Apple Inc.

Ronald J Moller

Jonathan P Ive

Peter N Russell-Clarke

Christopher D Prest

Lucy Elizabeth Browning

Paul Choiniere

Masashige Tatebe

Rimple Bhatia

Ken Silverman

Martha Evans Hankey

Peter Henry Mahowald

William Vincent Oxford

Michael S Nashner

Mark A Biasotti

John Edwin Johnston

Bart K Andre

James R Stewart

John T Payne

Rafael L Dionello

Kenichi Nakajima

Liliya Lyandres

Tsao Lun Chung

Christopher J Raymond

Anodized electroplated aluminum structures and methods for making the same are disclosed. Cosmetic structures according to embodiments of the invention are provided by electroplating a non-cosmetic structure with aluminum and then anodizing the electroplated aluminum. This produces cosmetic structures that may possess desired structural and cosmetic properties and that may be suitable for use as housing or support members of electronic devices.

Anodized electroplated aluminum structures

Techniques and apparatus to provide improved visibility to user input devices, such as keys, are disclosed. In low light conditions, key legends can be difficult to distinguish. For example, often keys have legends on them to visually distinguish them from one another, but in low light conditions it can be difficult for users to visually identify the different keys. The legends can be textual and/or graphic. Hence, according to one embodiment, light from a nearby (e.g., attached) display device can be used to provide illumination to the user input devices (e.g., keys). The user input devices can be configured to include reflective optical components to enhance reflection of light and thereby improve visibility of the keys or the legends thereon.

Enhancing keycap legend visibility with optical components

Methods for forming electroplated aluminum structures

Techniques and apparatus to provide improved visibility to user input devices, such as keys, are disclosed. In low light conditions, keys can be difficult to distinguish. For example, often keys have legends on them to visually distinguish them from one another, but in low light conditions it can be difficult for users to visually distinguish the different keys. The legends can be textual and/or graphic. Hence, according to one embodiment, light from a nearby display device can be used to provide illumination to the user input devices (e.g., keys). More particularly, in one embodiment, some light from the nearby display device can be directed towards and reflected from the user input devices (e.g., keys) to enhance visibility of the keys or the legends thereon.

Method and apparatus for enhancing keycap legend visibility in low light conditions

An extendible stylus includes a body and an extension telescopically engaged with the body. The stylus may be extended to an open position and collapsed to a closed position, where opposite ends of the stylus are farther apart in the open position. A first, internal detent mechanism of the stylus retains the stylus in the open position. A stop mechanism preferably holds the stylus in the closed position. A receptacle, such as a hole in a case of a portable computer, is engageable with the stylus such that a second, external detent mechanism is provided between the case and the stylus to retain the stylus in engagement with the case. The case is provided with a member which engages a groove positioned on one end of the stylus to form the second detent mechanism. When the stylus is being engaged with the case, a force to overcome the first detent mechanism is greater than a force to overcome the second detent mechanism so that the stylus can be engaged with the case before the stylus is moved to the closed position. When the stylus is being disengaged from the case, the force to overcome the first detent mechanism is less than the force to overcome the second detent mechanism, so that the stylus can be extended to its open position before it is removed from the case.

Extendible stylus

Manual actuation of a stop/eject button on a computer causes a signal to be sent to both the computer's operating system and to a wireless communication controller. The operating system interprets this signal in a manner analogous to a conventional signal to open the drawer, or door, of a compact disk drive device when a compact disk is not currently present in the drive device. If a compact disk is present in the device, the operating system ignores the signal. In this case, the communications controller operates in a normal fashion to interrupt access to the compact disk, instruct the operating system to unmount the disk, and thereafter eject the disk by opening the drive door.

Removable storage media stop/eject system for personal computers

A personal computer includes an outer wall having plug receptacles adapted to receive the plug-in cables of peripheral equipment such as keyboards, modems, printers, etc. The outer wall carries a comb element which forms a row of slots into which respective cables can be inserted. The slots serve to organize the cables which otherwise would tend to lay haphazardly on the computer support surface. A cover is pivotably mounted on the outer wall to extend across the slots. A cover extension can be snapped onto the cover to cover the plug receptacles.

Methods and apparatus for organizing the electric cables of peripheral

An enclosure for an electrical apparatus includes a housing having top and bottom surfaces and a plurality of side surfaces, and an electrical apparatus, such as a pen-based computer, disposed within the housing such that the housing and the apparatus present a user interface region proximate to the top surface. A cover coupled to the housing by a compound hinge can be moved between a closed position substantially overlaying the user interface region and an open position substantially overlaying a portion of the bottom surface of the housing. The cover protects the user interface region when in the closed position and exposes the user interface region for use when in the open position. A cover catch member coupled to the cover engages a top-surface housing catch member when the cover is in the closed position, and the cover catch member engages a bottom-surface housing catch member at the open position. A release button, when activated, disengages the top-surface housing catch member from the cover catch member. The top-surface housing catch member includes a unitary latch structure that can be manufactured easily and with reduced cost.

Enclosure for electronic apparatus having a cover catch member

Stylus for a handheld computer

Handheld computer housing

Cathode ray tube display

Growing community of inventors

Boulder Creek, CA, United States of America

Ronald J Moller