Patents by Inventor Nicholas C. Lewty

Nicholas C. Lewty 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: 11473968
    Abstract: An electronic device may include a light sensor system. The light sensor system may have a light source that emits light and a light detector that receives the emitted light after the emitted light has interacted with an external object. The light source may include a ring of light-emitting diodes or other light-emitting devices surrounding the light detector or may have light-emitting devices that are surrounded by a ring-shaped light detector. Polarizer structures may be incorporated into the light sensor system. Control circuitry in the device may control the light source so that different polarizations of light are emitted at different times. The control circuitry may process signals from the light detector that are gathered under different polarizations to discriminate between specular and non-specular reflections from the external object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Po-Chieh Hung, Nicholas C. Lewty
  • Publication number: 20210357044
    Abstract: A device such as a computer stylus may have a color sensor. The color sensor may have a plurality of photodetectors each of which measures light for a different respective color channel. The color sensor may also have one or more light-emitting devices. Control circuitry may use the light-emitting devices to illuminate an external object while using the photodetectors to measure reflected light to determine the color of the external object. The electronic device may have a housing with an elongated shaft. The shaft may have a tip and an opposing end. The tip may be configured to emit electromagnetic signals that are detected by a touch sensor in a touch sensitive display. The color sensor may be located at the end opposite the tip, may be located at the tip, or may be optically coupled to the tip using a light guide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2021
    Publication date: November 18, 2021
    Inventors: Nicholas C. Lewty, Mahdi Nezamabadi, Po-Chieh Hung, Tze Yong Poh
  • Patent number: 11126281
    Abstract: A device such as a computer stylus may have a color sensor. The color sensor may have a plurality of photodetectors each of which measures light for a different respective color channel. The color sensor may also have one or more light-emitting devices. Control circuitry may use the light-emitting devices to illuminate an external object while using the photodetectors to measure reflected light to determine the color of the external object. The electronic device may have a housing with an elongated shaft. The shaft may have a tip and an opposing end. The tip may be configured to emit electromagnetic signals that are detected by a touch sensor in a touch sensitive display. The color sensor may be located at the end opposite the tip, may be located at the tip, or may be optically coupled to the tip using a light guide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Nicholas C. Lewty, Mahdi Nezamabadi, Po-Chieh Hung, Tze Yong Poh
  • Publication number: 20210041288
    Abstract: An electronic device may include a light sensor system. The light sensor system may have a light source that emits light and a light detector that receives the emitted light after the emitted light has interacted with an external object. The light source may include a ring of light-emitting diodes or other light-emitting devices surrounding the light detector or may have light-emitting devices that are surrounded by a ring-shaped light detector. Polarizer structures may be incorporated into the light sensor system. Control circuitry in the device may control the light source so that different polarizations of light are emitted at different times. The control circuitry may process signals from the light detector that are gathered under different polarizations to discriminate between specular and non-specular reflections from the external object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2019
    Publication date: February 11, 2021
    Inventors: Po-Chieh Hung, Nicholas C. Lewty
  • Publication number: 20200225778
    Abstract: A device such as a computer stylus may have a color sensor. The color sensor may have a plurality of photodetectors each of which measures light for a different respective color channel. The color sensor may also have one or more light-emitting devices. Control circuitry may use the light-emitting devices to illuminate an external object while using the photodetectors to measure reflected light to determine the color of the external object. The electronic device may have a housing with an elongated shaft. The shaft may have a tip and an opposing end. The tip may be configured to emit electromagnetic signals that are detected by a touch sensor in a touch sensitive display. The color sensor may be located at the end opposite the tip, may be located at the tip, or may be optically coupled to the tip using a light guide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2019
    Publication date: July 16, 2020
    Inventors: Nicholas C. Lewty, Mahdi Nezamabadi, Po-Chieh Hung, Tze Yong Poh