Patents by Inventor James E. Pedder

James E. Pedder 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).

  • Patent number: 12613417
    Abstract: A lens module may include a first lens element, a lens shaping structure that is coupled to the first lens element, and a plurality of actuators that are configured to adjust a position of the lens shaping structure to adjust the first lens element. The lens module may also include a second lens element and a fluid-filled chamber between the first and second lens elements. To allow dynamic adjustments of the second lens element without requiring additional actuators, the second lens element may be a semi-rigid lens element. When the actuators adjust the curvature of the first lens element, the gauge pressure applied to the second lens element is changed. This causes a change in curvature of the second lens element. The actuators may therefore adjust the curvature of both the first and second lens elements even though none of the actuators are attached to the second lens element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2026
    Inventors: James E. Pedder, Igor Stamenov, Richard J. Topliss, Thomas M. Gregory, Michael D. Simmonds
  • Patent number: 12578511
    Abstract: Various embodiments include a sag compensation structure that may be used to compensate for gravity sag of a deformable lens membrane. In some embodiments, the sag compensation structure may be combined with a lens assembly comprising the deformable lens membrane. The sag compensation structure may include one or more sag compensation membranes that may interface with fluids to provide the gravity sag compensation. According to some embodiments, the lens assembly may include a lens that corrects for one or more optical aberrations of the deformable lens membrane. The sag compensation structure may be disposed between the deformable lens membrane and the lens that corrects for the optical aberration(s), in some embodiments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2026
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Richard J. Topliss, James E. Pedder, Michael D. Simmonds
  • Publication number: 20260029650
    Abstract: A head-mounted device may include a lens module with a least one adjustable lens. The head-mounted device may be wirelessly paired to an electronic device such as a cellular telephone, watch, laptop computer, etc. To correct for presbyopia, the optical power of adjustable lenses in a head-mounted device may be adjusted when the user is viewing a close object. To allow for intelligent adjustments of the adjustable lenses while minimizing power consumption in the head-mounted device, the head-mounted device may receive sensor data and/or focal point change instructions from a paired electronic device. The paired electronic device may detect a trigger, analyze the user’s attention to the paired electronic device, and send focal point change instructions to the head-mounted device based on the obtained information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2025
    Publication date: January 29, 2026
    Inventors: James E. Pedder, Igor Stamenov, Matthew D. Hollands, Thomas M. Gregory
  • Publication number: 20260023258
    Abstract: A lens module may include a transparent lens element, a lens shaping structure that is coupled to the transparent lens element, and a plurality of actuators that are configured to adjust a position of the lens shaping structure to adjust the transparent lens element. The lens shaping structure may include a plurality of extensions that are each coupled to a respective actuator. To ensure the lens shaping structure has desired curvature between the extensions, the lens shaping structure may have a portion in one or more segments between adjacent extensions that has a property with a different magnitude than an additional portion of the lens shaping structure. The portion between the adjacent extensions may have an increased or decreased rigidity relative to the additional portions. The portion between the adjacent extensions may have a different width, thickness, or Young's modulus compared to the additional portions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2025
    Publication date: January 22, 2026
    Inventors: Igor Stamenov, Richard J. Topliss, Ran He, Peng Lv, Yuan Li, James E. Pedder, Thomas M. Gregory
  • Patent number: 12523866
    Abstract: Various embodiments include a piezoelectric actuator for driving motion of a deformable lens. The piezoelectric actuator may include a frame coupled with piezoelectric elements. According to some embodiments, the piezoelectric elements may be activated to produce relative elliptical motion between portions of the frame. The relative elliptical motion may modulate friction between surfaces of the frame, so as to drive motion of at least a portion of the deformable lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2026
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Richard J. Topliss, James E. Pedder
  • Publication number: 20250377545
    Abstract: An electronic device may include a lens module with a tunable lens. The tunable lens may be operable in multiple modes such as a normal mode, a presbyopia-mitigation mode, a near-focus mode, and a negative power boost mode. During operation, the electronic device may gather data and adjust the tunable lens based on the gathered data. The tunable lens may be switched from the normal mode to the presbyopia-mitigation mode in response to determining that a nearby object is being viewed through the lens module. The tunable lens may be switched from the normal mode to the negative power boost mode in response to ambient light levels being low and/or eye fatigue levels being high. The tunable lens may switch between modes over a transition period. An output device may notify the user when the tunable lens changes modes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2025
    Publication date: December 11, 2025
    Inventors: Igor Stamenov, Gareth D. Hastings, James E. Pedder, Jason Chen, Matthew D. Hollands, Amrith V. Ram
  • Publication number: 20250370170
    Abstract: Materials and devices are provided. A lens module may include a first optical fluid having a density at 20° C. ranging from 1.20 to 1.85 g/mL and a refractive index of the ranging from 1.30 to 1.55 and a second optical fluid having a density at 20° C. ranging from 0.70 to 1.30 g/mL and a refractive index of the ranging from 1.50 to 1.75. The first and second optical fluids may be substantially free of any per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2025
    Publication date: December 4, 2025
    Inventors: Igor Stamenov, Ferdinand S. Melkonyan, Fredric R. Askham, James E. Pedder, Thomas J. Aldrich
  • Patent number: 12468146
    Abstract: A lens module may include a transparent lens element, a lens shaping structure that is coupled to the transparent lens element, and a plurality of actuators that are configured to adjust a position of the lens shaping structure to adjust the transparent lens element. The lens shaping structure may include a plurality of extensions that are each coupled to a respective actuator. To ensure the lens shaping structure has desired curvature between the extensions, the lens shaping structure may have a portion in one or more segments between adjacent extensions that has a property with a different magnitude than an additional portion of the lens shaping structure. The portion between the adjacent extensions may have an increased or decreased rigidity relative to the additional portions. The portion between the adjacent extensions may have a different width, thickness, or Young's modulus compared to the additional portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2023
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2025
    Inventors: Igor Stamenov, Richard J. Topliss, Ran He, Peng Lv, Yuan Li, James E. Pedder, Thomas M. Gregory
  • Publication number: 20250306720
    Abstract: An electronic device includes multiple, non-parallel touch-sensitive surfaces for touch input. In some examples, the electronic device includes a housing comprising a first surface, a second surface, and a third surface. The second surface is arranged between and non-parallel to the first surface and the third surface. In some examples, a plurality of first sense electrode segments is disposed on the first surface and a plurality of second sense electrode segments is disposed on the second surface. In some examples, a plurality of drive electrodes separates one or more pairs of the first sense electrode segments and one or more pairs of the second sense electrode segments. In some examples, at least one drive electrode of the plurality of drive electrodes is disposed on the first surface, the second surface, and the third surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2025
    Publication date: October 2, 2025
    Inventors: Matthew D. HOLLANDS, James E. PEDDER
  • Publication number: 20250265789
    Abstract: In some embodiments, a computer system performs an operation in an environment in response to detecting an input on a support element of the computer system. For example, the operation changes an appearance of at least a portion of the environment when viewed via an environment viewing component of the computer system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2025
    Publication date: August 21, 2025
    Inventors: Matthew D. HOLLANDS, James E. PEDDER
  • Patent number: 12393032
    Abstract: A head-mounted device may have lenses. A user may view images through the lenses from eye boxes. The lenses may be tunable liquid lenses. Each lens may have a lens chamber. The lens chamber of the lens may have rigid and/or flexible walls that form optical lens surfaces. Actuators and/or pump and reservoir systems may deform the lens surfaces in response to control signals from a control circuit to tune the lens. Each liquid lens may have oil or other liquid in the lens chamber for that lens. Inorganic dielectric particles or other refractive-index-adjustment particles may be used to adjust the refractive index of the lens. The particles may be subwavelength in size.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2023
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2025
    Inventors: Sebastien Bolis, Arnaud Pouydebasque, Igor Stamenov, James E. Pedder, Nachiappan Chidambaram
  • Patent number: 12315418
    Abstract: Display panel redundancy schemes and methods of operation are described. In an embodiment, and display panel includes an array of drivers (e.g. microdrivers), each of which including multiple portions to independently receive control and pixel bits. In an embodiment, each driver portion is to control a group of redundant emission elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2025
    Inventors: Kapil V. Sakariya, Tore Nauta, Hopil Bae, Henry C. Jen, James E. Pedder, Sunggu Kang, Shingo Hatanaka, Xiang Lu, Mahdi Farrokh Baroughi, Hasan Akyol, Saif Choudhary, Ion Bita
  • Publication number: 20250028093
    Abstract: An electronic device may include a lens module with a tunable lens. The tunable lens may include multiple adjustable fluid-filled bladders distributed around the periphery of the tunable lens. Fluid may be selectively added to and removed from each adjustable fluid-filled bladder to control a displacement of a lens element at a given position along the periphery. The fluid may be added to and removed from the adjustable fluid-filled bladders by fluid-controlling components. The fluid-controlling components may be positioned locally within a ring-shaped chassis portion and adjacent to a respective bladder or may be consolidated in an additional chassis portion and connected to the bladders using fluid channels through the ring-shaped chassis portion. The fluid-controlling components may include stepper motors with two subassemblies that each have a ring-shaped magnet between two coils.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 12, 2024
    Publication date: January 23, 2025
    Inventors: Richard J. Topliss, Matthew D. Hollands, James E. Pedder, Daniel J. Burbridge, Thomas M. Gregory
  • Publication number: 20250020926
    Abstract: An electronic device may include an optical module with a display and a tunable lens. During operation, the electronic device may gather data and adjust the tunable lens based on the gathered data. The optical module may include a non-adjustable lens element with convex curvature in addition to the tunable lens. The optical module may include a Fresnel lens element in addition to the tunable lens. The optical module may include a catadioptric lens in addition to the tunable lens. The optical module may include a catadioptric lens that includes the tunable lens. The optical module may have a birdbath architecture that includes the tunable lens. The optical module may include a waveguide and the tunable lens may be an adjustable positive bias lens and/or an adjustable negative bias lens.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2024
    Publication date: January 16, 2025
    Inventors: James E. Pedder, Igor Stamenov, Arthur Y. Zhang
  • Publication number: 20250020910
    Abstract: An electronic device may include an optical module with a display and a tunable lens. During operation, the electronic device may gather data and adjust the tunable lens based on the gathered data. The optical module may include a non-adjustable lens element with convex curvature in addition to the tunable lens. The optical module may include a Fresnel lens element in addition to the tunable lens. The optical module may include a catadioptric lens in addition to the tunable lens. The optical module may include a catadioptric lens that includes the tunable lens. The optical module may have a birdbath architecture that includes the tunable lens. The optical module may include a waveguide and the tunable lens may be an adjustable positive bias lens and/or an adjustable negative bias lens.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2024
    Publication date: January 16, 2025
    Inventors: James E. Pedder, Igor Stamenov, Arthur Y. Zhang, Michael D. Simmonds, Pablo Benitez Gimenez, Ruben Mohedano Arroyo, Juan Carlos Minano Dominguez, Richard J. Topliss, Pablo Zamora Herranz
  • Publication number: 20250014292
    Abstract: A light system that may project virtual content onto surfaces of a room. The system may include one or more low-resolution light-emitting diode (LED) projectors for emitting light representing low-resolution virtual content, and a high-resolution LED projector for emitting light representing high-resolution virtual content. The high-resolution projector may be used to project a 2D image of augmented or virtual reality content being viewed by a person in a room using a device such as a headset or glasses onto a surface of the room so that other persons in the room can view a representation of what the person using the device is seeing. The low-resolution projector(s) may project low-resolution images onto other surfaces in the room, for example the walls and ceiling. The system may also be configured to emit diffuse light to illuminate a room when not emitting light representing virtual content.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2024
    Publication date: January 9, 2025
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Michael D. Simmonds, James H. Foster, James E. Pedder, Richard J. Topliss, Thomas M. Gregory
  • Patent number: 12153229
    Abstract: A head-mounted device may include one or more adjustable lens elements. The adjustable lens element may include a transparent substrate, a collapsible wall that forms an enclosed perimeter on the transparent substrate, and a flexible membrane on the collapsible wall that together define an interior volume. The interior volume may be filled with a fluid. The adjustable lens element may include a lens shaping component that applies a force to the collapsible wall to adjust a height of the collapsible wall relative to the transparent substrate, which in turn may be used to adjust the shape of the flexible membrane and thus the lens power of the lens element. The collapsible wall may have bellows that allow the collapsible wall to fold on itself when compressed, thereby minimizing unintended lateral movement of the collapsible wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Richard J. Topliss, Igor Stamenov, Ran He, Yuan Li, Peng Lv, James E. Pedder
  • Publication number: 20240385448
    Abstract: A lens module in a head-mounted device may include a fluid-filled chamber, a semi-rigid lens element that at least partially defines the fluid-filled chamber, and at least one actuator configured to selectively bend the semi-rigid lens element. The semi-rigid lens element may become rigid along a first axis when the lens element is curved along a second axis perpendicular to the first axis. Six actuators that are evenly distributed around the periphery of the semi-rigid lens element may be used to control the curvature of the semi-rigid lens element. The semi-rigid lens element may initially be planar or non-planar. For example, the semi-rigid lens element may initially have a spherically convex surface and a spherically concave surface. A tunable spherical lens may be incorporated into the lens module to offset a parasitic spherical lens power from the semi-rigid lens element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2024
    Publication date: November 21, 2024
    Inventors: James E. Pedder, Igor Stamenov, Cheng Chen, Enkhamgalan Dorjgotov, Graham B. Myhre, Victoria C. Chan, Xiaonan Wen, Peng Lv, Yuan Li, Yu Horie, Siddharth S. Hazra
  • Patent number: 12118675
    Abstract: A light system that may project virtual content onto surfaces of a room. The system may include one or more low-resolution light-emitting diode (LED) projectors for emitting light representing low-resolution virtual content, and a high-resolution LED projector for emitting light representing high-resolution virtual content. The high-resolution projector may be used to project a 2D image of augmented or virtual reality content being viewed by a person in a room using a device such as a headset or glasses onto a surface of the room so that other persons in the room can view a representation of what the person using the device is seeing. The low-resolution projector(s) may project low-resolution images onto other surfaces in the room, for example the walls and ceiling. The system may also be configured to emit diffuse light to illuminate a room when not emitting light representing virtual content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Michael D. Simmonds, James H. Foster, James E. Pedder, Richard J. Topliss, Thomas M. Gregory
  • Publication number: 20240302657
    Abstract: An electronic device may include a display and a lens module through which the display is viewable. The lens module may include a tunable lens with an adjustable spherical power, cylindrical axis, and/or cylindrical power. To tune the tunable lens to compensate for a viewer's eyesight, the display may present at least one target. The optical power of the tunable lens may be set based on the point of gaze relative to the at least one target. Multiple targets with associated optical powers may be presented and the optical power of the tunable lens may be set depending on which target is aligned with the point of gaze. The display may present an image through a masking layer with a ring of pinhole pairs. The electronic device may include an input device that receives user input regarding a perceived image associated with the display and the masking layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2024
    Publication date: September 12, 2024
    Inventors: James E. Pedder, Gareth D. Hastings, Igor Stamenov, Matthew D. Hollands