Apple Inc.

Alex Joseph Lehmann

Paul Xiaopeng Wang

Zheng Gao

Qiliang Xu

Dinesh C Mathew

Robert Y Cao

Keith J Hendren

Mikael M Silvanto

Bryan W Posner

Chang Zhang

Simon R Lancaster-Larocque

Kathleen A Bergeron

Brett W Degner

Ron Alan Hopkinson

Christiaan A Ligtenberg

Asif Hussain

Craig C Leong

Michael Y Cheung

Hongcheng Sun

Michelle Rae Goldberg

Madeleine S Cordier

Kevin C Armendariz

Robert J Lockwood

Richard G Huizar

Kyle J Nekimken

William P Yarak, Iii

Adam T Garelli

Seung Wook Kim

Stephen E Dey

Ivan S Maric

Ray Ling Chang

Brenton A Baugh

Michael J Rockwell

David H Bloom

Yuhao Pan

Kenneth M Silz

Xiaofan Niu

Scott G Johnston

Ian M Bullock

Aidan N Zimmerman

Denis H Endisch

Joel N Ruscher

Xianwei Zhao

Steven J Taylor

Bradford J Zercoe

Ming Gao

Reza Nasiri Mahalati

Ming Yu

Xiaonan Wen

Thai Quoc La

Jeffrey A Griffis

Scott J McEuen

David L Christensen

Erin M Bosch

Shan Wu

Juan Pu

Fletcher R Rothkopf

Bradley Joseph Hamel

Brian Michael King

Nahid Harjee

John C DiFonzo

Darya Amin-Shahidi

Ehsan Khajeh

Luis R Deliz Centeno

Pavan Gupta

Marcus Yip

Denis G Chen

Nathan Nicholas Ng

Aaron Scott Tucker

Alex M Lee

Liquan Tan

Chia Chi Wu

Blake R Marshall

Benjamin R Blachnitzky

Tianjia Sun

Jian H Li

Nicolai Philip Georg

Wesley William Zuber

George Ho Yin Mak

Dayu Qu

Karan Bir

Alex J Speltz

Forrest Wen Liau

Jason S Griesbach

Scott J Krahn

Henry N Tsao

Chien-Tsun Chen

Jonathan C Atler

Sanjay Champaklal Sheth

Nicholas L Qu

Kevin Z Lo

Lilli Ing-Marie Jonsson

Matthew B Frazer

Joonas Ilmari Ponkala

Etienne Marecal

Kuo-Chiang Chin

Chia-Chi Wu

Richard Xu

Alhad A Palkar

Chia-Wei Lee

A portable electronic device can have a housing including a wall, the wall at least partially defining an external surface, and the housing defining an aperture disposed opposite the wall. A display assembly can be positioned at the aperture and a retention component can be positioned at least partially in an internal volume defined by the housing. The portable electronic device can also have an optical component that includes an optical component housing defining a camera aperture and a camera module positioned at the camera aperture. The optical component can be configured to be removably retained against the wall by the retention component and to be removably retained against the display assembly by the retention component.

Camera integration for portable electronic devices

A force input/haptic output interface for an electronic device can include a force input sensor and a haptic actuator. In one example, the force input sensor and the haptic actuator are accommodated on a frame positioned below an input surface. In many examples, the frame includes relieved portions that redirect and/or concentrate compression or tension in the haptic actuator into the frame.

Enclosure with locally-flexible regions

Embodiments are directed to a low profile key for a keyboard having an overmolded support structure. In one aspect, an embodiment includes a key cap having an illuminable symbol. A support structure having a pair of overmolded wings may pivotally couple to the key cap. A switch housing may surround the support structure and connect each of the first and second wings. A tactile dome may be at least partially positioned within the switch housing and configured to bias the key cap upward. A sensing membrane may be positioned along an underside surface of the tactile dome and configured to trigger a switch event in response to a collapsing of the tactile dome caused by a depression of the key cap. A feature plate may be positioned below the sensing membrane. A light guide panel may define at least one light extraction feature that may be configured to propagate light toward the key cap and cause illumination of the illuminable symbol.

Low-travel illuminated key mechanism

A portable computer includes a display portion comprising a display and a base portion pivotally coupled to the display portion. The base portion may include a bottom case and a top case, formed from a dielectric material, coupled to the bottom case. The top case may include a top member defining a top surface of the base portion and a sidewall integrally formed with the top member and defining a side surface of the base portion. The portable computer may also include a sensing system including a first sensing system configured to determine a location of a touch input applied to the top surface of the base portion and a second sensing system configured to determine a force of the touch input.

Device having integrated interface system

Embodiments are directed to an electronic device having a hidden or concealable input region. In one aspect, an embodiment includes an enclosure having a wall that defines an input region having an array of microperforations. A light source may be positioned within a volume defined by the enclosure and configured to propagate light through the array of microperforations. A sensing element may be coupled with the wall and configured to detect input received within the input region. The array of microperforations are configured to be visually imperceptible when not illuminated by the light source. When illuminated by the light source, the array of microperforations may display a symbol.

Concealable input region for an electronic device

A device may include a display portion that includes a display housing and a display at least partially within the display housing. The device may also include a base portion pivotally coupled to the display portion and including a bottom case, a top case coupled to the bottom case and defining an array of raised key regions, and a sensing system below the top case and configured to detect an input applied to a raised key region of the array of raised key regions.

Computer with keyboard

A finger-mounted device may include finger-mounted units. The finger-mounted units may each have a body that serves as a support structure for components such as force sensors, accelerometers, and other sensors and for haptic output devices. The body may have sidewall portions coupled by a portion that rests adjacent to a user's fingernail. The body may be formed from deformable material such as metal or may be formed from adjustable structures such as sliding body portions that are coupled to each other using magnetic attraction, springs, or other structures. The body of each finger-mounted unit may have a U-shaped cross-sectional profile that leaves the finger pad of each finger exposed when the body is coupled to a fingertip of a user's finger. Control circuitry may gather finger press input, lateral finger movement input, and finger tap input using the sensors and may provide haptic output using the haptic output device.

Finger-mounted device with sensors and haptics

A stylus input device can allow a user to interface with an external electronic device. The stylus can provide an additional or alternative input to the external electronic device in response to a user applying a compressive force to the device housing. The stylus can include multiple sensors to provide a signal in response to the compressive force applied to the stylus.

Stylus with compressive force sensor

A finger device may be worn on a user's finger and may serve as a controller for a head-mounted device or other electronic device. The finger device may have a housing having an upper housing portion that extends across a top of the finger and first and second side housing portions that extend down respective first and second sides of the finger. Sensors in the side housing portions may measure movements of the sides of the finger as the finger contacts an external surface. To ensure that the sensors are appropriately positioned relative to the sides of the finger, the housing may include one or more adjustable structures such as an elastomeric band, a drawstring, a ratchet mechanism, a scissor mechanism, and/or other adjustable structures for adjusting the position of the first and second side housing portions and associated sensors relative to the upper housing portion.

Finger devices with adjustable housing structures

Growing community of inventors

Sunnyvale, CA, United States of America

Alex Joseph Lehmann