Patents by Inventor Lee E. Hooton

Lee E. Hooton 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: 12114453
    Abstract: A composite housing of an electronic device can include a metal shell including a first material having a first set of material properties and a surface at least partially defining an exterior surface of the electronic device. The composite housing can also include an interior portion including a second material having a second set of material properties independent of the first set of material properties and at least partially defining a feature. The interior portion can be bonded to the shell and disposed interior to the surface of the shell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2024
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: William A. Counts, Andrew W. Meschke, Lei Gao, Abhijeet Misra, Alexander W. Williams, Hoishun Li, Lee E. Hooton, Michael B. Wittenberg, James A. Yurko
  • Publication number: 20240284624
    Abstract: A composite housing of an electronic device can include a metal shell including a first material having a first set of material properties and a surface at least partially defining an exterior surface of the electronic device. The composite housing can also include an interior portion including a second material having a second set of material properties independent of the first set of material properties and at least partially defining a feature. The interior portion can be bonded to the shell and disposed interior to the surface of the shell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2024
    Publication date: August 22, 2024
    Inventors: William A. Counts, Andrew W. Meschke, Lei Gao, Abhijeet Misra, Alexander W. Williams, Hoishun Li, Lee E. Hooton, Michael B. Wittenberg, James A. Yurko
  • Patent number: 12003657
    Abstract: A portable electronic device may include a housing member, a rear cover coupled to the housing member, and a top module coupled to the housing member and including a front cover defining an exterior surface and an interior surface opposite to the exterior surface, a display stack attached to the interior surface of the front cover and comprising a flexible circuit element extending from a side of the display stack, a frame member attached to the interior surface of the front cover and extending at least partially around a periphery of the display stack, and an encapsulating structure positioned between the frame member and the display stack and at least partially encapsulating a portion of a peripheral side of the display stack and the flexible circuit element. The encapsulating structure may cover at least a portion of a bottom side of the display stack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2024
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Richard H. Koch, Jonathan M. Lee, Laura M. Burke, Ekaterina Pease, Nicholas Merz, Daniel Jarvis, Ian A. Spraggs, Lee E. Hooton, Kodiak D. Burke, David A. Pakula, Marwan Rammah
  • Publication number: 20240098167
    Abstract: Electronic devices may be provided with components such as displays and cameras. A display may be mounted in a housing. The housing may have a sidewall. A bent portion of the display may be embedded in epoxy that is separated from the sidewall by an air gap. Adhesive may attach the epoxy to the housing. A metal support that is chemically bonded to the epoxy may be welded to metal structures such as camera brackets and other metal supports. The housing may have a glass layer that forms a rear wall. The glass layer may have a protruding portion that forms a glass plateau with openings through which cameras operates. A camera may have a protruding portion that is received within one of the glass plateau openings. The protruding portion may extend into a metal camera trim in one of the openings that is attached to the glass plateau.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2023
    Publication date: March 21, 2024
    Inventors: Lee E Hooton, Jia Liu, Paul Choiniere, Daniel W Jarvis
  • Publication number: 20240031460
    Abstract: Electronic devices are disclosed that include metal members bonded to members including a polymer material via a porous metallic layer. The polymer material may at least partially fill and mechanically interlock with pores of the porous metallic layer to form an interlock region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2023
    Publication date: January 25, 2024
    Inventors: Lee E. Hooton, Alexander W. Williams
  • Publication number: 20230421677
    Abstract: A mobile phone may include a housing. The housing may include a first housing component including a cladding portion formed from a first metal and defining a first portion of a side exterior surface of the mobile phone, and a core portion coupled to the cladding portion, the core portion defining a portion of an interior surface of the mobile phone and formed from a second metal different from the first metal, a second housing component defining a second portion of the side exterior surface of the mobile phone, and a joint structure coupled to the first housing component and the second housing component and defining a third portion of the side exterior surface of the mobile phone between the first portion of the side exterior surface and the second portion of the side exterior surface. The cladding portion may be bonded directly to the core portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2023
    Publication date: December 28, 2023
    Inventors: Jon F. Housour, Macey E. Dade, Benjamin R. Gray, Reema Shalan, Daniel W. Jarvis, Jason P. Shannon, Marwan Rammah, Robert F. Meyer, Richard H. Koch, Lee E. Hooton, Christopher S. Tomasetta
  • Publication number: 20230314891
    Abstract: An electronic device has an electrically adjustable shutter. The shutter may be placed in a transparent state or a nontransparent state. The shutter may overlap a portion of a display, may overlap a liquid contact indictor or a structure with text in a device, or may overlap an optical component such as an optical proximity sensor, ambient light sensor, visible light-emitting diode or laser, infrared light-emitting diode or laser, visible light image sensor, or infrared light image sensor. Control circuitry in the electronic device may place the shutter in an opaque state to hide an overlapped component from view or may place the shutter in a transparent state to allow the overlapped component to transmit or receive light. The adjustable shutter may exhibit changes in its transmission spectrum in different modes of operation and may be used as a camera filter or neutral density filter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2023
    Publication date: October 5, 2023
    Inventors: Michael W. Firka, Ashley E. Fletcher, Benjamin J. Pope, Lee E. Hooton, Scott A. Myers, Benjamin Shane Bustle, Garam Young, Blake M. Coughenour
  • Patent number: 11747950
    Abstract: A device configured to determine the location and magnitude of a touch on a surface of the device. The device includes a transparent touch sensor that is configured to detect a location of a touch on the transparent touch sensor. The device also includes a force-sensing structure disposed at the periphery of the transparent touch sensor. The force sensor includes an upper capacitive plate and a compressible element disposed on one side of the upper capacitive plate. The force sensor also includes a lower capacitive plate disposed on a side of the compressible element that is opposite the upper capacitive plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jonah A. Harley, Peter W. Richards, Brian Q. Huppi, Omar Sze Leung, Dhaval N. Shah, Martin P. Grunthaner, Steven P. Hotelling, Miguel C. Christophy, Vivek Katiyar, Tang Yew Tan, Christopher J. Butler, Erik G. De Jong, Ming Sartee, Rui Qiao, Steven J. Martisauskas, Storrs T. Hoen, Richard Hung Minh Dinh, Lee E. Hooton, Ian A. Spraggs, Sawyer I. Cohen, David A. Pakula
  • Patent number: 11740527
    Abstract: An electronic device has an electrically adjustable shutter. The shutter may be placed in a transparent state or a nontransparent state. The shutter may overlap a portion of a display, may overlap a liquid contact indictor or a structure with text in a device, or may overlap an optical component such as an optical proximity sensor, ambient light sensor, visible light-emitting diode or laser, infrared light-emitting diode or laser, visible light image sensor, or infrared light image sensor. Control circuitry in the electronic device may place the shutter in an opaque state to hide an overlapped component from view or may place the shutter in a transparent state to allow the overlapped component to transmit or receive light. The adjustable shutter may exhibit changes in its transmission spectrum in different modes of operation and may be used as a camera filter or neutral density filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Michael W. Firka, Ashley E. Fletcher, Benjamin J. Pope, Lee E. Hooton, Scott A. Myers, Benjamin Shane Bustle, Garam Young, Blake M. Coughenour
  • Publication number: 20220404663
    Abstract: An electronic device has an electrically adjustable shutter. The shutter may be placed in a transparent state or a nontransparent state. The shutter may overlap a portion of a display, may overlap a liquid contact indictor or a structure with text in a device, or may overlap an optical component such as an optical proximity sensor, ambient light sensor, visible light-emitting diode or laser, infrared light-emitting diode or laser, visible light image sensor, or infrared light image sensor. Control circuitry in the electronic device may place the shutter in an opaque state to hide an overlapped component from view or may place the shutter in a transparent state to allow the overlapped component to transmit or receive light. The adjustable shutter may exhibit changes in its transmission spectrum in different modes of operation and may be used as a camera filter or neutral density filter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2022
    Publication date: December 22, 2022
    Inventors: Michael W. Firka, Ashley E. Fletcher, Benjamin J. Pope, Lee E. Hooton, Scott A. Myers, Benjamin Shane Bustle, Garam Young, Blake M. Coughenour
  • Publication number: 20220317728
    Abstract: An electronic device having a display assembly is disclosed. Several layers may combine to form the display assembly. For example, the display assembly may include a touch sensitive layer (or touch detection layer), a display layer that present visual information, and a force sensitive layer (or force detection layer). The display layer may include a bend or curve that allows a portion of the display layer to bend around the force sensitive layer. Also, the connectors (that provide electrical and mechanical connections) may be positioned at different locations of the layers. For example, the display layer may include a connector on a first edge region, and the force sensitive layer may include a connector on a second edge region that is perpendicular, or at least substantially perpendicular, to the first edge region. By positioning the connectors on perpendicular edge regions, the display assembly may reduce its footprint.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2022
    Publication date: October 6, 2022
    Inventors: Douglas G. FOURNIER, James R. KROGDAHL, Daniel W. JARVIS, Edward S. HUO, Lee E. HOOTON, Srikanth V. THIRUPPUKUZHI, Garrett R. OWOC, Michael NGO, David A. PAKULA, Robert F. MEYER
  • Patent number: 11460746
    Abstract: An electronic device has an electrically adjustable shutter. The shutter may be placed in a transparent state or a nontransparent state. The shutter may overlap a portion of a display, may overlap a liquid contact indictor or a structure with text in a device, or may overlap an optical component such as an optical proximity sensor, ambient light sensor, visible light-emitting diode or laser, infrared light-emitting diode or laser, visible light image sensor, or infrared light image sensor. Control circuitry in the electronic device may place the shutter in an opaque state to hide an overlapped component from view or may place the shutter in a transparent state to allow the overlapped component to transmit or receive light. The adjustable shutter may exhibit changes in its transmission spectrum in different modes of operation and may be used as a camera filter or neutral density filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Michael W. Firka, Ashley E. Fletcher, Benjamin J. Pope, Lee E. Hooton, Scott A. Myers, Benjamin Shane Bustle, Garam Young, Blake M. Coughenour
  • Publication number: 20220304175
    Abstract: A component for an electronic device can include a pre-formed substrate comprising a first metal and an additively manufactured portion bonded to the pre-formed substrate. The additively manufactured portion can include a first portion comprising a second metal and defining a volume, the first portion having a first value of a material property, and a second portion disposed in the volume, the second portion having a second value of the material property that is different from the first value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2022
    Publication date: September 22, 2022
    Inventors: Eric W. Hamann, Abhijeet Misra, Anthony D. Prescenzi, Brian M. Gable, Christopher D. Prest, Hoishun Li, James A. Yurko, Lee E. Hooton, Michael B. Wittenberg, Richard H. Dinh, Jennifer D. Schuler
  • Publication number: 20220286539
    Abstract: A portable electronic device may include a housing having a wall defining an opening in the housing and at least a portion of four side surfaces of the portable electronic device. The portable electronic device may further include a display at least partially within the housing, a front cover positioned in the opening in the housing and over the display, the front cover defining a front surface, a peripheral side surface extending from the front surface and at least partially surrounded by the wall of the housing, and a notch that, together with a portion of the wall of the housing, defines an acoustic port of the portable electronic device. The electronic device may further include an acoustic port cover positioned at least partially in the acoustic port and a speaker at least partially within the housing and configured to direct sound through the acoustic port cover.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2021
    Publication date: September 8, 2022
    Inventors: Ethan R. Stobbe, Cameron Bauer, Samuel J. Pliska, Macey E. Dade, Baris Ozgen, Lee E. Hooton, Benjamin S. Bustle, Jason M. Gillier, Stoyan P. Hristov, Anthony B. Sinclair, Nicholas Merz, Daniel Jarvis, Ian A. Spraggs, Mitchell T. Hoertz, Michael D. Quinones, David A. Pakula, Brandon R. Collins-Smoot, Matthew R. McGuire, Richard H. Koch, Simon C. Helmore, Gareth L. Rose, Marwan Rammah, Zachary S. Scott, Jonathan M. Lee, Melissa A. Wah, Jacob Barton, Laura M. Burke, Jesse P. Harris, Samruddhi A. Deshpande, Ekaterina Pease, David J. Dunsmoor, Nawaf Al-Baghly
  • Publication number: 20220286545
    Abstract: A portable electronic device may include a housing member, a rear cover coupled to the housing member, and a top module coupled to the housing member and including a front cover defining an exterior surface and an interior surface opposite to the exterior surface, a display stack attached to the interior surface of the front cover and comprising a flexible circuit element extending from a side of the display stack, a frame member attached to the interior surface of the front cover and extending at least partially around a periphery of the display stack, and an encapsulating structure positioned between the frame member and the display stack and at least partially encapsulating a portion of a peripheral side of the display stack and the flexible circuit element. The encapsulating structure may cover at least a portion of a bottom side of the display stack.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2021
    Publication date: September 8, 2022
    Inventors: Richard H. Koch, Jonathan M. Lee, Laura M. Burke, Ekaterina Pease, Nicholas Merz, Daniel Jarvis, Ian A. Spraggs, Lee E. Hooton, Kodiak D. Burke, David A. Pakula, Marwan Rammah
  • Patent number: 11392175
    Abstract: An electronic device having a display assembly is disclosed. Several layers may combine to form the display assembly. For example, the display assembly may include a touch sensitive layer (or touch detection layer), a display layer that present visual information, and a force sensitive layer (or force detection layer). The display layer may include a bend or curve that allows a portion of the display layer to bend around the force sensitive layer. Also, the connectors (that provide electrical and mechanical connections) may be positioned at different locations of the layers. For example, the display layer may include a connector on a first edge region, and the force sensitive layer may include a connector on a second edge region that is perpendicular, or at least substantially perpendicular, to the first edge region. By positioning the connectors on perpendicular edge regions, the display assembly may reduce its footprint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Douglas G. Fournier, James R. Krogdahl, Daniel W. Jarvis, Edward S. Huo, Lee E. Hooton, Srikanth V. Thiruppukuzhi, Garrett R. Owoc, Michael Ngo, David A. Pakula, Robert F. Meyer
  • Patent number: D926766
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jody Akana, Molly Anderson, Bartley K. Andre, Shota Aoyagi, Anthony Michael Ashcroft, Marine C. Bataille, Jeremy Bataillou, Daniele De Iuliis, Markus Diebel, M. Evans Hankey, Julian Hoenig, Lee E. Hooton, Richard P. Howarth, Jonathan P. Ive, Julian Jaede, Daniel W. Jarvis, Duncan Robert Kerr, David A. Pakula, Michael D. Quinones, Marwan Rammah, Peter Russell-Clarke, Benjamin Andrew Shaffer, Mikael Silvanto, Christopher J. Stringer, Joe Sung Ho Tan, Tang Yew Tan, Clement Tissandier, Eugene Antony Whang, Rico Zörkendörfer
  • Patent number: D926768
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jody Akana, Molly Anderson, Bartley K. Andre, Shota Aoyagi, Anthony Michael Ashcroft, Marine C. Bataille, Jeremy Bataillou, Daniele De Iuliis, Markus Diebel, M. Evans Hankey, Julian Hoenig, Lee E. Hooton, Richard P. Howarth, Jonathan P. Ive, Julian Jaede, Daniel W. Jarvis, Duncan Robert Kerr, Robert F. Meyer, David A. Pakula, Michael D. Quinones, Marwan Rammah, Peter Russell-Clarke, Benjamin Andrew Shaffer, Mikael Silvanto, Ian Spraggs, Christopher J. Stringer, Joe Sung Ho Tan, Tang Yew Tan, Clement Tissandier, Eugene Antony Whang, Rico Zörkendörfer
  • Patent number: D947853
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jody Akana, Molly Anderson, Bartley K. Andre, Shota Aoyagi, Anthony Michael Ashcroft, Marine C. Bataille, Jeremy Bataiilou, Daniele De Iuliis, Markus Diebel, M. Evans Hankey, Julian Hoenig, Lee E. Hooton, Richard P. Howarth, Jonathan P. Ive, Julian Jaede, Daniel W. Jarvis, Duncan Robert Kerr, Robert F. Meyer, David A. Pakula, Michael D. Quinones, Marwan Rammah, Peter Russell-Clarke, Benjamin Andrew Shaffer, Mikael Silvanto, Ian Spraggs, Christopher J. Stringer, Joe Sung Ho Tan, Tang Yew Tan, Clement Tissandier, Eugene Antony Whang, Rico Zörkendörfer
  • Patent number: D948514
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jody Akana, Molly Anderson, Bartley K. Andre, Shota Aoyagi, Anthony Michael Ashcroft, Marine C. Bataille, Jeremy Bataiilou, Daniele De Iuliis, Markus Diebel, M. Evans Hankey, Julian Hoenig, Lee E. Hooton, Richard P. Howarth, Jonathan P. Ive, Julian Jaede, Daniel W. Jarvis, Duncan Robert Kerr, David A. Pakula, Michael D. Quinones, Marwan Rammah, Peter Russell-Clarke, Benjamin Andrew Shaffer, Mikael Silvanto, Christopher J. Stringer, Joe Sung Ho Tan, Tang Yew Tan, Clement Tissandier, Eugene Antony Whang, Rico Zörkendörfer