Patents by Inventor John Benjamin Filson

John Benjamin Filson 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: 11627412
    Abstract: Electronic devices such as compact portable media players are provided. A housing for an electronic device may be relatively compact. The housing may include a door assembly with an attached spring-loaded clip. The electronic device may include a hold switch. Depending on the state of the hold switch, the electronic device may be in an off mode, a continuous playback mode, or a shuffle playback mode. The electronic device may not have integrated media playback controls such as play, pause, rewind, fast forward, etc. As one example, the electronic device may connect to an accessory that has media playback controls. Buttons and other user interfaces may be included in the accessory and user input information may be conveyed between the accessory and the electronic device using a wired path including audio connectors. The electronic device may include a printed circuit board assembly that is nested together with a battery assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: John Benjamin Filson, Pinida Jan Moolsintong, Emery A. Sanford
  • Publication number: 20220075813
    Abstract: Management or coordination of playback of digital media assets by an electronic device (e.g., a computing device), that supports media playback is disclosed. According to one embodiment, the electronic device can be controlled such that a user is able to schedule playback of distinct digital media assets.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2021
    Publication date: March 10, 2022
    Inventors: Fletcher R. Rothkopf, John Benjamin Filson, Kyle Yeates
  • Patent number: 11182420
    Abstract: Management or coordination of playback of digital media assets by an electronic device (e.g., a computing device), that supports media playback is disclosed. According to one embodiment, the electronic device can be controlled such that a user is able to schedule playback of distinct digital media assets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Fletcher R. Rothkopf, John Benjamin Filson, Kyle Yeates
  • Publication number: 20190340196
    Abstract: Management or coordination of playback of digital media assets by an electronic device (e.g., a computing device), that supports media playback is disclosed. According to one embodiment, the electronic device can be controlled such that a user is able to schedule playback of distinct digital media assets.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2019
    Publication date: November 7, 2019
    Inventors: Fletcher R. Rothkopf, John Benjamin Filson, Kyle Yeates
  • Patent number: 10411827
    Abstract: An electronic device may include a processor and a network interface that may include a first radio and a second radio. The processor may be configured to perform wireless communication jamming attack detection by occasionally performing clear channel verification utilizing the network interface to determine whether a threshold number of devices' channels are incapacitated in a wireless network within a threshold amount of time and/or by sending a heartbeat signal from the first radio and determining whether the second radio received the heartbeat signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: John Benjamin Filson, Anthony M. Fadell, Scott P. Mullins, Hirofumi Honjo
  • Patent number: 10402440
    Abstract: Management or coordination of playback of digital media assets by an electronic device (e.g., a computing device), that supports media playback is disclosed. According to one embodiment, the electronic device can be controlled such that a user is able to schedule playback of distinct digital media assets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Fletcher R. Rothkopf, John Benjamin Filson, Kyle H. Yeates
  • Patent number: 10309672
    Abstract: A thermostat for controlling an HVAC system includes wiring terminals adapted and configured to make an electrical connection with an HVAC system wires such as common, heating and cooling control and return wires. The making of the connection with a common wire actuates switching open a loop of an electrical circuit used for power harvesting. The wiring terminal includes actuation of a moveable part of the terminal so as to accommodate the common wire that in turn actuates the switching open the power harvesting loop. More than one other loop can be switched. The wiring terminal can be used to automatically connect and/or disconnect Rc and Rh circuits when one or both Rc and Rh wires are present. The wiring terminal can be used for electronically sensing the presence of the HVAC system wire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: John Benjamin Filson, Daniel Adam Warren, Anthony Michael Fadell, Sheng-Nan Yu
  • Patent number: 10091897
    Abstract: A portable electronic device may have a clip. The clip may be mounted to a housing using hinge structures. The hinge structures may bias the clip towards a closed position. The clip may be opened to attach the portable electronic device to an object. When in the closed position, the clip may lie flush with the exterior of the device housing. Clip biasing may be provided using a torsion spring, a coil spring, a ribbon spring, a clip with built-in biasing, a tension spring, or a compression spring. A coupling mechanism may be used to attach the clip to the housing. The coupling mechanism may include a ratcheting rotatable mechanism, a fixed attachment structure, a flexible attachment structure, a removable structure, or a structure that includes a spring bias adjustment mechanism. The device may have a button with a touch sensor array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: John Benjamin Filson, Pinida Jan Moolsintong, Stephen B. Lynch
  • Patent number: 10063951
    Abstract: Certain embodiments may take the form of an electronic device having a main housing encapsulating operative circuitry for the device. The electronic device includes an attachment member moveably coupled to the metal housing. The attachment member has an acoustical device located therein that is communicatively coupled to the operative circuitry in the main housing. The attachment member includes a recessed portion for positioning the acoustical device within the attachment member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: John Benjamin Filson, Eugene Whang, Matthew Rohrbach
  • Patent number: 10013861
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a multi-sensing hazard detector for detecting potential dangers may include a back plate and a front casing that is coupled with the back plate to define a housing. A circuit board and a plurality of components may be positioned within the housing. The circuit board may be communicatively coupled with the components. The components may include, among other components, an alarm device, an occupancy sensor, and a smoke chamber. The alarm device may be activatable upon the detection of a potential hazard to warn an occupant of a potential danger, the occupancy sensor may be configured to detect the presence and/or movement of objects external to the hazard detector, and the smoke chamber may be configured to detect the presence of smoke to cause a triggering of the alarm device. The housing may comprise a volume of less than 1024 cubic centimeters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Anthony Michael Fadell, Matthew Lee Rogers, Shigefumi Honjo, John Benjamin Filson, Eric B. Daniels, Fred Bould, Adam Mittleman, Andrew Goldenson
  • Publication number: 20180181291
    Abstract: A wall-mountable programmable electronic thermostat for controlling an HVAC system is described. The thermostat includes a circular wall-mountable backplate with a central opening to allow for the passage of HVAC wires for electrical connection to the thermostat. The head unit body is also circular and is removeably mountable to the back plate. A plurality of wedge-shaped wiring terminals are mounted on the backplate for making a tool-free connection to HVAC wires. Each wiring terminal has button that a user can depress while a wire is inserted in a wire hole. The terminals are arranged along one or more circular arcs about the central opening of the backplate such that the wire holes face the central opening and the buttons are located close to the outer periphery of the backplate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2018
    Publication date: June 28, 2018
    Applicant: Google LLC
    Inventors: John Benjamin Filson, Eric B. Daniels, Brian Huppi, David Sloo
  • Patent number: 9875631
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a hazard detector may include a back plate and a front casing coupled to the back plate to define a housing having an interior region and an opening through which air flows into the interior region. A circuit board may be coupled to the back plate and have a plurality of components mounted thereon. A smoke chamber may be mid-mounted on the circuit board, mid-mounting being characterized in the smoke chamber extending through a hole formed in the circuit board such that a top surface of the smoke chamber is positioned above a top surface of the circuit board and a bottom surface of the smoke chamber is positioned below a bottom surface of the circuit board, whereby an interior region of the smoke chamber is accessible to smoke from both the top and bottom surfaces of the circuit board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Adam Mittleman, Andrew Goldenson, William Dong, John Benjamin Filson, Anthony Michael Fadell, Matthew Lee Rogers, Yoky Matsuoka, Samuel W. Kortz
  • Patent number: 9871399
    Abstract: A door lock apparatus, comprising a male component; a connection to a power source; a lock actuator, powered by the power source and configured to move the male component at least partially through a strike and into a box beyond the strike in the path of the male component to lock a door, wherein the male component comprises a plurality of parallel subcomponents oriented lengthwise in the direction of a path of the male component; a bed of sensors positioned in the box and configured to sense a number of parallel subcomponents that contact the bed after the male component has been moved into the box; and an alarm in communication with the bed, wherein the alarm is triggered when an attempt is made to lock the door and an insufficient number of parallel subcomponents contacting the bed has been sensed by the bed of sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Adam Duckworth Mittleman, Peter Privitera, John Benjamin Filson, Kevin Booth, Kenneth Arthur Jenks, Mark Kraz, Jason Chamberlain
  • Publication number: 20180012468
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a multi-sensing hazard detector for detecting potential dangers may include a back plate and a front casing that is coupled with the back plate to define a housing. A circuit board and a plurality of components may be positioned within the housing. The circuit board may be communicatively coupled with the components. The components may include, among other components, an alarm device, an occupancy sensor, and a smoke chamber. The alarm device may be activatable upon the detection of a potential hazard to warn an occupant of a potential danger, the occupancy sensor may be configured to detect the presence and/or movement of objects external to the hazard detector, and the smoke chamber may be configured to detect the presence of smoke to cause a triggering of the alarm device. The housing may comprise a volume of less than 1024 cubic centimeters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2017
    Publication date: January 11, 2018
    Applicant: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Anthony Michael Fadell, Matthew Lee Rogers, Shigefumi Honjo, John Benjamin Filson, Eric B. Daniels, Fred Bould, Adam Mittleman, Andrew Goldenson
  • Publication number: 20180006758
    Abstract: An electronic device may include a processor and a network interface that may include a first radio and a second radio. The processor may be configured to perform wireless communication jamming attack detection by occasionally performing clear channel verification utilizing the network interface to determine whether a threshold number of devices' channels are incapacitated in a wireless network within a threshold amount of time and/or by sending a heartbeat signal from the first radio and determining whether the second radio received the heartbeat signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2017
    Publication date: January 4, 2018
    Applicant: Google Inc.
    Inventors: John Benjamin Filson, Anthony M. Fadell, Scott P. Mullins, Hirofumi Honjo
  • Patent number: 9787424
    Abstract: An electronic device may include a processor and a network interface that may include a first radio and a second radio. The processor may be configured to perform wireless communication jamming attack detection by occasionally performing clear channel verification utilizing the network interface to determine whether a threshold number of devices' channels are incapacitated in a wireless network within a threshold amount of time and/or by sending a heartbeat signal from the first radio and determining whether the second radio received the heartbeat signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: John Benjamin Filson, Anthony M. Fadell, Scott P. Mullins, Hirofumi Honjo
  • Publication number: 20170191287
    Abstract: A door lock apparatus, comprising a male component; a connection to a power source; a lock actuator, powered by the power source and configured to move the male component at least partially through a strike and into a box beyond the strike in the path of the male component to lock a door, wherein the male component comprises a plurality of parallel subcomponents oriented lengthwise in the direction of a path of the male component; a bed of sensors positioned in the box and configured to sense a number of parallel subcomponents that contact the bed after the male component has been moved into the box; and an alarm in communication with the bed, wherein the alarm is triggered when an attempt is made to lock the door and an insufficient number of parallel subcomponents contacting the bed has been sensed by the bed of sensors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2015
    Publication date: July 6, 2017
    Inventors: Adam Duckworth Mittleman, Peter Privitera, John Benjamin Filson, Kevin Booth, Kenneth Arthur Jenks, Mark Kraz, Jason Chamberlain
  • Patent number: 9697713
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a multi-sensing hazard detector for detecting potential dangers may include a back plate and a front casing that is coupled with the back plate to define a housing. A circuit board and a plurality of components may be positioned within the housing. The circuit board may be communicatively coupled with the components. The components may include, among other components, an alarm device, an occupancy sensor, and a smoke chamber. The alarm device may be activatable upon the detection of a potential hazard to warn an occupant of a potential danger, the occupancy sensor may be configured to detect the presence and/or movement of objects external to the hazard detector, and the smoke chamber may be configured to detect the presence of smoke to cause a triggering of the alarm device. The housing may comprise a volume of less than 1024 cubic centimeters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Anthony Michael Fadell, Matthew Lee Rogers, Shigefumi Honjo, John Benjamin Filson, Eric B. Daniels, Fred Bould, Adam Mittleman, Andrew Goldenson
  • Publication number: 20170181297
    Abstract: A portable electronic device may have a clip. The clip may be mounted to a housing using hinge structures. The hinge structures may bias the clip towards a closed position. The clip may be opened to attach the portable electronic device to an object. When in the closed position, the clip may lie flush with the exterior of the device housing. Clip biasing may be provided using a torsion spring, a coil spring, a ribbon spring, a clip with built-in biasing, a tension spring, or a compression spring. A coupling mechanism may be used to attach the clip to the housing. The coupling mechanism may include a ratcheting rotatable mechanism, a fixed attachment structure, a flexible attachment structure, a removable structure, or a structure that includes a spring bias adjustment mechanism. The device may have a button with a touch sensor array.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2017
    Publication date: June 22, 2017
    Inventors: John Benjamin Filson, Pinida Jan Moolsintong, Stephen B. Lynch
  • Patent number: D819460
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Anthony M. Fadell, Matthew L. Rogers, David Sloo, Michael Plitkins, John Benjamin Filson, Eric Daniels, Michael J. Matas, Fred Bould, Brian Huppi