Patents by Inventor Nicholas P. Allec
Nicholas P. Allec 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).
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Patent number: 12317024Abstract: A wearable electronic device such as an earbud, wristwatch, or other device may be provided with a skin sensor. The skin sensor may use optical measurements to detect the presence of skin adjacent to the electronic device. The sensor may have first and second light-emitting devices such as infrared devices that emit light at respective first and second infrared light wavelengths. Reflected light is monitored by a photodetector. Control circuitry can initiate or pause audio playback or take other actions in response to determining from the reflected light measurements that skin is present. The sensor may have a thin-film interference filter or other optical structure that overlaps the first and second light-emitting devices to narrow the angular spread of light emitted from the skin sensor. This reduces tilt sensitivity and helps enhance skin sensor accuracy.Type: GrantFiled: January 14, 2021Date of Patent: May 27, 2025Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Nicholas P. Allec, Yuta Kuboyama, Xiaoyang Zhang, Xi Chen, Ryan M. Buck, Praveesh Chandran, Yifei Wang, Tingjun Xu
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Publication number: 20250076502Abstract: Disclosed herein are electronic devices, detectors, systems, and methods for estimating a distance to an exterior object. Light pulses from an emitter on the electronic device or detector are received by at least one pair of light detectors positioned at different distances from the emitter. One or more ratios of strengths of signals of the light detectors are used to determine the object's distance. The ratios may be compared to a proximity curve to obtain the object's distance. If the ratio exceeds a critical distance value, a determination may be made that the exterior object has been separated from the electronic device. Wearable electronic devices, such as smart watches, may use the detectors, systems, and methods to determine if a user is wearing the electronic device.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 15, 2024Publication date: March 6, 2025Inventors: Xiyu Duan, Nicholas P. Allec, Ueyn L. Block
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Patent number: 12204289Abstract: An electronic device includes a device body having a back surface, a band configured to fasten the device body to a user with the back surface facing a body part of the user, an optical sensor system, and a device removal detector. The optical sensor system has a first optical measurement path and a second optical measurement path. The first optical measurement path has a first optical path length that differs from a second optical path length of the second optical measurement path. The device removal detector is configured to generate a device removal indication responsive to either of, a first set of object proximity measurements received from the optical sensor system for the first optical measurement path, or a second set of object proximity measurements received from the optical sensor system for the second optical measurement path.Type: GrantFiled: September 11, 2020Date of Patent: January 21, 2025Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Nicholas P. Allec, Ueyn L. Block, Xiyu Duan
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Publication number: 20240419239Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for monitoring a user of a head-wearable electronic device with multiple light-sensing assemblies. For instance, methods and/or related systems or computer readable media programmed to perform the methods, directed to the selection of light sensing assemblies and/or light sensor data based on the detected saturation of the light-sensing assemblies and/or components.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 30, 2024Publication date: December 19, 2024Inventors: Joel S. ARMSTRONG-MUNTNER, Nicholas P. ALLEC, James E. STARK
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Patent number: 12164027Abstract: Disclosed herein are electronic devices, detectors, systems, and methods for estimating a distance to an exterior object. Light pulses from an emitter on the electronic device or detector are received by at least one pair of light detectors positioned at different distances from the emitter. One or more ratios of strengths of signals of the light detectors are used to determine the object's distance. The ratios may be compared to a proximity curve to obtain the object's distance. If the ratio exceeds a critical distance value, a determination may be made that the exterior object has been separated from the electronic device. Wearable electronic devices, such as smart watches, may use the detectors, systems, and methods to determine if a user is wearing the electronic device.Type: GrantFiled: September 14, 2020Date of Patent: December 10, 2024Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Xiyu Duan, Nicholas P. Allec, Ueyn L. Block
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Patent number: 12086304Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for monitoring a user of a head-wearable electronic device with multiple light-sensing assemblies.Type: GrantFiled: November 28, 2022Date of Patent: September 10, 2024Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Joel S. Armstrong-Muntner, Nicholas P. Allec, James E. Stark
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Patent number: 12042255Abstract: A wearable device includes a housing; a wrist band attached to the housing; first and second emitters positioned within the housing and configured to respectively emit, through a back of the housing, a first beam of electromagnetic radiation having a first infrared (IR) wavelength and a second beam of electromagnetic radiation having a second IR wavelength. The second IR wavelength is different from the first IR wavelength. The wearable device also includes a photodetector positioned within the housing and filtered to detect a set of electromagnetic radiation wavelengths including the first IR wavelength and the second IR wavelength; and a matter differentiation circuit configured to indicate, at least partly in response to signals indicating amounts of the first IR wavelength and the second IR wavelength received by the photodetector, whether the back of the housing is likely proximate to human tissue.Type: GrantFiled: May 12, 2023Date of Patent: July 23, 2024Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Nicholas P. Allec, Albert E. Cerussi, Maximillian C. Bruggeman, Xiyu Duan, Ueyn L. Block
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Publication number: 20240000337Abstract: A head mounted device includes a housing and a set of one or more SMI sensors. The set of one or more SMI sensors are disposed in the housing. The set of one or more SMI sensors are configured to emit electromagnetic radiation toward an anatomical structure adjacent a nasal passageway of a user and generate one or more SMI signals including information about movement of the anatomical structure.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 25, 2023Publication date: January 4, 2024Inventors: Tong Chen, Ahmet Fatih Cihan, Adrian Z. Harb, Nicholas P. Allec, Joel S. Armstrong-Muntner, James E. Stark
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Patent number: 11857298Abstract: A wearable device includes a housing; a wrist band attached to the housing; first and second emitters positioned within the housing and configured to respectively emit, through a back of the housing, a first beam of electromagnetic radiation having a first infrared (IR) wavelength and a second beam of electromagnetic radiation having a second IR wavelength. The second IR wavelength is different from the first IR wavelength. The wearable device also includes a photodetector positioned within the housing and filtered to detect a set of electromagnetic radiation wavelengths including the first IR wavelength and the second IR wavelength; and a matter differentiation circuit configured to indicate, at least partly in response to signals indicating amounts of the first IR wavelength and the second IR wavelength received by the photodetector, whether the back of the housing is likely proximate to human tissue.Type: GrantFiled: September 4, 2020Date of Patent: January 2, 2024Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Nicholas P. Allec, Albert E. Cerussi, Maximillian C. Bruggeman, Xiyu Duan, Ueyn L. Block
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Publication number: 20230404419Abstract: A wearable device includes a housing; a wrist band attached to the housing; first and second emitters positioned within the housing and configured to respectively emit, through a back of the housing, a first beam of electromagnetic radiation having a first infrared (IR) wavelength and a second beam of electromagnetic radiation having a second IR wavelength. The second IR wavelength is different from the first IR wavelength. The wearable device also includes a photodetector positioned within the housing and filtered to detect a set of electromagnetic radiation wavelengths including the first IR wavelength and the second IR wavelength; and a matter differentiation circuit configured to indicate, at least partly in response to signals indicating amounts of the first IR wavelength and the second IR wavelength received by the photodetector, whether the back of the housing is likely proximate to human tissue.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 12, 2023Publication date: December 21, 2023Inventors: Nicholas P. Allec, Albert E. Cerussi, Maximillian C. Bruggeman, Xiyu Duan, Ueyn L. Block
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Publication number: 20230297163Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for monitoring a user of a head-wearable electronic device with multiple light-sensing assemblies.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 28, 2022Publication date: September 21, 2023Inventors: Joel S. ARMSTRONG-MUNTNER, Nicholas P. ALLEC, James E. STARK
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Publication number: 20220225006Abstract: A wearable electronic device such as an earbud, wristwatch, or other device may be provided with a skin sensor. The skin sensor may use optical measurements to detect the presence of skin adjacent to the electronic device. The sensor may have first and second light-emitting devices such as infrared devices that emit light at respective first and second infrared light wavelengths. Reflected light is monitored by a photodetector. Control circuitry can initiate or pause audio playback or take other actions in response to determining from the reflected light measurements that skin is present. The sensor may have a thin-film interference filter or other optical structure that overlaps the first and second light-emitting devices to narrow the angular spread of light emitted from the skin sensor. This reduces tilt sensitivity and helps enhance skin sensor accuracy.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 14, 2021Publication date: July 14, 2022Inventors: Nicholas P. Allec, Yuta Kuboyama, Xiaoyang Zhang, Xi Chen, Ryan M. Buck, Praveesh Chandran, Yifei Wang, Tingjun Xu
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Publication number: 20210034145Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for monitoring a user of a head-wearable electronic device with multiple light-sensing assemblies.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 19, 2020Publication date: February 4, 2021Inventors: Joel S. Armstrong-Muntner, Nicholas P. Allec, James E. Stark
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Patent number: 10809796Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for monitoring a user of a head-wearable electronic device with multiple light-sensing assemblies.Type: GrantFiled: September 27, 2018Date of Patent: October 20, 2020Assignee: APPLE INC.Inventors: Joel S. Armstrong-Muntner, Nicholas P. Allec, James E. Stark
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Publication number: 20190101977Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for monitoring a user of a head-wearable electronic device with multiple light-sensing assemblies.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 27, 2018Publication date: April 4, 2019Inventors: Joel S. Armstrong-Muntner, Nicholas P. Allec, James E. Stark