Patents by Inventor Florence W. Ow

Florence W. Ow 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).

  • Publication number: 20230333600
    Abstract: An electronic device may include a display, a housing member at least partially surrounding the display and including a first segment defining a first portion of an exterior surface of the electronic device, a second segment defining a second portion of the exterior surface of the electronic device and configured to function as an antenna, and a bridge segment structurally and conductively coupling the first segment to the second segment. The electronic device may also include a molded element positioned between the first segment and the second segment and defining a third portion of the exterior surface of the electronic device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2023
    Publication date: October 19, 2023
    Inventors: Melody L. Kuna, Carlo Catalano, Lee B. Hamstra, Ross Errett, Devin Williams, Florence W. Ow, Alex Chung Lap Yeung, Carli Oster
  • Patent number: 11720149
    Abstract: An electronic device may include a display, a housing member at least partially surrounding the display and including a first segment defining a first portion of an exterior surface of the electronic device, a second segment defining a second portion of the exterior surface of the electronic device and configured to function as an antenna, and a bridge segment structurally and conductively coupling the first segment to the second segment. The electronic device may also include a molded element positioned between the first segment and the second segment and defining a third portion of the exterior surface of the electronic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Melody L. Kuna, Carlo Catalano, Lee B. Hamstra, Ross Errett, Devin Williams, Florence W. Ow, Alex Chung Lap Yeung, Carli Oster
  • Patent number: 11650484
    Abstract: An electronic device may have a camera. The camera may capture still and moving images. A camera status indicator may be included in the electronic device. The camera status indicator may emit light to indicate when the camera is in use capturing video or other images. The camera status indicator may have multiple light-emitting devices such as light-emitting diodes or lasers. The light-emitting devices may have different colors. Clear encapsulant may cover the light-emitting devices. A white polymer wall or other light recycling structure may run along an outer peripheral edge of the encapsulant. A light diffusing coating layer may coat an outer surface of the clear encapsulant. Light reflections from the status indicator may be reduced in captured images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Rong Liu, Benjamin M. Oztalay, Chenhua You, Corey S. Provencher, Florence W. Ow, Jeremy L. Britt, Joshua A. Spechler, Jun Qi, Ling Han, Shaofeng Liu, Sherry Cao, Tavys Q. Ashcroft, Victor H. Yin, Wenyong Zhu, Ziruo Hong, Janos C. Keresztes, Hung Sheng Lin
  • Publication number: 20220317740
    Abstract: An electronic device may include a display, a housing member at least partially surrounding the display and including a first segment defining a first portion of an exterior surface of the electronic device, a second segment defining a second portion of the exterior surface of the electronic device and configured to function as an antenna, and a bridge segment structurally and conductively coupling the first segment to the second segment. The electronic device may also include a molded element positioned between the first segment and the second segment and defining a third portion of the exterior surface of the electronic device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2022
    Publication date: October 6, 2022
    Inventors: Melody L. Kuna, Carlo Catalano, Lee B. Hamstra, Ross Errett, Devin Williams, Florence W. Ow, Alex Chung Lap Yeung, Carli Oster
  • Patent number: 11402911
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods and systems for providing haptic output on an electronic device. In some embodiments, the electronic device includes an actuator configured to move in a first direction. The electronic device also includes a substrate coupled to the actuator. When the actuator moves in the first direction, the substrate or a portion of the substrate, by virtue of being coupled to the actuator, moves in a second direction. In some implementations, the movement of the substrate is perpendicular to the movement of the actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Erik A. Uttermann, Kevin D. Gibbs, Dhaval Chandrakant Patel, Florence W. Ow, Derek W. Wright, Stephen R. McClure, Inna Lobel
  • Patent number: 11379010
    Abstract: An electronic device may include a display, a housing member at least partially surrounding the display and including a first segment defining a first portion of an exterior surface of the electronic device, a second segment defining a second portion of the exterior surface of the electronic device and configured to function as an antenna, and a bridge segment structurally and conductively coupling the first segment to the second segment. The electronic device may also include a molded element positioned between the first segment and the second segment and defining a third portion of the exterior surface of the electronic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Melody L. Kuna, Carlo Catalano, Lee B. Hamstra, Ross Errett, Devin Williams, Florence W. Ow, Alex Chung Lap Yeung, Carli Oster
  • Patent number: 11228846
    Abstract: Aspects of the subject technology relate to low noise microphone assemblies for electronic devices. A microphone assembly may include components for sensing sound, mounted on a substrate, under a cover disposed on the substrate. The components may receive sound through an opening in the substrate. The microphone assembly may include an interposer on the substrate. The interposer includes one or more contacts on a surface that is spatially separated from the surface of the substrate, in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the substrate. A first side of the substrate may be mounted to an inner surface of a housing of the electronic device. The components, the cover, and the interposer may be mounted to an opposing second side of the substrate. A flexible printed circuit may be coupled to the contacts on the surface of the interposer, and mechanically attached to a surface of the cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Florence W. Ow, Peter C. Hrudey, Yu-Chun Hsu, Anthony D. Minervini, John K. Queeney, Tavys Q. Ashcroft
  • Publication number: 20210258698
    Abstract: Aspects of the subject technology relate to low noise microphone assemblies for electronic devices. A microphone assembly may include components for sensing sound, mounted on a substrate, under a cover disposed on the substrate. The components may receive sound through an opening in the substrate. The microphone assembly may include an interposer on the substrate. The interposer includes one or more contacts on a surface that is spatially separated from the surface of the substrate, in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the substrate. A first side of the substrate may be mounted to an inner surface of a housing of the electronic device. The components, the cover, and the interposer may be mounted to an opposing second side of the substrate. A flexible printed circuit may be coupled to the contacts on the surface of the interposer, and mechanically attached to a surface of the cover.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2020
    Publication date: August 19, 2021
    Inventors: Florence W. OW, Peter C. HRUDEY, Yu-Chun HSU, Anthony D. MINERVINI, John K. QUEENEY, Tavys Q. ASHCROFT
  • Patent number: 11031164
    Abstract: Embodiments describe a receiving element that includes a ferromagnetic structure axially symmetrical around a central axis disposed along a length of the ferromagnetic structure. The ferromagnetic structure includes a groove region defining two end regions on opposing sides of the groove region, where the groove region has a smaller length than the two end regions. The receiving element also includes an inductor coil wound about the groove region of the ferromagnetic structure and in between the two end regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Blake R. Marshall, Florence W. Ow, Joel N. Ruscher, Liquan Tan, Aidan N. Zimmerman, Reza Nasiri Mahalati, Hao Zhu, Qigen Ji, Madhusudanan Keezhveedi Sampath, Nan Liu, Robert Scritzky, Gianpaolo Lisi
  • Patent number: 10955875
    Abstract: Electronic devices and accessory devices for electronic devices are described. In some instances, an accessory device includes a keyboard and a cover rotatable with respect to the keyboard. In some instances, an accessory device includes a back panel and a foldable cover rotatable with respect to the back panel. These accessory devices may include several magnetic elements designed to magnetically couple with, and retain, an electronic device without any additional mechanical or other interlocking devices. In this regard, the magnetic elements in the accessory devices provide an external magnetic field sufficiently strong enough to retain the electronic device, and can counter gravitational forces and/or the weight of the electronic device. However, some accessory devices include additional magnetic elements that provide an external magnetic field that repels magnetic elements in the electronic device. Also, the magnetic elements may also be used to hold different sections of the accessory device together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Hao Zhu, Yang Zhou, Thomas R. Matzinger, Guangtao Zhang, Ming Yu, Jaime G. Chavez Ruiz Garza, Florence W. Ow, James A. Stryker, Travis C. Pedley, Melody L. Kuna, Taylor Harrison Gilbert
  • Patent number: 10916363
    Abstract: A magnetic attachment mechanism and method is described. The magnetic attachment mechanism can be used to releasably attach at least two objects together in a preferred configuration without fasteners and without external intervention. The magnetic attachment mechanism can be used to releasably attach an accessory device to an electronic device. The accessory device can be used to augment the functionality of usefulness of the electronic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew D. Lauder, Matthew Dean Rohrbach, Daniel J. Coster, Christopher J. Stringer, Florence W. Ow, Jiang Ai, Jonathan P. Ive, Elvis M. Kibiti, John P. Ternus, Sean D. Lubner
  • Patent number: 10870261
    Abstract: An electronic device can include a three-dimensional glass feature. In one embodiment, the three-dimensional glass feature is a cavity formed on the inside portion of a cover glass of an electronic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Li Zhang, John Raff, Florence W. Ow, Guangtao Zhang, Soyoung Kim, Victor Luzzato, Daniel B. Sargent
  • Publication number: 20200310495
    Abstract: An electronic device may include a display, a housing member at least partially surrounding the display and including a first segment defining a first portion of an exterior surface of the electronic device, a second segment defining a second portion of the exterior surface of the electronic device and configured to function as an antenna, and a bridge segment structurally and conductively coupling the first segment to the second segment. The electronic device may also include a molded element positioned between the first segment and the second segment and defining a third portion of the exterior surface of the electronic device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2020
    Publication date: October 1, 2020
    Inventors: Melody L. Kuna, Carlo Catalano, Lee B. Hamstra, Ross Errett, Devin Williams, Florence W. Ow, Alex Chung Lap Yeung, Carli Oster
  • Publication number: 20200273613
    Abstract: A magnetic attachment mechanism and method is described. The magnetic attachment mechanism can be used to releasably attach at least two objects together in a preferred configuration without fasteners and without external intervention. The magnetic attachment mechanism can be used to releasably attach an accessory device to an electronic device. The accessory device can be used to augment the functionality of usefulness of the electronic device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2020
    Publication date: August 27, 2020
    Inventors: Andrew D. Lauder, Matthew Dean Rohrbach, Daniel J. Coster, Christopher J. Stringer, Florence W. Ow, Jiang Ai, Jonathan P. Ive, Elvis M. Kibiti, John P. Ternus, Sean D. Lubner
  • Publication number: 20200241598
    Abstract: Electronic devices and accessory devices for electronic devices are described. In some instances, an accessory device includes a keyboard and a cover rotatable with respect to the keyboard. In some instances, an accessory device includes a back panel and a foldable cover rotatable with respect to the back panel. These accessory devices may include several magnetic elements designed to magnetically couple with, and retain, an electronic device without any additional mechanical or other interlocking devices. In this regard, the magnetic elements in the accessory devices provide an external magnetic field sufficiently strong enough to retain the electronic device, and can counter gravitational forces and/or the weight of the electronic device. However, some accessory devices include additional magnetic elements that provide an external magnetic field that repels magnetic elements in the electronic device. Also, the magnetic elements may also be used to hold different sections of the accessory device together.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 14, 2020
    Publication date: July 30, 2020
    Inventors: Hao ZHU, Yang ZHOU, Thomas R. MATZINGER, Guangtao ZHANG, Ming YU, Jaime G. CHAVEZ RUIZ GARZA, Florence W. OW, James A. STRYKER, Travis C. PEDLEY, Melody L. KUNA, Taylor Harrison GILBERT
  • Patent number: 10725515
    Abstract: Embodiments describe a receiving element that includes a ferromagnetic structure axially symmetrical around a central axis disposed along a length of the ferromagnetic structure. The ferromagnetic structure includes a groove region defining two end regions on opposing sides of the groove region, where the groove region has a smaller length than the two end regions. The receiving element also includes an inductor coil wound about the groove region of the ferromagnetic structure and in between the two end regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Blake R. Marshall, Florence W. Ow, Joel N. Ruscher, Liquan Tan, Aidan N. Zimmerman, Reza Nasiri Mahalati, Hao Zhu, Qigen Ji, Madhusudanan Keezhveedi Sampath, Nan Liu, Robert Scritzky, Gianpaolo Lisi
  • Patent number: 10705570
    Abstract: An electronic device may include a display, a housing member at least partially surrounding the display and including a first segment defining a first portion of an exterior surface of the electronic device, a second segment defining a second portion of the exterior surface of the electronic device and configured to function as an antenna, and a bridge segment structurally and conductively coupling the first segment to the second segment. The electronic device may also include a molded element positioned between the first segment and the second segment and defining a third portion of the exterior surface of the electronic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Melody L. Kuna, Carlo Catalano, Lee B. Hamstra, Ross Errett, Devin Williams, Florence W. Ow, Alex Chung Lap Yeung, Carli Oster
  • Patent number: 10707627
    Abstract: Hybrid connectors that may transfer power and data with a variety of electronic devices having different types of connector interfaces, may consume a minimal amount of surface area, depth, and volume in an electronic device, and may be readily manufactured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Reza Nasiri Mahalati, Blake R. Marshall, Liquan Tan, Florence W. Ow, Alex C. Yeung, John Raff, Robert Scritzky, Wei-Hsuan Chen, Eric S. Jol, Madhusudanan Keezhveedi Sampath, Nan Liu, Gianpaolo Lisi, YiBo Liu
  • Patent number: 10671121
    Abstract: Electronic devices and accessory devices for electronic devices are described. In some instances, an accessory device includes a keyboard and a cover rotatable with respect to the keyboard. In some instances, an accessory device includes a back panel and a foldable cover rotatable with respect to the back panel. These accessory devices may include several magnetic elements designed to magnetically couple with, and retain, an electronic device without any additional mechanical or other interlocking devices. In this regard, the magnetic elements in the accessory devices provide an external magnetic field sufficiently strong enough to retain the electronic device, and can counter gravitational forces and/or the weight of the electronic device. However, some accessory devices include additional magnetic elements that provide an external magnetic field that repels magnetic elements in the electronic device. Also, the magnetic elements may also be used to hold different sections of the accessory device together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Hao Zhu, Yang Zhou, Thomas R. Matzinger, Guangtao Zhang, Ming Yu, Jaime G. Chavez Ruiz Garza, Florence W. Ow, James A. Stryker, Travis C. Pedley, Melody L. Kuna, Taylor Harrison Gilbert
  • Publication number: 20200097042
    Abstract: The described embodiments relate generally to contact designs for electrically coupling electronic devices and electronic accessories. Some embodiments of the present invention relate to an electronic device including a housing, one or more magnets configured to align and removably couple the electronic accessory to the electronic device, and a contact area disposed at an external surface of the housing, the contact area including two or more spaced apart contacts. Each of the contacts includes a conductive contact surface positioned at the external surface of the housing, the contact surface configured to directly contact a corresponding contact of the electronic accessory when the electronic device is coupled to the electronic accessory, and an electrically-conductive via extending from the contact surface through the outer surface of housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2019
    Publication date: March 26, 2020
    Inventors: Senem E. Emgin, Florence W. Ow