Apple Inc.

Travis J McQueen

Scott G Johnston

Clark Della Silva

Wade R Barnett

Ashley N Saulsbury

Joel N Ruscher

Jack Erdozain, Jr

Michael J Ershov

Joseph Hakim

Bernd W Adler

William Burchill

Stefan Hafeneger

James E Orr

Amrith V Ram

Christopher Merrill

Trevor McQueen

Jay C Couch

This Application sets forth techniques for managing (e.g., tracking or detecting the presence or absence of) physical cards stored in a physical wallet. In particular, the techniques set forth a smart wallet configured to detect the physical cards stored therein, as well as a smart card configured to be inserted into a traditional wallet and to detect the physical cards stored therein. The smart wallet/smart card can be configured to, upon detecting a change to physical cards stored in the smart wallet/traditional wallet, gather information associated with the physical cards and store the information into a memory of the smart wallet/smart card. The smart wallet/smart card can, upon being communicably coupled to a wireless device, transmit the information to the wireless device. Subsequently, the wireless device can output a notification indicating any missing physical cards as well as provide remedial options.

Techniques for managing physical cards stored in a physical wallet

Methods and apparatus for transmitter and receiver localization within an environment. A transmitter transmits a signal that includes information (e.g., wavelength, polarization, and/or modulation) that varies based on observation angle. Receiver(s) may estimate direction of the transmitter in the environment based on the received signal. Intensity of the signal may be used to determine distance of the transmitter to the receiver(s). The receiver(s) may then convey the respective estimated distance and direction to the transmitter, for example via a wireless connection. The transmitter may then generate a map of the respective distances and directions to receiver(s) in the environment, and may convey absolute location and orientation of the transmitter in the environment to the receiver(s), for example via a wireless connection.

Transmitter and receiver localization

Methods and apparatus for conveying directionality and distance information from a transmitter to a receiver within the coordinate system of the transmitter. Conveying the directionality and distance information to the receiver may, for example, reduce computational loads at the receiver. The signal from the transmitter may include information for rendering digital content and information indicating the direction and distance of the transmitter, and the receiver may render the digital content using the direction and distance to reduce processing at the receiver. Alternatively, the signal may include pre-rendered content based on the direction to further reduce processing at the receiver.

Localization for rendering digital content

Wearable electronic devices, such as watches, can include a watch body and a band device that can be used together or independently of one another. The band device can provide continual operation of its functions even in the absence of the watch body. The assembly of the watch body and the band device can provide secure engagement, communication, and power sharing. Accordingly, neither the watch body nor the band device need to independently include components that provide every function that will be desired by the user. Instead, functions that are desired on a continual or long-term basis can be provided by the band device, and functions that are desired on an intermittent or short-term basis can be provided by the watch body.

Watch with band device

An electronic device such as a wearable electronic device may have a coil. The device may have a finger-ring housing that surrounds a finger-shaped opening to allow the device to be worn on a finger of a user. The coil may be formed from metal traces on a printed circuit that wrap around the finger-shaped opening. Near-field communications circuitry in the device may be used to gather near-field communications tag information. The tag information may be gathered in response to user input. Wireless communications circuitry that uses a non-near-field communications antenna may wirelessly transmit the tag information and/or other information such as user input to a companion device.

Electronic system with ring device

A system may include one or more processors and a host unit installed in a support structure of a building, the host unit including a communication module configured to send or receive communication data with at least one or more additional host units installed in the building, where the one or more processors are configured to measure an attribute of the sent or received communication data and detect a presence of an object based on a threshold change in the measured attribute of the sent or received communication data between the host unit and the one or more additional host units. The attribute can be an angle-of-signal (AoS) arrival of the communication between the host unit and each of the one or more additional host units, where the threshold change in the measured attribute is a threshold change in the measured AoS arrival.

Object tracking and authentication using modular wall units

Ear buds are provided that communicate wirelessly with an electronic device. To determine the current status of the ear buds and thereby take suitable action in controlling the operation of the electronic device and ear buds, the ear buds may be provided with sensor circuitry. The sensor circuitry may include proximity sensors. The ear buds may each have a housing with a main body portion that is configured to be inserted into the ear of the user and an elongated stem portion that extends from the main body portion. The proximity sensors may include sensors on the main body and sensors on the stem. The proximity sensors may be light-based sensors that emit light that passes through the housing.

Wireless ear buds with proximity sensors

In some embodiments, a data-secure sensor system includes one or more processors configured to receive sensor data (e.g., image data, audio data, etc.) and generate descriptive data based on the sensor data that corresponds to a physical area that corresponds to information about identified objects or activity in physical area, an input/output (I/O) port, and an I/O choke communicatively coupled between the one or more processors and the I/O port, the I/O choke configured to limit a communication bandwidth of the I/O port to a maximum data rate. The one or more processors can be configured to prevent the sensor data from being accessible via any external port of the data-secure camera system, including the I/O port, and allow the descriptive data to be accessible via the I/O port.

Data-secure sensor system

A modular host system may include one or more processors and a host unit installed in a support structure of a building. The host unit can be configured to receive and house an accessory (e.g., modular accessory) and electrically couple to an electrical source. The host unit can include a power gating module configured to couple electrical power from the electrical source to the accessory, and a communication module configured to communicate with one or more additional host units installed in the building. The one or more processors may be configured to determine a distance between the host unit and each of the one or more additional host units based on the communication with the one or more additional host units, and determine a floor plan of the building based at least on a distance from the host unit to each the one or more additional host units.

Growing community of inventors

San Jose, CA, United States of America

Travis J McQueen