Patents by Inventor Laura M. DeForest

Laura M. DeForest 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: 20120182497
    Abstract: A display may include a backlight structure. The backlight structure may include a light guide plate. Holes in the light guide plate may be configured to receive corresponding light-emitting diodes. The holes may separate an edge portion of the light guide plate from a main central portion of the light guide plate. Adhesive may be attached to the lower surface of the edge portion. The adhesive may be attached to a device housing or may be attached to a flex circuit that is attached to the housing with additional adhesive. The light-emitting diodes may be mounted within packages in pairs. The packages may be mounted on the flex circuit. Traces on part of the flex circuit may be covered by part of the light guide plate without any intervening adhesive. A reflective structure may be interposed between the traces and parts of the main portion of the light guide plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2011
    Publication date: July 19, 2012
    Inventors: Jun Qi, Bryan W. Posner, Dinesh C. Mathew, Adam T. Garelli, Victor H. Yin, Keith J. Hendren, Laura M. DeForest, Peteris K. Augenbergs, Thomas W. Wilson, JR.
  • Publication number: 20120099264
    Abstract: A portable computing device includes at least a base portion of a lightweight material that includes at least a wedge shaped top case having a trough formed at an interfacing edge thereof. The trough includes a raised portion having a first contact surface and a receiving area, and a bottom case coupled to the top case to form a complete housing for at least a portion of the portable computing device for enclosing at least a plurality of operational components and a plurality of structural components. The portable computing device also includes at least a lid portion pivotally connected to the base portion by a hinge assembly. In the described embodiments, the lid portion has a display in communication with one or more of the plurality of components in the base portion by way of or more electrical conductors that electrically connect the base portion to the lid portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2011
    Publication date: April 26, 2012
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Brett W. Degner, Euan Abraham, John M. Brock, Matthew P. Casebolt, Robert L. Coish, Laura M. DeForest, Michelle Goldberg, Bradley Joseph Hamel, Ron Hopkinson, Jim Hwang, Caitlin E. Kalinowski, Steven Keiper, Patrick Kessler, Eugene Kim, Chris Ligtenberg, Jay K. Osborn, John Raff, Nicholas A. Rundle, David J. Yeh
  • Publication number: 20110091051
    Abstract: A portable computing device having a substantially non-conducting outer housing and alternative electrical grounding and audio system architectures is disclosed. The device can be a laptop computer having a main logic board, a keyboard assembly, an audio source positioned below the keyboard assembly, and an equalizer electrically coupled to the audio source, with each of these components being electrically coupled to a universal grounding structure. The audio source emits sound waves that are propagated through the keyboard assembly and between gaps between keyboard keys and the outer housing. Settings for the equalizer can be selected to account for sound absorption and amplification characteristics of the sound waves along these sound transmission paths.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2009
    Publication date: April 21, 2011
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Gary Thomason, Kevin S. Fetterman, Laura M. DeForest, Ron Hopkinson, Michelle Goldberg, Ruchi Goel, John Raff, Timothy S. Hibbard