tao, Yiren Wang, Ana Papio Toda, Jingni Zhong, Han Wang, Hao Xu, Hongfei Hu, Mattia Pascolini, Eric W. Bates, Peter A. Dvorak, Allegra Shum
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Patent number: 11889647Abstract: An electronic device includes a housing that defines an aperture, and a display assembly positioned in the aperture. The display assembly can include a display layer having a first portion, and a second portion bending at least partially below the first portion. The first portion and the second portion can define a bend volume, and a potting material can be disposed in the bend volume, such that the potting material contacts the first portion and the second portion. An internal enclosure can be contoured to the display assembly.Type: GrantFiled: August 19, 2020Date of Patent: January 30, 2024Assignee: APPLE INC.Inventors: Izhar Z. Ahmed, John J. Baker, Bulong Wu, Daniel W. Jarvis, Douglas G. Fournier, Eric W. Bates, Hao Dong, Isabel S Gueble, Jason C. Law, Jingjing Xu, Kikue S. Burnham, Paul U. Leutheuser, Sarah Trabia, Sawyer I. Cohen, Shaorui Yang, Shaowei Qin, Siddharth Avachat, Yaocheng Zhang, Ying-Chih Wang, Zhen Zhang, Benjamin R. Pope
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Patent number: 11837383Abstract: A cable includes cable one or more conductors and a covering surrounding the one or more conductors. The covering is formed from a composition including polyethylene and a polyolefin elastomer, where the composition is crosslinked. A method of forming the cable is also provided.Type: GrantFiled: March 27, 2020Date of Patent: December 5, 2023Assignee: Prysmian S.p.A.Inventors: Elliot Byunghwa Lee, Timothy John Clancy, Eric W. Bates
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Publication number: 20230224388Abstract: A mobile phone may include a display, wireless communication circuitry, a battery, and an enclosure enclosing the display, the wireless communication circuitry, and the battery. The enclosure may include a front cover formed from a transparent material and defining a front exterior surface of the mobile phone, a rear cover formed from a glass material and defining a rear exterior surface of the mobile phone, and a first housing component including a first wall section defining a first side exterior surface of the mobile phone, a second wall section defining a second side exterior surface opposite to the first side exterior surface, and a mid-chassis section extending between the first wall section and the second wall section.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 6, 2022Publication date: July 13, 2023Inventors: Eric W. Bates, Arun R. Varma, Benjamin J. Pope, Griffin L. Schmitt, Zonghao Liu, Michael W. Firka, Christopher J. Durning, Douglas G. Fournier, Yaocheng Zhang
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Patent number: 11637919Abstract: A portable electronic device includes a housing member defining a first portion of an exterior front surface of the portable electronic device, a first portion of an exterior rear surface of the portable electronic device, at least a portion of an exterior side surface of the portable electronic device, a recess along an interior side of the housing member, and a ledge feature along the interior side of the housing member. The device also includes a top module coupled to the housing member and including a front cover defining a second portion of the exterior front surface of the portable electronic device, a display stack attached to the front cover, and a frame member extending at least partially around a periphery of the display stack and set apart from a surface of the recess by a gap.Type: GrantFiled: October 12, 2020Date of Patent: April 25, 2023Assignee: APPLE INC.Inventors: John J. Baker, Eric W. Bates, Lucy E. Browning, Kodiak Burke, Benjamin S. Bustle, Trent Canales, Tyler B. Cater, Sawyer I. Cohen, Richard Hung Minh Dinh, Michael Firka, Kevin M. Froese, Jun Sik Ham, Matthew D. Hill, Hugh J. Jay, Benjamin J. Kallman, Paul U. Leutheuser, Matthew W. Miller, Michael K. Mondry, Donald J. Parr, Benjamin J. Pope, Matthew P. Rao, Griffin Schmitt, Allegra Shum, Christopher R. Xydis, Luman Zhang, Yaocheng Zhang, Zhipeng Zhang, Xiao Ying Zhao
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Patent number: 11522983Abstract: A portable electronic device includes a front cover, a rear cover, and a housing structure between and coupled to the front cover and the rear cover. The housing structure includes a first housing member defining and a first interlock feature formed along a first end surface. The portable electronic device also includes a second housing member defining a second interlock feature formed along a second end surface. The portable electronic device also includes a nonconductive joining element engaged with the first interlock feature and the second interlock feature, thereby structurally coupling the first housing member to the second housing member.Type: GrantFiled: October 12, 2020Date of Patent: December 6, 2022Assignee: APPLE INC.Inventors: Eric W. Bates, Xiao Ying Zhao, Luman Zhang, Christopher R. Xydis, Michael Firka, Benjamin J. Kallman, Ihtesham H. Chowdhury, Matthew D. Hill, Hugh J. Jay, Trent Canales, Lucy E. Browning
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Publication number: 20220061179Abstract: An electronic device includes a housing that defines an aperture, and a display assembly positioned in the aperture. The display assembly can include a display layer having a first portion, and a second portion bending at least partially below the first portion. The first portion and the second portion can define a bend volume, and a potting material can be disposed in the bend volume, such that the potting material contacts the first portion and the second portion. An internal enclosure can be contoured to the display assembly.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 19, 2020Publication date: February 24, 2022Inventors: Izhar Z. Ahmed, John J. Baker, Bulong Wu, Daniel W. Jarvis, Douglas G. Fournier, Eric W. Bates, Hao Dong, Isabel S. Gueble, Jason C. Law, Jingjing Xu, Kikue S. Burnham, Paul U. Leutheuser, Sarah Trabia, Sawyer I. Cohen, Shaorui Yang, Shaowei Qin, Siddharth Avachat, Yaocheng Zhang, Ying-Chih Wang, Zhen Zhang, Benjamin R. Pope
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Publication number: 20210304916Abstract: A cable includes cable one or more conductors and a covering surrounding the one or more conductors. The covering is formed from a composition including polyethylene and a polyolefin elastomer, where the composition is crosslinked. A method of forming the cable is also provided.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 27, 2020Publication date: September 30, 2021Inventors: Elliot Byunghwa LEE, Timothy John CLANCY, Eric W. BATES
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Publication number: 20210168225Abstract: A portable electronic device includes a front cover, a rear cover, and a housing structure between and coupled to the front cover and the rear cover. The housing structure includes a first housing member defining and a first interlock feature formed along a first end surface. The portable electronic device also includes a second housing member defining a second interlock feature formed along a second end surface. The portable electronic device also includes a nonconductive joining element engaged with the first interlock feature and the second interlock feature, thereby structurally coupling the first housing member to the second housing member.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 12, 2020Publication date: June 3, 2021Inventors: Eric W. Bates, Xiao Ying Zhao, Luman Zhang, Christopher R. Xydis, Michael Firka, Benjamin J. Kallman, Ihtesham H. Chowdhury, Matthew D. Hill, Hugh J. Jay, Trent Canales, Lucy E. Browning
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Publication number: 20210168230Abstract: A portable electronic device includes a housing member defining a first portion of an exterior front surface of the portable electronic device, a first portion of an exterior rear surface of the portable electronic device, at least a portion of an exterior side surface of the portable electronic device, a recess along an interior side of the housing member, and a ledge feature along the interior side of the housing member. The device also includes a top module coupled to the housing member and including a front cover defining a second portion of the exterior front surface of the portable electronic device, a display stack attached to the front cover, and a frame member extending at least partially around a periphery of the display stack and set apart from a surface of the recess by a gap.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 12, 2020Publication date: June 3, 2021Inventors: John J. Baker, Eric W. Bates, Lucy E. Browning, Kodiak Burke, Benjamin S. Bustle, Trent Canales, Tyler B. Cater, Sawyer I. Cohen, Richard Hung Minh Dinh, Michael Firka, Kevin M. Froese, Jun Sik Ham, Matthew D. Hill, Hugh J. Jay, Benjamin J. Kallman, Paul U. Leutheuser, Matthew W. Miller, Michael K. Mondry, Donald J. Parr, Benjamin J. Pope, Matthew P. Rao, Griffin Schmitt, Allegra Shum, Christopher R. Xydis, Luman Zhang, Yaocheng Zhang, Zhipeng Zhang, Xiao Ying Zhao
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Patent number: 10616387Abstract: Electronic devices, such as mobile communication devices, may include several enhancements and modification not found on traditional electronic devices. An electronic device can include a circuit board assembly that includes stacked layers of circuit components that are retained in a stacked configuration and operably connected to each other by retention features such as solder joints. Features can be provided for structural support and thermal mitigation. A battery assembly can accommodate nesting of other components, such as display components, within one or more recesses defined by variable thickness along different regions of the battery assemblies. The battery assembly can further provide a slim profile by including notches to accommodate the increased thickness of a pouch having folded flaps to seal a cell module of the battery assembly.Type: GrantFiled: March 8, 2019Date of Patent: April 7, 2020Assignee: APPLE INC.Inventors: Bryan D. Keen, Sina Bigdeli, Sawyer I. Cohen, William A. Counts, Lucy E. Browning, Devon A. Monaco, Jian Yang, Eric W. Bates
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Publication number: 20200084310Abstract: Electronic devices, such as mobile communication devices, may include several enhancements and modification not found on traditional electronic devices. An electronic device can include a circuit board assembly that includes stacked layers of circuit components that are retained in a stacked configuration and operably connected to each other by retention features such as solder joints. Features can be provided for structural support and thermal mitigation. A battery assembly can accommodate nesting of other components, such as display components, within one or more recesses defined by variable thickness along different regions of the battery assemblies. The battery assembly can further provide a slim profile by including notches to accommodate the increased thickness of a pouch having folded flaps to seal a cell module of the battery assembly.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 8, 2019Publication date: March 12, 2020Inventors: Bryan D. Keen, Sina Bigdeli, Sawyer I. Cohen, William A. Counts, Lucy E. Browning, Devon A. Monaco, Jian Yang, Eric W. Bates
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Patent number: 10028397Abstract: An electronic device having several modifications designed to prevent liquid ingress into an opening (or openings) of the electronic device is disclosed. For example, the electronic device includes a SIM tray having a sealing element designed to provide a seal at an opening that receives the SIM tray. The sealing element may include a first section and a second section extending from the first section, with the first section designed to bend with respect to (and in some cases collapse onto) the second section. The electronic device may further include an audio module fitted with a sealing element. The sealing element may include extensions extending away from a main body of the sealing element, with some extension designed to engage the audio module, and other extensions designed to engage an audio module interface. The sealing element provides a seal against liquid ingress into the audio module.Type: GrantFiled: May 11, 2017Date of Patent: July 17, 2018Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Xiao Ying Zhao, Timothy S. Lui, Tyler B. Cater, Rasamy Phouthavong, Scott A. Myers, Benjamin J. Pope, David A. Hurrell, Christopher R. Xydis, Edward S. Huo, Richard Hung Minh Dinh, Michael W. Firka, Martin J. Auclair, Kurtis J. Mundell, Salome Bavetta, Paul Leutheuser, Hani Esmaeili, Kevin M. Froese, Ihtesham H. Chowdhury, Tang Yew Tan, Eric W. Bates, Yaocheng Zhang
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Patent number: 9974180Abstract: An electronic device may have a printed circuit to which electrical components are mounted. The electrical components may include a thermal sensor and a pressure sensor. A through hole in the printed circuit may receive the shaft of a standoff. The standoff may be soldered to plated metal on the sides of the through hole. A screw or other fastener may secure the printed circuit to a housing for the electronic device. A ring-shaped metal member may be soldered to the printed circuit. The ring-shaped metal member may form a bumper that surrounds the screw or other fastener and the thermal sensor. The pressure sensor may have a port through which ambient pressure measurements are made. A dust protection cover such as a fabric or other porous layer may cover the port.Type: GrantFiled: July 16, 2015Date of Patent: May 15, 2018Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Shayan Malek, David A. Pakula, Gregory N. Stephens, Sawyer I. Cohen, Scott A. Myers, Tyler B. Cater, Eric W. Bates