Apple Inc.

John C Difonzo

Bartley K Andre

Jean-Marc Gery

Matthew Dean Rohrbach

Chris A Ligtenberg

Zheng Gao

Bradley Joseph Hamel

Min Chul Kim

Michelle Rae Goldberg

Stephen Paul Zadesky

John Raff

Ron Alan Hopkinson

Charles A Schwalbach

William Francis Leggett

Gavin J Reid

Hao Zhu

Michael F Culbert

Joshua D Banko

Jonathan L Berk

Alexander V Salvatti

Brett W Degner

Sean S Corbin

Sung Hoon Kim

Christiaan A Ligtenberg

Nicholas George Merz

Laura M DeForest

Christopher J Stringer

Lawrence K Lam

David Albert Lundgren

Adam T Garelli

John M Brock

David H Narajowski

Houtan R Farahani

Samuel Gilkison Smith

George Tziviskos

George V Anastas

Erik Andrew Uttermann

Roy Joseph Riccomini

James D Kelly

Paul Choiniere

Richard D Kosoglow

Abhijeet Misra

Mark Edward Doutt

Kanye Lim

Timothy S Hibbard

Eric J Weirshauser

Nicholas A Renda

Dylan A Saracco

Michael J Prichard

Kevin M Kenney

Bart K Andre

Chi Xu

Laura Deforest

Stefano Tizianel

Noemi Novello

Andy Johnston

Mounir M Itani

Andrew S Healy

Paul Joseph Hack

Matthew William Blum

Greg Springer

Guangtao Zhang

Mehrdad Hooshmand

Charles J Kuehmann

Maurizio Bertoldo

Eric Monsef

Josh Pong

Fabio T Campos

William A Tashman

Glenn Aune

Dave Narajowski

Daniel Hong

Liangyuan Xiang

Keeley M Maher

Andrea Del Prete

Bryce W Wilson

Rizal Johari

Jonathan E Borkowski

Chee How Chong

Daniel T Mcdonald

Andre K Bartley

K Andre Bartley

Connector inserts having reliable contacts, as well as connector receptacles having improved magnetic circuits for use in electronic devices having a thin form factor. These and other examples can provide connector receptacles that can be easily aligned to an opening in an electronic device, as well as connector inserts and connector receptacles that can be readily manufactured.

Magnetic circuit for magnetic connector

This application relates to improving kinematics in a computing device such as a laptop computer. A magnetic latch mechanism includes a magnetic array and an attractor plate. The magnetic array is secured in a top portion of the laptop computer and the attractor plate is secured in a base portion of the laptop computer. An attractive force of the magnetic latch mechanism is calibrated by selectively demagnetizing a portion of one or more magnetic elements in the magnetic array to reduce the attractive force proximate a target force. The calibration technique can include exciting a demagnetizing element, such as a pair of conductive coils, with a short, high frequency demagnetization pulse to create a demagnetized zone within the magnetic array that is completely demagnetized, irrespective of unit to unit variations of magnetic properties in the initially magnetized magnetic array. This technique ensures an accurate kinematic user experience.

Magnetic field adjustments to a magnetic latch for producing accurate kinematics in a computing device

This application relates to a portable electronic device. The portable electronic device includes a housing including (i) a lower case, and (ii) an upper case pivotally coupled to the lower case with a hinge assembly. The housing includes a processor capable of providing instructions, an operational component in communication with the processor, where the processor is capable of executing a function, and a magnetic detection system included within the hinge assembly. The magnetic detection system includes a magnetic element capable of generating a magnetic field, and a magnetic sensor capable of determining an angle between the lower case and the upper case based on the magnetic field, where when the processor determines that the angle between the lower case and the upper case satisfies a predetermined threshold angle, the processor provides the instructions to the operational component to execute the function.

Integrated sensor in clutch assembly for determining angle of display

A portable computing device that includes a base portion that carries an audio module and a display housing that carries a display is disclosed. The display housing is coupled with, and rotatable with respect to, the base portion. The display housing includes a magnet, and the base portion includes a magnetic field sensor that detects an external magnetic field of the magnet. The magnetic field sensor provides a signal that deactivates the display. In order to reduce layout changes in the portable computing device, the magnetic field sensor is positioned in an audio housing that carries the audio module. However, the magnetic field sensor is designed and oriented to detect the magnetic field from the magnet in the display housing and effectively ignore magnets associated with the audio module. In order to reduce the amount of electrical connections, the magnetic field sensor is electrically coupled to the audio module.

Magnetic field sensor in a portable electronic device

An electrical plug and receptacle relying on magnetic force from an electromagnet to maintain contact are disclosed. The plug and receptacle can be used as part of a power adapter for connecting an electronic device, such as a laptop computer, to a power supply. The plug includes electrical contacts, which are preferably biased toward corresponding contacts on the receptacle. The plug and receptacle each have a magnetic element. The magnetic element on one of the plug or receptacle can be a magnet or ferromagnetic material. The magnetic element on the other of the plug or receptacle is an electromagnet. When the plug and receptacle are brought into proximity, the magnetic attraction between the electromagnet magnet and its complement, whether another magnet or a ferromagnetic material, maintains the contacts in an electrically conductive relationship.

Magnetic connector for electronic device

A magnetic image system for providing a visible image includes a magnetic substrate having a first and a second opposing surface and formed of material that is magnetized into a pattern of magnetized regions corresponding to the visible image, the magnetized regions forming a magnetic surface having a size and a shape in accordance with the visible image and a magnetic property corresponding to a visible image property, wherein the magnetic surface is rendered visible as the visible image using a magnetic imaging medium that interacts with the magnetic surface in accordance with the magnetic property.

Magnetic imaging

An electronic device can include a first and second portions that are pivotally coupled to each other so that the electronic device can have at least a closed configuration and an open configuration. A magnetic sensor system can be carried by the electronic device to detect the closed configuration so that the electronic device can automatically turn to a mode, such as a sleep mode, when the electronic device is bought to the closed configuration. A magnetic sensor can have a detection axis that targets a horizontal component of a magnetic field. A triggering magnetic element can be laterally offset relative to the magnetic sensor. The magnetic sensor can also be a magneto-resistive sensor. The electronic device can also include a second set of magnetic sensor system to confirm when the electronic device is brought to the closed configuration.

Magnetic sensors for electronic devices

Spring-loaded contacts having an improved reliability. One example may provide spring-loaded contacts having a reduced likelihood of entanglement between a spring and a plunger. For example, a piston may be placed between a plunger and a spring. The piston may have a head portion that is wider than the diameter of the spring and located between the spring and the plunger to isolate the spring and the plunger. In these and other examples, an additional object, such as a sphere, may be placed between the plunger and spring. In another example, two additional objects, such as two spheres, may be placed between a plunger and piston.

Spring-loaded contacts

An article having a multiple magnetic polarities and a method for making the article are disclosed. The article can be a monolithic substrate form from a metallic material or materials. The article may include a first magnetic polarity and a second magnetic polarity opposite the first magnetic polarity. Methods for making the article include provide either providing a monolithic substrate having a first magnetic polarity, or applying a first magnetic field to the monolithic substrate to impart a first magnetic polarity. The method may also include raising the temperature of the monolithic substrate in order to reduce the coercivity of the monolithic substrate. The temperature of the monolithic substrate may also be selectively raised to lower the coercivity of the monolithic substrate in associated areas. By lowering the coercivity, the second magnetic polarity may be imparted on the monolithic substrate.

Method for magnetizing multiple zones in a monolithic piece of magnetic material

A multipart computer housing is described. The multipart computer housing includes at least a structural support layer and a body. The body includes at least an outer layer formed of lightweight flexible material and an inner layer attached to the outer layer. The inner layer is connected to the support layer forming a load path between the inner layer and the structural support layer. A load applied to the multipart computer housing is transferred by way of the load path to the support layer without substantially affecting the outer layer.

Computer housing

An electronic device (such as a laptop) may selectively latch a base to a lid using a switchable magnet array. In particular, a drive circuit in the electronic device may apply at least a current pulse to a conductor that generates a magnetic field to reverse a direction of a remnant magnetization in the switchable magnet array. By reversing the direction of the remnant magnetization, the electronic device may selectively increase or decrease a magnetic field generated by the switchable magnet array at an attraction plate in the electronic device. This magnetic field may, in turn, result in an attractive force between the switchable magnet array and the attraction plate, thereby selectively latching the base and the lid when the base and the lid are proximate to each other.

Switchable magnetic array

Growing community of inventors

Emerald Hills, CA, United States of America

John C Difonzo