Patents by Inventor Eric X. Zhou

Eric X. Zhou 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: 11967450
    Abstract: An electronic device can include a housing component at least partially defining an internal volume and including a wall. A component can be disposed within the wall and at least partially surrounded by a material forming the housing. A battery can be disposed in the internal volume and electrically connected to the component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Jiahui Liang, Eric X. Zhou
  • Publication number: 20230275460
    Abstract: An electronic device can include a metallic or non-metallic housing having a window therethrough, a wireless power transfer coil disposed inside the housing adjacent the window, and a non-metallic cover disposed within the window that protects the wireless power transfer coil, the non-metallic cover incorporating at least one ferromagnetic region that improves magnetic coupling of the wireless power transfer coil to a corresponding wireless power transfer coil of another device by providing a high magnetic permeability flux path. The non-metallic cover and the at least one ferromagnetic region have surface finishes selected to visually match or coordinate with the housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2022
    Publication date: August 31, 2023
    Inventors: Zelin Xu, Brennan K Vanden Hoek, Antoin J Russell, Daniel J Hiemstra, Eric X Zhou, Tao Pan
  • Publication number: 20230080598
    Abstract: Accessory cases that can be charged using one or more types of wireless chargers. An example can provide an accessory case having a first alignment feature for aligning to a first type of wireless charger. The first alignment feature can include one or more magnetic elements in the accessory case. The one or more magnetic elements can be located in both the base and the lid of the accessory case. Another example can further include a second alignment feature for aligning to a second type of wireless charger. The second alignment feature can include one or more magnetic elements in the accessory case.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2022
    Publication date: March 16, 2023
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Eric X. Zhou, Muhammad H. Kiani, Rohan Dayal, Ye Li
  • Patent number: 11589150
    Abstract: A portable acoustic device comprising: a device housing that defines an internal cavity, the device housing comprising a speaker housing portion and a stem portion extending away from the speaker housing portion; a first acoustic port formed through a wall of the speaker housing; an audio driver disposed within the speaker housing portion and aligned to emit sound through the acoustic first port; a battery disposed within the speaker housing portion and positioned an opposite side of the audio driver than the acoustic port; an antenna disposed in the stem; a user input region disposed along the stem; and a system in a chip disposed in the stem, the system in a chip comprising: a processor that controls operation of the portable wireless acoustic device, charging circuitry, an accelerometer, a wireless communication controller, support components for the antenna and support components for the user input region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Lee M. Panecki, Arun D. Chawan, Julia C. Canning, Michael B. Minerbi, Pengchuan Wang, Kyle Tse, Brian R. Twehues, Sean T. Bong, Eric X. Zhou, Ethan L. Huwe, Scott C. Grinker, Haochuan Sang, Martin Kuster, Sean J. Docherty, Ryan Buck, Yuta Kuboyama
  • Publication number: 20220416590
    Abstract: A bimodal annular magnetic alignment component can be included in an electronic device that attaches to other electronic devices using a magnetic alignment system that includes a primary annular alignment component and a secondary annular alignment component having complementary (and fixed) magnetic orientations. In a bimodal alignment component, a set of alignment magnets can be reoriented or shifted between a first position in which a magnetic orientation of the bimodal alignment component is complementary to a primary annular alignment component and a second position in which a magnetic orientation of the bimodal alignment component is complementary to a secondary annular alignment component. A bimodal electronic device incorporating a bimodal alignment component can be interchangeably attached to another device via either a primary annular alignment component or a secondary annular alignment component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2022
    Publication date: December 29, 2022
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy J. Rasmussen, Eric S. Jol, Christopher S. Graham, Karl Ruben Fredrik Larsson, Eric X. Zhou
  • Publication number: 20220407355
    Abstract: In a wireless charging system, a transmitter coil of a wireless charger device and a receiver coil of a portable electronic device can operate at either of two different operating frequencies. The low frequency can be in a range from about 300 kHz to about 400 kHz, and the high frequency can be in a range from about 1 MHz to about 2 MHz. To provide efficient charging at both frequencies, the transmitter and receiver coils can be formed from a compound, or multi-stranded, wire.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2022
    Publication date: December 22, 2022
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Makiko Kawamura Brzezinski, Eric X. Zhou, Brennan K. Vanden Hoek, Saining Ren
  • Publication number: 20220336143
    Abstract: The disclosure is directed to wireless power systems that include a ferromagnetic core formed of nanocrystalline material disposed on a ferrite. The wireless power systems can have reduced saturation and/or lossiness.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2022
    Publication date: October 20, 2022
    Inventors: Zelin Xu, Sumant Ranganathan, Matthew J. Chabalko, Nan Liu, Eric X. Zhou
  • Publication number: 20220217462
    Abstract: A portable acoustic device comprising: a device housing that defines an internal cavity, the device housing comprising a speaker housing portion and a stem portion extending away from the speaker housing portion; a first acoustic port formed through a wall of the speaker housing; an audio driver disposed within the speaker housing portion and aligned to emit sound through the acoustic first port; a battery disposed within the speaker housing portion and positioned an opposite side of the audio driver than the acoustic port; an antenna disposed in the stem; a user input region disposed along the stem; and a system in a chip disposed in the stem, the system in a chip comprising: a processor that controls operation of the portable wireless acoustic device, charging circuitry, an accelerometer, a wireless communication controller, support components for the antenna and support components for the user input region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2021
    Publication date: July 7, 2022
    Inventors: Lee M. Panecki, Arun D. Chawan, Julia C. Canning, Michael B. Minerbi, Pengchuan Wang, Kyle Tse, Brian R. Twehues, Sean T. Bong, Eric X. Zhou, Ethan L. Huwe, Scott C. Grinker, Haochuan Sang, Martin Kuster, Sean J. Docherty, Ryan Buck, Yuta Kuboyama
  • Publication number: 20210091590
    Abstract: An electronic device can include a housing component at least partially defining an internal volume and including a wall. A component can be disposed within the wall and at least partially surrounded by a material forming the housing. A battery can be disposed in the internal volume and electrically connected to the component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2019
    Publication date: March 25, 2021
    Inventors: Jiahui Liang, Eric X. Zhou