Patents by Inventor Kendall L. Helbert

Kendall L. Helbert 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: 20240369847
    Abstract: A component for a wearable electronic device can include a housing defining an internal volume, a first connector that is removably attachable to a head-mounted display. the first connector configured to electrically connect to the head-mounted display. and a second connector that is removably attachable to a supplemental unit. the second connector configured to electrically connect to the supplemental unit. The component can include a stiffener disposed in the internal volume, and the stiffener can be flexible along a first axis and rigid along two axes that are perpendicular to the first axis and to each other. An operational component can be disposed in the internal volume, and the operational component can be electrically connected to at least one of the first connector or the second connector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2022
    Publication date: November 7, 2024
    Inventors: Kendall L. Helbert, Heidi Williamson, James W. Vandyke, Neal D. Evans, Nikolas T. Vitt, Samuel G. Smith, Nicolas Lylyk, Richard P. Howarth, Trevor J. Ness, Darshan R. Kasar, Muhammad F. Hossain, Christopher S. Graham, Daniel C. Wagman
  • Publication number: 20240231112
    Abstract: A head-mountable display (HMD) system includes a display portion, a modular securement assembly connectable to the display portion, and a dongle configured to connect the removable strap to at least one of a power supply, a computing device, or an external display. In some examples, the modular securement assembly includes: a removable strap with an electronics pod with a thermal shell and a thermal conduit; and a retention band connectable to the removable strap.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2023
    Publication date: July 11, 2024
    Inventor: Kendall L. Helbert
  • Publication number: 20240211195
    Abstract: An electronic device includes a display portion and a modular securement assembly. The modular securement assembly is connectable to the display portion and includes a removable strap. The removable strap can include a communication module. The display portion can also include a sensor and the removable strap can also include an identifier. The sensor can sense the identifier.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2024
    Publication date: June 27, 2024
    Inventor: Kendall L. Helbert
  • Publication number: 20240192511
    Abstract: A wearable device includes a support and a cushion that is coupled to the support, the cushion including a first portion and a second portion, the first portion having a first stiffness, the second portion having a second stiffness, and the first stiffness is at least four times greater than the second stiffness.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2024
    Publication date: June 13, 2024
    Inventors: Paul X. Wang, Dustin A. Hatfield, Liam R. Martinez, Kristine S. Atom, Adam Y. Kollgaard, Benjamin A. Shaffer, Joshua A. Hoover, Jenna L. Withrow, Robert V. Tang, Kendall L. Helbert, Geng Luo
  • Patent number: 11838716
    Abstract: An electronic device such as a pair of headphones may be configured to be worn on a head of a user. The headphones may have a headband and earcups that are coupled to the headband. The headband may have a frame and a headband frame cover that is removably attached to the frame. The cover may have protrusions, may be inflated using a pump, may include a battery and other components, and may include sensors. An earcup movement synchronization mechanism may be used to synchronize movement of a left earcup with a right earcup. A torsion spring with a stop mechanisms or other bend limiter may be configured to prevent overbending of the headband.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Kendall L. Helbert, Benjamin C. Creed, Chad J. Miller, Jenna L. Withrow, Joshua A. Hoover, Lee M. Panecki, Donald L. Olmstead, Bryan A. Cloyd
  • Patent number: 11112915
    Abstract: An electronic device such as a portable electronic device may have display with a capacitive touch sensor. A cover may have a front portion and a rear portion that bend along a bend axis. The front portion may overlap the display when the cover is closed. Conductive structures such as a patterned conductive layer having elongated strips of conductive material separated by gaps or another predetermined pattern may be formed in the front portion of a cover or other portion of a cover that overlaps the display and capacitive touch sensor when the cover is closed. Control circuitry in the device can gather capacitance images with the touch sensor and can detect when the cover has transitioned from open to closed or from closed to open from whether the predetermined pattern becomes present or becomes absent in the capacitance images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen T. Schooley, Kendall L. Helbert, Ari Y. Benbasat, Clayton J. McCoy, Devon J. Rosner, Joshua A. Hoover, Sean M. Cole, Yufei Zhao, Zhao Liu, Judd Reed
  • Publication number: 20200319734
    Abstract: An electronic device such as a portable electronic device may have display with a capacitive touch sensor. A cover may have a front portion and a rear portion that bend along a bend axis. The front portion may overlap the display when the cover is closed. Conductive structures such as a patterned conductive layer having elongated strips of conductive material separated by gaps or another predetermined pattern may be formed in the front portion of a cover or other portion of a cover that overlaps the display and capacitive touch sensor when the cover is closed. Control circuitry in the device can gather capacitance images with the touch sensor and can detect when the cover has transitioned from open to closed or from closed to open from whether the predetermined pattern becomes present or becomes absent in the capacitance images.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2020
    Publication date: October 8, 2020
    Inventors: Stephen T. Schooley, Kendall L. Helbert, Ari Y. Benbasat, Clayton J. McCoy, Devon J. Rosner, Joshua A. Hoover, Sean M. Cole, Yufei Zhao, Zhao Liu, Judd Reed
  • Patent number: 10725595
    Abstract: An electronic device such as a portable electronic device may have display with a capacitive touch sensor. A cover may have a front portion and a rear portion that bend along a bend axis. The front portion may overlap the display when the cover is closed. Conductive structures such as a patterned conductive layer having elongated strips of conductive material separated by gaps or another predetermined pattern may be formed in the front portion of a cover or other portion of a cover that overlaps the display and capacitive touch sensor when the cover is closed. Control circuitry in the device can gather capacitance images with the touch sensor and can detect when the cover has transitioned from open to closed or from closed to open from whether the predetermined pattern becomes present or becomes absent in the capacitance images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen T. Schooley, Kendall L. Helbert, Ari Y. Benbasat, Clayton J. McCoy, Devon J. Rosner, Joshua A. Hoover, Sean M. Cole, Yufei Zhao, Zhao Liu, Judd Reed
  • Publication number: 20190324574
    Abstract: An electronic device such as a portable electronic device may have display with a capacitive touch sensor. A cover may have a front portion and a rear portion that bend along a bend axis. The front portion may overlap the display when the cover is closed. Conductive structures such as a patterned conductive layer having elongated strips of conductive material separated by gaps or another predetermined pattern may be formed in the front portion of a cover or other portion of a cover that overlaps the display and capacitive touch sensor when the cover is closed. Control circuitry in the device can gather capacitance images with the touch sensor and can detect when the cover has transitioned from open to closed or from closed to open from whether the predetermined pattern becomes present or becomes absent in the capacitance images.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2018
    Publication date: October 24, 2019
    Inventors: Stephen T. Schooley, Kendall L. Helbert, Ari Y. Benbasat, Clayton J. McCoy, Devon J. Rosner, Joshua A. Hoover, Sean M. Cole, Yufei Zhao, Zhao Liu, Judd Reed