Patents by Inventor Stephen Brian Lynch
Stephen Brian Lynch 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: 10546901Abstract: An electronic device may have a display. The display may have an active region in which display pixels are used to display images. The display may have one or more openings and may be mounted in a housing associated with the electronic device. An electronic component may be mounted in alignment with the openings in the display. The electronic component may include a camera, a light sensor, a light-based proximity sensor, status indicator lights, a light-based touch sensor array, a secondary display that has display pixels that may be viewed through the openings, antenna structures, a speaker, a microphone, or other acoustic, electromagnetic, or light-based component. One or more openings in the display may form a window through which a user of the device may view an external object. Display pixels in the window region may be used in forming a heads-up display.Type: GrantFiled: November 28, 2018Date of Patent: January 28, 2020Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Benjamin M. Rappoport, Jeremy C. Franklin, Fletcher R. Rothkopf, Scott A. Myers, Richard P. Howarth, Julian Hoenig, Christopher J. Stringer, John P. Ternus, Stephen Brian Lynch
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Patent number: 10521034Abstract: Electronic devices may be provided that contain flexible displays that are bent to form displays on multiple surfaces of the devices. Bent flexible displays may be bent to form front side displays and edge displays. Edge displays may be separated from front side displays or from other edge displays using patterned housing members, printed or painted masks, or by selectively activating and inactivating display pixels associated with the flexible display. Edge displays may alternately function as virtual buttons, virtual switches, or informational displays that are supplemental to front side displays. Virtual buttons may include transparent button members, lenses, haptic feedback components, audio feedback components, or other components for providing feedback to a user when virtual buttons are activated.Type: GrantFiled: May 24, 2019Date of Patent: December 31, 2019Assignee: Apple, Inc.Inventors: Scott A. Myers, Stephen Brian Lynch, Anthony S. Montevirgen
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Publication number: 20190361496Abstract: An electronic device having a housing structure that is configured to receive at least one glass cover is disclosed. The glass cover serves to cover a display assembly provided within the electronic device. The glass cover can be secured to the housing structure so as to facilitate providing a narrow border between an active display area and an outer edge of the housing structure. The enclosure for the electronic device can be thin yet be sufficiently strong to be suitable for use in electronic devices, such as portable electronic devices.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 12, 2019Publication date: November 28, 2019Inventors: Christopher M. Werner, Emery A. Sanford, Stephen Brian Lynch, Teodor Dabov, Fletcher R. Rothkopf
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Patent number: 10488936Abstract: This relates to a device that detects a user's motion and gesture input through the movement of one or more of the user's hand, arm, wrist, and fingers, for example, to provide commands to the device or to other devices. The device can be attached to, resting on, or touching the user's wrist, ankle or other body part. One or more optical sensors, inertial sensors, mechanical contact sensors, and myoelectric sensors can detect movements of the user's body. Based on the detected movements, a user gesture can be determined. The device can interpret the gesture as an input command, and the device can perform an operation based on the input command. By detecting movements of the user's body and associating the movements with input commands, the device can receive user input commands through another means in addition to, or instead of, voice and touch input, for example.Type: GrantFiled: February 6, 2015Date of Patent: November 26, 2019Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Andrzej Baranski, Anna-Katrina Shedletsky, Kuldeep P. Lonkar, Serhan Isikman, Stephen Brian Lynch, Colin M. Ely, Christopher Werner, Erik De Jong, Samuel B. Weiss
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Patent number: 10431636Abstract: An electronic device may have a display. The display may have an active region in which display pixels are used to display images. The display may have one or more openings and may be mounted in a housing associated with the electronic device. An electronic component may be mounted in alignment with the openings in the display. The electronic component may include a camera, a light sensor, a light-based proximity sensor, status indicator lights, a light-based touch sensor array, a secondary display that has display pixels that may be viewed through the openings, antenna structures, a speaker, a microphone, or other acoustic, electromagnetic, or light-based component. One or more openings in the display may form a window through which a user of the device may view an external object. Display pixels in the window region may be used in forming a heads-up display.Type: GrantFiled: November 2, 2018Date of Patent: October 1, 2019Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Benjamin M. Rappoport, Jeremy C. Franklin, Fletcher R. Rothkopf, Scott A. Myers, Richard P. Howarth, Julian Hoenig, Christopher J. Stringer, John P. Ternus, Stephen Brian Lynch
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Publication number: 20190278394Abstract: Electronic devices may be provided that contain flexible displays that are bent to form displays on multiple surfaces of the devices. Bent flexible displays may be bent to form front side displays and edge displays. Edge displays may be separated from front side displays or from other edge displays using patterned housing members, printed or painted masks, or by selectively activating and inactivating display pixels associated with the flexible display. Edge displays may alternately function as virtual buttons, virtual switches, or informational displays that are supplemental to front side displays. Virtual buttons may include transparent button members, lenses, haptic feedback components, audio feedback components, or other components for providing feedback to a user when virtual buttons are activated.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 24, 2019Publication date: September 12, 2019Inventors: Scott A. Myers, Stephen Brian Lynch, Anthony S. Montevirgen
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Publication number: 20190278422Abstract: Flexible electronic devices may be provided. A flexible electronic device may include a flexible display, a flexible housing and one or more flexible internal components configured to allow the flexible electronic device to be deformed. Flexible displays may include flexible display layers, flexible touch-sensitive layers, and flexible display cover layers. The flexible housing may be a multi-stable flexible housing having one or more stable positions. The flexible housing may include a configurable support structure that, when engaged, provides a rigid support structure for the flexible housing. The flexible internal components may include flexible batteries, flexible printed circuits or other flexible components. A flexible battery may include flexible and rigid portions or may include a lubricious separator layer that provides flexibility for the flexible battery.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 24, 2019Publication date: September 12, 2019Inventors: Jeremy C. Franklin, Scott A. Myers, Benjamin M. Rappoport, Stephen Brian Lynch, John P. Ternus, Justin R. Wodrich
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Patent number: 10401904Abstract: An electronic device having a housing structure that is configured to receive at least one glass cover is disclosed. The glass cover serves to cover a display assembly provided within the electronic device. The glass cover can be secured to the housing structure so as to facilitate providing a narrow border between an active display area and an outer edge of the housing structure. The enclosure for the electronic device can be thin yet be sufficiently strong to be suitable for use in electronic devices, such as portable electronic devices.Type: GrantFiled: June 14, 2018Date of Patent: September 3, 2019Assignee: APPLE INC.Inventors: Christopher M. Werner, Emery A. Sanford, Stephen Brian Lynch, Teodor Dabov, Fletcher R. Rothkopf
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Publication number: 20190220099Abstract: This relates to a device that detects a user's motion and gesture input through the movement of one or more of the user's hand, arm, wrist, and fingers, for example, to provide commands to the device or to other devices. The device can include a plurality of myoelectric sensors configured to detect one or more electrical signals from a body part of a user indicative of one or more movements. A plurality of signals indicative of the detected one or more electrical signals may be generated. The device may also include a wireless communication transmitter configured to communicate with a peripheral device and a processor. The processor may be configured to receive the plurality of signals from the plurality of myoelectric sensors, use the plurality of signals together to determine a gesture, and communicate one or more of: the plurality of signals and the gesture to the peripheral device.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 26, 2019Publication date: July 18, 2019Inventors: Andrzej BARANSKI, Anna-Katrina SHEDLETSKY, Kuldeep P. LONKAR, Serhan ISIKMAN, Stephen Brian LYNCH, Colin M. ELY, Christopher WERNER, Erik DE JONG, Samuel B. WEISS
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Publication number: 20190212603Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with a display having a thin-film transistor layer. One or more holes in the thin-film transistor layer may be used to form pathways from display circuitry to other circuitry underneath the display. One or more conductive bridges may pass through holes in the thin-film transistor layer and may have one end that couples to the display circuitry and a second end that couples to a printed circuit underneath the display. These conductive bridges may be formed from wire bonding. Wire bond connections may be encapsulated with potting material to improve the reliability of the wire bond and increase the resiliency of the display. Display signal lines may be routed through holes in a thin-film transistor layer to run along a backside of the display thereby reducing the need for space in the border region for display circuitry.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 15, 2019Publication date: July 11, 2019Inventors: Paul S. Drzaic, Jeremy C. Franklin, Stephen Brian Lynch, Scott A. Myers, Benjamin M. Rappoport, Fletcher R. Rothkopf, John P. Ternus
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Patent number: 10348875Abstract: Electronic devices may be provided with convex displays. A convex display may be used to maximize the internal volume of a device. Convex displays may be formed from one or more flexible layers. A flexible display layer may be mounted to a rigid support structure or a rigid cover layer. Flexible display layers that conform to the curved shape of a rigid structure may provide additional internal volume in which internal components of the device may be positioned.Type: GrantFiled: August 29, 2017Date of Patent: July 9, 2019Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventor: Stephen Brian Lynch
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Publication number: 20190196622Abstract: An actuating user interface for a media player or other electronic device is disclosed. According to one aspect, the user interface is a display device that can both display visual information and serve as a mechanical actuator to generate input signals is disclosed. The display device, which displays visual information such as text, characters and graphics, may also act like a push or clickable button(s), a sliding toggle button or switch, a rotating dial or knob, a motion controlling device such as a joystick or navigation pad, and/or the like. According to another aspect, the user interface is an input device that includes a movable touch pad control signal capable of detecting the movements of the movable touch pad so as to generate one or more distinct second control signals. The control signals being used to perform actions in an electronic device operatively coupled to the input device.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 15, 2019Publication date: June 27, 2019Inventors: Stephen Paul ZADESKY, Jonathan P. IVE, Christopher J. STRINGER, Matthew Dean ROHRBACH, Stephen Brian LYNCH, Brett William DEGNER
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Publication number: 20190176379Abstract: Methods and apparatus for applying internal features or complex mechanical structures to a surface of a metal part are disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, a method for creating an assembly that includes a substrate and a molded piece involves obtaining the substrate, and forming at least one binding feature on a surface of the substrate. The method also includes molding on a surface of the binding feature and the surface of the substrate. Molding on the surface of the binding feature and the surface of the substrate mechanically binds the molded piece to the substrate.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 15, 2019Publication date: June 13, 2019Inventors: Douglas Weber, Stephen P. Zadesky, Stephen Brian Lynch
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Patent number: 10318029Abstract: Electronic devices may be provided that contain flexible displays that are bent to form displays on multiple surfaces of the devices. Bent flexible displays may be bent to form front side displays and edge displays. Edge displays may be separated from front side displays or from other edge displays using patterned housing members, printed or painted masks, or by selectively activating and inactivating display pixels associated with the flexible display. Edge displays may alternately function as virtual buttons, virtual switches, or informational displays that are supplemental to front side displays. Virtual buttons may include transparent button members, lenses, haptic feedback components, audio feedback components, or other components for providing feedback to a user when virtual buttons are activated.Type: GrantFiled: August 20, 2018Date of Patent: June 11, 2019Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Scott A. Myers, Stephen Brian Lynch, Anthony S. Montevirgen
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Patent number: 10318061Abstract: Flexible electronic devices may be provided. A flexible electronic device may include a flexible display, a flexible housing and one or more flexible internal components configured to allow the flexible electronic device to be deformed. Flexible displays may include flexible display layers, flexible touch-sensitive layers, and flexible display cover layers. The flexible housing may be a multi-stable flexible housing having one or more stable positions. The flexible housing may include a configurable support structure that, when engaged, provides a rigid support structure for the flexible housing. The flexible internal components may include flexible batteries, flexible printed circuits or other flexible components. A flexible battery may include flexible and rigid portions or may include a lubricious separator layer that provides flexibility for the flexible battery.Type: GrantFiled: May 8, 2018Date of Patent: June 11, 2019Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Jeremy C. Franklin, Scott A. Myers, Benjamin M. Rappoport, Stephen Brian Lynch, John P. Ternus, Justin R. Wodrich
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Publication number: 20190171313Abstract: An actuating user interface for a media player or other electronic device is disclosed. According to one aspect, the user interface is a display device that can both display visual information and serve as a mechanical actuator to generate input signals is disclosed. The display device, which displays visual information such as text, characters and graphics, may also act like a push or clickable button(s), a sliding toggle button or switch, a rotating dial or knob, a motion controlling device such as a joystick or navigation pad, and/or the like. According to another aspect, the user interface is an input device that includes a movable touch pad control signal capable of detecting the movements of the movable touch pad so as to generate one or more distinct second control signals. The control signals being used to perform actions in an electronic device operatively coupled to the input device.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 5, 2019Publication date: June 6, 2019Inventors: Stephen Paul ZADESKY, Jonathan P. IVE, Christopher J. STRINGER, Matthew Dean ROHRBACH, Stephen Brian LYNCH, Brett William DEGNER
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Publication number: 20190163233Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with a display cover layer mounted to the device using an adhesive bond with a display. The display may be a flexible display. The flexible display may include Organic Light Emitting Diode display technology. The display may be mounted to a rigid support structure. The rigid support structure may be mounted to a device housing member. Mounting the display cover layer to the display may eliminate the need to mount the display cover layer to the device housing and may allow active display pixels to be visible under the display cover layer closer to the device housing than in conventional devices. Providing the electronic device with active display pixels closer to the device housing may reduce the need for an inactive border around the display and may improve the aesthetic appeal of the electronic device.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 31, 2019Publication date: May 30, 2019Inventors: Benjamin M. Rappoport, Jeremy C. Franklin, Stephen Brian Lynch, Scott A. Myers, John Raff, Richard P. Howarth, Wei Chen, Christopher J. Stringer, Julian Hoenig
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Publication number: 20190152129Abstract: An electronic device may have a display with a bent portion such as one or more bent edge portions. The display may be formed from a flexible display layer such as an organic light-emitting-diode layer. The organic light-emitting-diode layer may include a substrate layer such as a sheet of polymer. The flexible display may be attached to a support structure such as a flexible support layer using adhesive. To facilitate bending, the display may be heated. Bending and heating equipment may simultaneously heat the display layer and the flexible support layer to form a bent edge portion for the display. The bending and heating equipment may include heated structures for pressing the display layer into a desired shape.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 18, 2019Publication date: May 23, 2019Inventors: Jeremy C. Franklin, Scott A. Myers, Stephen Brian Lynch, John Raff
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Publication number: 20190121391Abstract: A minimum Z height handheld electronic device and methods of assembly is described. The electronic device includes a single seamless housing having a front opening and a cover disposed within the front opening and attached to the seamless housing without a bezel.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 11, 2018Publication date: April 25, 2019Inventors: Teodor DABOV, HuiLeng LIM, Kyle YEATES, Stephen Brian LYNCH
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Patent number: 10261370Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with a display having a thin-film transistor layer. One or more holes in the thin-film transistor layer may be used to form pathways from display circuitry to other circuitry underneath the display. One or more conductive bridges may pass through holes in the thin-film transistor layer and may have one end that couples to the display circuitry and a second end that couples to a printed circuit underneath the display. These conductive bridges may be formed from wire bonding. Wire bond connections may be encapsulated with potting material to improve the reliability of the wire bond and increase the resiliency of the display. Display signal lines may be routed through holes in a thin-film transistor layer to run along a backside of the display thereby reducing the need for space in the border region for display circuitry.Type: GrantFiled: October 5, 2011Date of Patent: April 16, 2019Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Paul S. Drzaic, Jeremy C. Franklin, Stephen Brian Lynch, Scott A. Myers, Benjamin M. Rappoport, Fletcher R. Rothkopf, John P. Ternus