Patents by Inventor John P. Ternus

John P. Ternus 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: 20170367190
    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with a display and a multi-layer printed circuit. Integrated circuits and other components may be mounted to the multi-layer printed circuit. The display and multi-layer printed circuit may share a common layer formed from a flexible substrate. The flexible substrate may have portions that are integrated into the display and portions that are integrated into the multi-layer printed circuit board. The flexible substrate may contain patterned conductive traces that are used to route signals from components in the multi-layer printed circuit to display circuitry such as a display driver integrated circuit. An array of thin-film transistors may be used to control the emission of light from the display and may be formed on portions of the flexible substrate that are integrated into the display. The display may be a flexible display that includes an array of organic light-emitting diodes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2017
    Publication date: December 21, 2017
    Inventors: Paul S. Drzaic, Jeremy C. Franklin, Stephen Brian Lynch, Scott A. Myers, Benjamin M. Rappoport, Fletcher R. Rothkopf, John P. Ternus
  • Patent number: 9829916
    Abstract: A portable computing device is disclosed. The portable computing device can take many forms such as a laptop computer, a tablet computer, and so on. The portable computing device can include at least a single piece housing. The single piece housing including a plurality of steps. The plurality of mounting steps are formed by at least removing a preselected amount of housing material at predetermined locations on the interior surface. At least some of the mounting steps are used to mount at least some of the plurality of internal operating components housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen R. McClure, Joshua D. Banko, Kevin D. Gibbs, Benjamin M. Rappoport, John P. Ternus
  • Patent number: 9825103
    Abstract: An electronic device may have a display. The display may have an active region in which display pixels are used to display images. The display may have one or more openings and may be mounted in a housing associated with the electronic device. An electronic component may be mounted in alignment with the openings in the display. The electronic component may include a camera, a light sensor, a light-based proximity sensor, status indicator lights, a light-based touch sensor array, a secondary display that has display pixels that may be viewed through the openings, antenna structures, a speaker, a microphone, or other acoustic, electromagnetic, or light-based component. One or more openings in the display may form a window through which a user of the device may view an external object. Display pixels in the window region may be used in forming a heads-up display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Benjamin M. Rappoport, Jeremy C. Franklin, Fletcher R. Rothkopf, Scott A. Myers, Richard P. Howarth, Julian Hoenig, Christopher J. Stringer, John P. Ternus, Stephen Brian Lynch
  • Publication number: 20170308123
    Abstract: A portable computing device is disclosed. The portable computing device can take many forms such as a laptop computer, a tablet computer, and so on. The portable computing device can include at least a single piece housing. The single piece housing can be machined from a single billet of material, such as a billet of aluminum. The single piece housing can include ledges with a surface receiving a trim bead and a cover. Corner brackets can be attached to the single piece housing to improve the damage resistance of the housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2017
    Publication date: October 26, 2017
    Inventors: Stephen R. McClure, Sean S. Corbin, John P. Ternus, Kevin D. Gibbs, Jeremy C. Franklin, Elvis M. Kibiti, John Raff, Jules B. Henry, Benjamin Rappoport, Derek W. Wright, Erik A. Utterman, Ming Yu, Carl R. Peterson
  • Patent number: 9773598
    Abstract: A magnetic attachment mechanism and method is described. The magnetic attachment mechanism can be used to releasably attach at least two objects together in a preferred configuration without fasteners and without external intervention. The magnetic attachment mechanism can be used to releasably attach an accessory device to an electronic device. The accessory device can be used to augment the functionality of usefulness of the electronic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew D. Lauder, Matthew Dean Rohrbach, Daniel J. Coster, Christopher J. Stringer, Florence W. Ow, Jiang Ai, Jonathan P. Ive, Elvis M. Kibiti, John P. Ternus, Sean D. Lubner
  • Patent number: 9756733
    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with a display and a multi-layer printed circuit. Integrated circuits and other components may be mounted to the multi-layer printed circuit. The display and multi-layer printed circuit may share a common layer formed from a flexible substrate. The flexible substrate may have portions that are integrated into the display and portions that are integrated into the multi-layer printed circuit board. The flexible substrate may contain patterned conductive traces that are used to route signals from components in the multi-layer printed circuit to display circuitry such as a display driver integrated circuit. An array of thin-film transistors may be used to control the emission of light from the display and may be formed on portions of the flexible substrate that are integrated into the display. The display may be a flexible display that includes an array of organic light-emitting diodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Paul S. Drzaic, Jeremy C. Franklin, Stephen Brian Lynch, Scott A. Myers, Benjamin M. Rappoport, Fletcher R. Rothkopf, John P. Ternus
  • Patent number: 9710017
    Abstract: A portable computing device is disclosed. The portable computing device can take many forms such as a laptop computer, a tablet computer, and so on. The portable computing device can include at least a single piece housing. The single piece housing can be machined from a single billet of material, such as a billet of aluminum. The single piece housing can include ledges with a surface receiving a trim bead and a cover. Corner brackets can be attached to the single piece housing to improve the damage resistance of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Stephen R. McClure, Sean S. Corbin, John P. Ternus, Kevin D. Gibbs, Jeremy C. Franklin, Elvis M. Kibiti, John Raff, Jules B. Henry, Benjamin Rappoport, Derek W. Wright, Erik A. Utterman, Ming Yu, Carl R. Peterson
  • Publication number: 20170192458
    Abstract: A portable computing device is disclosed. The portable computing device can take many forms such as a laptop computer, a tablet computer, and so on. The portable computing device can include at least a single piece housing. The single piece housing including a plurality of steps. The plurality of mounting steps are formed by at least removing a preselected amount of housing material at predetermined locations on the interior surface. At least some of the mounting steps are used to mount at least some of the plurality of internal operating components housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2017
    Publication date: July 6, 2017
    Inventors: Stephen R. McCLURE, Joshua D. BANKO, Kevin D. GIBBS, Benjamin M. RAPPOPORT, John P. TERNUS
  • Patent number: 9679513
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices are provided in which photodetectors disposed throughout a display are used to control the display brightness. The photodetectors are to be used for ambient light sensing, proximity sensing, or to compensate for aging OLEDs. In some embodiments, photodiodes are fabricated with OLEDs during the TFT fabrication process. In some embodiments, the photodetectors may be disposed throughout the display in zones containing OLEDs. The photodetectors are used to control the display brightness and color for the OLEDs in areas around each photodetector based on ambient light, aging, and/or nearby objects. A controller makes driving strength adjustments to the OLEDs in each zone independent of other zones. Photodetectors disposed throughout the display may improve proximity sensing and provide additional functionality to the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen Brian Lynch, Paul S. Drzaic, Benjamin M. Rappoport, Fletcher R. Rothkopf, John P. Ternus, Scott A. Myers
  • Publication number: 20170139532
    Abstract: Flexible electronic devices may be provided. A flexible electronic device may include a flexible display, a flexible housing and one or more flexible internal components configured to allow the flexible electronic device to be deformed. Flexible displays may include flexible display layers, flexible touch-sensitive layers, and flexible display cover layers. The flexible housing may be a multi-stable flexible housing having one or more stable positions. The flexible housing may include a configurable support structure that, when engaged, provides a rigid support structure for the flexible housing. The flexible internal components may include flexible batteries, flexible printed circuits or other flexible components. A flexible battery may include flexible and rigid portions or may include a lubricious separator layer that provides flexibility for the flexible battery.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2017
    Publication date: May 18, 2017
    Inventors: Jeremy C. Franklin, Scott A. Myers, Benjamin M. Rappoport, Stephen Brian Lynch, John P. Ternus, Justin R. Wodrich
  • Publication number: 20170125144
    Abstract: A magnetic attachment mechanism and method is described. The magnetic attachment mechanism can be used to releasably attach at least two objects together in a preferred configuration without fasteners and without external intervention. The magnetic attachment mechanism can be used to releasably attach an accessory device to an electronic device. The accessory device can be used to augment the functionality of usefulness of the electronic device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2017
    Publication date: May 4, 2017
    Inventors: Andrew D. Lauder, Matthew Dean Rohrbach, Daniel J. Coster, Christopher J. Stringer, Florence W. Ow, Jiang Ai, Jonathan P. Ive, Elvis M. Kibiti, John P. Ternus, Sean D. Lubner
  • Publication number: 20170117336
    Abstract: An electronic device may have a display. The display may have an active region in which display pixels are used to display images. The display may have one or more openings and may be mounted in a housing associated with the electronic device. An electronic component may be mounted in alignment with the openings in the display. The electronic component may include a camera, a light sensor, a light-based proximity sensor, status indicator lights, a light-based touch sensor array, a secondary display that has display pixels that may be viewed through the openings, antenna structures, a speaker, a microphone, or other acoustic, electromagnetic, or light-based component. One or more openings in the display may form a window through which a user of the device may view an external object. Display pixels in the window region may be used in forming a heads-up display.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2017
    Publication date: April 27, 2017
    Inventors: Benjamin M. Rappoport, Jeremy C. Franklin, Fletcher R. Rothkopf, Scott A. Myers, Richard P. Howarth, Julian Hoenig, Christopher J. Stringer, John P. Ternus, Stephen Brian Lynch
  • Patent number: 9568954
    Abstract: A magnetic attachment mechanism and method is described. The magnetic attachment mechanism can be used to releasably attach at least two objects together in a preferred configuration without fasteners and without external intervention. The magnetic attachment mechanism can be used to releasably attach an accessory device to an electronic device. The accessory device can be used to augment the functionality of usefulness of the electronic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew D. Lauder, Matthew Dean Rohrbach, Daniel J. Coster, Christopher J. Stringer, Florence W. Ow, Jiang Ai, Jonathan P. Ive, Elvis M. Kibiti, John P. Ternus, Sean D. Lubner
  • Patent number: 9557874
    Abstract: Flexible electronic devices may be provided. A flexible electronic device may include a flexible display, a flexible housing and one or more flexible internal components configured to allow the flexible electronic device to be deformed. Flexible displays may include flexible display layers, flexible touch-sensitive layers, and flexible display cover layers. The flexible housing may be a multi-stable flexible housing having one or more stable positions. The flexible housing may include a configurable support structure that, when engaged, provides a rigid support structure for the flexible housing. The flexible internal components may include flexible batteries, flexible printed circuits or other flexible components. A flexible battery may include flexible and rigid portions or may include a lubricious separator layer that provides flexibility for the flexible battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jeremy C. Franklin, Scott A. Myers, Benjamin M. Rappoport, Stephen Brian Lynch, John P. Ternus, Justin R. Wodrich
  • Patent number: 9543364
    Abstract: An electronic device may have a display. The display may have an active region in which display pixels are used to display images. The display may have one or more openings and may be mounted in a housing associated with the electronic device. An electronic component may be mounted in alignment with the openings in the display. The electronic component may include a camera, a light sensor, a light-based proximity sensor, status indicator lights, a light-based touch sensor array, a secondary display that has display pixels that may be viewed through the openings, antenna structures, a speaker, a microphone, or other acoustic, electromagnetic, or light-based component. One or more openings in the display may form a window through which a user of the device may view an external object. Display pixels in the window region may be used in forming a heads-up display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Benjamin M. Rappoport, Jeremy C. Franklin, Fletcher R. Rothkopf, Scott A. Myers, Richard P. Howarth, Julian Hoenig, Christopher J. Stringer, John P. Ternus, Stephen Brian Lynch
  • Publication number: 20160363961
    Abstract: A portable computing device is disclosed. The portable computing device can take many forms such as a laptop computer, a tablet computer, and so on. The portable computing device can include at least a single piece housing. The single piece housing including a plurality of steps. The plurality of mounting steps are formed by at least removing a preselected amount of housing material at predetermined locations on the interior surface. At least some of the mounting steps are used to mount at least some of the plurality of internal operating components housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2016
    Publication date: December 15, 2016
    Inventors: Stephen R. McCLURE, Joshua D. BANKO, Kevin D. GIBBS, Benjamin M. RAPPOPORT, John P. TERNUS
  • Patent number: 9431190
    Abstract: A portable computing device is disclosed. The portable computing device can take many forms such as a laptop computer, a tablet computer, and so on. The portable computing device can include at least a single piece housing. The single piece housing including a plurality of steps. The plurality of mounting steps are formed by at least removing a preselected amount of housing material at predetermined locations on the interior surface. At least some of the mounting steps are used to mount at least some of the plurality of internal operating components to the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen R. McClure, Joshua D. Banko, Kevin D. Gibbs, Benjamin M. Rappoport, John P. Ternus
  • Publication number: 20160209883
    Abstract: A magnetic attachment mechanism and method is described. The magnetic attachment mechanism can be used to releasably attach at least two objects together in a preferred configuration without fasteners and without external intervention. The magnetic attachment mechanism can be used to releasably attach an accessory device to an electronic device. The accessory device can be used to augment the functionality of usefulness of the electronic device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2016
    Publication date: July 21, 2016
    Inventors: Andrew D. Lauder, Matthew Dean Rohrbach, Daniel J. Coster, Christopher J. Stringer, Florence W. Ow, Jiang Ai, Jonathan P. Ive, Elvis M. Kibiti, John P. Ternus, Sean D. Lubner
  • Publication number: 20160179253
    Abstract: Flexible electronic devices may be provided. A flexible electronic device may include a flexible display, a flexible housing and one or more flexible internal components configured to allow the flexible electronic device to be deformed. Flexible displays may include flexible display layers, flexible touch-sensitive layers, and flexible display cover layers. The flexible housing may be a multi-stable flexible housing having one or more stable positions. The flexible housing may include a configurable support structure that, when engaged, provides a rigid support structure for the flexible housing. The flexible internal components may include flexible batteries, flexible printed circuits or other flexible components. A flexible battery may include flexible and rigid portions or may include a lubricious separator layer that provides flexibility for the flexible battery.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2016
    Publication date: June 23, 2016
    Inventors: Jeremy C. Franklin, Scott A. Myers, Benjamin M. Rappoport, Stephen Brian Lynch, John P. Ternus, Justin R. Wodrich
  • Patent number: 9329630
    Abstract: A magnetic attachment mechanism and method is described. The magnetic attachment mechanism can be used to releasably attach at least two objects together in a preferred configuration without fasteners and without external intervention. The magnetic attachment mechanism can be used to releasably attach an accessory device to an electronic device. The accessory device can be used to augment the functionality of usefulness of the electronic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew D. Lauder, Matthew Dean Rohrbach, Daniel J. Coster, Christopher J. Stringer, Florence W. Ow, Jiang Ai, Jonathan P. Ive, Elvis M. Kibiti, John P. Ternus, Sean D. Lubner