Patents by Inventor Tatsuya Sano

Tatsuya Sano 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: 12213267
    Abstract: An electronic device has a foldable display. First and second portions of an electronic device housing for the device may be joined using hinge structures. A flexible display may overlap the first housing portion, the hinge structures, and the second housing portion. A layer such as a layer of sheet metal may be used in supporting the display and may overlap the hinge structures. The hinge structures may include gear teeth, belts, and/or other movement synchronization structures. The hinge structures may include members that move relative to each other during bending. The moving members may include bars and links with opposing curved bearing surfaces. Stop surfaces may prevent excessive rotation of the bars and links with respect to each other. The links may rotate about pivot points that lie within the thickness of the display without the hinge structure living within the thickness of the display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2025
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Owen D. Hale, Tatsuya Sano, Chang-Chia Huang, Yasmin F. Afsar, Hoon Sik Kim, Michael B. Wittenberg
  • Patent number: 12164344
    Abstract: A foldable display device may have housing portions coupled by a hinge. The hinge may have a series of interconnected links. The links may be formed from interdigitated fingers in a friction clutch. The fingers or other portions of the links may be provided with crescent-shaped slots that receive pins. During folding of the device, the pins may slide along the crescent-shaped slots, thereby ensuring that adjacent links rotate relative to each other about a rotation axis that lies outside of the hinge and within a flexible display panel. Links may also be formed from link members with curved mating bearing surfaces that slide relative to each other as adjacent links are rotated relative to each other. A housing rotation synchronization mechanism may be formed using a set of gears that extends between the first and second housing portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Scott J Krahn, Adam T Garelli, Bradley J Hamel, Dinesh C Mathew, Hoon Sik Kim, Keith J Hendren, Robert Y Cao, Terry C Lam, Kevin M Robinson, Houtan R Farahani, Tatsuya Sano
  • Patent number: 12075904
    Abstract: A wirelessly locatable tag may include a first housing member defining an exterior surface of the wirelessly locatable tag and a frame member attached to the first housing member and defining a battery cavity configured to receive a button cell battery and an opening through the frame member. The wirelessly locatable tag may further include a circuit board positioned between the first housing member and the frame member, a battery connector coupled to the circuit board and comprising a deflectable arm extending into the battery cavity through the opening in the frame member, a second housing member removably coupled to the frame member, and a biasing member configured to bias the button cell battery into the battery cavity of the frame member and against the deflectable arm of the battery connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2024
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Christopher S. Graham, Christopher J. Walton, Ryan C. Perkins, Tatsuya Sano, Samuel B. Schaevitz, Christopher M. Werner
  • Publication number: 20240213712
    Abstract: An electronic device can include plug connectors and receptacle connectors for providing connections between components of the electronic device. A receptacle connector for an electronic device can include a cavity configured to receive a plug connector; a latch extending at least partially into the cavity; a spring coupled to the latch; and a lever arm coupled to the spring. The latch can be configured to transition between an engaged configuration and an un-engaged configuration. The latch can be configured to retain the plug connector in the cavity when the latch is in the engaged configuration. The spring can be configured to retain the latch in the engaged configuration. The lever arm can be configured to transition the latch to the un-engaged configuration in response to pressure from a tool.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2023
    Publication date: June 27, 2024
    Inventors: Stephen E. Yao, Joshua A. Mendoza, Varun K. Sanghvi, Josiah Clark, Hossein Nazari Alikorzani, James C. Wu, Daniel C. Wagman, Tatsuya Sano, Christopher S. Graham, Yufan Liao
  • Publication number: 20240098913
    Abstract: An electronic device may have a housing with portions that slide relative to each other. A display may be supported on a surface of the housing such as on a front face of the housing. The housing portions may slide between an unexpanded state in which the display has an unexpanded viewable area on the front face and an expanded state in which the display has an expanded viewable area on the front face that is greater than the unexpanded viewable area. The housing portions may have interior regions that contain electrical components. The display may be formed from a flexible display substrate. A portion of a flexible display may be stored in an interior region of the housing when the housing is in the unexpanded state. In the unexpanded state, the flexible display may have one or more bends and may double back on itself one or more times.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2023
    Publication date: March 21, 2024
    Inventors: Michael B. Wittenberg, Owen D. Hale, Tatsuya Sano
  • Publication number: 20240065390
    Abstract: Bands for wearable devices include multiple band retainers used to maintain engagement between an assembly (e.g., a pair) of bands. Some band retainers may be permanently affixed with the band at a certain location of the band, while other band retainers can be removable. The removable band retainers can be moved to different locations of the band, thus allowing the band retainer to retain another band at different locations. As a result, the assembly of bands can be used with different users, and in particular, users with different wrist sizes. Moreover, using multiple band retainers can provide an engagement force between the bands to withstand higher-impact events, such as swimming and diving. Additionally, bands and band retainers may include one or more liquid-resistant and corrosion-resistant materials.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2023
    Publication date: February 29, 2024
    Inventors: Nicholas S. Brodine, Molly J. Anderson, Clement C. Tissandier, Osamu Yabe, Mengxi Zhao, Timothy S. Lui, Chia Tse Yeh, Kai-Yu Chung, Jen-Chun Hsu, Tatsuya Sano, Peng Li
  • Patent number: 11889642
    Abstract: An electronic device may have a housing with portions that slide relative to each other. A display may be supported on a surface of the housing such as on a front face of the housing. The housing portions may slide between an unexpanded state in which the display has an unexpanded viewable area on the front face and an expanded state in which the display has an expanded viewable area on the front face that is greater than the unexpanded viewable area. The housing portions may have interior regions that contain electrical components. The display may be formed from a flexible display substrate. A portion of a flexible display may be stored in an interior region of the housing when the housing is in the unexpanded state. In the unexpanded state, the flexible display may have one or more bends and may double back on itself one or more times.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Michael B. Wittenberg, Owen D. Hale, Tatsuya Sano
  • Patent number: 11857063
    Abstract: A wirelessly locatable tag may include a first housing member defining a first exterior surface of the wirelessly locatable tag and an interior surface opposite the first exterior surface. The wirelessly locatable tag may further include a second housing member defining a second exterior surface of the wirelessly locatable tag a first antenna configured transmit the wireless signal using a first wireless protocol, a second antenna configured to communicate using a second wireless protocol different than the first wireless protocol, and an audio system. The audio system may include a magnet assembly configured to produce a magnetic field and a coil positioned within the magnetic field and coupled to the interior surface of the first housing member, the coil configured to interact with the magnetic field to impart a force on the first housing member, thereby moving a portion of the first housing member to produce an audible output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Justin D. Crosby, Ryan C. Perkins, Woojin Jung, Tatsuya Sano, Samuel B. Schaevitz, Christopher J. Walton, Christopher M. Werner
  • Patent number: 11812842
    Abstract: A wirelessly locatable tag may be configured to transmit a wireless signal to an electronic device to facilitate localization of the wirelessly locatable tag by the electronic device. The wirelessly locatable tag may include an antenna assembly comprising an antenna frame defining a top surface and a peripheral side surface and an antenna positioned along the peripheral side surface and configured to transmit the wireless signal. The wirelessly locatable tag may further include a frame member coupled to the antenna assembly and defining a battery cavity configured to receive a button cell battery and an enclosure enclosing the antenna assembly and the frame member. The enclosure may include a first housing member formed from a unitary polymer structure and defining a top wall defining an entirety of a top exterior surface of the wirelessly locatable tag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Ryan C. Perkins, Tatsuya Sano, Christopher J. Walton, Erik L. Wang, Christopher M. Werner
  • Publication number: 20230345655
    Abstract: An electronic device may have a housing, an expandable display mounted to the housing, and a frame for supporting the expandable display. The housing, display, and frame may be operable in expanded and retracted states. In the retracted state, an exposed portion of the display is viewable on the outside of the device, while a retractable portion of the display is enclosed within the housing and hidden behind the exposed portion of the display. As the device transitions from the retracted state to the expanded state, the retractable portion of the display may roll around an axis onto the front of the device to increase the size of the viewable display area. The frame may have a rigid portion that is mostly solid metal supporting the exposed portion of the display and a flexible portion formed from parallel strips of metal supporting the retractable portion of the display.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2023
    Publication date: October 26, 2023
    Inventors: Tatsuya Sano, Michael B. Wittenberg, Hoon Sik Kim
  • Publication number: 20230156939
    Abstract: An electronic device may have a housing with portions that slide relative to each other. A display may be supported on a surface of the housing such as on a front face of the housing. The housing portions may slide between an unexpanded state in which the display has an unexpanded viewable area on the front face and an expanded state in which the display has an expanded viewable area on the front face that is greater than the unexpanded viewable area. The housing portions may have interior regions that contain electrical components. The display may be formed from a flexible display substrate. A portion of a flexible display may be stored in an interior region of the housing when the housing is in the unexpanded state. In the unexpanded state, the flexible display may have one or more bends and may double back on itself one or more times.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2023
    Publication date: May 18, 2023
    Inventors: Michael B. Wittenberg, Owen D. Hale, Tatsuya Sano
  • Patent number: 11602201
    Abstract: A band for securing an electronic device to a user may include a monolithic band body having proximal and distal ends for coupling to a body of the electronic device. The monolithic band body may include an elastic material that is elastically stretchable between (1) a fitted mode where the electronic device is secured to a limb of the user, and (2) a stretched mode for fitting over the limb of the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Scott W. Slabaugh, Tatsuya Sano, Jen-Chun Hsu, Osamu Yabe, Zaki Moustafa, Motohide Hatanaka, Hsiang Hung Chen, Eiryo Shiraishi
  • Patent number: 11602062
    Abstract: An electronic device may have a housing with portions that slide relative to each other. A display may be supported on a surface of the housing such as on a front face of the housing. The housing portions may slide between an unexpanded state in which the display has an unexpanded viewable area on the front face and an expanded state in which the display has an expanded viewable area on the front face that is greater than the unexpanded viewable area. The housing portions may have interior regions that contain electrical components. The display may be formed from a flexible display substrate. A portion of a flexible display may be stored in an interior region of the housing when the housing is in the unexpanded state. In the unexpanded state, the flexible display may have one or more bends and may double back on itself one or more times.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Michael B. Wittenberg, Owen D. Hale, Tatsuya Sano
  • Publication number: 20230049811
    Abstract: A foldable display device may have housing portions coupled by a hinge. The hinge may have a series of interconnected links. The links may be formed from interdigitated fingers in a friction clutch. The fingers or other portions of the links may be provided with crescent-shaped slots that receive pins. During folding of the device, the pins may slide along the crescent-shaped slots, thereby ensuring that adjacent links rotate relative to each other about a rotation axis that lies outside of the hinge and within a flexible display panel. Links may also be formed from link members with curved mating bearing surfaces that slide relative to each other as adjacent links are rotated relative to each other. A housing rotation synchronization mechanism may be formed using a set of gears that extends between the first and second housing portions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2022
    Publication date: February 16, 2023
    Inventors: Scott J Krahn, Adam T Garelli, Bradley J Hamel, Dinesh C Mathew, Hoon Sik Kim, Keith J Hendren, Robert Y Cao, Terry C Lam, Kevin M Robinson, Houtan R Farahani, Tatsuya Sano
  • Publication number: 20220004835
    Abstract: A wirelessly locatable tag may include a first housing member defining a first exterior surface of the wirelessly locatable tag and an interior surface opposite the first exterior surface. The wirelessly locatable tag may further include a second housing member defining a second exterior surface of the wirelessly locatable tag a first antenna configured transmit the wireless signal using a first wireless protocol, a second antenna configured to communicate using a second wireless protocol different than the first wireless protocol, and an audio system. The audio system may include a magnet assembly configured to produce a magnetic field and a coil positioned within the magnetic field and coupled to the interior surface of the first housing member, the coil configured to interact with the magnetic field to impart a force on the first housing member, thereby moving a portion of the first housing member to produce an audible output.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2021
    Publication date: January 6, 2022
    Inventors: Justin D. Crosby, Ryan C. Perkins, Woojin Jung, Tatsuya Sano, Samuel B. Schaevitz, Christopher J. Walton, Christopher M. Werner
  • Publication number: 20220004837
    Abstract: A wirelessly locatable tag may be configured to transmit a wireless signal to an electronic device to facilitate localization of the wirelessly locatable tag by the electronic device. The wirelessly locatable tag may include an antenna assembly comprising an antenna frame defining a top surface and a peripheral side surface and an antenna positioned along the peripheral side surface and configured to transmit the wireless signal. The wirelessly locatable tag may further include a frame member coupled to the antenna assembly and defining a battery cavity configured to receive a button cell battery and an enclosure enclosing the antenna assembly and the frame member. The enclosure may include a first housing member formed from a unitary polymer structure and defining a top wall defining an entirety of a top exterior surface of the wirelessly locatable tag.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2021
    Publication date: January 6, 2022
    Inventors: Ryan C. Perkins, Tatsuya Sano, Christopher J. Walton, Erik L. Wang, Christopher M. Werner
  • Publication number: 20220006143
    Abstract: A wirelessly locatable tag may include a first housing member defining an exterior surface of the wirelessly locatable tag and a frame member attached to the first housing member and defining a battery cavity configured to receive a button cell battery and an opening through the frame member. The wirelessly locatable tag may further include a circuit board positioned between the first housing member and the frame member, a battery connector coupled to the circuit board and comprising a deflectable arm extending into the battery cavity through the opening in the frame member, a second housing member removably coupled to the frame member, and a biasing member configured to bias the button cell battery into the battery cavity of the frame member and against the deflectable arm of the battery connector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2021
    Publication date: January 6, 2022
    Inventors: Christopher S. Graham, Christopher J. Walton, Ryan C. Perkins, Tatsuya Sano, Samuel B. Schaevitz, Christopher M. Werner
  • Publication number: 20210315113
    Abstract: An electronic device may have a housing with portions that slide relative to each other. A display may be supported on a surface of the housing such as on a front face of the housing. The housing portions may slide between an unexpanded state in which the display has an unexpanded viewable area on the front face and an expanded state in which the display has an expanded viewable area on the front face that is greater than the unexpanded viewable area. The housing portions may have interior regions that contain electrical components. The display may be formed from a flexible display substrate. A portion of a flexible display may be stored in an interior region of the housing when the housing is in the unexpanded state. In the unexpanded state, the flexible display may have one or more bends and may double back on itself one or more times.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2021
    Publication date: October 7, 2021
    Inventors: Michael B. Wittenberg, Owen D. Hale, Tatsuya Sano
  • Patent number: 11071218
    Abstract: An electronic device may have a housing with portions that slide relative to each other. A display may be supported on a surface of the housing such as on a front face of the housing. The housing portions may slide between an unexpanded state in which the display has an unexpanded viewable area on the front face and an expanded state in which the display has an expanded viewable area on the front face that is greater than the unexpanded viewable area. The housing portions may have interior regions that contain electrical components. The display may be formed from a flexible display substrate. A portion of a flexible display may be stored in an interior region of the housing when the housing is in the unexpanded state. In the unexpanded state, the flexible display may have one or more bends and may double back on itself one or more times.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Michael B. Wittenberg, Owen D. Hale, Tatsuya Sano
  • Publication number: 20200383219
    Abstract: An electronic device has a foldable display. First and second portions of an electronic device housing for the device may be joined using hinge structures. A flexible display may overlap the first housing portion, the hinge structures, and the second housing portion. A layer such as a layer of sheet metal may be used in supporting the display and may overlap the hinge structures. The hinge structures may include gear teeth, belts, and/or other movement synchronization structures. The hinge structures may include members that move relative to each other during bending. The moving members may include bars and links with opposing curved bearing surfaces. Stop surfaces may prevent excessive rotation of the bars and links with respect to each other. The links may rotate about pivot points that lie within the thickness of the display without the hinge structure living within the thickness of the display.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2020
    Publication date: December 3, 2020
    Inventors: Owen D. Hale, Tatsuya Sano, Chang-Chia Huang, Yasmin F. Afsar, Hoon Sik Kim, Michael B. Wittenberg