Patents by Inventor Erin McAuliffe
Erin McAuliffe 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: 20240299804Abstract: A gesture recognition device configured to detect a gesture performed by a user to actuate a motor of a closure mechanism of an article of footwear. The gesture recognition device may include a sensor unit with an accelerometer sensor, and an analysis unit in operative communication with the sensor unit. The analysis unit may be configured to execute a gesture confirmation algorithm to confirm or reject possible gesture event data received from the sensor unit as a true gesture event. If the gesture confirmation algorithm confirms the possible gesture event data as a true gesture event, the analysis unit may output a signal to actuate the motor.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 16, 2024Publication date: September 12, 2024Inventors: Shane Ghiotto, Erin McAuliffe, Marielle Morris, Adam K. Tilton, John B. Waldt, JR.
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Patent number: 12017114Abstract: A gesture recognition device configured to detect a gesture performed by a user to actuate a motor of a closure mechanism of an article of footwear. The gesture recognition device may include a sensor unit with an accelerometer sensor, and an analysis unit in operative communication with the sensor unit. The analysis unit may be configured to execute a gesture confirmation algorithm to confirm or reject possible gesture event data received from the sensor unit as a true gesture event. If the gesture confirmation algorithm confirms the possible gesture event data as a true gesture event, the analysis unit may output a signal to actuate the motor.Type: GrantFiled: December 20, 2021Date of Patent: June 25, 2024Assignee: NIKE, Inc.Inventors: Shane Ghiotto, Erin McAuliffe, Marielle Morris, Adam K. Tilton, John B. Waldt, Jr.
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Publication number: 20240019277Abstract: Active footwear can include a system to automatically detect a presence or absence of a foot. In an example, the system can be configured to provide information about a liquid saturation level that can affect a sensitivity or performance of the foot presence sensor. The system can use time-multiplexed signals to excite respective different electrodes in a foot presence sensor, and the electrodes can generate respective electric fields inside the footwear. Interruptions in the fields can be detected and used to determine foot presence or absence or a liquid saturation level.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 3, 2023Publication date: January 18, 2024Inventors: Phillip Meneau, Erin McAuliffe
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Publication number: 20240016255Abstract: Active footwear can include a system to automatically detect a presence or absence of a foot. In an example, various threshold conditions can be used together with sensor data to determine whether a foot is present. In an example, the system can be configured to sample values of a foot presence sensor signal from a foot presence sensor, identify an ambulatory status of the article of footwear using the sampled values of the sensor signal, and conditionally update a sensor signal threshold in response to identifying the ambulatory status. The updated sensor signal threshold and subsequent sensor signal values can be used to determine foot ingress, egress, or presence.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 3, 2023Publication date: January 18, 2024Inventors: Phillip Meneau, Erin McAuliffe
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Publication number: 20220193490Abstract: A gesture recognition device configured to detect a gesture performed by a user to actuate a motor of a closure mechanism of an article of footwear. The gesture recognition device may include a sensor unit with an accelerometer sensor, and an analysis unit in operative communication with the sensor unit. The analysis unit may be configured to execute a gesture confirmation algorithm to confirm or reject possible gesture event data received from the sensor unit as a true gesture event. If the gesture confirmation algorithm confirms the possible gesture event data as a true gesture event, the analysis unit may output a signal to actuate the motor.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 20, 2021Publication date: June 23, 2022Inventors: Shane Ghiotto, Erin McAuliffe, Marielle Morris, Adam K. Tilton, John B. Waldt, JR.
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Patent number: 10784572Abstract: An electronic device may have a speaker mounted in a housing. The housing may have a top face and a longitudinal axis that passes through the top face. A printed circuit may lie parallel to the top face. Input-output circuitry such as a touch sensor and other components may be mounted on the top face overlapping the printed circuit. First and second antennas may be formed on the printed circuit. A speaker may be mounted in the housing facing along the longitudinal axis. A metal layer on a movable portion of the speaker may be patterned to form a slot antenna isolation element or other antenna isolation element. The antenna isolation element may be configured to exhibit a resonance at a frequency of operation of the first and second antennas and may therefore enhance isolation between the first and second antennas.Type: GrantFiled: July 20, 2017Date of Patent: September 22, 2020Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Erin A. McAuliffe, Joel D. Barrera, Jerzy S. Guterman, Mattia Pascolini
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Patent number: 10284942Abstract: An accessory such as a wireless earbud may have an antenna for transmitting and receiving wireless signals. A housing for the earbud may have a main body portion and an extended portion that forms a stalk protruding from the main body portion. The earbud may have a speaker aligned with a speaker port in the main body portion. The antenna may have an elongated shape and may extend along the stalk. The stalk may have a plastic housing wall portion. The antenna may be formed from first and second metal traces on opposing sides of a printed circuit substrate. The first metal trace may form an antenna resonating element arm and may lie between the substrate and the plastic housing wall portion. The second metal trace may be a ground trace. A feed for the antenna may be located at a juncture between the main body portion and the stalk.Type: GrantFiled: December 12, 2017Date of Patent: May 7, 2019Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Erin A. McAuliffe, Carlo Di Nallo, Huan-Chu Huang, Joel D. Barrera, Mattia Pascolini, Jerzy S. Guterman, Arun Chawan, Benjamin Cousins, Lee M. Panecki
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Patent number: 10237657Abstract: An accessory such as a wireless headset may have an antenna for transmitting and receiving wireless signals. First and second earbuds may be coupled to different ends of a housing for the accessory. A rigid flex printed circuit board in the housing may include a rigid printed circuit portion. The rigid printed circuit portion may include first and second rigid printed circuit layers. A first portion of a flexible printed circuit may be interposed between the first and second rigid layers. A second portion of the flexible printed circuit may extend from an end of the rigid layers and may be wrapped around the first rigid layer. Planar inverted-F antenna resonating element, antenna shorting, and antenna feeding traces may be formed on the second portion of the flexible printed circuit. The efficiency of the antenna may be undisturbed by the presence of a user's body adjacent to the accessory.Type: GrantFiled: September 2, 2016Date of Patent: March 19, 2019Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Erin A. McAuliffe, Jerzy S. Guterman, Mattia Pascolini
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Publication number: 20180351244Abstract: An electronic device may have a speaker mounted in a housing. The housing may have a top face and a longitudinal axis that passes through the top face. A printed circuit may lie parallel to the top face. Input-output circuitry such as a touch sensor and other components may be mounted on the top face overlapping the printed circuit. First and second antennas may be formed on the printed circuit. A speaker may be mounted in the housing facing along the longitudinal axis. A metal layer on a movable portion of the speaker may be patterned to form a slot antenna isolation element or other antenna isolation element. The antenna isolation element may be configured to exhibit a resonance at a frequency of operation of the first and second antennas and may therefore enhance isolation between the first and second antennas.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 20, 2017Publication date: December 6, 2018Inventors: Erin A. McAuliffe, Joel D. Barrera, Jerzy S. Guterman, Mattia Pascolini
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Patent number: 9966653Abstract: An electronic device may have wireless circuitry with antennas. The electronic device may have a dielectric housing. A printed circuit board with electrical components may be mounted in the dielectric housing. Heat spreader structures may be used to dissipate heat from the electrical components. The heat spreader structures be configured to form antenna cavities. The antennas in the electronic device may be formed from the antenna cavities and may have antenna resonating elements formed on the printed circuit. An electrical component such as a light-emitting diode may be mounted in one of the antenna cavities. Each antenna element may be an inverted-F antenna resonating element with short and long arms. The short arm of each antenna resonating element may be formed from edge plated metal traces on an edge of the printed circuit.Type: GrantFiled: August 28, 2015Date of Patent: May 8, 2018Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Erin A. McAuliffe, James W. Jervis, Andrea Ruaro, Mattia Pascolini, Jerzy S. Guterman
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Publication number: 20180103312Abstract: An accessory such as a wireless earbud may have an antenna for transmitting and receiving wireless signals. A housing for the earbud may have a main body portion and an extended portion that forms a stalk protruding from the main body portion. The earbud may have a speaker aligned with a speaker port in the main body portion. The antenna may have an elongated shape and may extend along the stalk. The stalk may have a plastic housing wall portion. The antenna may be formed from first and second metal traces on opposing sides of a printed circuit substrate. The first metal trace may form an antenna resonating element arm and may lie between the substrate and the plastic housing wall portion. The second metal trace may be a ground trace. A feed for the antenna may be located at a juncture between the main body portion and the stalk.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 12, 2017Publication date: April 12, 2018Inventors: Erin A. McAuliffe, Carlo Di Nallo, Huan-Chu Huang, Joel D. Barrera, Mattia Pascolini, Jerzy S. Guterman, Arun Chawan, Benjamin Cousins, Lee M. Panecki
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Publication number: 20180070179Abstract: An accessory such as a wireless headset may have an antenna for transmitting and receiving wireless signals. First and second earbuds may be coupled to different ends of a housing for the accessory. A rigid flex printed circuit board in the housing may include a rigid printed circuit portion. The rigid printed circuit portion may include first and second rigid printed circuit layers. A first portion of a flexible printed circuit may be interposed between the first and second rigid layers. A second portion of the flexible printed circuit may extend from an end of the rigid layers and may be wrapped around the first rigid layer. Planar inverted-F antenna resonating element, antenna shorting, and antenna feeding traces may be formed on the second portion of the flexible printed circuit. The efficiency of the antenna may be undisturbed by the presence of a user's body adjacent to the accessory.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 2, 2016Publication date: March 8, 2018Inventors: Erin A. McAuliffe, Jerzy S. Guterman, Mattia Pascolini
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Patent number: 9866945Abstract: An accessory such as a wireless earbud may have an antenna for transmitting and receiving wireless signals. A housing for the earbud may have a main body portion and an extended portion that forms a stalk protruding from the main body portion. The earbud may have a speaker aligned with a speaker port in the main body portion. The antenna may have an elongated shape and may extend along the stalk. The stalk may have a plastic housing wall portion. The antenna may be formed from first and second metal traces on opposing sides of a printed circuit substrate. The first metal trace may form an antenna resonating element arm and may lie between the substrate and the plastic housing wall portion. The second metal trace may be a ground trace. A feed for the antenna may be located at a juncture between the main body portion and the stalk.Type: GrantFiled: January 12, 2016Date of Patent: January 9, 2018Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Erin A. McAuliffe, Carlo Di Nallo, Huan-Chu Huang, Joel D. Barrera, Mattia Pascolini, Jerzy S. Guterman, Arun Chawan, Benjamin Cousins, Lee M. Panecki
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Publication number: 20170201821Abstract: An accessory such as a wireless earbud may have an antenna for transmitting and receiving wireless signals. A housing for the earbud may have a main body portion and an extended portion that forms a stalk protruding from the main body portion. The earbud may have a speaker aligned with a speaker port in the main body portion. The antenna may have an elongated shape and may extend along the stalk. The stalk may have a plastic housing wall portion. The antenna may be formed from first and second metal traces on opposing sides of a printed circuit substrate. The first metal trace may form an antenna resonating element arm and may lie between the substrate and the plastic housing wall portion. The second metal trace may be a ground trace. A feed for the antenna may be located at a juncture between the main body portion and the stalk.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 12, 2016Publication date: July 13, 2017Inventors: Erin A. McAuliffe, Carlo Di Nallo, Huan-Chu Huang, Joel D. Barrera, Mattia Pascolini, Jerzy S. Guterman, Arun Chawan, Benjamin Cousins, Lee M. Panecki
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Publication number: 20170062906Abstract: An electronic device may have wireless circuitry with antennas. The electronic device may have a dielectric housing. A printed circuit board with electrical components may be mounted in the dielectric housing. Heat spreader structures may be used to dissipate heat from the electrical components. The heat spreader structures be configured to form antenna cavities. The antennas in the electronic device may be formed from the antenna cavities and may have antenna resonating elements formed on the printed circuit. An electrical component such as a light-emitting diode may be mounted in one of the antenna cavities. Each antenna element may be an inverted-F antenna resonating element with short and long arms. The short arm of each antenna resonating element may be formed from edge plated metal traces on an edge of the printed circuit.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 28, 2015Publication date: March 2, 2017Inventors: Erin A. McAuliffe, James W. Jervis, Andrea Ruaro, Mattia Pascolini, Jerzy S. Guterman