Apple Inc.

Lockheed Martin Corporation

Solarcity Corporation

Qbotix, Inc.

John Schooley Camp

Robert L Coish

John A Porcella

Paul Xiaopeng Wang

Kyle J Nekimken

Ryan Feeley

Benjamin D Sumers

Michael A Damianakis

Dinesh C Mathew

Aidan N Zimmerman

Kainoa Kwon-Perez

Matthew J Sundstrom

Charles A Schwalbach

John B Morrell

Seung Wook Kim

Jason C Sauers

Chang Zhang

Ivan S Maric

Ray Ling Chang

David A Smith

Brian T Gleeson

William D Lindmeier

Joseph Benjamin Walker

Bart K Andre

Kristi E Bauerly

Eric Weijia Wang

Ralph Spickermann

Seul Bi Kim

Olivia M Ching

Vibeke Libby

William Leith

Geng Luo

David S Herman

Dayu Qu

Jessica J Lu

Donald L Olmstead

Gopal Vasudevan

Camille I Henrot

Daniel I Fukuba

Wasiq Bokhari

Evan D Christensen

Dragos Maciuca

Scott M Leinweber

Matin Seadat Beheshti

Samuel O Schneider

Megan M Sapp

Priya K Nambiar

Joshua Adams

Gregory R Ritter

Evangelos Christodoulou

Kevin T Mori

Edward A Lemaster

Michael A Gonzales

Computing systems and input devices can include a chassis with a computing device and an input tool with a sensor, such as a pen- or rod-like input tool, that can be positioned relative to the chassis in multiple configurations. In one configuration, the tool can be spaced away from the chassis and its sensor output can cause a first output signal in response to input provided to the sensor. In another configuration, the tool can be contacting the chassis and its sensor output can cause a second output signal in response to input provided to the sensor. For example, an input tool can be stowed in a recess of a keyboard housing or device chassis, and the input tool can produce a first output when it is in the recess and a second input when it has been removed from the chassis.

Mountable tool computer input

An input device can include a housing defining an internal volume and a lower portion, the lower portion defining an aperture, an input sensor disposed in the internal volume, and a haptic assembly disposed in the internal volume. The haptic assembly can include an actuator and a foot coupled to the actuator and aligned with the aperture. The actuator can be configured to selectively extend the foot through the aperture to vary a sliding resistance of the input device on a support surface.

Variable friction and multi-texture mouse

Systems of the present disclosure can provide a head-mountable device with a head securement element that allows a user to adjust how the head securement element fits near the ears of the user. Examples of adjustment mechanisms described herein allow a user to control the size, shape, flexibility, and/or position of certain regions of the head securement element with respect to the ears of the user. Accordingly, the user can select a configuration that distributes forces evenly, maximizes comfort, and allows the user to enjoy the head-mountable device for longer durations of time.

Adjustable head securement for head-mountable device

A product display stand for reducing displayed product movement can be used in a retail environment to reduce movement of a product displayed by the product display stand. Such product display stand includes a damping assembly configured to attach to a display platform. The damping assembly includes a housing configured to attach to the display platform. The housing defines a damping chamber. The assembly also includes within the chamber a damping flange and damping material. The product display stand also includes a display post fixed to the damping flange. The display post extends above the display platform and to retain and display a product.

Product display stand with reduced movement

A head-mounted device may include optical assemblies for presenting images to a user. Actuators may be used to adjust the spacing between the optical assemblies to accommodate different interpupillary distances. Upon detection of a power-down event or drop event, the device may be placed into an impact-safe mode. During the safe mode, the optical assemblies may be moved to predetermined impact-safe positions, brakes such as optical guide rail brakes may be adjusted, cushioning springs may be deployed, clutches may be adjusted, and/or other safety mechanisms may be activated to help protect the optical assemblies or other sensitive components from damage.

Electronic devices with drop protection

Bands for electronic devices, including wearable devices, are designed to dynamically alter their shape (e.g., lengthen) in response to an external force. A band may include one or more interior structures disposed in an exterior structure. The interior structure(s) is/are pulled in tension by the exterior structure. When the interior structure(s) is/are pulled in tension, an additional force (e.g., by a user) that applies tension to the interior structure(s) may cause a relatively small change in tension to the interior structure(s). As a result, the band may appear to provide the same amount to users, despite users having a different wrist size/diameter. A similar phenomenon may occur to a single user when the user's wrist changes in size. Accordingly, based on the interior structure(s) being placed in tension by the exterior structure(s), the force provided by the band may appear constant to users.

Dynamically adjustable bands for wearable devices

An electronic device may have a housing that separates an exterior region from an interior region. The housing may have a front layer on a front face of the housing and a rear layer on an opposing rear face of the housing. Sidewall structures may extend between the front and rear layers. The housing may form a head-mounted housing that is configured to be worn on a user's head. An internal frame may be mounted in the interior region. The internal frame may have a nose bridge structure that is coupled to the housing with a coupling member such as a coupling member formed from an elastomeric vibration damping material. Other portions of the frame such elongated laterally extending support members may not contact any portion of the housing and may therefore be isolated from the housing during drop events.

An item such as a fabric-based item or other item may have one or more actuators. An actuator may have a conductive strand of material. A control circuit may supply a current to the conductive strand that induces a length change in the conductive strand due to ohmic heating and associated thermal expansion effects. The control circuit may be used to activate the actuator in response to user input that is supplied to an associated input device such as a switch, capacitive sensor, force sensor, light-based sensor, or other input component. The fabric-based item may include fabric such as woven fabric or knit fabric. Strands of conductive material may serve as signals paths for supplying current to conductive strands in actuators. Magnetic-field-based actuators may be formed by coiling conductive strands around tubular support structures such as piping in fabric-based items.

Items with wire actuators

A feedback or a user-perceived feedback of an input device is modified using one or more output devices. The output devices include one or more speakers and/or one or more actuators. The output (e.g., acoustic and/or haptic) produced using the output device may enhance, amplify, mask, obscure, or cancel an inherent sound or tactile feedback produced by the input device.

Modification of user-perceived feedback of an input device using acoustic or haptic output

Clutch assemblies that can provide variable break-away torques are described. An exemplary multi-state clutch assembly can include a shaft, a first frictional element frictionally engaged with the shaft and a second frictional element that can provide variable friction. When the second frictional element provides a low friction, second frictional element can be rotatable relative to the first frictional element, which can remain stationary relative to the shaft. When the second frictional element provides a high friction, it can be secured to the first frictional element. Hence, the first and second frictional elements can be locked together and be rotatable relative to the shaft. Tightening or loosening the second frictional element can vary the overall break-away torque provided by the clutch assembly. The multi-state clutch assembly can be in communication with a sensor or a switch that can respond to a user to change the friction of the clutch assembly.

Multi-state clutch assembly

Embodiments relate to an immersive viewer system and viewer housing. The system comprises a viewer housing having first and second viewing apertures and a device holder. The system includes a first set of Fresnel lenses in-line with the first viewing aperture and a second set of Fresnel lenses in-line with the second viewing aperture. The system may include a computing device having a generally rectangular profile with a narrow depth configured to be supported in the device holder such that a display screen of the computing device is directly viewable through the first and second viewing apertures. The first set and second set of Fresnel lenses bend a two-dimensional (2D) image displayed by the display screen to fully cover 180 degrees of a human field-of-view. The first and second sets of Fresnel lenses are configured to cause the 2D image to appear as a three-dimensional (3D) image.

Three-dimensional (3D) immersive viewer system

Systems and methods for decoupling the electrical and mechanical functionality of a depressible key are disclosed. The depressible key can include a non-contact proximity sensor, such as an optical sensor, to detect motion of the keycap. The output from the optical sensor is used to determine a distance, velocity, acceleration, and a force applied during a keypress.

Depressible keys with decoupled electrical and mechanical functionality

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San Francisco, CA, United States of America

John Schooley Camp