Patents by Inventor Frank F. Liang

Frank F. Liang 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: 20140003083
    Abstract: A flat-panel display (such as a liquid crystal display) includes one or more features that reduce temperature changes in an array of light valves disposed on a substrate. In particular, heat generated in a light source and/or electronics is conducted away from the light values. For example, a light-source holder, which contains the light source, may include holes that increase the thermal resistance between the light source and the substrate. Alternatively, the light-source holder may include a material having a thermal conductivity that is higher than that of stainless steel. In addition, the flat-panel display may include materials and/or a geometry that increases the thermal resistance along a direction in a plane of the substrate. By reducing temperature changes in the flat-panel display, these features can reduce or eliminate color changes and other visual artifacts that can degrade the quality of displayed images.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2012
    Publication date: January 2, 2014
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Ihtesham H. Chowdhury, Frank F. Liang, Amaury J. Heresztyn, Jeremy C. Franklin, Benjamin M. Rappoport, Derek W. Wright
  • Publication number: 20130327507
    Abstract: The disclosed embodiments related to a component for use in a portable electronic device. The component includes a wall of the portable electronic device, containing an intake zone that includes a set of intake vents directed at a first angle toward one or more heat-generating components of the portable electronic device. The wall also includes an exhaust zone containing a set of exhaust vents directed at a second angle out of the portable electronic device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2012
    Publication date: December 12, 2013
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Brett W. Degner, Bartley K. Andre, Jeremy D. Bataillou, Jay S. Nigen, Christiaan A. Ligtenberg, Ron A. Hopkinson, Charles A. Schwalbach, Matthew P. Casebolt, Nicholas A. Rundle, Frank F. Liang
  • Publication number: 20130329357
    Abstract: The disclosed embodiments provide a component for a portable electronic device. The component includes a gasket containing a rigid portion disposed around a bottom of a heat pipe, wherein the rigid portion forms a duct between a fan and an exhaust vent of the electronic device. The gasket also includes a first flexible portion bonded to the rigid portion, wherein the first flexible portion comprises a flap that is open during assembly of the heat pipe in the electronic device and closed over the heat pipe and the rigid portion to seal the duct around the heat pipe after the assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2012
    Publication date: December 12, 2013
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Brett W. Degner, William F. Leggett, Jay S. Nigen, Frank F. Liang, Richard H. Tan
  • Publication number: 20130319638
    Abstract: The described embodiment relates generally to the field of thermal management. More specifically an apparatus for cooling a unibody computing device with obscured inlet and outlet vents is disclosed. Inlet vents are arranged on a bottom surface of the unibody computing device and then exhaust air is vented out from a rear surface of the computing device. The rear vents can be obscured by a stand designed to support the weight of the computing device. By venting exhaust air to either side of the support stand exhaust air can be prevented from being drawn back into the inlet vents, thereby avoiding an overheating condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2012
    Publication date: December 5, 2013
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Brett W. DEGNER, Douglas L. HEIRICH, Frank F. LIANG, Jay NIGEN
  • Publication number: 20130136036
    Abstract: A centralized quality of service (QoS) entity having a processing device performs a method for managing QoS settings for group communications. The method includes: determining a plurality of active participants of a group communication session; and determining, for each active participant, an individual QoS setting, including a first individual QoS setting for a first active participant. The method further includes modifying the first individual QoS setting based on the individual QoS setting for at least one other active participant, wherein the modified first individual QoS setting is applied to a session leg used by the first active participant during the group communication session. The active participants of the group communication session can be on the same or heterogeneous wireless networks.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2011
    Publication date: May 30, 2013
    Applicant: MOTOROLA SOLUTIONS, INC.
    Inventors: ETHAN Y. CHEN, ANATOLY AGULNIK, FRANK F. LIANG, WEI MAO, TRENT J. MILLER, FRANCESCA SCHULER
  • Publication number: 20120275391
    Abstract: Embodiments include methods and apparatus for granting scheduling requests in a wireless communications system that includes an eNB, a plurality of UEs, and a public safety system. The eNB receives multiple scheduling requests from multiple UEs, where each of the scheduling requests indicates that a corresponding UE is requesting uplink data transmission resources. The eNB determines a priority value for each of the scheduling requests based on multiple scoring criteria, resulting in a plurality of priority values associated with the scheduling requests. The eNB transmits one or more scheduling request grants to a subset of the UEs, where the subset includes one or more UEs that are associated with one or more scheduling requests having relatively high priority values. In an embodiment, the multiple scoring criteria include information associated with a public safety activity (e.g., a user role, a jurisdictional coverage area, an incident type, and/or an application type).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2011
    Publication date: November 1, 2012
    Applicant: MOTOROLA SOLUTIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Ningzhou Cui, Frank F. Liang, Jiangnan Jason Chen
  • Publication number: 20120224951
    Abstract: A fan assembly for a computing device is disclosed. The device can include an impeller having a number of blades and a motor for turning the blades. The motor can turn the blades via a magnetic interaction between the impeller and the motor. A thrust bearing can be used to control a position of the impeller relative to the motor. In particular, the impeller can be configured to rotate around an axis and the thrust bearing can be used to control movement of the impeller in a direction aligned with the axis. In one embodiment, the impeller can be configured to generate aerodynamic forces, such as lift, and the parameters associated with the thrust bearing can be selected to counteract the aerodynamic forces so that the impeller remains within a desired positional range relative to the motor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2011
    Publication date: September 6, 2012
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Brett W. DEGNER, Cheng P. Tan, Con D. Phan, Connor R. Duke, Frank F. Liang, Jesse T. Dybenko, Thomas W. Wilson, JR., Keith J. Hendren
  • Publication number: 20120162751
    Abstract: An optical coating includes multiple layers of different materials and thicknesses and is disposed proximate a transparent display cover for an electronic device display. The optical coating transmits most visible light, reflects most non-visible light and substantially absorbs blackbody radiation generated from within the electronic device. The optical coating can be readily removable from the electronic device display either alone or in combination with a removable transparent display cover. The multiple layers comprise two or more materials having alternating low and high indices of refraction, and can include 36 or more layers, each having a thickness ranging from 10 to 400 nanometers. The arrangement and thicknesses of the layers are designed based upon the thickness and optical properties of the transparent display cover.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2010
    Publication date: June 28, 2012
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Frank F. Liang, Phillip L. Mort, Amaury J. Heresztyn, Jay S. Nigen, Simon Prakash, John P. Ternus
  • Publication number: 20120162095
    Abstract: An internal optical coating includes multiple layers of different materials and thicknesses and is disposed between a transparent display cover and a visual display unit for an electronic device display. The optical coating transmits most visible light, reflects most non-visible light and substantially absorbs blackbody radiation generated from within the electronic device. The multiple layers comprise two or more materials having alternating low and high indices of refraction, and can include 36 or more layers, each having a thickness ranging from 10 to 400 nanometers. The arrangement and thicknesses of the layers are designed based upon the thickness and optical properties of the transparent display cover. The internal optical coating can also be specially formulated to replace a typical internal anti-reflective coating proximate the visual display unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2011
    Publication date: June 28, 2012
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Frank F. Liang, Amaury J. Heresztyn, Phillip L. Mort, Carl Peterson, Benjamin M. Rappoport, John P. Ternus
  • Publication number: 20080298021
    Abstract: Embodiments of a device are described. This device includes an integrated circuit and a heat spreader coupled to the integrated circuit. This heat spreader includes a first layer of an allotrope of carbon. Note that the allotrope of carbon has an approximately face-centered-cubic crystal structure. Furthermore, the allotrope of carbon has a thermal conductivity greater than a first pre-determined value and a specific heat greater than a second pre-determined value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2007
    Publication date: December 4, 2008
    Inventors: Ihab A. Ali, Frank F. Liang, Amaury Heresztyn