Patents by Inventor Ruenjou Lu

Ruenjou Lu 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: 11545823
    Abstract: Circuits, methods, and apparatus that may provide power supply voltages in a safe and reliable manner that meets safety and regulatory concerns and does not exceed physical limitations of cables and other circuits and components used to provide the power supply voltages. One example may provide a cable having a sufficient number of conductors to provide power without exceeding a maximum current density for the conductors. Another example may provide a cable having more than the sufficient number of conductors in order to provide an amount of redundancy. Current sense circuits may be included for one or more conductors. When an excess current is sensed, a power source in the power supply may be shut down, the power source may be disconnected from one or more conductors, or both events may occur.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Paul J. Costa, Bharat K. Patel, Neal V. Cecil, Timur O. Starobinets, Ruenjou Lu, Dane Oleson, Fei Ni
  • Publication number: 20210021117
    Abstract: Circuits, methods, and apparatus that may provide power supply voltages in a safe and reliable manner that meets safety and regulatory concerns and does not exceed physical limitations of cables and other circuits and components used to provide the power supply voltages. One example may provide a cable having a sufficient number of conductors to provide power without exceeding a maximum current density for the conductors. Another example may provide a cable having more than the sufficient number of conductors in order to provide an amount of redundancy. Current sense circuits may be included for one or more conductors. When an excess current is sensed, a power source in the power supply may be shut down, the power source may be disconnected from one or more conductors, or both events may occur.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2020
    Publication date: January 21, 2021
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Paul J. Costa, Bharat K. Patel, Neal V. Cecil, Timur O. Starobinets, Ruenjou Lu, Dane Oleson, Fei Ni
  • Patent number: 10734799
    Abstract: Circuits, methods, and apparatus that may provide power supply voltages in a safe and reliable manner that meets safety and regulatory concerns and does not exceed physical limitations of cables and other circuits and components used to provide the power supply voltages. One example may provide a cable having a sufficient number of conductors to provide power without exceeding a maximum current density for the conductors. Another example may provide a cable having more than the sufficient number of conductors in order to provide an amount of redundancy. Current sense circuits may be included for one or more conductors. When an excess current is sensed, a power source in the power supply may be shut down, the power source may be disconnected from one or more conductors, or both events may occur.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Paul J. Costa, Bharat K. Patel, Neal V. Cecil, Timur O. Starobinets, Ruenjou Lu, Dane Oleson, Fei Ni
  • Publication number: 20170288386
    Abstract: Circuits, methods, and apparatus that may provide power supply voltages in a safe and reliable manner that meets safety and regulatory concerns and does not exceed physical limitations of cables and other circuits and components used to provide the power supply voltages. One example may provide a cable having a sufficient number of conductors to provide power without exceeding a maximum current density for the conductors. Another example may provide a cable having more than the sufficient number of conductors in order to provide an amount of redundancy. Current sense circuits may be included for one or more conductors. When an excess current is sensed, a power source in the power supply may be shut down, the power source may be disconnected from one or more conductors, or both events may occur.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2014
    Publication date: October 5, 2017
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Paul J. Costa, Bharat K. Patel, Neal V. Cecil, Timur O. Starobinets, Ruenjou Lu, Dane Oleson, Fei Ni
  • Publication number: 20170054257
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus for selectively communicating data and audio over a limited-size audio plug. A host device determines whether an audio accessory or a data communicating accessory is plugged therein via a signal, or lack thereof, communicated to the host device via the audio plug of the accessory. The host device then either communicates audio or data over the audio plug contacts that are typically used only for audio communication based on whether its connected to an audio accessory or data communicating accessory. An audio plug may also include a split-ring contact where multiple, independent contacts are formed in place of a single tip, ring, or sleeve contact. The split-ring contact may be used for communicating audio and/or data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2016
    Publication date: February 23, 2017
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Cesar Lozano Villarreal, Ruenjou Lu, Mahmoud R. Amini, Jonathan M. Zweig, David C. Breece, III
  • Patent number: 9436761
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus for selectively communicating data and audio over a limited-size audio plug. A host device determines whether an audio accessory or a data communicating accessory is plugged therein via a signal, or lack thereof, communicated to the host device via the audio plug of the accessory. The host device then either communicates audio or data over the audio plug contacts that are typically used only for audio communication based on whether its connected to an audio accessory or data communicating accessory. An audio plug may also include a split-ring contact where multiple, independent contacts are formed in place of a single tip, ring, or sleeve contact. The split-ring contact may be used for communicating audio and/or data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Cesar Lozano Villarreal, Ruenjou Lu, Mahmoud R. Amini, Jonathan M. Zweig, David C. Breece, III
  • Patent number: 9374655
    Abstract: A user device may include a transmission power manager to control a transmission power level of a wireless transceiver based on a location of a human body proximate the user device as detected by a proximity sensor. In response to at least one of a power up of the user device or initialization of a wireless transceiver, the transmission power manager may restrict a transmission power level of the wireless transceiver to one of a plurality of power states. The transmission power manager may then operate to detect a step in proximity sensor data obtained by the proximity sensor. Then, in response to detecting the step in the proximity data, the transmission power manager may restricting the transmission power level of the wireless transceiver and determine a proximity threshold value based at least in part on the detected step and the proximity sensor data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Allen Lee, Nadim Awad, Ruenjou Lu
  • Publication number: 20140277643
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus for selectively communicating data and audio over a limited-size audio plug. A host device determines whether an audio accessory or a data communicating accessory is plugged therein via a signal, or lack thereof, communicated to the host device via the audio plug of the accessory. The host device then either communicates audio or data over the audio plug contacts that are typically used only for audio communication based on whether its connected to an audio accessory or data communicating accessory. An audio plug may also include a split-ring contact where multiple, independent contacts are formed in place of a single tip, ring, or sleeve contact. The split-ring contact may be used for communicating audio and/or data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Cesar Lozano Villarreal, Ruenjou Lu, Mahmoud R. Amini, Jonathan M. Zweig, David C. Breece, III