Patents by Inventor Peter F. Masschelein

Peter F. Masschelein 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: 11960173
    Abstract: A switchable panel is described that includes exterior layers, a switchable component disposed between the exterior layers, a lamination frame extending from outer edges of the switchable component to outer edges of the panel between the exterior layers, and spacers embedded within the lamination frame. The spacers are configured to prohibit the exterior layers from moving toward each other at the outer edges of the panel when a central portion of the panel experiences tension.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Peter F. Masschelein, Yuan Chen, Derek C. Scott
  • Publication number: 20240092056
    Abstract: A panel of a structure includes an outer layer and an inner layer that is positioned closer to an interior surface of the structure than the outer layer. An intermediate layer is positioned between the outer layer and the inner layer, and a mask layer is positioned between the outer layer and the intermediate layer. The mask layer includes an outer portion and an inner portion, where the outer portion is positioned between the outer layer and the intermediate layer, and the inner portion is positioned between the outer portion and the intermediate layer. The outer portion and the inner portion include different visual attributes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2023
    Publication date: March 21, 2024
    Inventors: David E. Kingman, Peter F. Masschelein, Paul M. Connolly, Albert J. Golko
  • Publication number: 20240093845
    Abstract: A system may have a support structure that separates an exterior region from an interior region. The system may include a lighting system with interior and/or exterior lights with adjustable diffusers. An interior light may be used as a task light, a cabin light, a sensor indicator light, or a trim light. Adjustments to the adjustable diffusers can be used to adjust the angular spread of emitted light for operation in different lighting modes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2023
    Publication date: March 21, 2024
    Inventors: Clarisse Mazuir, Paul J Costa, Stephen B Lynch, Kurt R Stiehl, Christopher P Child, Xiaofeng Tang, Christopher L Porritt, Michael C Wharton, Peter F Masschelein, Mark A Zurcher, Xin Li, Ryan J Garrone
  • Publication number: 20240085734
    Abstract: A panel includes an outer layer and an inner layer. A mask layer is positioned between the outer layer and the inner layer. An active layer is positioned between the mask layer and the inner layer and adjacent to an outer edge of the panel. The active layer extends from the outer edge of the panel toward a central portion of the panel and includes an independently controllable active element configured to limit viewing of the mask layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2023
    Publication date: March 14, 2024
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: David E. Kingman, Paul M. Connolly, Peter F. Masschelein
  • Publication number: 20240025154
    Abstract: A window in a system may have inner and outer window layers. The inner and outer window layers may be formed from molded glass plates. The inner window layer may have a molded convex surface formed by molding a first glass plate against a mold with a concave surface. The inner window layer may have an opposing non-molded surface that does not contact the mold during molding operations and is smoother than the molded convex surface. The outer window layer may have a molded concave surface formed by molding a second glass plate against a mold with a convex surface. The outer window layer may have an opposing non-molded surface that is not contacted by the mold during molding operations and is smoother than molded convex surface. A layer of polymer may join the inner and outer window layers with their molded surfaces facing each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2023
    Publication date: January 25, 2024
    Inventors: David E. Kingman, Albert J. Golko, Dale N. Memering, Peter F. Masschelein
  • Publication number: 20240010054
    Abstract: A system may have windows. Each window may have inner and outer glass layers laminated together with polymer. Optical component layers may be incorporated into the polymer or the polymer may be free of embedded components. To avoid mismatch between adjacent window edges in systems with multiple adjacent windows, adjacent windows may be formed from shared-cut-edge-matched window panel sections that are cut from a common window panel. Windows may be formed from a single portion of laminated glass or may be formed by joining multiple smaller pieces of laminated glass together along a seam.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2023
    Publication date: January 11, 2024
    Inventors: David E. Kingman, Albert J. Golko, Peter F Masschelein
  • Publication number: 20240009971
    Abstract: A light guide may be embedded in a window. The light guide may have cladding and a light guide core layer embedded in the cladding. The light guide core layer may include a polymer layer configured to receive light from a light source. A selective area adjustable haze layer in the light guide core layer may have segmented transparent electrodes that can be controlled to cause one or more selected areas of the adjustable haze layer to become hazy. Light from the light source may be guided across the window within the light guide core layer in accordance with the principal of total internal reflection. When a dynamically adjusted hazy portion of the selective area adjustable haze layer is reached by the guided light, the guided light will be scattered out of the light guide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2023
    Publication date: January 11, 2024
    Inventors: David E. Kingman, Albert J. Golko, Peter F. Masschelein
  • Publication number: 20240004121
    Abstract: A system may have windows. Each window may have light guide structures. The light guide structures may be formed between inner and outer glass layers. Light sources may emit light into the light guide structures. The light guide structures may include light guide core layers that guide light from the light sources across the window. Light-scattering structures may be provided to extract light from the light guide core layers. Some of the guided light may be extracted inwardly to serve as interior illumination for the system. Some of the guided light may be extracted outwardly. The outwardly extracted light visually obscures the interior region from the outside of the system, thereby providing system occupants with privacy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2023
    Publication date: January 4, 2024
    Inventors: David E Kingman, Albert J Golko, Peter F Masschelein
  • Publication number: 20230406761
    Abstract: A transparent structure may have structural layers such as an inner layer and an outer layer, which may be formed from glass. The transparent structure may be curved. At least one of the inner layer and the outer layer may be coated with an infrared reflection coating. The infrared reflection coating may be formed from multiple optical resonators. Each of the resonators may include two half-mirrors separated by a dielectric layer. The half-mirrors may include infrared reflective material, such as silver. At least some of the resonators may additionally include a getter layer. The getter layer may be formed from amorphous material, nanoparticles in dielectric material, or other desired material, and may protect the infrared reflective material while the infrared reflection coating is being deposited. Additionally, the getter layer may reduce the color shift exhibited by high angle light as it passes through the transparent structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2023
    Publication date: December 21, 2023
    Inventors: Vijayen S. Veerasamy, Peter F. Masschelein
  • Patent number: 11833891
    Abstract: A laminated glazing includes a first glass layer, a second glass layer, and a third layer between the first glass layer and the second glass layer. The third layer has an optical property that differs in a first region as compared to a second region, the first region being within five inches of one side of the laminated glazing and the second region extending from the first region toward another side of the laminated glazing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: David E. Kingman, Derek C. Scott, Christopher L. Porritt, Marcelo B. da Silveira Magalhaes, Martin Melcher, Peter F. Masschelein, Donald R. Monroe
  • Publication number: 20230333308
    Abstract: A system may have windows. A window may have a structural window layer such as a structural window layer formed from laminated glass layers. The window may separate an exterior region from an interior region within the vehicle. A light guide illuminator in the window may provide illumination for the interior region. The light guide illuminator may have a light guide that receives light from a light source. The light guide may have a density of light scattering structures that increases as a function of increasing distance from the light source so that the interior illumination is uniform across the light guide illuminator. An adjustable optical component layer such as a light modulator and/or a haze compensation layer with a density of light scattering structures that decreases as a function of distance from the light source may be interposed between the light guide and the structural window layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2023
    Publication date: October 19, 2023
    Inventors: David E. Kingman, Clarisse Mazuir, James R. Wilson, Peter F. Masschelein
  • Patent number: 11773642
    Abstract: A light transmitting panel assembly includes a first panel, a second panel, a frame, a gap between the first panel and the second panel, and a first active component located between the first panel and the second panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Clarisse Mazuir, Marcelo B. da Silveira Magalhaes, Peter F. Masschelein, Gregory A. Cohoon, Derek C. Scott, David E. Kingman
  • Patent number: 11747539
    Abstract: Light-control panels including layered optical components are described in this application. An example of a light-control panel includes first and second glazing layers and first and second switchable components extending between the first and second glazing layers. The light-control panel also includes a thermal coating extending between the first switchable component and the first glazing layer and a filter extending between the first and second switchable components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: David E. Kingman, Christopher D. Jones, James R. Wilson, Martin Melcher, Peter F. Masschelein
  • Publication number: 20230256711
    Abstract: A system may have structure. The structures may include laminated structures formed by attaching inner and outer layers together with a layer of adhesive. The inner and outer layers in a structure may be formed from polymer such as polycarbonate. Forming the structure layers from polymer may allow the structure to have desired curvature. To improve safety and/or acoustic performance of the structure, the inner and outer structure layers may be formed from different materials. The outer polymer layer may be formed from polycarbonate and the inner polymer layer may be formed from a more brittle polymer such as polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2022
    Publication date: August 17, 2023
    Inventors: Paul M Connolly, Albert J Golko, Arturo Llamazares Domper, David E Kingman, Derek C Krass, Martin Gross, Olivier C Barthomeuf, Peter F Masschelein, Yogesh Upreti
  • Patent number: 11693279
    Abstract: A system may have windows. The window may have first and second window layers and a layer of material such as guest-host liquid crystal material between the first and second window layers. Electrodes on the window layers may be used to apply electric fields to the guest-host liquid crystal material to adjust the light transmission properties of the window. To ensure that a desired gap between the first and second window layers is maintained, spacers may be formed between the first and second window layers. The spacers may include key-and-lock spacers that have interlocking portions located, respectively, on the first and second window layers. Spacers such as photoresist posts can be attached using adhesive. Hybrid arrangements may also be used in which key-and-lock spacer structures are attached using adhesive bonds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Yunseok Lee, Haiqing Xianyu, Junhwan Lim, Peter F Masschelein, Sang Un Choi, Xiaokai Li, Yuan Chen, Zhibing Ge
  • Publication number: 20230152620
    Abstract: A system such as a vehicle, building, or electronic device system may have a support structure with one or more windows. The support structure and window may separate an interior region within the system from a surrounding exterior region. Control circuitry may receive input such as user input and may adjust an adjustable layer in the window based on the input. The adjustable layer may have a polymer matrix layer with embedded cells. The cells may include intermixed guest-host liquid crystal cells and liquid crystal cells. The guest-host liquid crystal cells and liquid crystal cells may have different liquid crystal materials and/or different sizes that allow the guest-host liquid crystal cells and liquid crystal cells to electrically switch states at different respective threshold voltages. Based on the user input or other input the control circuitry can adjust a drive signal across the adjustable layer to change light transmittance and haze.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2023
    Publication date: May 18, 2023
    Inventors: Yuan Chen, Donald R. Monroe, Peter F. Masschelein, Stephen B. Lynch, Xiaokai Li, Zhibing Ge
  • Publication number: 20230075801
    Abstract: A vehicle or other system may have windows. The windows may be formed by laminating together glass layers. The glass layers may include a curved inner glass layer with a convex outer surface and a curved outer glass layer with a concave inner surface. A polymer adhesive film such as a polyvinyl butyral film may be adhered to the convex outer surface. An additional polymer layer formed from a different material than the polymer film may be interposed between the polymer film and the second glass layer. The additional polymer layer may be formed from a gap-filling liquid polymer adhesive layer. The layer of gap-filling liquid polymer adhesive may have a first surface adhered to the polymer film and a second surface adhered to the concave inner surface. An optical layer may be embedded in the additional polymer layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2022
    Publication date: March 9, 2023
    Inventors: David E Kingman, Albert J Golko, Dale N Memering, Peter F Masschelein
  • Patent number: 11598985
    Abstract: A system such as a vehicle, building, or electronic device system may have a support structure with one or more windows. The support structure and window may separate an interior region within the system from a surrounding exterior region. Control circuitry may receive input such as user input and may adjust an adjustable layer in the window based on the input. The adjustable layer may have a polymer matrix layer with embedded cells. The cells may include intermixed guest-host liquid crystal cells and liquid crystal cells. The guest-host liquid crystal cells and liquid crystal cells may have different liquid crystal materials and/or different sizes that allow the guest-host liquid crystal cells and liquid crystal cells to electrically switch states at different respective threshold voltages. Based on the user input or other input the control circuitry can adjust a drive signal across the adjustable layer to change light transmittance and haze.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Yuan Chen, Donald R. Monroe, Peter F. Masschelein, Stephen B. Lynch, Xiaokai Li, Zhibing Ge
  • Publication number: 20230046757
    Abstract: A vehicle or other system may have windows. The windows may be formed by laminating together molded sheets of polished float glass. Sheets of float glass may be polished on one side, leaving an opposing side unpolished. Following polishing, the sheets may be placed in a molding tool. The molding tool may mold the polished sheets into a desired shape such as a shape characterized by curved surfaces. The curved surfaces may include surfaces of compound curvature. Lamination equipment may use polymer to laminate first and second molded sheets of polished glass together with their polished sides facing outwardly away from each other. Light modulators and/or other electrically adjustable layers may be incorporated into the windows.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2022
    Publication date: February 16, 2023
    Inventors: David E Kingman, Albert J Golko, Peter F Masschelein
  • Publication number: 20230039452
    Abstract: A light transmitting panel assembly includes a first panel, a second panel, a frame, a gap between the first panel and the second panel, and a first active component located between the first panel and the second panel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2022
    Publication date: February 9, 2023
    Inventors: Clarisse Mazuir, Marcelo B. da Silveira Magalhaes, Peter F. Masschelein, Gregory A. Cohoon, Derek C. Scott, David E. Kingman