Apple Inc.

Electro Scientific Industries, Inc.

Michael S Nashner

Peter N Russell-Clarke

Christopher D Prest

Jeffrey Howerton

Jody R Akana

Masashige Tatebe

Daniel T McDonald

Joseph C Poole

Theodore Andrew Waniuk

Jeffrey Lee Mattlin

Stephen Brian Lynch

Lucy Elizabeth Browning

Houtan R Farahani

Brian S Tryon

John T Payne

Matthew Dean Rohrbach

Kathryn P Crews

Samuel Gilkison Smith

Matthew S Scott

Mehmet Emin Alpay

Andrew David Lauder

Kevin M Kenney

Santhana Krishnan Balaji

Martha Evans Hankey

Shota Aoyagi

Matthew S Rogers

Kyle H Yeates

John J Baker

Michael B Howes

Andrew Nelthropp Lauder

Peter Pirogovsky

James N O'Brien

Robert Michael Merritt

Liliya Lyandres

Crenshaw Whitley

Gregg Hardy

Weixiong Lu

Paul Choiniere

Marta M Giachino

Max A Maloney

Jared Sartee

Yoji Hamada

Ronald J Moller

Lukas Satas

Manish Mittal

Rimple Bhatia

James G Griffin, Ii

Jared A Sartee

Patrick Leonard

Sean R Novak

Rafael L Dionello

Jeff Howerton

Travis C Pedley

Kenichi Nakajima

Ling Wen

David James McKeever

Mark W Townsend

John Groff

Matthew Saucier

Robert Reichenbach

Tsao Lun Chung

Jason T Parker

Zuguang Chen

Erica K Block

Evans Hankey

Gregg E Hardy

A housing for an electronic device is disclosed. A surface of the housing includes a laser-formed marking. The marking comprises a plurality of laser-formed pixels and may include a grayscale image. Electronic devices including the laser-marked housings and techniques for laser-marking the housings are also disclosed.

Laser-marked electronic device housings

Embodiments are directed to laser-based processes for forming features on the surface of a part. The feature may include a geometric element, a color element, and/or a surface finish element. In some cases, the laser-formed features are formed as a pattern of textured features that produce an aesthetic and/or tactile effect on the surface of the part. In some cases, the texture features may be sufficiently small that they may not be discerned by the unaided human eye. Also, in some cases, a multiple laser-based processes are combined to form a single feature or a finished part having a specific aesthetic and/or tactile effect.

Laser-formed features

A system such as a vehicle, building, vessel, aircraft, or electronic device system may have a layer of material with invisible laser-drilled openings. The layer of material may include an outer layer of fabric overlapping an inner layer such as an inner foam layer. Laser-drilled openings may include outer openings in the fabric layer and inner openings in the foam layer. Each of the inner openings may be overlapped by multiple outer openings. The exposed surface of the fabric layer may have strands of material of different appearances and/or may otherwise be configured to help visually hide the laser-drilled openings. Laser-drilled openings may also have small sizes to help make the laser-drilled openings invisible. Laser-drilled openings may overlap components such as audio components, heating and cooling components, and/or light-emitting components.

Systems with hidden openings

An article having a laser-formed marking is disclosed. The article includes a coating defining an exterior surface of the article and the marking extends through the coating. The marking comprises a recessed marking feature which provides a color or other visual attribute to the marking.

Controlled ablation and surface modification for marking an electronic device

Techniques or processes for providing markings on products are disclosed. In one embodiment, the products have housings and the markings are to be provided on sub-surfaces of the housings. For example, a housing for a particular product can include an outer housing surface and the markings can be provided on a sub-surface of the outer housing surface yet still be visible from the outside of the housing. Since the markings are beneath the surface of the housing, the markings are durable.

Process for creating sub-surface marking on plastic parts

Markings for electronic devices are disclosed. Markings are formed through a laser-based process which transforms a colorant in a multilayer structure disposed along an interior surface of a cover. The transformed colorant defines a marking visible along an external surface of the electronic device.

Laser marking of an electronic device through a cover

Embodiments described herein may take the form of a textile product having one or more regions of reduced density. These reduced density volumes may form one or more features in the product. For example, the reduced density volumes may have better acoustic transmission properties, optical transmission properties, flexibility, and the like. Sound transmission may be enhanced not only in terms of clarity, but also overall range. That is, certain audio frequencies that the textile may normally block when in an unaltered state may pass through a textile having reduced density or reduced density regions.

Textile product having reduced density

A housing for an electronic device including a marking comprising multiple pixels is disclosed herein. The housing comprises one or more oxide layer, such as a metal oxide layer, and the marking comprises pixels formed into or within the oxide layer. In some instances, the pixels cooperate to form an image along an exterior surface of the electronic device.

Electronic device marked using laser-formed pixels of metal oxides

This disclosure is directed to an electronic identification card or electronic card having various features. The electronic card may include an integrated circuit and a contact plate for electrically interfacing with the integrated circuit. The contact plate may include an array of terminal electrodes that are offset with respect to the edges of the contact plate. The electronic card may be coated with a coating layer that extends at least partially over a ferromagnetic element or film. The electronic card may also include a metal substrate having exposed chamfer portions that may provide a visual contrast to the coating layer and also improve the handling and use of the electronic card.

Electronic card having an electronic interface

The embodiments described herein relate to forming anodized films that have a white appearance. In some embodiments, an anodized film having pores with light diffusing pore walls created by varying the current density during an anodizing process is described. In some embodiments, an anodized film having light diffusing micro-cracks created by a laser cracking procedure is described. In some embodiments, a sputtered layer of light diffusing aluminum is provided below an anodized film. In some embodiments, light diffusing particles are infused within openings of an anodized layer.

White appearing anodized films

A ceramic-based component including laser-etched markings, an electronic device including a ceramic-based component, and methods of forming the same. The ceramic-based component may include an outer surface, and a laser-etched marking formed on the outer surface. The laser-etched marking may include a recess having a substantially uneven surface formed in the outer surface. The recess may have a material composition distinct from a material composition of the outer surface. The method of forming the ceramic-based component may include laser etching an outer surface of a ceramic-based component, and in response to the laser etching, forming a laser-etched marking on the outer surface of the ceramic-based component. The method may also include altering the optically reflective properties of the laser-etched marking and/or altering a material composition of the laser-etched marking relative to a distinct material composition of the outer surface of the ceramic-based component.

Ceramic-based components having laser-etched markings

Substrates having laser textured surfaces and methods for forming the same are described. The methods involve using a laser to form three-dimensional features on a surface of the substrate. The laser three-dimensional features can be designed to interact with incident light to create unique visual effects. In some embodiments, the substrate is further treated with a pre-anodizing process and an anodizing process to form a protective metal oxide coating. In some cases, the type of pre-anodizing and anodizing process are chosen based on the geometry of the three-dimensional features and to enhance the visual effects.

Anodizing and pre-anodizing processes based on incoming laser textured part

An accessory unit includes a front flap and a rear cover. The rear cover includes a recessed portion that defines a chamber and a frame that extends about an opening of the chamber. The chamber is configured to receive a consumer electronic device, and the frame is configured to hold the consumer electronic device therein. For example, the frame may define a multi-sided cross-section with an inner edge thereof configured to engage a chamfered edge of the consumer electronic device. The front flap may include segments formed from panels with folding regions therebetween, which allow the front flap to fold. Further, an end region of the front flap hingedly couples the front flap to the rear cover, such that the front flap may be moved between open and closed configurations.

Accessory units for consumer electronic devices and related assemblies

Growing community of inventors

San Jose, CA, United States of America

Michael S Nashner