Apple Inc patents list (2014 archive) (updated weekly)

12/25/14 / #20140380465

Embedded authentication systems in an electronic device

An electronic device with a display and a fingerprint sensor may authenticate a user for a respective function. While access to one or more resources of the device is restricted, the device displays an irregular arrangement of shapes on the touch-sensitive display. ... Apple Inc

12/25/14 / #20140380249

Visual recognition of gestures

Techniques that enable a user to interact with an electronic device using spatial gestures without touching the electronic device. An electronic device provides a contactless mode of operation during which a user can interact with the electronic device using touchless gestures. ... Apple Inc

12/25/14 / #20140380241

Zoom-based gesture user interface

A user interface method, including presenting by a computer executing a user interface, multiple interactive items on a display. A first sequence of images is captured indicating a position in space of a hand of a user in proximity to the display, and responsively to the position, one of the interactive items is associated with the hand. ... Apple Inc

12/25/14 / #20140380072

Digital power estimator to control processor power consumption

In an embodiment, a digital power estimator (dpe) may be provided that may monitor the processors to estimate the amount of power being consumed. If the estimate exceeds a power threshold, the dpe may throttle one or more of the processors. ... Apple Inc

12/25/14 / #20140380071

Dynamic voltage and frequency management based on active processors

In an embodiment, a system may include multiple processors and an automatic power state controller (apsc) configured to switch the processors between various operating points. The operating points may be described by data programmed into the apsc, and the apsc may include a register that is programmable with a target operating point request identifying a target operating point for the processors from among the described operating points. ... Apple Inc

12/25/14 / #20140380068

Sram regulating retention scheme with discrete switch control and instant reference voltage generation

A system including control logic, a voltage reference, a sense amplifier, and a voltage supply circuit is presented. The sense amplifier may be configured to detect a current state of the voltage supply circuit output compared to the reference voltage. ... Apple Inc

12/25/14 / #20140380066

Control scheme to temporarily raise supply voltage in response to sudden change in current demand

A system for managing changes in current demand, including one or more processors, a memory coupled to at least one of the processors, a clock generation circuit coupled to the memory and configured to output a clock, one or more functional blocks, a power supply, configured to output a plurality of voltage levels, and a power management unit. The power management unit may be configured to set the power supply output to a first voltage level and then detect indications of an impending change in current demand within the soc. ... Apple Inc

12/25/14 / #20140379944

Systems and methods for recovering higher speed communication between devices

A method of operating a device is disclosed. The method includes attempting communication between the device and a separate connecting device. ... Apple Inc

12/25/14 / #20140379873

Playlists for real-time or near real-time streaming

Methods, systems and machine readable storage medium for allowing playback of streaming media at playback rates of other than 1× are described. In one embodiment, a method can determine different sets of i-frames that are available before a display deadline, where each set can have a different cadence, and one of the sets can be selected for download and display to achieve playback at other than 1×. ... Apple Inc

12/25/14 / #20140376619

Sample adaptive offset control

Offset values, such as sample adaptive offset (sao) values in video coding standards such as the high efficiency video coding standard (hevc), may be improved by performing calculations and operations that improve the preciseness of these values without materially affecting the signal overhead needed to transmit the more precise values. Such calculations and operations may include applying a quantization factor to a video sample and at least some of its neighbors, comparing the quantized values, and classifying the video sample as a minimum, maximum, or one of various types of edges based on the comparison. ... Apple Inc

12/25/14 / #20140376608

Sample adaptive offset control

Offset values, such as sample adaptive offset (sao) values in video coding standards such as the high efficiency video coding standard (hevc), may be improved by performing calculations and operations that improve the preciseness of these values without materially affecting the signal overhead needed to transmit the more precise values. Such calculations and operations may include applying a quantization factor to a video sample and at least some of its neighbors, comparing the quantized values, and classifying the video sample as a minimum, maximum, or one of various types of edges based on the comparison. ... Apple Inc

12/25/14 / #20140376601

Adaptive time diversity and spatial diversity for ofdm

An adaptable orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing system (ofdm) that uses a multiple input multiple output (mimo) to having ofdm signals transmitted either in accordance with time diversity to reducing signal fading or in accordance with spatial diversity to increase the data rate. Sub-carriers are classified for spatial diversity transmission or for time diversity transmission based on the result of a comparison between threshold values and at least one of three criteria. ... Apple Inc

12/25/14 / #20140376516

Responding to a page message

A method for responding to a page message is provided. The method can include a wireless communication device receiving a page message on a first channel of a first network; suspending a connection to a second network in response to receiving the page message; transitioning to a second channel of the first network prior to responding to the page message; and sending a response message responsive to the page message on the second channel.. ... Apple Inc

12/25/14 / #20140376501

Including feedback information regarding an individual subband of a wireless channel

To report feedback information regarding a wireless channel, a mobile station determines whether a predefined condition is satisfied. In response to determining that the predefined condition is satisfied, feedback information regarding an individual one of plural subbands of the wireless channel is included in a first report to be sent to a base station. ... Apple Inc

12/25/14 / #20140376500

Including feedback information regarding an individual subband of a wireless channel

To report feedback information regarding a wireless channel, a mobile station determines whether a predefined condition is satisfied. In response to determining that the predefined condition is satisfied, feedback information regarding an individual one of plural subbands of the wireless channel is included in a first report to be sent to a base station. ... Apple Inc

12/25/14 / #20140376497

Including feedback information regarding an individual subband of a wireless channel

To report feedback information regarding a wireless channel, a mobile station determines whether a predefined condition is satisfied. In response to determining that the predefined condition is satisfied, feedback information regarding an individual one of plural subbands of the wireless channel is included in a first report to be sent to a base station. ... Apple Inc

12/25/14 / #20140376437

Power-efficient adaptive channel state feedback in discontinuous reception scenarios

Providing adaptive channel state feedback (csf) reports in discontinuous reception (drx) scenarios in a power-efficient manner. The described algorithm may be able to make adaptive decisions to carry over the csf from previous drx cycles based on channel conditions, drx cycle length, and/or the requirements of csf reporting for current drx cycle. ... Apple Inc

12/25/14 / #20140376430

Managing power consumption of transmission circuitry in a wireless communication device

Methods, apparatuses and computer readable media are described that manage transmit power levels for a wireless device connected to a network access system of a wireless network. Processing circuitry in the wireless device obtains a target average transmit power level. ... Apple Inc

12/25/14 / #20140376429

Power consumption reduction for cellular broadcast

Reducing power consumption for cellular broadcast communication by a wireless device. A cellular communication channel for cellular broadcast messages may be monitored in a discontinuous manner according to specified cellular broadcast scheduling periods. ... Apple Inc

12/25/14 / #20140376234

Camouflaged openings in electronic device housings

Techniques and apparatus for providing one or more holes in a housing for an electronic device are disclosed. The one or more holes in the housing can be used to facilitate visual indicators. ... Apple Inc

12/25/14 / #20140375887

Method for combining data signals and video signals for transmission to video display units

A method capable of combining data signals and video signals for transmission to a video display unit. The method comprises the steps of generating a data signal, transmitting the data signal to an apparatus, receiving the data signal at the apparatus, receiving a video/audio signal at the apparatus, combining the video/audio signal with the data signal to form a single combined signal, and displaying the combined signal on a video display unit.. ... Apple Inc

12/25/14 / #20140375704

Organic light-emitting diode display with burn-in reduction capabilities

A display may receive image data to be displayed for a user of an electronic device. Display driver circuitry in the display may analyze the data to detect static data. ... Apple Inc

12/25/14 / #20140375612

Simultaneous sensing arrangement

Multi-touch touch-sensing devices and methods are described herein. The touch sensing devices can include multiple sense points, each located at a crossing of a drive line and a sense line. ... Apple Inc

12/25/14 / #20140375603

Dual configuration for display data lines

A display having data lines that can be configured between a display mode and a touch mode is disclosed. The display can have sense regions for sensing a touch or near touch on the display during the touch mode. ... Apple Inc

12/18/14 / #20140372917

Method and apparatus for optimized bulk constraint removal with accumulation

A method and apparatus of a device that removes constraints in solving a mathematical programming problem is described. The device identifies a plurality of constraints for bulk removal by postponing execution of constraint removal requests. ... Apple Inc

12/18/14 / #20140372889

Device, method, and graphical user interface with content display modes and display rotation heuristics

A method is performed at a multifunction device with a touch-sensitive display. The method includes: playing a first piece of content in a full-size mode on the display at a predefined aspect ratio; while playing the first piece of content on the display in the full-size mode, detecting a first gesture on the display; in response to detecting the first gesture: shrinking the playing of the first piece of content to a first region of the display while keeping the predefined aspect ratio and displaying information related to the first piece of content in a second region of the display.. ... Apple Inc

12/18/14 / #20140372777

Adaptive latency tolerance for power management of memory bus interfaces

A method includes, in a memory system that includes a host and a storage device connected by a bus interface, assessing in the storage device a power supply state of the memory system. In the storage device a latency tolerance is selected for the bus interface based on the assessed power supply state. ... Apple Inc

12/18/14 / #20140372699

Translating cache hints

Systems and methods for translating cache hints between different protocols within a soc. A requesting agent within the soc generates a first cache hint for a transaction, and the first cache hint is compliant with a first protocol. ... Apple Inc

12/18/14 / #20140372103

Data detection

A method of processing a sequence of characters, the method comprising converting the sequence of characters into a sequence of tokens so that each token comprises a lexeme and one of a plurality of token types. Each of the plurality of token types relates to at least one of a plurality of predetermined functions, wherein at least one said token type relates to multiple functions of the plurality of predetermined functions.. ... Apple Inc

12/18/14 / #20140370841

System and method for emergency calls initiated by voice command

A method of operating a digital assistant to provide emergency call functionality is provided. In some embodiments, the method is performed at a device including one or more processors and memory storing instructions for execution by the one or more processors. ... Apple Inc

12/18/14 / #20140370821

Methods and apparatus for testing electronic devices with antenna arrays

A wireless electronic device may be provided with antenna structures. The antenna structures may be formed from an antenna ground and an array of antenna resonating elements formed along its periphery. ... Apple Inc

12/18/14 / #20140370742

Wing deployment mechanism for a power adapter

A power adapter including a wing deployment mechanism for retaining a wing in a first undeployed position and the second deployed position. One example may provide a housing, a spring, a spring cover, and the wing. ... Apple Inc

12/18/14 / #20140370655

Gate insulator loss free etch-stop oxide thin film transistor

A method is provided for fabricating a thin-film transistor (tft). The method includes forming a semiconductor layer over a gate insulator that covers a gate electrode, and depositing an insulator layer over the semiconductor layer, as well as etching the insulator layer to form a patterned etch-stop without losing the gate insulator. ... Apple Inc

12/18/14 / #20140370325

Laser engraved reflective surface structures

Markings on products are disclosed. In one embodiment, the products have housings and the markings are to be provided on the housings. ... Apple Inc

12/18/14 / #20140369572

Electronic device switchable to a user-interface unlocked mode based upon a pattern of input motions and related methods

An electronic device may include a finger biometric sensor, a display, and a processor coupled to the finger biometric sensor and the display. The processor may be switchable between a user-interface locked mode and a user-interface unlocked mode. ... Apple Inc

12/18/14 / #20140369518

Using an audio cable as an inductive charging coil

The disclosed embodiments relate to a technique for inductively charging an electronic device. This technique involves winding an audio cable for the electronic device around a charging mechanism multiple times so that one or more conductors in the audio cable form an inductive receiving coil. ... Apple Inc

12/18/14 / #20140369427

Multithread processing of video frames

Method for determining frame slice sizes of a frame for multithreaded decoding. The frame is encoded using at least two different slice types based on size where a large-type slice is at least two times larger than a small-type slice and/or the large-type slices comprise 70-90% of the frame. ... Apple Inc

12/18/14 / #20140369375

Boat and coil designs

Disclosed are vessels used for melting material to be injection molded to form a part. One vessel has a body formed from a plurality of elongate segments configured to be electrically isolated from each other and with a melting portion for melting meltable material therein. ... Apple Inc

12/18/14 / #20140369319

Method and system for maintaining multiple pdn network connection during inter-technology handover in the idle mode

Supporting an optimized idle mode handoff of user equipment from a 3gpp to a non-3gpp system. Namely, during an idle mode registration of the user equipment with the non-3gpp system, the user equipment may provide an indication to the access node on the non-3gpp system so that the access point in that non-3gpp system contacts the appropriate entity (hss or aaa) on the home network for the user equipment to download the addresses of the multiple pdn gateway addresses that are currently in use by the user equipment. ... Apple Inc

12/18/14 / #20140369226

Adaptive partial packet decoding

A user device receives packets from a base station. The user device may invoke decoding while the packet is still being received, based on the incomplete contents of a given packet. ... Apple Inc

12/18/14 / #20140369012

Electronic devices with moisture guiding structures

Electronic devices may have housings in which components are mounted. Some of the components may be sensitive to moisture. ... Apple Inc

12/18/14 / #20140368725

Continuous autofocus mechanisms for image capturing devices

At least certain embodiments described herein provide a continuous autofocus mechanism for an image capturing device, the continuous autofocus mechanism can perform an autofocus scan for a lens of the image capturing device and obtain focus scores associated with the autofocus scan. The continuous autofocus mechanism can determine an acceptable band of focus scores based on the obtained focus scores. ... Apple Inc

12/18/14 / #20140368516

Multi-processor graphics rendering

An operating system that includes an image processing framework as well as a job management layer is provided. The image processing framework is for performing image processing operations and the job management layer is for assigning the image processing operations to multiple concurrent computing resources. ... Apple Inc

12/18/14 / #20140368502

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Apple Inc patents (2014 archive)