Patents by Inventor Gregory A. Springer

Gregory A. Springer 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: 20120105294
    Abstract: A cavity antenna for an electronic device such as a portable computer is provided. The antenna may be formed from a conductive cavity and an antenna probe that serves as an antenna feed. The conductive cavity may have the shape of a folded rectangular cavity. A dielectric support structure may be used in forming the antenna cavity. A fin may protrude from one end of the dielectric support structure. The antenna probe may be formed from conductive structures mounted on the fin. An inverted-F antenna configuration or other antenna configuration may be used in forming the antenna probe. The electronic device may have a housing with conductive walls. When the cavity antenna mounted within an electronic device, a planar rectangular end face of the fin may protrude through a thin rectangular opening in the conductive walls to allow the antenna to operate without being blocked by the housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2012
    Publication date: May 3, 2012
    Inventors: Biang Chiang, Gregory A. Springer
  • Publication number: 20120026048
    Abstract: Wireless portable electronic devices such as laptop computers are provided with antennas. An antenna may be provided within a clutch barrel in a laptop computer. The clutch barrel may have a dielectric cover. Antenna elements may be mounted within the clutch barrel cover on an antenna support structure. There may be two or more antenna elements mounted to the antenna support structure. These antenna elements may be of different types. A first antenna element for the clutch barrel antenna may be formed from a dual band antenna element having a closed slot and an open slot. A second antenna element for the clutch barrel antenna may be formed from a dual band antenna element of a hybrid type having a planar resonating element arm and a slot resonating element. Flex circuit structures may be used in implanting the first and second antenna elements for the clutch barrel antenna.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2011
    Publication date: February 2, 2012
    Inventors: Enrique Ayala Vazquez, Hao Xu, Gregory A. Springer, Bing Chiang, Eduardo Lopez Camacho, Douglas B. Kough
  • Patent number: 8102321
    Abstract: A cavity antenna for an electronic device such as a portable computer is provided. The antenna may be formed from a conductive cavity and an antenna probe that serves as an antenna feed. The conductive cavity may have the shape of a folded rectangular cavity. A dielectric support structure may be used in forming the antenna cavity. A fin may protrude from one end of the dielectric support structure. The antenna probe may be formed from conductive structures mounted on the fin. An inverted-F antenna configuration or other antenna configuration may be used in forming the antenna probe. The electronic device may have a housing with conductive walls. When the cavity antenna mounted within an electronic device, a planar rectangular end face of the fin may protrude through a thin rectangular opening in the conductive walls to allow the antenna to operate without being blocked by the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Bing Chiang, Gregory A. Springer
  • Patent number: 8059039
    Abstract: Wireless portable electronic devices such as laptop computers are provided with antennas. An antenna may be provided within a clutch barrel in a laptop computer. The clutch barrel may have a dielectric cover. Antenna elements may be mounted within the clutch barrel cover on an antenna support structure. There may be two or more antenna elements mounted to the antenna support structure. These antenna elements may be of different types. A first antenna element for the clutch barrel antenna may be formed from a dual band antenna element having a closed slot and an open slot. A second antenna element for the clutch barrel antenna may be formed from a dual band antenna element of a hybrid type having a planar resonating element arm and a slot resonating element. Flex circuit structures may be used in implanting the first and second antenna elements for the clutch barrel antenna.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2011
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Enrique Ayala Vazquez, Hao Xu, Gregory A. Springer, Bing Chiang, Eduardo Lopez Camacho, Douglas B. Kough
  • Patent number: 8059040
    Abstract: Wireless portable electronic devices such as laptop computers are provided with antennas and radio-frequency transceiver circuitry. Antenna structures and transceiver circuitry may be provided within a clutch barrel in a laptop computer. The clutch barrel may have a dielectric cover. Antenna elements may be mounted within the clutch barrel cover on an antenna support structure. The antenna support structure may be mounted to a metal housing frame. The metal housing frame may have a tab-shaped extension that serves as a heat sink. The heat sink may draw heat away from the transceiver circuitry. The transceiver circuitry may be coupled to the antenna using a radio-frequency transmission line path that contains microstrip transmission lines or coaxial cable transmission lines. The transceiver circuitry may be coupled to logic circuitry on a laptop computer motherboard using a digital data communications path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2011
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Enrique Ayala Vazquez, Hao Xu, Gregory A. Springer, Bing Chiang, Eduardo Lopez Camacho, Douglas B. Kough
  • Patent number: 8054623
    Abstract: An electronic device is disclosed. The electronic device may include a first side and a second side. The electronic device may also include a lid configured to cover an opening on the first side. The lid may include an interior side. The interior side may be invisible from outside of the electronic device when the lid covers the opening. The electronic device may also include a latching mechanism including a slider configured to slide along at least one of the lid and the first side for latching the lid at the interior side. The electronic device may also include a control unit disposed on the second side and configured to actuate movement of the slider.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2011
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Ricardo Mariano, Gregory Springer, Peter Russell-Clarke, Daniele De Iuliis, Boyu Lin
  • Publication number: 20110058333
    Abstract: An electronic device is disclosed. The electronic device may include a first side and a second side. The electronic device may also include a lid configured to cover an opening on the first side. The lid may include an interior side. The interior side may be invisible from outside of the electronic device when the lid covers the opening. The electronic device may also include a latching mechanism including a slider configured to slide along at least one of the lid and the first side for latching the lid at the interior side. The electronic device may also include a control unit disposed on the second side and configured to actuate movement of the slider.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2010
    Publication date: March 10, 2011
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Ricardo Mariano, Gregory Springer, Peter Russell-Clarke, Daniele De Iuliis, Boyu Lin
  • Publication number: 20110006953
    Abstract: Antennas are provided for electronic devices such as portable computers. An electronic device may have a housing in which an antenna is mounted. The housing may have an antenna window for the antenna. The antenna window may be formed from dielectric or from antenna window slots in a conductive member such as a conductive wall of the electronic device housing. An antenna may have an antenna resonating element that is backed by a conductive antenna cavity. The antenna resonating element may have antenna resonating element slots or may be formed using other antenna configurations such as inverted-F configurations. The antenna cavity may have conductive vertical sidewalls and a conductive rear wall. The antenna cavity walls may be formed from conductive layers on a dielectric antenna support structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2009
    Publication date: January 13, 2011
    Inventors: Bing Chiang, Douglas B. Kough, Enrique Ayala Vazquez, Gregory A. Springer, Hao Xu, Robert W. Schlub, Eduardo Lopez Camacho, Mattia Pascolini, Jerzy Guterman, Yi Jiang, Rodney Andres Gomez Angulo, Ruben Caballero
  • Publication number: 20100321253
    Abstract: Logo antennas are provided for electronic devices such as portable computers. An electronic device may have a housing with conductive housing walls. A logo antenna may be formed from an antenna resonating element such as a patch antenna resonating element, a monopole antenna resonating element, or other antenna resonating element structure. A conductive cavity may be placed behind the antenna resonating element. A dielectric antenna window that serves as a logo may be used to cover the antenna resonating element. The dielectric antenna window may be mounted in an opening in the conductive housing walls. A positive antenna feed terminal may be coupled to the antenna resonating element. A ground antenna feed terminal may be coupled to the cavity and portions of the conductive housing walls. The dielectric antenna window may be shaped in the form of a logo.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2009
    Publication date: December 23, 2010
    Inventors: Enrique Ayala Vazquez, Gregory A. Springer, Bing Chiang, Douglas B. Kough, Robert W. Schlub, Yi Jiang, Rodney Andres Gomez Angulo, Ruben Caballero
  • Publication number: 20100321255
    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with a conductive housing. The conductive housing may be formed from a metal. Slots may be formed in the housing. The slots may serve as an antenna and may be fed using an antenna feed structure within the electronic device housing. The electronic device may have a frame to which housing structures are attached and may have a stand or other support structure. The frame may be used to mount a display, to support housing walls, to support clutch barrel structures, etc. The slots may be formed in the frame or in a space between the frame and the housing walls. The slots or other antenna structures may also be formed in the stand. Multiple slots may be used together to support operations in two or more communications bands. There may be multiple dual slot antennas in the electronic device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2009
    Publication date: December 23, 2010
    Inventors: Douglas B. Kough, Gregory A. Springer, Bing Chiang, Enrique Ayala Vazquez, Hao Xu
  • Publication number: 20100321325
    Abstract: Electronic devices such as computers and handheld devices are provided. The electronic devices may have electrical components such as touch pads and displays. The displays may be touch screen displays. The touch pads and touch screen displays may be formed from touch panels having touch sensors mounted to a planar dielectric member. The displays may be formed from light-emitting structures mounted to a planar dielectric member. The planar dielectric members in the touch panels and displays may have one or more antenna traces that form antennas for the electronic devices. Electrical connectors such as spring-loaded pins, springs, and flexible transmission line structures may be used to form radio-frequency signal paths between the antenna traces on a planar dielectric member and radio-frequency transceiver integrated circuits mounted on a circuit board in an electronic device. The electronic device may have conductive housing walls to which the planar dielectric member is mounted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2009
    Publication date: December 23, 2010
    Inventors: Gregory A. Springer, Bing Chiang, Douglas B. Kough, Enrique Ayala Vazquez, Hao Xu
  • Patent number: 7843687
    Abstract: An electronic device is disclosed. The electronic device may include a first side and a second side. The electronic device may also include a lid configured to cover an opening on the first side. The lid may include an interior side. The interior side may be invisible from outside of the electronic device when the lid covers the opening. The electronic device may also include a latching mechanism including a slider configured to slide along at least one of the lid and the first side for latching the lid at the interior side. The electronic device may also include a control unit disposed on the second side and configured to actuate movement of the slider.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2010
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Ricardo Mariano, Gregory Springer, Peter Russell-Clarke, Daniele De luliis, Boyu Lin
  • Publication number: 20100288072
    Abstract: A control wheel for controlling at least one function of a system by a user includes a moveable engagement wheel for engagement by the user and an actuator coupled to the engagement wheel for providing force or haptic feedback to the engagement wheel in response to movement of the engagement wheel. A sensor for sensing movement of the engagement wheel is provided and a control system is coupled to the sensor for receiving information about positioning and movement of the engagement wheel, and is also coupled to the actuator for controlling force to the engagement wheel. The control system also provides control of the at least one function of the system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2002
    Publication date: November 18, 2010
    Applicant: Immersion Corporation
    Inventors: Gregory A. Springer, Alexander Jasso, Steven P. Vassallo, Kenneth M. Martin, Bruce M. Schena
  • Publication number: 20100231476
    Abstract: Electronic device antennas with multiple parallel plate sectors are provided for handling multiple-input-multiple-output wireless communications. Each antenna sector in a multisector parallel plate antenna may have upper and lower parallel plates with curved outer edges and a straight inner edge. A vertical rear wall may be used to connect the upper and lower parallel plates in each antenna sector along the straight inner edge. Each antenna sector may have an antenna probe. The antenna probe may be formed from a monopole antenna loaded with a planar patch. The planar loading patch may be provided in the form of a conductive disk that is connected to the end of a conductive antenna feed member. The conductive member may be coupled to the center conductor of a transmission line that is used to convey radio-frequency signals between the antenna probe and radio-frequency transceiver circuitry. The antenna sectors may have interplate dielectric structures.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2009
    Publication date: September 16, 2010
    Inventors: Bing Chiang, Gregory A. Springer, Douglas B. Kough
  • Publication number: 20100231481
    Abstract: A cavity antenna for an electronic device such as a portable computer is provided. The antenna may be formed from a conductive cavity and an antenna probe that serves as an antenna feed. The conductive cavity may have the shape of a folded rectangular cavity. A dielectric support structure may be used in forming the antenna cavity. A fin may protrude from one end of the dielectric support structure. The antenna probe may be formed from conductive structures mounted on the fin. An inverted-F antenna configuration or other antenna configuration may be used in forming the antenna probe. The electronic device may have a housing with conductive walls. When the cavity antenna mounted within an electronic device, a planar rectangular end face of the fin may protrude through a thin rectangular opening in the conductive walls to allow the antenna to operate without being blocked by the housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2009
    Publication date: September 16, 2010
    Inventors: Bing Chiang, Gregory A. Springer
  • Publication number: 20100073243
    Abstract: Wireless portable electronic devices such as laptop computers are provided with antennas and radio-frequency transceiver circuitry. Antenna structures and transceiver circuitry may be provided within a clutch barrel in a laptop computer. The clutch barrel may have a dielectric cover. Antenna elements may be mounted within the clutch barrel cover on an antenna support structure. The antenna support structure may be mounted to a metal housing frame. The metal housing frame may have a tab-shaped extension that serves as a heat sink. The heat sink may draw heat away from the transceiver circuitry. The transceiver circuitry may be coupled to the antenna using a radio-frequency transmission line path that contains microstrip transmission lines or coaxial cable transmission lines. The transceiver circuitry may be coupled to logic circuitry on a laptop computer motherboard using a digital data communications path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2008
    Publication date: March 25, 2010
    Inventors: Enrique Ayala Vazquez, Hao Xu, Gregory A. Springer, Bing Chiang, Eduardo Lopez Camacho, Douglas B. Kough
  • Publication number: 20100073241
    Abstract: Wireless portable electronic devices such as laptop computers are provided with cavity-backed monopole antennas. A wireless device may have a housing. Conductive portions of the housing such as a conductive outer metal layer and internal frame structures may form a cavity having conductive walls. An antenna resonating element structure may be formed from monopole antenna resonating element arms of dissimilar lengths. One of the arms may be straight and another of the arms may be implemented using a meandering path. The antenna resonating element may be mounted over the cavity to form a cavity-backed monopole antenna. A display within the device may be covered by a cover glass. An opaque bezel region around the periphery of the cover glass may cover the antenna and block it from view. The antenna resonating element arms may run parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cavity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2008
    Publication date: March 25, 2010
    Inventors: Enrique Ayala Vazquez, Hao Xu, Gregory A. Springer, Bing Chiang, Eduardo Lopez Camacho, Douglas B. Kough
  • Publication number: 20100073242
    Abstract: Wireless portable electronic devices such as laptop computers are provided with antennas. An antenna may be provided within a clutch barrel in a laptop computer. The clutch barrel may have a dielectric cover. Antenna elements may be mounted within the clutch barrel cover on an antenna support structure. There may be two or more antenna elements mounted to the antenna support structure. These antenna elements may be of different types. A first antenna element for the clutch barrel antenna may be formed from a dual band antenna element having a closed slot and an open slot. A second antenna element for the clutch barrel antenna may be formed from a dual band antenna element of a hybrid type having a planar resonating element arm and a slot resonating element. Flex circuit structures may be used in implanting the first and second antenna elements for the clutch barrel antenna.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2008
    Publication date: March 25, 2010
    Inventors: Enrique Ayala Vazquez, Hao Xu, Gregory A. Springer, Bing Chiang, Eduardo Lopez Camacho, Douglas B. Kough
  • Patent number: 7539015
    Abstract: A housing for accommodating one or more riser cards is disclosed. The one or more riser cards include a first riser card. The first riser card may be configured to carry at least a first component. The housing may include a first inlet side configured to allow first air to flow into the housing for cooling the first component. The housing may also include an outlet side configured to allow at least a first portion of the first air to flow away from the housing. The housing may be configured to be disposed inside an enclosure of an electronic device. At least one of the first inlet side and the outlet side may include a first guiding structure configured to guide movement of the first riser card relative to the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2009
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Gregory Springer, Vinh Diep, Ricardo Mariano, Douglas L. Heirich, Peter Russell-Clarke, Daniele De luliis
  • Publication number: 20090034189
    Abstract: A housing for accommodating one or more riser cards is disclosed. The one or more riser cards include a first riser card. The first riser card may be configured to carry at least a first component. The housing may include a first inlet side configured to allow first air to flow into the housing for cooling the first component. The housing may also include an outlet side configured to allow at least a first portion of the first air to flow away from the housing. The housing may be configured to be disposed inside an enclosure of an electronic device. At least one of the first inlet side and the outlet side may include a first guiding structure configured to guide movement of the first riser card relative to the housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2007
    Publication date: February 5, 2009
    Inventors: Gregory Springer, Vinh Diep, Ricardo Mariano, Douglas L. Heirich, Peter Russell-Clarke, Daniele De Luliis