Patents by Inventor Samuel G. Smith
Samuel G. Smith 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).
-
Publication number: 20240103285Abstract: A head-mountable device including a frame, a display positioned in the frame, a processor, and a facial interface connected to the frame. The facial interface can include a sensor electrically coupled to the processor. The sensor can collect biometric information from a nasal region of a user and generate a signal based on the biometric information.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 1, 2023Publication date: March 28, 2024Inventors: Javier Mendez, Grant H. Mulliken, Trevor J. Ness, Samuel G. Smith, Xinsheng Chu
-
Publication number: 20240103287Abstract: A removable facial interface for a head-mountable device (HMD) is disclosed. In an example, an HMD includes a display; a facial interface frame at least partially surrounding the display; a removable facial interface attached to the facial interface frame; a first attachment mechanism attached to one of the facial interface frame or the removable facial interface; and a second attachment mechanism attached to the other of the facial interface frame or the removable facial interface, the removable facial interface being attached to the facial interface frame by the first attachment mechanism and the second attachment mechanism.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 19, 2023Publication date: March 28, 2024Inventors: Erin M. Bosch, Darshan R. Kasar, Timon A. Wright, Nicholas R. Trincia, Jonathan M. Anderson, Liam R. Martinez, Ian A. Guy, Paul X. Wang, Samuel G. Smith, Jeffrey A. Griffis, Andrew Gallaher
-
Publication number: 20240103572Abstract: In at least one example of the present disclosure, a head mountable display includes a display module, a band including a first end and a second end, a first electrical connector disposed at the first end, the first electrical connector removably attachable to the display module, a second electrical connector disposed at the second end, the second electrical connector removably attachable to the display module, a battery electrically attachable to the band, a cable positioned within the band electrically connecting the battery to the first electrical connector, and an elastomeric cover disposed around the cable, the elastomeric cover imparting a tension force to the band.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 18, 2023Publication date: March 28, 2024Inventors: Liam R. Martinez, Javier Mendez, Samuel G. Smith
-
Publication number: 20240090818Abstract: A head-mountable device including a housing, a display positioned in the housing, a processor positioned in the housing, and a retention band connected to the housing, the retention band comprising a sensor configured to monitor a brain activity of a user.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 7, 2023Publication date: March 21, 2024Inventors: Javier Mendez, Samuel G. Smith, Grant H. Mulliken, Trevor J. Ness
-
Publication number: 20240097423Abstract: A wearable electronic device includes a first portion, a securement strap, and an electrical cable. The securement strap includes a track having a first terminus and a second terminus, a pulley translatably secured to the track, and an elastic member having a first end secured to the securement strap and a second end secured to the pulley. The electrical cable has a first end connected to the first portion and a second end connected to the securement strap, the electrical cable routed at least partially around the pulley.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 15, 2023Publication date: March 21, 2024Inventors: Liam R. Martinez, Javier Mendez, Samuel G. Smith, Scott W. Slabaugh
-
Publication number: 20240085949Abstract: An apparatus can include a display, a facial interface, and a connector between the display and the facial interface. The facial interface can at least translate or rotate relative to the display via the connector.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 1, 2023Publication date: March 14, 2024Inventors: Darshan R. Kasar, Samuel G. Smith, Jonathan M. Anderson, Erin M. Bosch, Muhammad F. Hossain, Liam R. Martinez, Andrew Gallaher, Ian A. Guy, Brian Baillargeon, Keith W. Kirkwood, Timothy J. Rasmussen
-
Publication number: 20240061255Abstract: An apparatus includes a display, a facial interface, and a connector between the display and the facial feature. The connector can include a stop.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 7, 2023Publication date: February 22, 2024Inventors: Darshan R. Kasar, Samuel G. Smith, Paul X. Wang, Liam R. Martinez, Jonathan M. Anderson
-
Publication number: 20240035892Abstract: An apparatus includes a display, a facial interface, interface material positioned on the facial interface, the interface material including a first surface that abuts the facial interface and a second opposing the first surface, and a sensor positioned on the facial interface or within the interface material, the sensor being oriented towards the second surface, and at least a portion of the interface material being sensorally transparent and positioned between the sensors and the second surface.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 5, 2023Publication date: February 1, 2024Inventors: Javier Mendez, Darshan R. Kasar, Grant H. Mulliken, Samuel G. Smith
-
Publication number: 20240004206Abstract: A head-mountable device includes a display portion having a housing and a display, a light seal extending from the housing and including offset from the housing by a distance, and an adjustment mechanism coupled to the housing and the light seal and configured to alter the distance.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 27, 2023Publication date: January 4, 2024Inventors: Paul X. Wang, Liam R. Martinez, Samuel G. Smith, Adam Y. Kollgaard
-
Publication number: 20230288711Abstract: A head-mounted display includes a display assembly and a head. The head support includes a first hinge portion coupled to a first side of the head-mounted display and a second hinge portion coupled to a second side of the head-mounted display, which are movable between a first and second states. The head support also includes a first elongated portion coupled to the first hinge portion and a second elongated portion coupled to the second hinge portion, which are rigid and movable with the first hinge portion and the second hinge portion, respectively, between the first and second states. A strap portion is flexible, elastic, and extends between the first elongated portion and the second elongated portion. The first elongated portion and the second elongated portion, when in the second state, extend along a rearward side of the display assembly toward each other and do not overlap.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 23, 2023Publication date: September 14, 2023Inventors: Andrew Gallaher, Benjamin A. Shaffer, Julian Jaede, Samuel G. Smith, Trevor J. Ness
-
Patent number: 11733529Abstract: A head-mounted device includes a device housing and a facial interface. The facial interface has an upper portion and a lower portion. A headband is connected to a first lateral side and a second lateral side of the device housing and extends around a head of a user to support the device housing with respect to the user. The headband is configured to apply a moment to the device housing in a direction that urges the upper portion of the facial interface toward a head of user so that a first loading that is applied to the head of the user by the upper portion of the facial interface is higher than a second loading that is applied to the head of the user by the lower portion of the facial interface.Type: GrantFiled: March 8, 2021Date of Patent: August 22, 2023Assignee: APPLE INC.Inventors: Andrew Gallaher, Samuel G. Smith, Trevor J. Ness
-
Publication number: 20220240016Abstract: A wearable electronic device may be formed from a layer of fabric having opposing first and second ends. The ends may have first and second respective ear openings that receive a user's ears and may have speakers for playing audio. A soft central portion of the fabric between the ends may overlap the user's eyes. The wearable electronic device may have control circuitry that receives power from a power source. Sensors may be used to gather sensor information such as biometric sensor information. The sensors, control circuitry, and power source may be mounted in a stiff edge portion of the fabric. The stiff edge portion of the fabric may have an elongated strip shape and may extend along an upper edge of the central and the electronic device. Stiffener structures sandwiched between inner and outer layers of the fabric may be used to support speakers.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 24, 2022Publication date: July 28, 2022Inventors: Andrea L. Blakemore, Amit S. Barve, Donald L. Olmstead, Joshua A. Hoover, Samuel G. Smith, Seulbi Kim
-
Patent number: 11290818Abstract: A wearable electronic device may be formed from a layer of fabric having opposing first and second ends. The ends may have first and second respective ear openings that receive a user's ears and may have speakers for playing audio. A soft central portion of the fabric between the ends may overlap the user's eyes. The wearable electronic device may have control circuitry that receives power from a power source. Sensors may be used to gather sensor information such as biometric sensor information. The sensors, control circuitry, and power source may be mounted in a stiff edge portion of the fabric. The stiff edge portion of the fabric may have an elongated strip shape and may extend along an upper edge of the central and the electronic device. Stiffener structures sandwiched between inner and outer layers of the fabric may be used to support speakers.Type: GrantFiled: June 26, 2019Date of Patent: March 29, 2022Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Andrea L. Blakemore, Amit S. Barve, Donald L. Olmstead, Joshua A. Hoover, Samuel G. Smith, Seulbi Kim
-
Patent number: 11150695Abstract: A head mounted device includes a housing that defines an interior space and an elongate member that is connected to the housing and is configured to expand and contract to conform to the head of a user. The elongate member includes at least one end portion that is connected to the housing at an attachment point. The attachment point is located in the interior space of the housing such that the end portion of the elongate member extends along a path within the housing that has a length that is greater than half of a lateral width of the housing.Type: GrantFiled: July 12, 2019Date of Patent: October 19, 2021Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Samuel G. Smith, Jae Hwang Lee, David A. Kalinowski, Claire E. Dalke
-
Patent number: 10362670Abstract: An electronic device such as a cover for a portable device may be provided with a body having hinge portions. The hinge portions may allow the body to bend about one or more bend axes. The cover may have electrical components such as a keyboard. A keyboard may be mounted at one end of the cover and a connector may be mounted at an opposing end of the cover. A flexible fabric signal path structure may be formed from metal traces on a flexible fabric substrate. At one end of the cover, the flexible fabric signal path structure may be coupled to a printed circuit in the keyboard using conductive adhesive. At the opposing end of the cover, the metal traces on the flexible fabric substrate may be coupled to the connector.Type: GrantFiled: January 29, 2018Date of Patent: July 23, 2019Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Benjamin A. Cousins, Kurt R. Stiehl, Samuel G. Smith, Kirk M. Mayer, Siddhartha Hegde, Melody Kuna
-
Patent number: 10340969Abstract: A cover is described that is magnetically attached to a tablet device. The cover includes at least as flap. In the described embodiment, the flap includes a plurality of segments. The cover includes a number of magnets formed into a number of magnetic arrangements that provide a number of useful features associated with the cover and the tablet device.Type: GrantFiled: September 22, 2016Date of Patent: July 2, 2019Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Samuel G. Smith, Taylor Harrison Gilbert
-
Patent number: 10291279Abstract: An electronic device comprises a housing, a motion sensor configured to sense motion of the housing, and a processor configured to determine an impact geometry based on the motion. A countermeasure system comprises an actuator coupled to an actuated member. The actuated member is operable by the actuator to modify the impact geometry, so that impact energy is redirected away from an impact sensitive component of the electronic device to an energy absorbing component of the electronic device.Type: GrantFiled: February 7, 2018Date of Patent: May 14, 2019Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Carl R. Peterson, Justin R. Wodrich, Kevin D. Gibbs, Samuel G. Smith
-
Patent number: 10074469Abstract: An oblique angle polarized magnet includes a rectangular magnetized permanent magnet having a grain direction, an attraction surface, and a magnetic primary field line that is orthogonal to the grain direction but non-orthogonal to the attraction surface. The oblique angle polarized magnet may be used in a magnetically positioned apparatus, such as a tablet computing device cover operable as a stand for the tablet computing device. The magnetically positioned apparatus may be configured to assume a position where first and second magnets are oriented in a non-parallel orientation such that the first and second surfaces of the magnets oriented at an acute angle with respect to each other. The magnets may facilitate the position.Type: GrantFiled: June 6, 2016Date of Patent: September 11, 2018Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Timothy W. Scales, Hao Zhu, Samuel G. Smith
-
Patent number: 10056205Abstract: An electronic device such as a cover for a portable device or other electronic equipment may have circuitry mounted in a housing. The housing may be formed from layers of material such as fabric and polymer layers. The fabric may be formed from woven polymer yarn. The fabric may be treated with chemicals to improve stain resistance and wear resistance, may be provided with a polymer backing layer, and may receive molded plastic structures. Patterned areas may be woven into the fabric, may be formed by placing coatings on selected portions of the fabric, or may be formed by embroidering or otherwise locally processing the fabric. The patterned areas may form labels for keyboard keys, logos, key trim patterns, and other features for an electronic device. Patterned areas may have locally enhanced light transmission characteristics and may be backlit.Type: GrantFiled: March 3, 2017Date of Patent: August 21, 2018Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Siddhartha Hegde, Benjamin A. Cousins, Benjamin A. Shaffer, Samuel G. Smith, Melody Kuna
-
Publication number: 20180167100Abstract: An electronic device comprises a housing, a motion sensor configured to sense motion of the housing, and a processor configured to determine an impact geometry based on the motion. A countermeasure system comprises an actuator coupled to an actuated member. The actuated member is operable by the actuator to modify the impact geometry, so that impact energy is redirected away from an impact sensitive component of the electronic device to an energy absorbing component of the electronic device.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 7, 2018Publication date: June 14, 2018Inventors: Carl R. Peterson, Justin R. Wodrich, Kevin D. Gibbs, Samuel G. Smith