Apple Inc.

Craig C Leong

Keith J Hendren

James J Niu

John M Brock

Thomas W Wilson, Jr

Bradford J Zercoe

Dinesh C Mathew

Robert Y Cao

Paul Xiaopeng Wang

Bruce E Berg

Zheng Gao

Derrick T Jue

Hilbert T Kwan

Alex Joseph Lehmann

Matthew William Blum

Bartley K Andre

Mikael M Silvanto

Houtan R Farahani

Kevin M Robinson

Victor H Yin

Jun Qi

Matthew Phillip Casebolt

Rong Liu

Ryan P Brooks

Eric Andrew Knopf

Thai Quoc La

Mahesh Krishnamurthi

Aleksandar Pance

Michael Kane Pilliod

Joel N Ruscher

Reza Nasiri Mahalati

Feng Zhao

Shinsuke Watanabe

Brad Lee Patton

Satoshi Okuma

Jeffrey L Yen

Yanyang Yuan

Wanshan Li

Ze Hong

Jonathan P Ive

Duncan Robert Kerr

Richard P Howarth

Eugene Antony Whang

Peter N Russell-Clarke

Christopher J Stringer

Martha Evans Hankey

Rico L Zorkendorfer

Daniele De Iuliis

Daniel J Coster

Jody R Akana

Matthew Dean Rohrbach

Jeremy D Bataillou

Julian Hoenig

Shota Aoyagi

Benjamin Andrew Shaffer

Anthony Michael Ashcroft

Martin E Johnson

Patrick Kessler

Bryan W Posner

Omar Sze Leung

Robert Sean Murphy

Blake R Koelmel

Simon R Lancaster-Larocque

Denis H Endisch

Paul Puskarich

Paul G Puskarich

Nathan Alan Johanningsmeier

Liquan Tan

Robert L Coish

Ronald Nadim Isaac

Robert J Lockwood

Niel David Warren

Harold James Welch

Daniel J Culbert

Stefan Hafeneger

Brandon Dean Slack

Ruchi Goel

Karan Bir

Nicholas Isaac Reid

William P Yarak, Iii

Whitney D Mattson

Corey S Provencher

Christopher T Lebedeff

David L Christensen

Thomas W Wilson

James C Whitley

Jim Lynn Tenneboe

Electronic devices in a system may be controlled by a user. The user may have one or more wearable devices or other devices. A user's device may be used by the user in identifying a target electronic device of interest among the electronic devices in the system. The target electronic device may be identified using a gaze tracking sensor that senses the user's point-of-gaze, an orientation sensor that detects a direction in which the user's device is pointed, or other sensor circuitry. Visual feedback, audio feedback, and/or haptic feedback may be provided to the user to confirm which electronic device has been identified as a target electronic device of interest. User input may be gathered by sensors and used in adjusting operating parameters in the target electronic device of interest. Health monitoring operations and other operations may also be performed.

Electronic device system with ring devices

An illuminated glass keycap having a glyph diffuser layer that may diffuse light through a glyph window opened in a background layer. The background layer may be opaque and the glyph window may be transparent. The keycap is adhered to a scissor mechanism positioned above electrical switch circuitry. Included within, below, or adjacent to the scissor mechanism may be one or more light sources positioned to emit light through the keycap, around the perimeter of the keycap, and/or through the background layer.

Keycaps having reduced thickness

An interface device includes a movable button connected to a frame structure by resilient structures positioned laterally between the button and the frame structure. Multiple layers or diaphragms of material can be used to make the button, frame, and resilient structures. Movement of the button can trigger a switch or sensor in a manner allowing an electronic device to detect interaction with the button. The interface device can be implemented in an electronic device such as a keyboard that has a low number of parts yet also providing tactile, stabilized key travel, support for various sensor or switch types for the keys, and, in some cases, haptic feedback.

Keyboards and interfaces with layered stabilizers

Multi-functional keyboard assemblies include an array of keys formed from stacked component layers. A top portion of the key may be capable of travelling vertically with respect to a base of the key. The top portion can include a keycap and a circuitry module coupled to the keycap. The keys may be capable of receive at least two distinct types of inputs and/or receiving at least one type of input and providing at least one type of output. Such output may include use of one or more light sources, displays, and/or haptic feedback devices.

Multi-functional keyboard assemblies

A light-emitting assembly positioned within a switch housing of a keyboard assembly for an electronic device is disclosed. The light-emitting assembly may include a phosphor structure, a transparent material positioned on opposing side surfaces of the phosphor structure, and an epoxy layer formed over an entire back surface of the phosphor structure and the transparent material. The light-emitting assembly may also include a mask layer formed over an entire top surface of: the phosphor structure, the transparent material, and the epoxy layer. The light-emitting assembly may further include a light source positioned within the phosphor structure for emitting a light.

Light-emitting assembly for keyboard

Keyboards include mechanisms that prevent and/or alleviate contaminant ingress. In some embodiments, a keyboard assembly includes a substrate, a key cap, a movement mechanism moveably coupling the key cap to the substrate, and a guard structure coupled to the key cap operable to direct contaminants away from the movement mechanism. In other embodiments, a keyboard includes a base; a web that defines apertures; keys moveably coupled to the base within the apertures; and a gasket coupled to the keys, the gasket fixed between the web and the base, operable to block passage of contaminants into the apertures.

Ingress prevention for keyboards

Flexible stabilized button input device

An input mechanism is disclosed. The input mechanism includes a dome support structure defining an opening that extends through the dome support structure, a collapsible dome positioned in the opening and engaged with the dome support structure, and a cover member coupled to the dome support structure and covering the collapsible dome, thereby retaining the collapsible dome within the opening of the dome support structure.

Keyboard for electronic device

Electronic computer systems are described. In particular embodiments, the electronic systems include a first electronic device having a first display and first computing resources and a second electronic device having a second display and second computing resources. The electronic systems also include a coupling element that is configured to mechanically couple and provide a communication path between the first electronic device and the second electronic device. In a coupled configuration, the first computing resources are available for use by the second electronic device via the communication path such that the first display is operable as a primary display capable of presenting visual content in accordance with the first and second computing resources, and the second display is operable as a secondary display that is capable of providing data for operation of the coupled configuration.

Modular multiple display electronic devices

A key mechanism including one or more butterfly hinges. Each butterfly hinge may include a double wing design operative to move between a depressed position and non-depressed position. Hinged coupling mechanisms couple respective arms of the wings together. Additionally or alternatively, a key mechanism can include one or more half-butterfly hinges. Each half-butterfly hinge includes a double wing design operative to move between a depressed position and non-depressed position. A hinged coupling mechanism couples one set of corresponding arms of the wings together, while the other set of corresponding arms are not coupled together.

Low-travel key mechanisms using butterfly hinges

An item such as a leather-based item may have a layer of leather with one or more transparent portions that are illuminated by a light source. The transparent portions of the leather may be formed by a single continuous opening in the leather or may be formed by an array of smaller openings. A flexible light guide may be attached to a lower surface of the leather. The light guide may be used to add structure and heft to a thinned portion of the leather while still allowing the leather to remain flexible and soft. The light guide may be attached to a lower surface of the leather and may diffuse and guide light from a light source towards the leather. The light guide may be formed from one or more waveguide 'pipes' or may be formed form a plate-light light guide layer that extends continuously under the leather.

Illumination systems for items with leather

A surface of an electronic device includes a reduced friction surface that comprises a glass beaded film. The glass beaded film includes glass beads disposed in a polymer layer or in an adhesive layer, where a portion of the glass beads protrude from a surface of the polymer or adhesive layer. The reduced friction surface is disposed over at least a portion of the surface of the electronic device.

Electronic device with a reduced friction surface

A key mechanism for an electronic device includes a switch housing and a hinged structure. As one example, the hinged structure can be a butterfly hinge. The switch housing includes switch pin retaining mechanisms on opposing sides of the switch housing. The hinged structure includes two separate wings that are positioned adjacent to each other such that a cavity is formed between the two wings. The two wings are coupled together by coupling elements. The wings of the hinged structure can include switch housing pins on each arm of the wing that extend into the cavity and couple to the switch pin retaining mechanisms in the switch housing. Various configurations of switch pin retaining mechanisms and switch housing pins can be used to attach the hinged structure to the switch housing.

Illuminated low-travel key mechanism for a keyboard

An interface system may include an electronic device defining an input surface, a stylus comprising a magnetic component and configured to provide input to the electronic device via the input surface, and a magnetic field generator coupled to the electronic device and configured to produce a magnetic field to impart a force on the magnetic component of the stylus.

Stylus with external magnetic influence

Growing community of inventors

Cupertino, CA, United States of America

Craig C Leong