Patents by Inventor Thomas W. Wilson
Thomas W. Wilson 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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Publication number: 20130250202Abstract: An electronic device may have a liquid crystal display with backlight structures. The backlight structures may produce backlight that passes through an array of display pixels. The display pixels may include electrode structures and thin-film transistor structures for controlling electric fields in a layer of liquid crystal material. The liquid crystal material may be formed between an outer display layer and an inner display layer. The inner display layer may be interposed between the backlight structures and the liquid crystal material. Thin-film transistor structures, electrodes, and conductive interconnection lines may be deposited in a layer on the inner surface of the outer display layer. A layer of color filter elements may be used to provide the display with color pixels. The color filter elements may be formed on top of the thin-film transistor layer or on a separate color filter array substrate such as the inner display layer.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 20, 2012Publication date: September 26, 2013Inventors: Jun Qi, Dinesh C. Mathew, Bryan W. Posner, Keith J. Hendren, Peteris K. Augenbergs, Adam T. Garelli, Victor H. Yin, Thomas W. Wilson, JR.
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Patent number: 8518569Abstract: An electrolyte containment structure for an electrode jelly roll and electrolyte in a portable power source is described. The electrolyte containment structure comprises metal foil, such as metal foil sleeve, coupled to and partially surrounding a rigid frame. The rigid frame can protect the electrode jelly roll edges from crush events. To prevent shorts, the metal foil can be coated in plastic, which can insulate the metal foil from the electrode jelly roll. Further, the plastic can serve as a bonding and sealing agent. For instance, the metal foil can be coupled to the rigid frame using a thermal bonding method involving melting of the plastic. The rigid frame can provide a platform for connector pads and safety circuitry associated with the portable power source.Type: GrantFiled: March 1, 2010Date of Patent: August 27, 2013Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: R. Sean Murphy, Thomas W. Wilson, Jr.
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Publication number: 20130176512Abstract: An electronic device may have a display such as a liquid crystal display. The display may have an array of display pixels. The array of display pixels may display images for a user in an active area of the display. An inactive area of the display may surround the active area. An opaque masking layer may be provided in the inactive area to block internal components in the electronic device from view. An optical component such as a light-based proximity sensor, ambient light sensor, image sensor, or light-emitting status indicator may be aligned with an opening in the opaque masking layer. A liquid crystal shutter may be provided in the display. The liquid crystal shutter may be controlled by control circuitry in the electronic device. The liquid crystal shutter may be aligned with the opening in the opaque masking layer in the inactive area and with the optical component.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 11, 2012Publication date: July 11, 2013Inventors: Bryan W. Posner, Jun Qi, Victor H. Yin, Thomas W. Wilson, JR., Dinesh C. Mathew, Keith J. Hendren, Peteris K. Augenbergs, Adam T. Garelli, Stephen R. McClure, Carl R. Peterson
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Publication number: 20130155351Abstract: An electronic device may have a liquid crystal display with backlight structures. The backlight structures may produce backlight that passes through display layers in the display. The display layers may include color filter elements, a liquid crystal layer, and a thin-film transistor layer. The color filter elements may be interposed between the thin-film transistor layer and the backlight structures or the thin-film transistor layer may be interposed between the color filter elements and the backlight structures. The backlight structures may be formed from optical fiber, a two-dimensional array of light-emitting diodes, a light guide plate that includes a rectangular recess for receiving optical films, or light guide plate structures that include internal light scattering structures. A light guide plate may be provided with alignment features that mate with alignment features on optical films.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 20, 2011Publication date: June 20, 2013Inventors: Adam T. Garelli, Jun Qi, Victor H. Yin, Thomas W. Wilson, JR., Dinesh C. Mathew, Bryan W. Posner, Keith J. Hendren, Peteris K. Augenbergs
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Patent number: 8467177Abstract: An electronic device may have a display. Inactive portions of the display such as peripheral portions of the display may be masked using an opaque masking layer. An opening may be provided in the opaque masking layer to allow light to pass. For example, a logo may be viewed through an opening in the opaque masking layer and a camera may receive light through an opening in the opaque masking layer. The display may include upper and lower polarizers, a color filter layer, and a thin-film transistor layer. The opaque masking layer may be formed on the upper polarizer, may be interposed between the upper polarizer and the color filter layer, or may be interposed between the color filter layer and the thin-film transistor layer. The upper polarizer may have unpolarized windows for cameras, logos, or other internal structures.Type: GrantFiled: October 29, 2010Date of Patent: June 18, 2013Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Dinesh C. Mathew, Keith J. Hendren, Jun Qi, Victor H. Yin, Thomas W. Wilson, Jr., Adam T. Garelli
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Patent number: 8456586Abstract: An electronic device housing may have upper and lower portions that are attached with a hinge. At least one portion of the housing may have a rear planar surface and peripheral sidewalls having edges. A display module may be mounted in the housing. The display module may have glass layers such as a color filter glass layer and a thin-film transistor substrate. The color filter glass layer may serve as the outermost glass layer in the display module. The edges of the display module may be aligned with the edges of the peripheral housing sidewalls to create the appearance of a borderless display for the electronic device. The display module may be provided with an opening that allows a camera or other electronic components to receive light. Traces may be provided on the underside of the thin-film transistor substrate to serve as signal paths for the electrical components.Type: GrantFiled: June 11, 2009Date of Patent: June 4, 2013Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Dinesh C. Mathew, Thomas W. Wilson, Jr., Victor H. Yin, Bryan W. Posner, Chris Ligtenberg, Brett W. Degner, Peteris K. Augenbergs
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Patent number: 8441450Abstract: An input device is disclosed. The input device includes a movable touch-sensitive track pad capable of detecting an object in close proximity thereto so as to generate a tracking control signal. The input device also includes a movement indicator capable of detecting the movements of the movable track pad so as to generate one or more other control signals (e.g., button signals). The control signals can be used to perform actions in an electronic device operatively coupled to the input device.Type: GrantFiled: September 30, 2008Date of Patent: May 14, 2013Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Brett William Degner, Patrick Kessler, Chris A. Ligtenberg, Thomas W. Wilson, Jr., Bartley K. Andre, Matthew P. Casebolt
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Patent number: 8408780Abstract: An electronic device such as a portable computer may have a housing with a rectangular recess in which layers of display structures such as a light guide panel layer and other light guide structures are directly mounted without intervening chassis members. Mating alignment features in the housing and display structures may be used to align the display structures relative to the housing. A display may be formed from glass layers such as a color filter glass layer and a thin-film transistor glass layer. Backlight for the display may be generated by an array of light-emitting diodes. The light guide panel may direct light from the light-emitting diodes through the glass layers. A clamp may be used to hold the light-emitting diodes and light guide structures in place in the recess. An undercut in the housing may also hold the light guide structures in place.Type: GrantFiled: January 21, 2010Date of Patent: April 2, 2013Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Dinesh C. Mathew, Thomas W. Wilson, Jr., Victor H. Yin, Bryan W. Posner, Chris Ligtenberg, Brett W. Degner, Peteris K. Augenbergs, Adam Garelli
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Publication number: 20130079933Abstract: The described embodiments relate generally to control of rotational components in a computer system. In one embodiment, the rotational component includes a cooling fan assembly, the cooling fan assembly being controlled in accordance with resonant frequency avoidance data. The resonant frequency avoidance data being characteristic of the computer system such that when the cooling fan assembly operates in accordance with the resonant frequency avoidance data, the cooling fan assembly does not operate at a fan speed that is coincident with a natural resonant frequency of the computer system.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 19, 2012Publication date: March 28, 2013Applicant: Apple Inc.Inventors: Cheng P. TAN, Anthony J. Aiello, Brad Lee Patton, Con D. Phan, Jesse T. Dybenko, Thomas W. Wilson, JR.
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Patent number: 8395722Abstract: An electronic device housing may have upper and lower portions that are attached with a hinge. At least one portion of the housing may have a rear planar surface and peripheral sidewalls having edges. A display module may be mounted in the housing. The display module may have glass layers such as a color filter glass layer and a thin-film transistor substrate. The color filter glass layer may serve as the outermost glass layer in the display module. The edges of the display module may be aligned with the edges of the peripheral housing sidewalls to create the appearance of a borderless display for the electronic device. The display module may be provided with an opening that allows a camera or other electronic components to receive light. Traces may be provided on the underside of the thin-film transistor substrate to serve as signal paths for the electrical components.Type: GrantFiled: September 29, 2011Date of Patent: March 12, 2013Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Dinesh C. Mathew, Thomas W. Wilson, Jr., Victor H. Yin, Bryan W. Posner, Chris Ligtenberg, Brett W. Degner, Peteris K. Augenbergs
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Patent number: 8360718Abstract: A method and apparatus to improve air flow in an air circulating fan assembly by forming an inlet opening in a fan assembly. A static air pressure profile is calculated along a top portion of the fan assembly configured to operate in an enclosure. The shape of a section of the inlet opening in the top portion of the fan assembly is changed based on a pressure contour of the calculated static air pressure profile. The method is repeated iteratively one or more times using an inlet opening changed by a previously calculated static air pressure profile when calculating a subsequent static air pressure profile. The inlet opening is positioned in the top surface of the fan assembly so that the centroid of the inlet opening is laterally offset with respect to the rotational axis of an impeller in the fan assembly.Type: GrantFiled: January 29, 2010Date of Patent: January 29, 2013Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Jesse T. Dybenko, Frank Liang, Amaury J. Heresztyn, Brett W. Degner, Thomas W. Wilson, Jr., Peteris K. Augenbergs, Connor R. Duke
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Publication number: 20130009898Abstract: A touchpad assembly for use in an electronic device is provided. The touchpad assembly may include a touchpad frame operative to be placed within an opening in an electronic device frame. The touchpad assembly may include a support plate for supporting a touchpad, and a bracket for receiving a pick button. The support plate and bracket may be manufactured into a same component to increase the rigidity of the touchpad assembly. The pick button may include a varying height to prevent the pick button from deflecting and to make the pick button travel for providing a selection instruction uniform. The pick button may be coupled to the frame using any suitable approach, including using springs connected the ends of the pick button to the frame. The frame may also include pads to muffle the sound of the pick button when it returns to its initial position after having been pressed.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 14, 2012Publication date: January 10, 2013Applicant: Apple Inc.Inventors: Dinesh Mathew, Chris Ligtenberg, Brett William Degner, Thomas W. Wilson, JR., John Brock
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Patent number: 8305761Abstract: A low profile heat removal system suitable for removing excess heat generated by a component operating in a compact computing environment is disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: November 17, 2009Date of Patent: November 6, 2012Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Brett W. Degner, Peteris K. Augenbergs, Frank Liang, Amaury J. Heresztyn, Dinesh Mathew, Thomas W. Wilson, Jr.
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Patent number: 8294675Abstract: A touchpad assembly for use in an electronic device is provided. The touchpad assembly may include a touchpad frame operative to be placed within an opening in an electronic device frame. The touchpad assembly may include a support plate for supporting a touchpad, and a bracket for receiving a pick button. The support plate and bracket may be manufactured into a same component to increase the rigidity of the touchpad assembly. The pick button may include a varying height to prevent the pick button from deflecting and to make the pick button travel for providing a selection instruction uniform. The pick button may be coupled to the frame using any suitable approach, including using springs connected the ends of the pick button to the frame. The frame may also include pads to muffle the sound of the pick button when it returns to its initial position after having been pressed.Type: GrantFiled: September 29, 2008Date of Patent: October 23, 2012Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Dinesh Mathew, Chris Ligtenberg, Brett William Degner, Thomas W. Wilson, Jr., John Brock
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Patent number: 8288467Abstract: Curable rubber compositions and cured articles are based on the use of zinc activator compositions for the sulfur cure. Activator compositions contain zinc and a polymeric component having a plurality of COOH groups, at least some of which are neutralized with the zinc. With polymeric zinc activators, sulfur cure can be activated at levels of zinc below those used in conventional systems.Type: GrantFiled: December 1, 2009Date of Patent: October 16, 2012Assignee: Nike, Inc.Inventor: Thomas W. Wilson, III
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Publication number: 20120236792Abstract: A wireless network, which includes a wireless router client operable to broadcast data packets to at least one wireless server and one additional wireless client. Each client and server includes programs for determining optimum routes between them. The client also includes a program for determining if a received data packet is not addressed to it and if the packet has been sent via a new optimal route unknown to the client, and for notifying the respective server of such a new optimal route.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 23, 2012Publication date: September 20, 2012Applicant: IPCO, LLCInventors: EDWIN B. BROWNRIGG, Thomas W. Wilson
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Publication number: 20120224951Abstract: A fan assembly for a computing device is disclosed. The device can include an impeller having a number of blades and a motor for turning the blades. The motor can turn the blades via a magnetic interaction between the impeller and the motor. A thrust bearing can be used to control a position of the impeller relative to the motor. In particular, the impeller can be configured to rotate around an axis and the thrust bearing can be used to control movement of the impeller in a direction aligned with the axis. In one embodiment, the impeller can be configured to generate aerodynamic forces, such as lift, and the parameters associated with the thrust bearing can be selected to counteract the aerodynamic forces so that the impeller remains within a desired positional range relative to the motor.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 21, 2011Publication date: September 6, 2012Applicant: Apple Inc.Inventors: Brett W. DEGNER, Cheng P. Tan, Con D. Phan, Connor R. Duke, Frank F. Liang, Jesse T. Dybenko, Thomas W. Wilson, JR., Keith J. Hendren
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Patent number: 8233471Abstract: A wireless network, which includes a wireless router client operable to broadcast data packets to at least one wireless server and one additional wireless client. Each client and server includes programs for determining optimum routes between them. The client also includes a program for determining if a received data packet is not addressed to it and if the packet has been sent via a new optimal route unknown to the client, and for notifying the respective server of such a new optimal route.Type: GrantFiled: June 11, 2009Date of Patent: July 31, 2012Assignee: IPCO, LLCInventors: Edwin B. Brownrigg, Thomas W. Wilson
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Publication number: 20120182497Abstract: A display may include a backlight structure. The backlight structure may include a light guide plate. Holes in the light guide plate may be configured to receive corresponding light-emitting diodes. The holes may separate an edge portion of the light guide plate from a main central portion of the light guide plate. Adhesive may be attached to the lower surface of the edge portion. The adhesive may be attached to a device housing or may be attached to a flex circuit that is attached to the housing with additional adhesive. The light-emitting diodes may be mounted within packages in pairs. The packages may be mounted on the flex circuit. Traces on part of the flex circuit may be covered by part of the light guide plate without any intervening adhesive. A reflective structure may be interposed between the traces and parts of the main portion of the light guide plate.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 18, 2011Publication date: July 19, 2012Inventors: Jun Qi, Bryan W. Posner, Dinesh C. Mathew, Adam T. Garelli, Victor H. Yin, Keith J. Hendren, Laura M. DeForest, Peteris K. Augenbergs, Thomas W. Wilson, JR.
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Patent number: 8199477Abstract: An electronic device housing may contain a display module. The display module may contain layers of material such as a color filter layer and a thin-film transistor layer. These layers of material may be mounted in a display module chassis. A cover glass may cover the display module. The housing may have springs that mate with corresponding holes in the chassis of the display module to hold the display module in place within the housing. The springs may flex about a flex axis that is perpendicular to a planar rear housing surface and the planar layers of the display module. A disassembly tool may be inserted into a gap between the cover glass and housing sidewalls. When the disassembly tool is rotated, a fin on the tool may press against an engagement structure in the spring and may release the spring from the display module.Type: GrantFiled: June 11, 2009Date of Patent: June 12, 2012Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Dinesh C. Mathew, Thomas W. Wilson, Jr., Nicholas Alan Rundle, Bryan W. Posner