Patents by Inventor Erik A. Zweigle
Erik A. Zweigle 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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Patent number: 11513383Abstract: An electronic device can include a housing that at least partially defines an exterior surface and an internal volume of the electronic device, and a display assembly at least partially disposed in the internal volume. The display assembly can include a transparent cover that at least partially defines the exterior surface of the electronic device, a backlight unit disposed between the cover and the housing, a frame coupling the cover to the backlight unit, a portion of the frame at least partially defining an aperture, and an electronic component disposed in the internal volume and extending through the aperture.Type: GrantFiled: September 24, 2020Date of Patent: November 29, 2022Assignee: APPLE INC.Inventors: Lauren M. Farrell, Adam T. Garelli, Brian P. Graves, David P. Tarkington, Eric L. Benson, Erik A. Zweigle, Kwonil D. Fleischman, Paul X. Wang, Simon S. Lee, Tingjun Xu, Nicholas A. Rundle
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Patent number: 11294236Abstract: An electronic device may have a display with a backlight. The backlight provides backlight illumination for an array of pixels that is displaying images. The backlight may include an array of cells. Each cell may contain a light source with one or more light-emitting diodes and a cavity reflector that reflects light from the light source outwardly through a diffuser for use in forming the backlight illumination. The light sources may be mounted to a printed circuit. Support posts on the printed circuit may be used to maintain the diffuser at a fixed distance from the printed circuit. Sensors on the printed circuit may be used to measure separation distances between the printed circuit and diffuser. Adjustments to pixel gain profiles can be made based on the measured separation distances.Type: GrantFiled: June 3, 2020Date of Patent: April 5, 2022Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Rong Liu, Yu P. Sun, Erik A. Zweigle, Jun Qi, Victor H. Yin, Ziruo Hong, Sungwon Bae
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Publication number: 20220091457Abstract: An electronic device can include a housing that at least partially defines an exterior surface and an internal volume of the electronic device, and a display assembly at least partially disposed in the internal volume. The display assembly can include a transparent cover that at least partially defines the exterior surface of the electronic device, a backlight unit disposed between the cover and the housing, a frame coupling the cover to the backlight unit, a portion of the frame at least partially defining an aperture, and an electronic component disposed in the internal volume and extending through the aperture.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 24, 2020Publication date: March 24, 2022Inventors: Lauren M. Farrell, Adam T. Garelli, Brian P. Graves, David P. Tarkington, Eric L. Benson, Erik A. Zweigle, Kwonil D. Fleischman, Paul X. Wang, Simon S. Lee, Tingjun Xu, Nicholas A. Rundle
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Patent number: 11073954Abstract: Embodiments related to an electronic device having an adaptive input row. The adaptive input row may be positioned within an opening of a device and include a cover for receiving a touch and a display that is configured to present an adaptable set of indicia. The adaptive input row may also include one or more sensors for detecting the location of a touch and/or the magnitude of a force of the touch. The adaptive input row may be positioned adjacent or proximate to a keyboard of the electronic device.Type: GrantFiled: September 9, 2016Date of Patent: July 27, 2021Assignee: APPLE INC.Inventors: Mikael M. Silvanto, Erik A. Zweigle, Jun Qi, Christiaan A. Ligtenberg, Robert Y. Cao, Bartley K. Andre, Molly J. Anderson, ByoungSuk Kim, Dinesh C. Mathew, Victor H. Yin
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Patent number: 11022840Abstract: An array of pixels in a display may be illuminated by a backlight having an array of light-emitting diodes in an array of respective cells. A reflector is used to reflect light from the light-emitting diodes through the array of pixels. Within the cells, the reflector has cross-sectional profiles that help distribute light emitted from the light-emitting diodes toward edges of the cells. A light diffuser layer for the backlight may have a partially reflective layer such as a thin-film interference filter with an angularly dependent transmission. Within each cell, the reflector may have cross-sectional profiles with portions that are parabolic or elliptical.Type: GrantFiled: May 10, 2019Date of Patent: June 1, 2021Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Rong Liu, Yu P. Sun, Abdeslam Hafidi, Erik A. Zweigle, Jun Qi, Mingxia Gu, Victor H. Yin, Xiangtong Li, Yanming Li, Yi Huang, Ziruo Hong
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Patent number: 10969628Abstract: An electronic device may have a display with a backlight. The backlight provides backlight illumination for an array of pixels that is displaying images. The backlight may include an array of cells. Each cell may contain a light source with one or more light-emitting diodes and a cavity reflector that reflects light from the light source outwardly through a diffuser for use in forming the backlight illumination. The light sources may be mounted to a printed circuit. Support posts on the printed circuit may be used to maintain the diffuser at a fixed distance from the printed circuit. The support posts may have opposing first and second ends. The first ends may be attached to the diffuser with fixed connections such as adhesive connections. The second ends may be attached to the printed circuit using floating connections.Type: GrantFiled: May 24, 2018Date of Patent: April 6, 2021Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Erik A. Zweigle, Yu P. Sun, Ziruo Hong, Victor H. Yin, Eric L. Benson, Rong Liu, Mingxia Gu, Robert J. Durand, Wr Jamarulan Wr Ramli
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Publication number: 20200292885Abstract: An electronic device may have a display with a backlight. The backlight provides backlight illumination for an array of pixels that is displaying images. The backlight may include an array of cells. Each cell may contain a light source with one or more light-emitting diodes and a cavity reflector that reflects light from the light source outwardly through a diffuser for use in forming the backlight illumination. The light sources may be mounted to a printed circuit. Support posts on the printed circuit may be used to maintain the diffuser at a fixed distance from the printed circuit. Sensors on the printed circuit may be used to measure separation distances between the printed circuit and diffuser. Adjustments to pixel gain profiles can be made based on the measured separation distances.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 3, 2020Publication date: September 17, 2020Inventors: Rong Liu, Yu P. Sun, Erik A. Zweigle, Jun Qi, Victor H. Yin, Ziruo Hong, Sungwon Bae
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Patent number: 10739638Abstract: An electronic device may have a display with a backlight. The backlight provides backlight illumination for an array of pixels that is displaying images. The backlight may include an array of cells. Each cell may contain a light source with one or more light-emitting diodes and a cavity reflector that reflects light from the light source outwardly through a diffuser for use in forming the backlight illumination. The light sources may be mounted to a printed circuit. Support posts on the printed circuit may be used to maintain the diffuser at a fixed distance from the printed circuit. Sensors on the printed circuit may be used to measure separation distances between the printed circuit and diffuser. Adjustments to pixel gain profiles can be made based on the measured separation distances.Type: GrantFiled: May 10, 2019Date of Patent: August 11, 2020Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Rong Liu, Yu P. Sun, Erik A. Zweigle, Jun Qi, Victor H. Yin, Ziruo Hong, Sungwon Bae
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Patent number: 10409391Abstract: Embodiments related to an electronic device having an adaptive input row. The adaptive input row may be positioned within an opening of a device and include a cover for receiving a touch and a display that is configured to present an adaptable set of indicia. The adaptive input row may also include one or more sensors for detecting the location of a touch and/or the magnitude of a force of the touch. The adaptive input row may be positioned adjacent or proximate to a keyboard of the electronic device.Type: GrantFiled: September 7, 2016Date of Patent: September 10, 2019Assignee: APPLE INC.Inventors: Mikael M. Silvanto, Erik A. Zweigle, Jun Qi, Christiaan A. Ligtenberg, Robert Y. Cao, Bartley K. Andre, Molly J. Anderson, ByoungSuk Kim, Dinesh C. Mathew, Victor H. Yin
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Publication number: 20190265551Abstract: An electronic device may have a display with a backlight. The backlight provides backlight illumination for an array of pixels that is displaying images. The backlight may include an array of cells. Each cell may contain a light source with one or more light-emitting diodes and a cavity reflector that reflects light from the light source outwardly through a diffuser for use in forming the backlight illumination. The light sources may be mounted to a printed circuit. Support posts on the printed circuit may be used to maintain the diffuser at a fixed distance from the printed circuit. Sensors on the printed circuit may be used to measure separation distances between the printed circuit and diffuser. Adjustments to pixel gain profiles can be made based on the measured separation distances.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 10, 2019Publication date: August 29, 2019Inventors: Rong Liu, Yu P. Sun, Erik A. Zweigle, Jun Qi, Victor H. Yin, Ziruo Hong, Sungwon Bae
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Publication number: 20190265548Abstract: An array of pixels in a display may be illuminated by a backlight having an array of light-emitting diodes in an array of respective cells. A reflector is used to reflect light from the light-emitting diodes through the array of pixels. Within the cells, the reflector has cross-sectional profiles that help distribute light emitted from the light-emitting diodes toward edges of the cells. A light diffuser layer for the backlight may have a partially reflective layer such as a thin-film interference filter with an angularly dependent transmission. Within each cell, the reflector may have cross-sectional profiles with portions that are parabolic or elliptical.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 10, 2019Publication date: August 29, 2019Inventors: Rong Liu, Yu P. Sun, Abdeslam Hafidi, Erik A. Zweigle, Jun Qi, Mingxia Gu, Victor H. Yin, Xiangtong Li, Yanming Li, Yi Huang, Ziruo Hong
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Patent number: 10254853Abstract: Embodiments related to an electronic device having an adaptive input row. The adaptive input row may be positioned within an opening of a device and include a cover for receiving a touch and a display that is configured to present an adaptable set of indicia. The adaptive input row may also include one or more sensors for detecting the location of a touch and/or the magnitude of a force of the touch. The adaptive input row may be positioned adjacent or proximate to a keyboard of the electronic device.Type: GrantFiled: September 10, 2016Date of Patent: April 9, 2019Assignee: APPLE INC.Inventors: Mikael M. Silvanto, Erik A. Zweigle, Jun Qi, Christiaan A. Ligtenberg, Robert Y. Cao, Bartley K. Andre, Molly J. Anderson, ByoungSuk Kim, Dinesh C. Mathew, Victor H. Yin
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Publication number: 20170090597Abstract: Embodiments related to an electronic device having an adaptive input row. The adaptive input row may be positioned within an opening of a device and include a cover for receiving a touch and a display that is configured to present an adaptable set of indicia. The adaptive input row may also include one or more sensors for detecting the location of a touch and/or the magnitude of a force of the touch. The adaptive input row may be positioned adjacent or proximate to a keyboard of the electronic device.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 10, 2016Publication date: March 30, 2017Inventors: Mikael M. Silvanto, Erik A. Zweigle, Jun Qi, Christiaan A. Ligtenberg, Robert Y. Cao, Bartley K. Andre, Molly J. Anderson, ByoungSuk Kim, Dinesh C. Mathew, Victor H. Yin
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Publication number: 20170090596Abstract: Embodiments related to an electronic device having an adaptive input row. The adaptive input row may be positioned within an opening of a device and include a cover for receiving a touch and a display that is configured to present an adaptable set of indicia. The adaptive input row may also include one or more sensors for detecting the location of a touch and/or the magnitude of a force of the touch. The adaptive input row may be positioned adjacent or proximate to a keyboard of the electronic device.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 9, 2016Publication date: March 30, 2017Inventors: Mikael M. Silvanto, Erik A. Zweigle, Jun Qi, Christiaan A. Ligtenberg, Robert Y. Cao, Bartley K. Andre, Molly J. Anderson, ByoungSuk Kim, Dinesh C. Mathew, Victor H. Yin
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Publication number: 20170090654Abstract: Embodiments related to an electronic device having an adaptive input row. The adaptive input row may be positioned within an opening of a device and include a cover for receiving a touch and a display that is configured to present an adaptable set of indicia. The adaptive input row may also include one or more sensors for detecting the location of a touch and/or the magnitude of a force of the touch. The adaptive input row may be positioned adjacent or proximate to a keyboard of the electronic device.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 7, 2016Publication date: March 30, 2017Inventors: Mikael M. Silvanto, Erik A. Zweigle, Jun Qi, Christiaan A. Ligtenberg, Robert Y. Cao, Bartley K. Andre, Molly J. Anderson, ByoungSuk Kim, Dinesh C. Mathew, Victor H. Yin
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Patent number: 9081230Abstract: A display is provided that has upper and lower polarizers, a color filter layer, a liquid crystal layer, and a thin-film transistor layer. The color filter layer and thin-film transistor layer may be formed from materials such as glass that are subject to stress-induced birefringence. To reduce light leakage that reduces display performance, one or more birefringence compensation layers may be incorporated into the display to help compensate for any birefringence effects. The compensation layers may include a birefringence compensation layer attached to the color filter layer or the thin-film transistor layer. A display may include an upper compensation layer attached to the color filter layer and a lower compensation layer attached to the thin-film transistor layer. The compensation layer may be formed from glass or polymer materials that have a negative photo-elastic constant.Type: GrantFiled: May 6, 2013Date of Patent: July 14, 2015Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Yi Huang, Pongpinit Towashiraporn, Erik A. Zweigle, Mingxia Gu, Wei Chen, Cheng Chen, Young Cheol Yang, Isaac V. Kauvar