Patents by Inventor Katherine J. SPRIGGS

Katherine J. SPRIGGS 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: 9804441
    Abstract: An electronic device display may have an active area with an array of pixels and an inactive area. A light-transmitting window may be formed in the inactive area. A light-sensing component such as an ambient light sensor may be mounted within the housing in alignment with the window. Opaque masking material may be provided on one or more layers of the display in the inactive area and may have an opening for the window. Backlight structures in the display may generate backlight illumination for pixels in the active area. Stray portions of the backlight illumination may be blocked using a stray light absorption layer on one of the layers of the display such as a layer other than the layer on which the opaque masking material is formed. The stray light absorption layer may have an opening aligned with the window.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Zhang Jia, James J. Dudley, Katherine J. Spriggs, William A. Tashman
  • Publication number: 20170176787
    Abstract: An electronic device display may have an active area with an array of pixels and an inactive area. A light-transmitting window may be formed in the inactive area. A light-sensing component such as an ambient light sensor may be mounted within the housing in alignment with the window. Opaque masking material may be provided on one or more layers of the display in the inactive area and may have an opening for the window. Backlight structures in the display may generate backlight illumination for pixels in the active area. Stray portions of the backlight illumination may be blocked using a stray light absorption layer on one of the layers of the display such as a layer other than the layer on which the opaque masking material is formed. The stray light absorption layer may have an opening aligned with the window.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2016
    Publication date: June 22, 2017
    Inventors: Zhang Jia, James J. Dudley, Katherine J. Spriggs, William A. Tashman
  • Patent number: 9429421
    Abstract: This application relates to determining uniformity of a housing for a computing device based on characteristics of a reflected pattern of light incident upon the housing. The reflected pattern of light can include an array of shapes such as dots whose orientation and location can provide indications of uniformity for the housing. The array of shapes are analyzed to determine certain geometric properties such as area for each shape in the array of shapes. The geometric properties can thereafter be compared to a predetermined geometric, threshold, or tolerance value, and each shape can be assigned a rank of uniformity. Once a rank of uniformity is defined for each shape, a compilation of uniformity values can be generated and used to find portions on the housing where the housing is not uniform or flat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Patrick Kessler, Jason Bakhshi, Katherine J. Spriggs, Akhil Suri
  • Publication number: 20160033262
    Abstract: This application relates to determining uniformity of a housing for a computing device based on characteristics of a reflected pattern of light incident upon the housing. The reflected pattern of light can include an array of shapes such as dots whose orientation and location can provide indications of uniformity for the housing. The array of shapes are analyzed to determine certain geometric properties such as area for each shape in the array of shapes. The geometric properties can thereafter be compared to a predetermined geometric, threshold, or tolerance value, and each shape can be assigned a rank of uniformity. Once a rank of uniformity is defined for each shape, a compilation of uniformity values can be generated and used to find portions on the housing where the housing is not uniform or flat.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2014
    Publication date: February 4, 2016
    Inventors: Patrick KESSLER, Jason BAKHSHI, Katherine J. SPRIGGS, Akhil SURI