Apple Inc.

Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Google Inc.

Erturk Kocalar

Joseph R Fisher

Fletcher R Rothkopf

Lakshman Rathnam

Wendell B Sander

Benjamin B Lyon

Andrea Mucignat

Louis W Bokma

John Henry Grossman, Iv

Jan Moolsintong

Michael G Fuller

Steven Porter Hotelling

Michael Nathaniel Rosenblatt

Arnett Ryan Weber

Louie J Sanguinetti

Saket R Vora

Dustin J Verhoeve

Rishabh Bhargava

Nils Johan Fransson

David Gutierrez

Described techniques enable thwart detection for warning lights associated with recording devices, such as cameras. A warning light may be used to alert bystanders that a recording is in progress, but an operator of a recording device may attempt to circumvent the warning light by obstructing the warning light. A lightpipe or other light guiding element may be used to guide a redirection of the warning light to a light sensor. Then, when the redirection exceeds a threshold, which may be determined based in part on a baseline level of ambient light, recording operations of the recording device may be automatically deactivated.

Warning light thwart detection for recording devices

An input device with switchable sensor configurations. In one embodiment, the input device can switch between a sensor configuration in which each of its sensor elements is enabled to sense input and a sensor configuration in which only a subset of its sensor elements are enabled to sense input. In another embodiment, the input device can switch between a sensor configuration in which each of its sensor elements is enabled to sense input and a sensor configuration in which one or more groupings of its sensor elements are enabled to collectively sense input. In a further embodiment, the input device can operate in a detection mode that switches between sensor configurations to determine a position of an input.

Sensor configurations of an input device that are switchable based on mode

An input device is disclosed that can improve input detection associated with sensor elements that exhibit a weaker response at the lower end of their dynamic range than their counterparts. This can be advantageous when implementing input reporting rules that rely on a sufficient response at the lower end of a sensor element's dynamic range. The input device can compensate for a weak sensor element at the low end of its dynamic range by increasing its sensitivity in certain situations, such as when an adjacent sensor provides a strong input signal, or after the weak sensor element provides a signal level exceeding a noise threshold for example. The sensitivity of the weak sensor element can be increased in a variety of ways, such as by reducing a noise threshold associated with the sensor element or boosting a signal level associated with the sensor element for example.

Input device with optimized capacitive sensing

An audio accessory is configured to receive and store meta data from a media player, including the media asset identification and current play position. The audio accessory is configured to independently track the current play position of the media asset. When the audio accessory is disconnected from the first media player the audio accessory is configured to store the independently tracked current play position in memory. After the audio accessory is subsequently connected to a second media player, the second media player may retrieve the meta data from the audio accessory and use it to load the media asset on the second player and resume play from the stored current play position.

Audio accessory with internal clock

Handheld electronic devices are provided that contain wireless communications circuitry. The wireless communications circuitry may include an antenna. A radio-frequency coupler may be coupled to the antenna. Transceiver circuitry may be used to transmit and receive radio-frequency signals through the coupler and the antenna. A reflected power detection circuit may be connected to the coupler. When the transceiver circuitry transmits radio-frequency signals, some of the signals are reflected back from the antenna into the coupler. The coupler directs the reflected antenna signals into the reflected power detection circuit. Processing circuitry may analyze a reflected power signal from the reflected power detection circuit to determine whether operation of the antenna is being disrupted by the placement of a user's hand over the antenna or other proximity effects. If antenna operation is being disrupted, the user may be alerted or other suitable actions may be taken.

Handheld electronic devices with antenna power monitoring

A multi-dimensional scroll wheel is disclosed. Scroll wheel circuitry is provided to detect input gestures that traverse the center of the scroll wheel and to detect multi-touch input. The scroll wheel can include a first plurality of sensor elements arranged in a first closed loop and a second plurality of sensor elements arranged in a second closed loop, the first and second closed loops being concentrically arranged about the center of the scroll wheel.

Multi-dimensional scroll wheel

An input device providing integrated contact switch and touch sensor elements is disclosed. A contact switch and touch sensor can be integrated so that they share a common sensor line, achieving space, cost and manufacturing savings over input devices that utilize distinct sensor lines for each of its sensor elements. By configuring a contact switch and touch sensor to share a common sensor line, a controller can use a single pin to scan both the contact switch and touch sensor elements, rather than using distinct pins to scan distinct sensor lines associated with each sensor element. By using fewer pins to scan the same number of sensor elements, a smaller controller can be used which can reduce the size and cost of the input device, and increase manufacturing throughput time associated with the input device.

Integrated contact switch and touch sensor elements

Compact input devices formed on flexible substrates are disclosed. The input devices may be formed using three or more conducting layers. By including three or more conducting layers, the diameter of the input device may be minimized. In addition, to improve the flexibility of portions of the input device mounted, some portions of the input device may be made to have fewer layers than other portions of the input device.

Compact input device

Methods, systems, and computer program products for multiplexing a target communication port to provide an additional independent communication channel sharing at least some portion of hardware associated with the target port. Typically, a device, such as a disk drive, is also connected to the target port. An out-of-band signal indicates when the shared hardware is being used to provide the additional independent communication channel to avoid interfering with the target port device. A communication board with one or more communication ports may be coupled to the additional independent communication channel for communicating data from the target system to other devices or systems, such as a host system, through the communication board. In communicating with the target system, the communication board may emulate a particular interface that is supported by the target port. One type of host system may be a development system for designing, testing and debugging the target system.

Growing community of inventors

Sunnyvale, CA, United States of America

Erturk Kocalar