Patents by Inventor Wei H. Yao

Wei H. Yao 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: 8610423
    Abstract: A method and system is disclosed for powering device sub-circuitry of an electronic device. The sub-circuitry may be used to provide control signals to a direct current switcher on a main system board, thus eliminating passive circuitry typically associated with the sub-circuitry. Furthermore, by actively generating the control signals for the direct current switcher, explicit timing control circuitry is not required to synchronize the transmitted power to the sub-circuitry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Ahmad Al-Dahle, John Ching Yu Tam, Hugo Fiennes, Wei H. Yao
  • Publication number: 20130328852
    Abstract: Better performance can be provided for a display system that has semiconductor microelectronic components such as demultiplexors, gate line and data line drivers, and pixel switches formed on the display substrate, e.g., a glass substrate that constitutes part of an active matrix display panel. A threshold voltage of a constituent transistor of one of these microelectronic components, e.g., a pixel thin film transistor (TFT) that is part of a particular display element, may be measured using a replica component that emulates the behavior of the component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2012
    Publication date: December 12, 2013
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Shafiq M. Jamal, Hopil Bae, Sang Y. Youn, Wei H. Yao
  • Publication number: 20130328796
    Abstract: Methods and devices employing circuitry for reducing power usage of a touch-sensitive display are provided. In one example, a method includes receiving power for a display of an electronic device. The method also includes powering a touch subsystem and a display subsystem of the display. The method includes, in a standard display mode, storing a frame of data in pixels of the display subsystem during a first period of time. The method also includes, in a low power display mode, storing a frame of data in pixels of the display subsystem during a second period of time. The second period of time is not equal to the first period of time. The method includes detecting a touch of the display via the touch subsystem between each synchronization signal of a plurality of synchronization signals received by the display.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2012
    Publication date: December 12, 2013
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Ahmad Al-Dahle, Hopil Bae, Wei H. Yao
  • Publication number: 20130328576
    Abstract: Better performance can be provided for a display system that has semiconductor microelectronic components such as demultiplexors, gate line and data line drivers, and pixel switches formed on the display substrate, e.g., a glass substrate that constitutes part of an active matrix display panel. A gate source capacitance of a constituent transistor of one of these microelectronic components, e.g., a pixel thin film transistor (TFT) that is part of a particular display element, may be measured using a replica component that emulates the behavior of the component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2012
    Publication date: December 12, 2013
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Shafiq M. Jamal, Hopil Bae, Sang Y. Youn, Wei H. Yao
  • Publication number: 20130328795
    Abstract: Methods and devices for improving image quality in a display having multiple common voltage layers (VCOMs) are provided. In one example, a method may include maintaining a deactivation signal on pixels of the display after programming a frame of data onto the pixels of the display, but before a touch sequence. The method may also include supplying a first data signal to each pixel of a first set of pixels coupled to a first VCOM while maintaining the deactivation signal. The method may include supplying a second data signal to each pixel of a second set of pixels coupled to a second VCOM while supplying the first data signal. The first data signal is supplied to each pixel of the first set of pixels and the second data signal is supplied to each pixel of the second set of pixels to inhibit image distortion during the touch sequence.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2012
    Publication date: December 12, 2013
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Wei H. Yao, Ahmad Al-Dahle, Hopil Bae
  • Publication number: 20130328799
    Abstract: A system, method, and device for increasing uniformity between displays incorporating components from different manufacturers. Incorporating components from different manufactures in different displays may cause the different displays to appear differently even under similar conditions. By modifying the operating parameters used to drive the display according to performance characteristics for various conditions, displays incorporating components from different manufacturers may be configured to produce a substantially similar picture under similar conditions. The various conditions may include stimulus information, such as temperature or touch activity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 10, 2013
    Publication date: December 12, 2013
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Yafei Bi, Thomas J. Wilson, Wei H. Yao, Hopil Bae
  • Publication number: 20130328846
    Abstract: Better performance can be provided for a display system that has semiconductor microelectronic components such as demultiplexors, gate line and data line drivers, and pixel switches formed on the display substrate, e.g., a glass substrate that constitutes part of an active matrix display panel. A constituent transistor of one of these microelectronic components, e.g., a pixel thin film transistor (TFT) that is part of a particular display element, may be characterized using a replica component that emulates the behavior of the component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2012
    Publication date: December 12, 2013
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Shafiq M. Jamal, Hopil Bae, Sang Y. Youn, Wei H. Yao
  • Publication number: 20130328847
    Abstract: Methods and devices employing mura prevention circuitry, are provided. In one example, a method may include supplying a first voltage pathway between a common electrode driver and a common electrode of an electronic display device and supplying a second voltage pathway between the common electrode driver and ground. Mura prevention circuitry may be supplied that activates the first voltage pathway when the electronic display device is turned on and an activation gate signal is provided from a gate corresponding to the common electrode driver. Further, the mura prevention circuitry may activate the second voltage pathway when the electronic display device is turned off or no activation gate signal is provided from the gate corresponding to the common electrode driver.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2012
    Publication date: December 12, 2013
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Ahmad Al-Dahle, Hopil Bae, Sang Y. Youn, Yafei Bi, Wei H. Yao, David A. Stronks
  • Patent number: 8581826
    Abstract: Embodiments of a system that includes one or more integrated circuits are described. During operation, the system receives a video image, that when displayed, includes a picture portion and the non-picture portion, where the non-picture portion has a first brightness value. Then, the system scales the non-picture portion to have a second brightness value that is greater than the first brightness value to reduce user-perceived changes in the video image associated with backlighting of a display that displays the video image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Ulrich T. Barnhoefer, Wei H. Yao, Wei Chen, Barry J. Corlett, Victor E. Alessi
  • Patent number: 8576256
    Abstract: Embodiments of a system that includes one or more integrated circuits are described. During operation, the system calculates a brightness metric associated with a video image. Then, the system identifies a subset of the video image based on the brightness metric, where the subset of the video image includes spatially varying visual information in the video image. Next, the system determines the intensity setting of the light source based on a first portion of the brightness metric associated with the subset of the video image, where the light source is configured to illuminate a display that is configured to display the video image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Ulrich T. Barnhoefer, Wei H. Yao, Wei Chen, Barry J. Corlett
  • Publication number: 20130241901
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices for performing column inversion using 2-column demultiplexers are provided. In one example, an electronic display may include a display panel with columns of pixels configured to be programmed with frames of image data and display driver circuitry. The display driver circuitry may include three demultiplexers, each respectively coupled to one pixel column of a first superpixel and one pixel column of a second superpixel. Each of the three demultiplexers may receive amplified image data of a single polarity per frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2012
    Publication date: September 19, 2013
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Hopil Bae, Zhibing Ge, Shih Chang Chang, Cheng Chen, Ming Xu, Shawn Robert Gettemy, Wei H. Yao
  • Publication number: 20130241900
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices for adjusting a white point of a liquid crystal display (LCD) using column inversion are provided. In one example, a method includes measuring white points of an electronic display that occur when the display employs different column inversion schemes. The display may be programmed to perform the column inversion scheme that produces a white point closest to a desired white point.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2012
    Publication date: September 19, 2013
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Zhibing Ge, Shih Chang Chang, Cheng Chen, Hopil Bae, Ming Xu, Shawn Robert Gettemy, Wei H. Yao
  • Publication number: 20130241959
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices for reducing the loss of transmittance caused by column inversion. To provide one example, an electronic display may include a display panel with columns of pixels and driver circuitry to drive the pixels using column inversion. Adjacent columns that are driven at like polarity are spaced more closely than adjacent columns driven at opposite polarities.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2012
    Publication date: September 19, 2013
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Zhibing Ge, Shih Chang Chang, Cheng Chen, Hopil Bae, Ming Xu, Shawn Robert Gettemy, Wei H. Yao
  • Publication number: 20130241958
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices for column inversion are provided. In one example, an electronic display may include a display panel having columns of pixels and display driver circuitry. The display driver circuitry may include source amplifiers and demultiplexers. Each demultiplexer may channel data output by at least one source amplifier to one of three columns of pixels. The display driver circuitry may drive the display panel according to a 3-column inversion scheme using one source amplifier per demultiplexer per frame of image data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2012
    Publication date: September 19, 2013
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Hopil Bae, Zhibing Ge, Shih Chang Chang, Cheng Chen, Ming Xu, Shawn Robert Gettemy, Wei H. Yao
  • Publication number: 20130241960
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices for performing column inversion using reordered image data are provided. In one example, an electronic display may include a display panel with columns of pixels and driver circuitry to drive the pixels using column inversion. The driver circuitry may drive pixels of a first superpixel in a first color order and drive pixels of an adjacent second superpixel in a second color order, such that more pixels are driven sequentially at a common polarity than would have been driven sequentially at the common polarity were the pixels of the first superpixel driven at the same color order as the pixels of the second superpixel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2012
    Publication date: September 19, 2013
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Ming Xu, Zhibing Ge, Shih Chang Chang, Cheng Chen, Hopil Bae, Shawn Robert Gettemy, Wei H. Yao
  • Publication number: 20130229164
    Abstract: One embodiment of an apparatus to control and sense a voltage through a single node can include a comparator to monitor single node voltage, a transistor to discharge voltage through the single node and control logic. The control logic can have at least two operational phases when actively controlling the voltage through the single node. In a first phase, the control logic can configure the comparator to determine if the single node voltage is greater than a reference voltage. In a second phase, the control logic can configure the transistor to discharge voltage through the single node when the comparator has previously indicated that the single node voltage is greater than a reference voltage. The control logic can alternatively execute first and second phases to discharge the voltage to a predetermined level.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2012
    Publication date: September 5, 2013
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Ahmad AL-DAHLE, Yafei BI, Mir B. GHADERI, Wei H. YAO
  • Publication number: 20130215578
    Abstract: A method of creating a resistive pathway for an electronic assembly is disclosed. In one embodiment, the pathway can be formed with a resistive film in conjunction with a conductive adhesive and a coverlay. In another embodiment, the resistive film, the conductive adhesive and the coverlay can be relatively transparent. In yet another embodiment, the resistive pathway can couple directly with traces on an electronic assembly saving space and easing assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2012
    Publication date: August 22, 2013
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: David A. STRONKS, Ahmad Al- Dahle, Wei H. Yao
  • Patent number: 8508542
    Abstract: Embodiments of the electronic device include a display driver with the ability to receive image data in a streaming display mode or a frame-buffered display mode. In some embodiments, the electronic device may switch seamlessly between the two display modes based on which display mode will provide reduced power usage given the type and/or variability of the image data being received.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Kapil V. Sakariya, Wei H. Yao
  • Publication number: 20130082997
    Abstract: Systems and methods for evaluating whether a display panel is of specified dimensions are provided. Such a system, for example, may include resistance detection circuitry that detects a resistance of at least one resistive trace disposed around a display panel or other patterned device. Data processing circuitry may determine, based at least in part on the detected resistance, whether the display panel is of a specified size or whether the display panel has specified dimensions, or a combination thereof. Additionally or alternatively, the system may determine whether a touch sensor panel (e.g., a single-sided indium tin oxide (SITO) or double-sided indium tin oxide (DITO) touch sensor panel), a flexible printed circuit (FPC), a printed circuit board (PCB), or any other suitable patterned device, is of a specified size or has specified dimensions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2011
    Publication date: April 4, 2013
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Joshua Grey Wurzel, Yafei Bi, Wei H. Yao
  • Publication number: 20130082843
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices for detecting display panel or other patterned device fractures or microfractures using outer resistive trace(s) on the display panel or the other patterned device. To provide just one example, a system may include a display and data processing circuitry. The display may include a display panel with an outer resistive trace disposed near edges of the display panel. The display may include discontinuity detection circuitry that can detect the occurrence of a discontinuity of the outer resistive trace. The data processing circuitry may determine whether the display panel is likely to suffer a catastrophic failure based at least in part on the occurrence of the discontinuity. The data processing circuitry may also cause the display to display a user warning when the display panel is likely to suffer the catastrophic failure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2011
    Publication date: April 4, 2013
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Joshua Grey Wurzel, Yafei Bi, Wei H. Yao