Patents by Inventor James R. Wilson

James R. Wilson 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: 10852573
    Abstract: A system such as a vehicle may have window that exhibit adjustable transparency. The windows may include liquid crystal devices and polymer dispersed liquid crystal devices that exhibit adjustable amounts of light transmission and haze. An optical property of a window such as window transparency may be modulated using an alternating-current modulation waveform. Modulation of the transparency of the window may be synchronized with modulated light output from a light source. The light source may be located inside the vehicle or may be located outside of the vehicle. By synchronizing the modulation of the transparency of the window with the light source output, privacy may be enhanced or glare may be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Martin Melcher, James R. Wilson, Clarisse Mazuir, David E. Kingman
  • Patent number: 10850666
    Abstract: A system such as a vehicle may have windows. A window may be provided with a light modular or other active layer having an electrically adjustable optical property. The active layer may have a pair of electrodes. The electrodes may be used to apply electric fields across the active layer to adjust the active layer. A lower sheet resistance electrode may be supplied with a current to ohmically heat the active layer. A higher sheet resistance electrode may be supplied with a voltage gradient to create a gradient in light transmission or other optical property as a function of distance across the higher sheet resistance electrode. The electrodes may be provided with terminals that are formed from elongated strips of metal or other terminal structures. The terminals may run along the peripheral edges of the electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Martin Melcher, James R. Wilson, Khadijeh Bayat
  • Patent number: 10852574
    Abstract: Substrates such as transparent glass layers or other transparent substrates may be used to form protective display cover layers, windows, housing structures, camera windows, and other structures. Coatings may be formed on the substrates, on pixel arrays such as flexible organic light-emitting diode pixel arrays, housing structures, and other structures. The coatings may have optical properties arising from the inclusion of pigment flakes in a clear polymer binder. The pigment flakes may be formed from a thin-film interference layer. The thin-film interference filter layer may have a stack of dielectric layers with a pattern of refractive index values selected to adjust the optical properties of the pigment flakes. The stack of dielectric layers may be configured to form an infrared-light-blocking-and-visible-light-transmitting optical characteristic for the coatings and/or may have other desired spectral properties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: James R. Wilson, Matthew S. Rogers
  • Patent number: 10852395
    Abstract: A vehicle includes an exterior body panel, an opening formed through the exterior body panel, a housing that is connected to the exterior body panel, wherein the housing includes side walls that extend around an enclosed space and an open front portion that is positioned at the opening formed through the exterior body panel, an optical-grade tempered glass panel that is connected to the housing and positioned at the opening that is formed through the exterior body panel, an emissive sensor component that is located in the enclosed space that is defined by the housing and the optical-grade tempered glass panel, and a receptive sensor component that is located in the enclosed space that is defined by the housing and the optical-grade tempered glass panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: James R. Wilson, Christopher D. Jones
  • Publication number: 20200363362
    Abstract: A system such as a vehicle may have windows with one or more conductive layers. The conductive layers may form part of an infrared-light-blocking layer or other layer. The infrared-light-blocking layer or other layer may be formed as a coating on a transparent structural window layer such as an outer or inner glass layer in a laminated window or may be embedded in a polymer layer between the outer and inner layers. Segmented terminals and elongated terminals that may extend past two or more segmented terminals may be coupled to the edges of the conductive layers. Using these terminals, control circuitry can apply localized ohmic heating currents and can make resistance measurements on the conductive layers to detect cracks.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2020
    Publication date: November 19, 2020
    Inventors: Martin Melcher, Christopher D. Jones, James R. Wilson
  • Patent number: 10827635
    Abstract: Textured cover assemblies for electronic devices are disclosed. The textured cover assemblies may provide a combination of optical and tactile properties to the electronic devices. In some cases, a textured cover assembly may be provided over decorative coating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Andi M. Limarga, James R. Wilson, Matthew S. Rogers, Que Anh S. Nguyen, Bijumon Varkey
  • Patent number: 10827564
    Abstract: A window such as a vehicle window may have an infrared-light-blocking area formed from an infrared-light-blocking layer. The window may also have an infrared-light-transparent area formed from an infrared-light-transparent layer that is not covered by the infrared-light-blocking layer. The infrared-light-transparent layer may have a conductive layer that is transparent to near-infrared light such as a conductive oxide layer or a metal layer. The infrared-light-blocking layer may have one or more layers of infrared-light-reflecting material such a silver layer that is electrically coupled to the conductive layer in the infrared-light-transmitting layer. Ohmic heating current may be passed to the conductive layer in the infrared-light-transmitting layer through the conductive layer in the infrared-light-blocking layer or through elongated metal contacts that run along edges of the infrared-light-transmitting layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: James R. Wilson
  • Publication number: 20200344878
    Abstract: An electronic device may include electrical components and other components mounted within an interior of a housing. The device may have a display on a front face of the device and may have a glass layer that forms part of the housing on a rear face of the device. The glass layer may be provided with regions having different appearances. The regions may be textured, may have coatings such as thin-film interference filter coatings formed from stacks of dielectric material having alternating indices of refraction, may have metal coating layers, and/or may have ink coating layers. Textured surfaces may be formed on thin glass layers and polymer films that are coupled to the glass layer. A glass layer may be formed from a pair of coupled glass layers. The coupled layers may have one or more recesses or other structures to visually distinguish different regions of the glass layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2020
    Publication date: October 29, 2020
    Inventors: James R. Wilson, Christopher D. Prest, Marta M. Giachino, Matthew S. Rogers, Que Anh S. Nguyen
  • Patent number: 10755123
    Abstract: Various embodiments relate to sensing defects associated with a window. Furthermore, various embodiments relate to performing image processing to produce a corrected image of a scene based at least partly on data corresponding to the detected defects. In some examples, one or more lighting modules may be used to illuminate the window to facilitate detection of the defects by one or more sensor devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Clarisse Mazuir, Malcolm J. Northcott, Jack E. Graves, James R. Wilson, Christopher D. Jones, Martin Melcher
  • Patent number: 10757805
    Abstract: An electronic device may include electrical components and other components mounted within an interior of a housing. The device may have a display on a front face of the device and may have a glass layer that forms part of the housing on a rear face of the device. The glass layer may be provided with regions having different appearances. The regions may be textured, may have coatings such as thin-film interference filter coatings formed from stacks of dielectric material having alternating indices of refraction, may have metal coating layers, and/or may have ink coating layers. Textured surfaces may be formed on thin glass layers and polymer films that are coupled to the glass layer. A glass layer may be formed from a pair of coupled glass layers. The coupled layers may have one or more recesses or other structures to visually distinguish different regions of the glass layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: James R. Wilson, Christopher D. Prest, Marta M. Giachino, Matthew S. Rogers, Que Anh S. Nguyen
  • Patent number: 10739292
    Abstract: A system such as a vehicle may have windows with one or more conductive layers. The conductive layers may form part of an infrared-light-blocking layer or other layer. The infrared-light-blocking layer or other layer may be formed as a coating on a transparent structural window layer such as an outer or inner glass layer in a laminated window or may be embedded in a polymer layer between the outer and inner layers. Segmented terminals and elongated terminals that may extend past two or more segmented terminals may be coupled to the edges of the conductive layers. Using these terminals, control circuitry can apply localized ohmic heating currents and can make resistance measurements on the conductive layers to detect cracks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Martin Melcher, Christopher D. Jones, James R. Wilson
  • Patent number: 10734463
    Abstract: An electronic device may have a display with a transparent layer such as a cover layer. An ambient light sensor may be aligned with an ambient light sensor window formed from an opening in a masking layer on the transparent layer in an inactive portion of the display. To help mask the ambient light sensor window from view, the ambient light sensor window may be provided with a black coating that matches the appearance of surrounding masking layer material while allowing light to reach the ambient light sensor. The black coating may include multiple pigments and may have a flat spectrum to enhance color ambient light measurements made with the ambient light sensor. The black coating may include a polymer binder or other binder that contains multiple pigments. The pigments may include a black pigment, a blue pigment, and an infrared-light-transparent pigment and/or other pigments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Kenichi Nakajima, James R. Wilson, Zhang Jia
  • Publication number: 20200207188
    Abstract: A system such as a vehicle may have adjustable structures such as adjustable windows. Adjustable windows may have adjustable layers such as adjustable tint layers, adjustable reflectivity layers, and adjustable haze layers. Adjustable window layers may be incorporated into a window with one or more transparent structural layers such as a pair of glass window layers. Adjustable components such as adjustable reflectivity layers, adjustable haze layers, and adjustable tint layers may be interposed between the pair of glass window layers. Fixed partially reflective mirrors, fixed tint layers, and/or fixed haze layers may be used in place of adjustable tint, haze, and reflectivity layers and/or may be incorporated into windows in addition to adjustable tint, haze, and reflectivity layers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2020
    Publication date: July 2, 2020
    Inventors: Christopher D. Jones, Ibuki Kamei, James R. Wilson, Clarisse Mazuir, John Raff, Budhadipta Dan, David E. Kingman, Martin Melcher
  • Publication number: 20200204669
    Abstract: An electronic device may have a housing in which electrical components such as a display and other components are mounted. Adjustable decoration may be formed on the electronic device. The adjustable decoration may serve as trim for the housing or a component mounted on the housing, may include a logo, or may be used to form other visual elements. The adjustable decoration may have an appearance that is electrically adjustable by control circuitry in the electronic device. The control circuitry may measure sensor data using sensors, may gather user input from input-output devices, and may gather other information with input-output devices to detect events. When an event is detected such as an incoming communication, a calendar reminder, user input, activation of an electrical component such as a camera, or other event, the control circuitry can adjust the appearance of the adjustable decoration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2020
    Publication date: June 25, 2020
    Inventors: James R. Wilson, Marta M. Giachino, Matthew S. Rogers
  • Patent number: 10690946
    Abstract: Flexible photonic crystal structures capable of changing color in response to strain are described. Methods for forming two-dimensional and three-dimensional flexible photonic crystal structures are described. In some aspects, the flexible photonic crystal structures include an array of holes or voids formed within a flexible material. The flexible material changes dimensions of the array when the flexible photonic crystal structures is stretched, pulled, pushed or bent. In some aspects, the flexible photonic crystal structures include an array of features made of a first material, such as a first type of polymer, embedded within a matrix material made of a second material, such as a second type of polymer. The flexible photonic crystal structures can be used in the manufacture of consumer products, such as electronic products, electronic product accessories, thin films, flexible displays and wearable products.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventor: James R. Wilson
  • Publication number: 20200192719
    Abstract: Multiple electronic devices may be used together in a system. The electronic devices may use sensor measurements and other information to detect when an edge of a first electronic device is adjacent to an edge of a second electronic device. In response to detection of adjacency between the edges of the first and second devices, the devices may transition from an independent operating mode in which each device operates separately to a joint operating mode in which resources of the devices are shared. In the joint operating mode, images may extend across displays in the devices, speakers in the devices may be used to play different channels of an audio track, cameras and other sensors may be used in cooperation with each other, and other resources may be shared. Magnetic components may hold devices together in a variety of orientations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2020
    Publication date: June 18, 2020
    Inventors: James R. Wilson, David A. Pakula
  • Patent number: 10684397
    Abstract: A refractive coating such as a white layer is disposed on a housing component of a portable electronic device. The refractive coating includes pigment particles such as titanium dioxide suspended in a carrier medium such as a polymer matrix. The pigment particles each define air pores or other voids formed by at least partially sintering the pigment particles. A difference in refractive index between the air pores and the pigment particles is greater than that between the carrier medium and the pigment particles. Incident light is refracted at interfaces between the pigment particles and the air pores, increasing light refracted by the refractive coating compared to refractive coatings including pigment particles lacking the air pores.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: James R. Wilson
  • Patent number: 10625580
    Abstract: A system such as a vehicle may have adjustable structures such as adjustable windows. Adjustable windows may have adjustable layers such as adjustable tint layers, adjustable reflectivity layers, and adjustable haze layers. Adjustable window layers may be incorporated into a window with one or more transparent structural layers such as a pair of glass window layers. Adjustable components such as adjustable reflectivity layers, adjustable haze layers, and adjustable tint layers may be interposed between the pair of glass window layers. Fixed partially reflective mirrors, fixed tint layers, and/or fixed haze layers may be used in place of adjustable tint, haze, and reflectivity layers and/or may be incorporated into windows in addition to adjustable tint, haze, and reflectivity layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher D. Jones, Ibuki Kamei, James R. Wilson, Clarisse Mazuir, John Raff, Budhadipta Dan, David E. Kingman, Martin Melcher
  • Patent number: 10630824
    Abstract: An electronic device may have a housing in which electrical components such as a display and other components are mounted. Adjustable decoration may be formed on the electronic device. The adjustable decoration may serve as trim for the housing or a component mounted on the housing, may include a logo, or may be used to form other visual elements. The adjustable decoration may have an appearance that is electrically adjustable by control circuitry in the electronic device. The control circuitry may measure sensor data using sensors, may gather user input from input-output devices, and may gather other information with input-output devices to detect events. When an event is detected such as an incoming communication, a calendar reminder, user input, activation of an electrical component such as a camera, or other event, the control circuitry can adjust the appearance of the adjustable decoration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: James R. Wilson, Marta M. Giachino, Matthew S. Rogers
  • Publication number: 20200101365
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to providing perceptual notifications containing information about a measured activity-based value of a swim characteristic. In some examples, the perceptual notifications utilize colors and haptic taps to convey measured values of the swim characteristic without requiring the swimmer to interact with the perceptual notification while the swimmer is swimming.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2019
    Publication date: April 2, 2020
    Inventors: James R. WILSON, Christopher D. JONES